[g8-sheffield] New Labour polotics in a very thin radical coat

[Chris Malins]

Perhaps everyone is a little too keen today to engage in criticism of 
what we disagree with rather than affirmation of the positive. I think 
it should be clear that although some may disagree with the way Benjamin 
expressed himself, he meant to send out a positive message about all the 
groups that participated in action over the G8 meeting. If it sounds 
like Ben is talking about 'us and them' with regard to either protestors 
and the police, or himself and some elements within the protest, I'm 
sure that this is only an honest expression of what he personally 
identifies with - if he approves of the actions of the 'anarchist punks' 
but does not identify with them, this is hardly surprising, and we 
shouldn't try to weld everyone together into some sort of homogeneous lump.

I have heard it suggested that the left can be a movement of 'one no and 
many yesses'; it is chimerical to pursue unity, when it involves driving 
individuals away. Lets be honest about where we stand and what we 
believe, rather than ask everyone to constantly subdue their thoughts 
under a veneer of solidarity.

Ben has been accused of patronisation, and others have been accused of 
betrayal for joining legally sanctioned protest. I think that we should 
always assume the best of people when they post on this list and the 
web, rather than looking to the weaknesses and confusions in what they 
say to attack their arguments.

Lets try not to take offense when a word is misplaced, and try in turn 
not to give further offense if we reply to it, and we can vastly enhance 
the chances of achieving constructive discussion and bringing people 
together.

Chris

PS. Please don't lets start arguing about whether that was patronising 
as well!

Jan Worth wrote:
> I would like to know who this person means by 'us' in his extremely 
> patronising them and us tract that appeared on your website today. This 
> mentality lives and breathes in the cultural industries quarter, (where 
> you are now based )and has dogged most progressive movements in this 
> country for years. Many from the seventies became labour party 
> politicians and took with them the ingrained notion that the mission was 
> to teach these uncouth hooligans to be more like 'us' we now see these 
> policies in action.
> Is this young man the blunket of the future
> Jan
>  
>  'What was most interesting to me about the counter-G8 actions over the
> last few
>  > days was the varied assemblages of people who turned out to make
> their voices
> _> heard._* _From filthy dirty autonomist radicals_*, families sporting 
> Make
> Poverty
>  > History sashes, the socialist choir, the newly sprung Independent
> Socialist
>  >_* Youth Forum, and our amazing little anarchist punks who took it upon
> themselves
>  > to start up a separatist sit in on the road at the Rice for Dinner
> event*.
> _> Though I declined to join the latter on their ill-fated (but
> worthwhile)
>  > venture I do nevertheless think their show of rebellion was
> remarkable and is
>  > an energy to be harnessed. It has been a while since such collective
> shows of
>  > defiance against authority ! has emerged in Sheffield against such
> young people.
>  > I am in my early Twenties and I cannot remember there being such a
> politically
>  > motivated mobilisation with which to put all my passion and rage into
> when I
>  > was at school or college in the working class northern estates of
> Sheffield in
>  > which I grew up (that s maybe why I sent those years beating myself
> up
>  > instead). *_Though I don t subscribe to the ACAB school of political
> philosophy
>  > in any shape or form, I nevertheless felt that what these kids were
> doing was
>  > partially exciting- true, out there on the front line of the demo, so
> to speak,
>  >_ **_any distinct notions of world peace and justice might have escaped
> their heads
> ! > to be replaced by a  us and them  mentality,_ but just some of those
> *_kids *might
>  > just have the potential some day to be fully equipped fighters for
> the global
> *_> justice movement, and for local issues too. This doesn t necessarily
> imply a 
>  > mass mobilisation of working class people  as it may have done
> before, but
>  > merely a chance _*to join us*_ all in a social space where they can share
>  > experiences and ideas with long time campaigners (helping to locate
> those nodes
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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