Comment on: "When is a Riot a Revolt"

Carl Finamore: When is a Riot a Revolt

 

Cairo, Spring 2011

 So when is a riot a revolt? As Mr. Finamore points out, the difference is with organization and leadership. Cairo would have been little more than aimless violence without organization and leadership (and social media). Not to mention the support of the main-stream media who are currently villainizing the Tottenham uprising. But the intent is the same. A violent backlash against oppression by the state and/or oppressive social conditions.

Tottenham, Summer 2011

 The British Government is certainly not a despotic regime. Nor are our Governments in North America. However their increasing affiliation with, and allegiance to, the corporatist *neo-liberal elite (who ARE despotic), who buy and pay for our politicians as though they were so many fish-sticks, leave the poor, the marginalized and the disaffected leaderless. They are being vilified, and villainized. As with the new Harper Super-Prisons. Who's going to fill them? Certainly not the Koch brothers or the Aspers of the world. No, the poor, the marginalized and the disaffected who are seen as a drain on the profit margins of the Corporations. So the Corporations turn around and pay our politicians to slash social programs which punishes the poor even more and contributes to increases in criminal activity. 

Case in Point - Julian Fantino, the poster boy for the Conservative Party of Canada around Seniors issues and Crime prevention, blames the poor for their lot and would rather see them locked up. Mr. Fantino of course, dismisses reports that connect levels of poverty with crime rates and clearly does not understand the connection between mental illness/addiction and homelessness . 

Toronto G20, June 2010

And lets not forget for an instant, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's words to a gathering of American Elite back in 2000 where he characterized Canada as: "...a Northern European Welfare State in the worst sense of the term". Remember, a Welfare state is not one that advocates  for it's citizens to exist on welfare ( though it is there for those in need), It is one that cares for the "welfare" of it's citizens, its needs, it poor, it's marginalized and it's disaffected. So what was Mr. Harper saying about the needs of Canadian Citizens and the commitment of the Canadian Government to care for the well being of all of it's citizens? 

So when the state starts to punish this segment of society- that would be the ever growing number of poor, marginalized and disenfranchised- at the behest of the uber-rich 1%, then violence is an inevitability. But again, whether it is a riot or a revolt, depends on it's leadership.

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Why Neo-Liberalism isn't Social Liberalism

*In order to avoid confusion, the definition of Liberalism in the context above,  has nothing what-so-ever to do with the modern concept of "Social" Liberalism or Progressiveness.  "Neo-Liberalism or "Classical Liberalism" is defined as:  

".. a label for the market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that stresses the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the political and economic priorities of the state" 

Neo-Liberalism of course, advocates for the elimination of trade barriers and of environmental and Governmental regulations which would allow Corporations to do business as they see's fit in order to maximize profits. The myth is, that this kind of society is good for all in that everyone would benefit from the success of big- business. There would be a "trickle-down" effect or a sharing of the profits. In reality, elimination of government regulations would see trade unions become a thing of the past. There would be no protection for employees and no collective bargaining rights. Prices for consumer items would increase while wages would plummet,  creating an every growing number of poor. And thus, the working class would become more and more beholden to the business class and workers would have fewer and fewer rights, effectively reducing them to the level of sweat-shop employees or even worse, slaves. There would be no trickle-down effect as Corporations, Share Holders and the rich would be free to keep their increased profits rather than sharing them with employees through increased wages. 

Alberta Tar Sands, Today

The Tar Sands has already transformed a mammoth section of Alberta the size of England into a grotesque, lunar land scape (It can be seen from space). Further removal of trade barriers and environmental regulations would only lead to the further destruction of our environment while our precious natural resources, like fresh water,  would be controlled by huge corporate interests. Having clean water then, would no longer be a right, but a privilege to those who could afford the ever increasing price.

And if all that weren't disastrous enough for the likes of you and I, check out this comment from Wikipedia regarding Neo/Classical-Liberalism:  

"Adopting Thomas Malthus's population theory, they saw poor urban conditions as inevitable, as they believed population growth would outstrip food production; and they considered that to be desirable, as starvation would help limit population growth. They opposed any income or wealth redistribution, which they believed would be dissipated by the lowest orders".

So according to Neo-Liberal doctrine, starvation of the poor, who are seen as a drain on the economy,  is a good thing as it is a natural means of population control.  

And here are just a few names of some Canadians who would proudly claim to be adherents of the European Economist , Friedrich Hayek who was an unabashed Neo-Liberalist:

-Tom Flanagan, ( Influential Conservative policy adviser)

- Preston Manning,(founder of the Reform Party of Canada along with Stephen Harper, and founder of the Manning Centre, a right-wing think-tank that influences Government policy and provides strategic support to the Conservative Party of Canada.

-Ted Morton (who is currently running for the leadership of the Alberta Conservative Party),

-Jim  Flaherty (our current federal finance minister),

and of course, far from being  last and certainly not the least of whom is:

- Stephen Harper, our Prime Minister. 

And we wonder why riots are occurring with increasing regularity around the world.