The G-8, 20 And The Power Deprived
By Timothy Reeder
28 June, 2010
Countercurrents.org
If you were looking for coverage of the recent U.S. Social Forum in Detroit, where tens of thousands came from around the world for four days to strengthen social movements and advance a progressive agenda, you may have missed this important story if you get your news from the main stream media. Rather, this event was eclipsed by effusive MSM reporting of the gargantuan and insanely expensive security measures leading up to the G-8 & G-20 meetings in Toronto .
In its familiar stenographic, unquestioning fashion, the corporate “Fourth Estate” has once again dictated the news agenda for the rest of us with reporting designed to carry a message of fear and intimidation. They chose to focus on the inordinate security preparations in Toronto without investigating what justifies such overkill. They packaged their information product in sound bites and sexy uniformed images and called this informing the public. A public thusly “informed” could then rest their beautiful minds as the power elite spent at least a billion dollars making a temporary garrison out of a metropolis, ostensibly to protect themselves from “imminent” threats of terror. Threats like domestic protesters, peaceful marches, and freely expressed dissent by the power-deprived. The kind of boisterous opposition that could become popular, overwhelm the news cycle and, god forbid, influence the corporate agenda of the world's top economies.
With competent and intellectually honest reporting of the Detroit social forum and the Toronto summits, there existed opportunities to contrast the wealth of expenditures on temporary security with the stories of everyday people entrenched in a steadily eroding economic landscape. Stories of people from the grassroots pushing for change through people's movement assemblies geared toward community governance. Activists who believe that they are the solution they've been looking for and taking responsibility for being the change they want to see in the world. Compare this to the kind of top-down globalization process in the hands of a few economic elites who offer the masses more “austerity programs” which is code for bone-exposing social cut-backs and further privatization of the commons.
The social forum's slogan “Another World Is Possible, Another U.S. is Necessary” states the urgency felt by participants to pick up where the government and corpocracy had long ago left off. In a city mired in chronic divestment and urban decay, the story of the success of the Detroit community gardens project, currently the largest and fastest growing urban agriculture movement in the U.S. is a case in point. It is being built by a city-dwelling population who has been deserted by virtually all produce-carrying national grocery chains, and it illustrates the people's ability to assume responsibility for feeding themselves and providing work for their community.
The MSM, on the other hand, gives us the success story of the rapid construction of the $5.5 million dollar three-meter high security fence that encloses four city blocks around the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. People, including taxpayers funding these temporary measures, who wish to enter the security zone, are subject to body searches and X-ray scans, and required to show official government identification. All others are turned away.
For journalists, the “G” meet-ups seem to be an invitation only event as evidenced by the exclusion of many, even main stream reporters by, at times, forcible removal. A journalist on the scene early Sunday states, "As I was escorted away from the demonstration, I saw two officers hold a journalist. The journalist identified himself as working for 'the Guardian.' He talked too much and pissed the police off. Two officers held him a third punched him in the stomach…”
While police harassments go virtually unreported in the corporate media, news releases, the timing of which seems to fit a pattern of reporting seen at previous summits, strive to show how the demonstrators are the sole aggressors and perpetrators of violent acts. This is then illustrated with video and images of broken windows and shots of mobs marching and shouting. Following closely their formula of news dissemination, the print and TV reporters always remind us of the well armed security force guarding fortress V.I.P. No one seems to be interested enough to ask the police why they aggressively herd peaceful groups of demonstrators like sheep into street traps meant to provoke anger and frustration.
Respected Canadian journalist, Steve Paikin, tweeting on scene said, "Police on one side screamed at the crowd to leave one way. Then police on the other side said leave the other way. There was no way out," he said. "So the police just started arresting people. I stress, this was a peaceful, middle class, diverse crowd. No anarchists. Literally more than 100 officers with guns pointing at the crowd. Rubber bullets and smoke bombs ready to be fired. Rubber bullets fired."
With an addiction to the adrenaline of fear that armor clad militarized police, private security armies, and city fortification provide them, the MSM furiously pumps out these images into the ether. Corporate media and their sponsors are high on what a fearful public will purchase and watch. This “drug” will wear off soon and to get another fix before the story disappears, any footage that conveys even a hint of aggressive behavior or agitation on the part of protesters is quickly captured, labeled “anarchist” and broadcast. The controlled coverage of this three day private event is provided by “embedded” journalists. These reporters, mostly insulated from the action in the streets, file their reports and mouth corporate-approved talking points and commentary.
The MSM's virtual coverage blackout of the U.S Social Forum seems to send the message that efforts of everyday people working together to take charge of and improve their communities is unimportant news; unworthy of more than a passing mention, if any.
The draconian security measures of the G summits are there to send another message to the people: “the elite are in charge of your world and there's nothing you can do about it. And see, we've got the troops and treasure to back this up. You are, in reality, controlled before you start. So if you even bother to express how you feel, don't dare step out of the free-speech zone we have provided for you.”
You remember that kind of “free-speech zone”, don't you? The ones we're used to seeing, for example, in cities hosting national political conventions. Its located in the parking lot across town ringed in chain link cages from within which you can rant against the new world order all you want because nobody will hear you.
Timothy Reeder is a free lance writer and registered nurse residing in northern California. [email protected]
Sources:
http://www.guernicamag.com/features/1182/food_among_the_ruins/
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/24/
detroit_urban_agriculture_movement_looks_to
http://www.ussf2010.org/node/368
http://www.vancouversun.com/index.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/06/27
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Paikin
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_
content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=5326
http://www.justicewithpeace.org/node/1531
