by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Grassroots movements that are not very much grassroots
Time and again when a windfarm or similar, such as a methane digester, etc., is proposed in an area, as we found some years back in the English Home Counties, supposed grassroots groups appear on the scene vehemently opposed top such developments, giving a variety of reasons, from people's health, to danger to birds, etc.
But, how grassroots and spontaneous and just by local people are those objectors really?
In more than one case, just as in the one alluded to above, it has been found that the “fighting fund” that seems to pop up out of nowhere, and in that particular instance, as also in others, contained and contain millions of Pound Sterling, is facilitated by vested interest groups, such as the “conventional” power industry, oil, gas, coal, and nuclear.
When we see such movements appear we always must as the quo bono question and thus ask “who pays the piper?”.
The question as to “who benefits (quo bono)?” is, obviously, also one to be asked on many other occasions.
Too often what appears to be a spontaneous and grassroots opposition is nothing of the kind, especially when it comes to objections to windfarms, methane digesters, proper woodland and countryside management projects, and the like.
In the latter, that is to say objections to woodland and countryside management, case at times it is just misguided people who, indeed, care deeply about the environment and the Planet but have been, basically, brainwashed into believing that no tree must ever be cut down and woods and countryside in general do not need management of any kind. They firmly believe that Nature will do it all by Herself.
In other instances, however, such kind of people are being used by people and groups with a hidden agenda.
It is called a hidden agenda for a reason because this agenda is not worn like a badge on the sleeve or the lapel and we have to be ever vigilant as to whether there could be something hidden there and something else behind the actions.
We must always and at all times ask, especially when there seems to be a lot of noise and money, as to who is paying the piper though at time plumbing the depths of deceit is not an easy task.
© 2013
