The Merry Prankster
Pactum serva
Indeed. I'd urge everyone to riot except I would get arrested so instead I urge you all to stay at home and watch X factor and eat pot noodles. Safer all round.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Why Don't People Protest Anymore?
- Thread starter seagull_special
- Start date
A good question. I think aspirations have changed over the years. For example universities used to be fervent hot-beds of political belief and a slight step away from the norm. These days they are an extension of society with students driving cars and having the latest labels. Whereas they used to want to change the world.... now they want the latest mobile.
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 36,062
and 30 years later, what had happened to the student grant?
Curious Orange
Punxsatawney Phil
Well, in about 1998 I went on a protest march through Swansea about the introduction of fees and the abolition of the grant (without which I would NEVER have gone to University), and do you know what effect that had on our beloved Socialist Government for whom "Education, education, education!" was the thing... that's right, none whatsoever!
It went. All part of the (successful) Tory plot to de-radicalise universities. Now everybody goes and they all come out with useless 'Me Too' degrees in Media Studies and thousands of pounds of debt.
Curious Orange
Punxsatawney Phil
Labour abolished the student grant.
Technically I suppose yes, but seeing as they happily embraced all the policies of the outgoing Tory administration, from the Fuel Duty Escalator to the privitisation of the railways, I do feel a bit like the other animals did at the end of 'Animal Farm'.
We should have protested more violently when we had the chance ...
Braders
Abi Fletchers Gimpboy
and another one around campus today!
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,019
To answer the original question, because we're not French.
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 36,062
technically?? ffs, Labour brought in the new policy to completely abolish the grant, then plucked out their arse that 50% of school leavers should go to university, providing funding to univeristies on a bums on seats metric rather than quality... hence leading to shit meaningless "studies" graduates rather than hard science, maths, history, economics etc.. along with their opposition to grammer schools (which so many attended) and their insistance on driving a culture of testing for the sake of testing throughout the state education system, its a disgrace that they use education as a platform (and i dont beleive the tories were much better either).
People do protest nowadays. From blowing themselves up on the underground (an extreme form, but protest all the same) to 1.5million signing an e-petition to Number 10 against road pricing.
It's the nature of protest that has changed - the old "marches with banners" doesn't do it anymore (as others have observed).
It's the nature of protest that has changed - the old "marches with banners" doesn't do it anymore (as others have observed).
Trufflehound
Re-enfranchised
A riot ees an ugly thing.
And I think it ees just about time zat we had one.
And I think it ees just about time zat we had one.
Oh I know I know and I 100% agree. They seem to think there's something wrong with secondary moderns (even though they were a Labour invention) and with leaving school at 16 and becoming a plasterer's mate. This is because they're all f***ing middle class wankers. What I meant was 'technically' it's a Labour government - although as I said earlier I can't tell the difference. But we are finally nationalising the banks so I suppose there is some progress!
Lord Bracknell
On fire
This thread deserves a bounce.
Anyone changed their minds?
Anyone changed their minds?
jmsc
New member
Thankfully, a lot of people in 1997 did give a "wank" as you so colourfully put it and saved the Albion!
Thankfully, a lot of people gave a "wank" about the poll tax and got it scrapped!
Horses for courses, people protest when they believe a wrong is being done.
Are you a wanker? Because that's the way it sounds to me!
Last edited:
The English (I'll specify the English because this is NSC in England) are an easy-going, laid back bunch. We like tea and our gardens, football, comedy programmes, and, generally, anything which doesn't rock the boat. We've sat here and taken everything flung at us for the past 1,000 years. From time to time, we get to the end of our tether, and have a go.
Two lots of poll tax riots, the first inspiring the second.
A poor attempt at blowing up Parliament, which we still celebrate with fireworks and a nice bonfire (heath n safety notwithstanding) every November 5th
Fighting a king and then lopping off his head when he spent our hard-earned taxes on his art collection
A demonstration which ended up as a riot which ended up as a massacre when some new, labour-saving technology turned up in 1811
Since then, our very Englishness has been questioned and we are being attacked from all sides, including by our cousins and neighbours in Ireland and Scotland and our bezzie mates in the States and our business chums over the Channel. In more recent decades, the democracy and industrialisation we spread around the world has been questioned and now, instead of having pride in it, we have been encouraged to feel guilty about it. In the meantime, because our country is so fab, most of the world wants to come and live here. The old myth about the streets of London being paved with gold have come true, but not for the English, whose streets they are. Now, our kids have been plundering those streets because it's cool and fun. Is this what this great nation has become, a place where pride has no place and where everything is for the taking, except for those who work hard? Have our kids actually been protesting in their own way because England is too shell-shocked and beaten to stand up for herself?
Two lots of poll tax riots, the first inspiring the second.
A poor attempt at blowing up Parliament, which we still celebrate with fireworks and a nice bonfire (heath n safety notwithstanding) every November 5th
Fighting a king and then lopping off his head when he spent our hard-earned taxes on his art collection
A demonstration which ended up as a riot which ended up as a massacre when some new, labour-saving technology turned up in 1811
Since then, our very Englishness has been questioned and we are being attacked from all sides, including by our cousins and neighbours in Ireland and Scotland and our bezzie mates in the States and our business chums over the Channel. In more recent decades, the democracy and industrialisation we spread around the world has been questioned and now, instead of having pride in it, we have been encouraged to feel guilty about it. In the meantime, because our country is so fab, most of the world wants to come and live here. The old myth about the streets of London being paved with gold have come true, but not for the English, whose streets they are. Now, our kids have been plundering those streets because it's cool and fun. Is this what this great nation has become, a place where pride has no place and where everything is for the taking, except for those who work hard? Have our kids actually been protesting in their own way because England is too shell-shocked and beaten to stand up for herself?
Sussex Nomad
Well-known member
Are you serious about Gordon Brown wiping the floor with the present incumbent? The chancellor that eased us into the biggest banking crisis of all time? The Chancellor that sold off half our gold reserves when gold was at it's lowest price ever? Basically the man that sold us off to the cheapest bidder? If you are going to start a thread please understand what you are talking about. I didn't care who came into power because I care less about the politicians that run us. However don't blame the present Government for the shit the previous one put us in. I remember thinking, whoever gets into power I would not like their job. Please think before you post.
Not really a poor attempt. It would have worked if one of the conspirators hadn't been a blabbermouth.
That's an, er, unusual view of the origins of the English civil war. The more accepted view is that a king tried to side-step parliament.
There were a lot more than this - you missed out the Pilgrimage of Grace. several northern uprisings. Monmouth's rebellion, the Swing riots, the Gordon riots, protests against the Corn Laws, the Chartist movement, Irish nationalist protests, the Suffragettes, the General Strike, the Jarrow March, Notting Hill riots, the miners' strike, CND marches and big protests against the Anti-Hunting legislation and the Iraq war. And that's just off the top of my head.
There's actually a long history of taking to the streets in this country - including, as others have pointed out, when we marched and protested to save this club - long may this continue.
And the Match Girls' strike with pre-empted the development of the Trades' Union Movement. I've taken a light-hearted view, in the above short list. As to the causes of the Civil War, there are multiple accepted views of the cause of it. It's one of the things I studied for my History Degree, but I can't discuss it now, cos I'm off on holiday this morning! See you soon.