[lbo-talk] re: Eat shit and die, was United against a Pro-War

[Joe Smith]

A major role the Democrats is to finish projects for the Republicans when the latter get too compromised to finish the job.  It is the duty of liberals to rationalize and package this as "opposition" or, when that fails, as "lesser of two evils."  The machinary being a bit out of whack this year makes it necessary for the (il)liberal ABB crowd to add straight forward denial to their arsenal.  That's why one hears over and over again that the "real" Kerry (real "Kerry"?) is hiding in a cave somewhere deep inside the politician-Kerry's skull.  He'll emerge messiah-like to end the war when the time is right (i.e. in the final days of his first term).  My favorite denial strategy is to claim that Kerry is saying things just to get elected.  This "support Kerry because he is a liar" argument often sits unblinkingly beside "Bush lies, we die" anti-war sentiments.

Anyway, Kerry has gained traction on the war issue on precisely that which matters least.  Not over whether it is a good or bad thing to be slaughtering Iraqis in an illegal war but over appearances of how well the bloodletting is going.  Kerry will use appearance -- the appearance of a faltering war effort -- to redouble efforts in going to war.  And that completes the magic circle of the two party duopoly.  You are now allowed to go to the voting booth.

The only weakness in the magic is the fact that the Democrats and their allies on the left have failed to exterminate the Nader-Camejo campaign.  That means that countless voters will have to pass their own personal Patriot Act to ensure the discipline to pull the lever against their political values.  Otherwise they risk falling out of the magic circle.  And when that happens we are in uncharted territory.

joe

Chuck Grimes wrote:
> There is something intentionally wrong 
> about the complete lack of opposition
> to the war from inside the beltway, and 
> inside the Democratic party.


> It is so odd, that I have to believe these 
> asshole actually approve of the war, 
> despite the obvious and egregious lies, 
> the completely unprepared nature of the 
> occupation, the horrors of Abu Ghraib 
> and a dozen other issues that all (any or 
> each) would provide deep and serious 
> oppositional political material to attack the 
> Repugnants
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