Saturday’s anti-war protest: A critique

So we had the first big Obama-era war protest. How did it rate? To be honest it seemed to lack focus.

On Saturday, it appeared that the majority of liberals at the anti-war rally didn’t want to openly say they were unhappy with President Obama. Instead, they passive-aggressively channeled their anger in so many different directions it became hard to fixate on what to be angry at any given moment. (Is it Colonial-type occupation? Are we now against the Hilton Hotels? Will Bush still not come clean about the 9/11 cover up?)

During George W’s regime it was so easy to put the spotlight on the bad guys; it was always a strong case of us-against-them. Sure on Saturday we had a few of the classic protest chants like “Hey-hey! Ho-Ho!” and “If the people are united, they wont be defeated,“but the entire protest seemed to be splinted into too many different anger-management subsections. What’s the protocol? Do we have to follow along and be angry about everything on the entire agenda or is it okay only to be angry about a few select issues?

The handful of protesters who did openly show their Obama disdain, did so in almost a sheepish manner on the outskirts of the rally.

See the medal around his neck?” a pleasant, older woman pointed out about her large Obama piece of artwork. “That’s his Nobel Peace Prize,” she gleamed with pride.

“That’s his actual Peace Prize?” I questioned.

“No. It’s a recreation.”

Even at liberal San Francisco protest, you can’t escape the asinine Obama = Hitler comparisons. Don’t think this astute, intellectual illustration is limited to moronic Tea Party Patriots. Thank god the cultists for crazed conspiracy theory nut, Lyndon LaRouche were on hand.

“So do you think Obama is Adolph Hilter,” I asked a man wearing a Cosby sweater.

“He’s worse than Hitler!”

“Why’s that?”Is Obama is going to orchestrate genocide of 6 million Jewish people?”

“He’s going to do worst than that!”

(Pause.) “Okay. (Pause.) “So that’s why you hold up a picture of Obama with a Hitler mustache in a comparison format?”

“I’d compare him to someone else if I could think of someone more evil.”

(Pause.) “Okay.” (Pause.) “Good luck with that.”

The war protest has segued into a whole pool of fringe conspiracy theory groups. The fanfare makes your average liberal protester an easy targets for conservatives to ridicule in the same manner that we snicker at Tea Party protesters. Need I march side-by-side with the 9/11 Was An Inside Job crew even though I find their theories to be pure ranting lunacy?

I’m not against protesting war, I’m just saying the rallies were so much more focused and fun when Bush was as at the helm. At least their was one protester at the rally whose side you could clearly understand. Yes! America For More Dog Treats! Hey-hey! Ho-ho!