The
international distress call, derived from the French for "help me," resembles the synonym for International Workers’
Day, and both senses apply to this May Day message.
I’ve
been reading a lot of distressing messages about anti-nuclear bloggers getting
harassed by trolls, security agencies and offended corporate lackeys who slap
them with frivolous lawsuits. Although I am completely sympathetic to their
messages, I’m beginning to wonder if people are expecting too much to be
achieved by independent blogging. Should we be surprised that the strong are
picking on the most isolated targets? Predators always try to separate the
strays from the herd and pick them off first.
It’s
alarming to hear that people are giving up their jobs and financial
independence, or taking refuge in a foreign country, in order to continue
blogging. I hope no one will take this the wrong way because I’m writing this
out of concern for their well-being. I just have to ask whether this degree of
sacrifice is necessary. If one person is having trouble, there are others who can
take over for a while. Move the message to a different place, written by new
people, and make it a game of whack-a-mole for opponents and keep them off
balance. The anti-nuclear movement is wide and deep, and it has a long history.
Hundreds of books and documentaries critical of the nuclear industry have been
published. They are not banned. There are numerous NGOs and political parties
with anti-nuclear policies that need the support of working folks who can
contribute a bit of their disposable income. These groups are not banned,
either, in most countries. They are not harassed or targeted in frivolous
lawsuits because, thanks to the support of their members, they are too big to
mess with. They can afford legal defense. Furthermore, their opponents don’t
want the bad publicity that would come from trying to silence a high-profile
group.
Political
involvement matters, unless you believe, like Russel Brand, that some sort of passive rejection of the system will lead to its overthrow and everything will be just fine afterwards. The Green Party of Canada, for example, is the only Canadian
party that is anti-nuclear (not just against nuclear subsidies like the Bloc
Quebecois and the NDP). However, even the Greens’ policy can be turned if there
is enough pressure from the “environmental pro-nuclear” crowd. On April 29, 2014, the Green Party did in fact post a pro-nuclear proposal (not yet passed) for a change in energy policy that would allow for "inherently safe" nuclear technology. If anti-nuclear people want to oppose this, they have to join up, raise funds, recruit supporters, get involved in forming policy, and of
course vote.
So
there’s a downside to being a lone wolf, as either an individual or a single NGO. Eventually, this movement of atomized voices has to coalesce into a force that can change legislation.
The lone wolf can’t easily bring down a moose, and in fact, it’s likely the moose will crash his skull if he tries. Better to hunt in a pack. And since it’s May Day, I’ll mention what workers achieved through collective action in the mid-20th century. There were no blogs in those days. Workers stayed at work but gave up a bit of their wages for union dues, then let the union fight for change in the political arena. The heroes were the unsung heroes who didn’t write the songs and the speeches. They were willing to be anonymous and subsumed into something bigger than themselves. In Canada, the province of Saskatchewan had a socialist premier in 1944 who established North America’s first single-payer universal health care program. Pretty soon the program was so popular it was supported by mainstream parties and turned into a national program.
The lone wolf can’t easily bring down a moose, and in fact, it’s likely the moose will crash his skull if he tries. Better to hunt in a pack. And since it’s May Day, I’ll mention what workers achieved through collective action in the mid-20th century. There were no blogs in those days. Workers stayed at work but gave up a bit of their wages for union dues, then let the union fight for change in the political arena. The heroes were the unsung heroes who didn’t write the songs and the speeches. They were willing to be anonymous and subsumed into something bigger than themselves. In Canada, the province of Saskatchewan had a socialist premier in 1944 who established North America’s first single-payer universal health care program. Pretty soon the program was so popular it was supported by mainstream parties and turned into a national program.
But
don’t take any of this too seriously. This is just a blog.
Established anti-nuclear groups, most of which pre-date blogging. They may need donations more than they need bloggers echoing their message.
Institute
of Radiation Safety BELRAD (Assistance
for Chernobyl Victims)
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