This is an interesting essay, from someone who demonstrated against Gulf War I, and now wonders if he didn't help keep a murderous dictator in charge.

In his own words:

Call me a chastened peacenik. For the first Gulf war, I made every vigil and demonstration in Pittsburgh (10 years before that, I was at peace rallies in Italy against American missiles coming to Europe). I think I was wrong.

Watching people march again to give Saddam Hussein a longer lease on life, I wonder about 1991. Perhaps if people like me hadn't been in the streets, Bush Senior would have had the support to destroy Saddam's regime. Lots of Iraqis would still be alive and the world would be talking about something else.

He also has a couple of other interesting assertions:

For many actors and musicians, the concerts and demonstrations are basically self-promotion. A perfect example was last week's worldwide reading of Aristophanes' play "Lysistrata." Two little-known actors created and promoted the idea of the reading as a protest of the war. The two actors are now much better known.

No! You mean people like Sean Penn, Jeanine Garofolo, and the Dixie Chicks were just trying to curry favor and show how sophisticated they could be? Who would have ever thought that there might be an ulterior motive to their posturings?

And finally,

Peace movement events can confer righteousness and seriousness on people who are not very righteous or serious. The idea that anyone's career suffers by being seen as unpatriotic is absurd. Anti-war credentials are fine entrees to the cultural and university community in Pittsburgh.

All I can say is, welcome to the dark side, Brian. Welcome to the dark side.