----- Original Message ----- On Wednesday, November 09, 2011 12:19 PM, "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
In the case of the Oakland general strike, there's a pretty obvious logic behind the window smashing. The general strike was fairly openly intended to be coercive, that is, to involve forcing businesses to close to allow employees to take part. Oakland was covered in posters saying things like "all banks and corporations must shut down, or we will shut you down." One way to force a business to close is to break its windows. Whole Foods specifically was targeted because the store threatened to retaliate against employees who took part in the strike.
------- You're writing from very far away. WHO intended the strike to be coercive? What exactly would be gained by FORCING people to go on strike? You think that if a business closes workers will automatically go march? What are you using for brains?
The success of the OO strike was the HUGE turnout because people spontaneously and freely support the OO movement and were disgusted and angry and sickened by the action of the police in dismantling the OO campsite. Nobody made people walk out; nobody could have made people walk out.
I've lived in Oakland for thirty five years. This is unprecedented!!! This is great!!! This is not anything any central committee or GA could have made happen. This is the people of Oakland. About 10% of the population freely and joyously participating all day long. Most of the black clad "anarchists" were from SF.
Joanna