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(Ok,ok, what I’m about to say is probably going to sound hopelessly naive and ill-considered, but I’m appreciate it if those with more facts/political conviction/experience in talking about this sort of thing hear me out before going for the kill).
Up until now, I’ve basically been sitting on the fence in regard to this whole anti-globalist protest thing (as an aside, I’m glad that the hold-all term “anti-capitalist” seems to have been dropped by the media – that pissed me off, because, as well as being a little misleading, as soon as you tried to discuss it with most people, you got “anti-capitalists, huh? What do they want instead? Communism? Huh? Huh?” – end of any rational argument).
Although I’ve been largely in favour of the protestors and their causes (let’s face it, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t), I’ve deliberately tried to avoid getting caught up in the exaggerated ‘good vs. evil’ dichotomy which sees the evil, blackhearted leaders meeting together for a good cackle as they count up the profits they’ve made from screwing developing countries, while their brutal fascist police force beats on the noble liberal crusaders, who are in turn vilified by the corporate lackey puppet media.
I don’t wish to deny that corporations have too much power / government’s are corrupt and ineffectual etc., but, as pointed out by The Invisibles amongst other things, this kind of simplistic, dualistic thinking is ultimately self-defeating and I didn’t want to claim membership of a movement with an ‘anti-‘ on the front that defines itself in terms of it’s enemy.
The leaders of the G8 countries may be many things – confused, indecisive, retrogressive, knuckleheaded and subservient to corporate pressure and the made up demands of “the economy” – but they’re not Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin plotting the demise of everything good and pleasant.
They may not have done anything useful yet, but at least they’re discussing (or at least, claim to be discussing) environmental controls, cancelling of third world debt, limitation of the arms industry and so on and I think (or perhaps thought) that attacking them for it isn’t going to do anyone any good. (Protesting against and boycotting corporations on the other hand is something I’m all for, but maybe that shaky definition is something for another thread).
But anyway, this is the attitude I’ve been jarred out of in the last few days thanks to the events in Genoa and the related links, accounts and opinions posted here.
I realise it seems grossly selfish and short-sighted of me to say so, as far worse things happen in the third world (for want of a better term) on a daily basis, but the images and reports of people a bit like me – young, predominantly middle class, left-leaning Europeans – being attacked, injured, imprisoned and, of course, killed by the agents of a supposedly civilised Western state for doing little more than professing their belief in the developed world’s duty to enact the principles of old fashioned liberalism on a global scale has left me ..well .. terrified and disgusted in equal measure.
Add to this the seemingly deliberate refusal of the mainstream media to condemn, or even correctly report, these actions and the seeming non-interest of politicians, the EU etc. (SO FAR, I hasten to add) and I’m really starting to consider the existence of a definite political/media/corporate bias against, and opposition to, the protestors and - more seriously - the publicising & discussion of their causes.
Over reaction?
Under reaction?
Whatever, count me in for the next one basically.. |
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