That certainly brought the free market system to a halt, didn't it? It might do this time. More activists, anarchists and knit-your-own-muesli-eco-warriors than you could shake a Levellers album at will descend on Seattle tomorrow for a "mass mobilisation to shut down the World Trade Organisation", which is holding a ministerial summit there. Big demos are expected in cities worldwide, including London.
What's so bad about the WTO? J18 says it's an undemocratic conspiracy by multinational corporations to force exploitative trading on defenceless poor countries.
And the organisation's defence? It likes to think of itself as the benign uncle of globalisation, lowering trade barriers and promoting market liberalisation, and all the prosperity and happiness associated with it.
What sort of barriers? Employment standards, environmental protection and health infrastructure - the irritating details that, according to J18, force third world nations to charge a few extra pennies per million pairs of air-soled trainers.
A fringe view? No. The WTO's enemies include half of Asia, the Organisation of African Unity, hundreds of NGOs - even the RSPB is brandishing its binoculars in fury at the impact on bird habitats. A mass walkout of Seattle's workers is rumoured too.
Anyone in favour of the WTO? Without it, some say, exploitation of the strong by the weak would be far worse - so it acts as a sort of global policeman, albeit one not overly keen to investigate crimes against poor people. J18 disagrees; they're out to smash globalisation.
All globalisation? Maybe not all, as that would include the internet, on which they're relying for the "N30" protest. But quite a lot of it.
Do say: "Maggie Maggie Maggie! Out! Out! Out! Er, sack Major, not the miners . . . no, hang on a sec . . ."
Not to be confused with: The Luddites, the Flat Earthers, the Conservative Party, any other lost cause you care to mention.
