Mühltal (Germany), September 6^th 2003

Dear Debbie,

yesterday I went to see my friends. Their nephew was there, too. I told you about him, the twenty-five-year-old law-student, smart, good-looking, dynamic, self-assertive. Last time we had a tough discussion about the war in Iraq. Today he is still convinced that the war in Iraq has not been justified because:

"The war on terrorism cannot be won by military force but by fighting poverty in the world."

"How come the terrorists of 9/11 were rich kids then?"

"That is not true."

"Of course, it is true. They even had the money to take flying-lessons!"

"Nevertheless, terrorist ideas can spread more easily in poor countries."

"Then the poorest countries in the world would be the most terrorist ones, which is not the case! But, supposing you were right and terrorism could be defeated by fighting poverty - how would you want to do this?"

"We should start distributing resources in a fair way."

"What do you mean by: in a fair way? Taking from the rich, giving to the poor? Under which rule of law? And then, provided you had the money to give, how do you want to make sure that the poor really get it e. g. in Third World dictatorships? How do you want to make tyrants use this money to improve infrastructure and development instead of building palaces? Using force?"

"Oh, no, that is no solution."

"What is the solution then?"

"More people should join the movement of globalisation critics because globalisation is responsible for poverty and violence in the world."

"The opposite is the case: Globalisation stands for world-wide communication and a better understanding. If people are so closely connected, wars become more unlikely. And by the way: if anti-globalisation stands for a peaceful world, why is there so much violence at anti-globalisaton demonstrations?"

"That is misuse of the original ideas."

"I hope so. Anyway, I still do not have the impression that the anti-globalisation movement does have any workable solutions on the problems the world is facing."

"I am convinced they have. And therefore, I will go to Cancún to the WTO summit and demonstrate for more justice and better social and ecological standards in the world."

"Cancún, nice place to demonstrate, are you going there by plane?"

"We better end the discussion before it gets too cynical!", he said and left the room.

Two weeks later I met my friend and asked her whether her nephew had enjoyed his trip.

"Oh, Karin, no, he did not enjoy it, some of the anti-globalisation-demonstrators had packed their rucksacks with stones and were ready to use them ... !"

"So does he regret having gone there?"

"No, he believes it was an important experience to make in his life. He had to go there to form his opinion."

"He would not have been able to form his opinion here in Germany? Using various common sources of information like books, newspapers, TV, world wide web?"

"Well, he says no."

"Poor boy, still so many places to travel to, but I am sure, he´ll manage, he is - young, dynamic, self-assertive."

;-) Love, Karin

© Karin Quade September 2003