Way too many alternativos salivate like Pavlov's dog -- on cue -- over any antiwar analysis Stan Goff provides.  Ditto respecting responses to/from the grieving members of military families who have lost loved ones in our current wars. I guess those with bloodsoaked hands we're glad aren't ours...with spines we don't share carry more weight than they should.  Ditto for the inconsolable in mourning. 

It left us with a lesson 19 months ago, Stan Goff's refusal to stir up antiwar activity with more urgency.  At OneDance: The People's Summit, an event partner Sylvie and I put on in Santa Cruz, California, the former U.S. military killer (a featured speaker) complained that the American public wasn't ready for an immediate pullout of our troops from Iraq; that Iraqis weren't either.  A movement plus had to evolve, be built up slowly, he complained...as we urged him to take a stand with more immediacy.  He wasn't alone, as Cynthia McKinney, Michael Parenti and other (Summit) headlining luminaries all echoed his...lack of vision.  Courage?  Resolve? Imagination?

Now -- with the full support many leftist circles (roundheads of a sort?)  --  we find Stan The Man's stance mirroring ours, a proposal put in his lap so many dead bodies ago. See how he criticizes Tom Hayden and other disgusting Dems in his latest article  for urging caution and consideration up the kazoo.  Now that it's more popular to do so.

The trouble is two-fold.  One, it's never a good idea to wait until something's popular to take the proper stand; for one, it smacks of opportunism, and, on another count, it's quite hypocritical to take people to task for things that one didn't have the courage to do oneself (at an earlier, more challenging moment).  If Casey's mom has gotten something rolling, Stan could have done the same respecting his son who was serving up and risking death at the time...way back when.  Hayden's just a strawman doing the same dance now that Stan did in Santa Cruz, and on his lecture circuit...way back when.

For another, neither Casey's mom, nor Stan Goff, nor Tom Hayden hordes even hints at the fact that military solutions are never a good approach.  Asking Bush to explain the reasons why Casey died (whilst others join the chorus of "Liar, liar, pants on fire!") avoids the fundamental point that neither Bush or anyone could possibly make sense of sending Casey or anyone to serve up and risk death under any circumstances.  I say that in the spirit of submitting that 98% plus of the wars which are rationalized/justified should not take place, should not receive any of our support whatsoever.  That our challenge is to find ways to avoid such at the risk of making ourselves vulnerable, and being willing to radically change our lifestyles. (1)  The challenge is NOT to see if we can unseat Bush, and find an honest politician.

In the meantime, perhaps activists ought to stop being active like Stan Goff. Or getting on Cindy's upcoming bus tour (as if a successful one will turn the necessary trick).  For no matter how big the upcoming Washington protest is, and regardless of whether or not it leads to our pullout of Iraq, The Syndrome we support with our avoidance and denial will remain in place, serving up and risking death...on automatic...from time to time.  With reasons.

Treason?  Goff and Sheehan are too far from it, not nearly ambitious enough.  Not sufficiently close to the direction we need to take immediately.