'March in March' doesn't offer credible alternatives

[icyfroth]

Instead of licking its wounds and working on new ideas, the Australian left has focused on tearing the government down. This won’t work

This weekend, protesters will be heading to the streets to participate in March in March across the country. Organisers have said the weekend of protest “signifies the people’s vote of no confidence in policies of the government that go against common principles of humanity, decency, fairness social justice and equity, democratic governance, responsible global citizenship and conserving our natural heritage.”

With the election of Tony Abbott to the lodge, the left seems to have adopted many of the right’s oppositional tactics. There is the same heavy focus on  “lies”, “broken promises” and “secrecy” – a focus on Abbott’s character and not much in the way of presenting new policies. These are linked to similar destabilisation tactics – highlighted by a recent petition which has gained over 60,000 signatures – calling on the governor general to sack the government.

All of this is based on an ongoing claim, yelled very loudly, that the Abbott government is illegitimate due to his apparent reliance on the Murdoch media to get elected. This argument, whilst as weak as Abbott’s claims that the Gillard government was illegitimate, but seem to be just a fervently believed.

Instead of licking our wounds and creating an alternative approach, we have focused on tearing the government down, and using whatever arguments and tactics we can find to do so. After years of hammering Abbott for this brand of politicking, one could ask why the left is following suit – it seems like a rather hypocritical move.

Investigate further though, and you can see that the use of these tactics is a worrying symptom of  a fundamental crisis in politics. Over the past decades the left has lost its social base, leaving it weak as it faces the Abbott government. Union membership is at an all time low, a drop in numbers that is being met with a significant drop in influence. The environment and climate movement is facing similar problems, struggling heavily to deal with recent political realities.

The neoliberal agenda is slowly crushing progressive politics, leaving us stuck with these sorts of attack-based campaigns to beat our opponents.

The crisis represents an overarching general dissatisfaction with politics and politicians, and a strong dislike of our political system and processes. A recent Newspoll survey highlights this really well: on nearly every issue both major parties have gone backwards in recent months, signifying a shift away from any trust of our political leaders. And the left has been just as culpable.

And this is where adopting Abbott’s tactics becomes problematic. In the short term, it seems like a good strategy, but the long term damage will be real. In using this strategy, the left have failed to understand this anti-politics sentiment. We have in fact bought into it - playing an insider game focusing on broken promises, parliamentary tactics and media games, whilst effectively ignoring any real and substantive issues.

A new approach needs to be found. We need to recognise that this dislike of politics is actually a good thing: the rejection of a system that now largely serves the interests of the upper classes. The left now needs to tap directly into this sentiment.

There are plenty of successful examples of this. Russel Brand’s comments last year, for example, struck a chord largely because of his anti-establishment or anti-politics tone. The same can be said for the success of the Occupy movement. A bit closer to home and the climate movement has managed to gain significant momentum recently through going around standard political channels and directly taking on the power of the fossil fuel industry. The asylum seeker movement is also shifting its course - with the successful boycott campaign over the Sydney Biennale growing new energy for the campaign.

These tactics are about tackling the system from a different angle. They’re about challenging the power systems that are stacked up against us, and building a sustainable social base to do so. They are about doing the hard work of rebuilding our social movements, and rebuilding them to take on the systems that underpin our political system.

March in March doesn’t do this. Neither does attacking Abbott’s broken promises, calling for him to be sacked, or claiming his government is illegitimate. We have to do better than this.

From Here

Nothing like a good C&P to sink your teeth into, is there?

BBL

[silverfaun]

Lol icyfroth good article.

There's been a  lot written about this but the overriding consensus is its  the unions and  labor

mobilisation of their disappointment that Labor are out and their power base has been removed.

It  has only been 6 months of a new govt but they are waging a smear and scare campaign hoping to keep it going until the next election.

The other furphy they are spreading is that the conservatives will be out en masse too.

Lol good luck finding them 🙂

[lakeland27]

not 'the conservatives' lnp voters who want a proper NBN among other things.  i know some, they want a consrvative govt, but they also want a good one. this one has left people in the IT and tech industries frustrated. its like getting a new car and finding vomit in the back seat for them.. a bitter sweet experience.

[freakiness]

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@silverfaun wrote:

Lol icyfroth good article.

There's been a  lot written about this but the overriding consensus is its  the unions and  labor

mobilisation of their disappointment that Labor are out and their power base has been removed.

It  has only been 6 months of a new govt but they are waging a smear and scare campaign hoping to keep it going until the next election.

The other furphy they are spreading is that the conservatives will be out en masse too.

Lol good luck finding them 🙂

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You and the so called "overriding" consensus would be wrong then.

It has not been organised or mobilised by Labor or unions.  It is a grassroots movement of people that converged for various reasons.

Lakeland is correct in his assertions about the NBN.  It was LNP voters who create the petition and the same who are angry the petition was laughed off. They're not impressed about getting called zealots instead of being listened to.  You only have to listen to the senate hearings to know where they're coming from and they certainly were not fans of Conroy for the most part although many have developed a respect because of the way he hired Quigley and fought for the optical fibre NBN.  One reaso he did that was because he listened to people with knowledge of the industry and took heed of what was recommended.

[silverfaun]

.

[lakeland27]

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@sarah308 wrote:

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@lakeland27 wrote:

not 'the conservatives' lnp voters who want a proper NBN among other things.  i know some, they want a consrvative govt, but they also want a good one. this one has left people in the IT and tech industries frustrated. its like getting a new car and finding vomit in the back seat for them.. a bitter sweet experience.

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Why are u so rude in all your posts, you call everyone names, not very nice nwmes and then you have to come out with a disgusting comment like you have above.... If you think its clever and you are funny you are very wrong.. I find your posts rude, foul, bitter and full of bile and hate and that hate is directed to everyone who doent agree with your political flavour 

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 where are the names 'sarah' and what names in particular ? i re read and i can't find the names . if you would assist me please ?

[sarah308]

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@lakeland27 wrote:

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@sarah308 wrote:

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@lakeland27 wrote:

not 'the conservatives' lnp voters who want a proper NBN among other things.  i know some, they want a consrvative govt, but they also want a good one. this one has left people in the IT and tech industries frustrated. its like getting a new car and finding vomit in the back seat for them.. a bitter sweet experience.

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Why are u so rude in all your posts, you call everyone names, not very nice nwmes and then you have to come out with a disgusting comment like you have above.... If you think its clever and you are funny you are very wrong.. I find your posts rude, foul, bitter and full of bile and hate and that hate is directed to everyone who doent agree with your political flavour 

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 where are the names 'sarah' and what names in particular ? i re read and i can't find the names . if you would assist me please ?

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You are rude and call people so many names so often that you dont even remember.... Try the Islam thread post 133 and any of your other posts on there are just a small example of your never ending name calling and denigrating posts.... Your post on the bolt thread are the same..... The names your call abott and anyone from the LNP And right.... You cant make a post without being abusive and putting people down or calling people names.....

Why donyou have to be rude all the time and call people names 

[silverfaun]

The majority of Australians voted out Labor and voted in a conservative government. After Saturday all three  states and 1 territory will have rid themselves of Labor.

A grass roots rebellion of conservatives will protest??? this is a total furphy spread by the disappointed. Labor has been wiped of the face of the political landscape in this country and the frustration and anger has to be channeled into something.

It will be interesting to see the teachers fed and the nurses fed and the cfmeu and the  nurses fed and the awu and all the rest of the disappointed but you will be hard put to see any known conservative faces and if you do it will be very very very few.

But good luck with your march  if it makes you all feel good it can't be a bad thing.

[lakeland27]

the mosque thread P133 is a poster with a yellow flower.

[sarah308]

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@lakeland27 wrote:

the mosque thread P133 is a poster with a yellow flower.

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What was that quote from forest gump..... Oh yea stupid is etc....... But wnyway... I never mentioned the mosque thread I said the Islam thread but thats only a tiny example..... Re read all your post 90% of them you are denigrating someone or calling people names..... Not hard to find and should be real easy for you as your wrote them...

[lakeland27]

you forgot the young turks, the basically conservative tech crowd . most of whom are professionals ,  people who work in the industry.

despite a persons political leanings, things of interest innovation and merit can be the true passion. if someone takes that industry,, that passion away.. political allegiances start to take a back seat if they didn't already.. what would happen if dennis napthine put a halt to the AFL season ?