An article in the Chicago Sun Times discusses the shrinking anti-war movement. While the conclusions of the article are off base, at least it brings up a worthy question of why this is happening.
“Despite a rising tide of public discontentment with the war, turnouts at protest rallies nationwide have shrunk precipitously. The Democratic Congress, swept into office on a wave of anti-war sentiment, showed the timidity of a neurotic deer mouse as it handed President Bush the war funding he requested without any stipulation for troop withdrawal.”
Rising discontent about the war is a myth. Congress are by nature lily-livered cowards who stay in power by listening to their constituents. If there was rising discontent about the war, we would have pulled out troops. What the liberals never grasp is that many people do not agree with them. Many people have concerns about the war, but want us to succeed, see the current surge as working, and are patient about getting results. Yes, that patience is less than it was four years ago, but just because liberal activists scream loudly does not make them the majority opinion. Polling has many flaws, too numerous to mention here.
“I think what’s extraordinary right now is how there hasn’t been a major street presence at any point during the war, said Jeremi Suri, a history professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and author of the book Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Detente. If anything, that presence has declined in the past months, even as the public outcry against the war has been increasing.”
What public outcry? Two million leftist lunatics scream at the top of their lungs, a few liberal members of congress cave, and that is supposed to represent the 268 million that do not feel this way. Many people may have concerns about the war, but that is not a public outcry. These two million people are talking to each other, and no one outside of them is listening. The troops are not listening. Neither are the majority of legislators. If the Deaniac Moveon.org filth truly was a groundswell, they would be represented. They are a fringe movement, so they are not.
“Today’s activists seem easily bored and distracted, content to simply blog away their angst and then move on to the next issue that flares up.”
That is because the cause is wrong. If one cares deeply enough about a cause, they will follow through. Do not blame activists for being lazy and worthless. It is hard to get worked up for a cause that will be stopped dead in its tracks. Oh sure, they can blame Fox News, Rush Limbaugh President Bush, and Karl Rove, but the truth is if enough people agreed with the protesters, things would change. Once again, the silent majority is right.
“So what’s keeping people from raising hell? Where is the fervor and esprit de corps of the American protester? Why were the rabble-rousers of the ’60s and ’70s so potent, while those of today are so, to put it politely, non-potent?”
The protest movements of the 60s are overglorified by relics who actually think they contributed something positive to this world. Most normal people see the 60s protesters as what they were…people who had reckless sex, leading to the Aids crisis of today. They were people who took hard drugs, leading to the drug problems we face today. They were people who glorified cutting class, which combined with the drugs led to less intelligent and educated children. Those who offer the “life experience” argument can spare me such nonsense. Doing LSD or dropping acid is not life experience. If Joe “Lean on Me” Clark had taken his baseball bat to their class cutting skulls, they might have actually been productive. Instead they led to a retreat in a war that humiliated America, and made it fashionable for equally idiotic people to call soldiers “baby killers.” Somehow developing a lack of respect for human beings trying to save American lives became chic. As I said, they did not learn this in math or science class because they did not go.
One theory offered by the Chicago Sun Times is that people are more cynical and jaded today, and less likely to protest. This is nonsense. Most young people are optimistic about the future, and believe that they do not need to change every aspect of the world. Yes, some of them have angst over places they cannot find on a map, but most young kids today are happy, and do not want to be bothered complaining about everything. The 60s kids were simply narcissistic spoiled brats. My generation, especially post 9/11, thinks that technology has given so many opportunities for young people, including entrepreneurship, that rather than agitate and complain, we would rather actually “do things.” What an amazing concept…accomplishment instead of carping.
Yes, protests are down. Yet this is something positive. The 60s kids don’t understand that protesting for the sake of protesting is ridiculous. Inventing causes and convincing people these causes are widespread is not an adequate substitute for being a productive citizen. Throwing bottles and other objects at police officers is not noble resistance. It is thuggish criminal behavior.
America is fighting a global struggle on terror, and singing kumbaya and getting stoned on a peace pipe is so…well…60s. The internet has allowed people to make friends all over the world. Yes, there are angry bloggers out there. However, if the cause does not motivate you to actually get out and do something, then perhaps it is not that worthy.
I am going to lead by example today. I say I support the troops. Well today I am going to drive in my car and go to a place where thousands of volunteers are going to be sending care packages to the troops. “Operation Gratitude” is happening, and it is producing a real groundswell of people making a difference. Why are people actually showing up? Because they believe the cause, helping the soldiers, is worth it.
The 60s kids who complain about the lack of protesting today are complaining that society is better, and therefore there are less reasons to protest. Is society perfect? No. However, telling white kids who are hooked on Snoop Doggy Dogg and other Gangsta rap to sing “We shall overcome” does not make much sense. What are we trying to overcome? Long lines at McDonalds? Slow internet access?
Liberal 60s kids mourn the slow death of activism and protest marches. For productive, respectful citizens everywhere, I say “Thank God.”
Let the protesters grow more and more dispirited, more and more isolated, and more inclined to talk to each other as the rest of the world moves forward and, to flip their own phrase against them, “tunes them out.”
Protests are down because the protesters are…and were…wrong. As time goes by, people, including young people, with more access through technology to better information, simply see less and less reasons to protest.
Despite the best efforts of the 60s kids, America is getting stronger and better. The 268 million Americans who understand this do not have the time or will to protest. They would rather be productive and work on solutions.
Ok, I am off to go help the troops today. Maybe some 60s relics can criticize my actions on some street corner while stating how much they love the troops conducting a war based on oil. Actually high gas prices can be a good thing. It will force them to stay home. Spared of their hot air, the environment will be better off as well. So yes, when liberal protesters sit down and shut up, the globe is truly better off.
May God bless people everywhere who would prefer actually doing positive things rather than protest causes due to nostalgia over idiotic destructive behavior that took place almost 50 years ago.
Besides, if I get bored, my friends and I can always find some meatballs and throw them at vegetarian protesters. They will be too stoned to run away.
eric
OK, not great, OK.
You’d had to have been there. Many Commiecrats today are grandparent, 60’s ‘liberals’, Many American’s today are grandparent, 60’s ‘patriots’. Like I said, you’d have to have been there. It’s a shame history is written by idiots who were never around when it happened.
Regarding Bush and the stupid, lazy way he’s ‘fought’ his War on Terror (with his ‘Can’t-Do Generals), he only has a year left to wrap things up and tie a pretty bow on it, after that he goes down as the second worst President ever (next to some idiot from Georgia, can’t remember what his name was). That’s life! When you get a little older you’ll understand; if you start a war, you gott’a finish it. It’s that simple. (Po’Georgie don’t seem to know he’s heading for history’s trash pile. It’s a crying shame, but true.)
Let’s roll.