David Cameron... Fuck Off Back to Eaton

[audiopineapple]

I've been to my first ever protest! It was against the Con-Dem government's cuts in public services (unis, schools, hospitals, benefits, playgrounds, community centres and so on.) I almost didn't make it though, the other day I got soaked to the bone and felt rough when I woke up this morning at half six. I had set my alarm for then because I had

Comments

[apple_pathways]

I love reading stories from people in countries who can say things like "I think I might join the Socialist Worker's Party" without fear of being outcast from society. ♥

Good for you for getting involved, and sorry to hear about your frequent asthma attacks trying to cockblock your political activism. :/

[audiopineapple]

Is socialism still looked down on in the USA? That makes me sad :(

I was meant to go to an anti-BNP rally last year (if you haven't heard of the BNP they're the most right-wing party in Britain, exceptionally racist and one of their people said that it isn't possible for a woman to be raped because women enjoy sex and said it was the same as force-feeding a woman chocolate cake, because we like chocolate cake as a gender) but I was ill that time so I wasn't going to miss my second chance to protest something!

It wasn't just the socialists today, which was awesome; it was the socialists, communists, regular left-of-centres, anarchists, tonnes of unions, random students, disability rights groups, anti-war groups, various community groups... everyone just pulled together today, regardless of political beliefs :D

[apple_pathways]

The US has a major hard-on for capitalism, and yeah: "socialist" is still a dirty word.

Of course, attitudes aren't the same across the country, and there are places where you could claim to be the reincarnation of Chairman Mao and no one would blink an eye, but for most of the country: you could face very real discrimination for calling yourself a socialist.

I do know the BNP! I listen to/watch A LOT of British media, and so have at least a basic grasp of UK politics. (Though most of my knowledge comes from comedy programs like "Mock the Week" and "Have I Got News For You", which may not be the most reliable sources!)

[audiopineapple]

Crikey, over here, after the war and until the late 90s it was pretty much you were conservative or socialist. Before that the norms were liberal or conservative and after, centre or conservative.

Sorry if I offended you, I have no idea if most people outside the UK have heard of them so erred on the side of caution. I find HIGNFY, whilst funny, to be quite biased but Mock the Week is about as unbiased as you can get, they'll take the piss out of anyone which is why I adore that program so much lol.

[sherrilina]

Oh god that has totally happened to me before, the accidentally falling back asleep thing! One of my great fears when I'm waking up by myself for something important...:O

And hee, glad you had a nice time despite all the asthma attacks! How far away is Brum anyway? You're in (or from?) Nottingham, right? When I flew to London last week this girl waiting on line with me from my plane at customs was going to be doing a grad program there!

Did you know there's an LJ comm devoted to squeeing over DC, or "Cammycakes" as they call him?

[audiopineapple]

It's only happened to me a couple of times but I think I've missed things before because of it :(

I am nowhere near Nottingham, I'm originally from Norfolk :p At the moment I'm in Kingston so it was around 135 miles each way.

Cammycakes - I shouldn't eat my tea and read that at the same time, I want to be sick now lol.

[sherrilina]

OMG my bad, different flister!

And just watched Merlin...GAWAIN! <33333

[audiopineapple]

np haha!

Gawain was so awesome! Where the fuck was Morgana though? >.

[misspopuri]

IMO, the governments in the US and the UK both need to be cut down, I am one of those conservative Americans btw.

Free market capitalism and cutting government waste is the only way to bring about a stable economy.

[audiopineapple]

The main jist of the protest was about how public services are being cut, for instance, disability benefits for people that will never physically or mentally be capable of working, instead of the government tackling tax cheats, which costs billions and billions of pounds each year. If the government put effort into that, which they won't because of a lot of tax cheats are from the same social standings as the politicans themselves, then there wouldn't need to be cuts to services for people who actually need them.

It was mainly organised by the 'Right To Work' campaigners, and various political groups tagged along. They're campaiging for more work for both people born in Britain and migrant workers.

The biggest focus was that the public are being forced, literally, to pay for the banker's screw ups when the bankers already have their bonuses back and the top bosses earn millions and millions each year.

[blue_emotion]

The main jist of the protest was about how public services are being cut, for instance, disability benefits for people that will never physically or mentally be capable of working, instead of the government tackling tax cheats, which costs billions and billions of pounds each year.

Amen to this! I'm really worried about this right now. I recently spent a year fighting the system to prove I was disabled,I thought now I'd finally proven my health status I'd be allowed some peace to recuperate from the harrowing ordeal that is disability application in this country, but now it seems not :( I don't know what they think I'm going to live on if they cut the benfit, magic beans obviously!It's not like people chose to be too ill to work!

[audiopineapple]

It is disgraceful, one of the speakers before the protest was a disability rights activist and it did remind me of you and what you've been through

[paenteom]

I habe absolutely no idea how the British goverment works and who that is, but it sounds as if they're starting what's going on here at the moment.
Less money for schools and all.
I don't get why they're complaining about the lack of qualified people on the one hand, and the other they pull stuff like this.

Whoa. Your asthma sounds waaay worse then mine. >>