[g8-sheffield] Terror n torture

[Dan]

Yes, they use terrorism as a justification for war, oppression, and 
keeping us in fear.  ("Of course the people don't want war... etc")

My point is - none of this changes that fact that there is, in fact, a 
terrorist threat.  (One year on from the Madrid bombings, who would deny 
the threat still exists?  Except perhaps a few folk who think 
governments would bomb their own citizens for political capital?  I 
personally think we should get as far away from such conspiracy theories 
as humanly possible.)

And of course, there's a blurring of the line between terrorism and 
'violent protest' (as the Star predicts will happen in June.)  Which is 
why we need to be all the sharper in making the distinctions crystal 
clear - to the media especially.

Going about shouting "bush, blair, CIA, how many kids did you kill 
today?" ain't gonna do that.

The cordon in Derby checked a top official of the World Bank several 
times before he got through.  Cars and personnel were all checked 
thoroughly. 

The police need a strategy for both making sure they do everything to 
stop a bomb attack - and however unlikely, it's not impossible - as well 
as containing protestors.  If I were in charge of policing such an 
event, protestors would be the least of my worries. 

I'm not saying it's a good thing - I'm just saying it's a thing!  And 
replying, 'they need terrorism to justify permanent war' still does 
nothing to actually address the fact of that terrorism, or the use of it 
to engender more fear. 

*This* is what I'm saying we have to imagine some way of dealing with - 
along with shining a light (as much as we can) on things like the global 
torture network / arms fairs in London / erosion of civil liberties...

And I'd also say that the global oil system is much more heavily 
dependent on the fact that people continue to buy cars, and our goods 
transport continues to need oil.  If you got rid of the fear, I don't 
think anyone would be casting off their vehicles suddenly, or that we'd 
need our ocean and road goods networks any less, to keep ourselves kept 
in the style to which we're accustomed.

p.s. I'm more sort of arguing with myself here - just openly trying to 
find some ways through to make June something different.  It's a very, 
very rare chance that won't come again.  The spirit of the War or Terror 
is coming to visit!  What are we going to do?

It seems to me that Derby has made a few people say, 'well - we don't 
just want to end up in a protest pen!' 

But equally, the vital thing about protest - however 'successful' - has 
always been to make it clear to all that there *is* opposition.  We need 
to do something.  So - what are we going to do?

Dan
----

Chris wrote:

>Hi
>
>On Mon 21-Mar-2005 at 10:25:56AM +0000, Dan wrote:
>  
>
>>We can argue all we like about 'yeah, but they're
>>terrorists too!'  Nevertheless, the threat exists.
>>That's what they're mainly policing, not us.
>>    
>>
>
>Eh? The police operation in Derby was aimed at preventing
>any decent protests happening and wasn't about preventing
>a terrorist attack on the city... 
>
>  
>
>>Is G8 Sheffield against both?
>>    
>>
>
>Of course!
>
>They appear to me to be two sides of the same coin -- the
>UK / US governments / global capitalist oil based system
>currently is heavily dependant on fear of terrorism, it's
>this centuries equilivant of the cold war. They need
>terrorism to justify their permanant war.
>
>Chris
>
>  
>