Comments on: The Pledge of Resistance Could Change the Game Against a War with Iran

By: Mary-Alice Shemo

Mary-Alice Shemo — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:30:00 +0000

We’ll have to do more than hope the right thing will happen if we can only stop the wrong thing; we must be much more proactive about envisioning a desired outcome that works for everyone, then bringing it about. I read today in the book “Eco-Pioneers” by Steve Lerner “Building a sustainable culture is a challenge that…will likely require the mobilization of human energy and resources that was previously reserved for the conduct of war.” Well said! We must go beyond opposing war and WAGE PEACE, & wage sustainability as well. It will take every bit as much skill, knowledge, commitment, energy & courage as waging war, perhaps more!

By: William W Haywood

William W Haywood — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:51:42 +0000

I don’t feel that we have a better candidate to vote for than Obama at the present time. I also agree that ‘the long game’ matters very much, but I wonder if we really have time for waiting right now. AIPAC is acting right now, and so is J-Street, and so then should we. The time to protest over a war with Iran is now, but there is more that we can do, in an attempt to work with the Obama administration, and that is to push very hard on the ‘diplomacy now’ issue. We also need to understand the powerful part that the 1%, and their minions, are playing in this march to war…and how their personal wealth making machines badly want Iran’s natural resources.

By: Donna Gould

Donna Gould — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:22:02 +0000

I totally agree with Robert Naiman, an electoral threat is not the right place to focus. I am more interested in organizing civil disobedience than in writing letters to my congressperson or Obama. I think it has a better chance of being effective.

By: David Brookbank

David Brookbank — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:34:54 +0000

As a Pledge of Resistance member and activist from Spokane, Washington in the 1980s, I can assure you the Pledge was successful and helped us organize resistance to US policies in Central America and create solidarity and commitment around acts of civil disobedience and public education. Our local group engaged in several successful civil disobediences in the offices of US Speaker of House Tom Foley (Democrat from Spokane) and Senator Slade Gorton (Republican from Spokane) as well as at the US Federal Building where we blocked the doors. Numerous events involving street theater, films, speakers, and fund-raisers were carried out in churches, campuses and public venues.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cSNZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iu8DAAAAIBAJ&dq=spokane%20pledge%20of%20resistance%20central%20america&pg=5590%2C4441962

By: mustafa

mustafa — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:07:12 +0000

Wars are always bad.people die on both sides.Only the Arms manufacturers gain.Have not the public in USA ,Europe Asia Middle East Africa suffered sufficiently.We hear of suicides in Greece from economic desparation.The war in Iraq Libya,Syria has worsened the condition of Westerners and Easterners alike.Arming a belligerent state nuclear power Israel in the middle East with billions of dollars aid,while our population suffer abjectly is not fair and just

By: Robert Naiman (@naiman)

Robert Naiman (@naiman) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:19:00 +0000

In response to mkb29′s suggestion: I think the impulse to pressure the Obama Administration is absolutely right, but the question is whether threatening not to vote for them is an effective form of pressure, compared to other measures.

Two reasons that I think it is not likely to be an effective form of pressure, compared to other measures:

1)I think that we could not convince a lot of people to make such a pledge, still less could we get people to follow through on it.

2)I think that the Obama people know what we know, therefore it is not an effective threat.

In contrast, if you look at what happened with Tar Sands Action, they never threatened not to vote for Obama. And yet they got Obama to not approve the pipeline, even though at the start of the campaign, every media report said, of course this can’t be stopped.

When you consider all this, I find that convincing that the electoral threat is not the right place to focus. I think that what the Pledge of Resistance is thinking about is much more like what Tar Sands Action did.

By: Tex Dworkin

Tex Dworkin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:44:37 +0000

Odile,
Thanks for asking…it’s in there, but I just bolded it to make it more prominent because it was a bit visually lost in the text. I also added another link to the bottom. Thanks for the comment, was super helpful.
Tex

By: mkb29

mkb29 — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:52:23 +0000

A cogent analysis of the insidious forces drawing us gradually but unmistakenly towards war with Iran. It might be useful if all those against this trend could tell the present administration that if that seems to be their ultimate objective, then we shall not vote for them in the oncoming elections. Some will say, with some reason, that this will just let even worse war hawks gain ascendency in government. So the question is: Is one willing to risk the bet that the Obama administration will accede to no-war demands if they see themselves losing the election? I believe the bet is worth it. Perhaps this could be incorporated in the pledge. Whether a pledge by enough people could make this demarche feasible is open to question, but is worth the effort. A military attack on Iran whether by right wing Repubs or liberal Dems is the same in my opinion. We are staring in the face untold deaths, misery, and destruction.

By: Odile Hugonot Haber

Odile Hugonot Haber — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:18:09 +0000

Yes so where do we sign the pledge. I expected a link..