Put People First

A guilty confession - I ended up missing the G20 "Put People First" demo on Saturday as I had fixed up to have my latest tattoo, started three weeks ago, finished off. I'll have to make up for my self-indulgence later in the course of the week. (See - I just can't shake off that ex-Catholic guilt thing even when it comes to political activity)

So, for once from the position of an observer rather than a participant here are a few random thoughts:

The broad nature of the movement from church groups to anarchists confirms that there an opposition consensus is forming that something is not right in how our world is ordered. Herein lies both a strength and weakness - it can easily amount simply to a cry of 'why can't we be nicer to each other ?'

If this is left unanswered then the movement will easily become a moment that is assimilated into the status quo much like "Make Poverty History' was. Signs of the assimilation are already evident. The Sunday papers were hilariously occupied with 'how not to dress like a banker' and patronising profiles on previously demonised anarchist Ian Bone.

Of course the qualitative difference this time round is a looming Depression that is transforming our daily lives in a way that just wasn't the case at the time of the 2005 G8.

Interesting times ...