Since I pick on the Huffington Post frequently, I feel obligated to link to a story or comment that actually comes across as intelligent and worldly.
Tish Durkin wrote one such piece. Here is just a snipit:
“Finally, what depresses me, and makes me despise so much war criticism even when I agree with it, is that so many of those positing it seem so happy about what's gone wrong. They seem to relish the probability that Iraq will get worse and worse so that they can be righter and righter.”
Oddly enough, it was the Iraq War that pushed me away from the left, not to it like other bloggers I have read. I don’t even understand how I could have ever associated myself with large portions of it at this point, but well into the invasion I was opposed to the operation and bought the standard leftist talking points. I wasn’t a supporter of the war until the first democratic election took place that clearly demonstrated the Iraqi people were in charge of their destiny and not some puppet US government as many on the left were claiming. To watch thousands of people risk their own lives to cast a vote, while certain leftists egged on “insurgents” and terrorists to kill those supporting “the occupation” made me realize my feelings on internationalism, liberty, and democracy were not standards shared by fellow protestors. They wanted democracy in Iraq to fail because the Bush and those Neo-cons had to be wrong; democracy
surely couldn’t work and they were fools to think it could. Military action
surely could not bring about positive results. Groups and individuals who had backed countless idealistic causes over the years could not bring themselves to support a real and tangible democratic government, all because those arguing for it were Republicans.
That is truly unfortunate. I am willing to stand with any Democrat, Republican, Socialist, Libertarian, and Green who is capable of standing up for democracy when it needs standing for. We will surely not find common ground on many areas of interest, but a commitment to democracy makes brothers and sisters of many unlikely associates.
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