Westminster was besieged by Green activists this week, apparently promoting the need for a Green Investment Bank and reminding George Osborne that such a bank would provide jobs. I know this happened, not just because it garnered some press, but because some friends texted me to pass on the fun they were witnessing.
To me, this helped to confirm the notion that striking or protesting in this country is something of a novelty, a tabloid-friendly story involving people dressed as Batman or ripping off Father Ted quotes for comedy slogans. It seems to be a very British response to a very natural endeavour.
In France and Greece, to name but two placard-decked countries out there, you get the real deal. The French have gone berserk at the prospect of the retirement age going above 60 (ours is moving to 66) and the Greeks are steadfastly opposed to the poor having to bail out its stricken economy (their cuts pale in comparison to Osborne’s slashing of welfare yesterday).
So are Brits lazy? Right-wing? Sanguine? Feart? Why don’t we hit the streets with the same ferocity and passion that our continental neighbours do?
A simple question – what would have to happen before you would choose to protest or strike?
For me, I’m almost ashamed to say that I don’t really know what my tipping point would be. My only protest was on the lovely day out at the Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh but I couldn’t tell you what we were aiming to achieve, let alone if the march was successful. I do remember having a very nice ice cream though.
There is much at stake of course, jobs needlessly lost, a limp response to Climate Change and welfare snatched away for ideological rather than for manifestly practical purposes. Furthermore, much of what has been proposed and implemented on has no mandate (Seamus Milne has a great article on this in today’s Guardian). One could say we cannot go on like this.
I know it’s getting colder out there, the nights are fair drawing in and ice creams won’t be served, but will there come a time that we must man, woman and child the barricades?
#1 by Alasdair on October 21, 2010 - 1:38 pm
It’s a question indeed! Perhaps we all feel so browbeaten and politically disconnected that the notion of demonstration seems fruitless. Witness the Stop the War campaign, protests and appeals roundly ignored, there are countless examples of protests that bear no fruit.
Recent local examples include school buildings being occupied by disgruntled parents only for the water to be cut off and for the campaign to be brought to a halt and the windows boarded up.
My own sense of frustration and inability to articulate a sound protest that might be heeded is probably one of the greatest things likely to lead to an outburst, but where, when and against whom … it’s hardly worth pursuing individually, which kind of leads me to the point.
Historically it is groups such as the unions that have organised and led protests against inequity and abuse of the system, but the unions were decimated during the Tories last bought in charge and there have been rumours and suggestions that in the face of a winter of industrial action there may be further steps taken to curb union power to take action against employers. Given that one of the fundamental groups that has taken to do with organising and protesting being so firmly on the back-foot ot could simply be that ‘we’ have lost our way, we’re waiting for ‘someone’ to take the lead and organise an uprising of popular opposition, except there’s no one there to take that lead.
ramble ramble ramble
#2 by Jeff on October 21, 2010 - 9:04 pm
What’s the old Orwell phrase, we won’t be conscious until we revolt and we won’t revolt until we are conscious?
I agree with what you’re saying Alasdair; it’s the ‘waiting for someone to come along and lead us’ mentality that holds Scotland and the UK back I reckon.
That ‘There is a better way’ demo looks good though. Hope there’s ice cream……
#3 by James on October 21, 2010 - 2:41 pm
I’m game. Proper angry. Let’s get the George Osborne and Danny Alexander dummies ready to burn.
#4 by cynicalHighlander on October 21, 2010 - 6:15 pm
This weekend.
http://www.thereisabetterway.org/events/1/there-is-a-better-way-demo/
#5 by Paul Freeman on October 21, 2010 - 2:43 pm
I’d protest about global warming, but it’s too cold out there right now. Ah, let’s joke about it whilst we still can.
I’ll give a serious answer later, but it struck me that there was so much anger at the benefit cuts, yet the potential far more serious threat of climate change doesn’t get mentioned. The money going to the Green Bank is far too small to work. Maybe that subject is just too big and seemingly too distant to protest about yet?
#6 by blanco on October 22, 2010 - 2:45 am
No mandate? What a twat Seamus Milne is, and you are one too for repeating his spin.
Lib Dems, the party of Savage Cuts (Nick Clegg, 2009), committed to tackling the deficit with a ration of cuts to taxes of 100:0, got 23% of the vote.
Labour, the party of Cuts Worse Than Thatcher (Alastair Darling, 2010), got 29% of the vote.
The Tories, the party of Cuts Full Stop, got 36%.
88% of the electorate. That’s a mandate, unless you are a supporter of Iranian theocracy like Milne.
#7 by Jeff on October 22, 2010 - 8:05 am
Sure, anyone can add up the numbers and see Tories Lib Dems have a mandate to govern but only to deliver the policies promised in manifestoes and anything reasonable beyond that. I won’t rhyme off the list but there’s a lot of previously unmentioned policies that, yes, are unmandated.
#8 by James on October 22, 2010 - 10:36 am
Man, you’re a better person than me for replying so calmly to a diss like that.
#9 by Falco on October 22, 2010 - 10:46 am
People recognise that peaceful protest has as much effect as a soap drill bit. They also recognise that the only step up from from that is not merely a protest with some violence involved but all out rebellion.
Last time we tried the latter in England, over a 3rd of working age men died so it has to be something pretty potent to get people to that stage.
#10 by Charlie on October 24, 2010 - 10:55 am
What irks me is that one very succesful protest doesn’t get mentioned much. Why because it was against the fuel prices. It lasted a few days and then there was panic buying. The Labour Government caved in.
In short, protests do work. They need to be targetted and effective and more importantly LIKLEY to have the chance of mass public support. Now David Cameron promised prior to being elected that he would support the vulnerable in our society. Clearly abolishing money to the disabled is abhorrent. NO one in their right mind would support his assualt on this. Hence, when they protest and they will, We should all support them!
Falco- it doesn’t have to be a civil war in order to stop the worse of these cuts.
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