London Bombings: Anti-Globalists or al Qaeda?

If you're like me you're a little unclear about the motivation behind all of the violence over the years at economic summits like the G8 meetings this week. Of course, the Live 8 concerts this past weekend were aimed at influencing the conference as well.

So who are these people who are so worked up about the G8? Short answer--Socialists, Marxists and anti-globalists. All are opposed to free trade and hold to the basic Marxist view that rich people are obviously hurting poor people because they are rich, so they owe it to the poor to help them escape poverty. (see this chatter for some representative Marxist thought.)

So, while we're all used to Islamic terrorism, maybe we'll learn that today's bombings are actually anti-globalist violence, given their timing and location in Britain during the G8 summit in Britain. However, anti-globalist extremist tactics have been more about rioting than coordinated mass-transit bombings, and authorities are already pointing toward al Qaeda. It seems much more likely that al Qaeda is trying to toy with the politics of Britain (where Tony Blair faces pressure to withdraw from Iraq), just as they did in Spain (attacking and successfully affecting an election whose winners immediately withdrew their troops from Iraq) and the US (bin Laden belittled Bush and threatened America days before the election, but Americans re-elected him).

Whoever the terrorists are, this American's deepest sympathies are with those who have been victimized in another yet another indefensible act of violence against innocents.


filed: politics:world