If you lived there? That's it? You put in so much passion in your post, yet your passion is not enough to buy a ticket and head over there and become a "part of social movements....". Obviously you are not as idealistic as you pretend to be. You would rather live under our "oppressive gov't" then fight for your ideals over there. Weak.
I pledged solidarity not with any nation's leaders or terrorist organizations, but with the ordinary people,
Our gov't is elected by those very "ordinary people" you pretend to pledge solidarity with.
who are not being liberated by U.S. sanctions and bombs or by U.S. support for the Israeli occupation.
You are right, our sanctions are not effective, but keep in mind that that they are in place because of the people like you who did not want us to finish the job we started in the Gulf War. As for the "Israeli occupation", you show your lack of knowledge about the conflict. Why don't you go get a history lesson at your university and look into what Trans Jordan was created for.
I see the people in Afghanistan who were bombed as they celebrated a wedding two weeks ago as being as human as those who died in the World Trade Center, for whom I also have tremendous compassion.
Comparing accidental manslaughter with first degree murder? Weak.
I will raise questions about U.S. foreign policy and corporate globalization as long as I can. It is my prerogative, my right, and, as I see it, my responsbility.
We are well fed over here and have roofs over our heads, and so do nations which cooperate with us. Why don't you go to a third world nation and help them out? You are an arm chair liberal, as most of your kind is.
As a socialist (not a Stalinist, and there is a difference), I have a positive vision of international solidarity and struggle against greed,
Isn't it interesting that those who live in the (greedy) capitalistic societies are much better off then those who lived in communist/socialist societies? Explain please. war,
Being against war is not enough. War brings clarity. There can be no peace until the war is won. If you stop a war without a clear victor, it will pick up later on (ie: the Gulf War and the Middle East conflict).
exploitation, and oppression on a world scale.
I haven't heard your kind criticize the arab tyrannies. How come? You socialists treat UN as if it is a legitimate organization. Tell me, out of all the UN members - how many are democracies, and why should we subject ourselves to the agenda of tyrants and dictators?
In my view, patriotic fervor dehumanizes people around the world so that their deaths or their hunger or their homelessness can be blamed on them and forgotten
Sounds very humane, yet makes little sense. The fact that we do very well here in the States, and are aiding those in need around the world ADDS to the patriotic fervor - not takes away.
History teaches quite another lesson--it took a civil war, for example, to end slavery.
Very good. You recognize the fact that a war is sometimes necessary. As I stated before - war brings clarity. Let's rephrase your sentence a little - "History teaches quite another lesson - it took a war on terror, for example, to end terrorism". Wonderful.