(no subject)
I protested today, in the city over the issue of voluntary student unionism (VSU) and I appear to have lost my mob mortality, I had very little interest in yelling or chanting. I find myself disliking the people who run most protests; career protesters and card carrying socialists who while I have quite socialist view are the worst parts of socialism and practice the worst kind of organization, I have seen hostile take overs of one issue pressure groups so that these group are in the end strip minded them for their members.
At one point when the student elections where on at my uni I promised to vote for the first person who didn’t tell me that they would “crush the economic system* and end repression of minorities” as I am not sure I can trust the intellect of any student politician who will can claim that they personally can change the world, changing the world takes work and these people I suspect these people want to do everything which is admirable but not respectable and will end up doing nothing as they will burn out within six months.
When I have been to protest they seem to fall into to categories, those that are based on festive crowds and those that are based on war packs I want nothing to do with the people who ritualise war. This was a war pack, we where going to fight this and we are going to win this fight. While I understand why violent rhetoric is appealing as it is strong and masculine, particularly in the a fight such as this one which I don’t expect we will win because of government control of both houses of parliament however I think that when protest movements turn to popularised violence that they do more harm than good.
I really hope that whatever happens that students will still be able to be provided with services such as child care legal advice but I can’t say that watching one group of people who seemed to get a kick out of yelling and the act of protesting rather than caring about the issues of VSU confronting a government which I am convinced wants to kill anything called a union on basis of ideology that I have much hope of.
*Thankyou to Valerie Solanas
At one point when the student elections where on at my uni I promised to vote for the first person who didn’t tell me that they would “crush the economic system* and end repression of minorities” as I am not sure I can trust the intellect of any student politician who will can claim that they personally can change the world, changing the world takes work and these people I suspect these people want to do everything which is admirable but not respectable and will end up doing nothing as they will burn out within six months.
When I have been to protest they seem to fall into to categories, those that are based on festive crowds and those that are based on war packs I want nothing to do with the people who ritualise war. This was a war pack, we where going to fight this and we are going to win this fight. While I understand why violent rhetoric is appealing as it is strong and masculine, particularly in the a fight such as this one which I don’t expect we will win because of government control of both houses of parliament however I think that when protest movements turn to popularised violence that they do more harm than good.
I really hope that whatever happens that students will still be able to be provided with services such as child care legal advice but I can’t say that watching one group of people who seemed to get a kick out of yelling and the act of protesting rather than caring about the issues of VSU confronting a government which I am convinced wants to kill anything called a union on basis of ideology that I have much hope of.
*Thankyou to Valerie Solanas