What on earth was going on here? Grudge-laden socialists, trade-unionists, gay-rights campaigners and Palestinian flag-wavers walked along the streets of Florence. Why? For what? 'Peace'? 'Dreams'? It seems that, put simply, a group of people with identity-problems and enough time and money on their hands to travel to Florence walked under the banner of any organisation they didn't actively dislike and played out some kind of self-congratulatory liberation-fantasy. '[The] hosts of the Social Forum in Florence were hugged and had their hands kissed in a liberating echo of benediction.' What? Why? 'A joyful vision of Europe from below'? Forgive me for having my feet on the ground, but old women making you tea and children showering you with confetti may make for a nice afternoon out but it doesn't make Europe a better place nor does it make the noise of these rag-tag misfits any more coherent.