Monica Benderman: The High Price of Talk

[babylonsister]

The High Price of Talk
Peace & Justice
by Monica Benderman | January 19, 2008



“There was a consensus that last year was not productive…Our expectations were dashed,” so John Isaacs was quoted as saying at a meeting of anti-war groups last week. One group alone has been said to have “spent $12 million last year” in actions opposing the war.

“Our expectations were dashed.” Mine were not.

I oppose this war. I oppose everything about this war – from the total destruction of an innocent nation, to the abject disillusionment of the citizens of our country regarding their responsibility for this destruction. I oppose the irreverent disregard for the laws of our constitution by not only our administration and our congressional representatives, but also the citizens who should be rising to oppose such actions, who have chosen instead to believe in the empty promises of national organizations wasting their efforts on counter-productive multi-million dollar spending sprees of futility in opposition to equal efforts by the administration.

It is becoming more and more difficult for me to see the difference between the leadership of the right and the leadership of the left.

Twelve Million Dollars, and more, spent by one organization in one year – opposing a war – Wasted.

How do you oppose something so destructive, so inhumane, so violent – so massive that it destroys an entire country with its incursion, and threatens to destroy its country of origin as well? How do you oppose something as hateful and angry as war and have any expectation of succeeding, when that opposition is simply a superficial public relations fiasco with no substance behind the banners, posters, puppets, television ads and interview slander?

Twelve Million Dollars and more – Wasted.

more...

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/12274

[Demeter]

1. It's Not Wasted Money--There's Just More Money on the Pro-War Side

We have to make pennies do the work of millions, which means more ingenuity, more grassroots volunteerism, and frankly, more dirty tricks--things that are somewhat less than standard operating procedure, but which will be seen to be brilliant in retrospect.

Think of what the suffragists went through--prison, forced feedings, humiliations of all kinds, punishments legal and illegal, disrupted family lives, families neglected or unformed. That level of dedication was more than anyone could ask or expect, yet it was barely enough.