The great irony of protest rallies involving the American popular left becomes clear after the music and speeches are over and the crowd has partially dispersed.

Those who denounced capitalism, who refused to be duped, huddle in colorfully styled clusters, eagerly smoking cigarettes. Those who pumped their fists in the air for the rights of low-wage and immigrant workers- the exploited among- kick aside littered poster board signs and neo-Marxist pamphlets as they move off, their backs to the parks workers, who come in all brown uniforms and time clock, to clean up the refuse of the rally.

“No-one is really smart about themselves, but everyone is smart about everyone else”

-Yiddish proverb

“A donkey who comes back from Mecca remains a donkey”

-ladino proverb