Why so few of these?

Despite an ugly war based on poor judgement (at best) or lies (at worst), and an administration that has repeatedly played fast and loose with the truth, why don't we see much public protest? Why don't I have signs like these in my front yard?

I've thought about this a lot, and for me there are two possible answers:

1) We tried protest before the war began. There was an unprecedented worldwide outcry against the invasion of Iraq before it happened, and it didn't keep George Bush from doing what he pleased. I was involved in several demonstrations in Cleveland that involved large numbers of people, many of whom had never protested anything before. It was not just hard-line lefties. America spoke out loud and clear, but Bush didn't listen. This is a lame excuse for not continuing to protest, but there's also the problem of what to advocate, since...

2) Our government created most of the mess that is Iraq today. The Iraqis themselves didn't create the current situation, and it seems irresponsible for us to simply leave them to deal with it. On the other hand, we've got to leave sometime, and a lot more Americans will be killed and maimed before we figure out how to do that.

The situation in Vietnam was clear cut: we took sides in a civil war already underway. Eventually we pulled out, leaving the civil war to run its course, as it would have without us.

In Iraq there was no civil war under Saddam Hussein. By taking him out we created the conditions for various factions to begin fighting in earnest. Now we're left trying to keep them from killing each other, while both sides (and others) kill our soldiers. If there ever was a better example of a "no win" situation, I don't know of it.

The whole impeachment question, including who and why, is similarly complicated. But if Bill Clinton's consensual sex was considered impeachable, there are plenty of serious moral issues that George Bush & Co. can be accused of. Starting with lying about the reasons to invade Iraq.

 

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Another sunset

As I walked home from the latest Gang Green meeting I saw a red glow in the sky reflected in a building's second floor windows. Taking a turn one block north to Detroit Avenue, I got to the end of the street just as the sun dipped below the horizon, about 30 seconds before I snapped this picture, looking northwest across the Shoreway at West 38th St.

 

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