Where are the peace protests over Syria bombing?

[Jesus Malverde]

Maybe it’s war fatigue. Maybe climate change is consuming all the protest energy right now. Maybe momentum just needs to build.

But most likely, all of the above are the reasons antiwar protests didn’t erupt throughout the Bay Area, veteran activists say, after U.S. warplanes roared over the Syrian border Tuesday to bomb more than a dozen enclaves of Islamic radical jihadists into rubble.

Some activists even conceded that many people weren’t going into the streets because the militants being targeted deserved to be dealt with, if not killed.

By Tuesday afternoon, there were still no loud demonstrations to be found. Major military incursions in years past launched seas of banners down San Francisco’s Market Street, but this time? Nothing — at least right off the bat.

“People are war-weary and have already been very disappointed in President Obama for some time,” said David Hartsough, executive director of the Peaceworkers antiwar group in San Francisco. He said he and other longtime activists are outraged at the bombing and believe nonviolent solutions to jihadist terror would be more effective — but the groundswell to hit the streets just isn’t there.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Where-are-the-peace-protests-over-Syria-bombing-5775926.php

[brooklynite]

1. Maybe there aren't many absolutist pacifists.

And maybe ISIS is the type of target that doesn't generate a lot of opposition.

[sabrina 1]

12. Or maybe they are focusing on more constructive ways, rather than placing their hopes

in politicians anymore, to stop these brutal, unnecessary wars. I know I am. Eg, the Global March for Climate Change which involved the PEOPLE of over 150 nations is a start.

Please don't bother giving us the story about the latest 'worser than Hitler' National Security Threat, or Humanitarian issue (take a look at who our allies are and talk to me about 'humanitarian', it's actually laughable at this point.

No, many who oppose these neocon policies recognize now that protests and appeals to our 'leaders' are wasting time and energy. They are now much more focused on addressing the CAUSE and MOTIVATION for all these wars.

Why would we go to the streets to protest a war we KNEW was inevitable so long as Oil is a factor? We did it during Bush because back then we had hoped that a change of party would change the policies. Now people know better.

So there is a new focus and this time it's Global. And far more targeted at the real reasons for our ME policies.

[randome]

13. ISIS is brutal and unnecessary. You can't try diplomacy with marauding killers.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[sabrina 1]

17. But you can stop funding them. Anyhow, it doesn't matter, our own allies are as brutal

as Isis and have been over a much, much longer period of time. So don't waste your time trying to convince intelligent people that we actually care about brutality. See Uzbekistan eg, Bahrain and all the other brutal dictators whose crimes we turn a blind eye to.

Not to mention our own brutality, now documented over the past decade or more against the innocent people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Are you seriously trying to sell us the notion that the Western Imperial Powers 'care'?

Lol, is all I can say to that.

We are there for oil and for regime change in Syria, and once that is accomplished, SEE LIBYA to find out how much we cared about the 'brutality towards civilians' there. That was the excuse, no? Well, someone needs to go back and take a look at how much we care about those unfortunate innocent people, many dead, tortured and brutalized every day there. What happened to our 'caring' in Libya again?

This is DU, where people are not as susceptible to the war rhetoric, which never changes btw.

[whatchamacallit]

16. Maybe it's paralyzing confusion due to the confounding actions of our

"liberal democratic president". Says way more about partisan hypocrisy than the number of "pacifists".

[snooper2]

2. I guess nobody wants to chant, "Don't Kill Asshole Fundies Don't Kill Asshole Fundies"

[stevenleser]

18. Yep. Actually having a valid reason to go to war takes the wind out of protest's sails. nt

[TwilightGardener]

3. What non-violent solutions are there to deal with a group whose

success is due to ongoing horrific violence? Yes, we're trying to patch up Iraq politically, cut off funding and supply of arms, etc. But what else will stop them, in the near term?

[AnalystInParadise]

6. I thought the slogan was

"War is never the answer".......is there a caveat to that statement I am unaware of?

[TwilightGardener]

7. In this case, it's partly the answer.

[leftstreet]

4. Syria Strike Protesters Arrested at White House

Syria Strike Protesters Arrested at White House
'War is terrorism,' says priest before blocking gate.

September 23, 2014

About two dozen anti-war activists rallied near the White House Tuesday against U.S. airstrikes in Syria, which began Monday.

Five of the mostly gray-haired protesters were arrested for blocking a White House gate after insisting they meet with President Barack Obama or a senior official to discuss their concerns.

“It’s urgent that we meet with him!” a woman shouted to Secret Service agents, to no avail.

...
The bombing of Syrian jihadis, the protesters said, would only strengthen fundamentalists who have declared a caliphate in eastern Syria and northwestern Iraq. Instead, they recommend humanitarian aid and an arms embargo against all groups in Syria.


http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/09/23/syria-strike-protesters-arrested-at-white-house

I posted this as an OP. It sank. Because, Obama

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025577033

[ieoeja]

8. "Because, Obama."

The vast majority of DUers supported going into Afghanistan in 2001.

Because, Bush?

[leftstreet]

11. Prove it

Prove 'the vast majority of DUers supported going into Afghanistan in 2001'

Although I'm assuming you didn't meant 2001

[ieoeja]

19. Why would I not mean 2001?

We went into Afghanistan 7 October 2001. Something happened on 11 September 2001 that 99% of the world, even DUers, seemed to think made going into Afghanistan a good idea.

For that matter, a lot of DUers were calling for intervention in Afghanistan long before 9/11. Mass stonings of women turns out to be the kind of thing that progressives think justifies intervention. Mostly we figured we should just go back to arming the guy who led the fight against the Soviets.


I doubt I can find proof the vast majority of us supported going after Bin Laden and the Taliban back in 2001. But if you were here, that is what you would have seen. Heck, you might as well ask me to prove the moon is not made out of cheese. Some things are so self evident that I am stunned you would even ask it.

Virtually NOBODY opposed us going into Afghanistan. There was nothing remotely controversial about it. The 9/11 truther dumbasses, as well as the true pacifists, are all you would have had. But that is a pretty insignificant number.

On the other hand, the Iraq War opposition at DU had three major complaints about it:

1. It was based on a lie.

2. It was stupid. Saddam was an enemy of Al Qaeda. Taking him out would only result in exactly what we are seeing today with ISIL.

3. It would take resources away from the "good war in Afghanistan". I put that in quotes because that is exactly what DUers were posting at the time.

Pacifists see millions of people protesting the Iraq War and think, "these people are anti-war". No, they're not. Most of them opposed THAT war. Even most Conservatives I knew opposed that war. They thought it was a stupid war for reasons #2 and #3 cited above.

Maybe pacifists should listen to the people protesting "a" war instead of projecting their own pacifistic views upon them.

[gratuitous]

24. Perhaps a more pertinent question

Where is the popular media coverage of war protests? Because all I see on the teevee machine, hear on the reddy-o, or read in the papers is full-blown support for an excellent military adventure with lots of exciting footage of stuff blowing up reel gud somewhere far away. The next interview with someone from the Quakers, Mennonites or Church of the Brethren will be the first.

[JEB]

5. America enjoys killing.

Any protest, puny or massive, is marginalized and turned on its head via corporate media. Get your blood lust on or get out of the way.

[Dreamer Tatum]

9. As if you need the answer written out. nt

[peace13]

10. There is a cost to protesting....

Time and money, and when there is a 100% chance that the media will black out the effort those things have to be considered. We took a bus to DC for the Iraq anti surge demonstration during the reign of *. Three days efforts and 500,000 in the crowd and there was very little mentioned anywhere about it.

For myself I feel that any efforts / money that I would expend on anti war demonstrations are better used on volunteering to help those in need. At least something good and real comes from the efforts.

As far as speaking out against war goes....the few sane Americans left know what the right thing to do is. Anti war folks know in their hearts that war is not the answer. Ungrounded fools look to the anti war group to hold feet to the fire. Calling them out for demonstrating...calling them out for not showing up!

Stop the killing, peace is the answer. The least deserving of love should be showered in it.

War makes warlords rich. Uncontrollable greed and psychotic ills drive the madness.

[dilby]

14. That is really cute, you actually think people are against war.

The only group I have seen that is still holding a firm stance is Code Pink and I give them all my props. All my local anti-war groups have been totally silent and I will never give them money or help them protest again unless they take a stand for what is right which is to stand against this war.

[ieoeja]

21. You are projecting.

Your local anti-war groups were never anti-war. They opposed some war, and welcomed the participation of pacifists during that opposition, but were never a pacifist group.

And I seriously doubt they ever told you they were anti-war. They probably talked about how stupid it was going after Saddam who actively opposed Al Qaeda. They probably even complained that the Iraq War would take resources away from the good war in Afghanistan. You were listening to the anti-war parts, and probably never paid much attention to them calling Afghanistan "the good war".

You probaby projected your anti-war views on people who were never anti-war. I've noticed that tendancy among pacifists. They see a million people protesting a war and think "wow, all these people are anti-war". They're not. They just opposed what they saw as a wrong war.

[whatchamacallit]

15. *moved*

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

20. "The war(s) will stop when enough average Americans go broke paying for it."

From a poli-sci prof when we were disrupting classes to protest the Vietnam fiasco.

[woo me with science]

22. Agree with several points above.

The media blacks out traditional protests, and the PTB, if anything, use them to promote their false flag narratives. They have also made it very clear that peaceful protest ostensibly protected by our Constitution now routinely results in being placed on lists for surveillance, being corralled and arrested, or suffering a brutal assault. It seems new avenues of civil disobedience are needed.

Protests were designed to bring the people's concerns to the attention of government. The current oligarchy is not interested in hearing what we want, but in keeping us as passive and powerless as possible while they implement what they have already decided to do.

[msanthrope]

23. Maybe because no one gives a shit that the beheading rapists known as ISIS are being

targeted????? I mean, come on!

[rollin74]

25. exactly!