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Noise Making Time - Why Did No One Say Anything About Bush?

worried | 04.05.2001 14:33

Did the Mayday protests miss the point? Should we be more scared of capitalism, or what Bush is doing with diplomacy and nuclear weapons?

Frankly I'm worried. And a little scared. Bush seems to be storming ahead with the scientfic nonsense of an NMD system, whilst the US spy plane remains in China. Britain has made no response, Europe has made no response and the media is ignoring the crisis all together. Why? Is this just a little diplomatic upset? Or is there a US spy plane, on Chinese soil?

And is it me, or does Chinese nationalism seem to be up for a fight, too? 10 years on from Tianimmen Square, and there has been a reversal in popular politics. And no one seems to care. At the same time, the media is playing up China as a threat - not thinking of the consequences in terms of public opinion.

The tension between the last two superpowers is immense. But there seems to be not a movement in this country - except CND - which is gathering a wide scale response to the US despotism which is currently gardening Capitol Hill. I am not questioning the anti-capitalist/globalisation movement, but someone mentioned on Usenet that ignoring this would be like ignore the Munich crisis in the 1930s. This may be a peice of sensationalism - but does this not concern anybody?

Perhaps there needs to be a debate on forming a coalition of protests groups against Bush. There seems to be a feeling that the EU is doing the work for us, with respect to Kyoto. If masses of people rejoined the CND and gathered at events such at Mayday for a common purpose against Bush, would the EU take a harder line? Since we will be likely radar spots for the NMD system, it is unlikely we can place our hands on our heads and ignore this.

worried
- e-mail: 95deansd@kingsfield.rmplc.co.uk

Comments

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British Response

04.05.2001 14:59

The British government has made a response. Blair supports US missle defence but doesn't want to come out until after the election.

Surely the protests were about US global capitalism?

Spurious Cause
mail e-mail: spuriouscause@hotmail.com


RE: British Response

04.05.2001 16:24

If Blair has made a positive response to Bush I would be fairly shocked but I think that the British people are really going to have to mobilise against it. If Blair can be pressurised in to making a stand we will be able make the world and Yorkshire a safer place and totally humiliate Bush's NMD-perhaps it could stop him getting a second term. He's staked a lot on it. I think Blair's instinct would be against but I guesshe may feel he has no choice.

Patrick
mail e-mail: stewarpm@tcd.ie


...well because the big demo is this SATURDAY

04.05.2001 16:55

(ps people were doing banners n stuff about kyoto etc on mayday)

RALLY FOR KYOTO
Stop Bush wrecking the planet

At the US Embassy, Grosvenor Square (Bond Street
Tube), Saturday May 5th, from 11.00 a.m.

Stand up for the treaty he has betrayed, a treaty to
save the planet.

Organised by:

Campaign against Climate Change
supported by Christian Ecology, Friends of the Earth,
Globalise Resistance, the Green Party, London People
and Planet.

Hands Round the Embassy

Globe-in-a Greenhouse

March to the Ambassador's Residence in Regents Park

Speaches

Celebration of Kyoto, Picnic against the 'Toxic
Texan'.

More info:
www.goatbyte.net/climatedemo
www.CampaignAgainstClimateChange.net

on the up


Australian Response

05.05.2001 06:09

Sorry to say but our conservative (liberal party) Prime Minister in Oz, Johnny Howard, is all for the NMD and we'll continue to host U.S. bases on Ozzie soil. Campaigning against this hasn't really gotten off the ground here yet.

Oh, and there's rumours that George Bush is going to be funding the conservative party's electoral campaign this year, because Labor[sic] party is going to oppose the NMD.

Sean Scullion
mail e-mail: seans@choonz.com