[lbo-talk] Moore on Mumia

[Joseph Wanzala]

I appreciate your lucid, on point response. For the record I have always 
remained agnostic about the facts in Mumia's case, and find that it bears 
many interesting parallels with the case of the (late) Judi Bari and Darryl 
Cherney. The Judi Bari faithful are just as intolerent of statements 
questioning their gospel truth. My point was about Moore's *judgment*, or 
lack thereof, as illustrated in the two *examples* of his statements about 
Mumia and Clark. You are the only person on this list who has addressed the 
Wesley Clark issue as well as the Mumia issue while keeping them in 
perspective and being directly responsive to the point of my post. Thanks.

Joe W.


>From: Dwayne Monroe <idoru345 at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>Subject: [lbo-talk] Moore on Mumia
>Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2003 07:17:19 -0700 (PDT)
>
>Joseph Wanzala asked:
>
>
>What do you think of Wesley/Moore - or Moore's
>statement about Mumia?
>
>********
>
>
>Regarding Moore's endorsement of Clark...
>
>
>If you look closely at the American political scene,
>you'll notice that both liberals and conservatives of
>conventional mind exhibit certain habits of thought
>and behavior when it comes to choosing candidates.
>Hero worship is common and moves hand in glove with a
>marginal grasp of history and an underappreciation of
>complexity and nuance.  There are no systemic
>problems, only 'good' and 'bad' men and women who have
>'good' or 'bad' characters.
>
>
>Moore chose to back Clark, to the extent that he has,
>because, as a man with a "distinguished career of
>service", Clark's seen as a candidate who cannot be
>challenged as being "too liberal" by either the rest
>of the Democratic field or the incumbent.
>
>This is an extraordinarily bland and predictable
>assessment of the situation and is built upon a lack
>of or willful disregard for the full facts.
>
>To call Clark a 'war criminal', as he surely is, would
>be to break out of the bounds of polite conversation.
>Indeed, it would represent a questioning of the idea
>both conservatives and liberals share that the US is a
>benevolent actor on the world stage.  When irrefutable
>evidence of American crimes is unearthed, liberals
>call these examples of systemic perfidy "mistakes"
>while conservatives say, following Stalinism, that the
>means were justified by the ends sought.
>
>This is the small amphitheater in which media-visible
>political discussion occurs in America.  Moore's
>endorsement of Clark is an uncontroversial, and
>yawn-inducing, addition to the productions available.
>
>
>Regarding Moore and Mumia...
>
>
>Moore's statements do not seem unreasonable to me.
>You can debate the accuracy, but he's arguing
>rationally from the point of view of someone who
>believes in Mumia's guilt.
>
>
>As a Philadelphian, and an African American, I've been
>told, over and over again, that I should be
>passionately involved with obtaining 'justice for
>Mumia.'
>
>I've found both the Police Department and the legal
>system's manipulations along with the
>hero-worship-dependent antics of the Free Mumia
>group(s) to be off-putting and suspect.
>
>Capital punishment is wrong; everyone deserves a fair
>trial.
>
>
>Beyond these generalities, I cannot say anything else
>of value as I lack hard facts.
>
>
>DRM
>
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