Should we take more Direct Action?

Direct Action

By Martin Kelley

'Direct Action' is a term which is often misunderstood. It has the cachet of dramatic zealotry, yet in essence, it is often quieter and more powerful than this stereotype.

To act directly is to address the actual issue of your concern. If you're working against hunger, it's might be simply giving someone a meal. If you're working against homelessness, it might be taking over an abandoned house and making it livable. If you want to stop military spending, it might be refusing to pay your income taxes.

Direct action differs from symbolic protest action, which is lobbying someone in authority to change their policies. An advantage to direct action is that it doesn't require the cooperation of the authority to be effective. If they intervene to stop your action, you have a dramatic story; if they ignore you, you've followed your conscience and can continue following it further. Since the action in itself has a direct effect, it has a power and strength. In practice, the most effective actions are both direct and symbolic, providing a clear witness to your beliefs.

Direct action is only one form of engaging in social change. Civil disobedience tends more often to be symbolic and conscience-led.

 

The main problem with Direct Action is it doesn't actually solve anything. Like that whole "Give a man a fish/give him tools to catch his own fish" thing that used to be on some advert. Feeding the homeless only means they have food. Doesn't stop them being homeless. I know that it shouldn't matter, but most people don't want to keep giving their whole life, and wouldn't want to keep being fed by others.

 

we do need more people to start taking part in direct action, its obviously more effective in bigger numbers. We have some things planned at the peace camp and i will let you know how they go in a week or so.

 

I definitely think we should take more direct action. This is an opinion I've come to fairly recently, after reading Schnews quite a bit. There they talk about how Globalise Resistance, a front for the SWP, seeks to move the anti-capitalist movement away from direct action and towards legal forms of protest and lobbying so as not to offend Labour party members, who they feel are ripe for recruiting. Shnews is of the opinion that the only way to fight back against capitalism is to take direct, subversive action, which may risk arrest. Now we've seen two million march down the streets of London and Tony Blair not even bat an eyelid. Maybe it is time to get serious? I think there's a balance between the two. I'm very much for promoting unity between different anti-capitalist groups. Therefore I'm not going to criticise the SWP for opting only to take legal forms of protest. I'll continue to join in with these forms of protesting. But I think I may also get involved in groups that push the boundaries a little further....

 

Income tax isn't JUST paying for the war. You'd have to stop paying any form of tax at all in order to really DA against the war, and then you're also indirectly acting against road maintainence, police, fire service, local government...

Surely a more direct form of anti-war action would be to human shield military targets. Futile, but direct.

 

Just look at what Gandhi achieved in India, what the striking workers achieved in Poland, the revolution in Cuba. This was all a result of direct action. Direct action indeed does get results, it just needs to be debated if the long term results are actually worth it or not.

 

What he said

 

Thanks Jamie, I really respect the work you're doing with Faslane

 

Yes, it's not just saying "This war is wrong" or "These people are starving and it's wrong" It's about putting ourselves out to provide a physical solution however temporary.

 

I think that nowadays we have one of the greatest tools ever available for us to use in the struggle for world change. That tool is the internet. I don't mean just sitting on forums and discussing shit with each other, I mean using it to bring us together, exchange ideas and mobilise in a way that was never before possible.

 

Let's do it....

 

Believe me I've been thinking of ways for a while now ... not whether to take direct action or not ... but the best and most effective way to do so.

 

I've just got back from seeing the Motorcycle Diaries! My god, what an amazing and inspiring film. A revolution in the mind, that can lead to so much more for one man, and all the people he inspired. Capitalist marketing symbols be damned! The most striking part of the film for me, was when Ernesto visits Machu Pichu, one of the wonders of the world, looks down and asks how can a culture that has built this, be destroyed to build this? And fade to Lima, a festering shit hole of modern capitalism. I've been to both places, and I found myself asking the same thing. That film touched me in a way I never thought it could, inspired me, I've felt myself asking the same questions for some time now. I think I've come to a turning point in my thinking. The war, the demonstrations, the futility, Marx, my course, the wealth of the colleges, the Big Issue sellers on the streets outside, and now this tale of discovery and a revolution of the mind! For the last couple of years I felt we could make compromises with capitalism. Reform it away. Take the sting from its tale. Over the last few weeks I've changed my mind completely. Capitalism won't be reformed away. It's self destructive, unsustainable. Either we destroy it, or it will destroy us all. There is no future for mankind within capitalism. What can we replace it with, and how will it fall? I don't know, only that it must....

 

Look, there are only two realistic futures. Either capitalism evolves, or it collapses. Either way, there's bugger all you can do that will have any significant effect on the outcome or the timing. You may as well just sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

But I'm young, and foolish, and don't see it that way....

 

Whatever floats your boat. I have to admit to total cynicism when it comes to revolutionary politics, and I honestly and profoundly believe that the tide of history is something that we're swept up in and can do little to change. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't follow your heart and do all you can to fight your corner if you feel the need. I usually detest it when people quite song lyrics, but I'll make an exception in my own case, and quote Chumbawamba (but then they were bastardising Dylan Thomas, so I guess I'm really quoting poetry!):

That's the only reason I can see for political protest, personally. Mind you, it's still a fucking good one

 

ah... this thread is wonderful! it actually fits in wonderfully with something in my life right now. i am president of the edinburgh university tibet society, well at least i am for the moment and i have wanted to change the way our group sees things, not marching or protesting on teh chineese consulate or being so aggressive in our outlook, time has proven it doesn't work. i know its great to feel that you are taking part in something and actually 'out there' doing something, but it still doesn't work no matter how you look at it. in my (humble)opinion this is how wars start, small scale 'direct action' escalating out of control. what if we become more diplomatic about things? what if we see things from others' points of view? is it not more likely that then we will makle more of difference.?
before people start laying into me, i was out there with the best of then im the stop teh war protest and ive also been involved in protests for the tibet support groups.....so bear that in mind please....
namaste
x x x

 

Did you read the first post? I think it explains clearly that Direct Action isn't just protests etc.

Would you not give food to someone who is starving?

Love Clairexxx

 

Personally I think marching from a-b swappie style is about as revolutionary as toast and is why it very rarely gets into the press.

For those who don't believe in direct action I should point out the fact we have the vote for one thing and a welfare state etc etc.

Direct action works, and the way our political rights are being stamped on by that moron Blunkett...the only way forward!!

 

I'm old and foolish and I don't see it that way (anymore) either.