Doug Henwood wrote:
>
> Someone on the Reclaim The Streets-NYC list proposed this morning
> that "capitalism, no thanks/we will burn your fucking banks" - a
> chant from Seattle I loved, and put on the front page of the LBO
> website when I was posting from there - be a slogan for this week's
> demos in New York. When I suggested that the broader public might
> find this monstrous, this militant responded:
>
> >i might add, that most of the concern shown for the 'broader public'
> >is really a western concern. the people of argentina, and others of
> >the global south, who have taken to the streets in the thousands have
> >no such compunction. but that is also because they don't enjoy the
> >astonishing
> >quality of life we do. i don't feel that pandering to a complacent public
> >_works_, and i don't view my role on the street for propaganda purposes
> >only. so we feel differently? that's fine. but what i hate is when
> >people think there is only one road to one end. but that isn't true
> >is it? and that's the problem. there are many roads and just as many
> >'endings.' you want to take care of the public? cool. but i want to
> >strike fear into the hearts of the ruling class.
>
> Right. It would really strike fear in to the hearts of the ruling
> class for the protesters to cast themselves as indistinguishable from
> al Qaeda.
That's kind of over the top, Doug, but I see why you are concerned. I agree with that slogan, but also recognize that there is a time and place for every tactic. The problem is that the authorities, the liberal commissars and punits, and moderate forces in the anti-glob movement wish to marginalize any tactic that falls outside of the permitted and palatable. Thus, any attempt to suggest that breaking a window or tow in New York is put on the same level as al Qaueda or burning down a bank.
> I hope there aren't many idiots like this coming to town....
Don't worry, there aren't many.
<< Chuck0 >>
Infoshop.org -> http://www.infoshop.org/ Alternative Press Review -> http://www.altpr.org/ Practical Anarchy Online -> http://www.practicalanarchy.org/ Anarchy: AJODA -> http://www.anarchymag.org/ MutualAid.org -> http://www.mutualaid.org/ Factsheet 5 -> http://www.factsheet5.org/ AIM: AgentHelloKitty
Web publishing and services for your nonprofit: Bread and Roses Web Publishing http://www.breadandrosesweb.org/
INTERNATIONALISM IN PRACTICE
An American soldier in a hospital explained how he was wounded: He said, "I was told that the way to tell a hostile Vietnamese from a friendly Vietnamese was to shout ‘To hell with Ho Chi Minh!’ If he shoots, he’s unfriendly. So I saw this dude and yelled ‘To hell with Ho Chi Minh!’ and he yelled back, ‘To hell with President Johnson!’ We were shaking hands when a truck hit us."
(from 1,001 Ways to Beat the Draft, by Tuli Kupferburg).