An Individual Gesture for Peace
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 12:40PM Senator Dianne Feinstein
One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco, CA 94104
Dear Senator Feinstein:
I have studied violent conflict since 1961 and have seen US military decision-making often to be counter-productive to the interests of this country. Surely in Viet Nam a knowledge of what the colonial history (particularly multiple occupations) had left upon a largely peasant culture could have cut through the military strategist’s illusions that one new compliant leader or one more military barrage could turn the tide against an evil communist enemy. Congress deferred to professional military judgment. 68,000 thousand Americans and 2 million Vietnamese died as a result.
Military strategists play a similar role with regard to Afghanistan today. Al-Qaida is a negligible presence. Taliban, like the Northern Alliance warlords whom we support, are largely from tribal Pashtun backgrounds and have minimal identification with a central government. They span views from militant to accommodating on issues regarding women’s rights and armed resistance. Leading women’s rights groups and pro-democracy groups agree that the US military presence adds to killing, supports corruption and the drug trade, and creates a blowback. Again, as casualties mount, DOD military strategists continue to peddle the view that some pro-American leader will combine popular support with military and police power to control dissidents. Again our congress listens to them without the benefit of hearing from others who know better. I cannot make the lobbying visit to your San Francisco office, but I beseech you to display leadership in ending the war immediately. The costs in lives, in dollars and in respect for the US have already been too high for a misguided cause.
Marc Pilisuk, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, The University of California
Professor, Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center
Reader Comments (1)
The article written by you very good replica burberry scarves , I like it very much. I will keep your new article. replica hublot .
replica burberry scarves