I wish I knew Joe. Unfortunately your quote;
"I thought folk music was about peace and justice and good times and enjoying being together over a pint of something or another. I thought folkies were supposed to be idealists who were out to transform the world with kindness."
with which I wholeheartedly agree, would be greeted in certain areas of the English folk scene with snorts of derision. Like others, I've battled against this attitude, but as you can see from the above thread, sometimes it's hard to be an idealist when faced with such an implacable enemy.
As we used to say; "Peace and love".
For a time we had it, but sometimes I think it's lost forever.
However, it appears to be the world we have to live in.