> -And these are...?
>
> Hmm...let's see
>
> ** Wrecking the start of the Seattle round of global WTO negotiations.
>
> ** Putting the scumsucking actions of the pharaceutical industry up to the
> light and helping force them to negotiate lower prices for the third world.
>
> ** Putting debt relief on the international agenda culminating in the past
> month or so agreements on debt cancellations.
>
> ** Building new solidarity between environmentalists, labor unions and
> community groups in the US and around the world.
>
> By any perspective, almost the only serious global gains for progressivism
> in the last few years have been intimately tied to that global justice
> movement.
>
> The funny thing is that Chuck and I disagree massively (and sometimes
> violently) on which tactics are worth using and are effective, but where we
> almost always agree is that the goal is to exercise power, not just put on a
> show that the politicians easily ignore. Which is why we've both been far
> more favorable towards the global justice movement with its clearer approach
> to targetting power-- whether civil disobediance or mainstream concerts.
Thanks you, Nathan! I think Nathan has been kicking everybody's butt this week in various discussions. We have very different politics, but Nathan has his feet firmly planted on the ground when it comes to politics.
Let me add, since Doug asked:
* Inspired a new generation of political activists and re-energizing those of us in the more burned-out generations.
* Radicalized many more people, including people who adhere to more traditional politics, but who sympathize and support more radical activists.
* The anti-globalization movement put activists on TV and radio again. Some of us had to brush up on our media skills that hadn't been used since the anti-apartheid movement.
* Gave many more activists serious experience with organizing large-scale actions and campaigns. The movement got so big and heated that participants got experience working inside something bigger than much smaller groups.
* Showed Americans that all was not OK in America, that there are millions of people who are fed up with things like NAFTA, the WTO, the WB and IMF, capitalism, and so on.
* Forced some capitalists to be more proactive about social responsibility and others to work harder on spin and PR.
* Caused capitalists actual dollar damage in the form of property destruction, loss of business, loss of reputation, and legal costs.
* Forced the police to take activists and dissent seriously.
* Prompted the World Bank to adopt the facade that it is a "poverty fighting organization".
* Forced powerful capitalists and world leaders to have their summits in places inaccessible to the public.
* Caused governments to spend millions of dollars on security, policing, logistics, and PR to counter the movements.
* Introduced people to "new" ways of organizing and dissent.
* Put an end to all of that "end of history" nonsense.
* Demonstrated the bankruptcy of organizing on the basis of sectarian leftist sects.
* Got many people interested in left, radical, progressive and anarchist ideas. More and more people consume radical media, which put independent media in a good situation when Bush came into office and started enacting his policies.
* The Independent Media Center network, with more than 150 IMCs currently.
* Inspired many people around the world. Finally, average Americans were taking it to the neoliberals in their own backyards.
* Led to hundreds of threads on LBO-talk...
Chuck0