Nor are the leaders of CHOP as stalwart as the communards. They are negotiating with city officials for the return of police to the precinct. Until then, according to city hall, “The Seattle Police Department will dispatch to respond to significant life-safety issues in the area,” including but not limited to “an active shooter incident, an assault, a structure fire, significant medical emergency (i.e., heart attack, stroke, trauma) and other incidents that threaten a person’s life safety.” What type of rebellion allows the sovereign to peaceably supply materials, and to respond to criminal complaints? Not a very serious one.

Old Karl would be disappointed. “This is not a party,” a local NAACP official scolded the CHOP the other day. “This is a mission and we have a mission to accomplish.” But it is becoming more difficult to draw the line between carnival and campaign, especially when the mission of the campaign is so ill-defined. CHOP seems destined to go the way of Occupy Wall Street as revolutionary energies dissipate, boredom sets in, local property owners lose patience, and protesters’ grievances are coopted by legitimate political structures. Enjoy the show while it lasts. Because the Seattle soviet, like its predecessors, is doomed to fail.