So, Agnieszka, her friend Justyna and I were in the Castro last night, and I went into a Starbucks to use the bathroom. This guy standing in line behind me for the bathroom started a little discussion with me and I have to tell you, that is the most references to the Clueless with Alicia Silverstone I've ever heard in a 5 minute period. Much more entertaining than the man in front who mumblingly told me to avoid having a pinched nerve in your back, because if you do, you might end up crawling around the streets and someone might call the police. But he did have to admit, the policemen were "dears". I didn't actually start either of these discussions.... hehe.
As you might expect, I am quite aware of the violence in Rostock that left 400 policemen and hundreds of protesters injured and led to 150 arrests. Frighteningly, although I don't condone throwing bricks at police officers in any way, I can't condemn the anger that they feel. George Bush is trying to co-opt the conference's once possibly legitimate topic, how to fight climate change, and suggest a weaker platform to be discussed at the end of 2008 (right before he leaves office).
The world is getting angry. Globalization is not just bringing together the leaders and businessmen of the world to profit off the backs of the poor. It's also bringing together the anger or the "tired, poor, huddled masses". I honestly think the situation is getting so dire that there is barely another outlet rather than brutal violence for that level of society. I have the ability to study and at least avoid some of the direct effects. But can any of us honestly tell an uneducated, unemployed worker from Serbia that he should calm down, work hard and wait for the situation to improve? To me, I think Lenin and Mao were just a little premature. Marx's concept of the poor being pushed more and more towards a breaking point seems to be becoming ever more evident.
Pete Seeger - Turn, Turn, Turn
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