[FWD: (no subject)]

[Max Sawicky]

Norman Thomas used to say, wash the flag, don't burn it. We all mourn those
who were murdered in this appalling and awful act. However, that doesn't
mean we should let the cynical creeps who ruke us use our shock and dismsay
as an opportunity to rush through a long-wished for program of repression
and war. Nothing Leo says surprises me any more, butI am really amazed at
Max, saying that we should give thae authorities the benefit of the doubt
because this is a crisis. Why should we trust the people who screwed up this

mbs:  I didn't say that, though misinterpretation is
understandable since words fail me periodically, as
I told CGE. Here's what I said:

"In a situation like this, it is inevitable that prudence is defined,
at least for a while, as giving those in authority the benefit of the
doubt.  In this kind of breach, there appears to be no time for
> extended debate and analysis.  Nor is there any real time for
> politics.  That will change in a few weeks.  Nothing the left does is
> going to stop what the U.S. Gov does this month. But what the left
> does now might have a bearing on how its message is received in coming
> months.

mbs: what I meant was in the popular mind, prudence is defined
as an absence of political partisanship.  Hence there is no
point in trying to sail against that particular wind right now
(hi Carrol!).  Note I also said I expect this to change very shortly.

. . . bad, and who have never given us the slightest reason to think that
they
could be trusted with managing a rural fire department, much less a
superpower, the benefit of any doubt? I do not think that, if we are
respectful, a certain degree of skepticism will marginalize the lefta ny
more than it is already marginalized. I am actually moderately encouraged; I
think that people want to get the terrorists, but not kill a lot of
innocents. --jks

mbs: I don't disagree with the rest of your post.
The space for criticism will widen if people would
just give it a freakin' chance.