Supposedly Antiwar.com wants to build a bridge between right and left, wants to expose both major political parties for what they are and wake up the people to realities.
That's not happening.
And it's not happening for a variety of reasons but the most basic is the numbers.
Here's one: Half the US adult population is female, actually slightly over half.
Though an official Libertarian policy on abortion is weak ass and embarrassing, making them come off like idiots as opposed to brave leaders, it still is a weakly worded statement that it's not the government's business. (See the party's platform, section 1.4.)
Yet despite all the attacks on abortion and reproductive rights in the last three years by the White House and by the Congress, Antiwar.com doesn't express interest.
Some might argue, "It's Antiwar!" Meaning, if it's not war, it doesn't have a place there. Except the Fifth Amendment isn't about war but they're happy to cover that and anything they see as a "war" on the Constitution and they're happy to write about the "war" on drugs and the need for legalization. In fact, they'll weigh in on every issue (including economic models) except issues having to do with women's right to control of their own bodies.
It's part of the rank sexism, the foul smell that wafts from their site.
You can find it in the comments constantly. Most recently, they posted that comments were disappearing and that, if your comment did, please e-mail Angela Keaton. Is there anything in that topic that's sexual? No. But leave it to Pig Boize.
JLS posts, "I would like to see more cleavage from Angela. Thank you."
So there's a serious issue, a matter of comments disappearing, and the place to go is "Show us your tits"? Seriously? Angela Keaton's not a pin up. She's attempting to address serious issues yet is reduced to her breasts by JLS who doesn't appear to grasp that his faceless comment is not unlike a strange man yelling at a woman on the street as she walks by. It is not flattering, it is not wanted and it reduces the discussion as well as those involved.
Sexism also includes Antiwar Radio in which Scott Horton airs both the crazy and the sexism non-stop. Do they really think no one ever notices all the attacks on Hillary, vicious attacks, contrasted with the excuses for Barack? Do they really think nobody gets what a sexist pig Scott Horton? And coward because only a coward holds the Secretary of State responsible for policies that a president sets. Only a coward refuses to call out a president while repeatedly attacking a cabinet secretary. Only a coward obsesses over a cabinet secretary.
Then there's the inclusion issue.
Of interviews currently posted? The last eight were all men? Do they not grasp the message they are sending? You have to go back nine interviews to find a woman. And the next woman? Go back 25 interviews.
They don't even concern themselves with that, they're not even bothered by it. That tells you a great deal and goes a long damn way towards explaining why there has not been a right-left bridge built by them. A little less than every 12th interview will be a woman and the most attacked person on the program will always be a woman (Hillary) and they don't understand why they have so much trouble attracting women to their site?
In the 21st century, they think is behaivor that brings in the donors and behavior worth paying for. Official Antiwar columnists? There are eight. How many are women?
One. Only one. (Kelley B. Vlahos.)
This sends a message and they better wake the hell up and grasp that. Or else accept the fact that they aren't going to grow their base, let alone build a bridge.
We have been -- community wide -- very happy to support Antiwar.com and we'll, no doubt, continue to note a column by Justin Raimondo from time to time. But that's it. They have had months to get their act together and they've refused to do so. More importantly, while a Raimondo might be consistent in his thoughts, Horton's all over the map, calling out a despot one moment and then cheering on the same despot the next -- not to mention far more involved with personal battles that detract from the stated mission of Antiwar.com. (And there is the huge, huge ignorance when it comes to Iraq but that's another feature.)
When Angela Keaton's prescence became a little more than fundraising act, we thought, "Okay, they get it. They see the problem. They're trying to address it." We were wrong. Our mistake, please accept our apology. That especially goes for seven women who have written us in the last weeks (which is why we've not noted the site in the last weeks) noting that they will always be against war but they can't embrace the attacks on women that have become the hallmark of Antiwar.com.
Antiwar.com better start owning their mistake. When women make up over 50% of the population, ignoring their rights, under representing them as guests and columnists and turning prominent women into punching bags (while the men over these women get the kid gloves treatment) makes it very difficult for women (or non-sexists of any gender) to feel welcome at Antiwar.com and greatly limits the reach Anitwar.com could have.