Louis P. wrote:
Michael, this was very interesting for what it reflects about British
politics, but I would suggest that the issues underlying the petrol
protests transcend the British Isles. For the forseeable future, we will be
dealing with a world-wide nexus of issues that could have profound
political signficance:
1. Declining energy reserves
2. Global warming (the British petrol tax was designed to reduce usage so
as to lessen greenhouse emissions.)
3. Growing nationalist ferment in oil producing countries (the head of OPEC
is a Venezuelan who belonged to an armed insurgency group in the 1960s.)
4. 'Proletarian methods of struggle' adopted by non-proletarian layers
might have a detonator effect, just as student protests did in the 1960s.
5. etc.
===
Absolutely. The trouble with the UK protests and their tabloid cheerleaders
(who are trying to make this an anti-tax campaign -- there is now a move to
start a boycott of beer! (some hope)) is that there is precious little in
the way of internationalism in their guiding philosophy. Instead there is a
lot of rubbish being spoken of "the right to cheap petrol" with little
recognition of where that petrol comes from, how it is appropriated, and why
it is that we are so dependent on a source of energy over which there is
less than desired control. Jingoism -- the lingering residue of Thatcherism
-- militates against the sort of internationalism necessary for a
progressive analysis and response. But that could change, if only there were
sufficient numbers ready to organise around a clearly Left platform.
Unfortunately, in this regard, it appears that the United States polity is
well ahead of the British. And I am fearful that the sort of "friendly
fascism" (to use Bertram Gross's highly appropriate term) that is "New
Labour" would, one way or another, quickly descend into the distinctly
unfriendly variety, as Blair and co do everything to avoid the charges
levelled by Murdoch, Black, et al of simply caving in to disorder as they
accused Callaghan in 1979.
Michael K.
ps It seems that the UK govt has abandoned its much trumpeted "ethical"
foreign policy, which insiders have apparently admitted has been a disaster.
As one cartoonist rendered it, now arms company executives can sell to
whomsoever they like with a clear conscience.
