veganarky

I have again been thinking on the eternal debate about tactics amongst activists. Anyone who has taken some time out to reflect will be aware of many things – notwithstanding my critique that many who criticise nonviolence do so from a position of not having actually read much of the theory (explored in many other posts). I have again been involved in discussion and debate regarding nonviolence v violence in social justice movements. This is something that I think will continue for some time – and should. I find problems with numerous views on nonviolence and violence. These include many pacif…

Adding to the very specific and targeted media campaign to detail new laws, weapons and technologies to be used by police, as agents of the state, at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Sydney, recent news coverage included details about how 200 people who are under periodic detention order will be given that weekend off – as in they can stay home [link]. The way this is being framed is that it will make facilities available (i.e. gaol cells) for the ‘mass arrest’ of ‘up to 500’ critical of the summit and its economic-rationalist agenda. The major aim of this detai…

The front page of the local press today was covered with a large photographic depiction of Saddam Hussein and emblazoned with Saddam executed. For me, the question is are they are others out there who are, whilst not ‘surprised’ – for lack of a better word – at the somewhat common fetishising of murder in the name of justice, basing their opposition to this state sanctioned murder on a considered reasoning? I feel, perhaps panoptically, a need to contextualise. I am not a denier or conspiracy theorist. He was a horrible person who committed many many atrocities. The charge of ‘crimes against h…

In talking/discussing/debating with a number of people for some time now, I have noted that some of them seem offended/angered and/or defensive when the term middle class white is used to describe a certain perspective. This is problematic for a number of reasons. One being that these people rarely question why it is that they find it offensive, another that it should not be offensive, and a third being that the increasing number of people who identify as middle class indicates the success of the conservative spectrum of mainstream politics (and also the ‘failure’ or s…