> As an alternate hypothesis, Seay, Newman, and ChuckO decry the evil
> influence of WWP, although ChuckO accuses WWP of lame demands and timid
> tactics, while Seay and Newman pillory us as co-thinkers of Mohammed Atta
> and declare that we turn people off by our refusal to get on the ladder of
> force. This is a divergence of opinion, and makes for a bad bloc. Note to
> ChuckO: before you sign up as a recruit in their anti-WWP crusade, ask if
> they are going to make you carry a flag. See below.
Ahem, Lou, I have been engaged in an anti-WWP crusade for over a month now. In case you didn't know, I even have started a webpage on the creeps. I've raised alot of questions about the IAC/WWP/ANSWER on the East Coast and I've been told that the discussion about the IAC has seriously eroded their support among activists. My criticism of the IAC/WWP has widespread support among activists of all stripes here in Washington, as well as other cities around North America. Several of the NGO activists here in Washington thanked me privately for finally articulating their disgust for the manipulative tactics of the WWP. Most of us were extremely polite to the IAC over the summer, despite some of the despicable shit they pulled on the local anti-globalization coalitions.
> Out of the Middle East" or anything like that. It's not just the wording of
> demands at all. He would keep me, and my party, and the ISO, and YOU,
> ChuckO, and all your anarchist friends, a mile away from the action by force
> if necessary. OK, Nathan, how close am I?
I may have political differences with Nathan, but he is a smart guy who agrees with me about the ineffectiveness of an IAC-led anti-war coalition. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that, after Seattle, the WWP's protest methodology is a tired repeat of the boring Leftist protests of the past 30 years. The IAC/WWP protests are always the same: disempowering, long, boring, non-militant, and so on. I have nothing against rallies and marches, but if that's all you do, then you shouldn't be surprised if people don't rally around your flag. This is more true after several years of anti-globalization protests, which have shown how vibrant protest and dissent can be. The IAC/WWP is so bent on cooperating with the police that they won't even engage in civil disobedience.
Ever seen an IAC/WWP puppet? Nope. Just the same signs designed to promote the organization over the cause.
You know, I also have my differences with the ISO, but at least they've learned a few things since Seattle. Unlike the IAC, they joined one of the Washington anti-glob groups (the Mobe) and they sent representatives to the anti-capitalist coalition (the ACC). What the IAC/WWP chose to do pissed off many people in both coalitions. They secretly hatched a plan to have their own major event, the "Beat Back Bush" rally, which just happened to be scheduled the weekend of the IMF/World Bank protests. They didn't bother to check with the Mobilization, the ACC, 50 Years, or anybody else. They just sprung their event on us in late June and then insisted that they be treated as an equal player in the World Bank protest planning. They then proceeded to interfere in the process of the other coalitions so that no major actions would happen on the same day as their big rally. When the World Bank and IMF condensed their meetings to just the weekend, the IAC/WWP really had to put up with the fact that other stuff was going to happen on "their day."
The IAC's meddling in the other coalitions got to be very annoying. The messaging about their event evolved so that they were using more language about the World Bank and IMF. In the spring, they had covertly applied for protest and parade permits for all the parks and plazas in the neighborhoods around the White House and the World Bank. This put the IAC in the position of power broker for groups that came along later and wanted to use the spaces for protests and events. The IAC was always very willing to work with other groups on these permits, because they are friendly in that manipulative missionary way. The permit strategy also played into another aspect of their agenda. As the protests neared, the IAC/WWP proceeded to make a stink in the courts about the city not granting certain permits. This had the effect of putting them in the position *in the media* of being the main protest organizers. Not only did this marginalize the Mobilization for Global Justice, but it dramatically marginalized the Anti-Capitalist Convergence, which frowns on cooperation withthe police. It also set the stage for later rhetoric, which would have seen the police making a distinction in the media between "good" protestors (the ones that got permits) and "bad" protestors (the ones that think you don't need a permit to exercise your freedom of assembly).
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to WWP meddling and disruption of our local anti-glob/anti-capitalist coalitions.
Chuck0