Might economic disruptions end the war in Iraq?
I reminisce fondly on the 2006 elections. That was when we gained control of both the House and the Senate. That was when we were supposed to finally be able to stop this damn war. Only that hasn’t happened; the Democrats have rolled over time and time again to Bush, not wanting to look “weak” on national security, yet only managing to look weak in courage instead. It’s like they cut off their foot to spite their stupid, collective faces. So my initial optimism over the 2006 elections has quickly faded over time and is now replaced with just a cold cynicism. Our useless politicians couldn’t stop the war.
So maybe massive civil disobedience can? The International Longshore and Warehouse Union says they will shut down all of the ports on the west coast of the United States on May 1 (May Day) in protest over the war. The ILWU is a very powerful union that you may remember from previously shutting down ports for weeks during wage disputes. Now unfortunately they are only closing the ports for one day, which will be more symbolic than anything.
But think of the potential of this kind of tactic. What if more people start using it? Massive disruptions to the economy would be a good way to tell the politicians, who no longer seem to serve we the people, that we demand an end to this war. Yes, it may cause some harm to our already faltering economy, but it’s worth it. The war itself is already a much larger drag on our economy than any economic disruptions intended to stop it could ever be. If they end up working, we all come out ahead.
So how about it? On May 1, why not demand an end to this war? Don’t go to work. Don’t buy anything or do anything that contributes to the economy. Instead, go march in protest. And if the war isn’t over by November (which still looks very likely), vote for either of the Democratic candidates in the general election. Both want to stop the war. Do not vote for John McCain; he’s on the record as saying he wants the war to continue for at least another 100 years.
March 7th, 2008 at 20:39
This is why people call blogs leftist to the max. I think McCain’s a cunt just as much as the next guy, but he didn’t say he wanted the war to go on for 100 years, but that, if necessary, he was prepared to stay there for 100 years.
I like the idea of this strike, but one day isn’t enough. Maybe a week might leave some sort of mark. I mean, the writer’s strike lasted, what, four months? One day probably isn’t going to hurt much.
March 7th, 2008 at 22:34
Oh come on, calling blogs leftist is just as stupid as calling the media liberal. It’s a whiny “we’re being persecuted” tactic. It works by shifting the apparent balance of fairness until brainwashed idiots think Fox News is fair and balanced while everything to the left of it is biased.
Blogs span the whole political spectrum between left and right. Don’t believe me? Go look at Powerline, Little Green Footballs, or RedState. The next time you hear someone calling blogs “leftist to the max”, tell them what they’re full of.
March 8th, 2008 at 00:44
Hey, now. Reality has an obvious left bias.