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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think todays protest was stupid and pointless

108 replies

Ryoko · 26/03/2011 22:22

All those that have gone before that have had an effect (admittedly there isn't many) have had 1 thing in common, a single point to rally around, a simple ideal that all can rally around sometimes with targeted violence at the thing you are angry about (targeting symbols of the government, council building and police during the poll tax revolt for example).

Todays protest, large as it was consisted of many voices who's only connection was one word in each of their points and that word was cuts, some where protesting against NHS cuts, some protesting that their should be no cuts at all, others that the cuts where unfairly affecting the poor.

Can any protest mean anything without a clear message I don't think so, today was just a collection of the disgruntled matching the streets without anyone really knowing what exactly they are disgruntled about, such things mean nothing and will effect nothing as the people where not really united and sent no coherent message to the powers that be.

Am I right or am I wrong?

OP posts:
TaudrieTattoo · 26/03/2011 23:20

But, A1980, the spending that improved the service so much wasn't sustainable in the long term, was it?

flippinada · 26/03/2011 23:20

At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, Ryoko, you are not going to get in depth analysis from a BBC News byline, but in a nutshell that is why people are protesting.

LegoStuckinMyhoover · 26/03/2011 23:21

Ryoko, you are wrong.

AgentZigzag · 26/03/2011 23:22

'Ryoko, you are wrong.'

Cut the fucking about and get to the point, I like that Grin

Jaquelinehyde · 26/03/2011 23:25

YABU the message was pretty damn clear to anyone with a couple of brain cells to rub together.

Prinnie · 26/03/2011 23:25

Yes and all those people who work hard saving lives etc on Saturday nights which is essential and laudable, have very good working conditions and pension arrangements compared to the people who work in the private sector who make the money to pay their wages and therefore their pensions. Me and Dh both work in private sector, 50 hr weeks, no pay rises for last 3 years and have no pension other than our own savings. Seriously, having any pension or having to work a bit longer for one would be a luxury.

OrangeBernard · 26/03/2011 23:26

There are many different reasons why people protested today. One of the reasons I protested was that the the BHARAT saved my life twice and my babys life in the last 5 years, for free, and want my children to be able to count on the nhs in the future.

OrangeBernard · 26/03/2011 23:27

Not Bharat, nhs! Fucking Tory spellcheck ;-)

Thingumy · 26/03/2011 23:28

ha

Original poster
Ryoko · 26/03/2011 23:29

Nutshells is all the people will hear, you will not get mass support, serious support, not just moaning, if the clear issues of the cuts are not outlined, and people will not know what the people are protesting about if they do it all in one go under one banner.

plus mass disruption once means nothing, do it ever week and then the government will sit up and take notice, especially if you smash their duck houses.

People will read the papers tomorrow and see anti-capitalists smashing the windows of Starbucks and chucking stuff at police, the words violence during march against government cuts, that kind of thing is hardly going to get more people to join in.

You need clear issues, point out the effects of what the government is doing with the NHS in a way that everyone will hear/read about it.

OP posts:
Jaquelinehyde · 26/03/2011 23:29

Aaaah Prinnie so the public sector should be grateful to the private sector for paying their wages. Is that the strength of your argument...really?

Rohanda · 26/03/2011 23:31

"My ten year old pointed out that the protest was going to cost us a fortune in policing, etc. Couldn't think of an argument against that, tbh."

tawdry - you could have tried a bit.

TaudrieTattoo · 26/03/2011 23:33

Nah, he was making me a chicken curry at the time, didn't want to be churlish...

Prinnie · 26/03/2011 23:34

Well explain to me where else the money could come from... I'm open to suggestions.

HHLimbo · 26/03/2011 23:34

We keep forgetting that we now own several banks.

When will we see a return on our investment, and most importantly, what will we spend it on?

AgentZigzag · 26/03/2011 23:36

In an ideal world Ryoko, there would be clear cut messages to force the government into action.

The people would rise up and force their hand on giving older people the attention they deserve, or to focus on stopping children being abused and neglected by their parents.

But getting thousands of people together in one place at a certain time isn't that easy.

Plus they have to have to feel passionate and angry about what they want to say, taking into account that people blow hot and cold depending on what they had for breakfast.

The point of the demo was to shout as loudly as possible that politicians fuck with the electorate at their peril, that people can and will stand up to them if needs be.

You're focusing in too much on the details, when it's the whole picture that's important.

TaudrieTattoo · 26/03/2011 23:38

But the govt don't listen, do they?

How many marched against the invasion of Iraq?

How much did that cost, by the way?

Jaquelinehyde · 26/03/2011 23:38

I'm not saying the money doesn't come from the private sector because obviously some of it does. However, you sound like an ill educated chav who screams in an officers face 'I pay your fucking wages' and all that other crap.

It really is a silly argument and I think you are aware of that.

AgentZigzag · 26/03/2011 23:39

'My ten year old pointed out that the protest was going to cost us a fortune in policing, etc. Couldn't think of an argument against that, tbh'

The police were doing what we pay them to do, whatever the cost.

Same as a football match, which could similarly be described as pointless and unnecessary.

huddspur · 26/03/2011 23:39

I wouldn't say that the protest was pointless but I don't see it causing any alteration in the Governments fiscal consolidation.

Rohanda · 26/03/2011 23:40

as so wise soul posted elswhere:

There is a bigger 'franchise' question here, isn't there?

The Tories did not have a mandate from the public to re-structure our nation in the way it is setting about doing so. It is operating as a 'minority govt' propped up shamefully by the Lib Dems who want a bit of power. Such a constructed govt. has no moral authority to behave in the way it is doing so. There is a question over it's legitimacy.

So. When there is resistance on any scale, peaceful or not, the lack of legitimacy becomes a focus for the resistance.

TaudrieTattoo · 26/03/2011 23:40

Yep, I'd ban football tomorrow.

Leaning against an open door there, Zigzag...

Prinnie · 26/03/2011 23:41

I want to just point out that I don't think the public sector should be 'grateful' to the private sector, as clearly many front-line civil servants do hard jobs which we need in society. My point is more that there is a disparity in working conditions and pay currently, and so the public sector needs to align to the sector which generates the cash to maintain it otherwise we dint be able to afford any of it!

flippinada · 26/03/2011 23:41

I'm very upset at the idea that I won't get mass support for my nutshells Ryoko, You've cut me deep there. Really deep.

Rohanda · 26/03/2011 23:43

prinnie - if there is a disparity between sectors, why can't the private sector bring themselves up to public sector conditions? We are a v. rich country.

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