And now…..the Bay Guardian Wank of the Week…..

I was going to post something about the cover story, one of those "Our Friends Are So Cool" stories about four women who perform jump-rope (wow! you women are so cool), but I noticed this little story about the big NY Protests next week (don't even get me started) and, well, here we are.

The story is basically about the preparations protestors are doing to get ready for the Republican National Convention next week (remind me not to go near a TV). As we all know, there's these huge protests/temper tantrums about to go down and between the terrorism paranoia and the protests, NY is completely clamped down. The protestors are totally chomping at the bit to go smash stuff and "make a statement" despite the fact most political observers think it's going to backfire and most Blue Staters are holding their breath in hopes nothing bad happens. The Bay Guardian, of course, doesn't see it that way, instead claiming the "massive show of people power that could have a profound impact on the presidential race." Just like those massive shows of people power had a profound impact on globalization and the Iraq War. Boy, those protests sure worked didn't they?

Anyways, the Bay Guardian goes out of their way to show that the protests are going to be a good thing and that the inevitable "Cops Bust a Whole Bunch of Hippie Heads and the GOP Blames it All on Kerry" will actually backfire on the GOP. Why? Because, as this guy says:

"Maintaining overt empire requires restraining domestic dissent, as empire cannot survive very much democracy," said David Solnit, who is going to New York with the Code Orange affinity group of Bay Area-based Direct Action to Stop the War. "I see the RNC as an opportunity for people in the U.S. to start asserting people power."

Right, I'm sure that's the exact conclusion hicks in Ohio and Iowa will draw.

But my favorite quote is:

"Carwil James is an activist with Anarchist People of Color, an organizing forum "working for a world in which popular direct democracy replaces the state." James said the Aug. 31 action will illustrate the diversity of popular resistance to the Bush regime."

What about the People's Front of Judea? Seriously, the Anarchist People of Color? I'm sure all three of them are well intentioned but, Jigga what?

Here's an idea: if you really, really, really, really want Bush to be defeated, take all that money that you're spending on travelling out there, all that money that you're spending on living out there, and all that money that you'll probably spend getting bailed out of jail and instead of protesting, give it to a political organization. Give it to, say, MoveOn.org or the DNC. Or anyone one of those "shadowy" 527 groups. That will help defeat Bush. Smashing Starbucks, making giant paper mache puppets, and chanting "the people…united….will…never…be…divided…." won't do jack shit. Some of us really, really, really want to see Bush loose to and you're about to go screw it all up.