I've been flipping through a gallery of photos of the protests in London during the G20 conference. It the usual fare of masked people and cops picking fights with each other.
I don't need to go off here on my opinions on modern mass demonstrations. In short, there is usually a fair chunk of people who don't actually care about the issues in question, but just want an excuse to get their own agenda some attention...and that kind of selfishness is pretty anti-civil disobedience. A more long-winded post can be found here.
So anyway, flipping through the album, I came across this photo. I'd like to draw your attention to the sign on the right-hand side of the frame. It says "Stop World War 3 over Iraq! Nuclear Holocaust." Again, part of the problem with mass demonstrations is that they aren't necessarily conducive to any sort of exchange that would nurture understanding.
Now, if you have a load of people shouting, "We Want Bread!" that's one thing. But this guy's sign confuses me. How is Iraq connected to a potential outbreak of WW III? It was my understanding that the situation had calmed there somewhat and that Afghanistan was the new danger zone. It can't possibly mean that terrorists will get ahold of nuclear missiles in Iraq since it has long been known that there aren't any there.
It could be two separate thoughts like, "stop WW III in Iraq, but also nuclear holocaust as well!" There is not only a grammatical problem here, but why cram two thoughts into one sign? Surely even putting one on the front of the sign and the other on the back would work well. Even if this were the case, Obama and Medvedev held a press conference to talk about nuclear disarmament. I know that for both Russians and Americans, the word of their opposite's president is not held in super high regard, but I think there is reason for optimism with this particular issue. So it would seem that we are in no imminent danger of nuclear holocaust.
As far as the rest of the picture, "Captalism isn't Working!" is fair and, "Democracy is an illusion!" is believable from a certain point of view. "Once Currency, One Country" is incomplete so I can't really judge it, but it looks like the kind of statement you'd hear from right-wing British nationalists afraid of the Euro. Strange that they would be mixing with leftists and anarchists. Also, if you're flipping through the gallery look out for the guy carrying the sign saying "Consumerists Suck!" There's so much wrong with that statement that I don't know where to start.
Sorry if I seem bitter and cynical, but well if you know me, you know my thoughts on this stuff. If you don't, well, you generally won't find me in places like this...largely because of the idiots who are photographed by major newspapers.
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