Sure, "negotiation" isn't the point here. Of course we're not going to be able to negotiate with the U.S. military to not recruit in Berkeley or any other town.

The point is to choose the most effective means of persuading 1) potential military recruits that they don't want to join the military and 2) the general public to pressure their elected officials to end the war (or vote them out and replace them with officials who will end the war) There are two audiences - the group whose behavior you are trying to change, and the general public, whose support you need.

I think part of the reason MLK's tactics were so effective was that the American public could see a group of people who wanted equal rights so badly they were putting their bodies and lives on the line and marching together. It tapped into the David vs. Goliath story on some level, and the general public started to get the point.

Another example I can think of is the mothers of the desaparecidos in Argentina. They danced publicly and silently with photos of their missing loved ones. Again, the world saw this and got the point.

There's no imagery in Code Pink's protests so far that has that power. Unfortunately, they come across as adversaries, as opposed to advocates.

This isn't the 1960s, and mass protests are not materializing. There's got to be another way to win hearts and minds. And something is happening - the majority of the country wants the war to end. They need to know what the next step is -- not just see tactics that they can't relate to.