May Day
May Day arrives. Here in england there is great fear in the media that the riots of last year may be repeated.
I can’t help think that governments at the moment are walking a very dangerous path. They condemn these people as extremists and terrorists, thinking that their views are as marginal as their actions.
But the desperation that drives the few to violence is widespread. The views that cause small parts of our societies to actions of violence are not uncommon.
I saw a documentary from Pakistan, presented by Imran Khan and highlighting the views of many of his countrymen after the September 11th attacks. While most people are horrified at the terrorism, the attitude to America and the west most extremely espoused by the terrorists is widespread. America and the west is seen as imperialist and exploitative, in bed with exploiters of the world’s poor.
This is not helped by reports about possible changes after Saddam Hussein is overthrown. US oil companies are already investing in the Iraq oil industry and are poised to go in and rebuild the oil fields of Iraq.
How magnanimous of them.