Eric Alterman has tossed in the towel:
For me, the antiwar movement such as it was, is over. We lost. It’s time to wish the best for our soldiers and the victims of this war focus on building a better future.
But as Atrios notes today:
The reason people protest in the first place is because they feel it’s their only avenue of political expression. Their elected representatives aren’t providing a voice, the media isn’t providing a voice, so the only possible way to register objections to the current war is public protest. In addition, as many people can attest, the state and local democratic parties are largely in shambles and/or unwelcoming to new participants.
If it was wrong two days ago it’s wrong today. This is my last obligatory “I support the troops and hope they come home safely.” That’s a given, and there’s no conflict between wanting them to stay alive and not wanting there to be a war.
I don’t think any anti-war protesters are under the illlusion that they’re going to change any minds this week. That isn’t the point – the point is to register objections the only way they can.