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Iraq and Vietnam: contrasting protests
 America's current anti-war movement is resourceful and persistent, but often seems to lack the vibrancy of its counterpart in the Vietnam era when protesters burned draft cards, occupied buildings and even tried to levitate the Pentagon.Refresh my memory. Did they succeed? The biggest difference, say activists and historians, is the lack of a draft. Today's college-age youth face no threat of conscription to fight in Iraq, and campuses are more tranquil than during Vietnam. Comparing the two movements, Frida Berrigan suggested today's protesters perhaps have a broader sense of compassion and global awareness. We're relevant. Really! "A lot of the opposition to Vietnam was motivated by people's fear of going to war maybe it was pretty self-centered," she said. "With this movement, maybe it's not as big, but it comes from a deeper place than 'Hell No, We Won't Go.'" Those damn me-me-me baby boomers! What struck me about this article was the lengths they had to go to justify the movement and how they claim to be even more anti-war than those Vietnam era wankers. Posted by: Spot 2007-03-21 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=183644 |