Re: <nettime> Naomi Wolf: This global financial fraud and its gatekeepers (Guardian)

[marc <marc.garrett@furtherfield.org>]

Hi Armin & others...

Yes, it is truly a tedious time in London. Just noticed this...

They're Here: Olympics "Brand Police" Are A Real Thing

By Lowe Counsel.

Londoners beware: Right now an army of special police are somewhere, 
anywhere arming themselves with citations and tickets to distribute to 
the legions of would-be guerilla marketers and brands attempting any 
“ambush marketing” or illegally associating themselves with the Olympics 
organization. No, this is not a poorly thought up piece of science 
fiction; this is a real development in the ongoing, dubious practices 
coming from within the London Olympics ranks. It’s all a bit “1984” in 
it’s scope, and the absurdity of it all seemingly reminded us of the 
upcoming, doom-laden, "big brother's of branding" sci-fi thriller, Branded:

But if you’re thinking this “Brand Police” idea is some flimsy volunteer 
organization of flat foots, you’re dead wrong: this is the law. Thanks 
to a little thing called the London Olympic Act 2006, which was blessed 
by the British Parliament, the purple-capped officers can give offenders 
fines upwards of £20,000 per offense.

http://www.lowecounsel.com/blog/2012/07/theyre-here-olympics-brand-police-are-real-thing

wishing all well.

marc

> Brian and All,
>
>> As Keith says, this has been going on since October 27, 1986, when the
>> City of London was essentially offshored and screen-based trading began.
>> Since then, the huge troves of money and expertise concentrated by the
>> financial sectors of each country and region have reshaped practically
>> all aspects of government, to the point where today, citizens confront
>> what appears to be the police (and perhaps tomorrow the armies?) of
>> finance.
>
> the irony is that it works so badly the army has to be drafted in to 
cover front end security tasks involvoing visitors during this Olympics 
2012 in London because the security firm whose task it was to hire 
people failed to do so, by very large numbers. This company - whom I am 
not naming but aginst whom I have no special grudge since they are very 
similar to many companies - epitomises in many ways the working of 
neoliberalism through its whole business model
<...>


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