Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Michelle Malkin Alienates Everyone From NeoCons

In case the NeoCon name hasn’t been dragged through the mud enough by the Bush Administration and their litany of ludicrous scandals, Michelle Malkin is doing her part to ensure that it receives the domestic equivalent of the international anti-American hatred that NeoCon policies have fostered abroad. In a recent editorial published in the New York Post, Michelle Malkin referred to the ANSWER Coalition as a “far-left group.” ANSWER stands for Act Now, Stop War, End Racism. I’m not sure which part of that she’s against, but if those are things that only the “far-left” stand for, then I might just have to turn in my Libertarian Party Lifetime Membership card. (Over my dead body!)

The ANSWER Coalition is organizing the September 15th march from the White House to the Capital to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq. Malkin goes further to say that we will be “descending” on the Capital (it may be an appropriate image, as our leaders sink to new lows and we must stoop to their level to communicate our grievances; perhaps we can tell them to stop the war by passing notes under bathroom stall partitions) to “demand immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan; immediate closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and immediate release of every last suspected al Qaeda operative in American custody; immediate impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney; and immediate capitulation to our enemies at home and abroad.” That last part is hers. Actually, almost the whole thing is hers. The single unifying message of the action is, “End the War Now!”

But it is very telling that as a regular cheerleader of the NeoCon agenda, she associates these causes of compassion and common sense with the “far-left.” The vast majority of Americans want our leaders to end the occupation of Iraq. That puts “far-left” in the middle of America and the NeoCons on the fringes. But then, we have always known this to be true. NeoCon = big government Republican = fascist. Remember kids, the opposite of fascism is freedom, as advocated by the Libertarian Party.

The September 15th march and rally, followed by a week of direct action, will mark a turning point for the entire anti-war movement and possibly for the course of American Democracy. The theme of this “protest” is “Protesting is not enough. Come for the rally, stay for a week of direct action.” The day after the march will be a training day, followed by National Truth In Recruiting Day, Congressional Challenge Day, a day of Pentagon outreach, Veterans’ Lobbying Day, and the Iraq Moratorium. There will be a number of direct actions to participate in for those who are willing to work to bring our government back in line with the will of the people.

I am against the continued occupation of Iraq primarily because it is bad for America. It is bad for our security and ability to protect ourselves. It is bad for our ability to respond to natural disasters. It is bad for our military. It is bad for America’s stature in the world. It is bad for our ability to fight terrorism. It is bad for making enemies of America faster than we can kill them. It is bad for my brothers and sisters in arms who continue to die while “the insurgency is in its last throes,” “we are turning the corner,” and “as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.”

The government that governs least governs best. Unfortunately, our government has not been satisfied over-governing, over-taxing, and over-deceiving Americans. It has to extend its authority to the other side of the world to deny Iraqis and Afghanis their God-given right to self-determination. Malkin refers to the protestors as the, “surrender lobby.” I, for one, refuse to surrender to the oppression of this administration. In the immortal words of Edward Abbey, “A true patriot must always be ready to defend his country from his government.” It is the poor, deluded supporters of the NeoCon agenda who have surrendered to lies, oppression, war crimes, torture, and the sacrifice of their own civil liberties on the altar of American imperialism. Unfortunately for them, the Marine Corps trained me too well. I don’t know how to surrender.

Our democracy is failing us. The time for protests, rallies, and demonstrations is over. It is time for the people to stop this war and bring our government back to the will of the people. We cannot fear their threats of violence and oppression. Something is wrong in a democracy when the people fear the government and not the other way around. It is going to take nonviolent direct action in the form of strikes, blockades, counter-recruiting, and supporting GI resistance. Let’s scare the crap out of those who would abandon principle to perpetuate their own power. Iraq Veterans Against the War will lead the way as veterans are always willing to put their lives on the line for what they believe is right.

Michelle, you have chosen your side, I have chosen mine. I will see you in the streets.