Largest Day of Protests in the History of the World

Blair is starting to listen, what about the Bushies?

Gatekeeper, what is it that you would like us to debate?

Presumably, the impact of the global protests of last weekend.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2765875.stm

According to this article, Blair is slowing down his march to war, but the writer says that is due to the split within the UN rather than the protests.

To my mind, however, it seems that such a huge display of popular dissent must have had an impact on the Blair administration, and whilst I am under no illusions that the protests will avert war, I do think they have made it more difficult for Blair to proceed with his plans for war, particularly without UN backing.

Bush, however, is apparently 'shrugging off' the protests. i don't think they have made much difference to his policies, position or long term ends.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...iraq_protests_5

Ari Fleischer, by the way, is an idiot. Firstly, hoew can he still be spouting such McCarthy -esque anti-Communist rubbish in 2003, and secondly, how can he seriously believe that US missiles caused the collpase of the Soviet Union?

Gatekeeper, I agree with Cyan. Clarify what you want us to debate. Additionally, I would add that your choice of words is a bit immature and poor way to present yourself thus far. Make this debate constructive or I close it.

No matter what anyone's ideology or opinion may be, the protests of Feb. 15th and the massive movement leading up to and containing it are historically very important. For not only is this the largest anti-war movement in history, but it is happening before we have even gone to war; that is perhaps, historically, the most salient point of all. During the Vietnam war, the movement really only got going a number of years after the fighting had begun.

Whether or not this genuinely huge movement of people has an effect on government policy in the short term, I believe that this movement, and the growing (and already massive as well) movement against corporatized globalization, give cause for hope in the longer term. Forget political doctrine for a moment - what we are seeing is part of and continuation of a shift in consciousness; from nationalism to globalism, from feudalism to human rights, and from (hopefully) corporate capitalism to participatory economics (parecon).

There is hope, and that hope is in the people. Let's just hope that this movement can come to its fruition before the power hungry few destroy us all.

I thought personal attacks were not tolerated on this forum?

I was thinking the same thing Brunie

Nice, guys.

Surely everyone recognizes the need for Administration to point out when someone's post is not constructive.

Mike