But we need to be thinking about the next step in this situation. The Bush camarilla has made it perfectly clear that it doesn't give a squat what anybody thinks. That's because it's policy is primarily driven, not by Colin Powell, but, ideologically, by an alliance of fanatics: that of American-Israeli Likudism and "Christian" fundamentalism. These _want_ to 'stir the caudron, and soon' (Michael Ledeen). Their aim is to impose colonialism upon the peoples of the Middle East. Their war drive can and will be "sabotaged" by other players, even from within the Bush Administration (Powell, CIA, State Dept., some Pentagon brass), but I've yet to see any indication that the war drive has been reversed.
So, yes we should celebrate, but we should have no illusions: we need to prepare for the next stage of this struggle against colonialism - after the war has been lazunched.
-Brad Mayer
Jesus C-----!
Can't anyone on the left ever accept the idea of the possibility of winning a round?
Are folks just so completely wedded to the romance of defeat?
Sure Bush may try something and he may even pull his war out of the dumpster, but his options have narrowed because of global organizing by left and popular forces worldwide.
His popularity is falling and that of his global allies in Spain, Australia, Britain and Italy have plunged. People in the US are actively make fun of his "orange alerts", thereby diminishing his power to use the "terrorist threat" card to revive his fortunes. He's gone to that well once too often.
But I return to my amazement that folks seem wedded to the impossibility of victory.
There is a pathology of hopelessness on the left that I think is rooted in the comfort that the impossibility of victory means that no compromises must ever be made, since it won't make any difference anyways.
- -- Nathan