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by Tony Palmeri
May 27, 2001
Northeast Wisconsin has been hit hard by "globalization," the euphemism for the latest phase in a centuries old story of the hard working masses used and abused by an uneasy coalition of corporate greedmeisters, spineless and toadying politicians, and a lapdog press. (You know, the kind of coalition that calls big box, predatory pricing retail stores "good for the community.") I say "uneasy" coalition because there are always forces among the politicians and the press willing to fight the greedmeisters and stand up for the people.
One such fighter in the press corps is Matt Rothschild, editor of the Progressive Magazine. Founded by Fightin' Bob LaFollette in 1909, the Progressive has never deviated from its mission: " . . . to be a journalistic voice for peace and social justice at home and abroad. The magazine, its affiliates, and its staff steadfastly oppose militarism, the concentration of power in corporate hands, the disenfranchisement of the citizenry, poverty, and prejudice in all its guises. We champion peace, social and economic justice, civil rights, civil liberties, human rights, a preserved environment, and a reinvigorated democracy."
On May 19, Rothschild was the featured speaker at the annual Fox Valley Civil Liberties Dinner. He spoke on the topic of "Globalization's Threat To Civil Liberties." Rothschild, a former "Nader Raider" and former editor of Multinational Monitor, argued that contemporary world economic organizations and policies such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), NAFTA, and GATT are all part of a "corporate globalization" that have produced a large-scale protest movement around the globe. Protests reached the United States in a dramatic way during the Seatlle WTO meeting in November/December of 1999, but according to Rothschild US activists have been late to join struggles against such things as sweatshop labor and for such things as living wages.
Rothschild presented evidence to support the claim that with corporate globalization has come the resurgence of an "old form of repression" that includes assaults on the right to assembly, violations of freedom of speech, infiltration of activist organizations, and police brutality. For example, in Seattle the police designated 25 blocks of downtown as a "no protest zone." one protester was arrested for carrying a sign that said "I have a right to nonviolent protest," while another went to jail for handing our copies of the First Amendment.
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Police brutality at globalization protest events has included "political paddywagoning," in which scores of protesters are hauled away to jail for doing nothing more than marching and chanting slogans; excessive use of pepper spray; and placing of protesters into the controversial "restraint chair." Judges have imposed excessive bail on protesters, while infiltration of anti-globalization movements resembles that of the FBI Counterintelligence (COINTELPRO) program of the 1960s and 70s.
Corporations are fully aware that anger at global greed policies is not limited to protests at meetings of the WTO and other other organizations. Take a look at how a large corporation handled a layoff in Manitowoc Wisconsin recently: "Newell's latest layoffs were particularly devastating to workers at the Washington Street headquarters of the Mirro Company. Notices of termination came suddenly at the end of the work day and security guards were placed at entrances and exits to assure employee departures were without incident." (Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, May 20, 2001).
The World Trade Organization has announced that it wants to hold its next meeting in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar--a nation in which public protest is illegal!
Rothschild closed his comments by pointing out that now, more than ever, organizations that support civil liberties are vital. The Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union can be found at http://www.aclu-wi-org/