Songs #9 – Where Have All The Protesters Gone ?

  By Richard from Canada | July 25, 2012 - 18:38 |

 

How may deaths will it take till we know too many people have died ?  Have you figured out the song ?    I was a near baby when this video was made … not any more !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=AW6NVcqcRVE&NR=1

Let’s move ahead a few years …. the singers have aged and repeat their classic anti war song !  Listen to the words !  Sing along !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYii6nxhvUk&feature=related

So where have all the protesters gone ?!

 

Written by: Richard from Canada on July 25, 2012.
Tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • lgrinaker

    Very nice to see/hear those videos.  And you certainly pose a good question.

    A couple of things come to mind as I begin to ask myself about modern day protestors:

    1) I can think of a several groups of protestors active at this time, and in various ways, with various things that make for the primary focus (even though many groups these days have several associated interests/concerns).  Just for a few examples…

    Last year’s “Arab Spring.”  I’m afraid not a lot has changed for the people involved (Egypt is now in the hands of the military, for example).  But that doesn’t take away all that so many gave of themselves in order to do what they could to affect change.

    I think of so many who have dedicated their lives to things like “the transition movement,” many of the contributors to that often showing up on sites like The Post Carbon Institute’s energybulletin.net writing of their experiences and sharing their insights.

    At least in the U.S. right now, there is enormous “movement” happening around the issues of gay rights, something that could only happen due to all of those who have worked so hard to make a difference in the past and into the present.

    In Wisconsin (I believe), last year, there were huge demonstrations when the governor went up against teachers’ unions, attempting to weaken them as much as possible.  The teachers finally had had enough and made themselves heard.

    Just a few of the first “cells” of modern day protests that come to mind.

    2)  I just listened to the video of Nicole Foss, Steve Keen (and I don’t recall the last gentleman’s name).  And upon seeing your post, Richardo, I thought of what Nicole Foss said, when she spoke of what can often be a very long time lag between say, some things that can happen very fast (such as economic upheaval) and the subsequent political upheaval that may arise as that earlier upheaval gets played out and absorbed among a population.

    That also reminds me of what Nate Hagens has said when he talks about “the discount rate,” which  has to do with the falling value to humans of things that are more distant to us in time (and/or place) vs. what we experience in the “here and now.” 

    So that even though there may be some growing anxiety due to more and more folks sensing, and even directly experiencing, something of the perhaps many storm clouds gathering on the horizon, until the impacts are clearly experienced in the “here and now,” our quite natural tendency is to discount them.

    Now, I think I’ll add a few songs to your thread, ;-).  I saw this Harry Chapin performance – of his song, “Song for Myself,” due to Lyle’s posting of another Harry Chapin song, The Rock (which I also liked, and is also a good protest song, ;-).)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxr7IPFWR_8

    And I hadn’t heard Tracy Chapman for some time, and your post made me think of her, so here’s something from her, “Talkin’ About a Revolution”:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rZbvi6Tj6E

    Linda

  • Alan

    60s were a bit idealistic and the protests driven by Vietnam and the
    very real possibility of being nuked. The dark side learnt a lot in that
    war and now control media access a lot better. Vietnam was lost (if
    that is the right word) because of the press. Where I live we suffered
    30 years of murder and bombing because of 60s idealism meeting the
    reality of power and the politics of insurgency and revolution. It was
    all divisive and fairly stupid in my opinion. Idealists who would not
    listen to pragmatists, result thousands murdered.

    Let us not forget the fall of the Soviet Union and its Empire all brought about because people had had enough and Mikhail Gorbachev having the wisdom to see the inevitable. An
    opportunity to establish better relations that we then largely
    squandered. To me that was much more significant than anything that
    happened in the hedonist 60s.

    Now, well the Arab Spring feels all wrong. You have to keep in mind that
    there are no friends in foreign policy just greater and lesser
    opponents, some with interests that match yours and some that don’t. So
    cui bono, and who is funding. Divide and weaken and wars by proxy to
    gain trade or control trade.

    There are more recent protests, the Iraq war was very unpopular and
    public opinion was ignored by Blair and Co. Many still resent that and I
    think it was a turning point in public attitude towards government. Now
    with Bank bail outs, moats being cleaned and charged to the public, and
    politicians in bed with discredited news organisations the ice that
    politicians are skating on is getting thin. They are saved because no
    one is putting forward a compelling alternative vision, or if they are
    they are not getting air time.

    There are new forms of protest, viral internet is very hard to control
    and is one of the the real reasons behind much of the proposed
    repressive legislation.

  • http://www.alda-architects.co.uk/ Alan

    The Game of Thrones has no morality The first part of this article about sums it up. Trying to get a hold on who are the puppets and who the players, are the tears real or crocodile, is a lot less straightforward than the likes of Vietnam. Perhaps that is one of the reasons there is less mass protests. Protest against what exactly? First part of this article highlights the problem, but even that descends into rambling rather than trying to analyse ambitions in the region.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-syrian-war-of-lies-and-hypocrisy-7985012.html

    Our current policy in the region makes as much sense as the actions of the 2nd crusade. In the long run what are we creating?