In reply to “Bizarro Peace Prize Awarded to Obama,” by Justin Raimondo, 10/09/09:

I understand this august body also nominated Kissinger for a peace prize, so they either have a tradition of facetious humor or no sense of irony at all. The prophet George Orwell should have “I told you so” engraved on his headstone in a related award ceremony.

Carolyn Corcoran

In reply to “Code Yellow,” by Justin Raimondo. 10/09/09:

I appreciate the honest rancor and the usual keen analysis of this piece, but must it be so ad hominem?

What you write about the shifting sands of American politics, including the moral fuzziness and cowardice of the anti-war politicoes, needs saying again and again. As usual, you’re sounding the alarm, picking up the fallen flag — I, too, appreciate the symbolism of flags –and sighting the desired goals again.

What you write about “identity politics” subsuming Leftist anti-war politics is cogent and could be developed into a book.

But, doesn’t referring to the Code Pink ladies as a gaggle of “whores” — political or otherwise — demean your message? I, too, am painfully disappointed in Code Pink’s bouleversement on the Afghan War, their apparent genuflection to the Obamaphiles (more “identity politics!”). But, if we start hurling slings and arrows and invectives at our former kindred, we’ll merely raise defensive hackles and weaken ourselves in what will be an extended battle. The last thing the anti-war movement needs now is to split along gender lines! Code Pink has done good things in the past, helped arouse the sleeping ones to the merits of direct, and even theatrical, action. They are now in need of a corrective — sober re-examination. The debate about the Afghan boondoggle — another imperial war for oil, resources, position — will heat up now, and we need sharp minds like yours to continue to post the highest truths; and to leave the personal invectives for the boneheaded radio punditocracy.

Gary Corseri

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I have been involved with anti-war groups since the period when the Johnson-Humphrey Administration began the troop escalation to Vietnam. Then as now the anti-war movement had many different political tendencies and then as now some of these political tendencies couldn’t distinguish between the way one criticizes the people you are trying to unite with and the way one criticizes those who are your implacable political foes.

Your article falls into the category of the former rather than the latter. In my opinion your tone is much more appropriate for those who are unapologetic in their calls for escalation in Afghanistan and never ending occupation of both Afghanistan and Iraq.

The use of terms like, sellout “political whore” and “media whore” is sexist and over-the-top political invective.

“We did have a few thinktanks, but those on the liberal-left have pretty much defected to the Obama administration, along with Code Pink. Which leaves us with a few dedicated local groups, who do great work, and … Antiwar.com. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of maintaining this Web site as the virtual focal point of opposition to our foreign policy of global intervention.”

This statement is sectarian arrogance. It’s saying come over to our corner and you’ll be part of the SERIOUS, PRINCIPLED, UNCOMPROMISING, PURE foreign policy political tendency in opposition to global intervention.

You raise serious concerns about the tendency of some to go AWOL in opposition to war- making when it is done by Democratic Administrations. I would support your criticism if it were made in a way which did not trash people who I have respect for. The blanket condemnations of the liberal-left of which I consider myself a part, would also make me less inclined to work with you in an anti-war coalition, nor do snide comments like “this is a project sure to warm the hearts of ‘progressives’ who long to do the same right here in the US — lift up the starving masses and pull them (forcibly, if necessary) into modernity.”

If this means that I am unashamedly in favor of generous social security, unemployment insurance, public education and universal healthcare, I plead guilty. That being said if you oppose occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and “humanitarian” interventions, I think I would be able to put aside the differences about our respective views of government and work with you to stop US warmaking.

So reserve your strong rhetoric for the warmakers and demonstrate that you are trying to make the anti-war tent as big as possible and maybe together we can defeat all of those who beat the drums for a foreign policy of war and empire.

Carl Halpern
Alameda Peace Network