FWD: ANTI-WTO: Don't throw the radicals overboard

[Scot Harkins on SCN.org]

Oy!

Non-violence is alive and well.  Violent protest is an old and sometimes
effective tool, but folks should remember that in breaking the law and
damaging property they are liable for criminal and civil penalties.

I personally discourage violent protest, and I abhor nonsensical violent
"protest".  I recognize, however, that taking up arms (be they literal or
figurative, fist or club) may be the only path to change in a world where
elected officials all but ignore the electorate.

As to people in power wanting to stay in power and do their thing rather
than the will of the people...  Yep, that's been our history in the US as in
so many other countries, and it happens even today.  Politicians like
Governor Locke say we only voted down a tax proposal for the stadium miss
the point the voters were making in the vote.  They lack vision to see the
message behind the results.  In the end we get shafted.

The monorail is a fine example.  I still stand in horror at the cost of
digging a tunnel under the hills of Seattle, in an area prone to massive
earthquakes (maybe I'm paranoid and maybe engineers can guarantee their
work, but the earth is big and we are specks on its face).  Still, the
varied political interests keeps their stance and argue their faces blue and
waste our time and money.

I grew up in Dallas, Texas.  There was a city councilman there in the 70's
and 80's named Max Goldblat.  Often considered a whacko, he had the best
idea for the financial support of the then-theoretical Dallas-Area Rapid
Transit (DART): build the big stations at shopping malls.  People get on and
off the train at these shopping centers.  The businesses benefit from the
constant flow of passengers who stop and shop, and the trains get financing
from the mall owners and maintenance on the station.  It seemed to make
beautiful sense and had support in the community from citizens and
businesses.  The DART Board (what and apt name) never gave the issue serious
thought and went right on with their limited vision.

Oh, well, in a 100 years most of us will be dead and someone else will get
to blame us for lack of vision as they suffer the strictures of such a
legacy.  People will still fall in love and sunsets will still be golden.  I
hope.

--
Scot Harkins (KA5KDU) | Systems Administrator, Thurman Ind, Bothell, WA
North Bend, WA        | Native Texan firmly planted in Western Washington
scoth at bigfoot.com     | SCA: Ld. Scot MacFin, Barony of Madrone, An Tir
scoth at scn.org/msn.com | URL <http://www.bigfoot.com/~scoth>


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