Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 09:41:41 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Re: AUT: PENTAGON CONTACTS NEW YORK UNIVERSITY RE ECD PAGE


Richard: Some reactions below.

On Wed, 9 Sep 1998, Richard Singer wrote:

> At 12:44 PM 9/9/98 -0400, Doug Henwood wrote:
> 
> >I think this cyber CD is a load of crap. It's setting a very bad precedent;
> 
>         I think you're right in the sense that this "CD" stuff is really not
> the stuff of which genuine solidarity and protest are made.  As pointed out
> in another, excellent article recently posted to this list (I believe it was
> on this list), it only helps to atomize people further.

Richard: First, could you dredge up that previous letter, I missed it
somehow. Second, the "atomization" thesis strikes me as very weak. Not
only because ECD is often interwoven with other kinds of activity but
because virtually ANY kind of international solidarity action undertaken
by some people in the support of others strengthens the degree of
internationalization of the struggle. Knowing that one has taken an action
simultaneously with thousands of others must have an impact, regardless of
the character of the action. If Wray and Dominguez have been lax in any
way, I would say that it is in imagining ways to reinforce this effect.
> 
>         On the other hand, I think it's unfair to characterize the people
> involved in this as the type who don't want to leave their computers.  For
> instance, the fellow behind most of these posts, Stefan Wray, has played a
> major role in organizing live events in solidarity with the Zapatistas --
> bringing in people from Chiapas to speak to live groups of concerned
> activists, etc.  Of course, that also doesn't quite make the revolution, but
> it's a step in the right direction, counter to this atomization, and it also
> helps to involve people who do not have the requisite computer skills for
> that other "revolutionary" campaign.

Richard: Stefan has written his own defense in this regard.
> 
>         So, though I'd agree with you regarding the idea that this
> "Electronic Civil Disobedience" campaign may be a little misguided (at least
> in terms of all the energy that's put into it), I would be careful not to
> make assumptions about the people behind it.  
> 
> 
Richard: Just how much "energy is put into it"? I wonder. For Wray and
Dominguez clearly a lot, but that's just two people, hardly a large drain
on the solidarity movement. Everyone else who participates does so for a
few minutes every few months, also hardly a large drain. There ARE
objections which I find require discussion and response (see my other
posting here in response to Doug) but I don't worry about this one.

> In Solidarity,
> 
> Richard Singer 
> 
Harry
............................................................................
Harry Cleaver
Department of Economics
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712-1173  USA
Phone Numbers: (hm)  (512) 478-8427
               (off) (512) 475-8535   Fax:(512) 471-3510
E-mail: hmcleave-AT-eco.utexas.edu
Cleaver homepage: 
http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/index.html
Chiapas95 homepage:
http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html
Accion Zapatista homepage:
http://www.utexas.edu/students/nave/
............................................................................



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