Last night's show at St. Stephen's in DC felt like a trip back in time. Pash, Cloak/Dagger, and Strike Anywhere played for $7, all proceeds going to benefit Jobs With Justice DC. The room was lined with tables from a variety of organizations promoting economic and social justice, and ending the war in Iraq.

Pash started off the evening with great power pop songs. They've got just the right mix of danceable beats, fuzzy guitars, and female vocals to put you in a good mood.

Cloak/Dagger played second. The first time I saw these guys I thought they were awesome. Second time, same conclusion. C/D play tight, angry hardcore of the intelligent, not jock variety.

Strike Anywhere came on after an impassioned call to action by Mark Anderson of Positive Force DC, the group that organized the benefit. Mark's speech got everyone fired up about social justice and ending the slaughter that we call a war in Iraq. When Strike Anywhere took the stage and started belting out anthems, the room exploded with energy. The entire hall was filled with a chorus of voices, all of which sang along to every word. Fists in the air and clinging together, for a brief moment there was a feeling of community, of purpose, and of hope.

This morning, I woke up and the war machine was still killing needlessly, the bankers were still starving people, and the American public still didn't give a crap. But last night I was reminded that positive change is really possible. But it's up to us to make it.

No justice. No justice anywhere. Until we put it there.

This is what democracy looks like.

Krugman: Politics in Black and White



July 2007 - The NAACP invited all 9 Republican Presidential candidates to a debate. The only candidate to appear was Tom Tancredo

"The past isn't dead. It isn't even past."

- William Faulkner

Just returned home from the big anti-war march in Washington DC. Anti-war marches have become kind of like McDonald's - they're the same wherever you go, and they only make you feel good while you're there.

Today, thousands and thousands of people got together and mingled, selling radical newspapers, stickers, buttons, placards - you name it. There were no fewer than 5 different radical political groups represented by 5 different people. More silly signs than you could count, and a whole lot of people wondering why we were just standing around.

After a couple of hours, people started chanting, "What do we want? To start the march! When do we want it? Now!" About an hour after that, the march began. We walked down the street to the same chants that we've heard for years. I was glad I was there, but I couldn't help but think that it might be time to come up with some new chants. Although, I guess it doesn't really matter if no one is listening, anyway.

Eventually we got to an area where the Eagles had Gathered. Apparently the Eagles are a motley collection of war fetishists - fat caricatures of illiterate bikers and ignorant suburbanites wearing cheap American flag paraphernalia. They stood on the other side of a barrier and yelled even worse chants than the war protesters: "Your a Loser! Looooooooser!!!" Or, "All we are saying it give soap a chance!" Ugh.

When I walked over to take photos of the war fetishists, I was told, without asking:

"You're not fit to be in the Army. I wouldn't even take you." Thanks?

"This is not your flag. This is not your country. You don't deserve it."

"You're stupid."

"Why don't you go live in Iraq since you love Osama so much."

"Fuck you. You make me sick."

"Tell Osama we said hello." This one I thought was particularly strange. Why did this woman want to say hello of Osama? Are they friends? I just said, "Um, I don't have his number. You'll have to call him yourself." The woman looked utterly confused by my response.

All in all, the war fetish crowd was predictable and cartoonish. That's not to say that there aren't anti-war protesters who are themselves ridiculous. Just ask the Santa on stilts or the Radical Cheerleaders™. But the pro-war crowd was pathetic pretty much to the person.

By the time we got to the Capitol, we'd been walking for over four hours. So we split off from the group and went to grab some food. All in all a day well spent, I think. I can't wait to turn on the news tonight and see George Bush announcing that the war is over and he's pulling out our troops.

Photos up at Flickr.

Editor & Publisher: Poll Shows 1 in 3 Americans Still Believe Saddam Involved in 9/11



And then there's the "Gathering of Eagles" organization that uses paramilitary jargon to organize and encourage war fetishists to "defend America" from the 70 percent of people who see this war for the clusterf-k it is.

At this point, and I say this in all sincerity, I believe my nation is suffering from a sort of collective mental illness.