Monday, April 30, 2007
PROTESTERS DEMORALISED
Leftoid Jill Sparrow reconsiders the value of protests:
It seemed to me that continuing to organise demonstrations once it had become clear that the events were getting smaller and smaller didn’t achieve that much apart from demoralising those who attended and suggesting to everyone else that hardly anyone opposed the war anymore (even though that’s certainly not the case).
On the other hand, there is an argument – and I have a certain amount of sympathy with it – that it’s always good to get people out on the street. That this very act is radicalising for people. That it gives the Left a chance to raise other issues with those who attend. That a small demo is better than no demo.
But while I sympathise with this attitude, I don’t wholly agree with it. As I said, I’ve certainly got doubts about whether there’s a point to the continuing anti-war rallies ...
Surely we don’t want people to associate mass protest with not winning? Or even worse, with not even trying to win?
Too late for that, Jill. At this point, people not only associate leftist protests with losing, they associate them with losers.