<< Yeah, the streetfighters were funding themselves, so since they paid to get
themselves to Seattle, that gives them the right to disparage the work of
the millions of union workers who voted for their leaders and funded their
efforts in Seattle.
Anarchists funding themselves to create disproportionate numbers at meetings
and events is just as anti-democratic a funding system for decision-making
as foundations setting the agenda.
The free time and lack of family obligations assumed by anarchists in their
version of the right to dominate decision-making in the movement assumes an
incredibly privileged position.
Not that leadership is always right, but the disparagement by some leftists
of leadership is often an excuse for trashing the voices and sacrifice of
those who supported and funded the work of those leaders and the work they
do.
If we are going to count numbers in Seattle, we should not just count the
30,000 union members who made it to Seattle, but also the far larger number
of union members who funded the turnout and transportation of those 30,000
to Seattle. While there were no doubt many people backing up the other
activists, I would say it is a fair guess that each union worker marching in
Seattle was put there by the efforts of a larger number of people than the
supposed democratically funded anarchists.
I am all for nuking the distortions of democracy due to foundation funding
in the progressive movement, but replacing it with privileged self-funding
by anarchists is a piss-poor replacement.
-- Nathan Newman >>
What? If you want to believe that there were anarchists capable of turning out "disproportionate numbers at meetings and events," and that they somehow are a "privileged" class because they can hitchhike to Seattle, sleep in abandoned buildings, eat out of dumpsters, etc. so be it.
The one thing I do know is that it was downright lunacy to call out the National Guard for some 30 anarchists breaking windows. More damage than that happens with every Super Bowl victory party. That you never see a "No Party" zone and the Guard called din under those kinds of circumstances, yet did in Seattle, just proves that constitutionally protected Free Speech was abridged.
PS Think how many Union folks could have traveled to Seattle on Hoffa's $500K salary?
Michael Donnelly