5/28/98, Andreas Rockstein wrote:
>Dear Friends!
>
>My intension is to discuss about a strategy of our fight against corporate
>power and globalization and about the question - "what is in fact
>globalization". A discussion-round started a few days ago with Richard K.
>Moore and Jan Slakov from the renaissance network of CADRE (Citizens for a
>Democratic Renaissance)
Dear Andreas et al,
Vielen dank (many thanks) Andreas for picking up the challenge on this most
awesome topic of overcoming the most powerful, well-funded, and
well-organized elite hegemony that has ever existed in history, and one
that consolidates its global power grip at breakneck speed as we talk.
Some may feel that `strategy discussion' per se is a waste of time -- `We
know the enemy so let's just get out and fight them!' might be a common
sentiment in some circles.
But strategy is _all important at this stage! The _masses of people (so to
speak) really are beginning to wake up to the sham of `competitiveness' and
corporate lies, and to the danger of corporate power. Without a strategy
-- a `revolutionary program' -- all the aroused energy spins off in random
directions, is always _reacting to events, and can be easily managed,
contained, and co-opted by the mass-media and the other established power
structures.
Sound strategy can only come from a sober appraisal of current unique
circumstances, including an understanding of `enemy strategy', ie, the
strategems and counter-measures that are typically employed by the
well-funded neoliberal project.
Primary among `elite countermeasures' at the current time is `divide &
conquer', that is, to encourage people to divide themselves into
`single-cause' movements or `ideologies' which talk within their own
circles and fight one another instead of combining forces to overcome the
common oppressor. To often anarchists talk to anarchists, marxists talk to
marxists, anti-MAI people talk to anti-MAI people, etc. The kind of
discussion we are having here, I would hope, would seek ways to overcome
divisiveness and achieve unity against corporate power.
>Principally I support all the actions of PGA.
>Thereby is no doubt about human rights like free assembly and speech. The
>question is the rule of violence. My position is to reject every form of
>active and so called passive violence - the latter (like the blockade in
>Montreal) is in my eyes nothing else but another form of active violence.
>I accept myself only self-defence in outermost emergency.
With PGA, we must recognize that despite a statement of being `non
violent', many of the PGA actions have in fact involved violence and this
has in many cases alienated people against the `anti corporate' movement
more than it has educated or recruited them to the cause.
I don't want to be causing divisiveness myself by critiquing PGA, I mean
rather to dialog with PGA. If they do not take measures to achieve actual
non-violence in their actions then they are being counter-productive, and
this is a severe detriment to all of us.
>I am concerning with you, that corporations are no human beings - by the
>way - my little theorie of globalization: I see the corporate power not so
>much in their representatives but in their structure...
>But the decision to deregulate structures comes from human beings. Here we
>can unmask the "GLOBALIZATION-FALSEHOOD" of our politicans. When they say
>- we have to dismantle our expenses for social and enviromental standards
>to maintain the station-advantage ("Standortvorteil") because of the
>globalization-compulsion, they oversea wilful, that this impact were
>caused by themselves by giving in facing corporate power (and they sell it
>as an advantage for the citizens).
Yes!... even though the corporate _form may be the ultimate culprit, the
neoliberal project itself is being pushed by _people and by political
_organizations. It is a _political confrontation with _political forces
that is necessary to change the system and to reverse the
`freedom-to-exploit' that has been granted to corporations by irresponsible
deregulation and tax reductions.
Thanks Andreas for initiating this forum,
rkm
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