People of conviction came to Seattle to try to claim a voice in a process that threatens to transfer more power from elected governments to transnational corporations and bureaucrats. If the analysis forwarded by Balachander Krishnamurthy is correct, the WTO meeting will prove to be a non-event. I'm thinking that this may be the best we can hope for. The political protest in Seattle is real, and there are important issues for both the right and the left. As for the vandals, they should be treated as the criminals they are.
Strikes still mean something in Seattle, and recycling is a reflex.
Trade is very important to Seattle, but so are the environment and social justice. People there respect work, both for production and for the benefit of society.