DancingLarry
26th January 2009, 04:51
I just read today on another website (forgot to save link) that there will be a G-20 summit in London this April.
I know that a consensus had developed that the "summit-hopping" strategy had more or less run its course. I pretty much agreed with that consensus. However, we suddenly find ourselves in a new situation. The financial meltdown of the past 6-8 months has been a vast and vivid proof of much of the accuracy of the critique of neo-liberal globalization. In fact I'm sure most "No Globo" activists are as shocked as I am at how dramatically and how quickly the dangers that critique addressed have become our daily economic reality. In some countries the crisis, and the popular reaction to the crisis, has been quite intense. However, thus far, the populr reaction has taken limited national forms, despite the fact that everyone knows the problem is global in origin and character.
The April G-20 will be the first major economic summit since the Meltdown of '08. My first question is whether UK and other European comrades have heard any talk of action at the G-20? Does it make sense to try to revive the summit process now, to address the changed conditions, and perhaps galvanize some of the strictly national protest that has emerged to date into a more globally active force? Or does it make more sense to use the changed conditions for activism on the most micro level, and not to expend so much energies on international mobilizations, which was the developing consensus that I had bought into by the time of Heiligendamm?
Thoughts?
I know that a consensus had developed that the "summit-hopping" strategy had more or less run its course. I pretty much agreed with that consensus. However, we suddenly find ourselves in a new situation. The financial meltdown of the past 6-8 months has been a vast and vivid proof of much of the accuracy of the critique of neo-liberal globalization. In fact I'm sure most "No Globo" activists are as shocked as I am at how dramatically and how quickly the dangers that critique addressed have become our daily economic reality. In some countries the crisis, and the popular reaction to the crisis, has been quite intense. However, thus far, the populr reaction has taken limited national forms, despite the fact that everyone knows the problem is global in origin and character.
The April G-20 will be the first major economic summit since the Meltdown of '08. My first question is whether UK and other European comrades have heard any talk of action at the G-20? Does it make sense to try to revive the summit process now, to address the changed conditions, and perhaps galvanize some of the strictly national protest that has emerged to date into a more globally active force? Or does it make more sense to use the changed conditions for activism on the most micro level, and not to expend so much energies on international mobilizations, which was the developing consensus that I had bought into by the time of Heiligendamm?
Thoughts?