Back when the police and the Anarchists met in Toronto on the occasion of our Big Leaders having a policy wing-ding there, Pupinder at work asked why I was not back there carrying on with my trouble-making brothers and sisters. I told him, "I do my Anarchist work in Mexico. There is more hope for Freedom and Liberty there because of their revolutionary history. It is in Mexico and many other countries with revolutionary histories where the Anarchist effort is not wasted.
"In Canada we rebel. We have never had a revolution. A revolution might interfere with Hockey Night in Canada. That's what the Anarchists, if indeed they are Anarchists, were doing in Toronto - they were rebelling. That is what you do when you do not have enough seeds to grow a revolution. You stamp your feet and throw a fit.
"I don't even get why people demonstrate where the Big Leaders are meeting. Why go to the very place the police have been concentrated to protect the Big Leaders? It would make a lot more sense to me if all the protestors got together for a weekend camping someplace. That would give everybody a chance to get to know one another better, have a few beer, and think up some better ideas to smash the state than throwing public tantrums."
Pupinder was not convinced. "I don't know, Beer," he said shaking his head in disbelief. "Those Mexicans are too fucking lazy to start a revolution."
2 comments:
I attended an anti Thatcher protest in the early 1980s. A coalition between the National Union of Students and Miners. What began as a demonstration was quickly corralled by police on horseback.
Bottles flew. The cavalry dashed.
Later, on the television, it was reported as a riot.
At some point between leaving the square and being chased through the streets, I ducked through the open door of a pub. I sank a few beers as the sirens wailed and old women screamed for justice. I am not exaggerating.
I did not imagine then that launching my naked skull at a police baton differed signicantly from being kicked half to death on the football terraces. I still don't.
Not for nothing did Che and Fidel employ guerilla tactics.
A public tantrum ? You nailed that one.
wv = 'const'. The rest is disabled.
A former comrade in arms likes to say that if demonstrations worked then corporations would be demonstrating. I've been to some demonstrations that were pretty powerful and exciting but when the cops showed up they always won. Then again I'm old and I don't give a shit about taking to the streets. Sometimes people, especially young people, get so excited about their cause that they just have to run around and make some noise. I have nothing against that.
Mexicans? Lazy? Have you ever seen those fuckers work? They can work us into the ground. They probably will.
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