‘March for the Alternative’ - 26th March - London

[butchersapron]

All the government have responded to the march with is "We hear you but we don't give a fuck"

Oh no!!

 

[southside]

The cold cynical part of me thinks you're right, but it's important to make a statement and people will draw strength from that. There was a really good turnout on Sat and not just from the unions.

I know, it was amazing to see the numbers.

 

[cantsin]

Oh no!!

lulz

 

[Callie]

I know, it was amazing to see the numbers.

Do you think there is no benefit in showing people united against the current government - putting aside the idea that the government would take note and change accordingly?

Its amazing to see the numbers and its amazing to be part of it - to know that you and all those people out there from ALL over the country, from every walk of life have something in common, something to say and a want to do something (even if youre not sure what) about it?

Its easy to cast it peaceful protest aside because its not directly beneficial to the cause and its easy to dismiss direct action as pointless and in effective but there is a bloody great middle ground in there that could cause a lot of grief to those that don't want it but deserve it.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Actually, the cold cynical part of me thinks the govt sat around and had a good chuckle this morning, and decided what bits to cut next.

 

[Fedayn]

Smashing shit is dumb and the majority of the said smashers were quite young looking, under 25.

Again that's also not what you said above. Whether ypu agree or npot those who 'smashed shit up' were real protestors. That you might not agree with their methods doesn't make them 'not real'.

 

[Proper Tidy]

So they renamed it but we're still getting shafted every year with the council tax.

Council tax is shit but it isn't the community charge you weapon

 

[ViolentPanda]

Fuck you too.

Its an opinion that I and most of the country hold so ner.

I love people who're soapy enough to post their unsupported assumptions.

How do you know that "most of the country" hold such a point of view, oh hero of the working class?

Its true, most of the trouble makers looked and sounded how I'd imagine them to (Students)

The real protesters were the thousands of people who behaved themselves, not a few student types with a spray can of no hope in thier hands.

Many of the "student types" you refer to are firmly in the "mature student" age group.

 

[ViolentPanda]

What?

It's ok to march but to smash things is idiotic.

Go read "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. It's a sound tactic to cause your enemy to divert resources, and has been for 3,000 years.

Me, I'm always grateful to hotheads on demos, because they act to draw the police's resources away from focal points into the periphery.

 

[ViolentPanda]

So they renamed it but we're still getting shafted every year with the council tax.

Council Tax was at least slightly less devastating than Poll Tax, because it meant that households on the breadline, earning just enough not to get CTB, only had to pay one sum, not a sum for each adult in a residence.

 

[southside]

Go read "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. It's a sound tactic to cause your enemy to divert resources, and has been for 3,000 years.

Me, I'm always grateful to hotheads on demos, because they act to draw the police's resources away from focal points into the periphery.

Well you must be right, where are you at the moment 35 posts a day? 40?

 

[Pickman's model]

Well you must be right, where are you at the moment 35 posts a day? 40?

i'm not certain that rational conversation's one of your strong points. your post has no obvious connection with vp's.

 

[ViolentPanda]

All the government have responded to the march with is "We hear you but we don't give a fuck"

All those student marches achieved nothing either...oh wait, there's been a partial u-turn on EMA. It's not a satisfactory u-turn, but it's proof that your "don't give a fuck" hypothesis is flawed insofar as sustained political pressure has been shown to have an effect.

 

[Pickman's model]

All those student marches achieved nothing either...oh wait, there's been a partial u-turn on EMA. It's not a satisfactory u-turn, but it's proof that your "don't give a fuck" hypothesis is flawed insofar as sustained political pressure has been shown to have an effect.

it's the sustained bit which is important.

 

[southside]

How do you know that "most of the country" hold such a point of view, oh hero of the working class?

I doubt any of the smashers were working class, may be they're just angry at mummy and daddy.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Well you must be right, where are you at the moment 35 posts a day? 40?

Playing the man, not the ball. Typical.

 

[Callie]

Many of the "student types" you refer to are firmly in the "mature student" age group.

25 year olds can be classed as mature students I'm so glad you two are in agreement

 

[ViolentPanda]

it's the sustained bit which is important.

Quite. Anyone thinking that a march or two will set everything aright is living in Bizarro-world, but at least we have a (minimal) victory that can be used to light a fire under further protests.

It'd be nice if all problems could be solved with a single march (or a single well-placed bullet, even), mind.

 

[Callie]

I doubt any of the smashers were working class, may be they're just angry at mummy and daddy.

Where is your evidence? and what is the relevance of that statement?

So what if most of the student protesters werent working class?

 

[ViolentPanda]

I doubt any of the smashers were working class, may be they're just angry at mummy and daddy.

More hot air. Your doubts are meaningless. They're unsupported assumptions that you can't back up.

 

[ViolentPanda]

25 year olds can be classed as mature students I'm so glad you two are in agreement

They can?

I thought it was 30, but then again, last time I checked was back in the mid 1980s!

 

[Pickman's model]

They can?

I thought it was 30, but then again, last time I checked was back in the mid 1980s!

over 21 i thought.

 

[Pickman's model]

I doubt any of the smashers were working class, may be they're just angry at mummy and daddy.

yes. i think i'm right in my conclusion (see post 1190)

 

[southside]

More hot air. Your doubts are meaningless. They're unsupported assumptions that you can't back up.

I just don't agree with violence, smashing stuff and defaceing monuments thats all.

I think they may change their minds over some issues that seem to be elitest, like the half baked uturn on creating a rich poor devide within university education.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Where is your evidence? and what is the relevance of that statement?

So what if most of the student protesters werent working class?

Smells like the old insinuation about most "anarchists" or "violent types" being "trust fund kids", or students whose parents will buy them out of trouble. I remember the Evening Standard trying to push that line about the aggro at Wapping.

It's just as bollocks now as it was 25 years ago, mind.

 

[Pickman's model]

I just don't agree with violence, smashing stuff and defaceing monuments thats all.

I think they may change their minds over some issues that seem to be elitest, like the half baked uturn on creating a rich poor devide within university education.

you don't like logical progression or debate either.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I just don't agree with violence, smashing stuff and defaceing monuments thats all.

As anyone who understands political strategy will tell you, sometimes shocking acts serve a purpose, as does violence.

BTW, it's only "violence", when it's "us" assaulting symbols of their power. They call it "policing" when it's their paid servants assaulting us.

I think they may change their minds over some issues that seem to be elitest, like the half baked uturn on creating a rich poor devide within university education.

So you've now changed your original stance to agree with mine, once you were backed into a corner by having your nose rubbed in an example of your being wrong?

 

[DotCommunist]

Stoaty seems to have morphed into something actually resembling a human being while posting on this thread, perhaps he could be persuaded to mentor southside in the steps to the epiphany.

 

[southside]

Smells like the old insinuation about most "anarchists" or "violent types" being "trust fund kids", or students whose parents will buy them out of trouble. I remember the Evening Standard trying to push that line about the aggro at Wapping.

It's just as bollocks now as it was 25 years ago, mind.

Don't talk crap VP,

Most people in the print there before it went automated were working class and that was a working class demo if ever I saw one.

Most people I heard on the news had perfect stuck ups accents they were student types.

Anarchists desperate for a cause more like. they don'y give a fuck about the reason, all they need is the spotlight and they will be there what ever the calling.

 

[southside]

So you've now changed your original stance to agree with mine, once you were backed into a corner by having your nose rubbed in an example of your being wrong?

Not quite, they can't be seen as totalitarian for the rich now can they.