> No, it's not all like that. Doug completely misinterpreted you, and
> afaict, he's your closest ally in the media by a country mile. As well as
> a shrewd reader who has always been sympathetic to your actions.
Yes, I know.
> The real value of the symbolic value of violence -- your most important
> point in this oft-recurring debate -- depends in turn on a faith that you
> and your comrades in the bloc have a realistic grasp of the relatively
> clear line between useful and counterproductive violence. If you say
> things like "burn the convention center down" when you mean "break the
> windows at a local corporate headquarters," you completely destroy your
> position. You're essentially saying the opposite of what you mean on a
> crucial point. And saying it emphatically.
I understand that, but let me point out two things: 1) property destruction is done for many reasons in addition to the symbolic reason; and 2) the black bloc is a tactic of mutual aid and solidarity, not one that is focused on promoting violence or property destruction.
I've been in several black blocs over the years and haven't seen much propery destruction or violence (other than that coming from the cops). But that's my limited sampling.
I'll have more to say about this tomorrow.
> If you then sit back and say "Oh, hey, nobody could misunderstand that,"
> you're disregarding the evidence before your eyes. If Doug can
> misunderstand you, 98% of the world will misunderstand you.
>
> The reason I mention it is because in general I think you're an articulate
> propagandist for your cause. Which is why I'm surprised you don't see the
> importance of this point.
I understand the importance of this point, but let's remember that this is a discussion list, where most of us feel free to cut loose and say what we want to. Now, if I was going to do an interview with the media, or draft some explanation of an action, I'd be more careful about how I put things.
Chuck0
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