Celebrating a non-result in Seattle is as useful as suggesting Europe ought not to enlarge or China engage. There is anxiety because there is unfairness, not everyone is getting a fair opportunity. Alas they never have, this has been true of the other great economic and social upheavals. Now as then these great upheavals cause social dislocations. Be they Kings or Popes in the past or politicians now, leaders are blamed for not preserving the present.
Yesterday always looks better.
Any great change in history causes resentment and breeds fear and causes anxiety. You could mount a case, indeed some of our critics do, that the motorcar is lethal, pollutes, kills and divides communities. It's about road rules, road rage and better managing and sharing more equally the costs and advantages. This is true of the impact of globalization, technological change and the WTO and its sister organizations. Now that the dust has started to settle after the turmoil of Seattle, perhaps we should revisit what the multilateral trading system means to us and to the people of the 134 other countries who are part of the WTO, and the 1.5 billion people who want to join, who did not dominate the headlines as did the 30,000 outside, some of whom claimed in the name of grass roots democracy their intention to deny over 100 democratically chosen ministers their right to speak and negotiate.