A Clusterfuck is Descending on the IMF/WB Summit Meetings

We are the New England Clusterfuck, and we are preparing to pay a visit to Washington, DC. First things first, the gentle reader may be asking themselves “What the hell is up with that name?” Never fear, we've got your back with “the knowledge.” The term “Clusterfuck” has many uses, but can be loosely defined as any situation in which multiple connecting problems mutually interfere with possible solutions. The April Uprising actions are the perfect proverbial canvas upon which we can paint our mural of disruptive victory.

We are identifying two of the myriad foes facing us as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. This year, in the midst of the global financial collapse, the IMF had its budget tripled to $1 TRILLION dollars at the G20 Summit meetings in London roughly two weeks ago. This is coming on the heels of the economic collapse of nearly 100 countries due to the restrictive, predatory loaning policies of the IMF. We're also disturbed by the release of a Yale University study indicating that IMF lending policies forced many countries to weaken their public health care systems, leading to the renewed spread of treatable diseases, including tuberculosis, in places such as Eastern Europe. And don't even get us started on the London police killing a bystander at the G20 Summit demonstrations. You wouldn't like us when we're angry.

At this point, the reader may be asking, “Well, that sucks, but what about the World Bank?” We thought you'd never ask. The World Bank is outdoing itself yet again by pushing new carbon trading initiatives (look for “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation”) on the rest of the world, essentially creating a massive shell game where countries are rewarded for “preserving” natural resources, such as rainforests, while opening the back door to logging and other industries that serve to push Indigenous communities off their land and into urban areas. It would be sweet, in our collective opinion, if World Bank president Robert Zoellick would show some accountability, put on a clown suit, and speak to the bullshit his organization is feeding us. Bob, congrats on taking over from your creepy, openly corrupt predecessor Paul Wolfowitz, but do you have to keep fucking everyone over like this? We know what shit looks like, Bob, so don't tell us it's chocolate and expect us to buy your one-liners. We certainly aren't expecting you to buy ours.

In all their wisdom, the 'Fund and the 'Bank have chosen yet again to have their gala weekend event at the end of April in downtown Washington, DC. Despite our efforts at looking like hardened anarchist warriors, we can't help but feel a certain sort of gleeful anticipation. The DC metropolitan police have been given the unenviable task of chauffeuring the minions of these institutions from their posh hotel suites to their interminable, bureaucratic meetings and on to their evening cocktail engagements with other wealthy sophisticates.

Thanks to the logistical and strategic legwork of local groups such as Global Justice Action and the Self Described Anarchist Collective, we are being presented with opportunities to play with the tightly scheduled itinerary of these scheming bankers in the form of the April Uprising mobilization. Remember that definition of “Clusterfuck”? Our aim is to create a Clusterfuck out of their weekend by engaging in decentralized, exuberant direct action, marches, and determined blockades of strategic streets and locations. If we can create layers of mutually supportive actions, all happening at once, we can short-circuit the police response and really fuck up the daily itineraries of these summit meetings. Some may ask “What about diversity of tactics?” Our answer: “Hell yeah!”

Our motivations have been catalyzed by the growing anger and resentment these unaccountable, closed-door organizations create when they screw over virtually everyone while acting as an economic bulldozer for big business. Who are we? We are a cluster, a loose group comprised of many motivated individuals and groups from around the greater New England region. We are passionately dedicated to expressing solidarity with all those affected by the creeping influences of the agents of economic globalization, including the IMF and World Bank. Our goal? Clusterfuck the summit meetings! We strongly encourage other individuals and groups to plug in to the strategic framework of April Uprising and contribute to jamming up the itineraries of these bankers.

Come get rowdy with us and have a damn good time doing it!

- The Clusterfuck

April Uprising
Washington, DC April 24-26
www.globaljusticeaction.org
selfdescribed.org