UN RENOUVEAU DE LA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATIVE ? L'engagement et le militantisme au sein du comité Attac Isère

2.2.1.2 Limits of popular education

2.2.1.2.1 The popularization of the claims

The popular work of education aims at making available from the questions considered to be complex. However, the topics approached by Attac comprise a certain share « technique » that it is difficult to occult. How this information is carried out ? The Tobin tax, which one could see the complexity of the mechanisms, is for example a subject which is not very accessible a priori. It is possible besides to doubt, like it makes Fabien, that this claim is sufficiently vulgarisable to be comprehensible by the majority of the individuals. Julie considers that it is possible to argue in a simple way in favor of the Tobin tax owing to the fact that it is about a tax and that it « one pays all of the taxes ». The description of the tax which is made in intended for the not-members is often very short, it proceeds in three stages^463(*).

Stage n°1 : It is first of all a question of showing the extent of the speculation and its uselessness.

« Each day it is more than 1500 billion dollars which circulates on this market of the currencies (either 9000 billion francs !). This immense money mass is useful, almost, only with the financial speculation. In other words this money is used to make money and to enrich richest »

Stage n°2 : Presentation of the Tobin tax and its utility.

« This international tax is proposed ata low rate (0,1%) not to block the trade but to slow down, or better, to prevent, the financial speculation. If it had been applied, the tax would have brought back the sum of 228 billion dollars in 1998... of what éradiquer misery on all planet. Part of the funds would go to the States which would adopt the tax (a fifth of the lump sum for example), the other part would go directly towards the countries neediest «

Stage n°3 : The sales leaflet ends up presenting the installation of this tax.

«It remains to be made to apply this tax... and also to collect the organization who will collect the sums (a controlled organization democratically of course) »

The presentation which is made Tobin tax does not return in the details, it does not expose either counters them arguments which are opposed to him^464(*), namely : a taking away similar to that of the tax would be already carried out on the financial transactions without that preventing the financial crises, the rate of the tax would be too weak to dissuade the speculators, such a taxation would be very difficult to apply and redistribute. It is comprehensible that a summary presentation of the tax cannot include all these questions. They obtain, in addition, of the more precise answers within the documents establish by the scientific Council^465(*). On the other hand the debates within the committee do not give place to such interrogations.

For example, during the public meeting of the 24/04/2001, to which an about sixty people assisted a presentation was made by Alda which is a professor of economy (and militant committee isérois). Its presentation of the tax did not tackle the questions which we mentioned above. It constituted a version more developed of that which is usually done. Few speakers reacted following exposed of Alda. A militant (Laurent) then intervened to note that certain questions posed problems in the application of the Tobin tax. The reactions to its intervention were very sharp.

A militant (Bernard) then spoke to affirm that « the tax Tobin it is a political battle [...] It is a situation of courage. To say that we do not want this logic »^466(*). Its neighbor (Raymond) then added : « One should not be let attract on a technical level because one will lose. It is about an ideological choice. Me was told that certain mathematical models went against the Tobin tax but the mathematical equations do not change anything in the content ». Laurent then answered the two preceding speakers : « It seems to to me that the arguments that one opposes to us have their credibility and that it is necessary to answer them. It is necessary to support technically the tax Tobin bus if not that returns to us décrédibiliser ». The polemic then developed between those which estimated that the purpose of the Tobin tax is to put an end to the speculation and those (not very many) which supported, like Laurent, that « liberalism partly succeeded ». The person directing the meeting then decided to close the debate (the time which had been devoted to him initially had been exceeded) and to defer it to a later meeting.

The course of this debate is rich information. It first of all illustrates the way in which the militants support the claims. Their sales leaflet is based more on the idea of political good-will that on a precise technical device. That returns besides to the standpoint of the leaders according to whom « what is in question, it is not already proven technical feasibility, because any transaction leaves a data-processing trace but indeed the political good-will »^467(*).

In addition, this debate shows, that the exchanges, within the committee relate rather little to debates of funds^468(*). Several inquired (Cecile, Francois, Isabelle) regret besides that there are not more true reflections within the committee. Isabelle who hoped for of her adhesion information on the economic mechanisms declares being very disappointed by the meetings to which it assisted.

Lastly, this meeting on the Tobin tax illustrates the divergences which exist between the militants. The Tobin tax, like one could see it, is sufficiently broad in its formulation to allow a multitude of interpretations. Debates of ideas, like that on the Tobin tax, are thus likely to lead to very strong polemic, which can constitute an element of embrittlement of the group. Consequently, one can suppose that if such debates seldom take place within the committee it is above all by the consequences which could result from it. A too violent polemic could succeed, it was already the case, with an opposition very marked between the militants. The exacerbation of the divergences between militants would have then can be unfavourable consequences with the procedure of the committee (defection of certain militants, weakening of the cohesion of the group and loss of motivation).

Fabien : Thus I hope that it will be born soon but good... I can appear a little resigned and a little fatalist [...] But can one mobilize the public opinion on a project like this one, that appears not very probable to me because it is already a little bit complicated, they are a little mysterious for many people. Me I include/understand nevertheless what it acts, on the public place that seems difficult to me to popularize. One can arrive there but it is not completely obvious.

Julie : There are nevertheless things which can be certainly comprehensible in the Tobin tax, the speculation one knows all, one pays all of the taxes and the speculation does not know a tax, and to found the Tobin tax in the objective is to limit the speculation but it is also that any financial action must be controlled and thus to have a tax also, with the objective indeed that this tax is sufficiently important for at a time given to stop this speculation, this speculation which is not useful at all, at all with the real economy and the states. There are relatively simple things which can perhaps pass.

Isabelle : The newspaper is made because there was the demonstration in Montpellier... And at the same time one speaks about the demonstrations, it was the festival, one tore off the GMO in the fields... They is sympathetic, but it is very concrete, it is funny, but beside that I did not have the impression to better include/understand how the multinationals function, nor anything. Whereas at the beginning, it is what I awaited from my engagement. I did not have the impression moreover evolve/move in this direction. I had more the impression to be with the current, last year, while attending courses of economy. This year I do not have any any more, and finally I expected a little a continuity to be able to continue to be with the current of the things and in fact not. I awaited many of that, a kind of formation because in more there are economists, there are very cultivated people, very interesting who could more transmit to know to them and that is not really done. I have the impression perhaps that it which is in the same case, did that of it there two years that they are in Attac, they learned some tricks but it is still something which is not very well.

Laurent : With the meeting to which you assisted, there was a kind of exposed on the economy and me personally already I found it with the strong current of the daisies. Me it seems to to me that it did not control its subject and it would have better done to be keep silent. There are things which were interesting but they were not precise enough, it was too much at the level them general ideas to see preconceived ideas, that was not a true reflection. And then at one moment she said to us about the Tobin tax that a all alone country could set up it, but she did not have arguments she said simply one can do it, whereas nevertheless that is discussed. And then there were other reflections of people who said in any event one does not have to return in the debate, that is not our problem it is a philosophical question and I do absolutely not agree because it does not seem to to me that it is convincing this manner of reflecting. It is for that which I intervened for saying that on the contrary to defend a claim it is necessary to try crédibiliser and to carry it in a pragmatic way, by arguing it. On the contrary one did not have to be afraid to return in the debates. Good that it is clear that that is not on the level of the members because it is necessary to know oneself there and even the person who intervened knew nothing there, that exceeds us, it is necessary of it to be conscious but the general movement rather may find it beneficial to argue precisely and to put forward what there is the positive one in this tax [...] I do not know which is its trade but at one time somebody put a question and that then saw that it did not know it, me I find that very coward because it answered « it is complicated », it is true that it is complicated but if it is put in position to explain the things it acknowledges that it cannot. It was supposed to know but it is clear that it is a lie and that it did not know anything. I did not say it because it is nevertheless necessary to be wary a little bit. That irritated me as for said country alone can do it, i.e. to set up the Tobin tax. Why? Because it is possible. That it is really light because one should not nevertheless... That has economic implications and consequences, I do not know them but I know that it is not pain-killer to tax the capital.

* ⁴⁶³ The sales leaflet which was used comes from a leaflet of the committee Attac Dieppe which was recovered during AG of St Brieuc. It was selected because of its didactic form which facilitates the demonstration. «  In connection with the Tobin tax  », Mascaret. Bulletin of the committee Attac de Dieppe, n°7, October 2000, p. 3. It appears in following page.

* ⁴⁶⁴ Cf, Tobin  : the tax for the weak spirits, the files of the iFrap (French Institute for Research on the Public administrations), n°64, September/October 1999, p. 3. This institute which published a very critical booklet on Attac probably sets up a group of opponents to association.

* ⁴⁶⁵ Cf, the scientific Council of Attac France, «  The Tobin tax  : how to manage it and to finance what  ?  », document available on the site  : http://attac.org/fra/asso/doc/doc.14.htm, p. 4

* ⁴⁶⁶ These quotations are extracted starting from catches from notes carried out during the meeting.

* ⁴⁶⁷ Cassen (Bernard), «  Freedoms liberticides  ».

* ⁴⁶⁸ This observation is based on the base of several meetings and does not relate solely to the debate to which we have just referred to us.