Moldy Peaches

The citizens of the United States may need to find a colour or fabric symbol to represent their struggle against their own government. Why? It is Security, stupid!

The first victim in the United States quest to win the war on terror was personal freedoms and liberties. Illegal prisons. Ignoring international law. Domestic wiretaps. The Patriot Act. All were pursued in the name of victory.

The next victim was free trade. Protectionists finally had a reason to legitimize their beliefs - protecting the American worker and citizen. This suddenly lead to loud concerns about manufacturing outsourcing in China and India - which has been going on for decades and the worst actually already occurred. Vocal opposition was mobilized on illegal trade subsidies - think softwood lumber (although this and most other irritants in the US are just smoke and mirrors for lobby groups protecting small group interests). Suddenly, the US economic problems had less to do with massive tax cuts and large defence spending and more to do with a strong Chinese economy - laughable, almost funny if it wasn’t sad.

The final victim now in the United States pursuit of "security" may be immigration. How so you ask? Well, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally, impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants, require churches to check the legal status of people they help, and erect fences along one-third of the U.S.-Mexican border. So long, welcome mat. Hello, strip search and barbwire.

Over the weekend thousands of concerned Americans marched through multiple US cities - including Los Angeles where it is reported that over 500,000, one of the largest demonstrations for any cause in recent U.S. history, marched to protest the recent political decision.

In Denver, more than 50,000 people protested downtown Saturday, according to police who had expected only a few thousand. Phoenix authorities were similarly surprised Friday when an estimated 20,000 people gathered for one of the biggest demonstrations in that cities history, and more than 10,000 marched in Milwaukee on Thursday.

Even President Bush sees the error of this way. On Saturday, Bush called for legislation that does not force America to choose between being a welcoming society and a lawful one.

"America is a nation of immigrants, and we're also a nation of laws," Bush said in his weekly radio address, discussing an issue that had driven a wedge into his own party.

However, given Bush's plummeting popularity, lame duck status and no mid-term coattails, it likely will not matter. Bush sides with business leaders who want to let some of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants stay in the country and work for a set period of time.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, shares the belief of many other Republicans that says national security concerns should drive immigration reform - full stop. The Republican's seem destined to destroy all the social and economic progress the United States has made in the past 40 years.

The sad part is that the US can't even look after their own. Millions without health coverage and a major diaster can render two states effectively useless and the political response is disguisting. Republicans are only concerned about themselves and it is such an annoying conservative trait.

Watch video here of various rallies. Also, the Daily Show should be interesting this week.