The Comprehensive Spending Review was announced on 20 October. I went along to the rally against public sector spending cuts in Oxford that evening. Here is what I saw and felt ...
Around 150-200 people gathering on a clear but cold night in Oxford Bonn Square. After a few teething troubles, the PA was made to work. However, I must confess that I still struggled to hear many of the speakers, so I hope others with better hearing than me will fill in the gaps.
Of the talks I did hear, I was very moved by Clare from the Oxford Feminist Network and Reclaim the Night. It turns out that we are not 'all in it together,' but that the male-dominated cabinet / lib-con government have decided that women have the broadest shoulders and should therefore carry the heaviest burden from the problems created by the male-dominated boards of banks that screwed the economy.
Peter, a professor (or something) of economics from Ruskin College was by far the most animated and loudest speaker. As well as the great quote of "the only good economist is a dead economist" (himself being one from the ranks of economists), it was refreshing to see somebody genuinely angry about the cuts. And somebody who was willing to put an alternative model of reducing the deficit forward. Turns out, according to Peter, that three quarters of the deficit could be funded by just collecting taxes from the rich people that don't pat what they are meant to.
Other speakers included Sushila from the Green Party, somebody from Labour (remember them?), a former (or maybe current) teacher and mother, and somebody from the NASUWT. They probably had good things to say, but I really couldn't hear what they said.
As well as the speakers, there were several other groups that made their presence felt at the rally. Various unions were there, as well as many of the 'factions of the left' (you probably know who I mean. I'm not knocking them, but just saying you would expect them to be there. And they were. And no, I do not want to buy a paper).
It was also good to seem some less-usual suspects, such as Oxford CND and many students. Students getting radicalised again is a very welcome situation as far as I'm concerned. And even a fair scattering of anarchists who completely broke the stereotype by not being dressed in black and breaking things. It was almost like there is more to anarchism than the Daily Express would have you believe.
So, all in all, a good night. But a few concerns or thoughts for the future.
* Why so few people? I reckon that more than 200 people are worried about the cuts. Where are they? Perhaps they will only rise up when the cuts actually happen?
* Do rallies just preach to the converted? How do we bring others on board?
* What do we do next? There was talk of a march in March. But that feels a long way away.
* What do we do next (2)? Let's be honest, rallies won't stop the massive cuts and prevent the con-libs dismantling the welfare state. Strikes only apply to public sector workers, and tend to be limited. Demos and petitions to government can just be ignored by government.
So what do we do next? I don't have answers, but the rally was enough of an inspiration to get me asking questions, and to meet people that I might be able to try and work through some of these questions. Join me?
If not you, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?
Of the talks I did hear, I was very moved by Clare from the Oxford Feminist Network and Reclaim the Night. It turns out that we are not 'all in it together,' but that the male-dominated cabinet / lib-con government have decided that women have the broadest shoulders and should therefore carry the heaviest burden from the problems created by the male-dominated boards of banks that screwed the economy.
Peter, a professor (or something) of economics from Ruskin College was by far the most animated and loudest speaker. As well as the great quote of "the only good economist is a dead economist" (himself being one from the ranks of economists), it was refreshing to see somebody genuinely angry about the cuts. And somebody who was willing to put an alternative model of reducing the deficit forward. Turns out, according to Peter, that three quarters of the deficit could be funded by just collecting taxes from the rich people that don't pat what they are meant to.
Other speakers included Sushila from the Green Party, somebody from Labour (remember them?), a former (or maybe current) teacher and mother, and somebody from the NASUWT. They probably had good things to say, but I really couldn't hear what they said.
As well as the speakers, there were several other groups that made their presence felt at the rally. Various unions were there, as well as many of the 'factions of the left' (you probably know who I mean. I'm not knocking them, but just saying you would expect them to be there. And they were. And no, I do not want to buy a paper).
It was also good to seem some less-usual suspects, such as Oxford CND and many students. Students getting radicalised again is a very welcome situation as far as I'm concerned. And even a fair scattering of anarchists who completely broke the stereotype by not being dressed in black and breaking things. It was almost like there is more to anarchism than the Daily Express would have you believe.
So, all in all, a good night. But a few concerns or thoughts for the future.
* Why so few people? I reckon that more than 200 people are worried about the cuts. Where are they? Perhaps they will only rise up when the cuts actually happen?
* Do rallies just preach to the converted? How do we bring others on board?
* What do we do next? There was talk of a march in March. But that feels a long way away.
* What do we do next (2)? Let's be honest, rallies won't stop the massive cuts and prevent the con-libs dismantling the welfare state. Strikes only apply to public sector workers, and tend to be limited. Demos and petitions to government can just be ignored by government.
So what do we do next? I don't have answers, but the rally was enough of an inspiration to get me asking questions, and to meet people that I might be able to try and work through some of these questions. Join me?
If not you, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?
Comments
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Can feminist ranting help us?
22.10.2010 08:32
"Of the talks I did hear, I was very moved by Clare from the Oxford Feminist Network and Reclaim the Night. It turns out that we are not 'all in it together,' but that the male-dominated cabinet / lib-con government have decided that women have the broadest shoulders and should therefore carry the heaviest burden from the problems created by the male-dominated boards of banks that screwed the economy."
We ARE all in it together Clare. I don't care what sex those in the cabinet or the boards of directors of the banks are, they are not like me at all: I did not vote for the, I am not of their ilk, I did not go to the same private or public schools as them and I did not work my way up to the board of their companies: they are as much like me (speaking as a male) as they are as much like a feminist: I even don't wear the same suits as them.
I understand that there is a valid and crucial need to continue the struggle of feminism and that there is still much discrimination out there, but can we PLEASE MOVE ON from blaming any kind of shit created by men on men and exonerating all women, and especially feminists - presumably including the wives and mothers of the bakers and politicians concerned?
I think this kind of thing sullies the feminist argument and it's a shame.
To fight the cuts we MUST show SOLIDARITY.
To have social justice we MUST have SOLIDARITY.
adelayde
Ranting
22.10.2010 11:29
I don't think Clare said anything against solidarity. And I don't feel that pointing out that the cuts will hit women harder than men is against solidarity in the same way that pointing out that poorer people will be hit less hard that not so poor people, or that people with disabilities will be hit harder than those without.
We are in the struggle together, but to try and claim that we are all in this together in terms of being affected by the cuts is factually incorrect and ignores many of the fundamental injustices that many people have suffered from. To me, solidarity is standing shoulder to should with people, but not always claiming that I have it as bad as many others (or that others have it as bad as me).
Knowing Clare (which I do), I know that she would not claim that the whole problem was men - but I strongly suspect that she felt that other speakers on the night would cover those other aspects of the problem. Her speech should, in my view, be seen as a part of an overall rally and not a stand alone analysis (otherwise where's the criticism of people that didn't mention gender?),
To try and take a feminist view and apply it to individuals (as adelayde when he talks about he is not like the people in power) is a false analysis. In overall terms, the cuts will hit women harder. This doesn't mean many men will not suffer badly, but not anywhere near the same proportion as men over the whole population. I don't see why that shouldn't be pointed out.
The gender analysis is important, but it is not the only analysis. And nobody, including Clare, has suggested the gender analysis should be used exclusively.
Birthday Boy