Kettle the MET

[chilango]

So an idiotic suggestion you made in public, which if acted on by idiots could in ruin the message of the KETTLE THE MET Direct Action, has nothing to do with you, despite it being your 'flippant' suggestion?
If you wanted to ruin the this Direct Action, then that would be one way to do it.

Its not a Direct Action though is it?

Its a fun, piss takey piece of propaganda / irritant to the cops / in-joke.

You're right the bomb jokes are perhaps unfunny, and would dilute the pun of the piece.

But Direct Action or even serious political point? Nah.

Anyhoo...

 

[tangentlama]

Direct Action can be anything from public performance (situationism) to occupying a factory.

 

[smokedout]

Direct Action can be anything from public performance (situationism) to occupying a factory.

no it cant, stuntism is not direct action

 

[tangentlama]

Public performance is often a part of Direct Action. Sometimes the performance itself is the part of DA.
Therefore, yes, performance can be thought of as DA, dependent on context. It's possibly the only acceptable form of vanguardism too.

 

[chilango]

Direct Action can be anything from public performance (situationism) to occupying a factory.

Hmm.

I've nothing against "creating situations" (as an aside the SI were against the notion that their ideas could be described as Situationism...but thats by the by). Performance, happenings, stunts etc. all have a very important role to play. But I'd disagree that you could call them "Direct Action". Direct Action is surely about physically achieving a specific (and usually limited) goal through a specific action or series of actions (examples roads protests, warplane decomissioning, tax non-payment, etc.) Factory occuptions? Well it very much depends what the aims of the occupation are, no? and whether the occupation initself will directly achieve (or attempt to) this goal.

I'm being semantic, but I think its important that a) we retain the accuracy of the meanings of terms we use lest they become jargon, and b) we don't fall into the trap of having a heirachy of tactics (not that I'm accusing you of doing either).

Anyway, I'm being picky I know, and I don't want to derail the thread any further.

Good luck with the kettling!

 

[smokedout]

direct action is an act which has a defined goal, ie lying in front of a bull dozer, occupying a building to stop it being demolished, giving away medical cannabis - all those things are direct action, its acting directly to prevent something from happening/cause something to happen

stuntism is just stuntism, nowt wrong with a bit of it but its not direct action

 

[tangentlama]

direct action is an act which has a defined goal, ie lying in front of a bull dozer, occupying a building to stop it being demolished, giving away medical cannabis - all those things are direct action, its acting directly to prevent something from happening/cause something to happen

stuntism is just stuntism, nowt wrong with a bit of it but its not direct action

Public performance in DA has the defined goal of increasing awareness of the DA issue. Therefore, it's both DA in itself and an integral part of DA.

 

[smokedout]

raising awareness is not a defined and measurable outcome

 

[Fictionist]

At this rate someone will suggest that Fitwatch is effective............

 

[smokedout]

At this rate someone will suggest that Fitwatch is effective............

fitwatch is direct action though

 

[Corax]

Semantics. That's the first thing we need to get right if we're to avert global catastrophe.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I think that sending lots of mail of any kind to the Met will just make a lot of work for some poor civilian office workers in the post room.

 

[Fictionist]

fitwatch is direct action though

No it isn't. It's ego masturbation. If the original idea was to challenge the operational effectiveness of the Met FIT then it should (and could) have been far more effective than has been the case thus far.

 

[smokedout]

No it isn't. It's ego masturbation. If the original idea was to challenge the operational effectiveness of the Met FIT then it should (and could) have been far more effective than has been the case thus far.

holding a banner in front of a camera to stop a copper taking a photograph is direct action

 

[tangentlama]

.

 

[free spirit]

Public performance in DA has the defined goal of increasing awareness of the DA issue. Therefore, it's both DA in itself and an integral part of DA.

it's only direct action if the intention is to bury the met in kettles so they can't move... in which case I'd agree it was both a situationist style stunt, and direct action (as well as being fucking funny).

 

[stupid kid]

I have a kettle that's on it's last, erm, legs. I shall send it.

 

[Fictionist]

holding a banner in front of a camera to stop a copper taking a photograph is direct action

And that is effective? That stops the process from occurring over and over again? No. Stop developing a fetish over the process and consider the effectiveness of the action.Think outside the box.

Tactical and strategic review required, no?

 

[smokedout]

And that is effective? That stops the process from occurring over and over again? No. Stop developing a fetish over the process and consider the effectiveness of the action.Think outside the box.

i dont want to get into a row over fitwatch, personally i think theres more could be done, but theyve made a good start and if you have ideas then why not get involved

i was merely pointing out what is and isnt direct action

 

[Fictionist]

UOTE=smokedout;8964580]i dont want to get into a row over fitwatch, personally i think theres more could be done, but theyve made a good start and if you have ideas then why not get involved

i was merely pointing out what is and isnt direct action[/QUOTE]

Direct action is a process. If the process doesn't work then review and consider alternative strategies. Presumably there is an objective, which direct action is intended to achieve? Is there an intended result? If that result isn't achieved then reconsider the process and the individuals involved in facilitating the process.

Wake up for fucks sake.

 

[tangentlama]

I have a kettle that's on it's last, erm, legs. I shall send it.

"Yes, Marjorie?"
"It's another Kettle, Sir"
"What kind?"
"A 20th century electric kettle, with it's plug cut off, probably unsafe to use, Sir"
"And what do you suppose that means, Marjorie?"
"I suppose that's what the sender thinks of the kettle tactic, Sir"

 

[smokedout]

i dont want to get into a row over fitwatch, personally i think theres more could be done, but theyve made a good start and if you have ideas then why not get involved

i was merely pointing out what is and isnt direct action

Direct action is a process. If the process doesn't work then review and consider alternative strategies. Presumably there is an objective, which direct action is intended to achieve? Is there an intended result? If that result isn't achieved then reconsider the process and the individuals involved in facilitating the process.

Wake up for fucks sake.

[/QUOTE]

why are you getting so angry with me, ive nothing to do with fitwatch

but like i said, if you have ideas im sure theyd welcome your involvement - or you could carry on just ranting at unconnected people on the internet if you prefer

 

[Corax]

"Yes, Marjorie?"
"It's another Kettle, Sir"
"Another?"
"They've written "cunts" on it too sir"
"And what do you suppose that means, Marjorie?"
"I suppose the sender thinks we're cunts, Sir"
"Cunts, Marjorie?"
"Cunts, Sir."

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

(((Marjorie)))

 

[tangentlama]

"Yes, Marjorie?"
"It's another Kettle, Sir"
"What kind is it this time?"
"An early 19th century copper one, Sir"
"And what do you suppose that means, Marjorie?"
"I suppose the sender thinks we're not quite as modern a police force as we claim to be, Sir"

 

[tangentlama]

Early 19th century "modern policing"
http://www.chartists.net/Policing-the-Chartists.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/chartist_01.shtml

 

[In Bloom]

Public performance in DA has the defined goal of increasing awareness of the DA issue. Therefore, it's both DA in itself and an integral part of DA.

By this definition, literally anything that happens anywhere at any time is direct action.

 

[danny la rouge]

Oh, Jesus, can't we just enjoy the joke without having to discuss whether or not it owes anything to Situationism?

 

[In Bloom]

Oh, Jesus, can't we just enjoy the joke without having to discuss whether or not it owes anything to Situationism?

We discuss what the joke owes to situationism in order to obscure what situationism owes to the joke.

 

[danny la rouge]

We discuss what the joke owes to situationism in order to obscure what situationism owes to the joke.