AIBU to wonder when the riots begin?

[Perfect28]

Much more spending announced on 'defence' than eco policies, children growing up in poverty, dodgy contracts awarded to buddies and today pay freezes for public sector workers and a proven bully being supported in her role. All this on top of one of the worst covid death rates in the world. How much longer do we sit by idly?

The sort of people who want anarchy are usually the people who would cope the least well if there actually was anarchy.

Coronawireless can I ask what this opinion is based on?

What are productive ways to express discontent?

Mass withholding of paying tax - only open to certain sectors though.

If you don't like it, DO something! I don't mean rioting either, as that achieves very little. Stand as a councillor or as an MP and make a difference.

Complaining is easy. Doing something about it is much harder.

@MiniTheMinx I suggest you read 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell and then reflect on what you said.

Communism/marxism etc may SOUND like a good idea, but it flies in the face of human nature. Humans may be generous, caring, and sharing, but they are also naturally greedy, selfish, and territorial.

@MiniTheMinx

Coronawireless can I ask what this opinion is based on?

I’ve met “anarchists”. They have tended to be unskilled and unfamiliar with exactly what it takes to keep things like hospitals, food and water supply, house-building and maintenance etc running safely. They would be in no position to achieve any of those things for themselves if society collapsed. They had nothing that they could barter with others who do have those skills. They thought other people would just help them - ie hand over what food they had managed to come by instead of giving it to their own children.

Butterer I am only in favour of the black bloc if they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, ie diverting police attention away from the peaceful protesters. Unfortunately this tactic hasn't always worked. I think too that some targets have a greater legitimacy than others. Its not a discussion for MN. I worry too that the mainstream press and police are very happy to use the presence of the black bloc to try to legitimate starting up violence towards peaceful protesters.

Ultimately though, if protest causes the sort of chaos that can not easily be managed then the police will use violence. Seen it myself. Individual police personnel panic too. Perhaps understandably themselves feeling edgy, at risk, etc,...
I saw one batton a small middle aged woman to the ground and drag her along the road. Why? she wouldn't move, thats all. In any other situation you wouldn't accept that sort of brutality just because you refuse to move. But this is normal unremarkable violence when used in respect of containing a protest.....the original purpose of black bloc tactics was to prevent this, now their existence is used by the powers that be to legitimate state violence.

Minitheminx I know communists are tired of hearing this but I think it's worth keeping in mind that every communist regime to date has ended in totalitarian tyranny, oppression, persecution, starvation, and on far too many occasions, also mass murder of the population. If an idea only works in theory, and always fails when put into practise, it is flawed

[quote Butterer]@Coronawireless the ones I've met are good at organising, involved in starting and building a current community cohousing project, have experience with mass catering on protest camps etc, naturally bulk buy and stockpile- not as preppers necessarily - and try to live as self sufficiently as possible.[/quote]
Sure. They can cater. And bulk buy. But where do they get the food from? (You can’t say a shop or a supplier!).
And what about the building materials and engineering expertise and equipment for more permanent homes than just camps?
In fact I am sympathetic towards the many nicer type of anarchist. IMO there are lots of people who would actually be good at being self-sufficient and managing on very little who are blocked from being able to produce their own food and build their own homes because there isn’t enough land and space for everyone to be self-sufficient. There are so many of us humans we are forced to live densely and shop for bulk-produced food. It’s horrible and one cause of mental illness.
But there are many others who would never have those skills and the State has to step in and provide.
Don’t know the answer but i doubt anarchy is it.

@Butterer

They tend to have access to allotments, gardens and sometimes other land for self growing; I think a co-op (I may be mistaken) in the north is currently wholesaling lentils and chickpeas? they grow.. there is a huge amount of permaculture and self sufficiency food wise, I knew shedloads of people running and working on a local organic farm - they got bussed out of leeds to get to work at one point.

They're also involved in stuff like the centre for alternative technology in wales, which covers low tech living/building amongst other things. It's doable on small enough scales, but not as a sudden mass changeover.

It sounds gorgeous! But as you say not on a mass scale. They don’t live there full time. They go to a town if they need a hospital, medical supplies. And if they get robbed/attacked? They call the police don’t they? They could set up their own arrangements in time, sure. But that would take a lot more people and cooperation. More houses needed. More space. Storage for food and supplies. Local police or security to protect these from looters. You’d pay the police/medics etc with skills/food...at first. But if they don’t need the food or service straight away you might give them IOUs instead. They’d have to keep these IOUs somewhere safe. Like...a bank? What about people who are too old or disabled to work? They need to be looked after. But their families are out growing food - unless you set up shops where people can use their IOUs (money, in other words) to buy instead of having to produce it. Next thing you need someone central in charge of all this...a government.🤦‍♀️

I'm fine with anarchism in theory, but all the anarchists I've ever met are crashingly middle class and can go home to Mummy and Daddy if it all goes wrong and have no idea why people who don't have that option might actually want a bit of security