END THE WAR

YES WE CAN

Obama wants to hear from the people, so here is our opinion:

President Obama's appointments to key positions in his Administration range from reclaiming major figures from the Clinton Administration's center and right to explicit Republicans. Dramatically absent are any of the major figures in the movements that made his presidency possible (the anti-war, civil rights, environmental, and women's movements). This, coupled with the decision to continue to pour hundreds of billions of dollars into the banking industry without achieving effective control over its decisions, escalating the war in Afghanistan, rejecting negotiations with Hamas and hence effectively continuing the policy of blind support of Israel's right-wing governments, and appointing former lobbyists for corporate interests to major positions inside his inner circle has led many on the Left to question if the American people have allowed their enthusiasm at breaking down the last barrier of discrimination against Blacks in politics to close their eyes to the conservative thrust of the Obama Administration (even if conservative in a way that still respects the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of human rights and civil liberties, as the anti-torture moves of the first weeks suggested).

We do not consider the war in Afghanistan to be a legitimate American enterprise. It is not a declared war and we see no reason to continue it, especially since Congress has not specifically discussed the war or voted to invade other countries. We suspect that we are at war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan because it is the only financial aspect of Democracy Incorporated that is keeping our failed system afloat. That is not a good enough reason to continue killing people and destroying property in the Middle East or anywhere else. The sale of military weapons is not a part of the "economic success" that I personally aspire to achieve. Nor do we want to be represented by a government that cynically sees the sales of military weapons as their only means of "survival".

We believe that a peaceful world is possible. We believe that nuclear weapons should be abolished - not just in Iran, but in the United States of Destruction.

We believe that you can build a stronger and better world - and better nation (if that is your miniscule focus) - by strengthening your own internal mechanisms and your own border. We believe you can build a better world by taking care of your people, and by promoting a sustainable and peaceful way of life - rather than by promoting war and stealing resources from your neighbors.