Cupla t'oughts...

First, any time a demonstration of tens of thousands of people can be organized, especially on a work day, everyone understands that there is deep and wide concern over the issues related to the demonstrations. That is why they receive widespread coverage, and why the Nixon spinners invented the term "silent majority". To counter the demonstrations against the Vietnam war, which eventually did change the course of the nation. Teribus' suggestion that the demonstrations are irrelevant couldn't be further from the truth. No single demonstration changes the course of nations immediately, but over time they most certainly change the course of nations, and sometimes bring down the leaders they are attempting to topple--anyone remember the whistle protests at 5:00 p.m. every day?

As to whether or not the Bush administration is listening--you bet they are. The stories of the protests and the polls in England were one the top stories on the American newscasts all week. The Bush/Blair spinners tried working magic with the numbers to show that their support was solid. Maybe those look like good numbers in Britain, but they'd be considered disastrous for Bush here, where he has yet to fall below the 50% approval line (although he has been very close to falling below 50% approval in the last month). However, savvy folks know that polls are a bunch of bullshit anyway, and used by spinmeisters to "prove" they are on the same side as god.

The demonstrators were very media savvy as well. Many of us Americans enjoyed the hell out of the Bush effigy statue being pulled down and stomped on in the capital city of our strongest ally--an image that got a lot of airplay on US network news this week. So, kudos to the organizers (Stop the War Coalition) of the London demos. They were dead brilliant, and played to great effect here in the US. There is currently a large cringe factor when Bush goes overseas to these kinds of protests among the American political establishment and media whores especially. The story of Bush's polarization of the nation, of his administration's manipulation of 9/11 to their own political advantage, to the Bush administration's attacks on free speech, civil rights, the Geneva Convention, etc. etc. These issues only come sharply into focus here in the US mainstream media when Bush goes overseas, where they can't control the spin.

It is clear from the protests over his visit, and the stupid polls, that Bush doesn't enjoy majority support ANYWHERE for his policies, except the bare majority he continues to eek out of the US Congress. And of course, it is the members of the US Congress and lobbyists who, along with their corporate brethren, stand to gain from supporting Bush's policies. God knows the American people and citizens of the world won't.

Which brings me to the final thought. When Ronnie Rayguns dodged the bullet, he ended the 00 curse. And Bush proves the curse is now on the people, rather than the president.