Comment Re:Action Vs. Words (Score 1) 305
I agree with your observations. Years ago there was a national march to free Mumia Abu-Jamal. 10,000 people marching in San Francisco alone. I'm not sure how many in NY but I seem to remember twice that or more. I think the organizers were surprised by the turnout. I traveled from southern Oregon to attend in SF.
That march could have shut down the city, causing exactly the economic pain you see as successful. Instead, everyone was nice. We broke the march at intersections so cars could get through, otherwise they would have been jammed for at least an hour while everyone passed...and with a little random action that could have been extended even more. We could have shut down downtown SF, and I'm sure the NY march could have shut down at least parts of Manhattan.
I hadn't thought about your take on it, but at the time I did think we should have marched to the Examiner or Chronicle newspaper offices, circled the block and shut their business down for awhile. As it was, there was very little press locally or nationally...and, based on your observations, it's because there were a lot of people but no economic impact.
Liberal people are just too nice, I guess. During the civil rights movement, free speech movement and sexual liberation movement people got beat up, gassed and even killed, there is much more restraint now because they understand how to understate the power of the people.