Four British G8 protesters held

[Dic Penderyn]

I'll take it that you don't do any political activity, and also are unaware of somthing called 'solidarity'.

Perhaps you should try and engage with people with any radical ideas you hold (if you do), maybe organise in workplace (if you have one), distribute literature that you think furthers things you belive in, oppose things your against, organise events to bring people togher that you need to work with.

After you've been doing this for a few years you might find you need help from people who have experance in areas you don't have experiance in and might do a call out for such help.

 

[In Bloom]

Perhaps you should try and engage with people with any radical ideas you hold (if you do), maybe organise in workplace (if you have one), distribute literature that you think furthers things you belive in, oppose things your against, organise events to bring people togher that you need to work with.

*snigger*

 

[sovietpop]

In Bloom, that reply just says all really need to know about you really.

 

[In Bloom]

Sorry, I just find it amusing that any of that was supposed to be news to anybody.

 

[llantwit]

*snigger*

This is so fucking dispiriting.

 

[llantwit]

Sorry, I just find it amusing that any of that was supposed to be news to anybody.

The point, perhaps, is that this poster has been doing all of these things AS WELL AS participating in actions abroad cos s/he believes in the principles of internationalism and solidarity.
It's a fair bet that you and this poster share some pretty fundamental opinions about the way the world goes. It doesn't look like you give a fuck, though, and prefer to come out with this odd bravado and bluster instead of actually engaging.

 

[In Bloom]

It's a fair bet that you and this poster share some pretty fundamental opinions about the way the world goes. It doesn't look like you give a fuck, though, and prefer to come out with this odd bravado and bluster instead of actually engaging.

 

[Fruitloop]

It's like ern-lite, but much less funny

 

[llantwit]

Sorry mate. Thought you held serious political opinions.
OK then, you know those people who were in a St Petersburg jail - I fucked their mothers while In Bloom was felching their hairy arses.
How we fucking laughed.

 

[Blagsta]

Oh aye, because I consider urban75 a veritable recruiting ground

I come on here to entertain myself when I've nothing better to do, nothing more, nothing less.

Where did I mention Urban75 as a recruiting ground? Recruiting to what? I broadly share your political analysis of the world, but I think your attitude to other potential activists stinks.

 

[Blagsta]

But why, exactly, would we want to attract people to demos and actions which are going to be, well, useless?

Large demos are inspiring and exciting, yes - and they're what gets a lot of people involved. However, the politics behind them often lends itself to simply attracting people to and keeping them in a scene with little or no hope of accomplishing change - and why build a movement if that movement is liable to be absolute shite?

I'm sure that many of the people who went to the make poverty history demo last year in Edinburgh came away feeling inspired, motivated and encouraged - to take action and be part of campaigns that I feel are limited and ultimately of little use. Which is why I was not involved in mobilising for MPH. Surely, then, the same goes?

You missed the point, I can't be arsed to explain it again - its all there if you care to read it.

 

[mk12]

first couple of demos i went on made me feel better - being surrounded by like minded people.

Over time, i've realised it's the same old people, who aren't really representative of society as a whole. It's the "activist mileu" as In Bloom has already said - going to every possible demo, all over the place, knowing nothing will change.

So as well as making you feel good, it can also make you feel down. I won't be going to another Anti-Iraq War one again, as it made me very disillusioned when I went in September.

As In Bloom has said, there are far better ways to try and change things, outside of this "hyper-activism" mentality of a-b marches, petitions, slogan-shouting and paper selling.

 

[big footed fred]

I don't want to patronise you but that reads like a 9 year old's first ever essay. (Apologies to any 9 year old posters)

Cheers - I'm only 5

 

[phildwyer]

I don't want to patronise you but that reads like a 9 year old's first ever essay. (Apologies to any 9 year old posters)

I don't want to patronize you but that reads like the response of a twat. (Apologies to any twats).

 

[Blagsta]

first couple of demos i went on made me feel better - being surrounded by like minded people.

This is my point - for people who've never been politically active in any way, they can be really empowering. I've heard a few of my mates say so. In Bloom's (and others) dismissal of that is rather fucking arrogant and depressing tbh.

 

[DrRingDing]

The experience of being on a demo with other like minded people, realising that there are many others like oneself who believe in similar things, can be an empowering experience in itself, and can "increases the confidence, the autonomy, the initiative, the participation, the solidarity, the equalitarian tendencies and the self -activity of the masses".

Indeed.

 

[mk12]

This is my point - for people who've never been politically active in any way, they can be really empowering. I've heard a few of my mates say so. In Bloom's (and others) dismissal of that is rather fucking arrogant and depressing tbh.

but im talking about the anti-bush demo. When they started getting smaller, repetitive etc then it became anything BUT empowering. So it'll be alright going to a couple maybe, but it's shame that so many would be put of radical politics altogether by this type of stuff.

 

[Blagsta]

but im talking about the anti-bush demo. When they started getting smaller, repetitive etc then it became anything BUT empowering. So it'll be alright going to a couple maybe, but it's shame that so many would be put of radical politics altogether by this type of stuff.

Disempowering to you maybe.

 

[mk12]

interesting that anti-iraq war demos get smaller, and smaller, and smaller isn't it?

 

[Blagsta]

That doesn't detract from my point about people finding demo's empowering.

 

[LLETSA]

That doesn't detract from my point about people finding demo's empowering.

Why-what powers do demonstrators get emmed with exactly?

 

[In Bloom]

Edit: oh, fuck it.

 

[JonnyT]

You missed the point, I can't be arsed to explain it again - its all there if you care to read it.

Sigh. Humour me.

Demos can be empowering in their immediate experience - however, they pretty quickly become massively DISempowering when it becomes clear the groups involved have no ability to affect change. They thus serve to promote and strengthen movements with little to no hope of success, leaving people disillusioned.

I have no problem being part of a demo which can feed into something useful. Demos which do not (often a majority) are IMO counterproductive.