Manufacturing Dissent: The Anti-Globalization Movement Is Funded by the Corporate Elites

Dizzidence Politik
Psychiatric clinic
Stalinist politics
Cold shower and Mogadon
Deletion of your name
Amphetamines and other medicines
Politbureau not looking so well

"Dizzidence Politik", Indochine (1982)

Sign of the times? Even though the swans have left the pond, it leaves me pondering. There's a red feel in the air. In a world that's stopped spinning round, a revolution is upon us (cognitive dissidence?). And ron and ron, little patapon, comes up Easter and the shepherdess starts worrying that her king might get crucified. Or beheaded. Actually, which revolution are we talking about? The one where the fool gets fired, a move actually forcing us to checkmate because we failed to understand we were taking part in a vast game of chess as ordinary pawns? Or the one where we got it that we need to get off the big wheel before it's too late (wham, bam, bang)? In the midst of the actual prevailing confusion, I hope this well documented article will somehow help you process things with discernment and make informed choices.

Ey@el

By providing the funding and the policy framework to many concerned and dedicated people working within the non-profit sector, the ruling class is able to co-opt leadership from grassroots communities … and is able to make the funding, accounting, and evaluation components of the work so time consuming and onerous that social justice work is virtually impossible under these conditions.

Paul Kivel, You Call this Democracy, Who Benefits, Who Pays and Who Really Decides

Under the New World Order, the ritual of inviting “civil society” leaders into the inner circles of power – while simultaneously repressing the rank and file – serves several important functions. First, it says to the World that the critics of globalization “must make concessions” to earn the right to mingle. Second, it conveys the illusion that while the global elites should – under what is euphemistically called democracy – be subject to criticism, they nonetheless rule legitimately. And third, it says “there is no alternative” to globalization: fundamental change is not possible and the most we can hope is to engage with these rulers in an ineffective “give and take”.

While the “Globalizers” may adopt a few progressive phrases to demonstrate they have good intentions, their fundamental goals are not challenged. And what this “civil society mingling” does is to reinforce the clutch of the corporate establishment while weakening and dividing the protest movement. An understanding of this process of co-optation is important…

People are involved in anti-globalization protests because they reject the notion that money is everything, because they reject the impoverishment of millions and the destruction of fragile Earth so that a few may get richer. This rank and file and some of their leaders as well, are to be applauded. But we need to go further. We need to challenge the right of the “Globalizers” to rule. This requires that we rethink the strategy of protest. Can we move to a higher plane, by launching mass movements in our respective countries, movements that bring the message of what globalization is doing, to ordinary people? For they are the force that must be mobilized to challenge those who plunder the Globe.

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