None Of The Above - An Idea To Pick (Constructive) Holes In. Waffle Alert!

[Heno]

anna, the only way to change things is through the kids. its a tough call since it is not fair to preoccupy them with negative subjects. as a parent i do take the time, just every so often, to explain how wrong things are. but the real influence is in the schools. thats where it needs to be reformed. after that its the tv programming. being english speaking countries we are so vulnerable to american brainwashing

[Pol]

From a bit of a outsider looking in I would say the problem with politics in England is no left wing alternative to labour There seems options on right be it ukip or bnp. The first past the post system doesn't help either, can't believe more people didn't want proportional representation it seems to work ok when we vote for the Scottish Parliament.

Small grass roots parties can still grow and flourish though so don't give up hope Tommy Sheridan and co did really well up here until he ruined it or was set up by the rich.
I would also like to use this post to say RIP Margo McDonald

[Rusco]

Ruscoe - You're exposing a gap in my knowledge here. Can you recommend a potted history of this stuff to read that will fill me in?

I don't read books so much but the wikiarticle considering Spanish Civil War and especially a Union there called C.N.T. and their way about consensus might be a good start. Spanish Civil War drawed anarchists from around the world there in 1930's too. Another one would be articles considering EZLN and Zapatistas.

Actually, I think Anna that there was too much content I tried to put in one post at once. I tend to write things that go slightly off-topic too, and I'm sorry for that. It evoked some old memories from past too... But have to say - I'm actually NOT an idealist sort of person at all, but honour some basic principles of taking care of each other etc. I've just spent as a hang-around dude in punk and activist scenes for 15 years.

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Heno - Yes kids probably are where the "the battle for minds" should be won but are we not failing them if we don't try and set them on their way? Shouldn't we be playing John The Baptist to their Jesus Christ? (Tell me that's good cos' I just giggled after writing that  ) So to my mind something that may draw attention (however small) to the disconnection of politicians from the rest is at least putting the cards on the table and makes things that little bit easier for them?

Pol - Very pertinent point. Down 'ere in England there's a hundred shades of grey then there's a bit to the right and then there's a bit further to the right. **** all to the left or above or below - my point being that no other alternative idea is in the mix to challenge what we have. It's not healthy. As for proportional representation I think 3 main things came together to doom it. First it came from the Liberal Democrats and after the Tuition fees disgrace anything that came from them was toxic. Second it seemed like a very European idea and so obviously there was a gut instinct No. Finally that old favourite - fear of change. You couldn't beat the first problem let alone the other 2. That's why the tories let it happen. Now the idea is killed off as an alternative so what do we have?

Ruscoe - Mate, I'm a lazy cow and your posts have given me more than enough easy ways into this stuff and I've now got a tentative handle on it. Thing that strikes me from my reading is how many different opinions there are within this political school of thought and from that it strikes me that this whole different opinion has no representation let alone any of the supplementary discussions. Which brings us back to the paucity of options again.

 

Obviously anyone else is free to jump in and shoot me down in a blaze of glory

 

[Heno]

Heno - Yes kids probably are where the "the battle for minds" should be won but are we not failing them if we don't try and set them on their way? Shouldn't we be playing John The Baptist to their Jesus Christ? (Tell me that's good cos' I just giggled after writing that  ) So to my mind something that may draw attention (however small) to the disconnection of politicians from the rest is at least putting the cards on the table and makes things that little bit easier for them?

haha, a baptism of fire perhaps.

but it sounds a little bit like indoctrination which is too opposite to allow them to enjoy themselves. they need to be more philosophical and less direct if they are to survive.

unfortunately there are too many sheep and too few shepherds. they will run with the flock, all most of us can do is give them an identity and some free thinking.

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Indoctrination feels like a strong and emotive word that maybe I wouldn't go as far as but I take your point and I guess it's a fine line between giving direction and brainwashing.

Probably the thing that drives me on this is that I watched my generation get off our tits and sod the world (I include myself in that massive generalisation), 25 years later and funnily enough shit's got worse. I don't want my boy to get to my age and be thinking the same thing. Primarily because a quarter of a century has passed, nothing has changed and time keeps ticking away. Think about it, TIAGD was nearly 5 years ago and we are already repeating things and building for the next crash. Sooner or later one will be the fucker that ruins us all. And that's just finance. Energy, food, population, climate etc. etc. etc. ............

I'm just convinced that something has to start somewhere, somehow and I'm looking for it

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Think this probably what I was getting at with all this and of all the people to quote from it turns out to be the bloody Pope! But.................. I want the answer to this:

"Just as the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say 'Thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. Today everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless. As a consequence, masses of people find themselves excluded and marginalised: without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape. Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded"

Maybe I jumped a step or two with the None Of The Above idea and this should have been the question.Is there a viable alternative to the neo-liberal consensus?