And yet the book makes a persuasive argument. I’m not sure direct action against the hardware that’s integral to the problem is a mere tantrum.

It IS certainly strategic and has been shown to be effective. For example, in a Swedish city, a campaign of keying SUVs resulted in a sharp drop in SUV sales in that city. Almost immediately.

ANY opposition to the oil economy creates targets for the people in power.

Malm draws a parallel with the Civil Rights movement suggesting that Martin Luther King could not have triggered new Civil Rights laws without Malcom X and the Black Panthers.

Would this work? I don’t know. But, in my view, it’s quite plausible.