Over the weekend the anti-war crowd was out on the streets again, but the term ‘in full force’ it seems no longer really applies. It has become some sort of fringe movement which acts as a consolidator for a variety of increasingly irrelevant causes such as unreconstructed Marxism and the pro-Castro lobby. Here is an interesting and highly entertaining photo essay of events in San Francisco last weekend.

Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan have given new momentum to the anti-war rallies there although the numbers that braved the northern cold were not that impressive either, the largest event in Toronto attracted some 1000 protestors. It did however lead to one interesting flare up when the desperation of the demonstrators there prompted some of them to argue that life in Afghanistan had been better under the Taliban. This resulted in a swift response from the Afghan ambassador in Canada, Omar Samad:

Obviously these groups have their own views and they're entitled to it," he said. "I have contacted some of these groups. They're sort of reluctant to discuss the issues."

Samad suggested it was hypocritical of opponents to Canada's involvement in Afghanistan to protest now when they remained silent in the 1990s while the Taliban oppressed women and denied children a modern education.

"Where were you when the women of Afghanistan were imprisoned?" he asked. "Where were you when the children of Afghanistan were denied schooling? Where were these demonstrations for human rights and dignity and honour?"

Not in his wildest dreams would someone like Samad have imagined something as utterly perplexing as seeing wealthy and free westerners call for a return to Taliban rule in his ravaged country. Yet, for a brief moment this week that call – and other equally reprehensible statements – made it clear to him how the fragile freedom project in his nation could be endangered. For if the western contributions to it start to incur some unforeseen (and human) costs, then the irrelevant fringe may have some ammunition to restart its journey to relevancy. I doubt it will, but you never know.