I work as an editor on the newspaper of Occupy DC, and that actually sounds like a really interesting thesis for a short piece (even assuming that there's no conspiracy). Do you think it would be possible to work on an article about that for the next issue? Our newspaper is really taking off right now and we'd love to include some serious movement analysis alongside the news staples that have been our bread and butter so far.
Best,
Benjamin Daniels (203) 687-9943
On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 12:02 PM, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> I asked David Graeber what evidence he had for the claim that elites
> started wars because of the success of the Global Justice movement. His
> answer:
>
> > well I just noticed there was a pattern.
> > Civil Rights movement, with mass revival of civil disobedience, direct
> democracy movements (Port Huron statement) - government both gives big
> concessions and starts overseas war (Vietnam)
> > Anti-Nuclear movement, rapid rise of movement based on CD, direct
> democracy, again govt seems to panic unduly, make surprising concessions,
> and right afterwards ends detente and starts proxy wars (Afghanistan,
> Central America)
> > Global Justice movement followed by surprising concessions (well,
> surprised us how quick) and war on terror
> >
> > now, I have absolutely no idea how conscious any of this was, one is
> tempted to assume not that conscious at all, maybe there's some deeper
> process produced both things - and of course the war on terror had the
> biggest provocation possible supplied by Mr. Bin Laden (and I'm not a
> truther or anything like that). Still, it's such a pattern - sudden flare
> up of movement based on CD, direct democracy (in civil rights movement with
> SNCC, then SDS) etc, then a big overseas war and the whole thing has to
> turn into a peace movement which is always more hierachically organized.
> How the mechanisms work, I don't know exactly. But it always seems to
> happen.
> >
> > I'm a little optimistic because I think they've boxed themselves into a
> position where they can't really start a war this time. Obviously some are
> really pushing for it...
>
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