>I don't get it. If I oppose _this_ war, I have to oppose _every_ war? Why?
>What's wrong with traditional just war theory, taught at the Point and
>Annapolis, under which it can beargued that some wars, e.g., the wara
>gainst the Nazis. is just, but some other wars, like the US invasion of
>Vietnam, or theSoviet invasion of Afghanistan, or this war, is unjust? jks
i think the problem is something like this:
at one point, Doug was ridiculed for being concerned about his well-being. he was also ridiculed for thinking the US was the target of serious threats against its citizenry. the response to Doug was to, initially, dismiss his concerns. as the argument went on, a few pointed out that if Doug were really worried, then he should pursue strategies that would _really_ address terrorism. the one the USG is pursing won't, it was argued, and Doug's lower on the ladder of force approach wasn't going to achieve that end either.
so, on the one hand, Doug is to be ridiculed, in principle, for being worried. on the other hand, Doug's concern is taken seriously in order to hone the ideological axe.
it seems to me that you either ridicule the worry as unimportant to left thinking about the questions 'what is to be done?" OR you take it seriously. to have it both ways is hypocritical.
similarly, we have had people say something like this: "you really have to start remembering that 911 was not about _us_. _We_ were not attacked. The USG was attacked." on the other hand, the same people are upset about attacking Afghanistan innocents.
both the US and Afghanistan are class societies. why is it that the "innocents" in one country are supposed to think of themselves as not under attack because they are not their government, but if one were to say the same thing about Afghanistan's innocents it would be seen as a horrid, horrid shocking thing for a lefty to say?
and, in general, as i've already pointed out, there is the very real problem of left opportunism where this "war" is needed, utlimately, in order to build a left social movement.
i could go on, but those are a few things that spring to mind.
kelley