"The clashes, in which protesters threw stones and set cars alight,
occurred after a largely peaceful march through Rostock by tens of thousands of
anti-globalisation protesters. Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse
the crowds, but also appeared to provoke the protesters by hitting protesters
not directly involved in the violence."
A debate about the merits of the international trade system and the imbalances in it are fair. There are problems with the system, but the more I understand the problems the more I understand that they aren't things that are set there for abusive reasons.
When you talk about the imbalance in agriculture for example. The root of the problem actually lies in the politics of western countries like the US. In these countries it is political death to cut subsidies to farmers. However those subsidies are what makes it so farmers in the developing world cannot compete in our market. If we allowed them to compete they could increase their development. However that would mean cutting the money that goes to farmers in this country and could effect some of them very badly.
There are solutions that can be reached, and there is work that needs to be done. Those who are rioting in the streets are getting nothing done for the world. They are going no where in making the world a better place. Violence is just not an acceptable form of discourse.
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