----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl Remick" <carlremick at hotmail.com>
> >Confronted with dangerous lunacy like that, the left has no choice but
to
> >forget its own differences and unite in opposition.
>
>No, this is exactly what we should not do ...
-I see we're off to a strong start in consensus-building :)
I'm not looking for consensus (at least not as defined by consensus among the folks who show up in a particular room) but a positive policy that will eventually achieve a majority in this nation for a sane policy of peace after this war hysteria fades in the grim reality of murderous failure of the Afgani bombings.
>- cooperative police work between nations to catch the perpetrators
>- international tribunals to try them for war crimes to assure global
>acceptance of their trials
>- addressing real grievances of the muslim world (such as the Palestinian
>cause) to isolate the murderers from the general population
>- global economic justice to eliminate the misery which feeds resentment
>against the US and sympathy for such terrorism
>- defense of civil liberties in favor of sane security measures that don't
>breed more police abuses and cycles of resentment and violence
+Anyone have a problem with that list?
Unfortunately quite a few people do. There are many farther left folks in the antiwar mobilization who oppose calls to hunt the WTC murderers down. The idea of supporting any kind of expanded police enforcement would not be supported by them.
And let's be clear, if the Left wants to make an effective case for an alternative policy, they cannot mumble a quick "let's bring them to justice" before rushing to the global justice policies we like to talk about. We need to make a muscular case that a serious multilateral engagement on both criminal investigations and global justice are a credible proactive policy that will achieve justice on behalf of the families of the dead of September 11.
As Justin notes, there are plenty of pro forma statements at antiwar rallies of regret at the deaths of Sept 11, but they sound half-hearted even to my ears. To those angry enough to bomb starving Afganis, they sound completely disingenuous in their sparceness.
We have to say clearly that this policy is making justice for those families less likely. It has to be said with a seriousness of intent to track down the murderers through alternative and more effective means such that people believe us, rather than thinking (somewhat correctly in many cases) that the Left cares far more about opposing the war than seeking justice for their dead loved ones.
We should have a policy that cares equally and vehemently for justice for BOTH the victims of Sept 11 and the victims of war and poverty around the world. Unless we have that credibility, we will lose the debate.
Nathan Newman