Democrats Become Target of Occupy Protests

[CBHagman]

73. The "only successes"?

I'd say that who sits on the bench and hands down decisions and who sits in the legislature and passes laws and who is in control of the executive branch has a little something to do with it all too.

And the examples you cite, such as women's rights and civil liberties for GLBT citizens, have required decades' worth of actions (and not just protests either) and the progress can't be taken for granted (Look at reproductive rights and collective bargaining these days,for starters).

I think people are focusing too heavily on the technique (protests) and not on the desired goal (progress). If you don't have a workable strategy, you can protest until your eyes pop but won't claim victory.

And key to this is public opinion. If you fail to sway public opinion (or, worse still, generate ill will), you can forget about progress there as well.