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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Do we oppose all wars or just dumb wars?

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Aug 5 2008, 2:28 PM ET Comment

In the Lieberman post below a commenter asks:

I have often wondered if opposition to the Iraq war is based on principle or based upon the fact that the Bush Administration's policy isn't working and hasn't really worked since the looting started in 2003. I don't know where the anti-war camp stands and I am curious.
Well, I'm kinda new to the blogesphere, so I really can't speak for anyone else. Furthermore, I had the luxury of being a relatively young writer when we went into Iraq, and thus no outlet worth its salt would let me hold forth. Thank god. I think I would have said something pretty stupid.

At the time I remember making fun of anti-war protesters, despite being vaguely anti-war myself. I think I believed that Saddam had weapons, and thus thought that it wasn't the worse idea in the world to take him out. Turns out I was wrong--and with many thousands now gone--the people I laughed at were right. I'm just being candid.

In answer to the very specific question, I don't think it's possible to object to all wars, and I don't think most of us on the left do.


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