After a lifetime of not understanding how ‘centrism’ could possibly be a helpful idea for a healthy, functioning democracy, I’ve finally seen the light. Having heard that there is a serious prospect of one Mr Chuka Ummuna MP forming a new, radically regressive ‘centrist’ political party, undermining the huge gains Corbyn has made for Labour and for the quality of public awareness fills me with delight*.
The fact that it’s apparently called ‘Back Together’ leaves it wide open for this obvious pun, and probably much more hilarity.
If you loved Neo-Liberalism, Thatcherism, Blairism, Centrism and want to keep Britain going the way it had been for the last three decades or so, join us, Backwards Together! to fight against the progressive politics that is threatening to redistribute our wealth and power.
Since holding my nose to register and receiving my polling card, I’ve arrived at a few personal realisations about the spectrum of activism I now find myself occupying.
For a long time, I’ve understood that voting versus protest versus direct action are all false paradoxes. Voting and protesting are appeals to power (or demands from it), while direct action takes power back. Clearly, none of these forms are by any means mutually exclusive from each other. In fact, separated from each other they are all extremely limited methods of influencing change.
What I’ve come to realise is that the limitations of all these forms might only be overcome by practising them all at once.
People have argued this case with me forever, but I could never abide our hopelessly corrupt electoral system. They were frustrated by my unwillingness to participate in elections and I was frustrated by their willingness to follow a narrative controlled by the establishment.
I could never accept party politics because it never seemed like a feasible way of influencing actual change before. Parliament is (was?) too corrupt – tightly controlled by crude but effective hypnotists, (‘spin doctors’) on behalf of greedy, opportunistic psychopaths (‘masters of the universe’).
It’s terrifying that the kind of changes a Corbyn Government promise only seem possible now because they are so desperately overdue…
The sorts of changes we need to mitigate the effects of the various converging catastrophes around the world are monumental. I’ve been earnestly, relentlessly campaigning for these sorts of changes for a decade and a half now.
For a long time I signed petitions and protested, marching from point A to point B, but eventually I stopped wasting my time. Power either ignored, marginalised or suppressed all these forms. It felt like direct action was the only game in town if you really wanted to influence positive change.
I came to see parliamentary democracy as beneath my contempt. An elaborate spectacle to distract, divide and disempower us all.
So, instead of writing letters and occasionally ticking a cross in a box, I focused all my efforts on supporting small and increasingly large scale grassroots movements and direct action groups. (including campaigns to reclaim, unlock or otherwise Occupy Democracy).
Without fully realising it, I have been enduring the cognitive dissonance of campaigning outside the system for systemic changes. My only involvement in party politics has been cheering the few heroic exceptions and booing the many villains. Almost meaningless (except for the lulz…).
Unless we all actually negotiate with power, we can’t achieve the scale of change that’s necessary in time. (It’s already too late).
Until very recently, it felt like we were fighting an inexorable descent into unimaginably horrific dystopia. Then, from out of nowhere, Corbz has somehow managed to turn things around.
Where just a few years ago, our hopes and dreams were branded either naive utopianism or dangerous Thought Crime – they are now considered respectable, realistic and necessary.
I’m still deeply uncomfortable about participating in this coming General Election. I like Corbyn a lot, but Liebore are infested with backstabbing Blairite scumbags. Such a shame we don’t have a real democracy. ‘Voting’ is a massively overrated means of influencing change. Your daily life choices and spending habits carry far more weight than participating in Wastemonster’s BS pantomime…
Still, I fully respect the Greens so here’s some memes wot I made…
Right-click, ‘save as’ to download and share if these speak for you too.
Square (Profile pic):
Fedbook Banner:
Twitter Banner:
A4 window poster (Colour):
A4 window poster (Black and White):
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Many voters are planning to ‘vote tactically’ this general election in order to remove the Tories from power. Despite Jeremy Corbyn and Tim Farron officially rejecting calls for such a progressive alliance, some local constituencies are making the necessary preparations already.
In order for Corbyn’s insurrection to really succeed, it is important to remember that the Labour party is infested with Blairite double agents. Blairites are politicians who support the so called ‘centrist’ neo-liberal nightmare of former Prime Minister and war criminal, Tony Bleurgh.
If you choose to participate in this year’s General Election, be sure not to accidentally vote for a Blairite!
You can identify Blairites by checking their voting record.
For example, this is a list of currently serving Labour MPs who voted for the Iraq war.
Adrian Bailey, Kevin Barron, Margaret Beckett, Hilary Benn, Clive Betts, Ben Bradshaw, Nick Brown, Chris Bryant, Andy Burnham, Alan Campbell, Ann Clwyd, Vernon Coaker, Ann Coffey, Yvette Cooper, Jon Cruddas, Jim Cunningham, Wayne David, Geraint Davies, Jim Dowd, Angela Eagle, Maria Eagle, Louise Ellman, Paul Farrelly, Frank Field, Jim Fitzpatrick, Caroline Flint, Mike Gapes, Barry Gardiner, Roger Godsiff, David Hanson, Harriet Harman, John Healey, Mark Hendrick, Margaret Hodge, George Howarth, Lindsay Hoyle, Alan Johnson, Helen Jones, Kevan Jones, Gerald Kaufman, David Lammy, Chris Leslie, Ivan Lewis, Fiona Mactaggart, John Mann, Rob Marris, Gordon Marsden, Steve McCabe, Siobhain McDonagh, Steve Pound, Geoffrey Robinson, Joan Ryan, Barry Sheerman, Andrew Smith, Angela Smith, John Spellar, Gisela Stuart, Mark Tami, Gareth Thomas, Stephen Timms, Derek Twigg, Stephen Twigg, Keith Vaz, Tom Watson, David Winnick, Rosie Winterton.
This is a list of the 66 Labour MPs who voted to bomb Syria.
Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West), Alan Campbell (Tynemouth), Alan Johnson, (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle), Alison McGovern (Wirral South), Angela Eagle (Wallasey), Angela Smith (Penistone and Stocksbridge), Ann Coffey (Stockport), Anna Turley (Redcar), Ben Bradshaw (Exeter), Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South), Caroline Flint (Don Valley), Chris Bryant (Rhondda), Chris Leslie (Nottingham East), Chuka Umunna (Streatham), Colleen Fletcher (Coventry North East), Conor McGinn (St Helens North), Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central), Emma Reynolds (Wolverhampton North East), Frank Field (Birkenhead), Gareth Thomas (Harrow West), Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West), George Howarth (Knowsley), Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston), Gloria De Piero (Ashfield), Graham Jones (Hyndburn), Harriet Harman (Camberwell and Peckham), Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East), Helen Jones (Warrington North), Hilary Benn (Leeds Central), Holly Lynch (Halifax), Ian Austin (Dudley North), Jamie Reed (Copeland), Jenny Chapman (Darlington), Jim Dowd (Lewisham West and Penge), Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Limehouse), Joan Ryan (Enfield North), John Spellar (Warley), John Woodcock (Barrow and Furness), Keith Vaz (Leicester East), Kevan Jones (North Durham), Kevin Barron (Rother Valley), Liz Kendall (Leicester West), Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside), Luciana Berger (Liverpool, Wavertree), Lucy Powell (Manchester Central), Margaret Beckett (Derby South), Margaret Hodge (Barking), Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood), Mary Creagh (Wakefield), Michael Dugher (Barnsley East), Neil Coyle (Bermondsey and Old Southwark), Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East), Peter Kyle (Hove), Phil Wilson (Sedgefield), Ruth Smeeth (Stoke-on-Trent North), Simon Danczuk (Rochdale), Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden), Stella Creasy (Walthamstow), Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South and Penarth), Susan Elan Jones (Clwyd South), Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland), Tom Watson (West Bromwich East), Tristram Hunt (Stoke-on-Trent Central), Vernon Coaker (Gedling), Wayne David (Caerphilly), Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford),
The Blairite response to the snap election was to sharpen their knives in preparation for yet another chicken coup attempt.
You can identify Blairites by checking their voting record at theyworkforyou.com
REMEMBER!
Voting is only one, extremely limited way of influencing change. Your daily life choices have a more significant influence on the world around you. Your attitude, behaviour and spending habits carry more weight than our broken democracy.
If you must participate in party politics, be sure your candidate reflects your values, principles and ideals. If there is no candidate doing this in your constituency, lobby your least worst candidate on the issues that matter to you, or consider running yourself.
All power to those trying to repair Parliament, inside and out.
Whether you choose to participate or not, stay strong.
Don’t allow this broken system to break you.
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