Blackspot

The Summer of Rage

Will a tsunami of middle-class dissent wash away governments worldwide?

Iceland was first and now Latvia has become the second European government to collapse as a direct result of the protests sparked by the global economic crisis (source). In Dublin, more than 120,000 workers protested outside of the Irish Parliament in a campaign organizers say is inspired by what was done to Iceland's government (source). And in the UK, the head of the Metropolitan police's public order branch, is warning of a 'Summer of Rage' that will involve mass protests by middle-class citizens fed up with the economic situation (source). A tsunami of dissent is coming and it is not clear what will remain and what will be remade.

The economic recession is now impacting the majority of people in most countries in the world. There is a growing sense of global solidarity among the people who see their governments spending billions of dollars to rescue the banks who are to blame for the crisis. With the visible success of protesters in Iceland and Latvia - who managed to topple their governments relatively nonviolently - the realm of possibility seems to be expanding.

It feels like the the time may be approaching for a global movement to take hold which intends to rethink capitalism and the systems of world governance. Instead of demanding the resignation of a Prime Minister, what if this global movement demanded the resignation of the whole system?

Does the moment feel ripe in your town? What would you like to see as a result of the global protests?

Micah M. White is a Contributing Editor at Adbusters Magazine and an independent activist. www.micahmwhite.com

56 comments on the article “The Summer of Rage”

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Anonymous

the spelling is carl drega and gordon kahl,and yes this is what government gets when they mess with the 'private generation'. and yes they too are modern heros. we either have freedom or we don't.

Anonymous

the spelling is carl drega and gordon kahl,and yes this is what government gets when they mess with the 'private generation'. and yes they too are modern heros. we either have freedom or we don't.

mr. sane

the middle class are the ones who are begining to withdraw thier consent for the goverment to rule over them. all the people i know that are so normal looking and acting are preparing. they are also cheating the tax system in a huge and orginized way, these are people that whould never think this way 10 or 20 years ago. i have to agree with the crazy tyler post. when i over hear people talking about tim mcviegh as a hero,i think thats ominous. this is not going to be a nonviolent protest, its going to be ugly and murderous. and of course the state will respond by hurting the innocent and striping the bill of rights and constitution. god bless us all.

mr. sane

the middle class are the ones who are begining to withdraw thier consent for the goverment to rule over them. all the people i know that are so normal looking and acting are preparing. they are also cheating the tax system in a huge and orginized way, these are people that whould never think this way 10 or 20 years ago. i have to agree with the crazy tyler post. when i over hear people talking about tim mcviegh as a hero,i think thats ominous. this is not going to be a nonviolent protest, its going to be ugly and murderous. and of course the state will respond by hurting the innocent and striping the bill of rights and constitution. god bless us all.

Piotr Stepanovitch

The middle class itself is in it's majority, alienated. Most people can't see any alternative. Yet, they start to awaken, rejoining the political dissenters, the social movements, the civil society in protest against what's happening. The whole trick, in a regional, national context, is to capitalize on the contradicitons of the system and the social turmoil to actually tranform this context into a antoher in wich demands and change are possible. After that point, a global movement might emerge, marking a new start. For the International, global change, protest, that everyone must do the most given it's regional context. This is not the time of the uprising at the peripheries of the neo-colonial construct. Just watch: a termor at the Heart of the system sends shockwaves around the world. The victory will come from the Heart (USA) and the Center (Occident) of the system. By overthrowing the system in those spheres, the rest shall be freed. ... Immanuel Wallersteim is very useful sometimes.

Piotr Stepanovitch

The middle class itself is in it's majority, alienated. Most people can't see any alternative. Yet, they start to awaken, rejoining the political dissenters, the social movements, the civil society in protest against what's happening. The whole trick, in a regional, national context, is to capitalize on the contradicitons of the system and the social turmoil to actually tranform this context into a antoher in wich demands and change are possible. After that point, a global movement might emerge, marking a new start. For the International, global change, protest, that everyone must do the most given it's regional context. This is not the time of the uprising at the peripheries of the neo-colonial construct. Just watch: a termor at the Heart of the system sends shockwaves around the world. The victory will come from the Heart (USA) and the Center (Occident) of the system. By overthrowing the system in those spheres, the rest shall be freed. ... Immanuel Wallersteim is very useful sometimes.

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