Massive World Protests Tomorrow

[Dinner]

I'd chaulk the world wide ogranization up to the internet.

[Ned]

Perhaps. This would mean that ad hoc anti-war groups talk to each other, etc. However, someone still has to go get the permits, arrange for posters and the like. Seems organized to me.

BTW, the story I saw on the protests ended with a story on a bearded man who said he was on his way to Iraq to become a human shield. He said he wanted to be tied up to a children's hospital because he had heard that 500,000 to a million children had died because of lack of access to cheap drugs!

No kidding. He actually said that.

[Dinner]

There are a great many people who will believe anything anyone tells them without first seeing if it makes sense or considering the agenda of the source.

[HolyWarrior]

If you've played the card game Illuminati, you would know that Iraq cannot be destroyed because they still control the Anti-War Activists . First the Anti-War Activists must be neutralized, THEN Iraq can be destroyed.

[Ben Kenobi]

Osweld, Frogger, Agathon.

Thanks for your responses.

Perhaps I've been too hasty in my characterisation of the anti-war movement here in BC. I'll check out the next rally.

Oh and BTW Agathon, the United Church is not very respected among the Christian community.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by obiwan18
Osweld, Frogger, Agathon.

Oh and BTW Agathon, the United Church is not very respected among the Christian community.

Isn't it the biggest Protestant Church in Canada?

Anyway, the Pope doesn't care much for war either.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

The so called "silent majority" is supposed to be an everlasting fund of conservative opinion that always carries the majority of public opinion in spite of whatever opposing demonstrations there may be.

Thank you for your redefining of a word, but it is not needed or wanted.

Oh, and your efforts to paint me as a conservative idelogue to attempt to score points is halfway amusing, but in general just makes you look more like a buffoon.

Who gives a s**t what you need or want, or if you are amused?

Call me a buffoon if you like, but I'd be willing to bet my intellectual and educational achievements would put yours to shame (given what I know about myself and the quality of your ravings). You are not in a position to accuse anyone else of stupidity.

How about trying to come up with some arguments instead of the witless rubbish you've posted so far?

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Ned
Does anyone know who organized the demostrations? Communists? Iraq?

Since this was a world event, I would suggest the former.

Chalk up another crazy conspiracy theory.

Most of them were organised by umbrella organisations which are comprised of everyone from church groups to communists. Trying to paint the protestors as some fringe left group is a waste of time. Most out on Saturday were ordinary folks.

At the Toronto protest the Socialist Workers (who supply all their bunch with placards) were in a small minority (there weren't many SW banners compared to everyone else).

If you don't like what the protestors said then organise a pro war rally. Nobody will come.

[Darius871]

Exactly, because pro-war people don't protest, not because there aren't many of them.

[Agathon]

They would protest if they really cared or if they were sure that they wouldn't be outnumbered. A better explanation is that lot of the pro-war people just don't give a damn.

Don't tell me the right doesn't protest - witness the big anti-abortion rallies. (BTW - I disagree with these people but I have immense respect for them for making the effort to protest).

There was a single pro Bush protestor at the Toronto peace rally. She must have had some guts, even though nobody bothered her or insulted her.

[Ben Kenobi]

Isn't it the biggest Protestant Church in Canada?

Not for long, according to the latest numbers. They've been declining for quite some time, same as the Anglicans. As with anything, they are good United churches, and ones not so good. The Toronto Church falls in the latter category.

As for the pope, the Catholics have organised their own demonstrations. They call them prayer meetings.

[Mazarin]

aren't they sweet...
some impressions from the demonstrations:






and Bush looking for his next ennemy

[Robert]

I've talked with several people who went to the demo in Amsterdam or were intended but couldn't go.

I talked with them about the war, and the arguments against a war / pro-war arguments.

It appeared that all of them had no idea what they were talking about. They weren't capable to bring more arguments up than "Those poor children in iraque should be saved"

It's pathatic to read columns in newspapers that read: "The Bush administration should back it's opinion up with arguments. If there are Mass-destruction weapons, he should prove that. The only reason he wants a war is because of the oil"

it's pathatic how people can demand 'more arguments' from Bush but can make up things like 'he wants oil' without any backup for that.

It's easy and accepted to be 'anti-war'.
In fact 'anti-war' is de default choise.

unfortunately much people can't see that sometimes 'violence' is needed to keep peace. It sounds strange, but violence (war) is sometimes the only answer to criminals.

Not to speak about silly arguments like 'the US has started more wars than any other country'

You completely are ignorant about the US wars if you say that. ALL of them were wars for freedom. Wars to free themselves or wars to free people.

Europe 1945, Vietnam, Korea, Kosovo, Koeweit, Afghanistan

All those countries were ruled by dictators who were a threath to their people or the people of the nations around it.

And of course in every case a discussion should be started about the question if a war is justified. Pherhaps you guys are right, and a war against Iraque is not justified. But use valid arguments in such a discussion instead of simplistic name-calling and come up with short-sighted arguments.

There ARE good arguments against war!
- the people of Iraque shouldn't suffer
- the post-war scenario should be good and solid
- the surrounding countries shouldn't be in (too much) danger during an attack.

Talk about these issues as adults but keep the bs away.

So far it morely feels like situations we have in The NEtherlands, when the police arrests someone who broke the law in which all the surrounding people turned against the police.

A good question is if the US is the police.
Pherhaps that's what's wrong in the situation, the US aren't the police, and they shouldn't be the police.

The question that comes forth out of that conclusion is, who else should be the police (UN) and IS this police funcationing?

I think the obvious answer is: "NO"

It's morely the disfunctioning of the UN that makes the US act this way. But no-one is putting that up as a topic for discussion.

I know I'm not 'allowed' to say this, but the big majority of the people at the demo's don't have any idea what they talk about. They simply have no clue.

And indeed, much of the 'pro-war' people have no idea either.

That's the failure of democracy, people who have no idea can voice their blatant opinion.

I don't know any better form of governament, thus let's keep it, but keep in mind that people who raise their voice don't nescecarily have the knowledge to do it.

[Ned]

I heard a couple of interviews with protesters on CNN. They seemed to be purely anti-war and anti-US. Not one even mentioned Iraq or Saddam or anything about why Bush wanted to disarm him. The one with Ron Jerovic(SP?), ex Vietnam veteran, was particularly revealing. He was impassioned as hell about not going to war, about stopping the war, etc. However, when the reporter asked him about Saddam, he looked like a deer on the road starring blankly into the headlights. He never responded to the questions, and began shortly to repeat his rants.

One analyst concluded that the protest were more about America and anti-Americanism than about Iraq. As Che has suggested, there are lot of people who are against the war because they view it as American imperialism. To them, America has only one interest in Iraq: Oil.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Mazarin Pictures made by some guy with a copy of photoshop and to much time on his hands.

Those pictures were photoshoped. Look at the shadow on Bush's left hand.