Stop the Peace!

Give War a Chance!

Make Hate, Not Peace!

No, you never see marchers chanting those slogans or toting those signs. But many might as well. How oxymoronic is a violent peace demonstration? Libertarians are bitterly divided over Son of Gulf War, but there shouldn't be much controversy about the tumultuous temper tantrums thrown around the world. CNN's web site posted a roundup just after the war buildup turned hot, saving me the research effort.

In Sana'a, Yemen, four anti-American demonstrators were shot dead and dozens more were injured. This is where the USS Cole was suicide-bombed. This is where, a year ago, The Bush administration sent US troops to train the country's military how to deal with terrorists. Looks like we taught them well.

In Cairo (Egypt, not Ohio) Muslims hurled rocks and furniture at riot police from the roof of the historic al-Azhar mosque after Friday prayers. Furniture? Like three-cushion sofas? La-Z-Boys? King-size waterbeds? This is like tossing nightstands and computer desks off the roof of St. Patrick's Cathedral after confession. How'd they get that stuff up on the roof in the first place?

In Amman, Jordan, police tear gassed some 10,000 demonstrators, many waving pictures of Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat. What, no pictures of the peace-loving Stalin?

In the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, protesters shouted anti-US slogans and pelted passing cars with stones. Why? What did a car ever do to a Jammuian/Kashmiri? Or was it just an excuse in this perpetually war-worn region to throw rocks?

Indonesians weren't quite as violent, throwing eggs and vegetables at the British Embassy in Jakarta. In other words, a food fight broke out.

Meanwhile, back in Cairo (Egypt again, not Ohio), police sprayed soapy water at thousands of protesters. Make up your own joke here about Egyptian bathing habits. Dogs were also used to drive off demonstrators who threw rocks and pounded on cars. What exactly is it about cars that peace-loving Third-Worlders hate so much?

Street protests raged in America's cities as well. An anti-war demonstration in Mississippi was counter protested with a sign reading "Support the US or keep your mouth shut." That's the ticket. Why not just carry a placard that says "Screw free speech"?

In a truly bizarre incident somehow involving a rope and harness, a protestor committed suicide by letting himself fall from the Golden Gate Bridge. By God, that'll teach people not to be violent!

And leave it to San Francisco, with their self-styled "anarchists" who hate government and freedom in equal proportions, to stage the biggest passion shows. Roving bands of looters (oops, sorry, conscientious dissenters) broke windows, heaved debris into the streets (what, no furniture? There should have been a few nightstands or curio cabinets lying around somewhere), hurled rocks at trains (what, no cars available?) and scuffled with cops. That's not a war protest, that's just a plain old-fashioned riot.

In Washington, dozens of activists shut down inbound lanes of a Potomac River bridge, taking the rush out of morning rush hour. Seeing that some ninety percent of government employees are declared "non-essential workers" and sent home whenever there's a budget dispute, what's the problem here?

In New York, about 350 anti-warriors rallied at Union Square under a steady drizzle. No mention whether local authorities took a cue from their colleagues in Cairo (Egypt, remember, not Ohio) and passed out bars of soap.

Not all protests were violent, of course, and not all were anti-war. CNN, as you might expect, featured the violent anti-war demonstrations and then tagged on a few dovish pro-war and pro-peace reports at the end of their story. Prayer vigils and sing-alongs don't make for great headlines. But let's hope that our libertarian activists, whether pro or anti-war, limited their activism to these latter pursuits. This is where it gets dicey when making ad hoc common cause with non-libertarian groups. The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend. Not when anti-war simply means "alternative violence." Go out to a nice little pro or con war rally with your newfound non-libertarian chums and find yourself flinging somebody else's credenzas and bar stools off a rooftop -- along with your non-coercion principles.

One final note. A Brown University student wore a T-shirt that read "I am threatened by Iraq" in front and "Regime change now" on the back. So where can I get a shirt that says "I'm threatened by the American government. Regime change now"?