“Civil” protest not good enough

Editor, Asheville Global Report,

After spending a week in the “city of brotherly love,” where the most reactionary politicians were meeting to congratulate themselves on what may just be a new dawn in the White House for the conservative agenda, I am disappointed by most of what I saw pass as “protest.” Eight years of liberal governance has obviously failed to alleviate suffering and exploitation, as it promises. In my opinion it has served the status quo effectively: make a lot of money for big business, while cynically legislating minuscule, token protections that pacify the rage we all rightly feel toward the rampage of industry and capitalism. What a perfect strategy for expanding capitalist power across the globe! Even so-called “direct action” groups such as Earth First! have failed to challenge the basic hypocrisy of the systems that control our every move — instead they churn out laundry lists of corporate wrongdoings in what appears to be a “demand” to change behaviors. What should be bold and radical actions against the social order, become media spectacles of “civil” protest aimed at middle class, mainstream America. Why not use a Gore campaign office or a Republican (or Democrat) Convention to expose the sham of politics and so-called democracy altogether? Who is left to say these things? If not the “radical direct action” movement, then who?

Anarchists in Philadelphia struck powerful blows to the institution of law and order, by wrecking cop cars and standing up to police. This symbolized a far deeper criticism of what is represented by the RNC than blocking downtown traffic for an hour. But this message was overshadowed by the slick, high-financed media whoredom of the professional activists who leapt into the media spotlight, there to list their grievances with “corporate-funded politics,” as if non-corporate funded politics would magically provide justice and equality.

For the abolition of the state AND capital,

Marianne Moore