by Dennis K. Fischman in Health Care, Politics, Schools and Youth
Posted on December 1, 2008 at 6:11 am
Last Modified on December 1, 2008 at 10:35 am
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I don’t agree with his accusatory tone–I think most people voted for Obama with their eyes open–but Sam Smith has “listed nearly three dozen things that Obama supports or opposes with which no good liberal or progressive would agree.” Most prominent among them to my perspective:
- Ending the occupation of Iraq only to send more troops into Afghanistan.
- Trying to provide health insurance to people by mandating they buy it, instead of providing health care to people and cutting out the insurance industry completely.
- Recognizing loving relationships between men and men or women and women through civil unions, and denying them the equal rights that the word marriage confers.
- Double the funding for charter schools instead of working to make public schools into places of education for all.
On each of these points, we will have to use the movement tactics that Obama has mastered to bring pressure against him. Fortunately, people in Somerville know how to use them. But will we?
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What would you have him do about Afghanistan, Dennis? Pull out all our troops immediately and wait for the Taliban to retake Kabul? Is that the “progressive” solution?
BTW, I’m not sure why any of this is local to Somerville, other than you and I both live here.
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Steve, from time to time this series has had a local connection, but for the most part you\’re right: Somerville Voices is indulging me. I thank them.
I will confess that I don\’t know what to do about Afghanistan. The best thing would have been not to invade in the first place. The second best would have been to catch bin Laden there and get out. Right now, we have replaced the Taliban with an equally hated group of warlords. In fact, the Taliban rose because people hated these guys so much!
I\’m inclined to say the U.S. bears responsibility for Afghanistan. You broke it, you fix it. But it appears less and less likely that military force can accomplish anything there.
So, readers, what do you think? Anybody here who\’s served in Afghanistan?
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