Is civil disobedience (and arrest) now called for?

[coalition_unwilling]

I've been attending two weekly anti-war, anti-militarism vigils in the Los Angeles area for the past 4 years. While I can personally attest to the rising tide of anti-Bushism (at least on the west side of L.A.), I'm beginning to think my protests are not doing enough to make much of a difference. It's just too easy for motorists to honk in support as they drive by, then forget all about it after another block or two.

So I'm wondering whether, to paraphrase Thoreau, the only place for an honest person anymore is in jail. Any suggestions as to whether it's now time to throw something or everything away to try to bring Bush down would be appreciated, as well as suggestions for tactics and targets of afore-mentioned civil disobedience.

[benburch]

1. If you don't think so yet, listen to this!

The Greensboro Seven are seven peaceful activists abused and arrested by police after questioning a man who was lurking around cars belonging to other members of their group after the "World Can't Wait" SOTU protest in Greensboro, NC. The man refused to identify himself, but it turns out he was an undercover police spy. This interview was conducted by Bob Kincaid on his "Head On with Bob Kincaid" show on 2/6/2006, and is presented here by permission.

http://server2.WhiteRoseSociety.org/content/kincaid/KennethHarrisGreensboroSeven.mp3

[endarkenment]

2. What will work is a general strike.

How we get to what will work is a very good question.

[coalition_unwilling]

4. First step might be a nation-wide Moratorium, a la Vietnam

But until there's a draft and\or increase in taxes, American middle class doesn't have a dog in this fight.

[fasttense]

3. Hey I was in DC on 4 February, in the pouring rain for hours

and I didn't read a word about it here on DU (Except for the post I made).

[coalition_unwilling]

5. I was in Hollywood at WorldCantWait demo during SOTA

Got barely a mention on local media, even though we had Sunset Blvd. shut down for several hours.

[endarkenment]

6. Right. So...

demonstrations and rallies will not have any media impact unless they are massive. Local rallies are probably more effective than moderate sized DC rallies as they reach cars driving by regardless of the media blackout.

They have figured out that if they can keep it off the tv it didn't happen.

Demonstrations and rallies continue to be useful as organizing tools to get people used to doing things together.

I like the idea of a one-day moratorium. It could be accompanied by rallies, but the idea would be to lower the bar to participation down to 'don't go to work'. Make it a Monday or Friday so it is even easier. If it were to take hold it could then be extended to longer time outs for the Cabal.

[90-percent]

7. protests

the biggest protests in the history of the civilized world took place before the Iraq War.

bush dismissed them as "focus groups"

I froze my ass off in DC Jan 2003 with many others, in the first protest of my life, and I had a draft card in 1972!

I'd love to do it again, only with 100's of millions of others throughout the world.

It's got to be way big, though. 1 in 3 people in the USA big.

-85% Jimmy

[coalition_unwilling]

9. Our local vigils have between 10-20 people each week . . .

Having grown up on a farm, I like to think of them as standing at the edge of a pond and throwing a rock into the center. Who knows where the ripples will end?

Mass demonstrations in L.A. tend to be gatherings that "preach to the converted." While not without their uses (principally as morale builders to the anti-war movement), they seem singularly unsuited to reaching out to the masses, given their tendency to be placed in locales like big empty urban caverns on the weekends when no one is around to see them.

[Name removed]

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