Saturday, July 16, 2005
Outlaws and States
The Independent Media Center http://www.indymedia.org/en/index.shtml coverage of UN troops killing civilians in Haiti this morning illustrates an important fact about international organizations like the UN, IMF, and World Bank: they serve the interests of states and the economic powers that control them--not the interests of people.
While many otherwise astute folks almost invariably look to the UN as a moderating force in peace and security initiatives, it should not be overlooked that it is an institution of governments--answerable to the powerful, not the powerless. And as such, it can hardly be expected to overly concern itself with ethnic groups and first nations opposed to the neoliberal agenda of conquest.
As long as the right to exist and determine one's well-being independent of the state and market is considered rebellious by these institutions, those who pursue human dignity will be treated as outlaws, and their murders will be justified accordingly. After fourteen years of UN-sanctioned social and economic warfare against the Iraqi people, you'd think the saintly veneer of this organization would be a little tarnished. But I guess illusions die hard, especially when they expose the horrendous cruelty of the modern state we've come to rely on for our sustenance.
I expect to hear more discussion on this topic as the indigenous of Mexico, Central and South America make their stand against occupying armies over the coming months and years. I wonder if the UN will bluewash atrocities there as they did in the Balkans, or if they too will become so sickened by the new genocide that they can no longer participate as "peacekeepers". Maybe it'll just be privatized, and mercenaries can then receive the blessings of "international" support.
While many otherwise astute folks almost invariably look to the UN as a moderating force in peace and security initiatives, it should not be overlooked that it is an institution of governments--answerable to the powerful, not the powerless. And as such, it can hardly be expected to overly concern itself with ethnic groups and first nations opposed to the neoliberal agenda of conquest.
As long as the right to exist and determine one's well-being independent of the state and market is considered rebellious by these institutions, those who pursue human dignity will be treated as outlaws, and their murders will be justified accordingly. After fourteen years of UN-sanctioned social and economic warfare against the Iraqi people, you'd think the saintly veneer of this organization would be a little tarnished. But I guess illusions die hard, especially when they expose the horrendous cruelty of the modern state we've come to rely on for our sustenance.
I expect to hear more discussion on this topic as the indigenous of Mexico, Central and South America make their stand against occupying armies over the coming months and years. I wonder if the UN will bluewash atrocities there as they did in the Balkans, or if they too will become so sickened by the new genocide that they can no longer participate as "peacekeepers". Maybe it'll just be privatized, and mercenaries can then receive the blessings of "international" support.
