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by PS-RAAN
Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2003 at 2:22 PM
Our protest tactics do not work. The demonstrations against the war did nothing
to dissuade the Bush administration from carrying it out. Mass rallies to
demonstrate that the people oppose government policy play on the assumption
that the government could give a damn what the people think. It does not, and it
will not. The government is motivated exclusively by their interests in capital and
power. We know this to be the case by their own admission, by the governments
insistence that it will not be influenced by protests.
Major protests against the Iraqi occupation in the United States are scheduled for the end of the month, and the end of October. The problem is that these as they stand now are irrelevant.
Our protest tactics do not work. The demonstrations against the war did nothing to dissuade the Bush administration from carrying it out. Mass rallies to demonstrate that the people oppose government policy play on the assumption that the government could give a damn what the people think. It does not, and it will not. The government is motivated exclusively by their interests in capital and power. We know this to be the case by their own admission, by the governments insistence that it will not be influenced by protests.
There is no usefulness in participating in political activity that has only been able to serve our own self-gratification. Those who are serious about fighting the reactionary policies of the US government ought to shift from tactics that have proven themselves ineffective to those which by their nature frustrate and undermine imperialism and capitalism.
If the measure of success is political change, or even the scaling back of the most reactionary tendencies in the government, we, anti-imperialist activists (anti-war and anti-globilization) are failing. Lets try something new.
We are calling for the development of a new more effective form of non-violent dissent and an anonymous network to facilitate that aim. We would like to consider the following points:
1. Measures of success are not the amount of people who show up to a demonstration, the amount of money raised, the amount of people wearing black at a protest, the creativity of puppets or street theater or the vulgarity of our slogans. If we are a movement committed to stopping reactionary policies of all kinds, then the only measure of success is the degree to which we can frustrate, undermine and derail the imperialist agenda.
2. Since the institutions and individuals directing, motivating, and profiting from reactionary policies are capitalists who measure their success in terms of profit and power, our ability to undermine their agenda is tied into our ability to reduce their profit and limit their power. We are not strong enough to overthrow capitalism, to start a revolution, or to establish a total transformation of society at this time or in the foreseeable future. However, we are strong enough to compel individual capitalists and capitalist institutions that the pursuit of their most reactionary aims will result their net loss of either profit or power, and thus dissuade them from those courses of action. If for instance the hawks in the government can be persuaded that the cost of remaining in Iraq outweighs the value of retaining it as a conquered territory, they will be compelled to leave out of a desire to protect their investment.
This is not about reforming the system, reform works inside of and with regard to the system. This is revolutionary action against the most harmful portions of the system.
3. It should be made as easy as possible to participate in effective political activism so that it represents a real alternative to the current form of ineffective political activism. This is not a call for anyone to become a guerrilla or to go underground, or engage in non-defensive violence. Most people do not have the luxury to become full time activists so it is not expected. It is important to be able to achieve the maximum results with the most minimum risk and cost to the participants. No direct action which is likely to result in the arrest and conviction of a participant for a felony should be attempted; it is simply not the type of thing that is reasonable at this time.
Given these factors we would like to accomplish the following in the short term:
1. The development of new, more aggressive, more disruptive tactics for use in demonstrations. The Black Bloc tactic has served up to a point, but it now amounts to little more than street theater. While we can appreciate street theater, if our intent is to have a real political effect, we will have to do more than that.
2. Develop a network of semi-autonomous cells for direct action along existing models. It is useful to be autonomous for purposes of security. It is also useful to be mutually co-ordinated for purposes of effectiveness. Cells should be able to carry out protests and make useful gestures of propaganda independently, but they should also be able to come together to accomplish larger projects. To this end, we will develop a system of anonymous communication to coordinate actions without compromising security.
If you are interested in participating in this project, please start a new email account from a public computer or a computer that cannot be readily associated with yourself (a public wireless network, internet cafŽ, library, university computer labs, or even computers in stores). Send an email to ________________ stating your intention to participate in the project, your general location (nothing specific), your basic political motivation (again nothing specific), concerns, questions, request for additional information, and anything else you can think of. Do not include your name, address, phone number, associations, or otherwise mention anything by which you could possibly be identified from. You can think of a cute pen name if you like, but don't use one you've ever used before online. Please allow several days for a reply to your first email.
Love, PS-RAAN
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by Da Killa
Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2003 at 2:35 PM
Please start violent protests, I'm beggin ya.
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by nonanarchist
Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2003 at 9:20 PM
...and still be completely irrelevant.
You should sit around and talk about it.
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by joker
Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2003 at 9:53 PM
like marbles on the freeway or balloon banners road sign removal.
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by nonanarchist
Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2003 at 10:54 PM
Irritation? No.
Try "attempted murder", "homicide", "criminal mischief".
The DA woould have a cake walk getting you put away.
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by nonanarchist
Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2003 at 10:56 PM
...being a "political prisoner".
Ever hear of the concept known as "responsibility for the consequences of your actions"?
I know, I know...it's a foreign concept to you. But out here in the real world, that's how it works.
Do something illegal, go to jail.
Just ask Mumia.
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by Ignatius
Wednesday, Oct. 08, 2003 at 10:53 AM
Just be sure to ask him in French.
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by 1
Wednesday, Oct. 08, 2003 at 11:31 AM
>Our protest tactics do not work. The demonstrations against the war did nothing to dissuade the Bush administration from carrying it out.
That's still funny, even 6-8 months later. A bunch of unwashed, 60's hippie remakes, marxists, self-appointed intelletutals actually believed that by marching in the streets, everyone was just going to put the world on hold and listen to them and do what they wanted. How dilusional is that?
>Mass rallies to demonstrate that the people oppose government policy play on the assumption that the government could give a damn what the people think. It does not, and it will not.
Because the government didn't listen to them and their "superior intellect" then, of course, the government could give a damn about the people. ATTENTION: YOU AND YOUR LICE INFESTED ILK ARE NOT "THE PEOPLE". You make like to project you represent "the people", you might tell yourself that you represent "the people", but you don't represent "the people".
> The government is motivated exclusively by their interests in capital and power.
Well, there was that little 9/11 thing, except for the whackos who believe we attacked our own citizens, and they are here to be laughed at and ridiculed (Although, if you have any protesters in your hometown or in a city or town near-by, it's more fun to laugh at these morons in person. Damn, they get pissed!)
>We know this to be the case by their own admission, by the governments insistence that it will not be influenced by protests.
Good for them. They should never listen to a bunch of left-wing dorks. Ever!
>There is no usefulness in participating in political activity that has only been able to serve our own self-gratification.
Sure there is. You can network with the same group that you've been networking with for the past 50 years.
Besides, these things are nothing but "feel good" secessions anyway. You can protest and then go home feeling like you made a difference. You've been doing the same thing with LBJ's "The Great Society" for 40 years now. You tell us to not look at the results, it's the "intentions" that count. Well, you intended to stop the war, the results just didn't work out. Why should you change MO now? It won't FEEL as good.
>However, we are strong enough to compel individual capitalists and capitalist institutions that the pursuit of their most reactionary aims will result their net loss of either profit or power, and thus dissuade them from those courses of action.
Jeez. People who don't have two nickels to rub together to buy a bar of soap and find some water are going to topple capitalism. And how is this going to happen?
>If for instance the hawks in the government can be persuaded that the cost of remaining in Iraq outweighs the value of retaining it as a conquered territory, they will be compelled to leave out of a desire to protect their investment.
You mean if it becomes unprofitable to stay in business then people will take their money and invest it elsewhere? Wow! Who would ever think people would do that. You gotta figure that most people would just shrug their shoulders and say "Hell! I'm losing money by the boatloads when I could be making money if I got out of this and invested over there. But I'm sticking it out. Food, clothing and shelter will just have to wait, Damnit!"
On top of that, this same idiots who claims the government won't listen, now wants to "persuade (the government) that the cost of remaining in Iraq outweighs the value of retaining it as a conquered territory."
Sadly for them, this individual represents one of the best and brightest among them. This person can think circles around sheep, kpc, para, meyer, kranky, or any of the others who regularly post here. And still, with this one you still get the same loser concepts you get from the rest. Pitiful. But, it's good for a laugh.
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by krankyman
Wednesday, Oct. 08, 2003 at 9:39 PM
You see, Bush Ass-Mirer, you profess to hate anyone who doesn't pay taxes, yet railed against them again and again(you must really hate Weyerhauser which paid ZERO taxes the last couple of years. And in fact got corporate wellfare to the tune of almost 9 million dollars a year. Man you must really hate them. Bunch of sponges). You say you hate anyone who won't join the military, like Cheney,Limbaugh,Pearle,Wolfowitz,Lott,and all the other right wing chickenhawks out there. And you say you hate anyone who doesn't produce jobs,enterprises and products .....like George(Little Boy Emperor)Bush. Once again the difference between the reality and windbaggery when it comes to the cheap labor conservatives is enormous. In other words it is all BULLSHIT!!!!
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by KPC
Wednesday, Oct. 08, 2003 at 9:50 PM
GOP=LIAR
Very simple.....
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