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See, I don't agree with this either. Many civil rights protests led to big changes of civil rights during the 50s and 60s. And it is hard to contend that Ghandi's protests made no difference. Heck, even some protests in recent years have at least helped bring attention to the problem, without any violence or even resistance to arrest needed. The difference is that those protesting knew exactly what they all wanted, or at least the vast majority.
I know what you mean, but that was also a different time. Now that the media largely controls the public perspective, it's hard to have your voice truly be heard. Plus, if said protest doesn't go in line with their agenda, they can easily smear it. The media has vastly changed since then as well.
When Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus it was to protest laws that treated blacks as second-class citizens. There was no need to look for her message or to muddle through what a "reasonable" solution was in that case. Sure, there aren't a lot of protests that are that simple, but the majority of protests that really make a difference are those in which the people have a clear, single message and a reasonable solution (repeal Jim Crow laws, gay marriage, women's right to vote). Even worker strikes and sit-ins that have worked have had clear messages (higher pay, more benefits, better working conditions). And the same thing works at least to a small extent with the corporate world.
That's true, but those are also at a smaller level. I don't see OWS getting wall street or the government to change their practices.
I will give one big example that comes to mind in recent history. The Dixie Chicks. Whether you agree with the boycott of them by country music fans in this country or not, you have to at least admit that the protest worked against them. They have not had a country hit in this country since the boycott started.
The Dixie Chicks thing was just silly to me. Seeing clips of people destroying their cds as if that somehow hurts the Dixie Chicks. Those people paid for those cds and are essentially flushing their money down the toilet. The Dixie Chicks are still around too. Granted, they aren't as successful as they used to be, but they are still out there and doing fairly well from what I've seen.