alanjjohnstone
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ALB, I post here mostly for the benefit of our members, well, for the very few that even bother to visit this forum, that is.
Apart from the major events such as the 20th Sept Strike, which I view as something qualitatively different, our blog features few publicity stunts in its coverage of environment.
But socialist political action requires participation and participants require powers of persuasion. We have no influence. We are insignificant. We have no contact. We are invisible. There is no point in being in denial about this reality.
It is perhaps a simplistic truism but all we can do right now, is Organise, Educate, Agitate but education and agitation is exactly where we are failing.
It is not without cause that Schekn talks about focusing on our own numbers.
We need to recruit to increase our membership and we are not doing all that well, some individuals somehow coming into contact with us but can anyone tell me if this is reaching the replacement level we require to continue?
A 100 members who raised the commitment and conviction to even fill in a poll and return it. Robbo’s 10 minute a month for socialism was too onerous for many to even attempt to engage in. But some of us persevere so kudos to those who are on social media and Quora. But there our voice is not of sufficient strength to counter the millions of other messages being uploaded.
My strategy is simply for Mohammed to go to the mountain and cease waiting for the mountain to come to us but as DaveC constantly reminds me this stretches our capacity to the point that it cannot be accomplished.
But perhaps a few publicity stunts conducted by just a handful of members we can muster are the pin-pricks we now require to prove our existence and give us albeit limited access to present the socialist case against capitalism. I have occasionally suggested stuff such as projecting socialist messages on to public buildings. We can as you say direct attention to the cause and picket the Stock Exchange rather than a fashion show or an arms trade exhibition.
We can’t say socialism can solve the climate crisis because BrianJ, believes it is now too late for a cure and socialism is the best system to provide the palliatives to reduce the pain. I’m still in the optimist camp that we still have a window of opportunity which is rapidly closing.
On one visit to a local branch, a long-standing member blamed workers themselves for not taking up the opportunity we gave to them to accept socialist ideas. But now, when they are no longer being offered an option because the branch declines to carry out any activity, I wonder who he now blames?
Once again I reminded of Pieter Lawrence’s book on such a scenario in the Last Conflict which brings about a socialist society.
Fridays for Future movement took to the streets worldwide Friday, calling for bolder efforts to battle the climate emergency and encouraging people of all ages to join the global #ClimateStrike on Sept. 20.
“The protection of the environment should not be a movement or a moment in time, it should be part of our culture,” New York’s Fridays for Future Xiye Bastida said. “The youth are working towards this goal, and we need everyone to join us.”
Another GHG – Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) to add to the toxic cocktail in our air
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49567197
It is 23,500 times more warming than carbon dioxide (CO2).
It also persists in the atmosphere for at least 1,000 years.Total emissions from the 28 member states in 2017 equivalent to 6.73 million tonnes of CO2. That’s the same as the emissions from 1.3 million extra cars on the road for a year. Just one kilogram of SF6 warms the Earth to the same extent as 24 people flying London to New York return.
To add to the bad news, renewable energy technology uses it
Usually it was animal rights that disrupted fashion shows in the past with fake blood, XR has adopted a similar tactic to expose the resource waste of the fashion industry.
“Extinction Rebellion staged a “die-in” outside the central London venue, throwing buckets of fake blood to symbolise how “business as usual” for fashion and other industries is leading toward the extinction of life on earth. The group is calling for the industry to be “cancelled” and is planning continued disruption to fashion week, culminating in a “funeral procession for fashion” to be staged on Tuesday evening.”
Don’t they say judge a person by the company they keep
Much appreciated but as a union activist once engaged in unofficial strikes I can discern statements that are designed to avoid any legal consequences by distancing yourself.
“Extinction Rebellion UK neither condones nor condemns the action”
Why avoid condemnation? Why not denounce it?
I am reminded of “separation” of Sinn Fein and the IRA
But yes, if the media sought to publicise the statement may help but already as you can see, there will be little attempt to do so. The Sun is typical
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9921103/who-heathrow-pause-protest-drone-climate/
Despite referring to them as separate, “environmentalist activists” are all lumped together
“We must reiterate that interrupting the Airport and disturbing scores of travellers was never the ultimate goal of this action. The real objective was always to trigger a sensible, honest conversation, throughout society… ” Heathrow Pause press release.
As I already stated, the way to have a conversation is face to face
Once again in HP website, it is mentioned that Hallam is an XR co-founder.
I never give any organization carte blanche or exempt them from criticism if I feel it is justified – not even our own, as some are painfully aware on this forum.
BTW I have been critical of the current custom we have of leafletting environmentalist protests. We have the resources and the imagination to express the socialist case in other ways that will not be perceived as another forest chopped down for the message on the leaflets. But sadly I think, as always, we delayed too late for alternatives for the 20th. Perhaps for COP 26 in November 2020 at Glasgow we will be ready.
A distinction without difference. Has he withdrawn from any position he has held XR? Has XR disavowed his actions? Can you enlighten me?
His own website does not make any reference to his membership of any splinter group, only that he is a co-founder of XR. Just whose colours is he flying when he flies drones?
I think it is reasonable to assume guilt by association in this case.
My reference to numbers was that Hong Kong demonstrators effectively brought Hong Kong airport to a stand-still and argued their case with the disgruntled passengers. The chosen tactic of the drones avoided any exchanges with disrupted passengers. Using drones to halt flights is a poor substitute for mass participation. An abdication of responsibility in my opinion.
As you know from previous posts I am sympathetic to acts of civil disobedience and non-violent resistance by XR but the choice must not alienate those that the message are aimed at. The choice must also have the support and agreement of the majority of the movement. They have to be asked and have some means to express dissent.
When any member advocates or engages in behaviour that has not been approved or sanctioned by the general consensus of the organization, they should be answerable. Creating shell splinter groups is evading the question of democratic process and no defence is my view. It is elitist.
Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott said the real “extinction rebellion” facing Western society “is not against our failure to reduce emissions more but against our failure to produce more children”.
Or as some would say – Fucking is our Future
Another example of XR’s lack of accountability where actions are taken which risk the movement without any consultation with the broader membership.
Are they not able to get the numbers to occupy the terminal buildings and debate the public directly face-to-face as did the Hong Kong protesters? After all, it is having the confidence and courage of your convictions to persuade and convince people of the validity of the protests which is required. Not anonymous remote-control protests.
New York City’s public school system announced it would excuse the absences of students who have a parent’s permission to participate in the global climate strike on Friday, Sept. 20.
Public Services International—the Global Union Federation of Workers in Public Services—is calling on all affiliates and unions across the world to do all in our power to support the week of action on Climate, including by taking strike action where possible.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/09/12/unions-we-must-back-climate-strike
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49677146
France to block its use in the EU
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said: “This eventual privatisation of money contains risks of abuse of dominant position, risks to sovereignty and risks for consumers and for companies.”
“It is here that the question of “reasonable” comes in: are the assumptions reasonable? Some, in fact, all of the climate change worst-case scenarios are based on the assumption that nothing will be done to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions — which I would suggest is not a reasonable assumption. Something is being done and as profits are threatened and/or the cost of doing nothing mounts more will be done, not enough of course, but enough to mean that the worst-case scenarios won’t be what happens.”
Isn’t it the case that XR, Greta Thunberg, et al are applying popular pressure on business and governments to do something quicker and more effective, which will make the task of a socialist society easier to accomplish halting and reversing climate change?
But I still feel ALB is being an optimist. The latest deforestation statistics for instance show that despite international agreement and recommendations destroying trees has escalated. And it cannot be fixed by replanting.
We have to expect one sector of capitalism to go against the interests of another.
The risk has always been not that capitalism will not do something but it will be too late and too little to do anything about the consequences, not even with socialism
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/05/climate-change-feedback-loops
https://socialist-courier.blogspot.com/2019/09/climate-strkers-banned-from-princes-st.html
Apparently in Edinburgh keeping the trams running on time is more important than calling for the planet to be saved.
