More timeless wisdom from the great Howard Zinn: Are We Politicians or Citizens?

[marmar]

from The Progressive:


Are We Politicians or Citizens?
By Howard Zinn
May 2007 Issue

As I write this, Congress is debating timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. In response to the Bush Administration’s “surge” of troops, and the Republicans’ refusal to limit our occupation, the Democrats are behaving with their customary timidity, proposing withdrawal, but only after a year, or eighteen months. And it seems they expect the anti-war movement to support them.

That was suggested in a recent message from MoveOn, which polled its members on the Democrat proposal, saying that progressives in Congress, “like many of us, don’t think the bill goes far enough, but see it as the first concrete step to ending the war.”

Ironically, and shockingly, the same bill appropriates $124 billion in more funds to carry the war. It’s as if, before the Civil War, abolitionists agreed to postpone the emancipation of the slaves for a year, or two years, or five years, and coupled this with an appropriation of funds to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act.

When a social movement adopts the compromises of legislators, it has forgotten its role, which is to push and challenge the politicians, not to fall in meekly behind them.

We who protest the war are not politicians. We are citizens. Whatever politicians may do, let them first feel the full force of citizens who speak for what is right, not for what is winnable, in a shamefully timorous Congress. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.progressive.org/mag_zinn0507

[babylonsister]

1. This is our ongoing fight, to get our politicians to finally do the right thing. nt

[Selatius]

2. It has become worse since then. Harry Reid gave Bush the FISA bill with immunity.

And they have completely abandoned trying to attach strings onto more war spending bills.

[Solly Mack]

3. K&R

:)

[flashl]

4. K&R n/t

[RuleOfNah]

5. "push and challenge the politicians"

:banghead:

[Tom Joad]

6. On the STREETS. It's up to us. Politicians play games with people's lives.

[puebloknot]

7. K&R Winning is *not* all! nt

[personman]

8. K&R for The People's Historian...

Reading "A People's History of the United States" has been very interesting. Brings to mind Chomsky's quote about "speaking truth to power," it's pointless; the powerful know the truth...It's the people who need to hear it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Politicians are followers, not leaders. K&R