Local Council leader Keith Mitchell has displayed an almost superhuman amount of ignorance in an email to people organizing against the forthcoming WTO meetings in Cancun, Mexico.
In his email he says that, in his opinion, the conservative party group in the council would be "opposed to just about everything you [i.e. people protesting against global exploitation, human rights and environmental abuses by the wealthy and unfair trade] represent".
He also accuses the anti-WTO protest movement of "unenviable reputation for wholly unacceptable levels of violence" - particularly ironic given conservative (and labour) support for the illegal war in Iraq, and their continuing support for the violence of poverty, corporate backed slavery, environmental destruction and state repression in the name of private profit.
It may come as no surprise to many that the conservative party is pro global-exploitation and pro-poverty for the vast majority of the worlds population, but the sheer crassness of Mitchell's comments is remarkable. His email is reproduced in full below.
... Meanwhile in Mexico ...
Subcommandante Zebedeo of the EZLN (an indiginous liberation army who have been fighting the Mexican State and global corporation's domination and exploitation of their people for over a decade) said:
"Globalization, with it's free trade agreements, World Trade Organization, and Free Trade Area of the Americas, are implements and elements for the extinction of the heritage of each country, it's sovereignty and it's culture. Facing this war and the worldwide
threat that globalization represents, we can no longer ignore that which seeks humiliation and submission..."
For more on Cancun see Cancun Indymedia:
http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/
TJM background on Cancun:
http://www.tjm.org.uk/briefings/tjmongovtletterjune03.shtml
Previous oxford meeting on Cancun: https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2003/07/274571.html
Here is the full text of the email from Mitchell:-
From: Cllr Keith Mitchell
To: '*****************'
Cc: (**************)
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 9:56 PM
Subject: RE: Oxfordshire County Council support for the Cancun
Campaign
Dear Mrs **************
I refer to your e-Mail dated 13 August 2003.
I need to reply in two stages:
As Leader of the Council, this Council does not have a formal
position on the various issues likely to be raised by the broad
coalition you have described in your e-Mail. I am therefore unable
to commit the Council to a formal policy line. In the context of
your specific requests, I would respond as follows:
1accept our invitation for a Council
representative to speak at the rally to be held on September 13, 2003
(see programme for details) While individual Councillors may wish to
appear and speak in their own right, there will not be a Council
representative or a Council view.
2have the Oxfordshire County Council included in
the list of supporters on the publicity we are about to produce (the
proposed text for the poster and the leaflet would be submitted to
the Council prior to going to print) The Council will not support
your campaign and would not wish to be included in a list of
supporters.
3contribute to the expenses (for the publicity
and the speakers' expenses refunds) that the campaign will incur.
The Council would certainly not feel able to pay any part of your
expenses.
As Leader of the Conservative Group, I think I can reasonably
confidently represent their likely response to your request. The
causes you have listed in your e-Mail are those that might find
consistent support in the Letters column of the Guardian.
Additionally, opponents of the World Trade Organisation have secured
an unenviable reputation for wholly unacceptable levels of violence
during WTO events. In these circumstances, I think I can assure you
that, while a few of my Group members might feel some sympathy for a
small number of your objectives, they would collectively be opposed
to just about everything you represent.
As ever
Keith R Mitchell
Leader of the Council
County Hall, Oxford
He also accuses the anti-WTO protest movement of "unenviable reputation for wholly unacceptable levels of violence" - particularly ironic given conservative (and labour) support for the illegal war in Iraq, and their continuing support for the violence of poverty, corporate backed slavery, environmental destruction and state repression in the name of private profit.
It may come as no surprise to many that the conservative party is pro global-exploitation and pro-poverty for the vast majority of the worlds population, but the sheer crassness of Mitchell's comments is remarkable. His email is reproduced in full below.
... Meanwhile in Mexico ...
Subcommandante Zebedeo of the EZLN (an indiginous liberation army who have been fighting the Mexican State and global corporation's domination and exploitation of their people for over a decade) said:
"Globalization, with it's free trade agreements, World Trade Organization, and Free Trade Area of the Americas, are implements and elements for the extinction of the heritage of each country, it's sovereignty and it's culture. Facing this war and the worldwide
threat that globalization represents, we can no longer ignore that which seeks humiliation and submission..."
For more on Cancun see Cancun Indymedia:
http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/ TJM background on Cancun:
http://www.tjm.org.uk/briefings/tjmongovtletterjune03.shtml Previous oxford meeting on Cancun:
https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2003/07/274571.html Here is the full text of the email from Mitchell:-
From: Cllr Keith Mitchell
To: '*****************'
Cc: (**************)
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 9:56 PM
Subject: RE: Oxfordshire County Council support for the Cancun
Campaign
Dear Mrs **************
I refer to your e-Mail dated 13 August 2003.
I need to reply in two stages:
As Leader of the Council, this Council does not have a formal
position on the various issues likely to be raised by the broad
coalition you have described in your e-Mail. I am therefore unable
to commit the Council to a formal policy line. In the context of
your specific requests, I would respond as follows:
1accept our invitation for a Council
representative to speak at the rally to be held on September 13, 2003
(see programme for details) While individual Councillors may wish to
appear and speak in their own right, there will not be a Council
representative or a Council view.
2have the Oxfordshire County Council included in
the list of supporters on the publicity we are about to produce (the
proposed text for the poster and the leaflet would be submitted to
the Council prior to going to print) The Council will not support
your campaign and would not wish to be included in a list of
supporters.
3contribute to the expenses (for the publicity
and the speakers' expenses refunds) that the campaign will incur.
The Council would certainly not feel able to pay any part of your
expenses.
As Leader of the Conservative Group, I think I can reasonably
confidently represent their likely response to your request. The
causes you have listed in your e-Mail are those that might find
consistent support in the Letters column of the Guardian.
Additionally, opponents of the World Trade Organisation have secured
an unenviable reputation for wholly unacceptable levels of violence
during WTO events. In these circumstances, I think I can assure you
that, while a few of my Group members might feel some sympathy for a
small number of your objectives, they would collectively be opposed
to just about everything you represent.
As ever
Keith R Mitchell
Leader of the Council
County Hall, Oxford
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