We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Anti-corporate pirates lampoon corporate plunderers

by Paul Benedek from Green Left. 

Corporate executives are meeting at a conference in Australia organized by Forbes, a privately owned, premier multi-media company catering to the information needs of the world richest corporate plunderers. Sponsors of the conference consist of a combination of Australian governments and corporations. 

It is places like this, not in your congresses or parliaments, where real economic policies are formulated that decide the fates of working people, communities, nations, and the planet. Then they are referred to the fake democratic institutions, sponsored by these corporations, for ratification.

The political attitudes of the true global leaders of our fates were candidly expressed by one US billionaire investor:
I believe in capitalism. Capitalism to me is a spiritual concept. Democracy just gets in the way. Democracy is annoying. Let them buy stuff and eat cake. Where I come from, if you don't believe in capitalism you're going to hell.
Australian activists aware of their plundering activities showed up at the conference to protest.
 



Police and protesters scramble for the upper hand outside the Forbes Global CEO Conference at the Opera House last night.







For other photos, check this out.
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