Sunday, March 19, 2006
Pathetic
If there is one thing that is even in worse shape than the Venezuelan opposition it is the U.S. anti-war movement. Yesterday, on the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, there were supposed to be demonstrations the world over against the war. By media accounts, it seems that they were lackluster at best.
At the demonstration I went to in New York the police estimated a thousand people showed up. Now, I'm not one to quible, but maybe it was two thousand. In any event, in a large, liberal, and anti-war city that turnout is absolutely pathetic. The sad reality is there is no anti-war movement in the U.S. to speak of. And no, Cindy Sheehan herself does not constitute an anti-war movement.
The sad part is the Venezuelan opposition has an excuse for why they can't do anything. All the polling shows they are a small minority. Yet the polling in the U.S. indicates that most Americans oppose the war. So what gives? When it comes time to actually stand up and take a pretty minimal activity against the war there is no one to be found. Going to the mall or the movies seems to take precendence. I guess this is the sad reality of what happens when the war is just background noise that 98% of Americans can just ignore and pretend doesn't exist.
Of course, none of this should let Americans off the hook. Even if they are not there their tax dollars are being used to kill Iraqi's every day. And every day there is no-one mounting an effective protest and against this war the next war just gets that much closer.
The pro-war rally was even smaller. Then again they have no reason to rally - they already have what they want.
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At the demonstration I went to in New York the police estimated a thousand people showed up. Now, I'm not one to quible, but maybe it was two thousand. In any event, in a large, liberal, and anti-war city that turnout is absolutely pathetic. The sad reality is there is no anti-war movement in the U.S. to speak of. And no, Cindy Sheehan herself does not constitute an anti-war movement.
The sad part is the Venezuelan opposition has an excuse for why they can't do anything. All the polling shows they are a small minority. Yet the polling in the U.S. indicates that most Americans oppose the war. So what gives? When it comes time to actually stand up and take a pretty minimal activity against the war there is no one to be found. Going to the mall or the movies seems to take precendence. I guess this is the sad reality of what happens when the war is just background noise that 98% of Americans can just ignore and pretend doesn't exist.
Of course, none of this should let Americans off the hook. Even if they are not there their tax dollars are being used to kill Iraqi's every day. And every day there is no-one mounting an effective protest and against this war the next war just gets that much closer.
The pro-war rally was even smaller. Then again they have no reason to rally - they already have what they want.
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