Opinion: Guest column
CAN delivers bottom up change for campus
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Also by Todd Dennis:
- Iraq veteran turns back on unjust war (October 17, 2007)
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Yesterday, this paper published an op-ed trashing the Campus Antiwar Network for attempting to get students involved working against the occupations of
First off, he needs to read his history on the invasion and occupation of
Citing 16 months as the timetable is resorting to campaign promises made by the president, and just like getting a dog for his children, we see how well he keeps this one. It has already been pushed back into a 19-month timetable with “support troops” being created out of the troops already there in harm’s way no matter what their precious designation was. Arguing for an immediate withdrawal says we want all troops to leave, not just those who won’t be re-designated with another mission next year.
As far as the Belfour agreement, it states, “Nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in
Before rebuking the efforts of campus activists trying to create change from the ground up like the president expects, and instead of using simple arguments, some research would be helpful. Obama said, “I have always said that I don’t think that the LGBT community should take its cues from me or some political leader in terms of what they think is right for them. Real change comes from the bottom up, not the top down.”
Todd Dennis (todd@ivaw.org) is an alumnus with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. During his time at UW, he worked with the Campus Antiwar Network. He was in the
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You responded to a critique of your framework with a policy document. Poorly done.
Yea Todd! NIce article. Thanks for getting the facts straight.
I feel bad that you actually had to write a response to Manasevit’s idiotic column.
I’d also like to thank you for your service to our country.
Good lookin’ out, Todd!
We should bring ALL the troops home, including Germany, Japan, South Korea - ALL OF THEM. Put them on the borders of the USA and beef up the Coast Guard and Navy. Then eliminate the income tax and make the federal government live off import duties.
Build enough nuclear power plants to completely eliminate any need to import oil fro anywhere.
Tell the rest of the world good luck.
Very well written Todd!
Obama is NOT changing our foreign policy, he’s only working to make it more palatable to the population…he is not against war, this is clear by his statements about continuing the “war on terrror.” For this reason we need to actively speak out against the occcupations until ALL of the American men and women are brought home and people in the Middle East are allowed to run their own affiars.
If you don’t like CAN’s tactics, come to the meetings and take part in our discussions, CAN is open for all to participate and vote. You might be persuaded by us, or your ideas may persuade us. But don’t thickheadedly presuppose your conclusions without taking a chance to know why we do what we do.
This article fails in its essential purpose because it does not respond to the issues addressed in yesterday’s article. Instead, it just discusses Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine on its own terms. It’s so frustrating to read articles like these; the article simply doesn’t discuss the problems with CAN that were raised. This article is generic, packed with inane policy responses rather than engaging in actual debate.
Hey you remember that one time when the worker’s ruled Russia???
Yes, the editorial this is in response to was horrible, and mistakenly concludes that U.S. involvement in the Middle East including support of Israel and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are unrelated nor related to oil interests. And additionally, many on this campus, perhaps a majority, agree with the position that U.S. intervention in the Middle East must be ended and is related to controlling oil. Unfortunately however, CAN is better at driving people away with Socialist diatribes and conspiracy theories rather than using the potential area of interest convergence to bring people together around a common cause. The campus left, as it exists, will perpertually be running on a treadmill to nowhere. A sad thing indeed.
Except for ending slavery, fascism, nazism and communism — war has never solved anything.
The problem with this article is its assumption that disagreement with its policies is tantamount to support for the issues CAN protests. A response article ought to relate to the original critique. This article avoids that difficult task and instead thoughtlessly claims the anti-war mantle. It’s the same sort of narcissistic, self-righteous argument-deflecting tactic common on the O’Reilly/Kristol right, but made by hipsters.
Another promise broken: http://www.democracynow.org/2009/3/26/reportdespiteobamasvowcombat_brigades
The Secrets of Obama’s Surge
President Obama’s highly anticipated new strategy for what the Pentagon now calls AfPak - Afghanistan and Pakistan - is full of grey areas. Most extra troops will be deployed to poppy-growing areas, not to fight al-Qaeda, the President’s stated number one objective. The President talks about building trust - but as the US cannot trust the Pakistani ISI, the Pakistani people don’t trust the US or even their own government. Pepe Escobar argues there are many more strategic issues at play than meets the eye - and the President and his team’s spin. - http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/04/01