Where Are the Antiwar Protests?

According the The Economist’s headline [July 19, 2026]: The Iran war is America’s least popular since polls began.

I believe that. So where are the antiwar protests in the United States? I remember plenty of antiwar protests during the Iraq War. I attended several of them myself. But I don't see any sizeable antiwar protests today in the U.S. The New York Times headline [June 22, 2026] says it all: Small Protests Against the U.S. Attack in Iran Sprouted Up Over the Weekend.

I can think of two reasons for this:

1. As in the old Soviet Union, Americans have become disheartened and cynical. They've lost faith in the system. They no longer believe that we live in a responsive democracy. They doubt that expressing their opinions can influence anything.

Trump said “America First!” and “No more Mideast wars!” Instead, we got Israel First and the Iran War. As for Democrats, Biden essentially supplied Israel's Gaza genocide, against the wishes of most rank & file Democrats. Both Republicans and Democrats have come to realize that their leaders will do as they will, despite promises and pretty words to the party rank & file.

2. The Deep State supports the Iran War, which means no Deep State funding for any antiwar protests.

The Deep State funded the 2020 BLM anti-Trump riots. But after his first term, Trump surrendered to the Deep State, as is evidenced by his Iran War. And so there were no electoral "glitches," and no anti-Trump protests, in November 2024. Trump was allowed to win peacefully.

You can be sure the Deep State supports a policy, or a war, or a candidate, when there are no expensive protests against such.

Those are the two reasons that come to mind when I question why America’s most unpopular war has failed to generate any significant antiwar protests in the U.S. Perhaps you have another theory?

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California Freedom Now Available for Free PDF Download

The Libertarian Party of California used to publish a monthly newspaper called California Freedom, on both paper and PDF. Because of the high cost of printing and postage, the publication went defunct after the September/October 2009 issue.

Past issues from 2004-09 are now available for free PDF download at Libertarian Peacenik. As an added bonus, I've collected several back issues of The Los Angeles Libertarian, Liberty Magazine, Liberty for America and LP News, also available for free download at that webpage.

Enjoy! 

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Israel Owns the Deep State

The term “Deep State” has lost much of its meaning. This is because, in conservative circles, the term has become a popular accusation, a widely hated baddie, a label with which to smear any and all enemies.

Thus, all factions within conservatism try to spin opposing factions as the “Deep State.” For instance, I’ve heard Neocons accuse opponents of the Iran War as being the “Deep State.” The Deep State, they claim, hates Israel.

Well, no.

If you define terms correctly, and pay attention, you’ll see that the Deep State – the real Deep State – is fiercely pro-Israel. One might even say that Israel owns the American Deep State.

How to define the Deep State?

As a permanent power elite “deep” (hidden) within our government, its policies blocked from public scrutiny and which cannot by overruled by popular vote.

Harrison Berger’s article in The American Conservative, “Congress Aims to Give Israel Leverage Over America” [July 5, 2026], reports that these criteria are met by Congress's current attempt to pass Section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2027, “which includes language designed to sustain the yearslong wealth transfer from Americans to Israelis and cement that relationship in ways that would be less transparent and more difficult to challenge through democratic processes.”

Section 219 hides U.S. support for Israel from public scrutiny.

“Section 219 would shift funding for Israeli weaponry from Congress to the Pentagon’s murky procurement system. “This so clearly seems to be an attempt to shield money from cratering public opinion,” Sheline said.”

Section 219 takes future Congressional votes on aid for Israel off the table, as aid will continue automatically -- indeed, mandated by law -- by the “murky” Pentagon bureaucracy.

The Massie amendment to cut off funds for Israeli offensive weaponry “may end up being the last time these sorts of votes are meaningful,” says Sheline. “If we proceed with defense industrial integration (Section 219), congress won’t be able to vote on it again.”

 The Young Turks are also discussing Section 219.

 

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