Oh, and as for politics-as-self-expression grand either/or: Yes, isn't it nice!
"I suggest that at this time, serious debate about what’s happening at Occupy Oakland should happen in person at the General Assembly. The internet often causes people to speak in tones that they normally might not use in person- harsh, abrasive, and authoritarian. This is causing greater division. Also, people that haven’t been involved in Occupy Oakland, some even based in other cities, are part of the threads and have an influence on their direction. There are already splinter Occupy Oakland facebook pages, which is disturbing.
Aside from that, I’d like to just say that what we did during the day yesterday was not „peaceful“. We caused millions of dollars in profit loss, which is powerful and forceful. Gandhi was against strikes that didn’t let scabs cross the picket line, because stopping someone from what they wanted to do was violent. As well, most of our heroes who are known to be part of violent revolutions, did not use violence in every instance. We have decided in the General Assembly to reclaim foreclosed properties and help neighborhoods use the space for their needs, which is a forceful action- not pacifist. So, it seems that the discussion is merely around tactic and process. And the context is that everyone that is arguing with each other about those things has just helped facilitate one of the biggest, most radical events in the U.S. in the past 40 years at least. The world sees that. This would not have happened if it involved only the people who agreed with you. It just wouldn’t.“ – Boots Riley"
-- http://cleandraws.com Wear Clean Draws ('coz there's 5 million ways to kill a CEO)