Ziena Hatem Social Problems This Is What Democracy Looks Like America was founded on protest, dispute and the fight for freedom of speech and assembly. These traditionally rooted constitutional rights are now ignored on a daily basis. By politicians and the transnational corporations that controlled them, many times it has been proven the more power available to one, bring the more microphones to their voice.
The ignorance of the world is not because of their want to be ignorant, but from the Showed threw out many behind the scenes media that does not only show what the corporation allows, but what truly happens within these protesters fight for what they believe in. Many times throughout history the un-bias opinion of the protesters and the forces against them are shown. The Documentary, “This is What Democracy Looks Like” directed by Jill Friedberg and Rick Rowley showed the views and side of the unheard.
Taking place in Seattle, Washington, citizens, young and old, joined together to protest against the rapacious methods of the WTO in the November of 1999. The media showed many “unruly mobs” taking over the streets of Seattle. They tainted what was happening within the peacefully protesters being attacked by harsh police forces without retaliation. The film, “This Is What Democracy Looks Like” is a story of massive street protests that were held in November 1999 in Seattle, Washington, against the World Trade Organization.
The WTO’s power was to rule against nations’ social and labor policies in support of uncontrolled corporate greed. Protestors from all around came out in power to make their beliefs and views known to stop the occurring summit. A vicious police force was against them, but bravely they faced violent resistance to take back the impartial democratic power that the corporate and political choice rejected the citizens. Democracy is a government in which the general people hold the power through the elected representative by majority, the belief of equality and rights of treatment.
In “This Is What Democracy Looks Like” the word Democracy was viewed otherwise. Because of the World Trade Organization or otherwise known as the WTO, many people were harmed and killed during the protest. The WTO is the worldwide organization that enforces the rules that administer more than half of the world trade. It’s one of the world’s most secretive, strongest and dangerous bodies. The principle rule makes the government of corporate a motivated monetary globalization. Its goal is to quickly come forward and enhance international trade.
With doing so, the public’s health and the environment are not protected. It works towards this goal by determining the reduction of regulatory powers of states and nearby communities. It also weakens the democracy with its policy, severely lessening the choice that’s available to democratically controlled governments. With such violations comes punishment following harsh consequences. A few of the troubles that are caused such as the WTO’s fondness for secrecy can potentially be fixed. On the other hand, the core issues such as the principle of the commercial over the extra values tend to inherent the WTO itself.
The meaning of the title “This Is What Democracy Looks Like” is self-explanatory. It’s basically telling you what democracy is viewed as and what it seems like. As in, people don’t see the big picture and what democracy really is or in other words, the hidden truth and how others view it as. This is what democracy looks like, when people take it to the streets and get their voices heard and point across. Individuals Voiced out their opinion even if it meant putting their lives at risk to be heard. That is what democracy looked like, especially with police cruelty and authority’s heartlessness.
The main social problem that was witnessed in this film is, the medias report of misunderstanding of the events on the ground. Many people of several ages; young and old, were protesting against the greedy process of the WTO and democracy in the U. S. For the time being, the media was reporting that individuals or as they were called “unruly mobs” were taking over the streets of Seattle. They completely tainted the truth of what was actually happening. It’s not a surprise knowing that this is what relatively happens when it comes to actions occurring against the state.
In conclusion, this is a powerful film showing actual footage of how a quite small group of protesters tried to take back the just democratic power that the political and corporate choice of the world is determined to take from its citizens. There are millions of citizens around the world who put up with a daily struggle and die almost every day because of policies that are under the umbrella of the WTO. The United States was founded on the battle for “freedom of speech and assembly” along with other rights, which are basically ignored on a basis by the corporations and politicians that control them.