why do people use 1m reasons to not protest instead of 1 decision to do it??

G Power

one analogy I've come up with from attending too many failed protests and hearing peoples excuses for not attending after is, it's a bit like the alcoholic who will use a multitude of reasons to keep drinking instead of making one decision to just do the right thing

Sh1tbag OToole

Apathy and an Irish culture of complaining behind closed doors but nobody wants to be seen "making a show of themselves" at a bloody protest. Also the weather will most likely be bad on the day of the protest further reducing the turnout

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Because on some level, the Irish move misery.

3ndahalfof6

Its not far enough, do I win a prize, that is all.

Sh1tbag OToole

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Because on some level, the Irish move misery.

Its a pity they wouldn't start exporting it instead of just moving it around their own country

Praetorian Saighdiuir

If we have nothing to complain about, we won't be happy.

Shenshen

I'll attend a protest when I feel there is an issue that needs attention.

What's your point?

HTML5!

Protesting is for people who can't roll with the punches.

Madam_X

G Power wrote: »

one analogy I've come up with from attending too many failed protests and hearing peoples excuses for not attending after is, it's a bit like the alcoholic who will use a multitude of reasons to keep drinking instead of making one decision to just do the right thing

Their lives are ok overall so they don't feel angered enough to attend.

IM0

they are being nice, you should hear the undertone of what they are saying as "Im not going to protest because its only the uninformed who know nothing about how economies work ect and those naieve to politics that go to these things"

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

HTML5! wrote: »

Protesting is for people who can't roll with the punches.

Enda...?

G Power

Shenshen wrote: »

I'll attend a protest when I feel there is an issue that needs attention.

What's your point?

so there's not been one protest in ireland that you'd agree with??

cml387

G Power wrote: »

one analogy I've come up with from attending too many failed protests and hearing peoples excuses for not attending after is, it's a bit like the alcoholic who will use a multitude of reasons to keep drinking instead of making one decision to just do the right thing

Insanity is defined doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Maybe it's...you

Death and Taxes

Protest for what? so the looney left Eirigi/ULA/PBP/SF can claim my support....Dafuq I will, they are a bigger threat to this country than all the bankers,politicans, and developers added together.

G Power

Madam_X wrote: »

Their lives are ok overall so they don't feel angered enough to attend.

but i regularly chat with a cross section of society who will tell me everything is ok for them at the moment yet a scary amount of times on closer inspection with the person most admit things aren't as great as they've been trying to convince themselves they are.

again, denial is not just a river in Egypt :eek::eek:

G Power

G Power wrote: »

but i regularly chat with a cross section of society who will tell me everything is ok for them at the moment yet a scary amount of times on closer inspection with the person most admit things aren't as great as they've been trying to convince themselves they are.

again, denial is not just a river in Egypt :eek::eek:

I find the opposite funnily enough. In finance terms anyway.

Adyx

G Power wrote: »

one analogy I've come up with from attending too many failed protests and hearing peoples excuses for not attending after is, it's a bit like the alcoholic who will use a multitude of reasons to keep drinking instead of making one decision to just do the right thing

I only need one reason not to protest - I just don't fcuking care.

I actually attended a protest once organised by the WIT Students Union, I haven't a clue what it was about - I thought we were going drinking. :mad:

My name is URL

G Power wrote: »

one analogy I've come up with from attending too many failed protests and hearing peoples excuses for not attending after is, it's a bit like the alcoholic who will use a multitude of reasons to keep drinking instead of making one decision to just do the right thing

I think you're making the mistake of assuming that just because you feel angry and fed up; that everyone else must too.

The truth is that most people just aren't all that bothered with what happens outside of their own little bubbles.

G Power

WileyCoyote wrote: »

Protest for what? so the looney left Eirigi/ULA/PBP/SF can claim my support....Dafuq I will, they are a bigger threat to this country than all the bankers,politicans, and developers added together.

so have you been to any protest at all?? what about the abortion issue? women are left to die unnecessarily in front of doctors eyes here due to none of us caring enough in the last 20 years to force the government to legislate for abortion.

the list is endless as to why we should hit the streets but none of them are good enough for the majority to be bothered every single time

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

Its a pity they wouldn't start exporting it instead of just moving it around their own country

Think you need to ask these, eh, happy little campers...

WileyCoyote wrote: »

Protest for what? so the looney left Eirigi/ULA/PBP/SF can claim my support....Dafuq I will, they are a bigger threat to this country than all the bankers,politicans, and developers added together.

HTML5! wrote: »

Protesting is for people who can't roll with the punches.

Shenshen wrote: »

I'll attend a protest when I feel there is an issue that needs attention.

What's your point?

G Power

Adyx wrote: »

I only need one reason not to protest - I just don't fcuking care.

I actually attended a protest once organised by the WIT Students Union, I haven't a clue what it was about - I thought we were going drinking. :mad:

thanks a million for your input :rolleyes:

G Power

Deleted User wrote: »

I find the opposite funnily enough. In finance terms anyway.

so, how are every single one of your family, friends, neighbours etc doing?? be honest with yourself, write all their names down and really look at their situations. are you that selfish that you will watch so so many suffer and not give a **** simply because you yourself are one of the lucky ones??

Shenshen

G Power wrote: »

so there's not been one protest in ireland that you'd agree with??

I did attend one a while back to try and get abortion legalised.

Other than that, no.

G Power

G Power wrote: »

so, how are every single one of your family, friends, neighbours etc doing?? be honest with yourself, write all their names down and really look at their situations. are you that selfish that you will watch so so many suffer and not give a **** simply because you yourself are one of the lucky ones??

Sorry, you're right, they're all just waiting on rope to be cheap in Aldi and Lidl again so they can afford to hang themselves. Everyone is completely ruined.
The reason there were so few protesting today is that for a large proportion of people things are pretty much fine. I know that that's not a popular narrative among a lot of people but it's true.

cml387

G Power wrote: »

so, how are every single one of your family, friends, neighbours etc doing?? be honest with yourself, write all their names down and really look at their situations. are you that selfish that you will watch so so many suffer and not give a **** simply because you yourself are one of the lucky ones??

I know absolutely nobody who is suffering hardship as a result of the recession. I do know of people who are suffering because they can no longer take two holidays a year, or had to sell a car.

Adyx

G Power wrote: »

thanks a million for your input :rolleyes:

Thanks a million for the time-wasting, hand-wringing, rhetoric and traffic disruption.

Sh1tbag OToole

cml387 wrote: »

I know absolutely nobody who is suffering hardship as a result of the recession. I do know of people who are suffering because they can no longer take two holidays a year, or had to sell a car.

You should look harder because those people are definitely around.

Absolutezero

I didn't go today because Its my first day off in ages and I wanted to see Lincoln before it finished in the cinema. It would mean an hours travel to and back from a venue. That's just the practicality of it.

IM0

is it called a continuation thread if the other one is still going..

Death and Taxes

G Power wrote: »

so have you been to any protest at all?? what about the abortion issue? women are left to die unnecessarily in front of doctors eyes here due to none of us caring enough in the last 20 years to force the government to legislate for abortion.

the list is endless as to why we should hit the streets but none of them are good enough for the majority to be bothered every single time

Show me your evidence that a protest has ever changed government policy in Ireland, answer never!
Hundreds of thousands marched in the late 70's over paye rates, wasted their time, over 100,000 marched in opposition to the Iraq war, fuq all affect on government policy.
Marches in this country are just an opportunity for extremists like Eirigi,SF,SIPTU and their likes to claim public support.

Fr_Dougal

25,000 Trade Union members marched in Dublin today. Be janey it looks as if they aren't going to be a pushover in these Croke Park negotiations.

Pumpkinseeds

I think it's because people know that their protests, broadly speaking, won't make a damn bit of difference to the government.

G Power

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I think it's because people know that their protests, broadly speaking, won't make a damn bit of difference to the government.

it wont if 4,450,000 people leave the rest to try change things on their own!!

the government are pi$$in themselves right now and will continue to not need to know the price of a litre of milk or petrol, unlike us divided and conquered serfs

G Power

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

25,000 Trade Union members marched in Dublin today. Be janey it looks as if they aren't going to be a pushover in these Croke Park negotiations.

according to boyd barret there were 100k up there :eek::eek:

i dont believe him for one minute!!

G Power

Adyx wrote: »

Thanks a million for the time-wasting, hand-wringing, rhetoric and traffic disruption.

so in my op and after i describe the level of denial in this country to be of alcoholic proportions you admit the only time you ever attended a protest with your mates, you actually thought ye were all going drinking!!

my point personified :pac:

Banjo String

G Power wrote: »

so there's not been one protest in ireland that you'd agree with??

Afaik, she's German.

(everything's going to plan so.)

ballygowan1

People don't like marching for the unions. Any of these protests I have seen have been organised and promoted by the unions. People will not commit if they see this. The unions have the country the way it is. Simple as that

BBDBB

I disagree with you OP

but


meh

ballygowan1

I work in a large organisation and most people had the same question. "Who is organising the march?" When they heard the unions all of the said no way.

Who wants to be seen marching with the unions and holding a banner with siptu etc written on it?

cml387

G Power wrote: »

it wont if 4,450,000 people leave the rest to try change things on their own!!

the government are pi$$in themselves right now and will continue to not need to know the price of a litre of milk or petrol, unlike us divided and conquered serfs

You see, in the end we vote. Democracy is the worst system of government in the world, until you look at the alternatives.

I notice that the "Arab Spring", people in the streets blah blah has achieved nothing other than anarchy.:

Tunisia

Egypt

Syria

Czarcasm

Because the majority of people believe protesting to be a pointless exercise when the government ignores the electorate in favor of being told what to do by Germany.

If you want to change something, you don't start from the top down- you work from the ground up!

Riddle101

I don't know about 1 million excuses. But the reason I don't attend protests, is because I know nothing will happen. We can bash and scream all we like, but in reality we never do achieve anything from protesting. What did the the Occupy Dame street movement do? What did all the other protests that happened since the Recession started do? Nothing. I don't know, maybe Irish people are just not aggressive enough but generally when there is a protest it usually ends the same way. With everyone going home and moaning, but life will continue on with nothing changed.

BASHIR

I just don't feel that the Austerity measures are affecting me all that badly to be honest. I also believe the measures are a step in the right direction for Ireland. Of course I don't agree with some of the cuts mainly healthcare related but I may be a little selfish here as they are not affecting me or my family directly.

That's my reason for not attending, take from it whatever you like. But stop generalising so much if want anyone to take you seriously.

cml387

cml387 wrote: »

You see, in the end we vote. Democracy is the worst system of government in the world, until you look at the alternatives.

I notice that the "Arab Spring", people in the streets blah blah has achieved nothing other than anarchy.:

Tunisia

Egypt

Syria

Well what has it achieved? If you think what we're fed by English-speaking media tells half the story then you've your head in the clouds. Most of the Arab Spring wasn't about democracy, they were basically food riots, hence those "funny" pictures of baguettes as weapons and sliced-bread helmets. Thing haven't improved much since. When fundamentalists increase in popularity it's generally a fair assumption that things aren't great economically.

Fromthetrees

G Power wrote: »

one analogy I've come up with from attending too many failed protests and hearing peoples excuses for not attending after is, it's a bit like the alcoholic who will use a multitude of reasons to keep drinking instead of making one decision to just do the right thing

I think you're a little bit mixed up with what the point of a protest should be. You say you've been involved in so many 'failed protests'. The only protest that will ever have a chance of enacting any sort of real change is when the point of the protest has 1 reason.

To me a broad anti austerity march feels akin to saying we're against balancing the books, that's the issue here, we simply have to get close to balancing our books. To me the march appears to be about raising taxes but not having water charges or a property tax, maintaining social welfare payments, maintaining public sector job numbers and pay, pro nationalising our oil and fisheries, burn the bondholders, borrow more money to fund services, keep open local hospitals, keep the household benefits package and free travel card for OAP's and it goes on and on until we're left with a few hundred people on over a million euro income to fund everything that everyone else wants.

If there was a protest every Saturday for the rest of the year that was about maintaining children's allowance rates and raising back to school payments you truly could help influence government policy.
Or if the Guards went out every week marching and protesting to maintain the forces pay and numbers then the government could very well look and listen. If these two protests went ahead I would support each one of them separately as best I can.

Even if you had a pro business march that said if the government did x, y and z to help small and medium businesses create more jobs I could see the merits in having one.

The only thing we have a real choice over is how we get to balancing the books.

Sinfonia

G Power wrote: »

so, how are every single one of your family, friends, neighbours etc doing?? be honest with yourself, write all their names down and really look at their situations. are you that selfish that you will watch so so many suffer and not give a **** simply because you yourself are one of the lucky ones??

Here's where your logic is massively flawed.
You can't scorn everyone/anyone else for being selfish without being accused of hypocrisy, for two reasons:
1) Your position is selfish by definition, because you can't be satisfied by other people disagreeing with your position, or otherwise showing ambivalence or insouciance toward it.
2) Unless you have attended every protest for every cause ever, you are cherry-picking your preferred causes, which is a matter of subjectivity, thus other people may not feel about it as you do.

cml387

Deleted User wrote: »

Well what has it achieved? If you think what we're fed by English-speaking media tells half the story then you've your head in the clouds. Most of the Arab Spring wasn't about democracy, they were basically food riots, hence those "funny" pictures of baguettes as weapons and sliced-bread helmets. Thing haven't improved much since. When fundamentalists increase in popularity it's generally a fair assumption that things aren't great economically.

I didn't make my point very well. What I meant to say was that the popular uprising that characterised the Arab spring has done nothing to improve conditions, in some cases made things far worse.

G Power

ballygowan1 wrote: »

People don't like marching for the unions. Any of these protests I have seen have been organised and promoted by the unions. People will not commit if they see this. The unions have the country the way it is. Simple as that

us holding nobody to account is why the crazies know they can get away with daylight robbery

cml387

cml387 wrote: »

I didn't make my point very well. What I meant to say was that the popular uprising that characterised the Arab spring has done nothing to improve conditions, in some cases made things far worse.

Sorry, I thought you were using "blah blah" to dismiss people in the street complaining.

Tombo2001

G Power wrote: »

one analogy I've come up with from attending too many failed protests and hearing peoples excuses for not attending after is, it's a bit like the alcoholic who will use a multitude of reasons to keep drinking instead of making one decision to just do the right thing

this is nonsense....

this notion that people dont protest because of apathy.....

I dont protest because I dont want to protest.......its nothing to do with apathy.

I've got better things to do with my life thanks all the same.

And to hear that union today pretending there were 100,000 people there when the guards were saying there were 20,000......pathetic.

20,000 people.....out of 4000000 people in the country......thats 1 in every 2000 people decided to protest today......would the unions not take a message from that?

hmmm

People don't join protests they don't agree with. It's a bit sad to call people apathetic just because they don't agree with you, you have a lot of growing up to do.