[chrisdone]

Couldn't have put it better. I was among the millions participating in one of history's largest pre-emptive protests—against the Iraq War¹—and I really felt that the people had spoken. Our message was loud and clear and they would have to listen. Well, we know how that turned out. I suspect disenfranchisement (what is having a vote if that vote is ignored?) is a general feeling everybody has, but that also the complete dismissal of our views at the time was quite shocking and has perhaps made a generation of cynics, when probably a generation of outrage is needed.

Local politics can be quite satisfying with real results. The people are there, contactable, accountable and they listen. But at the national level I don't have any feeling of connection whatsoever.

¹http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_against_the_Iraq_War