Obama: G-20 Protests Too Abstract To Make A Difference

President Obama, in an interview with the Toledo Blade, cautions would-be protesters of the upcoming G20 Summit that while such protests are "are a sign of a healthy democracy," they're not likely to have much of a net impact:

"I was always a big believer in - when I was doing organizing before I went to law school - that focusing on concrete, local, immediate issues that have an impact on people's lives is what really makes a difference and that having protests about abstractions [such] as global capitalism or something, generally, is not really going to make much of a difference."

I'm not at all sure that an effective protest seeking more justice in the global economy will never "make much of a difference," but there is definitely something to Obama's admonition to be more concrete. For a long while now, I've despaired of the fact that protest assemblies have degraded into a constant spectacle of mixed-message and pointless shock. The best protests of yore were focused. By contrast, most modern protests are like watching a reality-show competition, in which everyone is out for themselves and there is an intra-protest competition to do the most property damage or carry the most shocking sign.

Your typical gathering of anti-globalization protesters these days isn't so different from what we've seen with the Tea Parties. Everyone's excited about what they've shouted, no one remembers what they heard. And so, their accomplishments are mainly logistical ones: everyone gets to the same place at the same time, it's a minor inconvenience to everyone else, and the content of their grievance dissipates just as quickly as it is amassed. No one is under any illusion that those who have gathered are anything but outliers -- electoral sunk costs to politicians and a liability line item on the balance sheet of global finance.

I have no particular expertise in how to mount an effective protest march myself, but I am pretty confident that if a slideshow of weird and shocking signs and puppets and costumes can be generated afterwards, you are doing it wrong.

RELATED:
Ex-organizer says he was never a fan of mass protests [Toledo Blade]
Obama Does Not Favor Mass Protests [Taegan Goddard]

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[sgarmon]

11:56 AM on 09/27/2009

I love the Huffington! If it is regurgitated from the O's mouth....Huff runs the entire dialogue....this is one of my favorites: (and I quote):

"I was always a big believer in - when I was doing organizing before I went to law school - that focusing on concrete, local, immediate issues that have an impact on people's lives is what really makes a difference and that having protests about abstractions [such] as global capitalism or something, generally, is not really going to make much of a difference."

So...since there was nothing"concrete, local or immediate" at the G20 conference, we have nothing to worry about...except, maybe: what was the topic? What was so unlocal and unconcrete and unimmediate that resulted in the destruction of property in Pitt?

Oh well, I am at peace. I am going fishing; I can stop reading about our country and its goings on since O indicated that the meeting was unimportant. I am so relieved...as I know the property owners of Pitt are. We have nothing to worry about. The puppet has spoken.

How embarrassing!

[Stockbroker38]

11:53 PM on 09/26/2009

As a handsome 38-year-old stockbroker, I agree with the president when he said the G-20 protesters were just "generic" opponents of capitalism in general. Really, these members of the scummy bottom 99 percent, could never understand the ins and outs of credit-default swaps and mortgage-backed securities like I can; or the fact there there are a quadrillion ($1,000,000,000,000,000) in toxic derivatives out there that potentially could use a bailout too.

Seriously, these people aren't that smart. To echo Britney Spears in 2003 just after the Iraq invasion, y'all just need to trust your president, trust your leaders and trust me. God, I love Britney, especially when she was underage.

Seriously, we, your leaders, have this under control. Name one thing we've gotten wrong in the past two years.

Has anyone seen my brandy snifter? Or my bailout receipt?

[kwalla101]

02:43 AM on 09/27/2009

Hilarious!

[delbard]

08:24 PM on 09/26/2009

A Local TV station WPXI has footage of a woman who was assulted by the Pittsburgh Gastapo
The Pittsburbgh Police routinly small other people's cars Scot-free.
Posted by a Tax paying citizen of Pittsburgh

[flhu]

11:43 PM on 09/25/2009

Although, the best protests involve people doing nothing much with an overwhelming police response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwjAjcQnqM&feature=player_embedded
G20 Protest. Big Swat Truck. Loud noises. Speak-n-Spell stars as Robo-Cop.

"We are here to peacefully assemble, And you are here to violate our rights as God given American citizens."

There is something disturbing about an overpowering synthesized voice saying "I hearby declare this to be an unlawful assembly."

[InofTouch]

04:53 PM on 09/25/2009

protest the protest

[ZappaFreak]

09:35 AM on 09/25/2009

I have to agree with dmengo...a lot of this is just to get on TV and draw attention to their cause. However, a cause that is not focused will do you no good.

When people marched for peace in the 70s, they really meant it. They wanted and did change the world into a better place. People listened because the message was truth, and Vietnam affected all Americans individually as we lost loved ones.

You can't change peoples minds by acting like an anarchist. Your cause has to be routed in what is best for the American people. And frankly, most protest groups are full of members that are not intelligent enough to understand what it is they are against?

Prove me wrong...call out 15 random members of any group and ask them to cite their reasons for participating. It will be the same as when you ask 100 high school students to find something on a map! You too will be surprised...

[Stockbroker38]

11:57 PM on 09/26/2009

As a handsome 38-year-old stockbroker I agree with the guy using Frank Zappa's mug. Seriously, Americans shouldn't listen to these kooks. Americans just need to stick to eating the cheese doodles, and watching NASCAR and the NFL.

Everything will be OK. I promise.

Has anyone seen my mistress? Or my bailout receipt?

[mmiii]

09:16 AM on 09/23/2009

The author is absolutely correct. I live in Pittsburgh and the list of protest sites reads like a city guide: EVERY grocery store in town (no exageration), Starbucks (at least a dozen of those), at least six different University buildings, Rand Corporation, a 24 hour gym, underwear stores, government buildings, and so on and so on. This spreads people out all over town, with most of the sites miles away from the G-20 meeting site. Everyone has their opinion and wants to shout it out, but the result is a diluted message with no real outcome other than some hassle for the city residents.

[YoJymbo]

03:16 PM on 09/22/2009

Don't listen to the "just lay down and take it" crowd, FIGHT THE POWER!!!

[ebbtide]

01:18 PM on 09/22/2009

Looks to me like any voice of the people is trying to be squelched. DON'T PROTEST, DAMN IT What is the matter with you?. The blogosphere is not reliable and should be ignored also, right? etc. etc. All the little people don't have enough money to be of any import, and never knew what "change you can believe in" REALLY MEANT, eh?

[carlosinhp]

12:53 PM on 09/22/2009

Dear President Obama, let me introduce you to GGJ, the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, which is composed of grassroots organizations working on local issues, making connections between local fights and national/international issues (global capitalism, migration, global well-being, etc...)

I am glad you care about our actions in Pittsburgh not being too Abstract, clearly you still have your organizing cap on (right?).... thankfully for us this is a chance to connect our work to Pittsburgh orgs, introduce/get people ready for Detroit US Social Forum, and so much more....

so yes, while an abstract protest wont make a difference, make no mistake, an abstract and random protest is now why I am going to Pittsburgh. We're building a movement, and its going to challenge your global corporate empire.

http://www.jwj.org/recovery/g20pittsburgh.html http://www.ggjalliance.org http://www.pittsburghunited.org/g20

[carlosinhp]

12:56 PM on 09/22/2009

meant an abstract protest is NOT why I am going to Pittsburgh....

[FogBelter]

12:51 PM on 09/22/2009

I don't think that protesters will have as much negative impact on the G-20 as Wall Street already has.

[freelyb]

11:03 AM on 09/22/2009

(Thanks to Angie C., below)

“The delegates to the G-20, the gathering of the world’s wealthiest nations, will consequently be protected by a National Guard combat battalion, recently returned from Iraq. The battalion will shut down the area around the city center, man checkpoints and patrol the streets in combat gear. Pittsburgh has augmented the city’s police force of 1,000 with an additional 3,000 officers. Helicopters have begun to buzz gatherings in city parks, buses driven to Pittsburgh to provide food to protesters have been impounded, activists have been detained, and permits to camp in the city parks have been denied. Web sites belonging to resistance groups have been hacked and trashed, and many groups suspect that they have been infiltrated and that their phones and e-mail accounts are being monitored.”

--C. Hedges (9/20/09), Globalization Goes Bankrupt
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090921_globalization_goes_bankrupt/

As if protesting was even an option! But thanks for the friendly advice, Mr. Prez.

[Grackle]

11:33 AM on 09/22/2009

Say and think what you want, no matter how unpopular, but as soon as too many people start to pay attention or anyone acts on what they believe, suppression will follow.

[SilenceDoGood1776]

10:13 AM on 09/22/2009

why does the UN and our government want to promote global warming when for the past decade the globe has been cooling. They just want more control over the people.

sources: scrippsnews

[chedet]

12:58 PM on 09/22/2009

the globe isn't cooling... why only look at it the last 10 years when the earth has been around for thousand of years? That's always the argument for people who really couldn't careless about taking care of this planet. Also for people who aren't educated in sciences.

[omalley313]

09:53 AM on 09/22/2009

I don't understand this .... police storm a building where people are preparing for a protest ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/us/22brfs-G20PROTESTER_BRF.html?_r=2

Two protest groups filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Pittsburgh Police Bureau of “systematic attempts to harass and discourage First Amendment activities” over the weekend as the city prepares for a meeting here this week of the leaders of 20 of the world’s largest and emerging economies. According to the suit, more than 30 police officers in riot gear and holding semiautomatic weapons on Sunday stormed a building where members of the group Seeds of Peace were preparing food for a demonstration on Monday by the Three Rivers Climate Convergence, which is protesting the G20 meeting.

[Eris23]

12:23 PM on 09/22/2009

Meanwhile, if you were to join a militia group, bring some firearms, and get together to paint up some signs about how the "tree of liberty needs to be watered" for this protest, you'd be welcomed with loving arms.

[vippy]

05:39 AM on 09/22/2009

I have this sneaking suspicion that those G-5,8, 20 Meetings had planned this global financial mess.
Surely, they all had it in their visor. Those rules and regulations to be taken away had to be discussed.
Lots of people did walk away with billions and no one is going after that ill obtained money.
If not, why even have these meetings?

[fmarquez]

08:43 AM on 09/22/2009

do you have any proof?

[missouriwatcher]

10:34 AM on 09/22/2009

Thanks, vippy. I've had the same thoughts about these things for many years now. No one who could make a difference seems to really question their agenda.