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How far we have come in 30 short years. It took us several years for us to come to a realization that the behavior of the Chicago police and Mayor Daley at the infamous 1968 Democratic convention was unacceptable to us. In Seattle 99, a sinking ship was righted quickly.

The news media was obviously caught flatfooted regarding the protests to World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle. They initially trotted out the biased, special interest Washington establishment "talking heads", and condemned all the protesters rather than the select few guilty of the violence. Quickly the news media shifted, and we began seeing what the protests were all about.

Franklin Roosevelt eloquently stated the desires of all free people when he named them, and Norman Rockwell painted them. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. (Speech excerpt.) On these, most of us can agree and only the means of achievement are debatable.

Alan Keyes, the only Republican presidential candidate to comment on the Seattle debacle, stated it best in the recent New Hampshire debate. The World Trade Organization is about giving up our control of the four freedoms to a non-elected body outside of the control of the American people. 

Should we be involved in the World Trade Organization? Probably. The debatable question is what do we wish to accomplish? While the protestors stated issues that are as diverse as the protestors themselves, there is one common fear amongst them. That, singularly, is whether the WTO will promote the four freedoms, or will they promote the pocket-lining of the multi-national corporations and tyrannical governments, a group that has a very bad track record of promoting human rights. (See related article by Stuart Wilde.)

This is a fear well-founded, even in a very free society such as America, where our national, state, and many local legislative bodies have been for sale to the highest bidder. Nowhere, is this fear more substantiated than in the US vs. Microsoft debates.  Any good deeds by Bill Gates in recent years are more than negated by Microsoft's clumsy attempt to slash the Department of Justice's budget through legislative means. This was nothing but retribution for their impending loss before Judge Jackson.  Even if we forget all the other issues, this deed alone deserves our attention and a first grade punishment for Microsoft.

Just as Microsoft is highly capable of such blatant misbehavior, so are most of the multi-national corporations, and they are deserving of our distrust. If we are not careful in our membership of the WTO, we could lose this right of punishment of the likes of Microsoft. This, in the end was the common thread of the protestors.

So what did I learn from Seattle? I condemn the over aggressive reaction of the police force against the non-violent demonstrators, the blocking off of 50 square blocks of no protest, and the use of tear gas and pepper spray on non-involved local citizens. This immediate reaction by the police is what we have sadly come to expect.

But more importantly, I highly commend the shift by local authorities to protect the rights of the non-violent demonstrators as the demonstrations went on. This is an unexpected outcome that shows the newfound power of the people. This shift in attitude would only have taken place in a progressive city like Seattle. If the WTO meeting had taken place in New York City under the present fascist-style regimen there, then the outcome could have been more like Chicago 1968. 

In the end, the citizens of Seattle have much to be proud of as their government has shown the ability to quickly correct an initial wrong. Governments, like humans, make mistakes and should not be judged on the mistakes alone but on their ability to repent and correct injustices. Should there be an investigation of police brutality in Seattle? You betcha', for the initial reaction of local authorities was much less than desired, but there was a glimmer of hope. The positive incidents in Seattle are something we all can build on.

Recommended book:

"Lost Rights: The Destruction of American Liberty"
by James Bovard.

Info/Order book

bobby jennings is co-publisher of InnerSelf Publications and webmaster of InnerSelf.com. Originally a Democrat for many years, he moved to the Republican party in the mid 1980's and the Green Party in 2000. He now supports common sense initiatives from all parties and votes independently in the general elections. He supports small efficient honest government, government managed capitalism, an independent judiciary, religious tolerance, as well as social and economic justice. He is an ex-Army officer and retired small business owner. He best describes himself as a now extinct "Eisenhower Republican".

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