Arson and other vandalism, productive or not?

[Misanthrope]

With the recent thread of the walmart burning and ALF setting fire to a fur coat store I think we should discuss this more in depth. Are random acts of arson productive to our cause? Or do they drive off the public and hurt the workers in that area?

[TheGodlessUtopian]

If there is a mass movement they can be productive but if there is no mass movement behind these acts than they are rather useless.

[Vanguard1917]

Usually useless, stupid and, in the case of loonies like the ALF, downright reactionary.

[tachosomoza]

They're useful if they're done with a clear purpose and motive, against an oppressive establishment, and not just as a wanton act of destruction.

[robbo203]

At the very least they need to be highly selective if they are serve any useful purpose and, more than that , their intent needs to be made perfectly clear and obvious. The recent riots in the UK are an example of what not to do if you are seriously considering this as a strategy. "Shitting on your own doorstep" and destroying the meagre possessions of fellow workers is no way to foster class unity and class consciousness. If anything it can prove fatally counterproductive by empowering the state to step up its oppressive measures against the working class - and with the blessing of those workers adversely affected by such rioting

[dodger]

They're useful if they're done with a clear purpose and motive, against an oppressive establishment, and not just as a wanton act of destruction.

Well I for one think their antics are Fascist...do we get the chance to vote ? Or indeed have any input. Well ignore people ...surprise, surprise...they respond in kind. I don't give a fig what their methods or purpose is, if I have no say in the matter I won't support it.

[Smyg]

I find these tactics to only be productive when used to crush fascist elements.

[Rafiq]

It's a lot more productive than sitting at home on a computer

[Ostrinski]

This^

[bricolage]

The recent riots in the UK are an example of what not to do if you are seriously considering this as a strategy. "Shitting on your own doorstep" and destroying the meagre possessions of fellow workers is no way to foster class unity and class consciousness.
This isn't so much the case though, the stats I posted on here recently listed the 'victims' as;

- More than 2,500 shops and businesses hit.
- 664 muggings
- 230 homes were hit

So the vast majority of the violence was directed at business (big and small) and not individual workers, despite the fact that the latter was vastly talked up by the press and politicians.

[Hivemind]

Yeah but why attack small businesses? I can understand why people would attack large corporations, but what the fuck did that guy running his little deli at the corner of the street do?

[bricolage]

Yeah but why attack small businesses? I can understand why people would attack large corporations, but what the fuck did that guy running his little deli at the corner of the street do?
It was a riot, they tend to not follow precise blueprints.

[Nox]

This isn't so much the case though, the stats I posted on here recently listed the 'victims' as;

- More than 2,500 shops and businesses hit.
- 664 muggings
- 230 homes were hit

So the vast majority of the violence was directed at business (big and small) and not individual workers, despite the fact that the latter was vastly talked up by the press and politicians.

Sadly there were alot of people who either were just there to steal shit, or got a bit out of control.

As for the OP, it's always useful because it brings attention to us, regardless of whether that attention of good or bad it makes people want to find out about our motives, and some of those people who look it up actually become interested.

[roy]

Random acts of vandalism are not only useless, but detrimental to the cause. It pains me to see "ANARCHY NOW" scrawled on the walls of apartment blocks. That just perpetuates the idea that anarchy is chaos.

We need to be teaching people about socialism, not setting fire to shops and filling walls with misleading graffiti.

This is especially true since most people think the DPRK and China are model socialist states.