Protest: The Banners of Dissent

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There is little present danger that any such aberration will recur, or at least in so virulent a form. On the contrary, the generally permissive reception accorded last week's demonstrations suggests that the American electorate has matured considerably since the hagridden, self-doubting days of the early 1950s. There is a danger, nonetheless, that continuing and escalating disorders on the pattern of last week's outbursts could lead not to a freer and more constructive dialogue about the direction of U.S. foreign policy but to an increasingly emotional standoff between intransigent extremes. That outcome, for all the efforts of the peacemakers, would no more advance the cause of tranquillity in Asia than it would benefit the quality of life in America.