Yeah. Let's demonstrate.

[usrbs]

More and more I’m coming to the conclusion that massive demonstrations are just a step, and not that important a step. Let’s face it - the thugs in power couldn’t care less about what we think, no matter how many we are, as long as they can channel our dissent into such harmless means as marches and gatherings that last a couple of hours, and then dissipate with no trace.

I was in the first demonstration in January 2000 during the Inaugural. It was exciting to see the masses surrounding me, energizing to realize I was not alone in my outrage, and fun to see Bush scurry like the coward he is through the crowd in his limousine, not daring to leave his car. But so what? What did it accomplish? Middle America doesn’t even know about it. And more important, is being energized and having fun an appropriate reaction to a stolen election? Think about it. Our election was stolen, STOLEN, our democracy subverted, and the best reaction we could come up with was to get together for a few hours and chant “Ho ho ho, he’s got to go”! Who are we kidding? What a disgrace we are! We should have shut down the city, we should have immobilized the country, we should have gone on a general strike that lasted as long as it took.

Since then it continues. 9/11 whitewashed. Afghanistan bumbled and Bin Laden allowed to escape. Our civil liberties taken away. Lies and deceits pushing us into an as yet unexplained war. Questionable voting machines and unverifiable elections. Suppression of African-American votes. Unaccounted for billions of dollars disappearing in Iraq. Missing body armor in Iraq. No planning in Iraq. Fiasco in Iraq. Cronyism. Corruption. Incompetence. Poverty rising. An all out war on the environment and on the remnants of the New Deal. Katrina.

So let’s demonstrate. That will show them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. are yuo up for a national strike?

one is up for December 1st, fromthe bring them home folks

[usrbs]

2. I am if it's going to be noticable.

Since this is the first I've heard about it, it doesn't seem as this strike will have much effect.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. They won't have an effect as long as you think

like that...

If you hear of one google it, find out, and then decide whether you want to participate

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Smaller protests and, better yet, education rallies

are what's needed. Around here, which is the red area of Arkansas, I found what enraged and educated people best was F911. We've got to remember that the sheeple are basically lazy-they sit in their recliners, and turn on the news and believe it, and don't take the time to check out what is really happening. Yet they know something's wrong. They will watch videos/DVDs to find out. At least this is my experience.

[usrbs]

5. What is an education rally?

How do you do it and how do you ensure it reaches enough people?

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. They were called teach ins

and you simply go to a public space with literature et al and seat down and educate people

Tehy were done in teh 60s, you can also ask for permision from your local college, popular place, or your local senior center... or what have you....

How do you reach enough people? You never know, but this is long hard work taking many, many voices who are commited to do this.... you will not know how much you do, until you win

[Tesla]

7. I know a great event to start at!!!!!!

Also gets the Media out to see what is going on!!!

Dayton is kinda open minded in their central government,
and the have an ASSHOLE opposing our Democrat Mayor, and he has DEEP POCKETS!!!

I'll call for a permit if anyone is interested!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Darn I am in cali

but make sure to put this in the OH board

;-)

[usrbs]

10. That is a great idea.

Please try it out and let us know how it went. I'm in Massachusetts, so I won't be able to help. But maybe the Mass. DU group could do something here. I'm thinking of themes, such as corruption, or the war on the middle class with the Bankruptcy act. Certainly most people seem to know very little about this.

I still can't help but wonder how many people this touches. Maybe a national day of teach-ins, with the goal to get as many as possible in each city or town.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. A point I tried to make yesterday:

This got lost yesterday in the thunderous screaming of the pro-demonstrations crowd who where shocked that I would dare to question the effectiveness of their tactics:

The biggest downswing in public support of the war has occured during the past twelve months. Twelve months during which the anti-war movement has been almost completely dormant, and anti-war protests have been either small or nonexistent.

Furthermore, this downswing in public opinion hasn't changed the administrations behavior on the war one bit. This was never a hugely popular undertaking to begin with, and is probably the only war in the last 50 years for which there was such bitter opposition before it started. Bush isn't going to end the war. The only way in which the war could possibly be ended is via Congress. But Congress can't remove Bush's authority for the war without Bush's approval, and he won't give it, obviously. The only thing Congress could possibly do is de-fund it. The problem with that is that you'll then have every pro-war freeper in the nation screaming that you don't support the troops. Nobody is going to get on that bandwagon with the 2006 elections looming.

But anyway, back to the demonstrations. If the purpose of the demonstrations is to decrease public support for the war, they've failed. (It might be noted, however, that the war has been very successful in decreasing public support for the war.) And since negative public opinion has yet to do anything about the war, it's doubtful that a further decrease in public opinion would do anything to stop it. The only solution I see in which the war could end is for us to leave Iraq on a stable footing, and that simply won't happen with the current administration, notably because they refuse to let the Iraqis rebuild their own country (not profitable for Halliburton, you know.)

Anyway, this is getting long, but I think I've made my point.

[usrbs]

11. Even if there were a million people, I'm not sure it would matter.

You're right - they don't really care about public opinion, unless it has actual consequences, such as losing elections. That didn't seem to happen, and perhaps with the voting machines all they need now is enough supporters to hide the stealing of the election. But we've been rallying for 5 years now to no effect. And people always say it's the media's fault for not covering the demonstrations, and for minimizing the numbers. Which they do. But just think about the Million Man March from a few years ago. Any lasting effects?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

12. Yeah, I know.

I'm still not even sure the Iraq war is a bad issue for the Republicans, even though most people dislike the war. Their line appears to be "Yes, indeed we are batshit-crazy enough to go off and invade another country with no evidence that they were a threat. And that means we are strong and macho. Hell, you don't even need to be a threat to be attacked by us, so let that be a lesson to all you would-be terrorists out there."

And... people seem to respond to that. They're very good at using fear to get people who disagree with them to vote for them anyway.

[deutsey]

13. These things should "demonstrate" a show of force, show how strong we are

and should serve to inspire and energize people to go back home and do the hard work of local activism.

Anyone who thinks tromping around a city for one day will change anything needs to cash a reality check.

[usrbs]

14. Granted, but then why are we spending so much time on these?

If the protests are just to raise awareness and to energize people for the next steps, then shouldn't we be spending our energies more on the next step?

And I think the outrages now are such that the next step is civil disobedience and non-violent throwing of "sand" in the machine rather than letters to the editor, work in the local Democratic bodies, campaigning for progressive candidates and issues, calls to the reps, one by one education, all of which I do now.

[deutsey]

16. I don't know about you, but I am focusing on the next step

I've been saying for sometime that demonstrations are really like big pep rallies. They're very important, especially when the MSM is in the hands of the rightwing in this country, because at the very least they show us (those of us who attend them) that we're not alone. They also provide for a great way to network, build up alliances, establish contacts that otherwise wouldn't be there.

I agree that civil disobedience is probably the next best step, but if you do any organizing you should know that it's hard enough just to get people out to a demonstration. I'm not talking about laziness (though that's part of it), I'm talking about newbies being afraid of what will happen during the march (will there be a riot, pepperspray, arrests, etc.?).

If civil disobedience is your calling, then join UFPJ's or CODE PINK's efforts (or others). However, because there was such a surge in first-time protesters on Saturday who finally overcame their fear and indifference, I think it's quite appropriate to organize efforts that aren't as "in your face" for them.

[Beacho]

15. A dem Secretary of State in Ohio

would be worth a thousand marches.....

County Auditors, not A.N.S.W.E.R. steering committees are what is going to save this republic