Dear HCN,
I have some problems with
Jon Margolis’ Washington Watch (HCN, 1/31/00: Protesters raised the
right questions): Some anti-WTO demonstrators’ arguments might or
might not have been “silly,” but one adjective does not constitute
a counterargument. Some of the costumes were “silly’? We readers
and the protesters in the street struggles deserve more than a
one-word dismissal – I rather liked those sea turtle
outfits.
Concerns raised by the demonstrators did
not include “pluses and minuses of corporate dominance.” They were
about one big minus: corporate
dominance.
Margolis tells us that the West is
“more dominated by government, meaning by the democratic process,
than any other region.” I hope this is merely an off-the-cuff
cleverness, not to be taken seriously. Surely he doesn’t mean to
equate government and democratic process.
Casting
himself as a “non-ideologue with no dog in the fight,” Margolis
finds it “impossible to look at the world and not conclude that
more trade is better than less.” Look again, the dog’s
there.
We’re told that “politically” we needn’t
worry that public land might become commodified, because it’s an
idea pushed only by “far-fringe ideologues.” Again, this strange
and imaginary bar between “ideologues’ and squeaky-clean others who
are presumed bereft of agenda. Also, let’s remind ourselves: the
“center” sometimes moves fringeward.
Then there
was gratuitous condescension toward the French farmer, Bové.
That was not cute.
Martin
Murie
North Bangor, New
York
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline WTO protesters deserve better.
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