On May 7 Doug Henwood wrote:
>
> Carrol Cox wrote:
>
> >I wish some of those who argue that "Out Now!" is "too simplistic" could
> >give some reason to believe that there is any possibility whatever of
> >the U.S. occupation remedying _any_ of the evil it has created
>
> Let me try this once more, on the charitable assumption that it just
> hasn't been made clear enough.
>
> The position held by many Iraqis, as far as people I trust report it,
> is that the U.S. should be replaced pronto by some international
> peacekeeping force THAT EXCLUDES THE U.S. There's considerable worry
> that, the U.S. having destroyed the Iraqi state, a very bad kind of
> anarchy might prevail otherwise.
But that is daydreaming. A movement demand for such an international force is _exactly_ the same as a movement demand that the U.S. stay there but be nicer and repair the damage it has done.
Hence I repeat my original point. I wish some of those who argue that "Out Now!" is "too simplistic" could give some reason to believe that there is any possibility whatever of the U.S. occupation remedying _any_ of the evil it has created. Your language may make you feel better about yourself, but it is of no help to the Iraqi who are going to die because the anti-war movement in the u.s. prefers nice words to reality.
> No one I feel any fellowship for feels the U.S. should stay and
> "finish the job."
I know someone. Doug Henwood. The position you express above has the same material content as demanding that the U.S. should stay and finish the job.
I have never misinterpreted your stand on Iraq. You consistently misinterpret your own stand on Iraq.
Carrol
P.S. When (by a combination of military/political events in Iraq and a movement demanding Out Now! at home the u.s. is forced to disentangle itself, it probably as window-dressing will adopt some formula bruited about among detached journalists & policy nerds, but like "Vietnamization" that policy will be a mere disguise of a defeat. It is the defeat which we need to work for now. Let the jerks in D.C. figure out the formula for surrender.