“This might explain why Dennis did worse in 2008 than in 2004, and lost nearly 100% of the country’s anti-war sentiment to a Republican (Ron Paul) and an imperialist Democrat (Barack Obama).”

and more,

“In a state where Ron Paul’s anti-war candidacy finished 2nd, ahead of John McCain, Kucinich was entirely off the map.”

When I started to get a feeling that the author was building a case for supporting Ron Paul, it fizzles out into a whimper with this final melodramatic flurry:

“I could care less if Obama wins in November, or if Hillary found a way to steal the Democratic nomination. It’s of little consequence to anybody. Until we build a movement, get out of the paralysis of politically correct thinking, and take to the streets like our brothers and sisters in France, Americans will continue to live as droids. People need to stop blinding themselves with the fog of this damn election and start taking their country back from the pits of this neo-liberal hell.”

Then my question:

Isn’t Ron Paul building a movement to get out of “the paralysis of politically correct thinking”, not just anti-war, but also anti-Patriot act, anti-imperialism, anti-doling out aid to Israel, anti-Reserve Bank (unaccountable to the American people, privately owned by faceless, conniving bunch of Rothschild’s clones and goons) AND for Freedom, smaller government, upholding the Constitution, restoring the economy and the dollar to full strength . etc, etc, etc…

Isn’t this Revolution a GOOD ENOUGH movement for your refined
“goût du moment” tastes?

Again, your rant about some left – who is now manifested in Chomsky – seems way off the mark. Your point is clear – Zionism and Israel rule the world. The US is a puppet of Israel through the arm of AIPAC. All else is inconsequential and meaningless. On Obama you regularly look for excuses. Here you seem to be saying the Zionists have him over a barrel otherwise, who knows, he might be ok (again you never quite say it but you never speak of him with any vitriol).

For you, DB, only those who see the world as Zionist controlled have got the story right; regardless of what political views they have on any other issues. You seem to forgive Obama and are disturbed by the arguments made by progressive blacks on Black Agenda Report because they demand something that Obama does not have. Obama has forsaken any opportunity to make a stand when it counted and he’ll do that as president (it’s part of who he is and he’ll not escape) – that includes genuflecting to AIPAC. But you continue to go light of O for some reason.

Instead it’s all about some leftist this and that who don’t go head to head with Zionism. I’ve posted extensively about the deep problems that Zionist ideology has created in the Middle East. I’ve said the state of Israel should be re-constituted along with the West Bank and Gaza and made into a single multi-ethnic state (I’m not even that big on nation-states). But you aren’t satisfied with that.

The uprising at the run up to the invasion of Iraq was a moment in time that never got traction. The organizers couldn’t “organize”. What sustained the Vietnam protests was the daily display of death and the fact that YOU’RE next-draft. That gets people’s asses out on the street. Otherwise it fades into the unsustainable world of “empathy”. And that’s just not compelling enough. The pain in America is just not great enough – yet. Even our poor are incapable of uprising.

So, blame it on the left. It takes a lot more than a mercenary army doing the Empire’s bidding to get real people action!

And that is what the author of this article does by primarily blaming the citizens without fully examining the missed opportunity when citizens took action in back in 2003-2004.

“Scottie” as you refer to him provides an insider account to the process and rationale that led to the War on Iraq. He clearly confirms what many who never agreed with the “War for Oil” canard flatly tried to make clear. The war on Iraq was never about such esoteric rationale that “left-wing” experts were advancing to the public. THAT is the crux of my argument here on DV.

The “left” has a RESPONSIBILITY to provide accurate analysis not “fairy tales” dressed up as analysis. The reason why the “left” MUST provide clear analysis is that:

1) The left does not have a bully pulpit or a megaphone.
Here Chomsky is correct with his explanation of how the ruling class manufactures consent. Therefore when the “left” engages in such “manufacturing” it is doubly devastating.

2) The “left” cannot afford to squander opportunities.
The anti-war movement of 2003-2004 was the left’s BEST opportunity to communicate with citizens who genuinely wanted to prevent a war with Iraq. The millions of people that hit the streets needed information to clearly understand the rationale behind the possible invasion. The “left” rather than educate decided to deceive, divert and distract and finally demobilize the anti-war energies leaving itself weak and irrelevant.

I believe it will be a LONG while before we see such an opportunity and is why the left so “angry” at Obama. Obama is skillfully is filling the void caused by the left’s missed opportunity.

When so-called left do “take on Zionism” you ignore it. You seem to want everyone to agree with you because they are, on a number of issues, left of center. IT AINT GOING TO HAPPEN!!

Sorry Max but that remark is extremely off base and an “ad-hominem” especially since I continually site James Petras who takes on Zionism head on and is especially articulate regarding Zionism’s influence on AMERICAN political economy unlike YOURSELF! I’ve also cited Jeffery Blankfort as well as Joel Kovel. So clearly your attack is unwarranted and weak and illustrates my point about “leftist” regarding their desire to dismiss this problem.

The problem are NOT the “left of center” or liberals hacks. They were NOT the ones coordinating the anti-war energies. The problem was within what we recognize as the “left” which includes people like Chomsky who has a MAJOR following and has MAJOR influence upon the left that has used his position NOT to elucidate but to obfuscate.

Some spelling corrections. Pardonne moi .

Max

When so-called left do “take on Zionism” you ignore it. You seem to want everyone to agree with you because they are, on a number of issues, left of center. IT AINT GOING TO HAPPEN!!

No “leftist” that I know is asking Obama to do ANYTHING. But then you seem to be including the progressive marxist Democratic leadership in your “blame it all on the left…”

Your arguments DB are always about leftist. I think the solution for the Middle East is to re-constitute Israel/Palestine as one state with right of return for all Palestinians. Chomsky doesn’t speak for anyone but Chomsky. But that is not to say that I disagree with him just because we may differ on the viability of a two state solution. Many Palestinians agree with Chomsky.

But yes, this is about empire and resources. Racism, at its root and from the power elite, is about economics and resources; as was slavery. Demonization and racism is a tactic not an end. The history of the US is born of empire and expansionism way before Zionism or Israel ever existed.

Obama, DB, wants to be POTUS more than anything else. And if he has to kiss ass, or rings of various power brokers or bend down…he will as all the vetted candidates do. And if elected, he’ll continue to kiss whatever to keep those power brokers happy. And Noam Chomsky will have absolutely NOTHING to do with it.

hp as far as AIPAC being a parasite; it does appear to be. But that does not nullify the empire that is EVERYWHERE.

To be clear, what I’m saying is that there were voices in 2003-2004 who were saying that the problem of the Middle East was due to the racist ideology known as Zionism. However those same voices were also pointing out the power of AIPAC and the support by our politicians of HOMEGROWN Zionism. Such voices was a threat to the establishment but also a threat to these phony “leftist organizations” whose job it is to distract people away from such notions.

I specifically call out Noam Chomsky — the oracle of the left and others like Naomi Klein and Greg Palest and the whole “War for Oil” crowd who effectively diverted people attention away from the grip that Zionism has on the U.S. political economy. I also call out those who use broad and dilutive explanations such as “empire” and “U.S. Imperialism”.

It is clear that every epoch of tyrants has motives behind their tyrannical behavior but such rhetoric is empty because it fails to zero in on the impetus of the CURRENT epoch of tyranny. Are we to use 19th century techniques to challenge 21st century tyranny? This is what is inferred by the “empire” and “imperialism” crowd.

For example, the outcry for aggression surrounding “War for Oil” could find “acceptance” while a “War for Racism/Zionism” would find very little support among the populous. Since the left does not have the pulpit in this very “conservative” country getting the MESSAGE straight is crucial. An esoteric message (“empire”, “imperialism”) become diversionary and watered-down.

The question then becomes why are these erudite oracles promoting such rhetoric? IMO it is not to educate the masses and what I experienced in 2003-2004 seeing how much energy the “left” expended to dismantle the anti-war movement and then throw their hat behind warmonger John Kerry rather than support Ralph Nader who was the only anti-war candidate and accurately describe GWB (messianic militarist) was revealing and thought provoking.

In addition, the Scott McClellan revelations confirms that the war in Iraq was never about oil and not about “empire” not about resource thief. But clearly having to do with expanding Zionism and racism. As has been reported by James Petras the oil companies was against the war from the start.

Clearly the “left” has been derelict in providing guidance to the most progressive and active sectors of the society. Had the “left confronted Zionism it would have open space for politicians to target the real impetus of today’s militarism. Only by confronting Zionism can the rationale for the “War on Terrorism” be defeated. This is because the word “terrorism” itself has become part of the lexicon that stereotypes all Arabs due to Zionism.

Until the “left” stops the esoteric rhetoric and take on Zionism head on there will be no change. It is also hypocritical of the “left” to argue that Obama has to kiss Israel’s ass this week when there there is no criticism of Noam Chomsky who essentially is doing the same when the tells the American people that AIPAC is “just another lobby”.

Here’s a link to Real News that has some reports regarding AIPAC:

The Real News – AIPAC and the American Right

AIPAC is part of empire. Israel is an extension of empire. So, yah, empire 100%.

Yeah, right Max. That’s why all three candidates for POTUS and half the Congress are declaring fealty to Israel this week at the annual AIPAC hate Iran fest?

So what happened in 2003-2004 when people got active against the War in Iraq. Perhaps the “left” was too busy dismantling and diffusing that energy because people didn’t think the war in Iraq was about Oil and that there were many others pointing to something else.