Sometimes, though, all it takes is for one person to speak out. When they do, others of like mind begin to crystallize around them. If that were to occur to any significant degree, the illusion of a cost free conflict would be broken.
So true. Intersting to see how this plays out.
Here's a start:
http://www.needlenose.com/node/
v...e4f4c424a7910c0
Snowball?
I especially like the Rosa Parks analogy. Quite apropos of the situation and of the hoped-for result.
Good post, TTN.
I think that Cindy Sheehan is extremely dangerous to the conservative case for war and I think that, consciously or unconsciously, they know it.
I think you're right about that. And your emphesis on the ostensible 'cost-free' nature of the war is key. Some apologists have no problem with trashing Sheehan because their frame of reference is frankly Imperialist (in the non-loaded, literal sense of that word): we need a mercenary/professional military if we're going to bestride the world like a colussus, etc. Casey Sheehan signed up, got paid, knew the risks, got killed. Too bad, but...he got paid.
There is a dissonance here. I'm not arguing for or against the all-volunteer professional military particularly, but I'm not sure (to put it mildly) how much of a taste for Imperialism America really has. We seem not to mind a certain amount of the defacto kind, but when it gets quite explicit, I don't think people are comfortable with it. Unless a country can admit to itself that it is an Imerium (like England did), it's hard to completely separate economic sacrifice at home from the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield. It's still 'our' children dying in Iraq, not 'their' children. That's what Cindy Sheehan represents, one reason why she's potent.
I guess the ultimate factor in selling this Iraq war was, as you noted, the claim that it would be easy and quick and painless. oh boy...
Unless a country can admit to itself that it is an Imerium (like England did), it's hard to completely separate economic sacrifice at home from the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield.
Dangit, Imperium
That's a great point about Imperium. Most supporters of the war reject the notion that there are even imperialistic overtones in the conflict. Such talk is generally considered to be anti-American. A lot of the criticism that has been leveled at Cindy Sheehan has been for her candid remarks in this arena.
But, like it or not, that's what this is about to significant degree. Therefore, Cindy isn't merely revealing the costs of this conflict -- she's revealing what we've purchased in the first place.
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