Q. Has there ever been any regime that was toppled because of disruption to corporate interests? A. In fact I think it would be hard for you to find an example of a regime being toppled for any other reason. Allende in Chile, Mossadegh in Iran, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman in Guatemala, Patrice Lumumba in Congo, Sukarno in Indonesia, on and on, and to a considerable degree, the coup in Egypt. Each of these regimes were toppled because their policies disrupted corporate profits, so there is no question about the ability of multinationals to orchestrate the removal of a regime. The difference in what I am talking about is popular disruption of corporate interests in order to commandeer corporations ability to remove and replace a regime if doing so is the only way those corporations can achieve profitability. You see, the equation itself is not new, I am simply suggesting that we add a new element to it. Even this is not an unproven strategy. Rebels in Aceh were only able to achieve autonomy (which included the right to implement Shariah), after they severely disrupted ExxonMobiles operations in the province. Their approach was so effective that it brought intervention from the United States government more or less ordering Jakarta to concede. Other examples, which I have mentioned before, can be found in Latin America, particularly Bolivian activist campaigns against Bechtel. However it is important to clarify something, though what is written above should already make it abundantly clear : the reality is that if multinationals can remove or appoint your government, they are your government. In my view, therefore, and in light of the nature of Mulk Jabaryy rule, toppling or establishing a subordinate government is not the proper motive for targeting corporate interests. We target corporate interests because they are the government, and we demand our rights from them. I have no preference with regard to what tactics are used to target them, whether armed or unarmed, so long as the tactics are effective. #Open_Source_Revolution
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 23:53:21 +0000