Why do people think marching/protesting changes anything

lazygal

Seriously, all these call for marches and protests against the banks, the government, the EU, whatever. Who the fup thinks marching is anything but a total waste of time?

Snakeblood

lazygal wrote: »

Seriously, all these call for marches and protests against the banks, the government, the EU, whatever. Who the fup thinks marching is anything but a total waste of time?

Probably because of Ghandi.

lazygal

lazygal wrote: »

Seriously, all these call for marches and protests against the banks, the government, the EU, whatever. Who the fup thinks marching is anything but a total waste of time?

Withholding money from the organization that you're protesting against, is the most effective option.

Assumes you can get what they provide elsewhere of course.

fishy fishy

how else would you suggest people make their thoughts known? sit at home watching X Factor or Glee?? :rolleyes:

danniemcq

sure whats the point in voting in that case?

it shows people aren't happy and if a large amont of people do protest then thats a heap of votes those in power are going to lose.

sure look at the elderly protest there last year?

Saila

protests only start to mean anything when you get SHITLOADS of people doing them. otherwise its not what the masses want and so is ignored

texidub

Apt username OP :pac:

People probably think marching and protesting changes things because eh.. marching and protesting can change things. Remember the protests about the pensions? It doesn't result in change every time but it results in change often enough that people keep doing it... assuming that's Ok with you and all? :pac:

TheZohanS

I'll tell you what's a waste of time, moany fùcks that sit on their arse and complain about anyone that shows a bit of initiative and gets off their ass to protest.

It's easier to sit on your hole and do nothing but moan than to get off your ass and do something.

D

Marches are good for raising awareness, they are the least efficient form of political protest, the most efficient form of political protest is to vote.

However protests are not limited to the political arena and in that case peoples' options can sometimes be limited and in that case marching is their only recourse. As the Zohan said its is more effective than being petty and passive aggressive on the internet.

megaten

Because they've worked in the past.

Jerri Jordan

Your wrong. few years ago the pensioners in this country protested and over the medical card being means tested. and they won
also protests stopped nuclear power station being built here in the 70's

phasers

TheZohan wrote: »

I'll tell you what's a waste of time, moany fùcks that sit on their arse and complain about anyone that shows a bit of initiative and gets off their ass to protest.

It's easier to sit on your hole and do nothing but moan than to get off your ass and do something.

The people who moan about people doing nothing whilst doing nothing themselves are worse, because they're whiners and hypocrites.

FetchTheGin

phasers wrote: »

The people who moan about people doing nothing whilst doing nothing themselves are worse, because they're whiners and hypocrites.

The people who moan about the people who moan about people doing nothing while doing nothing and doing nothing themselves are actually the worst kind of filth.

Sykk

phasers wrote: »

The people who moan about people doing nothing whilst doing nothing themselves are worse, because they're whiners and hypocrites.

It's the likes people who moan about people moaning about people doing nothing when they themselves are worse, because they're whiners and hypocrites.

Angeles

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phasers

Sykk wrote: »

It's the likes people who moan about people moaning about people doing nothing when they themselves are worse, because they're whiners and hypocrites.

And thus, the cycle continues and everyone keeps moaning.

orourkeda

It doesn't.

Proper constructive actions do.

Overheal

I have no problems with them protesting I just get pissed off at the ass****s that butt in and throw **** and vandalize the place. Not everyone out there is trying to cause trouble.

saa

Because if you don't the politicians can change whatever they want.

It is most effective if you are a strong demographic for voting, so the lads who say I'm not voting it won't change anything loose out within the system.

Protesting can save your medical card if you are a middle class well to do OAP but if you're precieved as a 20 something crustie you have no chance.

Activism within the system, activism outside of the system do fúcking something because if you believe you can't change anything by doing something then you certainly won't by not doing anything.

ScumLord

Because people like to think they have some say in things and can effect change without putting in any real effort. Marches gives them a day out shouting at imaginary demons and lets people believe they've done something but in reality it suits those in power because none of these marches have the vital organised movement with an agenda and plan of action to take advantage of the protest marches publicity. So effectively it's keeping the mob occupied.

Democracy has breed laziness, people expect to be waited on hand and foot by their government while they put no effort in at local level. Unless people organise themselves at a local community level and create a real organisation the government will never take any of this seriously.

bodhrandude

I believe that if you can make enough of a rumpus with a crowd, be it blocking the traffic or having a mass amount of consensus in agreement with you and it makes television and newspaper headlines, then perhaps its worth it. Im going to take a look today anyway in Eyre Square to see how the protest is going in Galway.

Cee-Jay-Cee

They're all on the dole and have nothing else to do. Its a day out for most of them.

Biggins

lazygal wrote: »

Seriously, all these call for marches and protests against the banks, the government, the EU, whatever. Who the fup thinks marching is anything but a total waste of time?

I disagree - Gandhi would too!

Immaculate Pasta

Snakeblood wrote: »

Probably because of Ghandi.

He was a good actor that Gandhi. I could never figure out why he made only the one film though

karma_

Biggins wrote: »

I disagree - Gandhi would too!

Definitely, activism has a long history of success.

the purple tin

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

He was a good actor that Gandhi. I could never figure out why he made only the one film though

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XkWhPHQZzqo/TVLVXXWduCI/AAAAAAAAAyk/TJeC6MzjaCk/s1600/0004010E-7983-1360-B1370C01AC1BF814.jpeg :P

fishy fishy

first of all, the demons are not imaginary

and second of all, try looking at the older generation and what they achieved by protesting and walking - some on zimmerframes - re their medical cards.

this is what we need - not some whingy nation who expects someone else to fight for them, and get them what they want while they sit on their fat Asses and spout derogatory comments about the people who have the gumption to stand up and be counted.

a nation of spoilt wussed who wouldn't know a principal if it hit them in their face.

ScumLord

karma_ wrote: »

Definitely, activism has a long history of success.

It does not, activism wasn't even considered until recent times as the people your active against would just kill you and all your family for good measure. It's gained more success due to the global media, but as a tactic it's lost it's effectiveness of late.

44leto

Protests do work, peaceful and violent protests also work, examples would be the civil rights movement and the protestations against the poll tax in London. But these protests were aimed at a specific target the governments who had the power to right the wrongs.

But in protesting against an economic system that is going wrong, nobody, has the the power to right that. Especially now when it is all tied into globalisation of markets and separate jurisdictions.

sensibleken

lazygal wrote: »

Seriously, all these call for marches and protests against the banks, the government, the EU, whatever. Who the fup thinks marching is anything but a total waste of time?

living up to your name there.

the last march/protest i was on achieved 100% of its aims. remember when pensioners protested against medical card cuts? remember the civil rights movement. No? ok.

sensibleken

Saila wrote: »

protests only start to mean anything when you get SHITLOADS of people doing them. otherwise its not what the masses want and so is ignored

depends on the protest. I was on one in march and there were maybe just over 100 at it. We got everything we wanted.

the crowd needed is proportanal to the size and difficulty of the issue

My name is URL

Those hippies on Tiananmen Square in '89 were just wasting their time.

Biggins

ScumLord wrote: »

It does not, activism wasn't even considered until recent times as the people your active against would just kill you and all your family for good measure. It's gained more success due to the global media, but as a tactic it's lost it's effectiveness of late.

Recent times?

There has been great changes brought about by protest marches and not just recent ones - from early century ones.

* The Suffragist marches.
* The Bonus Army marches.
* "Women of Color" marches.
* United Farm Workers Union with Cesar Chavez marches.
* Black civil rights marches - Rosa Parks marches - Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK's March On Washington) marches.
* Vietnam marches
* Polands Solidarity Marches
* Ghandi's Salt March.
* Boston Tea Party March.
* Many Anti-Aparthied Protest marches.

To name a few.

the_syco

D wrote: »

Marches are good for raising awareness, they are the least efficient form of political protest, the most efficient form of political protest is to vote.

Pretty much this. If 800 people in their homes didn't like something, no-one would care. If 50 people publicly marched against that something, those 800 people may join them, and the people will notice that they don't like that particular thing.

Dudess

TheZohan wrote: »

I'll tell you what's a waste of time, moany fùcks that sit on their arse and complain about anyone that shows a bit of initiative and gets off their ass to protest.

It's easier to sit on your hole and do nothing but moan than to get off your ass and do something.

phasers wrote: »

The people who moan about people doing nothing whilst doing nothing themselves are worse, because they're whiners and hypocrites.

Exactly. Marches/protests can cause change and I don't like seeing people bitching about those who actually go out and do it, but at least the former are consistent. People going on from their laptops about how we are complacent and being ****ed up the arse, and asking why people aren't protesting, are just making a fool of themselves.

SafeSurfer

This must be the 10th "Whats the point in protesting" thread in the last month. Any more and I am going to start a protest against the proliferation of anti protesting threads.

ScumLord

Biggins wrote: »

Recent times?

The industrial age and under the global media. Your examples are in recent times. How many happened 200 years or more years ago? Those movements were some of the first and people had to die to change opinion.

Benny_Cake

Snakeblood wrote: »

Probably because of Ghandi.

Yeah,and Martin Luther King.I suppose they were wasting their time OP?

Jopari87

44leto wrote: »

Protests do work, peaceful and violent protests also work, examples would be the civil rights movement and the protestations against the poll tax in London. But these protests were aimed at a specific target the governments who had the power to right the wrongs.

But in protesting against an economic system that is going wrong, nobody, has the the power to right that. Especially now when it is all tied into globalisation of markets and separate jurisdictions.

In my opinion, protesting only works if there are set goals and everybody has the same aims, like Biggins list above.

Some people seem to be complaining about Ireland doing nothing and when asked for suggestions, say I don't know but lets do something anyway, which only leads to chaos.

Biggins

ScumLord wrote: »

The industrial age and under the global media. Your examples are in recent times. How many happened 200 years or more years ago? Those movements were some of the first and people had to die to change opinion.

Very true. In was only in the last 100+ years as methods of communication were invented/improving that greater protest ability was able subsequently to become more organised and thus commonplace.

(ScumLord: When you said "recent times" I though you were speaking only of in terms of the last few years. My bad!)

My name is URL

Weren't there many protests in the lead up to and during both the American & French revolutions?

Biggins

My name is URL wrote: »

Weren't there many protests in the lead up to and during both the American & French revolutions?

Possibly - maybe more so as gatherings - as protest marches, for myself I don't know.

trellheim

There have been hundreds where the protestors haven't gotten their way - the miners under Thatcher for example, Shell to Sea etc.

However it remains one of the easiest to get involved in and do something and shouldn't be slagged off sometimes things need to be opposed.

Chuck Stone

What's the point in making threads asking about the point of protesting?

I've confused myself.

V_Moth

lazygal wrote: »

Seriously, all these call for marches and protests against the banks, the government, the EU, whatever. Who the fup thinks marching is anything but a total waste of time?

The people of Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, etc would like to have a word with you...