History ended yesterday. Or at least one version of it. Or perhaps it didn’t end as much as it was overthrown, trampled by the feet of 30,000 ordinary Americans who gathered on the mall and along the broad avenues in Washington to confront those who have, either wittingly or witlessly, given aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States for more than 40 years.
The rancid ideology that has swaggered across the American landscape since Viet Nam (posturing a moral superiority they never proved nor deserved) as ordinary Americans looked on with a growing sense of outrage was quite simply, shown up – bested by an amalgam of military veterans, conservative activists, and just plain folks whose numbers shocked the media, not to mention the anti-everything protestors from the other side.
I can’t come up with anything similar that has occurred in recent American history. During World Wars I and II there were massive rallies for war bonds but that was something else entirely. This was a protest to counter defeatism and the ideology of self-loathing that has had the national stage pretty much to itself for a generation or more. And it showed that while many Americans have no doubt been disheartened and discouraged by what has been happening in Iraq these last 4 years, there is still a considerable number of us who believe it worthwhile to continue the mission in that bloody country until the Iraqis are able to secure their future free from the threat of terrorists and rogue militias.
God, how I wish I could have been there:
As war protesters marched toward Arlington Memorial Bridge en route to the Pentagon yesterday, they were flanked by long lines of military veterans and others who stood in solidarity with U.S. troops and the Bush administration’s cause in Iraq. Many booed loudly as the protesters passed, turned their backs to them or yelled, “If you don’t like America, get out!”Several thousand vets, some of whom came by bus from New Jersey, car caravans from California or flights from Seattle or Michigan, lined the route from the bridge and down 23rd Street, waving signs such as “War There Or War Here.” Their lines snaked around the corner and down several blocks of Constitution Avenue in what organizers called the largest gathering of pro-administration counter-demonstrators since the war began four years ago.
The vets turned both sides of Constitution into a bitter, charged gantlet for the war protesters. “Jihadists!” some vets screamed. “You’re brain-dead!” Others chanted, “Workers World traitors must hang!”—a reference to the Communist newspaper. Some broke into “The Star-Spangled Banner” as war protesters sought to hand out pamphlets.
Not very elevating dialogue but the point was made. And taking into consideration what was coming from the other side, the pro troops gathering sounded positively rational:
40 years ago there was a march on the Pentagon and here we are 40 years later with a march on the Pentagon and another illegal and immoral war.I don’t want to be marching when I’m 90 years old in 2047 in another illegal and immoral war.
Let’s stop this Bullsh*t, now!
Do you know why our countires get into these bullsh*t wars all of the time?
It’s for the corporations!It’s for the corporations like Halliburton and Exxon and Blackwater and to make them rich.
It’s to line the pockets of George Bush and Dick Cheney and all the war criminals…
That was from Mother Sheehan, Goddess of Peace, Catalyst for the Anti-War Movement, and certifiable loon.
And speaking of the anti-war “movement,” the last couple of gatherings they’ve had have gotten progressively smaller. Is this the best they can do?
Organizers, who had predicted tens of thousands of marchers would demonstrate, gave estimates ranging from 15,000 to 30,000. Police no longer provide official estimates of crowd size but informally put it at 10,000 to 20,000, with a smaller but sizable contingent of counter-protesters.War protest leaders said a large winter storm that hit the Northeast hurt turnout. More than 60 bus loads of protesters who had been scheduled to come from the region canceled their trips Friday night, according to Brian Becker, national coordinator for the Answer Coalition, the event’s main sponsor.
Oh yeah? I guess the weather only stops you if you’re not committed enough:
It was quickly apparent that the weather had not prevented counter-demonstrators, many in black leather motorcycle jackets, from showing up in force and surrounding all sides of the Wall.
But demonstrating in favor of war? I think that much too simplistic and I believe those who stood in the cold would agree. Showing support for the troops, their mission (which includes reconstruction and training the Iraqi army and police among other non combat elements), and yes, the war policies of the Administration were the main reasons given for the outpouring.
But even more basic than that was a desire to challenge the moral primacy of the “Blame America First” lobby whose unfettered access to and sympathy from the media these many years has made it seem as if passion and commitment were the sole province of the left and those that believe that America is usually on the side of the angels were condemned to silently endure the lies, the distortions, the outright calumnies emanating from the dirty necked galoots who fill up the streets in protest on a regular basis.
As much as it can be said that anti-war protests give aid and comfort to the enemy, the reverse should be true; that by coming out in such huge numbers, the pro troops demonstration should give heart to the Iraqi people and cause the insurgents a bit of discomfort. At the very least, it should prove to the American people that not everyone has lost hope that a positive outcome can be achieved in Iraq. Perhaps giving heart to the American people will be the lasting benefit of this “Gathering of Eagles.”
It’s certainly given me some heart. And made me proud to be an American.
UPDATE
Michelle Malkin is all over this story, of course. She was there snapping pictures and getting reaction from the participants.
But this morning, she points to the way the demonstration was portrayed in the New York Times. In short, there’s no way around it but to say that the Times lied - and not very well at that:
As they gathered before the march, the protesters met what several veterans of the antiwar movement described as an unusually large contingent of several hundred counterdemonstrators. Many were veterans in biker jackets who said they had come to protect the nearby Vietnam Memorial, citing rumors that had circulated among veterans groups that the demonstrators planned to deface it.Crossing the bridge toward the Pentagon, the marchers met another group of about 50 counterdemonstrators by the Arlington Cemetery, one holding a sign that said: “Go to hell traitors. You dishonor our dead on hallowed ground.â€
I linked above to the WaPo article that also undercounts the demonstration but at least acknowledges “several thousand” not several hundred as the Times reports.
And what about the protestors lining the route of the march to the Pentagon? Thousands of people that the New York Times decided not to count.
Non people at a non event if you’re a reader of the New York Times.
And this from John Lilyea, proprietor of the whimsically named This Ain’t Hell:
In my opinion, this Gathering of Eagles rally has done more for the healing of the wounds these veterans have been burdened with for forty years than any wall or memorial could ever. It was if they’d finally been given the opportunity to face their oppressors. There were no sorrowful stares, no sympathetic words. It was all smiles and laughter.
All of those years of anger that had been bottled up was directed against their common enemy – moral and intellectual laziness. The world had to listen to them, the citizens who had sacrificed and paid the price and came home to the disapproval of the citizens who had never spent an uncomfortable moment in their lives.
One veteran told me, “We’re here because those guys who are fighting in Iraq deserve better than what we got when we came home. No one stood up for us, but by God, we’re standing up for them. And if we don’t, who will?â€
Welcome home, brothers.
10:13 am
[...] THE EAGLES AND THE VULTURES [...]
12:42 pm
[...] SCSUScholars, BlondeSense, Taylor Marsh, The Mahablog, Right Wing Nut House, TigerHawk, Democracy Project, politburo diktat 2.0 , The Belmont Club, Michelle Malkin, Raghead Infidel, Neptunus Lex, Gateway Pundit, Sweetness & Light, Gates of Vienna, This ain’t Hell, Atlas Shrugs, Hot Air [...]
1:18 pm
I didn’t make it to DC, but some of my blog comrades and fellow vets did. It was driven, in lage part, by the threat that The Wall would be sullied and defaced by graffiti. The update last week for the confirmed attendees for the GOE was only 750, but those I spoke with elsewhere said that’s all we needed to defend The Wall. As it turned out, is appears that there might be a new dynamic at work. One hopes. Thank you for your words, for myself (VN ‘66-’67), and for my three sons, all Iraq and Afghanistan vets…one still there.
I came here from New England Republican. Thanks again.
1:37 pm
I read that article last night just before bed and had to write a post on it. It’s the only time I’ve regretted NOT going to DC on a rally weekend.
My sappy post (one of the few) is here: http://coffeespy.com/?p=173
I SO wish I would have gone down with my camera now.
3:19 pm
I wonder how long it took them to think of that clever riposte.
3:35 pm
Sunday Afternoon Links
Defending the honor of the Confederate flag. AOL News. We already explained why we honor it, and it ain’t racist. Nobody remembers that wealthy Yankees had slaves during the war until the Emancipation Proclamation. We honor our southern brethren at …
4:46 pm
Gathering of Eagles: An Indicator of Old Media Decline
Tom Blumer of Newsbusters writes:The New York Times (may require registration) reported “several hundred counterdemonstrators” (HT Michelle Malkin, who has the priceless quote of the day—“.... the NYTimes relied on ‘several veterans of the antiw…
4:48 pm
[...] The Right Wing Nuthouse talks about the Gather of Eagles, media coverage, and motives behind the counter-demonstration. [...]
5:31 pm
I was there. And didn’t see much in the way of counter protesters. Guess they were all hanging out with the reporters? It was a wonderful day filled with Christians from across the country coming together to call for peace and supporting our troops by bringing them home!
8:48 pm
jpe, I thought enough people had tracked you down, tarred and feathered you and sent you home with your head up the north end of a southbound jackass, or was that Hanoi John you always had your head up?
Nancy dear, wake up and quit lying. You can’t openly lie and still claim to be a christian who believes in piece. You have just proven you are a phony christian and an America Hater.
Some of my Vietnam brothers were really disappointed that the left wing showed to be exactly like their signs, yellow. Where was the outrage and violence you always display when there is no one around to yank a knot in your ass?
Congrat’s to the Gathering of Eagles. You proved to be just that ‘Eagles’ that protect the rights of Americans, even the slime on the left.
America now knows that we are watching them (traitors) and eventually someone will pay for all the traitorous acts committed by the democrats over the past 40 years. Responsible for more deaths through cut and run cowardance than all of the wars in the history of the country. I’m glad it’s you that has the blood of millions of civilians in Southeast Asia on your hands. Are you sure you want the blood of millions of Iraqi children on your hands to go along with those around the world already slaughtered by your hand?
Have a nice night and watch for the spirits ( I don’t believe in ghosts) of those dead at your hands.
11:14 pm
Eagles soared,and the cowards no longer get to dictate anything.My brothers I’m proud of you and wish I could have been with you.Let the light of freedom and honor shine in this country that we put our lives on the line to protect against traitors and enemies of all stripes.
7:07 am
And still Monday morning nobody in the MSM is reporting about the reality on the ground in DC this weekend and the fact that the Gathering of Eagles outdrew the protest march on the Pentagon by thousands if not tens of thousands.
GoE represents a sea change in the thinking of the American people as we find our troops opening up the fifth year in Iraq with a new strategy that’s working, a new general with a solid counterinsurgency background, and a new realization among the people that our troops are doing the job and that the only possible way we can lose is if the Democrats force our surrender.
Just like the real story in DC last week was the “triple-witching” congressional Democrat bloodbath on the Hill as the Dems overreached on Gonzales, lost their bid to surrender to AQ in the Senate, and saw Valerie Plame lie under oath to America and destroy their entire case, the major story that should be on the front pages of every news outlet in the US should read “Gathering of Eagles Affirms America’s Desire For Victory In Iraq” but instead reads things like “Voices From Iraq 2007: Ebbing Hope in a Landscape of Loss”, Standoff Over War Funds Looming” and “Iraq war’s statistics prove fleeting”.
To the MSM, it’s all about sowing doubt and discord among Americans over a war that is vital to our national security if not our continued existence. The irony of “supporting our troops” has long been lost on the media in America.
It’s far past time to start asking who the real enemy is here.
10:01 am
“This was a protest to counter defeatism and the ideology of self-loathing that has had the national stage pretty much to itself for a generation or more.” I guess it’s all in your perspective. All I have seen for a generation is a massive military buildup started by Ronald Reagan that sent the national debt into the trillions. All I hear from the 40 year olds I work with (in MN,of all places) are the canned lines of any and every conservative voice out there, from Bush to O’Reilly. The only feeling I’ve had from political “debate” for a generation has been the “my way or the highway” approach.
“As much as it can be said that anti-war protests give aid and comfort to the enemy, the reverse should be true; that by coming out in such huge numbers, the pro troops demonstration should give heart to the Iraqi people and cause the insurgents a bit of discomfort.” I am tired of the notion that disagreement and reasonable protest is somehow un-American, even traitorous. If I remember my history corrrectly, protest and questioning authority is how we got here. And I’m not talking about rock throwing, rabid anarchists. I’m talking about people who feel passionately about the direction they feel the country is going, and love it enough to want to change it for the better. What we need—from both sides of the debate—is this passion turned to workable solutions, while maintaining the ability to compromise. And to be honest, I don’t see anyone or any movement out there that can incorporate those two goals into their message.
2:48 pm
It is a good thing that war supporters make themselves known. My ongoing question remains, what will victory in Iraq be, that is, what must happen specifically before we know we have won? (Since this is an uncoventional war, there will be no conventional surrender ceremony and peace accord. Therefore, other metrics must be established to declare victory.)
How many car bombings in Iraq per month specifically constitute victory? None, one, two, fifteen?
How many American deaths per month specifically constitute victory? None, one, two, fifteen?
How many Iraqi deaths per month specifically constitute victory? None, one, two, fifteen?
How low specifically must U.S. spending go in Iraq per month before that measure can be called a victory? No money at all, a million a month, a billion a month?
These and a myriad of other outcome measures remain undefined. How can you achieve a victory that has no definition? As a very wise person once said, if you don’t know where you are going, then how will you know when you get there?
3:13 pm
I was there and contray to most media accounts, the interplay between the counter-protesting vets and protesters was fairly benign.
My account is here:
http://kikoshouse.blogspot.com/2007/03/vietnam-iraq-tale-of-two-marches.html
6:18 pm
Ed, you want to ask about the metrics which will define victory in Iraq. So start up the conversation! What do you think? Answer your own questions.
How many car bombings in Iraq per month specifically constitute victory?
How many American deaths per month specifically constitute victory?
How many Iraqi deaths per month specifically constitute victory?
How low specifically must U.S. spending go in Iraq per month before that measure can be called a victory?
Start up the development of the “Iraq War Measure of Metrics”. Put a point system together and establish a scale. Add additional questions to the list such as:
How much of the infrastructure rebuilding has to be complete (a defined percentage) before we can declare victory?
What levels of governmental tolerance should the various factions reach before we declare victory? (Obviously this would be a scale that would vary depending upon Shia, Sunni or Kurd – but hey, put some bogies in there and we can work it out.)
How many more House or Senate Resolutions need to be introduced relating to the end of the war before we can declare the war over and come on home? (Note: At last count we were up to 18, including the non-binding ones, so we may have to set this standard pretty high – 100? – 200? – Oh well, put a number there, we can work around it – Congress usually does.)
How many . . . .
You get the idea! Lay some thought and work into it and come on back with your ideas. We can pass it around and get endorsements and coordinations from all sorts of organizations. We could even get the idea in some sort of referendum. Put it on the ballot. You could be a hero!
This is kinda fun!
10:47 pm
Today’s Must Read: The “Screw Them” Left
Dean Barnett has gone yard—and Opening Day is not even here yet!
Rick Moran also succeeds wildly today with his description of this weekend’s Nutroots Waterloo.
4:37 am
[...] UPDATE 4, March 20: Rightwing Nuthouse on Monday – History ended yesterday. Or at least one version of it. Or perhaps it didn’t end as much as it was overthrown, trampled by the feet of 30,000 ordinary Americans who gathered on the mall and along the broad avenues in Washington to confront those who have, either wittingly or witlessly, given aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States for more than 40 years. [...]
6:37 am
Now, why did Reagan build up our armed forces and put us into debt? Oh, I remember, it was to counter the threat of Communism, specifically the Soviet Union, where protesters were sent to Siberia, or put into “mental institutions” for their intellectual crimes. The same Soviet Union that was the self-proclaimed spearhead, model and organizer of the world-wide revolution. The same Soviet Union where people had to stand in line to get toilet paper. The same Soviet Union that was such a workers’ paradise it had to build fences to keep its own people in.
There, I’ve started a debate. I’m 40-something, and I don’t watch O’Reilly.
6:39 am
Larry;
No where do I accuse anyone of being a traitor or anti American. I accuse people of “witlessly” giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
I actually prefer those who wittingly announce their intentions to support our enemies. At least they don’t pretend that their protests are carried out in a vacuum, that insurgents from the Cong to the Sunnis aren’t counting on the left wing in the United States to do what they cannot do – defeat the US military on the field of battle.
It is the only thing that gives them hope – hence, it aids them in their insurgency against our allies in the Iraqi government. Their entire strategy is based on causing the most horrific civilian casualties that are sure to be reported by a compliant media, thus undermining the will of the American people to see the job through to completion.
Readers of this site know that I have listed blunder after blunder made by the Administration in Iraq. I have made it clear that our military can only do so much to help, that it is clearly up to the Iraqi government to alter their politcs to include all factions, all sects in order to take the fire out of the insurgency – leaving the genuine terrorists from al-Qaeda to be dealt with.
But criticizing strategy and calling for a precipitous departure are two different things. If you are going to protest and call for an end to the war, at least have the honesty to acknowledge that you are doing exactly what the enemy who is shooting and killing Americans in the field wants.
This is so self-evident that I can’t for the life of me figure out why it is denied so strenuously.
11:23 am
Ed 14
If, heaven forfend, you or a loved one were to fall desperately ill and require extensive and axpensive care, how much and for how long would be enough? Would you pull the plug after a month, three, six? What if you had an annoying insurance agent on your back, asking you to decide? Of course you may support abortion AND euthanasia, in which case all bets are off!
Yeah, I know; you don’t love your country as much as you love yourself; all comparisons are odious; no analogy approaches truth etc.
Still, if you want to do this kind of gruesome and cruel math you have to have something to base it on. How much sacrifice is too much sacrifice?
12:13 pm
Dear eliXelx:
My wife of 25 years died from cancer 3 years ago and I was faced with the questions you asked. I stopped ongoing treatment when there was no hope of recovery or any quality of life whatsoever, in accordance with her wishes. Any other comments, motherf***er?
12:30 pm
And by the way, eliXelx, I am not a liberal, I don’t support abortion or euthanasia. If you think my math for declaring victory is cruel, look at the math the Bush White House is using. They don’t have a definition of victory, but we must have soldiers die for it, for they will know victory when they see it. I assume you must be either 13, or the cruelest, most unthinking person on the planet.
7:25 am
Rick, some time ago you seemed to appreciate the nuances of the situation, but now it’s the same old song again.
The only thing that AQ wants is for America to stay in Iraq. This way they can bleed American army and budget, radicalize Sunnies and not fear serious retaliations from Shias because American army, in effect, protects them. The precipitous withdrawal could be bad for numerous reasons, but it certainly would hurt AQ. You are doing exactly what the enemy wants to do, and there’s no way of denying it. The other thing that AQ wants is for everybody to declare that possible withdrawal would be a victory for them, so that they could frame a bad thing for them as a good.
8:12 am
“But criticizing strategy and calling for a precipitous departure are two different things.”
That should be “Criticizing tactics and calling for a withdrawl are two different things”. That would be true.
You see full withdrawl would be a new tactic based on a change of strategy.
Surging, new rules, outside bases vs super bases, Apaches or A10s, they are all just tactical changes with the same strategic goal, a secure client state in Iraq. This goal is clearly impossible because you are on a clock whereby the US population will not stomach this war for more than another few years.
It is well past time to be talking about the strategic goals of the war and whether they need to be changed. If we don’t change our strategies then they will be changed for us by events.