Expanded notes of Resonance FM interview with Sonia and myself at the Colombia/Palestine party at SOAS.

Interview to be broadcast:

15-30 (GMT) afternoon Tuesday 9 December 2003, Middle East Panorama, Resonance FM (London, 104.4 MHz).

 http://www.resonancefm.com/

This is streamed audio (it is not archived), but I am told if you listen using Real Media Player, it has a Save option.

The joint Colombia/Palestine party followed a conference held earlier in the day, called Killer-Coke, looking at the unacceptable activities of Coca-Cola around the world, but in particular, in Colombia and India.

In Colombia, Coke workers that do not toe the company line, are being killed by death squads. One of the speakers, a trade unionist from Colombia, spoke of his fears on his return. Someone close to him had been killed whilst he was away, and he feared for his own family back home in Colombia.

In India, Coke are depleting and contaminating ground water with their bottling plants.

A worldwide boycott has been launched of Coca-Cola.

 http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk/

The question for Middle East Panorama is what is the link with the Middle East?

George W Bush gave us that link during his recent visit to England when he talked of bringing democracy to the Middle East, democracy, that is, US style. The type of democracy where we are given a choice, a 'choice' between unrepresentative elites who do not represent the people. Which is why voter turnout is falling worldwide.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/281517.html

What we are seeing in Colombia, Iraq, and recently on the streets of Miami (during the recent FTAA trade talks), is what George W meant by democracy, democracy US style.

 http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=34095&group=webcast

These links become even stronger when we recall that only a few days ago, George W spoke of a Middle East Free Trade Area.

At times it is difficult to untangle where the differences lie between global big business, the neoliberal globalisation agenda and democracy US style.

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/nafta.htm
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/ftaa.htm
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/global05.htm
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/gats.htm
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/wto.htm
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/281517.html

In Palestine, the IDF bombs, bulldozes, the homes of suspected terrorists; in Iraq, the US bombs and destroys the homes of suspected terrorists; in Colombia, the village of Santo Domingo is bombed, the targeting plane on contract to a US oil company, the attack helicopter, the bombs are made in the USA; on the streets of Miami, during the FTAA trade talks, peaceful protesters are brutally repressed by a para-military force paid for by money diverted from Iraq, part of the 'war on terrorism'. The excuse is the same, the 'war on terrorism', the links are the same.

A little more than two centuries ago, Thomas Paine, writing at the time of near absolute monarchy, put forward the idea of representative democracy. His ideas were far too radical for the time, he was forced to flee England else face execution for treason and arrived in the American colonies. There he was instrumental in the American Revolution. He was then forced to flee America, and became a key player in the French revolution.

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/art/paine.htm

Paine's vision of representative democracy has proved to be a hollow victory. What we need is participatory democracy, where the people themselves decide their own affairs. Nowhere can this be more true than in the Middle East today, in particular, occupied Palestine.

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/democracy.htm

In a society where children are brutalized by Israeli soldiers and settlers, it is easy to understand why some people become suicide bombers, but that does not make it right. Killing innocent Israelis does not account for the death of innocent Palestinians.

A suicide bomber in a crowded restaurant kills a dozen maybe two dozen innocent Israelis. The backlash in the world's media, gives cover for further Israeli atrocities. Which can then be justified as a legitimate response, or even pre-emptive action.

Israel is far too powerful to be defeated by force.

Far better is non-violent direct action. Palestinians are now being trained in these techniques. Apart from legitimate self-defence, force can never be justified.

 http://www.palsolidarity.org/

When the Israelis come with their bulldozers, throwing rocks achieves nothing. Unarmed peaceful protesters sitting in front of the targeted house does.

Rachel Corrie's death was one death too many, but it is a death that has reverberated around the world. She did not strap explosives around her body and kill innocent people.

 http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1248.shtml
 http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1284.shtml
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2856433.stm
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2995155.stm
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3025016.stm

Palestinians work illegally in Israel. They work at slave wages, and now, far eastern workers are cheaper.

Palestine should aim for an autonomous economy, that is self-sufficient, localised and independent of the Israeli economy.

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/local.htm

Palestinians should be looking to run their own affairs, it should come from the grassroots upwards, not an elite imposed from above, with the legitimacy of a democratic veneer. Look to Bolivia, Argentina, Chiapas (in Mexico). We don't need political parties or religious bigots, we need self-organising autonomous areas that link with each other in loose networks. Nor do we need -isms or big ideas, or leaders, we have had too many of these already - fascism, communism, socialism, capitalism ....

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/democracy.htm

We have seen a grassroots rebellion in Georgia, it may have been financed by George Soros, with the helping hand of the CIA behind the scenes, but it was still a grassroots revolt. It may now spread to the neighbouring countries, and possibly to Central Asia.

 http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=366181
 http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=366797&group=webcast
 http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=368917&group=webcast
 http://russia.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=6462&group=webcast

If it does, we will have two outbreaks of democracy, one in Latin America and the other in Eastern Europe.

We now need to see a third outbreak, this time in the Middle East. Possibilities are Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and occupied Palestine. In all three countries the situation is ready to explode, but will it go in the right direction? We need people not only to topple corrupt regimes, as with the House of Saud, and kick out occupiers, but at the same time, to have a genuine transfer of power down to the grassroots.

It is only when we see worldwide movement towards participatory democracy, a genuine grassroots rebellion, that harnesses the growing anti-globalisation, anti-war movement, will we see real change. Change that moves us to a world of social equity, environmental and social justice, a world in which human rights and international law are respected. A world that will have no place for corporate sponsored killings and corrupt politicians in their pockets who claim to be representing the people.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s there was a growing Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movement. Nixon looked out from the White House and feared what he saw. The system teetered, almost toppled, then recovered. Measures were put in place to ensure the people never again took control.

The system is once again teetering on the brink. Out on the streets, veterans of '68, are working hand in hand with a new generation. Everyone desires change. It is time we gave the rotten system one more big kick ....