Britian Bush Protests
Whats behind the anti-Bush folks in Britian? Not much according to this Spiked article.
Some will argue that the anti-Bush demos show the rise of a new anti-war opposition, particularly among younger people no longer prepared to put up with the antics of American presidents. In truth, the peculiar anti-Bush sentiment shows the opposite - a depoliticised lashing out, rather than a progressive movement for change. People have marched against American presidents in the past, most notably around the Vietnam War - but today's protests against Bush are something very different.
The outbreak of Bush-bashing reveals more about those doing the bashing than it does about Bush. President Bush has become something of a magnet for a widespread sense of powerlessness and disconnection, with commentators, protesters and others projecting a sense of isolation on to the man who most clearly symbolises power in today's world.
Some will argue that the anti-Bush demos show the rise of a new anti-war opposition, particularly among younger people no longer prepared to put up with the antics of American presidents. In truth, the peculiar anti-Bush sentiment shows the opposite - a depoliticised lashing out, rather than a progressive movement for change. People have marched against American presidents in the past, most notably around the Vietnam War - but today's protests against Bush are something very different.
The outbreak of Bush-bashing reveals more about those doing the bashing than it does about Bush. President Bush has become something of a magnet for a widespread sense of powerlessness and disconnection, with commentators, protesters and others projecting a sense of isolation on to the man who most clearly symbolises power in today's world.
# | November 18, 2003