"Im for capitalism! How much does it cost?"

[mattd]

Local News : Monday, December 03, 2001 Protesters' spoof? What a capital
idea! By Caitlin Cleary Seattle Times staff reporter In yesterday's
WalkForCapitalism, it was left to the true believers and pro-capitalist
watchdogs to weed out the real capitalists from the fake, dressed as they
were to the nearest thrift-store approximation of capitalist chic: suit
jackets, ties, argyle sweater vests, their hair evenly parted and smoothed,
holding signs that read "Capitalism is Better than Democracy." It was
Capitalism Day, or D2  the first Sunday of December, set aside by a global
pro-capitalist campaign to celebrate and promote capitalism, globalism,
technology, free trade, individual rights and private property  and lo and
behold, the anti-capitalist, anti-globalization, anti-WTO protesters were
crashing their party. Seattle was one of 100 cities around the world that
hosted WalkForCapitalism. Its participants spoke admiringly of capitalists
such as Bill Gates and Thomas Edison, and held signs that read, "Make Money
Not Class War." Tom Szalay of Everett, a retired firefighter, said the
protesters might want to think about getting jobs and joining capitalism.
The crowd of about 100 people seemed evenly split between the earnest
capitalists and the World Trade Organization protesters in capitalist drag.
"We knew they had something in the works," said Tym Parsons, the Seattle
coordinator of WalkForCapitalism. "Their aim was to infiltrate our
organization and discredit it by way of parody." The downtown event was
like performance art: Faux capitalists, dressed in suits, carried signs
that read, "Child Labor Is Best For America: Smaller Hands Mean Tighter
Stitches" and distributed fake business cards from "Globex Industries" with
the company motto, "We Own You." They remained poker-faced as they spoke
about their support of child labor and love of capitalism. Relentlessly
serious throughout the march, they never got out of character. If the
anti-capitalist interlopers did not completely overshadow the original
intent of WalkForCapitalism, their parody did make the event more of a
spectacle. Anti-capitalist protester Scott Thompson was explaining the
goings-on to passer-by Kerry Pflugh of Washington, N.J., in town for a
conference. "I find it all very amusing," said Pflugh. "I don't think I've
ever seen a protest for capitalism before. Don't these people already have
what they're fighting for?" Because the WalkForCapitalism organizers did
not get a parade permit, police escorted both groups together from Benaroya
Hall to Westlake Park, while Parsons shouted at the WTO protesters to
leave. Parsons' group had obtained a permit for the rally at the park, and
once everyone had arrived there, police began to remove the anti-capitalist
protesters. "But I'm for capitalism," said a protester who called himself
D.S. Rosenthorpe. "How much does it cost to get in?" he asked, offering up
one dollar. He did receive a park-exclusion notice barring him from all
downtown parks for seven days. There were no arrests. "We have the
authority to enforce park rules," said Seattle police Lt. Daniel Whelan.
"Our mission here is for life, safety and the protection of property." A
few of the fake capitalists were convincing enough to be left alone in the
rally crowd. When asked if they were capitalists, they responded with a
firm nod and a barely perceptible wink. Sometimes they smiled and yelled
"Hippies!" back at the group of protesters from whence they came. The
obviously fake capitalists were sent across Fourth Avenue, where they lined
the sidewalk in front of Borders bookstore and sang and shouted, "Shop!
Shop! Shop!" And shop the people did. Even before the rally ended, the
streets were crowded with shoppers, burdened with bags from Old Navy and
Nordstrom. Caitlin Cleary can be reached at 206-464-8214 or at
mailto:ccleary at seattletimes.com -- Dan Clore
mailto:clore at columbia-center.org Now available: _The Unspeakable and
Others_ http://www.wildsidepress.com/index2.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587154838/thedanclorenecro Lord
Werdgliffe: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/ Necronomicon Page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/necpage.htm News for Anarchists &
Activists: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo