Friday, April 27, 2001
Fighting the inevitable - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- Globalisation has set the knickers of those on the left, in a royal knot. The protests in Quebec City this past weekend (plus our little, yet unprecedented one at the Peace Arch border crossing,) put the paradox facing society into the forefront of our consciousness. The left -- we can put socialists, communists, environmentalists and labour in there -- have informed us the problems with things like the WTO, globalisation, the FTAA and such and have spoken vociferously in opposition.
Those not of the left, then wonder stupefied, why on earth those rabble-rousers raise hell for?
I believe in the inherent right for any and all peoples to protest. That’s part and parcel of democracy and we must accept that. Am I dismayed by the displays like the protests in Quebec City and Sweden? Sure, I think the protesters can do better things with their time. However they consider capitalism the aggressor to democracy, thus to stifle their protestation, would be accepting a reality they do not want to accept.
Globalisation is inevitable. Sure there are problem’s with globalisation, but the problems pale in comparison to the problem’s we’d face if we didn’t accept globalisation. The middle ground or the status quo is unacceptable. The world is getting smaller in a technological sense, economics is sure to follow.
Government intervention in matters economical is frowned upon by people of the right and I’m surprised by the fact that they of all people are the proponents of free trade. The paradox, then isn’t contained to the bleeding hearts of the left.
The problem I have then, is the fact that there was such hypocrisy on both sides of that fence in Quebec City last weekend. I guess the right could be indicted for being all for government intervention when capitalist interests could be enhanced. But when it comes to funding the dole or handing out free lunches to the inner-city downtrodden they can withhold faster than a week’s worth of constipation. The left could be indictable too for being so good at articulating the problems with society, yet not able to propose anything manageable in terms of solutions. I also have great problems with the fact they can call for the global community to come together to end the pillory of human rights around the world, yet when trade deals are cooked part and parcel to that, they yell blue bloody murder.
It’s all relative I guess. In an age when red-button politics are somewhat on the back burner, with the end of the Cold War, a deeper more dangerous war could be our fates. We wouldn’t know that though.
I, of all people would like to see this great, big world of ours come together and just get along. Sensing that however also means that we must develop partnerships in terms of human rights, democracy and of course economics.
I castigated the left for all their conspiracy theories saying that it’s all money motivated. Perhaps it is. One does better selling hope, rather than long term pain. Left-wing ideology for all its perfection, doesn’t appeal to me all that much. I like to think of myself as a conservative, if for no other reason that I’m an Alliance card-carrying member. Applauding the left is just -- as this election campaign in BC proves -- as they seem to stick on their principles like no other.
Where is that elusive delicate balance? Is conformity the only way? I don’t know. My suggestion is merely to fuck the balance and get on with getting along with each other. Not quite articulate, but at least I met my deadline.
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