The Antisocial Socialist

jhfurnish makes a fine point about the Anonymous vs. Scientology story. First, watch this if you haven't seen it already:

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He points out that most people have never participated in a protest in their lives, and this could be training for other sorts of mass protest. I've ranted a lot about stupid demonstrations in the past—how there are seldom goals or any sort of cohesive message, how we tolerate the flakes amidst us, and how we view street demos and rallies as an end—expecting those in power to be somehow moved by our anger—rather than as a means of organizing.

Anonymous, many of whom probably have very bad politics judging from my limited visits to /b/, are actually showing us hardened lefties up. They have a goal, they have a message, and they seem to view the February 10th action as part of a process. They are aware of the unique advantages and drawbacks of the technological means available to them (unlike those of us who just use Facebook or e-mail, exposing our real names, identities, and plans to the state and various corporations).

I'd like to see mass demonstrations start to take on a distinctly modern character. Here in North America at least, we use the 60s anti-war protests as a model. It's easy to forget that there were countless groups organizing behind the scenes back then and engaging in actual direct action. Broad social change did not happen because people painted peace signs on their faces, smoked weed, and handed flowers to cops. And yet we still see activists today mimicking the form of these old demonstrations, paying lip service to direct action (which seems to mean anything from smashing a window to handing out pamphlets) and using technology in a rather archaic manner.

So yes. We should be watching closely on the 10th. (I don't think anything is happening in Toronto, which is a pity.) I'll be interested to see what the demonstrations look like—how many actual, physical, bodies Anonymous gathers, how the crowds act, and what they do afterwards. I could be out to lunch, but we might learn a few things from these guys.