Doug Henwood wrote:
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> On Jul 22, 2010, at 10:31 AM, SA wrote:
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> > the other hand, I think as a practical matter, BDS activities can be very useful, by giving activists something to do, and precisely by generating pressure on the *US* govt: Ultimately US support for Israel is dependent on popular acquiescence to the notion that Israel is a worthy beneficiary and boycotts are a very *visible* way of hammering on the theme that it's not.
>
> I would hope so, but I'm not sure how marching on Ricky's, a small NYC chain with some hipster cred, because it sells Israeli cosmetics (an actual recent local event) contributes to the effort.
Really, at this point it does not _matter_ whether a given action "contributes" to the achievement of some goal; it _only_ counts that it gives the activists themselves seomething to do and to talk about doing. It would even be useful if some people who are doubtful about the action would join it anyhow, help organize and recruit for it, and in the conversations around it argue about it and suggest other possibilities -- but still join in building it. This is how movements develop -- out of thousands of actions that misfire but gradually create the cadre and the thought that at some point explodes.
Carrol