ABSTRACT
Activist discourse often portrays power as both the condition and the result of neoliberal globalization, imperialism, capitalism, government and other forms of hierarchy. What most concerns activists, however, is the power that operates in the 'economic' sphere. In speeches, banners, articles and conversation, the social movement is very often cast as subject to the state's power of 'repression'. The protest actions of Jose Bove and other activists are consciously 'political'. The category of the political was explicitly discussed at a meeting about whether or not to financially support a couple facing prosecution for renovating an old sheepfold without a permit. Activists often distinguish between globalisation and mondialisation. The term globalisation is taken from English and denotes a certain kind of neoliberal domination. Multinationals, for activists, epitomize neoliberal globalization and countering them is the ultimate goal of much political activism. Biotechnology multinationals are perceived to be bent on the accumulation of profit and power.
