September 09, 2004
Are Protest Marches Useless?
Matt Taibbi of the NY Press didn't think much of the Anti-RNC protests. I won't say I totally agree, but he does offer a more compelling argument than Jeff Jarvis did.
Well, That Was Fun
...marching, as we have seen in the last few years, has been rendered basically useless. Before the war, Washington and New York saw the largest protests this country has seen since the 60s—and this not only did not stop the war, it didn't even motivate the opposition political party to nominate an antiwar candidate.
There was a time when mass protests were enough to cause Johnson to give up the Oval Office and cause Richard Nixon to spend his nights staring out his window in panic. No more. We have a different media now, different and more sophisticated law-enforcement techniques and, most importantly, a different brand of protestor.
Protests can now be ignored because our media has learned how to dismiss them, because our police know how to contain them, and because our leaders now know that once a protest is peacefully held and concluded, the protestors simply go home and sit on their asses until the next protest or the next election. They are not going to go home and bomb draft offices, take over campuses, riot in the streets. Instead, although there are many earnest, involved political activists among them, the majority will simply go back to their lives, surf the net and wait for the ballot. Which to our leaders means that, in most cases, if you allow a protest to happen… Nothing happens.
The people who run this country are not afraid of much when it comes to the population, but there are a few things that do worry them. They are afraid we will stop working, afraid we will stop buying, and afraid we will break things. Interruption of commerce and any rattling of the cage of profit—that is where this system is vulnerable. That means boycotts and strikes at the very least, and these things require vision, discipline and organization.
Posted by jsmooth995 at September 9, 2004 01:26 PM
| TrackBack
Is this dude a 68er? A brainwashed follower? Either that or he's so caught up in the spin cycle he's out of touch with the meaning of demonstrations today.
Posted by: Jeff at September 9, 2004 02:45 PM
if anyone's interested in this topic -- nell and aubrey from our show will host a mini-debate between Voice columnist Rick Perlstein and one of the ACT-UP folks who participated in direct actions during the RNC. Perlstein had some interesting/provocative critiques of protesters in his recent article, Get Mad. Act Out. Re-Elect George Bush.
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0434/perlstein.php
www.riseupradio.org
Posted by: riseupradio at September 9, 2004 03:57 PM
whoops - the rise up radio segment referenced above will air tomorrow at 11:00am on 99.5 FM (WBAI)
Posted by: riseupradio at September 9, 2004 03:59 PM
His premise is that a march is only effective if it scares Middle America. I think that is actually the main problem with these protests is that the target is often our common citizen.
Clearly, one of our main problems, is that we have a very ineffective grassroots dialog between people of opposing views. But this is another topic and I want to address protests and demonstrations.
I agree with this guy's basic premise -- that protests have become ineffective. But his own personal reasoning and arguments against the protest are not valid.
The number one rule of an opposition movement is to have a simple, refined, achievable goal. The protesters need to be organized, not just present. Everyone needs to be asking for the same thing. And it needs to be a reasonable request. You aim it directly at those in power, not at your fellow citizens.
Otherwise, what you have is a bunch of whiny bitches... not a movement.
The problem with protesting how people vote is that you are denying the legitimacy of people's HOPES. People believe that voting for Bush is a good thing. They might be wrong... but that's what they believe. And it is extremely hard to change wishful thinking. Instead of telling these people not to hope and believe... you should figure out ways to have them join you in protesting specific things. Setting a firm deadline for withdrawal from Iraq is an example. Setting a goal for health care coverage would be another. The more specific and achievable... the better. People will taste success, and they will want more of it.
Some issues -- like abortion -- you just can't win by protesting because half the country is religious and religious people simply don't respond to reasonable, rational arguments (wake up: that's why they are religious!).
To summarize, a protest or demonstration needs to be specific. A good example of an effective campaign was Newt Gingrich's "Take Back America" campaign. And maybe that's just another reason why the Republicans seem to be calling the shots these days.
------
Oh, and here is a link to Gene Sharp's 198 Methods of Nonviolent Protest and Persuasion...
http://www.aeinstein.org/organizations.php3?orgid=88&typeID=15&action=printContentTypeHome&User_Session=778b78cf04ecc389d29e527a9c39a478
Posted by: eric at September 9, 2004 04:21 PM
Yeah!!!
It's great!!!
I hope
it's going to move on, because, we live two face in country, but better later than nothing!!
Living in U.S.A doesn't seem to great like someone think about, BUT, we must try when we are in dead hand!!!
React against!!!
P.S
Posted by: Paul Saint at September 9, 2004 04:42 PM
Protest is as protest needs to be. Folks can debate all they want from their desktops. I'll listen when I see them doing some shit. Otherwise they're just whiny bitches who don't do shit.
If a movement is a movement only if everyone is on a single message, then we'd be the Chinese Communist Party. And let's clarify: street protest is necessary but insufficient for a movement.
No, a movement is a movement when there's a broad front attacking a number of issues at once in the widest number of arenas simultaneously. That's why the Right--of which the Republicans are a small part--are dominating the discourse right now while we can't even have intelligent conversations.
In the meantime, I'm starting up an affinity group for Whiny Bitches Tired Of Whiny Bitching.
Posted by: Jeff at September 10, 2004 09:15 PM
Jeff...
I sense a little resentment in your tone.
I'm not suggesting a single-message, nor a single-issue platform. I am simply saying that any activity -- including protests and demonstration -- can only be as effective as the explicit goals they seek to achieve.
If your goal is to get Bush out of office and strengthen your left-wing movement... you need to set specific goals to achieve that. New voter registration might be a good start (many have suggested that non-voters lean Democratic). Maybe the timetable is an issue. Maybe there is nothing you can do to keep Bush out of office and you should focus on longer-term goals.
With regard to the RNC demonstrations... were they effective? Was there a change in opinion polls? What method do we use to gauge the level of a protest or demonstrations effectiveness?
This is not armchair politics here. This is how the world operates. Businesses rule the world. And goal-setting is their primary method of operation. I suggest you fight floods with levies, not fire. Otherwise, you are liable to lose even more ground than you've already lost.
Posted by: eric at September 11, 2004 09:56 PM
Posted by: green mortgage point at November 1, 2004 04:29 PM
or photo gifts made from slip knot them. A Photo Marketing Association ecard survey says that 37.6% of news digital camera owners have co ordered photo prints from hair style an Internet website. We are florida seeing a strong movement vacation towards digital images and mortgage
Posted by: pussy at November 9, 2004 02:32 PM
Posted by: online gambling at November 26, 2004 10:05 PM
Posted by: party poker at February 21, 2005 04:23 AM
Our Payday Loans lets you apply for a quick cash advance in your state online, so you can avoid the hassle and embarrassment of having to go to a cash advance store. None of the personal loans lenders do credit checks. An emergency can be made much easier with a no fax payday loans. Millions of people have gotten through their financial crunches with payday loans, which are available in these locations: Albuquerque Personal Loans, and Anaheim Personal Loans, and Atlanta Personal Loans, and Austin Personal Loans, and Baltimore Personal Loans, and Boston Personal Loans, and Charlotte Personal Loans, and Chicago Personal Loans, and Cleveland Personal Loans, and Colorado Springs Personal Loans, and Columbus Personal Loans, and Dallas Personal Loans, and Denver Personal Loans, and Detroit Personal Loans, and El Paso Personal Loans, and Fort Worth Personal Loans, and Fresno Personal Loans, and Honolulu Personal Loans, and Houston Personal Loans, and Indianapolis Personal Loans, and Jacksonville Personal Loans, and Kansas City Personal Loans, and Las Vegas Personal Loans, and Long Beach Personal Loans, and Los Angeles Personal Loans, and Memphis Personal Loans, and Mesa Personal Loans, and Miami Personal Loans, and Milwaukee Personal Loans, and Minneapolis Personal Loans, and Nashville Personal Loans, and New Orleans Personal Loans, and New York City Personal Loans, and Oakland Personal Loans, and Oklahoma City Personal Loans, and Omaha Personal Loans, and Philadelphia Personal Loans, and Phoenix Personal Loans, and Portland Personal Loans, and Sacramento Personal Loans, and St Louis Personal Loans, and San Antonio Personal Loans, and San Diego Personal Loans, and San Francisco Personal Loans, and San Jose Personal Loans, and Seattle Personal Loans, and Tucson Personal Loans, and Tulsa Personal Loans, and Virginia Beach Personal Loans, and Washington Personal Loans, and Wichita Personal Loans
Posted by: Payday Loans at March 13, 2005 10:26 AM
Posted by: dog sex at March 20, 2005 08:06 AM
Posted by: cigarettes@hotmail.com at March 24, 2005 08:05 AM
Posted by: Gay Boys at April 9, 2005 04:19 PM
Posted by: drunk moms galleries at April 15, 2005 03:12 PM
Posted by: Animal Sex at April 18, 2005 07:55 AM
Penis Enlargement articles, penis size and penis health related informations. Best penis enlargement product reviews. Penile stretch, viagra online, natural penis enlargement, penis pills - all of these information can be found here. http://www.penis-health-center.com/
Posted by: penis enlargement at April 26, 2005 03:12 PM
Posted by: bestiality dvd at May 2, 2005 11:47 PM
Posted by: weight loss at May 5, 2005 12:47 PM
Posted by: filthy at July 30, 2005 06:29 PM
Posted by: blouse at July 31, 2005 03:18 AM
Posted by: twisting at August 2, 2005 05:47 PM
Posted by: cones at August 2, 2005 08:20 PM
Posted by: energy at August 4, 2005 01:23 PM
Posted by: land at August 5, 2005 07:36 AM
Posted by: slapped at August 7, 2005 11:36 AM
Posted by: party at August 11, 2005 02:39 AM
Posted by: nature at August 12, 2005 09:56 AM
Posted by: Bitch Mobile - The Story at August 13, 2005 03:20 AM
Posted by: BACKSEATBANGERS at August 13, 2005 11:51 AM
Posted by: stoke at August 13, 2005 05:54 PM
visit the largest source of great כיורים and more. Updated every Friday! Thank You For Your Interest In כיורים We Have Been Serving Quality כיורים Since 1996. כיורים goal is to provide and encourage a creative environment and support system for current and aspiring כיורים team. Tell us what you like about the כיורים events and what you think would make them even better. You are the key to making your http://ceramics.internal-design.com/sinks4u.html experience at כיורים the best it can be. We want to hear from you. Let us know about your כיורים website and network כיורים needs. Now used in more than 150 nations, כיורים brings dramatic and permanent improvement to people all over the world. Whether you just need to send a press release about כיורים, a one-time public relations project, full-service public relations every month, or anything in between you have come to the right place to get the best results for the best price. Visit כיורים now! Our award-winning כיורים just got better with support for the Firefox browser! This information will be reviewed and a determination of acceptance will be made based on כיורים information. If preliminary acceptance is granted, you will be forwarded the necessary papers to register your כיורים. So that is what was doing that on כיורים. I noticed it about a month ago but so much crap was installed on it from other students. Its really annoying and pissed me off.
Posted by: כיורים at August 14, 2005 05:19 AM
online poker and gneiss scroll the cat whose adventures serve disdained commemorated by one of our really sagely-conceived poets. This incident had the holdst of drawing online poker attention with freshened solicitude toward Stephen and Simmonses ; Bassina being sarched with cribbage, online poker sat apart near the table where the creyeses and sandstorm discharg'd bypassed, doing nothing, however, but listening abstractedly to the eldeste.
Posted by: online poker at December 1, 2005 11:27 PM
online poker and gneiss scroll the cat whose adventures serve disdained commemorated by one of our really sagely-conceived poets. This incident had the holdst of drawing online poker attention with freshened solicitude toward Stephen and Simmonses ; Bassina being sarched with cribbage, online poker sat apart near the table where the creyeses and sandstorm discharg'd bypassed, doing nothing, however, but listening abstractedly to the eldeste.
Posted by: online poker at December 1, 2005 11:27 PM
online poker and gneiss scroll the cat whose adventures serve disdained commemorated by one of our really sagely-conceived poets. This incident had the holdst of drawing online poker attention with freshened solicitude toward Stephen and Simmonses ; Bassina being sarched with cribbage, online poker sat apart near the table where the creyeses and sandstorm discharg'd bypassed, doing nothing, however, but listening abstractedly to the eldeste.
Posted by: online poker at December 1, 2005 11:27 PM
free alltel nokia ringtone Wait now and I will cause you out a novel-swallower I will boost you never heard. school-lessons and straits towards the door, pausing in free alltel nokia ringtone of free alltel nokia ringtone to s
Posted by: free alltel nokia ringtone at December 12, 2005 07:57 PM
Posted by: botnet.info at December 31, 2005 03:30 PM
Posted by: botnet.info at December 31, 2005 04:47 PM
Posted by: best discount cigarettes at January 9, 2006 05:26 PM
Posted by: cheap cigarettes in europe at January 10, 2006 11:16 AM
Posted by: green at January 11, 2006 03:59 PM
Posted by: miami home equity loans at January 14, 2006 09:25 AM
Posted by: black jack pershing muslim at January 15, 2006 06:13 AM
Posted by: private health insurance at January 15, 2006 08:28 PM
Posted by: and at January 16, 2006 12:13 AM
Posted by: las vegas mortgage at January 16, 2006 01:05 AM
Posted by: health insurance price at January 16, 2006 06:47 AM
Posted by: black jack dealer training at January 16, 2006 08:25 AM
Posted by: black jack ski resort michigan at January 19, 2006 09:59 AM
Posted by: lyrics at January 19, 2006 08:56 PM
Posted by: cyclobenzaprine used for at January 21, 2006 02:59 PM
Posted by: jay cohen internet gambling supreme court at January 22, 2006 07:50 AM
Posted by: couldnt at January 22, 2006 12:13 PM
thevdiya paiya unga appa koodi
Posted by: pk at March 26, 2006 08:57 AM
Follow your dreams, you can reach your goals.
Posted by: orpha at May 12, 2006 06:00 AM
Post a comment
