Some of the postings on PEN seem to indicate that the recent events in Genoa,
following the events in Seattle, Nice, etc. augur for a new global social war. I
think this is a misguided assessment and a dangerous one for this emerging global
social movement.
This movement has very important divisions within it - over tactics, over goals, over
approaches to globalization. For those on the left who support an alternative
organization of the global economy - a re-organization that is democratic, humane and
equitable - the behavior of the anarchist, direct action and "black bloc" elements
holds perhaps more risk than the behavior of the state. The state's behavior is
predictable - predictably violent and predictably provocative.
But it is the anti-globalization movement that must grow from hundreds of thousands to
tens of millions. That cannot happen if the movement allows itself to be hijacked by
a tiny handful of violent and uncontrollable groups, secretly organized and
accountable to noone but themselves. Instead of a social war, we have a very
important but still tentative and small movement. Its importance is clear but the
tasks in front of it are immense. To take one major example, the trade unions that
have been critical parts of the movement have a very different approach to the
globalization process than many of the non-governmental organizations. These
differences should be debated and argued over within the movement. But that cannot be
done if the movement is subject to the inanities of the violent few.
One of the great achievements of Seattle itself, in my view, was that in addition to
the streeet marches the city was host to dozens of meetings, conferences, workshops
and debates organized on an independent basis by the new movement. These served as a
kind of alternative global parliament for debating the many complex issues we face.
This kind of effort was also part of the Porto Allegre parallel event during Davos.
But this alternative politics approach all but disappeared in Genoa and as long as the
violent few are able to steal the spotlight, our movement will suffer.
Blame the media, blame the state, but realize that these tactics are precisely what
they have been hoping for. The anti-globalization movement must defeat this approach
- clearly and unequivocally. This fall the World Bank and IMF meetings in Washington
D.C. will be the next venue for the movement. That setting offers us an opportunity
to send a completely different message.
Steve Diamond
