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World Politics, Blame and the Environment
by Brian Risman, Publisher, www thelawjournal co uk - 25 August 2002
Page 6 of 7
The problem with ecological solutions, however, is that they are so elitist that no politician in the West can sell it to their populace. Equally, Third World peasants only care about their immediate needs for survival. Western politicians simply cannot go to their electorate and tell them that they will lose their jobs when these solutions are implemented. What the Third World ignores is that the Western worker is not a Capitalist billionaire -- they are simply, like them, working people attempting to make a living under frequently daunting circumstances. In the West, these workers have a vote -- and while they don't want to hurt the environment (witness the popularity of recycling programs), they cannot be expected to commit economic suicide. In the same vein, agreements signed by Third World despots mean nothing to their populace, who unlike their Western counterparts have no say in the implementation. Not that the despots care to implement these agreements -- they prefer to heap all blame on the West. Meanwhile, their population, similar to their Western counterparts, have no buy-in in their economic suicide. These solutions, then, do not take into account the reality and viability -- and acceptance -- of implementation among the world's people. Until realistic solutions are achieved, there will be no implementation, no improvement, no buy-in by people, wherever they are in the world.
Given the above issues, does the Johannesburg Sustainable Development summit have a chance? I certainly hope that it succeeds, and produces real -- and realistic -- plans that can be economically implemented without hurting the survival of working people everywhere. However, the signs are not good. President Bush of the United States is not attending the summit, suggesting that environmental issues are not a priority of his government. Equally, the extremist, fanatical violent riots/ demonstrations have begun in Johannesburg. Yes, these extremist are pleased these issues are being addressed -- yet they still must riot to make their point. What they don't realise is that riots such as the Seattle summit in 1999 only alienate the populace as a whole -- their message gets lost in violent news clips. Their issues are valid and deserve consideration -- yet as in the Quebec City summit, the peaceful demonstrations of the many become overshadowed by the anarchistic violence of the few. So a good message gets lost once again.
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