The Guardian 24 August, 2005
AUG 30-SEPT 1: Protest
against the Forbes global network
Why should I protest?
From 30th August (30A), Steve Forbes, one of the world’s richest men and NSW Premier Morris Iemma will host the fifth annual Forbes Global CEO Conference, to be opened by Prime Minister John Howard at a swanky cocktail event at the Sydney Opera House.
For two and a half days the Opera House will be taken over by more than 300 CEOs — representing some of the world’s biggest war profiteers, environmental vandals and corporate crooks. Like the World Trade Organisation and the World Economic Forum, the Global CEO Conference is a means of promoting economic and social policies that benefit the rich and the powerful at the expense of the majority of the world’s people and the environment.
Steve Forbes is not lacking in neo-conservative credentials. Last month, under the headline "Screw Osama I’m buying Stocks", Forbes magazine readers were offered valuable (to them that is) advice: "The war on Terror is far from over and security stocks should have a place on your portfolio".
Forbes’ newsletter, Security Industry Analyst, recommends shares in "in homeland and security industries". War is seen as business — especially good business for military contractors during times of war and occupation. "We like to invest in security companies that have dual streams of revenue", meaning companies with government contracts.
Forbes openly lobbies for increased government expenditure on security services, and greater support for the "security industry".
Markets come first, second and third as the following Security Industry Analyst headline illustrates: "Markets move higher as the world mourns". The occasion was the first London bombings.
Just last week, Steve added his voice to the discussion of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Abolish NASA, he says, it should have been done over three decades ago. "The shuttle program should be turned over to the private sector."
"At a time when Americans are worrying about possible future strategic threats from China, we should be doing all we can to stimulate space-related breakthroughs." (Read: Star Wars 2 and US corporate control of space.)
A $5000-a-head event restricted to top executives means that many of us missed out on an invite. But don’t despair; you can come anyway by joining the 30A protests. By mobilising in big numbers on 30A we can show that the Forbes CEO Conference and the policies that it represents are not going ahead unopposed.
Below are seven reasons to join the protest of the Forbes Global CEO Conference from 30 August — 1 September:
BECAUSE the occupation of Iraq is illegal.
It benefits US and Australian corporations, not the people of Iraq.
Bring the troops home from Iraq and end support for US imperialism.
The $60 million a day of our taxes spent on the military would be better spent fighting poverty and disadvantage.
Don’t let war profiteers like Bearing Point and warmongers like John Howard and Steve Forbes party in our opera house — they have the blood of 100,000 Iraqis on their hands.
The Project for a New American Century, the US administration’s blueprint for global domination will be disastrous for the people of all countries.
BECAUSE Howard’s industrial relations plans are a payoff to his big business patrons.
Our working rights will not be sacrificed for even fatter corporate profits — up 20 percent last year.
Workers need to be in unions to defend themselves — workers in unions earn 15 percent more.
At $12.30 per hour, minimum wages are already too low. It’s a bit rich for CEOs to tell workers to tighten their belts when they "earned" $4.6 million each last year.
BECAUSE it’s time to unite for our common human rights, and not be conned by Howard’s divide and rule tactics.
Close the refugee detention camps and stop the deportations — asylum seekers need protection.
Let the ordinary people of the world move as freely as these corporate millionaires.
There is no place for racism in Australian society.
BECAUSE our global wealth should be shared by everyone, not controlled and pocketed by a tiny minority.
Drop poor country debt and bring in fair trade — 1.2 billion people struggle on less than $1/day.
Workers in all countries should be able to organise for dignity at work.
Share technology and know how to solve global problems — no patents on essential drugs.
BECAUSE it’s over time to get real about Global Warming.
Australia must sign the Kyoto Protocol as a first step towards a clean energy society.
Nuclear energy can never be a safe alternative to fossil fuels.
Our taxes should be spent on rapidly developing sustainable technologies.
BECAUSE policy ought to be for public need not corporate greed.
Democracy needs openness, not confidential deals with corporations.
Public services benefit everyone, whereas the market benefits the rich and powerful.
It’s a crime that one hundred thousand people are homeless in this rich country.
BECAUSE the Indigenous people of Australia demand truth and justice.
Aboriginal people should be at the front of the queue for rights and services.
Recognition of land rights is essential to the wellbeing of Aboriginals and to harmony in Australia.
Messages of Support
FBEU
The NSW Fire Brigade Employees’ Union (FBEU) has endorsed the 30A protest, stressing the need for the community to be aware of the hidden agendas of the attendant CEOs and their multinational corporations.
The FBEU supports the protest against these people and the governments who undermine the trust of the electorate by actively promoting and subsidising their subversive activities. Our ongoing resistance is recognised as a fight which must be continued and won, thus enabling workers to establish a fair-minded society for future generations.
MUA
The Sydney Branch of the Maritime Union of Australia is proud to be a sponsor of the 30A protests and believes there is a vital need to build people’s movements opposing globalisation, war and corporate greed. 30A is an ideal opportunity to target the big corporations and their puppet governments.
These forces of capital are attacking workers, destroying our communities, and implementing policies of war and destruction at home and abroad. They must be opposed and defeated.
ASU
The NSW & ACT branch of the ASU, with over 14,000 members, has endorsed the 30A protest at their state delegates conference.
The ASU covers workers in a variety of industries, including social and community services, transport, energy distribution, IT and business equipment, ports and shipping and travel.
At the forefront of the campaign to stop John Howard’s proposed draconian Industrial Relations laws, the ASU will be there at 30A to help rain on Steve Forbes’ and John Howard’s parade.
CFMEU
The NSW branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) — one of the country’s strongest trade unions and bugbear of John Howard — has backed the 30A protest.
The CFMEU has a proud tradition of working with community coalitions and social/political organisations fighting for the rights of the disadvantaged, the homeless, pensioners, etc. and to protect our environment and heritage.
The CFMEU has long supported trade unionists and democratic forces fighting repression and injustice, and campaigned against corporate globalisation.
AID/WATCH
AID/WATCH an Australian activist organisation that monitors and campaigns on Australian overseas aid and trade policies has thrown its weight behind protests at the Forbes Conference.
AID/WATCH’s Tim O’Connor has called for people to converge on the Opera House on August 30.
"During the G8, millions of people around the world called for the dropping of the debt owed by the world’s poorest countries and increasing development aid", he said. "By joining the 30A protest at the Opera House we can continue the campaign for a fairer world."
Further reading
Spruiking for the Neocons
In case you have somehow missed it, Forbes magazine — like Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News — is a propaganda house for far-right Republican neo-conservatism.
Forbes now leads the charge in the US business world against the "Axis of Evil". Backing the US "War on Terror" to the hilt, Forbes is one of Bush’s key business sponsors. In January 2004 it proudly announced "Bush is Best".
Just how the Forbes outfit operates — and what impact they’re having on the Australian political establishment — is outlined in this very revealing article by James Goodman from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Your rights
The crack 30A Legal Team has produced a new summary of the legalities of protesting in and around the Opera House.
Although public protest is commonly considered to be a simple democratic right, this little primer shines some light on the legal minefield one stumbles into when, say, trying to highlight the evils of certain corporate heavies with several thousand like minds.
30A organisers have had ongoing and productive discussions with local police, however, so all is well for August 30.
Visit http://www.30a.org for the article and other information.