Surviving Capitalism (Not) : March for the Alternative sends a noisy message to the government

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, March 27, 2011

March for the Alternative sends a noisy message to the government

from the Guardian.

This is for the people in the US who received scant media coverage of the huge protest (several hundred thousand people) against public spending cuts in London on Saturday. US media was far more interested in diverting our attention to preparations for the Royal Wedding.

A couple dressed as caricatures of David Cameron and Margaret Thatcher make scissor shapes with their hands

For more pictures of the London protest, click on this.

More importantly, here is a much more detailed description of the organizing efforts that are just beginning all across Britain.

Across Britain, local groups are organising. False Economy lists an impressive 100-plus anti-cuts campaigns – everything from three people painting a banner to groups with hundreds of members. The anti-cuts movement has not only reinvigorated local campaigning, but also raised important questions – crucially, asking how campaigns can involve people who are angry and want to take action but are not used to political or trade union organising.