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Clare Short: another reason to join the anti-capitalist bloc

Ron | 05.11.2001 12:08

This disgusting comparison in today's London Evening Standard from Clare Short made me want to hurl. More reason if one were needed that we should get as many people as possible to join the autonomous anti-capitalist bloc at the next stop the war demonstration on the 18th of November.

'G7 activists no better than Bin Laden'

Clare Short today risked fresh controversy by comparing anti-globalisation protesters to Osama bin Laden.

The outspoken International Development Secretary claimed demonstrators' demands were " very similar" to those of Bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

She launched her attack in the run-up to this weekend's World Trade Organisation talks in Qatar, the first such meeting since the 11 September attacks. She claimed: "Since 11 September we haven't heard from the protesters. I'm sure they are reflecting on what their demands were because their demands turned out to be very similar to those of Bin Laden's network.

"They say 'world trade is evil, we want to stop it.' If he says that too, do they still want to say that? There is a sort of anarchist's chaos."

Ms Short also derided protesters at the G7 summits as enjoying the fruits of successful Western economies, including "the internet, mobile phones and Nike trainers".

Ron

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

scape goat

05.11.2001 12:45

the soviets labelled anyone who called for liberalisation anti-revolutionaries, McCarthy's lot labelled them communists. in todays world of globalised neo-liberal politics anyone who calls for REAL liberalism (giving people autonomy) are labelled fundamentalists and held up to bin laden and al-quiada(sp?)
this is likely to be one of the main obstacles in the way of the anti-capitalist movement. we must let the public know we are not fundementalists, but a flexible group fighting not for some dogmatic set of rigid principles, but for freedom for people all over the globe.

euan


scape goat.

05.11.2001 12:47

the soviets labelled anyone who called for liberalisation anti-revolutionaries, McCarthy's lot labelled them communists. in todays world of globalised neo-liberal politics anyone who calls for REAL liberalism (giving people autonomy) are labelled fundamentalists and held up to bin laden and al-quiada(sp?)
this is likely to be one of the main obstacles in the way of the anti-capitalist movement. we must let the public know we are not fundementalists, but a flexible group fighting not for some dogmatic set of rigid principles, but for freedom for people all over the globe.

euan.


heard that one before

05.11.2001 12:56

funny how what she said is EXACTLY the same thing that has been said around the world, amongst others, by Berlusconi (that old lefty) and Jorg Haider (leader of the extreme right coalition government FPOE party in Austria)

anyone still suggesting that we should 'vote labour without illusions'?

oh, i forgot, we have the socialist alliance now...

shorten claire (by a head)


For us or Against us?

05.11.2001 16:21

If Bin Laden thinks the IMF and World Bank has crippled the Third World with debt, the WTO has destroyed their livelihoods, the WHO has poisoned them and the NWO has disabled them with eternal wars and landmines then, yes, our demands are exactly the same as Al Qaeda.

"Babylon has no fruits"- the late great Bob Marley.

Peace Monger


Bob had 'em sussed !!!

05.11.2001 18:01

yeah talking Bob Marley here's an extract from..
Guiltiness

guiltiness (talkin about yer guiltiness) rest on their concience Oh Yeah

and they live a live of full pretence everyday.
these are the big fish who always try eat down the small fishand I’ll tell you what,
they would do anything to mek he a realise im every wish

but WOE to the down presser they’ll will eat the bread of sorrow

guiltiness rest on their concience

Bob Marley

would appear to be spot on

jam jar


Taliban are right

06.11.2001 12:19

When the revolution comes, we should force Clare Short to wear a burqa so we don't have to see her wasp-chewing face again.

Daniel Brett
mail e-mail: dan@danielbrett.co.uk


playing into their hands?

06.11.2001 12:46

Ron -
Whilst agreeing whole-heartedly with your derision of the multi-talented Clare Short. I would like to suggest a word of caution about the 'autonomous' anti-capitalist demo you seem to be promoting on the 18th. Surely this will just give the wankers exactly what they want by being able to dismiss the anti-war protest as the work of 'folk devil' anti-capitalist anarchists. I don't want to have a go, because I fully respect your view point on the anti-capitalist issue. But whilst this war is going on, I personally feel the protest should be fought on the single issue of stopping it. Any attempt to combine the two, will give the media the chance to give the black and white view point of 'against the war - against capitalism' which should be avoided at all costs when trying to get as much anti-war support as possible.
Cheery-Bye

tuna+mayonnaise


Who else should we ban from the march?

06.11.2001 13:25

OK, so you don't want any anti-capitalist element in the Stop the War march. Should we also ban people who are campaigning on Christian or Islamic moral grounds? After all, if there are more of one lot than another lot, we'd be alienating people. How about banning Green party members, for being too overtly political and therefore partisan, or Asians because they will be perceived by the gutter press as a bunch of Islamic extremists?

We shouldn't be going down this route. The point is that this is a demonstration of diverse groups, united against an injust war. The media actually made a point about the last demo being a coalition of hippies, anarchists, Marxists, Greens, Muslims, Christians and pacifists. How often do you see these groups unified for a common cause? The media will set out to undermine it in any way, so why should we pander to them?

The 'respectable' media is running a pro-war propaganda campaign which is targetting the Muslim population. On BBC Breakfast news, I saw a bulletin which made a big fuss about 'masked Asians' throwing stones at a church in Bradford. They never made these kind of noises when the mosque near me was completed trashed by racists and copies of the Qu'ran destroyed last year. No doubt the BBC, with its anti-Muslim bias, will attempt to portray Saturday's march as full of fundamentalists. Watch this space.

Daniel Brett
mail e-mail: dan@danielbrett.co.uk


Don't put words in my mouth pal

06.11.2001 15:24

Daniel
This is my second draft as first of all I started getting defensive. But then I realised that it was quite likely that you were the only one who read into what I wrote before a complete lack of understanding that you clearly have about anything.
I had no intention of suggesting excluding anyone from the protest. Especially not a vital, experienced group of protestors who have been instrumental in the organisation of such events across the country.
I wished to suggest caution that to focus on any single issue will undermine the kind of togetherness of diverse groups that you yourself were praising. That is my point - togetherness, much like your own I suspect, of diverse groups can get somewhere with this. Much like in the poll tax demonstrations.
Does no-one alse feel that to include two demonstrations in one place in one day, by many of the same people will do nothing but confuse the issues for many moderates who we should be trying to win over to the anti-war effort?

tuna+mayonnaise


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