What are you protesting?
With the G20 in town, protests are everywhere.
OK, maybe they aren’t everywhere. Maybe I have not seen any. But the threat of them is ever present in the newspapers. In the warnings — don’t look too professional. Don’t be a target for the angry mobs.
To be fair, there have been protests, there will be more. But I don’t quite understand the protesters. A G20 meeting is a traditional target for certain types of protesters: Anti-capitalists, Anti-globalization protesters, perhaps anarchists. I suppose you can add anti-recession protesters to this one. The Wall Street Journal has listed protest groups that are in London for the G20, which adds in anti-war and environmental activists.
Let’s look at these causes, beginning with the traditional Global Economic Summit suspects:
Anti-capitalists
I do not understand the concept behind “anti-capitalism”. Capitalism is, quite simply, a system for exchanging things. I make shoes. You grow food. We need a system to get me your food, and get you my shoes.
Capitalism is such a system. Anti-capitalists are, presumably, against this system, but not against me eating or you having shoes. However, I have no idea what system they would approve of. If they have a better one than capitalism, I would like them to share.
There is no use in being against such a system, without supporting another one to change to.
Anti-globalization
I cannot go along with the anti-globalization activists. Globalization, at its core, simply makes sense to me. My country makes shoes. Your country grows food. Globalization means that your country gives my country food, and mine gives yours shoes.
Not bad stuff, really. There are side effects, to be sure, but done right, globalization is certainly not evil.
Anarchy
OK — anarchy people are in the right place. Not being an anarchist myself, this cause is not for me.
Anti-recession
OK. We are all anti-recession. But what does protesting do? Are the protesters really under the impression that the governments do not want to solve the current financial crisis?
Anti-recession “protesters” just want to vent their anger. Supporting angry mobs sounds like a bad idea.
Environment & Anti-war
Finally, two causes that I understand and even agree with to a certain degree. The problem here is that these are non-traditional issues for a summit of this kind.
Outnumbered by the anarchy, anti-capitalism and anti-globalization crews, who is hearing these people? What impact are they having by protesting here? Would their efforts not be better spent doing something where their message would get through unmuddled?
In short, you probably won’t see me marching through the streets of London this week, waving a placard.
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