Re: Genoa and Beyond II: The View from the Black Bloc

[timework@xxxxxxxxx (Tom Walker)]

Steve Diamond wrote,

>A few days ago I posted a brief critique of the direct action and anarchist
>elements' role in the anti-globalization movement.  The following "defense" of
>the tactics of the Black Bloc is being circulated by sympathizers with this
>milieu.  As a law professor I can only add: res ipsa loquitur ("the thing
>speaks for itself").

Mary Black's defense is articulate and plausible. I don't agree with the
tactics, but her analysis of the media and the ineffectuality of "peaceful
protest" is at least superficially compelling. Steve Diamond's arguments for
"defeating" the violent tactics are also superficially compelling. I refuse
to be superficially compelled.

It seems to me that it is the responsibility of those who disapprove of
violent tactics to come up with tactics that build an effective movement,
not simply critique tactics that lead to a dead end. It is not enough to
have progressive views and engage in symbolic protests that change nothing.
It is not enough to organize workshops and discussions that only lead to a
*different* dead end.

Breaking windows is violent. It doesn't matter who owns the window. The
window is part of public space. Breaking windows is also incoherent. If it
gets on the mainstream news, that is because the news is incoherent. If the
violent, incoherent actions of a minority discredit the legitimate peaceful
protest of the majority that is largely because the legitimate protest is
itself incoherent. Such legitimate protest is, therefore, not legitimate.
Steve Diamond meet Mary Black. Mary Black meet Steve Diamond. Say cheese.

What is the nature of the beast we are up against? It is a cult. The scary
thing about Lyndon LaRouche, L. Ron Hubbard or Reverend Sun Myung Moon is
that they each make at least as much sense as Dick Cheney or Tom Brokaw. The
really scary thing about the mainstream cult is that it is hydra-headed. The
really, really scary thing is that it isn't feasible to cut off the heads
and sear the stumps. Forget Heracles.

Are we getting any clues yet? The really, really, really scary thing is that
it isn't the cult leaders who are the scary things. It's the cult members
who may very well be trapped inside something they don't want to be in.
They're scary because they're scared.

What are the members of the mainstream cult afraid of? What are YOU afraid
of? What am I afraid of? The G8? The WTO? The IMF? Globalization? The cops?
The Black Bloc? The Almighty Dollar? The Apocalypse?

nope

Tom Walker
Bowen Island, BC
604 947 2213