July 23, 2001

Did y'all see the picture of the dead fellow in Italy this past week? He was protesting the G-8 summit, and was shot twice in the head by cops. This whole protesting world summit leader conferences thing is such crap. Ever since Seattle. Crap crap and more crap. Look, what's the deal with these guys anyways? In the first place, the fact that there are world leader meetings that are closed doors should not be happening in the first place. We'll take that as a given. And we'll forget about it. It's a separate issue. The point is, they ARE happening. And what are people doing about it?

They're protesting. Okay, good. It's a civil right to protest. Everybody can do it. I encourage and support it. But what of the violence? What of the looters? What of the people who attack police? There are people who go down there for the express purpose of being violent towards authority figures. Can't they get it through their thick brains that the violence is hurting their cause more than helping it? Can't they see that by being violent, they're making themselves look bad, and the leaders look like heroes under siege? I see signs up at SFU all the time. "Come see what real democracy is! Come learn more about the Battle of Seattle!". Bull-fucking-shit. That isn't real democracy. That's mob rule. That's people going down and getting swept up in the moment. That's crowd mentality. Crowds are notoriously far stupider than individuals. It's true. This is a few people making a big ruckus, and other peaceful protesters getting co-opted into their movement. And then they get pepper sprayed. Well duh, of course if you start to attack police officers, they're going to defend themselves.

Real democracy is elected officials making decisions on behalf of the country. Real democracy is that the minorities are getting screwed. All the time. The protesters are the minority. How do I know this? Because Jean Chretien is the prime minister. And George W. is the president. And if the protesters were a majority........that wouldn't happen. Or if it did, the protesters are all idiots. Which is quite possible. Perhaps they formed a mob when they wanted to go vote. The point is.....if they voted for these guys, they deserve what's coming. That's how democracy works. If they voted for the other guy...they maybe don't deserve what's coming.......but they're damn well going to have to live with it. Because they're the minority. And that's how democracy works too. You get the idea that democracy is bullshit? Well, yeah, it is if you're in the minority. But it's kick ass awesome if you're in the majority.

Once again, I must reiterate. People attacking police is not democracy. At least not when the police officers are there protecting the country as the executive arm of the popularly elected legislative arm. This, my friends is what's known as anarchy. And it's true too. There are some in that Seattle crowd who would call themselves anarchists. But please. Don't mislabel it. You do your fellow Americans (and the silent majority) a disservice.