John Perry Barlow invites you to dance for democracy during the RNC

Yo!

Check out John Perry Barlow's call to action (JPB is co-founder of the
Electronic Frontier Foundation [ www.eff.org ] ). I am so totally into
this. Smart/Flashmobbing, carnival-style. Pass it around. Barlow is
serious about coordinating this kind of protesting during the RNC.

Best,
liza "i'll shake my booty for democracy" sabater
www.culturekitchen.com

PS: Is dancing during a flashmob called flashdancing? Just a thought…


http://barlow.typepad.com/barlowfriendz/2004/07/dancing_in_the_.html

[excerpt]
Maureen Dowd recently observed that the Republicans had become so
obsessed with rejecting the 60's ethic of doing it if it feels good
that they have taken up an ethic of doing it if it makes someone else
feel bad. Moreover, the GOP strategy of basing their root-level
organization on Hot Protestantism has infused their ranks with a lot of
chilly Puritanism, which, as H.L. Mencken defined it, is "the haunting
fear that someone, somewhere, is having a good time."

These were among the factors in mind recently as I turned my thoughts
to what I might do to vex the Republicans when they gather in New York
a month from now. Furious as I may be at their policies, conventional
protest is not an option.

If it were peaceful protest, they would ignore it even if two million
people turned up. They have a demonstrated capacity to do that. Indeed,
the administration consists of such fervent God-anointed idealists that
they would "stay the course" against any opposition short of a majority
too overwhelming to rig their electronic voting machines against.

If the protests in New York should turn even a little violent, it will
be to Bush's benefit. This is so much the case that I rather expect to
see undercover agents provocateurs scattered among the ragtag
disaffected who will shortly descend on Manhattan. And the NYPD, while
generally my favorite police force on the planet, can get themselves in
a froth when they feel spooked. One thrown bottle could result in days
of riveting television, during which Bush would have plenty of
opportunity to pretend, convincingly to some, that he was Gary Cooper.

Besides, anyone with an explicit intention to protest Republican
policies, anyone carrying an anti-Bush sign, indeed, anyone wearing a
neither a smile nor a Bush button, is likely to be corralled into one
of the remote "Free Speech Zones" that Mayor Bloomberg will graciously
provide his guests, there to vent his fury upon his fellow infuriated.
None for me, thanks.

I have another idea, and you can help. Indeed, as wild, fun-loving
BarlowFriendz, I'm counting on you to help.

I want to dance in the streets.

I don't want to confront the Republicans. I want to discombobulate
them. I don't want to argue with them, which would only convince them
further, I want to throw them off their game. I don't want to be
aggressive in my discontent. God knows there's been plenty of that on
all sides. I want to be genial. But disconcerting.
[/excerpt]