Doonesbury

I think I've mentioned how much I love and admire G.B. Trudeau before. He is, in my opinion, one of the greatest voices of his generation. This week's series, and today's strip in particular, actually inspired me to write in the blowback section. Not often I'll stick my neck out in a wide-open forum like that. (I don't know if or when my letter will be published.) The thing that strikes me about this week's column is that he is focusing on love rather than opposition. Love and maturity in the face of politics.

The politics going on today is really quite amazing and inspiring (just as the tea party movement was, even if I think they're generally racist fuckwits). I'm really hoping that the OWSers can come together under a single message that's, erm, reasonable. For example, I may be a socialist, but that doesn't mean I'm against a free market (I am NOT a communist). Capitalism and socialism work very, very well together, thank you very much. (And to the person who said the OWSers don't understand capitalism... erm... I think YOU don't understand. If socialism hadn't stepped in and saved the banks' butts in 2008, we wouldn't have any economy right now. Pure capitalism would have seen to that. Even Paul "Capitalist" Ryan saw that. Though it's probably true that a fair few of the OWSers don't actually understand basic economic principles.)

OWS has so many opportunities. I'm afraid they're going to waste them, just as the teapartiers basically have, by leaning toward the nutso extremist contingent. I'm hoping a leader - a reasonable leader - emerges (no Bachmans, please!) and they find a common message to rally for. Because change isn't going to happen until that step is taken.