Monday, November 10, 2008

A New Scapegoat?

UK Guardian | Fear of deadly attack by lone maverick as officers alert major firms to danger of green extremism.
Police have warned of the growing threat of eco-terrorism after revealing they are investigating a group which has supporters who believe that reducing the Earth's population by four-fifths will help to protect the planet.

Officers from a specialist unit dedicated to tackling domestic terrorism are monitoring an eco-movement called Earth First! which has advocates who state that cutting the Earth's population by 80 per cent will ease pressure on other species. Officers are concerned a 'lone maverick' eco-extremist may attempt a terrorist attack aimed at killing large numbers of Britons.

The National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit, which collates intelligence and advice to police forces, has revealed that eco-activists are researching a list of target companies which they believe are major polluters or are exacerbating the threat of climate change.

The unit is currently monitoring blogs and internet traffic connected to a network of UK climate camps and radical environmental movements under the umbrella of Earth First!, which has claimed responsibility for a series of criminal acts in recent months.

A senior source at the unit said it had growing evidence of a threat from eco-activists. 'We have found statements that four-fifths of the human population has to die for other species in the world to survive.

'There are a number of very dedicated individuals out there and they could be dangerous to other people.'

Earth First! says its mission is 'about direct action to halt the destruction of the Earth' and advocates 'civil disobedience and monkeywrenching', tactics that include sabotage and disruptive behaviour. The movement has links to US environmental extremists which have waged a campaign of violence in America, including the firebombing of a string of 4x4 car dealerships in California in 2003 and alleged arson attacks on other property.
So-called "eco-terrorists" have been narratized as an up-and-coming threat by officials in the US and Great Britain.

Aside from the alleged Humvee wreckers mentioned in this article from four years ago, I haven't seen any news reports validating the existence of such people. I have, on the other hand, provided comprehensive documentation from the old pentagon operations analysts who were planning such die-offs decades ago along about the time the Club of Rome was writing about the necessity of such a thing, as well. However, the narrative profile being crafted for these folks is too useful to current governments NOT to be promoted into propagandistic prominence. If you think of the desirable characteristics of a straw-man scapegoat in upcoming times of scarcity, just think how useful it could be to demonize
environmentalists.

For instance, Al Quaeda was nurtured into major existence by neoconservative story-tellers since they needed an excuse to launch a global discretionary war. If they hadn't been elevated in importance by being attributed as the master planners we all had to fear, what excuse would there have been to commence attack and invasion activities?

0 comments: