Kerry must become the new anti-war candidate Thought provoking article

[jbfam4]

Saturday, September 18, 2004

CAMPAIGN ADVICE
Kerry must become the new anti-war candidate

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpzin173974495sep17,0,219579.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines
BY HOWARD ZINN

Howard Zinn is professor emeritus at Boston University and author of 'The People’s History of the United States.' This is from the Progressive Media Project.

If John Kerry wants to win, he must recognize that our military intervention in Iraq is a disaster - for Americans, for Iraqis, for the world.

Kerry needs to stop boasting about his physical courage in fighting in Vietnam and instead start talking about his moral courage in opposing that war. He should be clear: We are not defending our country by our war in Iraq, and we should get out.



To those who say we must not "cut and run," Kerry can say, with some authority, we did cut and run in Vietnam - and it was the right thing to do. And if someone doesn't like the term "cut and run," he can say: "OK, let's cut and walk." Like those signs you see: "In case of fire, do not run, but walk to the nearest exit." There's a fire in Iraq whose flames we are fanning. Let's walk.



He should say that strength should not be measured in military terms, but in moral terms. Did the possession of almost 10,000 nuclear weapons prevent Sept. 11? Will a $400-billion military budget make us stronger or weaker? Will our military actions diminish terrorism or increase it? Does not our strength lie in being an example to the world of a peace-loving nation, which uses its wealth not for bombs but for food and medicine, for our people, and for others in need around the world? Should we not stop defining "security" in military terms, but talk instead of "health security," "job security," "children's security"? This is not utopian. It is what the American people have shown they want, before they are made hysterical and fearful by government propaganda. It is not simply a moral program, but a winning program.

[21winner]

1. Kerry needs no advice from Zinn.

Ivory tower blowhards are not needed.

[latebloomer]

2. Zinn is not an "ivory-tower blowhard"

He is a highly respected historian and activist who has studied in great depth the history of our greedy, rapacious nation and the harm it has inflicted upon the world.

[baby_bear]

3. Kerry needs PLENTY of advice from Zinn

And I hope he pays attention.

Zinn represents the heart of true liberalism, compassion, and intelligence in this age.

s_m

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. 21winner: Have you even READ Howard Zinn?

just curious, as you see to have quite a vendetta against Professor Zinn.

[bemildred]

5. The anti-war meme is anathema.

I believe it is what has turned the corporate media and
the political hacks against Kerry. He was doing great
until he came out and said explicitly that the war was
stupid and wrong, and not merely bungled. But now we hear
that he has "run a terrible campaign" and it's "very close
again" or Bush is ahead and blah, blah, blah. You have
absolute dingbats like Coelho getting airtime to criticize.
I'm surprised they have not trotted out Dick "Toe Sucker"
Morris yet to instruct Kerry on how better to lose the
campaign. We will see in Nov.

[dand]

6. Zinn lives in a fantasy world, the right wing zealots would go ballistic

every parasitic semi literate preacher in the country would be calling Kerry the anti Christ, unpatriotic, anti American and anything else they can think of.
I like the way Zinn thinks but this would be a gift to Carl Rove, with the doubts about Kerry's patriotism stemming from his Viet Nam protests.