Just to clarify the mass emergencies stuff here, as I suspect people are unlikely to read the original dry academic research papers. As far as I understand it, a brief abstract is thus:Conventional wisdom in emergency situations is that crowds in mass emergencies (such as 7/7 or natural disasters) is they are a panic-stricken mob. J's research sees this as incorrect and that in reality they are characterises more by mutual support and reason. The view of the mob is problematic as it shows the crowds as part of the problem - contrary to this, J's research suggest they can be part of the solution. an example would be that J would advocate in emergencies that getting up communications with and amongst survivors is of prime importance in resolving the emergency situation, rather than delaying this until 'order' has been 'restored' - ie not treating crowds in mass emergencies as a public order situation at all.
I am not trying to be mischievous, but your description of the mass emergency theory struck me as familiar, and of course it would be as it is from the same researcher. Would the following characterise key aspects of related research into crowd psychology and demonstrations:
Conventional wisdom in protest situations is that crowds in demonstrations (such as G20 or anti-austerity protests) are an unruly mob. X's research sees this as incorrect and that in reality they are characterised more by mutual support and reason. The view of the mob is problematic as it shows the crowds as part of the problem - contrary to this, X's research suggest they can be part of the solution. An example would be that X would advocate in demonstrations that getting up communications with and amongst protestors is of prime importance in resolving the public order situation, rather than delaying this until 'order' has been 'restored' - ie not treating crowds in demonstrations as a public order situation at all.
I'm not taking the mick, I'm just trying to make a serious point.
And no I would not suggest that people have no contact with the police at all. I was 'first on scene' at a fairly horrible accident recently and had quite a lot to do with the police (a mini-mass emergency, if you like) in to trying to get medical aid to various people involved (the first police who arrived, by sheer chance, didn't even know where they were!). But what I didn't do was offer them an insight into how to co-opt crowds into self-policing.
The ICC and the ICT adhere to the same political tradition, and their differences are on far less basic issues than those of TC, Aufheben, TPTG etc.
I have posted on this site for however many years but not that much. Most of my internet posting I've done on revleft and most of my political activity I've done in Turkey. Libcom never really formed that big a part of my political life to be honest.
Libcom is, of course, lib(ertarian) com(munism). It is not called ultra-leftism. Besides, ultra-left as far as I know originated as a slur.
It sounds like a detergent brand.
I obviously disagree. I don't think the specific "ultra-left" international milieu they are characterized to be inside (which to my knowledge they don't characterize themseves to be a part) has got anything to do with the whole thing and also I think that they are not in anyway an isolated group. Otherwise, of course, most of the rest of my own points in this thread haven't been answered - and I ain't complaining.
On the ultra-left thing yes, you've cleared it up and thank you. Even if, however, we consider them to be a part of that specific milieu it doesn't have any relevance to the point nor answers the question why they did it, nor does it in any way point to them being an isolated group.