I too marched against the invasion of Iraq before we actually invaded. I did not bother to attend any subsequent rallys (at least, no rally about the Iraq war). What would be the point? Perhaps it is my own perssimism, but if the government could not be bothered to listen to the voices of millions across the globe that day, or the many many opinion articles and polls, what is the likelyhood they will listen to another protest? The media will be there, and talk of the small numbers, and paint the protesters as some sort of freakish sideshow... strange hippies from a bygone era, or college kids who don't know what they're talking about (I guess I would fall into the later category). No one who makes any decisions listens. They are so far removed from the actual opinion of the American people.

I honestly believe that many of our policymakers do not believe themselves to be "representatives" of the people at all. They think themselves more intellegent and better informed than the unwashed masses. They think they know best. Just let those strong masculine men take care of it all, and don't you worry your pretty little head, America.

I'll vote at the election, but perhaps MOST important in this age of rampant capitalism, I'll vote with my wallet (what a funny phrase. Did 'vote with your wallet' exist in the 50s? something tells me it probably didn't). Because $$ is the only thing the "leaders" of America listen to or care about anymore.

And I'll voice my disatisfaction into the strange new protest machine known as the internet. Maybe I can't be at the washington rally (since I live in australia...) but I can throw my voice and support into cyberspace. Maybe someone there will actually listen. Doubt it.

major difference here -- the architects of the war are smarter about it. No draft, lower taxes, a speculative housing bubble rising on bad, unregulated loans, and young people more afraid for their futures. Unless the military leadership becomes desperate enough to start a draft, we won't see college students demonstrating in huge numbers; they're too focused on trying to grab fewer jobs with decreasing benefits to rock the boat, or are working multiple part-time jobs to offset rising tuitions as states cut back on educational funding. The tax policies mean that the general public won't start feeling the budget crunch until after this Admin is out of office. Until then, everyone is too busy working their butts off to pay for outrageous mortgages that are coming due.

As to the Democratic Party's baffling lack of leadership on getting us out of this terrible, useless, destructive war, I have no explanation. Anyone?

I think you for articulating my own experience. I'll add that in early protests I was completely turned off by "professional protesters" hijacking of the protest. I suddenly found myself surrounded by bull horn shouting, banner carrying Answer people yelling about Palestine. I wasn't there to take on Israel. WTF? Then looking left and right I was appalled at the lack of seriousness in the participants. They treated the whole thing like it was a fun - burning man - dress up and jump around thing. Even the code pink women pissed me off. What is with all the self attention seeking activity on the part of the new generation of protester? I was also taken back by the Anti-Bush vitriol. As if our current figurehead is responsible for the military/congressional/industrial complex. As if bush invented the idea of war for oil. As if the president was the only person getting the snowball running down the hill. Very few people,like Ron Kovic, supplicated themselves to the gravity of the situation. At this point I realized, these people are not with me. If the state decides to use the police to trample this crowd, they would not stand. I could not trust a one of them to look out for me, or stand with me. I was in a sea of self serving individuals. At home, sitting on their couches were a sea of self serving passive non participants. "Keeping the peace" were a sea of police willing to let loose a world of aggression without thought, at the command of their leaders (As they demonstrated in Los Angeles Macarthur Park against women and children.)

I really felt alone.

I haven't been back to any protest. I don't see the point. Stand next to a guy with a paper maché puppet head who couldn't point out Iraq on a map? Let myself be herded by the police state into quiet, well organized, marches? Have my picture taken by all the federal agents sent to spy on the dissenters? No thanks. This nation has it's war on, and we the people are spectators.

You are not allowed to have an opinion about anything let alone speak it unless and until you embrace every halfcocked strident agenda item from everyone at the furthest left hand fringes of the left. No one takes the antiwar movement seriously, even if there actually was one that didn't get bored and go home after 2 days, precisely because of this. To almost everyone, the anti war sentiment is merely an excuse to get press for their own pet projects. And the anti war movement (again, if there was one) learned that pretty early on. When Todd Gitlin, whose protest cred is impeccable, thinks you're an asshole, you should recognize you've really lost control, if you ever had it. You're the folks who made friends with your own worst enemies. Now it's your problem.

I attended (and helped organize) several antiwar protests in my small city in the run-up to the Iraq War and after. They received very little publicity, usually the two or three counter-protesters with signs like "Support President Bush - Thumbs Up!" got more coverage than the rest of us. People walked by mostly disgusted at us. We were effectively marginalized and ignored. We were unable to get our message out (for example, the lie of "weapons of mass destruction") as everyone was more focused on the bad theater of the protests than what we were trying to say. Several of my friends who were against the war, wouldn't participate in the protests and found them to be an embarrassment.

I am of the opinion that Americans hate protesters and just view us as dirty hippies. If anything, I wonder if we didn't just reinforce for them their support of the war. I think that, instead of getting one thousand people to march down a few city blocks and be effectively ignored, we need to channel our energy into something else. What, I don't know, but I am open for suggestions.