Antiwar.com
March 18, 2005
America's Ready for Withdrawal – but Are Progressives?
by Norman Solomon
President Bush just told reporters that he has no intention of setting any timetable for withdrawal. "Our troops will come home when Iraq is capable of defending herself," he said. Powerful pundits keep telling us that a swift pullout of U.S. troops would be irresponsible. And plenty of people have bought into that idea – including quite a few progressives. Such acceptance is part of what Martin Luther King Jr. called "the madness of militarism."
Sometimes, an unspoken assumption among progressive activists is that the occupation of Iraq must be tolerated for tactical reasons – while other issues, notably domestic ones, are more winnable on Capitol Hill. But this acceptance means going along with many of the devastating effects of a militarized society: from ravaged budgets for social programs to more authoritarian attitudes and violence in communities across the country.
This spring, as U.S. activists work to build a strong movement against the war, the need to pressure Congress is clear. What's less apparent is the need to also push – and, if necessary, confront – hesitant progressive organizations that are taking the easy way out by refusing to challenge the ongoing war.
Fortunately, some national organizations are providing forthright leadership to pursue the goal of getting U.S. troops out of Iraq. Those groups – including United for Peace & Justice, Progressive Democrats of America, Military Families Speak Out, TrueMajority, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink, Campus Antiwar Network, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Pledge of Resistance, American Friends Service Committee, Democracy Rising, and U.S. Labor Against the War, to name just a dozen – inspire as they organize.
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/solomon.php?articleid=5253