since I have tiptoed off to sweden, the past few months have seen some big big changes in the uk due to decisions made by the new coalition 'condem' government. I have been watching from the sidelines, fingers poised, following the events intently, my fervent stare broken only with shouts of disgust against the government and fist pumps in support of the students, trade unions, and all other manner of human beings taking it to the uk streets to demand their voices be heard above the grinding of the corporate wheel screaming of capitalism, ignorance and the newly appointed tory majority house of lords interests.
I have been powdering my fb page (the all omnipotent fb) with little snippets of what has been going on in the past few weeks.
I would like to share two of my favourites.
I came across this guy via some other non-believer.
Mollitas and I have just watched his take on the 9th december protest, all 41 minutes of it, and discussed how we feel the protests have been represented in the media and how clever this guy is.
He knows his rights. damn yes he knows his rights. and I'm starting to feel that this is the major problem with rights. you have them, I have them, we all have them, but nobody actually realizes or exercises them... why? because the government backs (or kettles if you will, keeping on the protest vibe) the public into a corner, telling them that national security and terrorism and other big scary words are all important and that they (the state) are protecting us (the public) from... from... ?
ourselves? each other? because I really don't know who it is we need to be protected from when it comes to legitimate protests on the streets. we have voices and they should be heard. after all, this is a democracy. this is a democracy. this is a democracy. THIS IS A DEMOCRACY.
...oh i'm sorry i forgot that it doesn't matter how much the people speak up, ultimately if what we want is not hand in hand with free market capitalism, the arms trade and consumerism it doesn't really matter. education? not for you mate. especially not if you haven't got a few thousand quid in your pocket. I'll just reserve this university place for someone who can afford it and wants to study economics or business or something 'useful' like that. I have already been notified on application for my student overdraft that i couldn't get a loan because 'human rights is not a useful or practical masters... its not like medicine, or law is it?' by the kind man with a big smile sitting opposite me at the bank.
okay, cynical rant almost over...
another friend pointed me in the direction of this fantastic writer from the new statesman..
Laurie Penny.
Her take on the situation is fascinating and honest and extremely well written:
"Things fall apart. Something fundamental has changed in the relationship between state and citizen over the past month. Increased police violence will not stop our democracy disintegrating: before it's too late, before more children are brutalised at the heart of what once pretended to be a representative democracy, this government needs to consider its position."
and her 15 best slogans from the student rally are absolutely brilliant:
- 7. Tiny teenager in a tutu with a megaphone: Marx was right! Marx was right all along!
- 14. London teenager with a placard: Fuck this, I'm moving to Scotland!
- 15. Polite hand-drawn slogan by Bath university student: I very much regret voting for the Lib Dems!
2 comments:
Did the guy at the bank really say that? Love it. I would have cracked up, then pretended to break down in tears, gradually coming out of it, acting all the way, sobbing to him: "but...but...what shall I do to have the life that you have?" Then instantaneously come back from the tears and cruelly tell him "I wouldn't do what you're doing right now unless my family was starving to death, and even then road-sweeping would seem more fulfilling. I'd like to close my account."
i love you dan. so rock and roll.
he proceeded to tell me his daughter was studying a humanities BA, to which I couldn't help myself but smile. I wonder what he thinks of her future prospects.
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