Mike Robertson Climbs Lloyd's of London

M. Robertson on Lloyd's of London. (p) Clare Kendall.

Mike Robertson doesn't like putting things in Burma, and he's willing to climb buildings to prove it. Two years ago he climbed the Eiffel Tower to protest Total Oil's business operations in Burma, and yesterday he climbed Lloyd's of London to protest their underwriting in Burma. See the YouTube video.

Out of all the messages that builderers try to convey in their endeavours, this is one I can get behind. Not because things suck in Burma, well they do, but because I'm a big fan of isolationism. I believe everyone should get the hell out of everywhere. Screw free trade, look what that race to the bottom got us: a nation with no jobs whose existence relies on its ability to consume. Last I checked, consumption plus no income still equals debts we can't pay back.

China is rocking like a hurricane right now on their long standing isolationist policies, it's just too bad they couldn't be a little more humane in the mean time.

Also, I think its poignant that the Burma hippies' rally cry isn't "why won't you do anything, oh great World Police of America?" Interesting how an unnecessary war will do that to a person. I'm all for world peace, but in these hard times where (hopefully) countries realize "police actions" are damn expensive, the U.N. model of economic sanctions seems pretty attractive. Now if only we could get China on board with that plan in Burma.

Read more about Mike Robertson's climb at ukclimbing.com.