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PLATFORM : After the Patriot

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<i> Songwriter COUNTRY JOE McDONALD, author of the anti-Vietnam anthem "Feel</i> -<i> Like</i> -<i> I'm</i> -<i> Fixin'</i> -<i> to</i> -<i> Die Rag," served in the U.S. Navy and has spent years doing fund-raising concerts for Vietnam veterans. He spoke about the current anti-war movement. </i>

I think the anti-war movement is performing an important function of channeling this nervous energy. You (cannot) stop people from going out into the streets. So let’s worship the high-tech hero, the Patriot missile, but when we run out of them, then we’re down to the infantry.

Some people on the right want to believe that we lost the Vietnam War because of the anti-war movement. Singing “Give Peace a Chance” and holding a sign has about as much relevance to the infantry in Saudi Arabia as yelling “USAF!” and waving a flag. Both things really don’t mean squat to the Army or the Marines. If George Bush is so weak that he’s going to cave in because of some demonstrators--well. But when there gets to be a million, I don’t know what’s going to happen.

I think at one point the pro-war demonstrators and moaners will blend in with the anti-war demonstrators because there are no winners in this thing.

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