To wonder why there has been no revolution?

[DoctorTwo]

Even the Torygraph is mystified. Why are we not kicking the shit out of the thieving wankers that make up our parliament? Or burning down corporate headquarters and lynching the bosses? These bastards are making us poorer and blaming us for it.

The UK has had more than one revolution. The latest one is here

The population didn't like it, so went back to the status quo.

I don't agree about the disengagement of the under 20's, the under 20's that I know are very politically aware and very active.

the civil war was not a revolution, just a war. All it did was settle the power of parliament, not its existence or how the country was governed, nor did many people change circumstances much (except the dead of course)

The eating away of fairness and justice by normalising market economics has taken decades. Too much power has been given to the banks and big business and the government is terrified to upset them. Just take a glance at the Tory party conference. They pay lipservice to change. Only a sudden dramatic change in policy will make a dent in the system we have. When the opposition just offers tweaks to an extremely unfair system we know we are doomed without extreme change. The Scottish yes voters could see that.

I truly despair at the Labour party.

The lack of insight among politicians is astounding. Some Tory woman on yesterday whittering on about how we import 80% of our apples- yes, that's entirely down to free market economics, invented and imposed on us by your Tory predecessors.

One of the problems about a revolution is that afterwards those who put themselves in charge will become just as privileged as those in charge before, the Soviet Union being a good example.

What's happened in Scotland is a perfect example of how our state and its institutions preserve the status quo; any hint of disruption and they gon into overdrive to give the APPEARANCE of change, although nothing really changes at all. Ever since the Civil War (and subsequent Restoration), twas ever thus.

Threat of Northern Irish civil war and full independence? Secret war, blackmail, whitewash and a few concessions to Stormont. Paedophiles in Government? Whitewash with a couple of sacrificial lambs offered up. Threat of Scottish independence? Emotional and economic blackmail, media smear campaign, a tainted ballot and a few concessions to Hollyrood.

They'll never allow a revolution to happen. The British establishment is too insidious, manipulative and self-serving to ever let it get that far. Unfortunately.

Absolutely Babycham. So sad, it was at least a chance for 8% of the population to free themselves of this.

I completely agree with your post Babycham. The Government are perfectly able to manipulate any result they want should they be challenged on something.

I see they have hinted (or perhaps said outright, can't remember exactly) that businesses who support staying in the EU before the upcoming EU referendum will face financial retributions. So basically, "don't disagree with us or you'll be punished".

They're so out of touch with reality it's unbelievable. A non-violent revolution would be the best thing to happen for a long time.

hover try and explain that to any revolutionary you'll be met with geers and abuse by the mob who will all then, in the aftermath of said glorious revolution turn on each other in a feeding frenzy of infighting to see who gets to the top thus destabilising whatever country further.

Our political parties spend too much time fighting internally to make a difference to the voter. In the meantime voter apathy happens and you suddenly wake up one morning with Farage beaming at you from your telly as your leader.

You could bitch and moan in a naice middle class way about the system and then scoot off home in your Audi or you can get up off your rear and put yourself forward if you believe there is no alternative and something must be done for those less fortunate. Or you vote. If everyone voted our political landscape would look rather different and I hope would put an end to this safe seat nonsense.

Jesus Christ some people are idiotic. Only on Mumsnet. This is probably one of the most 'wooo' things I've ever read.

The reason why there hasn't been a revolution is because the vast majority of people know that we have some of the best living standards in the world and that a revolution would seriously jeopordize that standard of living. We don't have famines, we have access to free health care, most of us have a roof over our heads, light heat and decent sanitation. Most of us have jobs and most of us have the sense to know that the economy would go tits up if there was a revolution and the means they have to support their family may well disappear.

And the vast majority of people are sensible enough to have a look at what revolutions have led to in the past and know that they're not a good idea unless you're really pushed. Look at La Terroir, Stalinism even the Intereggnum in the UK.

People outside mumsnet who live in the real world rather than ivory towers also have the sense to realise that revolutions don't involve a load of yogurt munching lentil weavers having a sit it, they involve violence, death, destruction, upheaval and all sorts of other nasty stuff which people who actually have any sense wouldn't want their family, friends or neighbours have to live through.

Oh and they tend to create vacuums of power which lead to all sorts of nasty types getting their hands on power who were even worse than what preceded them, like ISIS, Stalin etc.

Oh, and there's also the little fact that we live in a democracy. What a lot of people on here seem to be advocating is because they don't agree with what politicians who have been democratically elected are doing they would like to force their own views on the rest of the country perhaps using violence if necessary. They know their views are only held by a minority but they seem to think that they should be allowed to impose their views on the rest of the country even though they haven't managed to convince the rest of the country that their image of society is something worth voting for. That's bloody sinister.

Very well put, aermingers

Erm ... Iceland!

The country, not the grocer. I'm not that Mumsnet

The reason why there hasn't been a revolution is because the vast majority of people know that we have some of the best living standards in the world and that a revolution would seriously jeopordize that standard of living. We don't have famines, we have access to free health care, most of us have a roof over our heads, light heat and decent sanitation. Most of us have jobs and most of us have the sense to know that the economy would go tits up if there was a revolution and the means they have to support their family may well disappear.

For the majority our standard of living has gone down since the 80s ans wages have not kept up with prices. Pretty soon there will be another situation with the banks either failing or being bailed out by the taxpayer. Again. Steen Jakobsen, Chief Economist and CIO of Saxo Bank is the first amongst mainstream economists to call the system what it is: a Ponzi scheme. The thing with Ponzi schemes is they all fail no matter how wide the base is.

The current economic model only works for a tiny minority, and needs to go back to one that works for the majority, i.e. back to a monetary system backed by an asset, and an economy that actually makes stuff. Roll back globalisation and bring back manufacturing.

I don't think it's perfectly okay to leave things as they are because most of us have a decent standard of living.

Far too many people have to choose between paying for food or electricity, or going hungry so younger family members don't starve. And the majority of people won't tell you they're in such dire need.

I'm not rich (although I don't struggle), and have been in the situation of having to avoid even looking at pictures of food because I was so hungry. I wouldn't have told anyone I was close to though (because although it isn't anything to be ashamed of, it is embarrassing), and the relevant authorities will make you jump through numerous hoops before they even consider helping you (which will be in the form of a loan they'll soon start hounding you to pay back).

I don't want a bloody, violent revolution - that's madness. But no-one should be letting the current Government get away with their current treatment of the poor and needy.

call the system what it is: a Ponzi scheme

YYY. And revolutions don't have to be bloody That is a straw man argument.

hover I couldn't agree more.

Revolution: a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system.
"the country has had a socialist revolution"
synonyms: rebellion, revolt, insurrection, mutiny, uprising, riot, rioting, rising, insurgence, insurgency, coup, overthrow, seizure of power, regime change;

There is no such thing as a peaceful revolution. It's just we as humans are particularly crap at our history lessons.

Sorry, aermingers, but we are barely democratic; first past the post; the House of Lords; established religion; malevolent party whips; paranoid and interfering MI5; an utterly corrupt media; institutionally corrupt police. The list is endless. Again, it's no coincidence that the British establishment has preserved the status quo for nigh-on a thousand years, with the same families and institutions holding both the power and the wealth.

DrTwo, I'm sure the populations of Africa, South America and most of Asia will be delighted to hear how dreadful our standard of living is. Perhaps you may want to go and tell them how hard done by we are and how muc we are suffering. I'm sure they would LOVE to hear it. They'd probably love to hear how awful it is in our peaceful, stable societies.

Our standard of living may be falling but it's incredibly good compared to the rest of the world.

Babycham, are you an escapee from the David Icke forums? So you think the answer to our society not being democratic enough is to make it even less democratic?

First past the post protects the UK from minority parties getting in. Put it this way, at the next election UKIP could probably win little more than 2 or 3 seats max. If we had PR we could well be looking at them having about 20% of the seats in the House of Commons.

The House of Lord's does not have any real power (you do realize nearly all the heriditary peers have gone right?) they act as a scrutinizing body and often have expertise which is not available in the House of Commons due to their backgrounds in law, medicine, engineering, business etc.

And nobdy posting on here seems to have the wit to realise that an awful lot of people don't the kind of 'woo' society people seem to be banging on about. How the hell do you think people are going to react to having their democratic rights taken away from them and another type of system foisted on them?

Because I can tell you exactly what would happen to your little 'woo' revolution. You wouldn't just march on parliament with flowers in your hair and everybody would roll over and let you tickle their tummy. If you tried to force what you wanted .on the rest of the country without consultation then the rest of the country would resist you and we'd have a civil war on our hands.

I'm absolutely astounded people are so ignorant of history that they can't see the downsides of this. The reason why there hasn't been a revolution is because the majority of people in this country are intelligent enough to realise that we are incredibly fortunate to have the standard of living we do and to live in a peaceful society.

Revolutions do not create Utopias. They create unstable, volatile societies which are vulnerable to extremism.

Some people on this thread have already agreed with you though, aermingers. There was quite a sensible discussion earlier about the downsides of revolutions.

Oh. And 'going back' to a monetary system 'based on an asset'. Prior to the banking revolution and the availability of widespread credit. We had a system based on assets. It was called feudalism and it wasn't very egalitarian.

Fair enough I just skim read it. I was replying mainly to the posters on this page.

Oh my, I'm a little bit in awe of aermingers