Reflections on the G20

Time and space always make for better analysis so I thought it best to take a break after the recent G20 conference here in Pittsburgh. I have to admit that for me the whole thing was a bit of a letdown- both in terms of the protests impact on the global elites and the negative image earned by some of the protestors by their actions. If there was ever a stage set to educate the public about the evils of global fascism, this was certainly it. Unfortunately, that opportunity was squandered by the impact of younger "anarchists" (quotes intended) that seemed to go out of their way to reinforce their nihlist view of the world and lose any hope of support from the local populace.

Two observations stick out in my head. First, it was easier to get in and out of Pittsburgh during the G20 than on any other day except perhaps a holiday. While I fully expected roadblocks, protestors hurling molotov cocktails at barricades and burning tires, I was instead greeted by bored looking Pennsylvania guardsmen wearing what looked like size 4X body armor (seriously fellas, start doing some crunches.) The police and military presence was so overwhelming that it seemed to suck the spirit right out of the opposition. Second, I finally came to the conclusion that I have pondered for many years. Many "anarchists" that have shown up at these types of events are not anarchists in the traditional sense- rather, they are overprivileged little college aged brats intent on breaking things for the hell of it instead of trying to bring the masses to a positive message- namely, the spreading growth and power of the state at the expense of the little guy, the freedom of independent thought and action and the slavery of state dependence.

I'm all for opposing the uncontrolled growth and power of the federal government, the state government and even my local government. I oppose the global economic and political systems that have destroyed the rights of individuals all over this planet and exploited the many for the benefit of the few. Still, I can't figure out how breaking the windows of a local business moves the anarchist message forward. Instead, it galvanizes local resistance against the anarchist message. I warned anarchists for months about this.

I thought two protests were done well. Greenpeace hanging their banner on one of the city bridges won large scale media coverage much of which seemed to carry a message of grudging respect. Even the police interviewed about it had to admit it took balls to scale the bridge and hang a couple of hundred feet above the Ohio River. Many Pittsburghers saw the story on television and probably more than a few took the time to look a little more into the Greenpeace message. The Buddhist monk protests against Chinese oppression in Tibet and against the repression of monks in Myanmar were also extremely effective. The media showed the quiet strength, compassion and stoicism of Buddhism contrasted with the cold depravities of the state. I'm sure that many viewers were taken aback by the images of these protests- unarmed monks walking with serene and absolute focus contrasted against armed police and soldiers.

Pittsburgh is an especially provincial town with extremely tight family and ethnic ties- the absolute worst thing you could do was take actions that impacted the local populace. Sympathetic rioting from Pitt students certainly didn't help either. And what was the end result ? Local business guy cleaning up glass on television while his female employees explained how they hid behind the counter while they were under attack. Way to go guys, way to build public support. And how did this affect the G20 globalists ? It didn't. Perversely, it probably built support for the state and its promise of protection and tranquility (with the unspoken price of personal freedom and liberty.)And so, the struggle continues.

Bayer to install G-20 sign for Pittsburgh summit

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported today that Bayer plans to install a G-20 welcome sign on Mount Washington for the upcoming summit. For those unfamiliar with Pittsburgh, Bayer already maintains a lighted sign on the top of Mount Washington. The sign is easily visible from downtown Pittsburgh and has been a fixture of the skyline for many years. The new, temporary, sign stating that "Pittsburgh Welcomes the World" will be affixed to the older permanent sign which if memory serves me was originally built by and for Alcoa.

I'm sure that every anarchist group coming to Pittsburgh just lit up with the glee at the prospect of either destroying or replacing the sign with their own art work. A substitute sign along the lines of "Pittsburgh Hates Fascist Assholes" might be better suited, or perhaps "Free to a good home- Pittsburgh Pirates" for those hoping to export our team to someplace else. My pick would be "Japan- Stop Killing Whales" but I may have to get by with just wearing a tee shirt to that effect.

On a more serious note perhaps Bayer's marketing mavens can create a sign that simply says "Sorry" preferably in Hebrew, Russian, Polish, Czech, French (and a dozen other languages depending on the font size) for Bayer's activities during World War 2 and its role in Nazi Germany- something the company has not apologized for. Sorry, but I have a real problem with this company welcoming the G20 stooges to my city on my behalf, especially one built on such a terrible past.

Old County jail coming out of retirement for G20.

Local media has reported that the old Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh may be used for holding arrested protestors at the G20 summit in September. The old jail, located right accross the street from the Allegheny County Courthouse, is an imposing structure and well known Pittsburgh landmark. I always thought it would have made a great redevelopment project as a downtown brew pub.

Anarchists, and Rumors of Anarchists

In advance of September's G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, the local media has already begun to build the pre-game hype. Recent television, and print, reports have both hinted darkly of the police training in the use of riot equipment and anarchists training for confrontation. One breathless reporter carried the story of a group of squatters, some of whom were from Europe, found living in an abandoned house in the Polish Hill neighborhood. Maybe they were actual anarchists, maybe they were confused kids from Warsaw that looked on the map and thought they found a friendly place to stay.

Pittsburgh is a small media market. I think that those that come to our city in September for the first time will be surprised at how small the city actually is both in terms of geography and quality of our local media. As competitors in a small market, the local media can be expected to increase the crescendo of hype to near Superbowl proportions by the time the summit kicks off. Whether it is police attacking anarchists, or anarchists attacking the police, it's all going to make for great ratings for them. Expect little, or no, analysis concerning the protestor's causes and lots of feedback from Uncle Stosh on the television callback lines- "Yinz are being too nice, beat all them anarchy people n'at."

As I stated in an earlier post, now is one of the few brief moments in history where the Anarchist message can gain widespread support from a public tired of government as it currently exists. The G20 can be a platform to spread this message to the populace and, for once, paint the governments of these nations as the enemy, not the anarchists, and not the rank and file police. Violence will only destroy this message. Violence on television will focus on a few anarchists breaking windows which will be the image repeated round the clock across the country. The message will be lost.

If you really want to screw the powers that be this September, join me and demonstrate peacefully. That will really piss them off.

Jackasses please steer clear of the G20

Reg Henry is an opinion columnist with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. I usually like reading his pieces. They are often harmless little puff pieces full of local insight and humor, easily read and just as easily forgotten. In one of his latest articles, he takes a shot at anarchists, and other assorted "jackasses" that may be thinking about spoiling the G20 party this fall-

• Among jackasses, the anarchists are the worst type and not just because they are poseur men (and women) in black. Nobody would vote for anarchism, for the simple reason that it can be fairly defined as the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. Er, no thank you.

Wow. Mr. Henry, a self admitted liberal and proponent of free speech, uses most of the article to bash those that would have the gall to protest at the G20 gathering. As for Hurricane Katrina, that was a poor example to use. The wave of crime that followed the hurricane was not the result of anarchy, nor can it be totally blamed on the government failing to respond quickly enough. People died in New Orleans because they, and their families, had been dependent upon the state for generations and were completely unprepared to fend for themselves. The state enslaves its citizens by use of law, taxes and hand-outs. If the government gives you something, it always takes something in return.

Mr. Henry does make a couple of valid points. Yes, Pittsburgh's citizens tend to be very proud and defensive of their home town. Trashing downtown is not going to win points in the hearts and minds of the average American sheep watching the evening news. For the first time in a generation, the combination of economic catastrophe, unemployment, disillusionment in government and the capitalist system has given the Anarchist voice some sympathetic ears to fall on.

I also agree that within any group of protesting Anarchists you will find a group of late teens, early twenties kids protesting for nothing deeper than the chance to be part of a group and break things. Hopefully, more mature voices will be heard in September and a more positive message can be sent to rouse the public from the stupor of the Obama enhanced nanny state.

G20 Leaders making their reservations

It was reported today that some of the G20 leaders will be staying at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort south of Pittsburgh. The resort is about 50 miles or so from Pittsburgh, located close to the small city of Uniontown. At $ 650 per night it's not cheap, but hey, why not when you're on an expense account being paid by the poor slobs paying their taxes back home ? For security purposes it makes sense too. There's only one major road leading to the resort and there is actually an airstrip next to the hotel which will be convenient for those bringing their own helicopters. Why stay in the confines of Pittsburgh with protesters beating drums and blowing whistles, when you can sip champagne in the mountains and decide which economy you want to wreck next ?

I've been to Nemacolin a number of times for business conventions. It was built by local boy made it big Joe Hardy who is famous for founding 84 Lumber, being a billionaire and marrying then divorcing hot young women. It's a nice place to visit but has a strange Disney World type feel to it. The main French Chateau inspired building looks jarringly out of place among the hills of Western Pennsylvania, but President Sarkozy might enjoy it. Plus he can compare notes with Mr. Hardy regarding their mutual taste in babes.

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

The local Pittsburgh media is already awash with G20 hype. The local television stations have been falling all over themselves to bring "team coverage" to the story. Pittsburgh is in reality a small city so this is big news for our crack local reporters to beat to death for the next few months. Every angle is being covered- the economic impact for local hotels and restaurants, political impact for the city's mayor and the prospect of both non-violent and violent protests.

What nobody seems to be saying is why would the G20 be even welcome in this city ? The G20 coming to Pittsburgh is like the serial killer that digs up his victims to play with the remains (Ted Bundy did this, but that's another story in itself.) While the White House is trying to spin this as a reward for Pittsburgh's "recovery" from its industrial past, the numbers just don't bear it out. Pittsburgh has continually lost population over the past 30 years as its industrial base withered away and moved overseas thanks to the same forces of globalization represented by the G20.

Sure, Pittsburgh is now a robotics and healthcare powerhouse but if you're not designing robots or working for UPMC, what do you have left ? I encourage the G20 to take a tour of Hazlewood, Braddock, Duquesne and maybe take a field trip to Brownsville in Fayette County for lunch. Take a look at the ghost towns that straddle the Monongahela River which once buzzed with activity. Take a long look at the silent, rusting industrial hulks that employed entire towns. Their departure has, in turn, led to empty storefronts, declining school districts and even closed and consolidated churches. I work for myself and travel quite extensively around Southwestern Pennsylvania on a daily basis. Some of the areas I drive through seem like something out of movie- little ghost towns, industrial ruins, turkeys and deer running amok as nature reclaims its place.

Pittsburgh's primary exports are no longer industrial- its our young people who, degree in hand, head off to Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix or any of a number of other metropolitan areas looking for educated kids with a good work ethic. Allegheny County (home of Pittsburgh) has the 2nd most geriatric population in the United States. Although many locals would say its because Pittsburghers have such strong roots and never want to leave the area, I would argue that many more would if they could afford to. The police planning for the G20 probably shouldn't worry about young kids spoiling the show- I would worry about platoons of grannies ramming their scooters into the barricades.

G20 Conference Coming to Pittsburgh

Break out the gas masks, the Gang of 20 is coming to Pittsburgh.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09148/973412-100.stm?cmpid=latest.xml

That's a Thursday and Friday. Why not make it a long weekend ?