Re: <nettime> counterpowers - after Quebec

[Felix Stalder <stalder@fis.utoronto.ca>]

Brian Holmes wrote:

>All the complexity and agency of a highly articulated political society
>was with
>us. Tactical debates nothwithstanding - "civil" disobedience, or just plain
>disobedience - the movement in its different facets showed a coherency that
>will affect the province of Quebec and the nation of Canada in enduring
>ways, while serving as a model and an inspiration to the worldwide effort
>that made these revolutionary days possible.

My impression of Quebec was a bit more mixed, perhaps because my view is
more that of an "outsider" while Brian is more of "insider" or at least
more closely affiliated one of the groups who made up the protest.

The number and diversity of people who came to protest was quite
impressive and I think is a good sign for a real fermenting of a
broadly-based dissent (as was the surprisingly positive media coverage). I
also liked the heterogeneity of the movement, the fact that so many
different groups were able to participate without splitting too overtly
into fraction or, perhaps more accurately, without letting their internal
divisions become to much of an issue. This is constitutes a great progress
over the situation in the late 1980s (the last time I saw such big and
moderately violent demonstrations).

On the other hand, I was quite disappointed by the fact that after one
week of debate, so little of consensus emerged. For all I saw and heard,
the big march was a disappointment for anyone who hoped to hear anything
programmatic. All that emerged, or at least became visible to me, was that
everyone was glad that so many people showed up. I was a bit surprised
that not even very basic ideas (i.e. tobin tax, cancellation of debt,
linking democracy to literacy) seem to be supported broadly enough to
provide the basis of an emerging alternative policy program. Perhaps it's
simply too early, or a consequence of the movement's decentralized
organization (which for me directly reflects the structure and the culture
of the Internet, in its good and in its problematic aspects), but there
must be ways to formulate at least general alternatives against which to
measure up the status quo.

What might have been the best part was that the events strengthened in
people a new sense of agency. I think the 90s feeling of
inevitability/flight into virtuality is decreasing and a new sense of
ability is growing in "civil society" or just plain in people. This alone
is quite a step forward.

Best. Felix







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