Re: Majority Rule at a Demonstration?

[Adam Levenstein <cleon42@xxxxxxxxx>]

I think in making analogy after analogy, we're losing
our focus.

A demonstration is not a movement, a capital-p-Party,
a strike, or a union. It may *reflect* a larger
movement, a Party, a strike, or a union, but it is not
in itself one of those entities.

In a nutshell, a demonstration is basically a
temporary alliance of like-minded individuals and
organizations with similar ideas on a particular
issue.

Now, what's happening in the case of Genoa, Seattle,
and other demos is that one or two groups within that
alliance are committing actions that are in the end
damaging and counterproductive to *all*
groups/individuals in the demonstration. So in
essence, the rioting and attacking of police,
property, etc. is reactionary.

This leaves the other demonstrators - and those that
sympathize with the demonstration's ideas - between a
rock and a hard place. On the one hand, we are
obligated to defend our comrades attacked by the
police. On the other, we have to condemn the actions
that brought those attacks on. I see nothing
wishy-washy about this; it's just telling it like it
is.

Adam


=====
Adam Levenstein                          cleon42@xxxxxxxxx
ICQ: 17125158

And now, for something completely different.

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