In Bill Simpich's article We Can Shout: All at the Same Time, Simpich delivers the argument that with enough people voicing out against the war, opinions and minds could be altered in Washington to end the war in Iraq. Simpich, an organizer with Iraq Moratorium in San Francisco that is also a supporter of Direct Action to Stop the War, posted his article on the left leaning blog site "counterpunch.org".
Targeted toward the public in order to spark them to speak out against the war, it seems as though Sampich posted his argument on the right sort of website to make his idea heard to people who might actually care about his opinion on the war. The left-leaning liberals could possibly (and probably have) stop in for a look and might even wind up supporting the idea of voicing out an end to the war that Simpich believes to be the end all solution to bringing it to a halt. So yes, his efforts are published in the right realm for the argument to render some success based on his audience.
Where Simpich's argument falls short is the evidence provided to convince an even non-informed reader of either political ideology, liberal or not. His main evidence brings us back to the Clinton administration, in which a "town meeting" ended up changing the outcome and decisions made against Iraq during Clintons' presidency. These few Ohio State faculty and students, who spoke out against the military force in Iraq, seemingly changed the outcome of the situation and decisions made in Washington.
This was simply not the case. Simpich even points in his own argument the major reasons for these plans making the news or even considered in the first place.
"The previous month, Matt Drudge had tipped off the world that Newsweek had preventing Michael Isikoff's story about President Clinton's sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky from going to publication. Clinton needed a distraction--and quick. Once again, the President invoked an all-too-familiar mantra: Saddam Hussein had to be stopped before he got his hands on weapons of mass destruction."
This right here was the main reason of war against Iraq and Hussein ever was mentioned and brought to national attention. It simply was a distraction or diversion away from the scandals of Clinton-Lewinsky affair.
And it worked!
Their shouts and cries against the war were not heard anymore then than the shouts and cries of today would be heard. Not to say it is right, but babies cry too. That's just noise.
The right circumstances and results of this evidence fooled Simpich into believing that this was truly what could happen if voices united against the war today in Iraq. His argument only becomes weaker after his own recognition of that trickery and deception was placed into the argument itself. The fact is that this war is not a cover up (or has not been proven to be) for scandals in which President Bush wants to cover up by bigger national news about the war. Although their beliefs about the war may be right, and the best thing might be for the U.S. to get out of Iraq, the fact is that Washington will not give into the people's will power as easily this time because this war was not set up for the personal benefit of the higher authority.
