This is a difficult question. The global justice movement has, in general, been willing to align itself with old-fashioned protectionist interests in the US. They have more money than we do and more access to media and politicians. Activists recognize that the interests involved are fundamentally opposed, but they have taken this route anyway. We saw this around NAFTA, China/WTO, etc. I have been arguing (to those who will listen to my harangue) that this strategy is a mistake. The political costs outweigh the benefits, IMO. We alienate "soft" supporters of justice-oriented initiatives who are worried about protectionism; they think that, if liberalization is defeated, the most reactionary business interests will be the ones who pick up the pieces. My view is that every alliance risks a corresponding alienation. You have to decide who you want to reach out to, and who you are willing to write off. As a political matter, I would rather extend myself to hesitant left-liberals than cozy up to a North Carolina textile baron. (And I am very willing to piss off liberals in other contexts...)
Peter
One of the "action priorities" that came out of the United for Peace and Justice conference in Chicago (June 6-8, 2003) is as follows:
***** UFPJ Action Priorities....
2) Campaign to Unite the Peace and Global Justice Movement
This campaign calls on UFPJ to initiate a comprehensive grassroots educational campaign that makes the links between military and economic empire-building by confronting corporate globalization, the global economic agenda of the ruling elite. The campaign includes coordinated days of action during the Sept. 10-13 WTO meeting in Cancun, including a commemoration of 9/11 and a Global Day of Action Against Mobilization and War on Sept. 13. The campaign also calls for UFPJ to mobilize for the Nov. 19-21 FTAA meeting in Miami and the Nov. 22-23 School of the Americas protest.
<http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1755> *****
Suppose, for the sake of discussion, that you are either on the UFPJ steering committee or advising them, helping UFPJ develop a campaign out of the above action priority. What actions, demands, and talking points would you recommend with regard to the Sept. 10-13 WTO meeting in Cancun and the Nov. 19-21 FTAA meeting in Miami? -- Yoshie
* Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://solidarity.igc.org/>
