That seems like a retaliation to the people saying they weren't targeting the right people when protestors blocked traffic - well now they're targeting the right people!
Hi all. Really glad this has provoked a robust debate. But there have been some Rule violations. I'll leave them up but a more civil tone needs to be struck from here on.
Idiots. Fucking idiots.
It's great that they want to take action on climate change but it's daft to think that these sorts of actions are going to achieve anything at all.
What were they actually planning to do? Throw some paint balloons and someone lock themselves to a gate and "say something profound" ?!
Even if they dissuaded whoever from doing whatever, woodside would just appoint someone else to do it?
Gerard the strategy guy should be relegated to handing out the kombucha .
When they glued themselves to the streets it was broadly criticized that the protesters were not targeting the ones responsible for climate change. That was already bs because people who choose a car for mobility are responsible for a part of climate change. Now when they are protesting against people who are even more responsible, like in this case, people like you criticize them for that. It seems like you would prefer if they would not protest at all.
I'm criticising them for being completely ineffective. Worse than that even - counter productive, because they undermine effective climate change activism.
Please describe what is effective climate change activism in your opinion, because I am unsure what you mean by that.
Effective climate change activism would mitigate climate change in some way.
These guys achieved absolutely nothing.
Are you able to explain what the objective was?
How many books have you read on political theory?
Who are your favorite critics of peoples movements and the history of protest politics?
This is an open question to all.
I have read 4-5 books on political theory, most of them on Marxism and various sects of anarchal socialism. Probably two dozen journal articles.
My favourite author is some guy out of a French university who published on contemporary civil disobedience a couple of years ago. And I certainly like the classics; Thoreau, Gandhi and ML King.
My favourite critic of nonviolent protest is Fred Hampton.
I have read 4-5 books
Amazing.
Lol troll
Sorry mate it's just a weird thing to say.
In anonymous online forums stating your credentials doesn't have the intended effect.
You're a troll and you have no intent in engaging in good faith argument
Don´t let the guy bother you. The best way to deal with trolls is to block them.
Sure mate. It's much easier to conclude that everyone you disagree with is a troll rather than acknowledging valid criticisms.
No one has been able to offer any insights into what the individuals featured in the article intended to achieve. Your ghandi quote refers to "tension" yet this protest was completely unsuccessful in achieving that.
The assertion that nothing was achieved here is the "good faith argument".
Can you give an example? what activism would mitigate climate change?
Yes. Can you?
Effective climate change activism would mitigate climate change in some way.
Just like you mitigate answering my question, troll -> blocked
Ah yes, the hallmark of enlightened debate: block people that ask uncomfortable questions.
No one has answered my simple question: what were these people hoping to achieve?
You are talking about them. Seems quite effective.
Well "talking about" yes - but are these people really our best ambassadors? They can't be our best and brightest surely.
So we should patiently wait for things to change by voting every few years?
Protests are what changed the world for the better.
We need nukes
You may well ask: ‘Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?’ You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation
Who is this quote from? Whoever they are, they put their case very well.
Gandhi
Wow. I think i'll need to pay more attention to what he taught
Eh, he was also kinda creepy in some of his stuff too. As with everything, take the good, drop the bad.
My whole point, is that the "activists" in question were completely unsuccessful in creating any "tension" whatsoever.
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