I struggle with cynicism.

It's an ongoing challenge to keep an open mind and not jump to conclusions before all factors are considered. It probably comes from an over-inflated sense of my ability to understand the world around me. It's certainly connected to my ego. I also tend to go to the worst-case scenario automatically.

Sometimes, though, I get it right.

Case in point:

I am returning to L.A. now on a flight from Washington D.C. where I participated in a colossal anti-war march and concert. By colossal I mean 150,000 people. I can call that number because I have seen enough of crowds of this size to recognize it and put a pretty accurate figure on it. In DKT/MC5 over the last two years we have played a dozen or so huge outdoor rock festivals and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to estimate crowd sizes.

The Thievery Corporation organized the event. Eric Hilton and his partner Rob Garza stepped up big time. It took a masterful piece of grass roots organizing to bring together Operation Ceasefire and United for Peace and Justice, two of the many groups in the D.C. area concerned with social justice. It really speaks to the power of the individual to make a difference. Social justice requires individual participation just as democracy itself requires individual participation. One committed person makes a difference. This is how things can change in the world. One guy (or girl) gets an idea and steps up. When he steps up another says, "If you'll fight, then I'll fight alongside you." Then another steps up and says, "Me too." And before you know it you have a dynamic force for change in motion.

This is what happed last weekend in our nation's capitol. There was no big corporate sponsor. Shamefully, there was no MTV. And there was no Sting, no Brad and no J-Low. No high-profile music or Hollywood mega stars. Underground artists created it. Bands that most folks never heard of came and played because they could. Not because it might be good for record sales or for image polishing. Bands and speakers that were outside the mainstream stepped up and it was beautiful. And it hu all happened because two young men named Scott Goodstein and his friend Adam Eidinger agreed that they could do it with Thievery Corporation's help and generosity.






Every artist that performed brought something unique to the event and the styles and forms of music were as diverse as the crowd. There were moments of sheer brilliance and power by the Bellrays and beautiful harmonic joy from Sweet Honey in the Rock, mad beats and rhymes from Head Roc and a house shaking set by The Coup. Ian McKaye unveiled his new duo The Evens and showed the throng that intensity does not come from volume, but from focus. Steve Earle sang alone and the Thievery Corporation had 100,000 people dancing like maniacs late into the night. I haven't mentioned every artist on the bill because I'm not writing a review, but trust me, everyone who played and danced did so brilliantly. The beauty of it was that this was all in service of a higher principle. It was regular people, and families of soldiers killed in battle and artists exercising their constitutional right to redress their government for what they believe it has done wrong.

Cindy Sheehan got the biggest laugh of the day when she observed that we were in the shadow of the monument named after the father of our county, George Washington, who "was a man who could not tell a lie, and the current president can tell nothing but lies." As it stands now, most of the American people feel this way too. The President's approval rating is the lowest in history. Most Americans now believe the war is wrong and that we were misled into it.

The most powerful moment of the day, for me, was when a delegation of Lakota Indians took the stage with Cindy Sheehan. They had driven to Washington from their home on the Lakota Reservation in South Dakota non-stop for three days to be here. Their leader told the crowd that "in the Lakota tradition, we honor bravery" and that they had made a blanket with a morning star on it for Cindy. Inside the blanket were prayers and they came to Washington to present this blanket to her and to wrap her in it as a symbol of their recognition of her bravery. Then their medicine man sang a song to her and to us.

The Indians brought a dignity and humility that was consistent with the gravity of the reason we were all together on Saturday. To tell those in power that it was time to stop the war. To truly honor our brave young soldiers by bringing them home.

It was one of the most powerful and moving experiences of my life.

Jello Biafra brought on speakers that ran the gamut from Rev. Al Sharpton to journalist Greg Palast. The speakers bracketed the musical artists and everyone rocked, and everyone listened.

Which brings me back around to the cynicism.

Here was an event full of deep, historical significance, but I have this nagging voice in the back of my head saying no one will ever hear about this day. Only the people here today will ever know it happened. I try to balance my enthusiasm for the efforts of regular Americans with the reality of political life in America today. It would be foolish to underestimate the powers of those in office today. The handful of men (and a few women) that reign America are serious about what they're doing. They have taken power both legitimately and arguably, illegitimately. Unlike the rest of us who do what we can, when we can, to participate in the democratic process, they're on it all day, everyday. 24-7. The people in power right now have been working at this positioning for decades. Karl Rove is indeed a formidable foe. Together they have created a completely symbiotic organism in which to grow even stronger.

Led by his insatiable appetite for glory, G.W. Bush reveals a naked, almost biblical, fixation on outdoing his father. In his case, emotional and intellectual depth is not only unnecessary, but would be an impediment. He needs only a pure belief that 1) he is right and 2) that his self will alone can force his agenda through. He receives affirmation in great torrents of adulation. It comes from the religious right, because they know that he is their man. And he is supported by the brainpower of Paul Wolfowitz and his Neo-Con think tank with an ideology of changing the face of the Middle East politics by force of arms.

I"m not an expert in any of this stuff, just an interested observer, but it smells suspiciously like an updated version of Churchill and Wilson's carving the territory up after WWII with imperialism cloaked in democratic rhetoric. We have made no efforts to wean ourselves from Arab oil dependence. As it stands today, we are paying for both sides of this war. I have kept an open mind to developments, but it just doesn't look like the Western-style democracy they're pushing is taking hold out there.

Maybe it's too soon to tell, but whatever time it takes, we should observe it and assist, but as Thomas Jefferson said, "from the water's edge." Sure, we can help if we are asked to help. And so far, we haven't been asked. These are grim people in the White House, and the fact that they sacrifice young American and Arab lives in the service of a personal agenda cannot be taken lightly. The cost in lives and dollars is much too high.

All we are saying is give us the exit strategy. Give us a date when we'll wrap this all up. You could even move the date if need be. Anyone that ever had construction done knows that things can take a little longer than planned. But let us join with those who are reasonable in demanding a date for the war to end. There is no honor in more young lives on either side being sacrificed. We are now at the end game. Changing the direction of this juggernaught is not easy. This is the not so glamorous part of democracy. Write your congressman, bring some pressure to bear. This is the power of the people.

My cynicism surfaces, too, when it registers that this is the most information controlling administration in American history. They are genius at spinning information to their benefit. In fact, they have done it so much that even average folks like those in the audience on Saturday are no longer swallowing the propaganda whole. So when I see 150,000 people protesting their policies, I start wondering just if and how this news will reach the information hungry people of our country.






Right now, media bosses and government regulators agree ideologically and it's a dangerous intersection. It's chilling that major media outlets are run by men (mostly) with political views which conform more to whatever will keep their licenses than the constitutional guarantee (and requirement) of a free press. Where are all those muckraking newspapermen that kicked the British out in the first place? Where are all those thorns under the saddle of the powerful and arrogant? Who's keeping them honest if not the press? Where is the coverage of this historic event?

I get back to my hotel about midnight and tune in C-SPAN (my favorite TV channel when I'm not watching "The Wire" on HBO) and what do I see? Coverage from the speaker's stand in front of the White House where 12 people remain from the throng of 100,000. The entire crowd had departed to participate in the march. Except for Ralph Nader, who kicked ass as usual, the speakers were talking to a dozen or so stragglers. It looked pathetic and it was misleading. I was disappointed, but not surprised. C-SPAN ran this in a loop over and over for the next day and a half, effectively distorting the perception of the event.

The newspapers the next day relegated the story to the middle of the first section saying "tens of thousands" marched. The network TV coverage likewise showed 5-10 seconds of marchers in the street and then another sequence of the "supporting our troops" folks. Let's see, a few dozen pro-Bush people versus 150,000 anti-war demonstrators, but on TV it looks about even. Hmnn. Fair and balanced? You bet! Now my cynicism has turned to sarcasm.

I am not a conspiracy nut, but it seemed just a little too convenient that the trains from New York were disabled for "maintenance" on the day of the event. If one wanted to control the size of an event and had the ability to do so... I guess you could say -- based on the track record of this administration -- I just don't trust them.

For me, the day was not without a few wonderfully surreal moments. Like standing backstage just before I played talking to one of my intellectual heroes, Dr. Cornel West. And having Julian Bond stop over to say Hi and remind me he testified for John Sinclair in front of Congress back in the day. Then looking over my shoulder and seeing Al Sharpton talking to Jello Biafra while Maxine Waters listened in. Then to hit the stage with the mighty BellRays.






Sometimes, in spite of my cynicism, I think my life just couldn't get any better.