karen2205: Me with proper sized mug of coffee (Default)
Karen ([personal profile] karen2205) wrote2011-04-01 08:00 pm

Policial rambling

Feeling both that I disagree with a lot of the policital points being made and the means of making them within online circles of people I know whilst also seeking approval from others. The two don't go together. I've misplaced whatever it is that enables me to be a good lone voice or a good dissenting view. So, in an attempt to find some of that again:-

1. I think public spending cuts are inevitable in the current economic climate.

2. I don't agree with where some of the cuts are falling as there seems to be a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable in society.

3. Whilst I agree that everyone (companies and people) should pay the tax they owe, I consider that it's an enormous oversimplification of several different issues to suggest that unpaid tax from particular large corporations magically fixes the national debt or removes the need for public spending reductions.

4. I agree people have the right to protest by marching through the streets if they want. But I'm pissed off at the justifications I'm seeing for damaging property. No, it's not OK. And beyond that, I find it very hard to understand why people put themselves in harms way like this to make this particular point. If we know the police will use 'kettling' and we can reasonably assume within a very large event that there will be small groups of people out to cause trouble, then why join a protest march?

5. I'm reasonably happy with the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition so far. [There are individual decisions I would criticise, but over all they're not bad].

[identity profile] valkyriekaren.livejournal.com 2011-04-01 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Why pick ONE at all? You seem to be presenting a false dichotomy - or trichotomy, if you will - that there are people who are 'armchair activists' who write to newspapers and their MPs, people who are community advocates as you describe above, and people who go on demonstrations. I don't think you can these activities as disparate and divorced from each other - they feed into and complement each other, and very often it's the same people doing all three things! I'm a charity worker, I lobby my MP on issues that matter to me, and I go on marches and demos when I can. I very much doubt I'm alone in this - or in thinking that all these things are worthwhile, and within my rights.