Protestors have held three high-profile demonstrations in the last few days. George Clooney ruined a perfectly good cause by joining up with the "Save Darfur" protestors on the Mall in Washington, DC. Ditto for Cindy Sheehan, Al Sharpton, Susan Sarandon, and this fool holding a "Bush Is More Evil Than Bin Laden" sign. As Clooney and co. marched for intervention in Sudan, Sarandon and the usual suspects marched against the war in Iraq (please do keep track of which oil-laden Muslim country it's politically correct to invade). Today, primarily Mexican Americans, and just plain Mexicans, hold "A Day Without Immigrants," which thus far has demonstrated to me that immigrants have little impact on my daily life. Somehow, I've survived the day (knock on wood).
Does protesting help? Or do protestors actually hurt the causes they seek to help? Americans may not love George W. Bush, but they hate his enemies. They repulse, not attract, people. They drive individuals who might otherwise be critical of the president's actions into in his camp. In a popularity contest between Ward Churchill, Michael Moore, and Janeane Garofalo on the one side, and anything else on the other, "anything else" wins every time.
Other subjects of protest, aside from President Bush, benefit from the protest effect: the death penalty, immigration, war. Whatever side the protestors take on these and other issues, public opinion takes the opposite side. Protestors would be wise to take note and henceforth protest what they support.
Serious people don't want to associate with superficial Hollywood actors, all-passion/no-wisdom college students, professional activists, or lawbreakers who demand rewards for cheating the system. They generally don't want to associate with their causes, either. But, protesting makes the protestor feel good. "I'm making a difference," at least that's what the protestors tell themselves. Thus, protesting is therapeutic. It's penitential. It's cathartic. But, with a few exceptions, it's not effective.
Just don't tell that to the protestors. They may just camp out in front of your house in protest with bongo drums, obnoxious chants, and stock sign slogans. They won't persuade you or your neighbors (except of their instability), but let's face it: persuasion isn't the point of protest.
In high school history class one of the teachers spoke constantly of how the 60's protest movement, which sprung to life in the summer of 68 ended the Vietnam War. I asked the question, " but didn't the war end in 1975?" There was a awkward silence followed by a " but this one goes to 11 response. " I got a C.
I think the protests your teacher referenced weren't so much anti-war protests as they were anti-draft protests. When Nixon ended the draft, he also ended the protests. Sure, the marches limped along after the draft ended. But who thinks of '73, '74, or '75 as years of protest. They were years of listening to The Dark Side of the Moon in a pot-haze, or streaking, or doing lines at a disco, which is where all that protest energy got channelled--into the next fad. Selfish people had more time for themselves once they had saved themselves from the draft.
Derailed the war, is more like it. Not ENDED it. Undermined it, lied about our overwhelming success, and deprived us of willing manpower to win it, would be most accurate.
Dan is right of course, most of these retards are just plain selfish. An even worse problem is that the protestors present us with something of an undefined Hobson's Choice. On Iran, for instance, the message is "Do something, but don't do anything we wouldn't do (such as invade)". Ok, I'm not really for invasion or even an attack on Iran, but what outcome do they really want?
It's all well and good to demand a change in leadership (Bush is worse than Hitler), or demand that an alternate method is used to solve a problem (War is not the answer, man), but what (if anything) could possibly satisfy these people? "Engage in meaningful dialogue with Iran," for instance? The answers to these questions, when pressed, ususally come back in this form.
Unfortunately, they're not answers, but rather the senseless prattle of child psychologists and high school guidance counselors. They do present us with the Choice, but it amounts to nothing more than to give Iran a "Time Out".
Replace "Iran" with any other country or issue, and you'll find the result very similar.
In fairness to protests they are almost by definition the actions of a minority against some majority will, except in the case of authentic protests of a government policy which never had majority support to begin with. As such their lack of effectiveness isn't that striking.
As for the motivations of those who feel the need to engage in them I agreee that it is mostly a form of catharsis. Protests have always been a form of rebellion against the government or ruling class. In former ages and other western nations public protests usually took the form of "uprisings" (of peasants, or proles) and usually people got killed. The fact that the ones we mainly see these days are nonviolent, eclectic, and often silly affairs is probably a good thing.
I like the 'Group Therapy' angle. That's about the size of it as it ends up being a venting session for those afflicted and typically means little to anybody but the directly involved or to the reporting press.
If my day ends up being a loss because I couldn't get my coffee this morning or my lunchtime taco this afternoon, I can live with that.
Yeah, but my grass is getting long...
Yeah, and lettuce will cost four cents more by the end of the week.
Thank god for people like Janeane Garofalo, who take time out of their busy schedule to enlighten us. Where would we be without their gentle wisdom?
Some people are proof positive that an empty can does indeed rattle the most.
i love the flynn files, get to read these great posts and start my day with a smile.
When are these Hollywood jerks going to put their money where their mouths are and open their checkbooks to help all the various causes they try to make average Americans feel guilty about? George Clooney and Michael Moore can do more good for more people by writing a check for $1 million (chump change to them) and giving it to some charity (hey, how about a U.S.-based charity that actually helps Americans) than running their mouths at the National Mall or on TV. Hypocrites, all of them.
If you've ever seen Clooney's Italian villa, you'll know where a lot of that money is going. Amazin' piece o' real estate.
He, like mostly all of his ilk, is a talker and not a doer.
Just saw a classic on Drudge. Sign carried by one of the crimaliens on his day off: No illegals, No Burritos (better think twice America). Pretty funny.
Point remains: where ever did these people get the mistaken impression that they are so vital to the operation of this country?
If they all left tomorrow (please, please), other than a few businesses looking to do things on the cheap having their costs go up slightly, who would care?
The Civilians PATRIOT ACTS on May 8th in NYC
Illegal to sing the national anthem in Spanish? Is patriotism exclusive to the right? We don’t think so. On May 8th The Civilians sing The Star Spangled Banner and other subversive songs of America.
DJ Spooky, Jackie Hoffman, Ollabelle, Mary Testa and more join The Civilians for PATRIOT ACTS: AN AMERICAN VAUDEVILLE. With Girlyman, Atomic Grind Show, Tom Kitt Band, Pierce Woodward, Air America’s Sam Seder, This American Life’s David Rakoff and artists from The Civilians, New York’s “most giddily sociological theater company.” From Guthrie to Springsteen, songwriters have celebrated our country while challenging it to live up to its ideals. PATRIOT ACTS taps into this great tradi¬tion and rekindles the spark of another America in a one-night-only theatrical event of words and songs. Monday, May 8, at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. http://www.thecivilians.org/patriotacts.html or 212-730-2019. Buy before May 5th and use the code “duck” for a $10 discount for $25 - $45 tickets.
Who in THEEE hell are DJ Spooky, Jackie Hoffman, Ollabelle, Mary Testa, The Civilians, Girlyman, Atomic Grind Show, Tom Kitt Band, Pierce Woodward, Air America’s Sam Seder, David Rakoff and why in THEEE hell would I pay $45 bucks to see and hear them?
