Fw: from David McR: Response from Congressman George Miller about Syria

----- Original Message ----- 
From: David McReynolds 
To: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2013 11:36 PM
Subject: Re: [ufpj-activist] Response from Congressman George Miller about Syria


I'm sending this material along to my "Edgeleft" list as well as others because at some point I'll try to make time for a piece just on the matter of writing members of Congress (how non-revolutionary!). I am glad to see Michael has done so.

On the trip to Washington DC for the WRL's excellent 90th Anniversary Conference I took along my copy - water-warped from the fire in my apartment, but still intact - of Gregory Sumner's book from 1996 (I must have been sent a review copy) of "Dwight Macdonald and the politics circle".

I knew so many of those in that circle, even though they were a full generation older than me - Dwight himself, with whom I worked closely during the Vietnam War, Hannah Arendt, whom i never met, Mary McCarthy,, Paul Goodman, Albert Camus, a host of brilliant radical thinkers trying to come to terms with what democracy might mean in that hard time of World War II.

I was interested to see how many people had, at some point, passed through the Trotskyist movement (Macdonald himself was briefly a member of the orthodox Trotskyist SWP, and then briefly of Max Shachtman's Workers Party - but his total ideological independence led Trotsky to say "Everyone has the right to be stupid on occasion, but Comrade Macdonald abuses the privilege".

What disturbed me was how few people at the WRL conference had ever heard of Dwight (or Paul Goodman) -parts of our past we need to hold onto. But of this more later. Meanwhile, thanks to Michael for this most useful communication from a member of Congress.

David McReynolds


On Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 1:03 AM, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:

  From: Rep. George Miller <[email protected]>

  Sent: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 12:29 PM
  Subject: Response from Congressman George Miller

    
  August 7, 2013 
    
     
  Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding U.S. intervention in the Syrian civil war. 
    
  The situation in Syria is horrific, but unfortunately, there are few good options for the United States at this time.  While some in Congress have called for U.S. military involvement to aid the opposition forces, I am strongly concerned that greater U.S. military involvement in Syria will not solve the problem but will lead to greater catastrophe there.  I have serious misgivings about bogging the United States down in another war at a time when we are still extricating ourselves from Iraq and Afghanistan.  
    
  I also have serious reservations about who exactly the Syrian opposition is.  Syria's political opposition has experienced significant volatility since its formation in 2011, including numerous changes in leadership, constant infighting and minimal coordination with its forces within Syria. Most worrisome, is the composition of those forces fighting the regime, which are increasingly made up of Islamist extremist groups, and  reports that Al-Qaeda affiliates are running parts of the opposition. 
    
  In June, the Administration announced it would provide small arms and ammunition to some rebel groups in Syria, but emphasized it would not provide heavy weapons, institute a no-fly zone or consider the idea of deploying ground troops.  Both the House and Senate have included language in the Defense Appropriations bill restricting the use of funds for the introduction of any U.S. military forces in Syria.  I supported an amendment to the recent Defense Appropriations bill to block funds for military action in Syria 
    
  I am not in favor of more U.S. military aid to the opposition forces in Syria, and will continue to oppose further involvement or intervention.  Thanks again for sharing your concerns with me.  

   Sincerely,
  GEORGE MILLER
  Member of Congress 
  P.S. Keep up with the latest news from Washington at GeorgeMiller.house.gov and Facebook.com/RepGeorgeMiller . 




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