wow, this is a beautiful example of the patriotism of the left. one of the most difficult things about the anti-war discussion of the past year has been the assumption on the part of many conservatives -- whether it is heartfelt or merely instrumental i do not know -- that people who oppose the war, or the administration more generally, are unpatriotic. there is little that makes me feel more pride in my country than attending a protest, and little that makes me more ashamed of it than the slavish devotion to the status quo that passes for patriotism in so much of the country.