Activist coalition vows to oppose Obama as long as he supports the war

An American activist coalition, War is a Crime, is circulating a petition opposing President Obama’s renomination until he ends the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, reverses a number of draconian war policies, and drastically cuts military spending.  The list has grown to include the names of many activists, professors, journalists, and politicians.

The petition criticizes Obama for increasing military spending, expanding the powers of the CIA and Special Operations Forces,  and condoning torture, extraordinary rendition, and even the use of child soldiers, among other things.

We are not concerned with whether President Obama is acting enthusiastically or reluctantly in pursuing a militaristic policy abroad and more repression of dissent at home.  It matters little whether he is submitting to powerful forces or freely following his preferred course.  We do not elect his soldiers or spies, his advisors, his campaign funders, or the owners of our major media outlets.  We elect the president.  We will not support his nomination for another term, and we believe that a large proportion of Americans who voted for him in 2008 will not do so again unless he reverses the most egregious policies to which we have referred — especially by taking decisive steps to end the war on Afghanistan and to make deep cuts in the military and war budgets.

The full text of the petition can be viewed here.

Photo courtesy of Barack Obama

Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Defence policy, Iraq, petition, War is a Crime