Originally posted at PoliZeros.

I went to a protest in Philadelphia this past Saturday, and it was more disheartening than anything else. It was against the wars and various other injustices, with a special focus on he recent FBI raids of peace activists and Pennsylvania Homeland Security spying on innocent civilians and activists.

By the end of it, I kind of just felt like going up to the megaphone and asking, “How much moral outrage can one person muster? There are more people handing out fliers here than not, and with this country committing so many disgusting, outrageous acts, I don’t blame you.” I won’t lie, I handed a few out myself. Yet the contrast between the righteous causes featured in the speeches and on the signs and on the fliers and the, as a fellow protester said to me, “complete lack of solidarity” was striking.

Weeks after the FBI raided their home, two Chicago
activists, Stephanie Weiner and Joe Iosbaker, stood before a crowd of about 150
Chicagoans gathered outside the Dirksen Federal Building and declared during a
press conference they, and twelve others who were subpoenaed, have no intention to go before any grand juries and participate in a “fishing expedition.”

The hubris of Sec Def Gates is beyond the pale.

Today, President Obama came to my town to give an invite-only speech at the University of Texas. Lacking an invite, I wondered what people with invites had to say about the Afghanistan War. Here’s what I found: All the people who had tickets to the event who consented to be interviewed and who gave an [...]

Bringing those opposed to war and empire together, no matter where they are on the political spectrum can build a broad based anti-war movement. But, are there too many on both sides who can only see differences and not similarities so the peace movement divides and conquers itself and the masters of war continue their militarism.

While the Netroots Nation Convention commands the attention of many who are tuned into activism this weekend, there is another gathering of significance that is happening in Albany, NY–the United National Peace Conference.

We have to take every single opportunity presented to us to end the war in Afghanistan. We have one of those opportunities right now. Call Congress at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to co-sponsor HR 5015, the McGovern bill to require an exit strategy.

Beck begins by telling his mostly rightwing audience that it is an admirable thing to change your mind, that this indicates you have learned something.

The anti-war movement seems to be at a crossroads these days. The rapid contraction of anti-war activism after George W. Bush left office caused many skeptics, including activists themselves, to wonder if most of the protesters had been more anti-Bush than anti-war. However, there are signs that the ranks of Americans who are determined to protest the evils of war, no matter which party controls the White House, is growing.

If you want to help end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, challenge the military industrial complex, fight for jobs not wars, or anything along those lines, SATURDAY IS YOUR DAY OF ACTION! There will be a massive peace march in DC – some say they are expecting hundreds of thousands to show up – and events all over the nation. On Sunday there will also be an event in Seattle, for those of you near there.

Please join me in DC – if you’re looking for me, I’ll be with the “We Are Not Your Soldiers” contingent (carrying a peace flag and with my brother, who will be videotaping) and for part of the day I’ll be marching with former US Senator and presidential candidate Mike Gravel.