Protesting the Protesters
The only thing wrong with protesting against the Government is all the sad wankers who are out there doing it too.
I admit I don’t get off my arse and take to the streets too often, but when I do I see the same bunch of fuckwits out there. The dickheads dressed in Bio-Hazard suits with Heil Howard placards continually trying to get a chant from the 60’s up and running while somersaulting for freedom. These guys make me want to join the Police force just so I can spray them all with the capsicum spray.
We haven’t had a decent protest for a while so you may be wondering what brought this on. Well I was on the way home tonight listening to Brisbane’s 4ZZZ when they intro’d a protest song with a warning that it may offend those with strong feelings about politics. Why they would pussy out and provide a warning is beyond me, but I did get a slightly warm feeling in my political lobe about what was to come. Biting political satire perhaps? Not even close, just one of the archetypal sad protest wankers who saved up enough of his dole money to buy some studio time.
The song is called ‘Howard to Go’ and it’s by a group/label called Daylan Music. It’s downloadable here, and I implore you to check it out so you can cringe as much as I did. Here are a couple of choice lyrics (I transcribed them so they might be a little off):
Who is this aimed at? Surely no one over the age of 14. This complete lack of intelligence, subtly and wit is the hallmark of the vocal minority at any sort of protest, and it makes me want to run away from them as fast as my tar filled lungs can carry me.
If you’ve ever seen someone like Julian Burnside or Major Michael Mori ‘protest’ you are probably aware there is way to get your point across in a calm and intelligent way without immediately disenfranchising 90% of the people that, in a broad sense, agree with you.
Can we have two rally’s next time? These sad wankers, street performers and the Socialist Alliance can go to the first one and chant and interpretive dance their little hearts out. Then anyone who feels strongly about the issue at hand and would like to be part of a visible protest action, but does not wish to overthrow of our entire system of governance and, while disagreeing with him strongly, doesn’t actually believe that John Howard is literally a member of the fascist party can go to the second one.
I’m thinking a decoy strategy will have to be employed. At 10:30 we start frying up the tofu, lighting the incense and deploying the face painters, then at 11 we lead the rabble away, Pied Piper style, with a sitar player.
The real protest will begin half an hour later.
I admit I don’t get off my arse and take to the streets too often, but when I do I see the same bunch of fuckwits out there. The dickheads dressed in Bio-Hazard suits with Heil Howard placards continually trying to get a chant from the 60’s up and running while somersaulting for freedom. These guys make me want to join the Police force just so I can spray them all with the capsicum spray.
We haven’t had a decent protest for a while so you may be wondering what brought this on. Well I was on the way home tonight listening to Brisbane’s 4ZZZ when they intro’d a protest song with a warning that it may offend those with strong feelings about politics. Why they would pussy out and provide a warning is beyond me, but I did get a slightly warm feeling in my political lobe about what was to come. Biting political satire perhaps? Not even close, just one of the archetypal sad protest wankers who saved up enough of his dole money to buy some studio time.
The song is called ‘Howard to Go’ and it’s by a group/label called Daylan Music. It’s downloadable here, and I implore you to check it out so you can cringe as much as I did. Here are a couple of choice lyrics (I transcribed them so they might be a little off):
Public health, what really counts, Desperate need of large cash amounts,
Big tax cuts to buy our votes, Instead of spending where it’s needed most…
[Spoken] Education… Clean energy
David Hicks in Guantanamo, Pleaded guilty so he could come home,
[Spoken] Is that justice?
Wheat for kickbacks in Iraq, Downer says we’re in the dark,
[Spoken] What do you think?
[Chorus]
Howard has go to go,
Don’t want Turnbull or Costello,
Johnny has had his fun,
Now it’s time for Rudd to run
Big tax cuts to buy our votes, Instead of spending where it’s needed most…
[Spoken] Education… Clean energy
David Hicks in Guantanamo, Pleaded guilty so he could come home,
[Spoken] Is that justice?
Wheat for kickbacks in Iraq, Downer says we’re in the dark,
[Spoken] What do you think?
[Chorus]
Howard has go to go,
Don’t want Turnbull or Costello,
Johnny has had his fun,
Now it’s time for Rudd to run
Who is this aimed at? Surely no one over the age of 14. This complete lack of intelligence, subtly and wit is the hallmark of the vocal minority at any sort of protest, and it makes me want to run away from them as fast as my tar filled lungs can carry me.
If you’ve ever seen someone like Julian Burnside or Major Michael Mori ‘protest’ you are probably aware there is way to get your point across in a calm and intelligent way without immediately disenfranchising 90% of the people that, in a broad sense, agree with you.
Can we have two rally’s next time? These sad wankers, street performers and the Socialist Alliance can go to the first one and chant and interpretive dance their little hearts out. Then anyone who feels strongly about the issue at hand and would like to be part of a visible protest action, but does not wish to overthrow of our entire system of governance and, while disagreeing with him strongly, doesn’t actually believe that John Howard is literally a member of the fascist party can go to the second one.
I’m thinking a decoy strategy will have to be employed. At 10:30 we start frying up the tofu, lighting the incense and deploying the face painters, then at 11 we lead the rabble away, Pied Piper style, with a sitar player.
The real protest will begin half an hour later.
posted by Sam Cox at
21:41
8 Comments:
Sam, as you're well aware, I have been one of the tossers on those protests...on many occasions. And I agree with you - what has wearing patched-up corduroy trousers got to do with meaningful social protest? But often, it's all us sad hippies have got to resort to. If we could hold a press conference in front of the major news dailies, and express our carefully-formulated opinions to a large audience, then we would. But we don't have that luxury. So we blow whistles and call cops pigs. It doesn't make us any mates, but it sure is fun knocking the doors of the Vice Chancellor's office down, and using his telephone to call your mates. Viva la revolucion!
By
Red Tom, At
31 October 2007 03:34
Well, I suppose I'm all for kicking down doors and occupying buildings...
I realise that if you're not able to talk directly to Ray Martin then you do have to make a bit of noise to get any sort of point across nowadays. All I ask is that you put a bit of fucking effort into it.
I don't care if it's a rally raising money for the 'Sam Cox Blowjob Foundation', I absolutely refuse to associate myself with anyone who would write or willingly sing the type of song I quoted in the post. Uninspired trash that enables onlookers to quickly dismiss the rest of the group as idiots and their cause with them.
I think this cringe factor actually keeps people away from the big anti-war type protests. For the 'cutting compulsory marxism from the curriculum' type protests, I agree it should be army boots, smoke flares and wall to wall patched denim.
I reckon the anti-workchoices rallies were the best for non-wankerism. The CFMEU heavies threateningly smoking their rollies keep the hippies quiet for most of the time.
By
Sam Cox, At
31 October 2007 06:45
you are not allowed to protest the protesters. it makes you an uppity-white-boy and that is wrong sam.
By
Anonymous, At
31 October 2007 16:55
Hey! I may be uppity, and I may be a white-boy but I'm not... wait, what was the third thing?
By
Sam Cox, At
31 October 2007 18:41
Well said, Sam. Possibly the most sensible thing you've said in a while :)
By
tanyah, At
31 October 2007 21:05
Oh good lord. What have I become?
By
Sam Cox, At
31 October 2007 21:42
A sensible, small-L liberal, MOR Rudd voter!
I agree on the song. I could write a better one than that. It's just mine would sound like a flowery love song. You should hear the one me and my brother wrote, called 'No blood for oil'. Ouch.
BTW - I went to a workchoice rally that had a big upside-down fairground ride thing, enough to make the brickies shit their daks. Awesome.
By
Tom Andrews, At
31 October 2007 23:31
you need a t-shirt.
uppity white boy who cares...
By
Anonymous, At
2 November 2007 22:27
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