And finally, the mainstream media caught on (although it is a slow news weekend in Washington DC, because it is a holiday weekend and Congress isn't in session). We'll see how they do with it, considering this was an extremely well coordinated worldwide protest. For me, the most heartening aspect of it was the peace activists in Pakistan claiming the streets for peace, in opposition to the supporters of the US and the supporters of Muslim fundamentalism. It was just Pakistani peace folks. Very cool.

As to the Catholic Church, I think your cynicism is misplaced Rick. The social justice movement in the church has always been at the front of the line in the peace movement, and it has been instrumental in the organizing against the war in Iraq, because it is largely the Catholic church ladies (of all ages, not just the blue haired ones) who have continued marching and demonstrating against Iraq sanctions since the first Gulf War. They never let up. The hierarchy rarely supports the Catholic Worker/social justice movement, but the opposition to the war buildup is so widespread among Catholics right now, even the pope came out in opposition to it last week.

But the seachange really occurred last September, when the Bush administration began it's push towards war in earnest. There was already a considereable grassroots movement in place by then, as organizers on the left saw a tremendous surge in membership and interest from people in the wake of 9/11. Hundreds of people began pouring into the offices of grassroots peace and justice organizations after 9/11. Many people might find that hard to believe, but then many people find it hard to believe a definite majority (which isn't waffling) of the US electorate is opposed to this war, and the numbers are growing all the time. Especially among military families. We saw 3 boys off at Christmas who will likely be shipped out within the coming 6 weeks. And nobody knows why.

But everyone knows this president select isn't going to back down. That is the quandry here. The people of the US are not behind this president going to war with Iraq, yet we also know that he is obsessed with doing that, no matter what the cost, whether there is justification for doing so or not, and whether he has to go it alone or not. This president is going to attack Iraq.