I’m always happy to see anti-capitalists engage in serious debate about strategy.

However, I really don’t get the point of this particular piece. How exactly is it possible, even in principle, that anti-capitalists could “derail international climate negotiations”? I mean, for one thing, there will (I assume) be no anti-capitalists allowed in any of the meetings. And even if there were, those individuals would have no influence on the outcome.

So, I guess the thought must be that maybe a demonstration, outside the meetings, could disrupt them, as happened to the WTO in Seattle 1999.

However, even if that kind of ‘shut-down’ tactic is being advocated by some anti-capitalists (which I haven’t heard anything about, personally), and even if it were to succeed, governments could still proceed to negotiate a deal in other forums. If the powerful want a deal, they can work out the logistics of how to organize it. All that mass protests do is increase the pressure on elites to respond to demands for serious action.

A far, far more dangerous possibility is the scenario which Kaufman seems to be actually advocating (if I understand her view correctly), which would be a de-mobilization of popular protest, and placing of our hopes in the hands of elite representatives of government and big business. Now THAT would be dangerous. And, frankly, that is more likely to happen than any successful shutting down of climate talks (if this is attempted — although I agree that this would be a dubious tactic).

In the meantime, I hope we can all agree, including Kaufman, that all activists should urgently support the Mobilization for Climate Justice actions that will be happening on 30 November 2009. Check out the web site: http://www.actforclimatejustice.org

In solidarity,
Steve