Hi all. It’s been a very long time! There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I’ve just generally been quite busy, so I haven’t had as much time for writing. The second reason is due to me doing something that I’ve never done since I started writing this blog. I was halfway through a blog post when I realised it was no good at all, so I scrapped it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to claim that every other post I’ve written has been a masterpiece. But usually, if I run into trouble with a particular post, I will persevere and finish it. Sometimes, I’ll realise part way through a post that I didn’t have as much to say on the subject as I thought. Other times, I might decide that what I’m writing isn’t particularly interesting. In these situations, I would normally just try to bring the blog to an end as quickly as possible. Finish it, post it, then move swiftly on. But not this time.
If you’re interested, the blog post I binned was about how I felt a lot of TV these days was left-wing. I don’t necessarily think I’m wrong about that, but the problem I ran into was that I was finding it difficult to define what constituted left- or right – wing TV. And if I was struggling to define it, there was a good chance readers would too. If it couldn’t easily be defined and identified, then what was the point in writing about it? So here we are.
Anyway, today, I’ll be writing about protests and strikes, which seem to be very much en vogue at the moment. Enjoy.
You see news about protests somewhat regularly. You can protest about anything, really. But probably the most infamous protesters at the moment are Extinction Rebellion.
For those not au fait with XR, they are a British-based activist group who are primarily concerned with climate change. The reason for their notoriety is the tactics they use to, in their words, raise awareness to their cause. They’ve splashed paint over Ferrari showrooms, chained themselves to goalposts during live football matches, sat on top of tube trains, and have blocked lanes/junctions of the M25. These are just the highlights, I’m sure there are many other incidents too.
In short, they’re a menace. They disrupt the lives of everyday people. They understandably rub a lot of people up the wrong way. Take a look at this quote I found about XR:
“[We] are concerned at the attempt of an organised, aggressive, well financed minority to force its will upon the majority…”
Oh, sorry. That isn’t a quote about Extinction Rebellion; it’s a quote about the Suffragettes. Here’s the XR quote:
“[The] unshaven and unwashed trash…muddling with things about which they know nothing…”
Hang on. What is wrong with me today? That’s actually a quote about the civil rights movement. Silly me.
So, what’s my point with this little stunt? I suppose it helps to highlight that some causes that people protest for are not always well received at the time. You won’t find many sensible people who believe women shouldn’t be able to vote or that black people shouldn’t have equal rights. But go back half a century or so (or over a century in the case of the suffragettes), and you’ll find plenty of public and media opinion that was very much against changing the status quo.
Am I saying that Extinction Rebellion will be held in the same regard as the suffragettes or the civil rights movement in the future? No, not necessarily. But it wouldn’t surprise me at all if in 50 year’s time, they were looked upon much more favourably than they are today.
Strikers receive similarly negative views in a lot of today’s media. I assume I won’t be able to trick you again with decades-old quotes about strikers (if I even managed to trick you the first time around!), but suffice it to say that strikes have basically always been given short shrift.
But striking has been invaluable in improving the lives of many workers. Whether it is for improved pay, equal pay for women, eight hour work days, or five day working weeks. So they can serve an important purpose.
Of course, these strikes are often incredibly inconvenient for a lot of people, myself included. But can I just clarify something once and for all? That’s the bloody point.
You wouldn’t believe the number of comments you see online during strikes along the lines of, “Why can’t the train drivers strike in the evenings after the majority of people have finished work?” Or, for protesters, something like, “Why do they have to block the M25? Could they not pick a quieter road?”
Inconveniencing as large a number of people as possible is a key part of any protest or strike. Because if you’re not really inconveniencing anyone, you’re easy to ignore. There is no incentive to open a dialogue with you. It’s not your only bargaining chip, but it is probably the biggest one.
That isn’t to say protesters should have carte blanche to act however they want. I’m firmly a believer in peaceful protests. Violence is rarely the answer. Although, as the late, great Malcolm X said:
“Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.“
You best believe that this quote actually was Malcolm X.
Peace ✌🏾
Thanks as ever for joining me. I’ll try not to leave as long between posts next time. Unless I end up on a picket line… Take care.
Rob Recommends
The Last of Us – TV – 9/10
By now, even if you haven’t seen it, you have surely heard the rave reviews The Last of Us has received? Better writers than I have already waxed lyrical about this smash hit, so I won’t blather on too much.
This show is gripping, scary, and heartbreaking. You want to see more of this world, but you’re afraid of what could be around the next corner. The acting performances are, of course, great, and the writing is superb.
I also loved the fact that so many scenes felt like a computer game. Anyone who has played third-person action games will recognise the familiar feel often throughout the series. Sometimes, computer game adaptions almost shy away from their origin, trying to make it something different. It was great to see this adaption stay so true to the original game.
This probably won’t be for everyone. But hey, if you don’t like it, don’t worry; it’s not the end of the world.
A Rob Blog 