WHY PROTESTS TODAY SUCK

[brahmbhattbhavna]

the punk patriot is got it going on

[ShaktiLila]

How about the 'free speech zone cages' at the Republican conventions? Only in America...

[markmaxy125]

Protests by their own do nothing. They are a very small part of the overall action by campaigners and people who try to lobby for changes by going out there doing all the hard graft, negotiating, tirelessly speaking, writing and educating. You are right PunkPatriot, waving signs is useless if thats all you're doing, you are right, protests are very subdued now. But a protest is just a show of numbers, it's not work. The continued work behind it is what makes things change in time.

[cfreeman5343]

A duty of self-governance.

Damn I like that.

[ThePunkPatriot]

@cfreeman5343 Some would say that that's a conservative thing. I think it's a human being thing. Everybody wants to have self-governance. The problem is, not everybody knows how to get there.

[stkmce]

Disruption of "business as usual" is the only effective means of protest.

[atom4614]

untill nightfall when the "ANARCHIST" lead the way.....BAM.

Good points tho.

[JasonDamisch]

I agree that protests today are a joke compared to the 60's

[ltspiess]

Good info, Im telling my local Tea Party!

[gryfnsroost]

i have found communicating openly and directly while maintaining education on that which i am moving in interest of, pretty effective. Open source soul in the neighborhood of Technopathy has not hurt either...check out Sunlight Foundation and the work done for transparency in government and corporation...you might like them!

[utubenotgoodasgvideo]

aw man...that punk sideburn guy looked like he was on the right track saying: stop impotent protests, permitted marches suck, lets get real, insurrection...and he basically concludes we need to become lobbyists so we have "less fucked up government"

How-about real organization and action!? Like the bonus army on the Potomac!  Like the IWW at Lawrance! Like DAN at the WTO! Like the UE workers in Chicago! Organize occupy, take over!

[ThePunkPatriot]

It was one suggestion. I think it would be the most effective protest ever.

Have YOU ever lobbied?

[utubenotgoodasgvideo]

Politicians listen to those with wealth. I have never met with a high official in person. I've written plenty of letters, signed petitions, and protested in DC.

It's not exactly easy to get an audience with a senator unless you represent corporate or religious power.

Now...if we were to occupy their offices....and drive them out....then we might be on to something.

[ThePunkPatriot]

I've lobbied. I'm not rich. You should try it some time. You might be surprised.

[jakluk4]

bravo!

sub'd and im going to feature this.....you are so so right! :)

[FeelFreeToArgue]

You're right. I would add that the current environment is very good at selling everything that's wrong as being our (i.e. the people's) fault. This effectively increases the amount of BS we'll put up w/ before we "take to the streets," which, as you point out, is the only thing that ever accomplishes anything. This, coupled w/ the narcotizing influence of McMedia & pop culture, as well as the govt's new & invasive surveillance powers, make it hard to build something big enough to scare the govt.

[Airphel]

The best way to protest... every day in every action, through the people you meet. Raise awareness through casual conversation, put signs up in your town during the cover of night, voice your opinion at parties... ect... the masses are so watered down they don't even know whats up, and they are the ones that let the govt govern them.

[iheartdd4eva]

Your nostalgic ideas of 60s protests are giving too much credit to their effectiveness. Vietnam ended in 1975 thanks in large part to Ho Chi Minn, Richard Millhouse Nixon and a failing economy at home. Not hippies, not flowers. The 60s are a feel-good fraud for Volkswagon commercials.

Writing letters to a congressional rep is cute, but can that rep cash that letter at a bank? No. But he can cash those checks that lobbyists write. You want an effective protest? Don't pay your taxes.

[iheartdd4eva]

This seems like a negative and critical response. I should mention I am subscribing to your channel and looking forward to future videos. Usually comments read on YouTube real dicky. I just don't see painting signs as a very effective form of protest or even begging politicians to do the right thing. It's worthless. Other means of protest need to be explored like removing consent and participating in agorist activities.

[RedSuit1]

Fuck Yes.

[rockstar0725]

Noam Chomsky states over and over again that the government doesn't silence us any more by force. They can't, we've become too smart for that. Instead, they have to control us through media and thought manipulation (manufactured consent). When you protest, THAT is how you're acting on the nation. You're working to overcome that manipulation to the American people.

[rockstar0725]

Congressman aren't people though. That's the thing. They are subject to the will of a complex political machine that is ultimately largely ruled by the people. When you protest, your audience isn't the people in office. They do what their advisors and what complex polling numbers tell them to do. Your audience are the American citizens, who have a profound effect on what congressional representatives do.

[econdemocracy]

postscript: those local projects are not instead of pressuring those in power, but in addition to pressuring those in power (elected and corporate). In fact those local projects make the "pressure them" actions more sustainable for busy people and also scare those in power to reform (since the more radical local projects are a scary alternative to reform, for them)

[econdemocracy]

m0bi below makes 3 good points; PP is correct that we can't just have quiet marches. But the problem PP points to would go away if we solved another: get much, much larger numbers of people ready to act. If we did, you can bet that some of those 10s of million would try to nonviolent shut down pentagon, even 5% doing this would be a win. Our task: help create local,regional/national orgs that busy,over-worked ppl can plug into.Create local media;loc community owned gardens;&google PhilaHealthia

[m0bi]

NO! NO! NO!

You're STILL doing it all wrong!

Protests are good for 3 things:

1. Informing the PUBLIC (not those in power) of your opposition to this, that, or EVERYTHING.

2. To let others (the public, NOT those in power) know that they are not alone.

3. Sometimes street conflicts/riots come of these protests, which get more attention, & also can become life-changing times for certain people, & during social crisis's, people are made to finally choose sides. Not to mention looting is useful.

[TheIr0nMike]

Your first and second point aren't protesting, but raising awareness. The purpose of protesting is to disrupt the status quo either directly (i.e. riots and/or revolutions) or indirectly (i.e. sit-ins and mass marches) so that you can show the opposition your veracity towards your cause.

[m0bi]

Well, there are other ways you can disrupt the status quo, but in particular, protests are good for getting a message out to the people on the street, since we have no voice in the media, (hence, why youtube is so popular).

But you can use theft, arson, occupations, strikes, blockades, property damage, sabotage, etc to demonstrate these, but many of these ingredients can also be found in protests, yes.

[TheIr0nMike]

Again, that's not the purpose of protests. While protests do raise awareness, the reason for their existence is to put a stop to something. What you're probably thinking of is rioting or causing anarchy. While I do agree that both are very useful when going up against something, it really should only be reserved for when the opposition attacks.

[m0bi]

But by trying to "speak truth to power", protests will never change anything.

Those in power know, and those in power don't care, they want to stay in power.

Opposition will attack, so why not attack first.

The 60's & 70's showed that speaking truth to power doesn't work, let's not make the same mistakes again.

For permanent conflict with the ruling order.

[TheIr0nMike]

Because attacking first will isolate those that are either on the fence and even some that are sympathizers for your cause. Lets say you do attack first, this will inevitably lead to mass destruction of property and injuries or even deaths of bystanders if the public doesn't know about this first. Unless you are able to completely overthrow all those in power, they will spin the story to make you seem like mindless psychopaths, thus making it so that the public won't even care what you want.

[m0bi]

If we must worry about what the media will say about us, we already know who their allegiance is to, and know that unless we remain fearful consumers, they will always disapprove of us.

This is a social war, it has been going on for centuries. There are millions of "isolated incidents" of people fighting back against power. That's only if you wish to see them as "isolated incidents".

What really needs to be done is a coordinated effort to collectivize these attacks & not be isolated anymore.

[TheIr0nMike]

What your suggesting is a full blown revolution. At this point we don't need one. We just need to show that we have perseverance, and that can easily be done non-violently. You're right, the media does have it's own agenda and we can do little to nothing to change it, but we'll give them more ammo if we do something stupid at the wrong time.

[m0bi]

1. Full-blown revolution - yes please

2. "at this point we don't need one" - WTF? What more has to happen that we will need one? We have CONTINUOUSLY throughout history needed one that FINALLY succeeds!

3. The media will ALWAYS let you down, they will either ignore you or slander you, they are useless in any context.

4. This is why people hate politics, we DO-NOT-NEED-MEDIATION, but to take, yes and I do mean "TAKE", not "beg for", not "get permission for" - what we want.

[m0bi]

Also, to clarify about point #2...

Because every revolution has failed or either not been a "full-blown" revolution - it leads us to where we are now.

If we do not finally quit trying to reform the system and abolish it already, we will keep digging our graves ourselves.

Once we DO win, then we won't have to continue dealing with the same problems decade in - decade out.

[RobbyRichards]

Great video and subscribed! I'm not a lefty but I like your style and I am also for life, liberty and a less fucked up government!

[sleeplessmind]

five stars. the politcally disenfranchised and those who are not should note the difference between permissible discontent and disobedience

[KenMacMillan]

Fuck the left & their 1960's marxist protests.

[MrNemy86]

its not protesting in general its how we are protesting. I'm a vegan and one way to protest would be by encouraging people to stop buying meat for a month,now imagine what that would do to the meat industry or considering i'm an atheist and opposed to commidity fetish what if i got thousands of people to not shop for anything this christmas. Most people don't really want to do anything that will harm their perfect middle class lifestyle. rights are earned on the batllefield not threw politics.

[womblefree]

Now your making sense, Direct action is the only thing that makes politicians banksters knees shake but getting a permit and finding out were your so called representative works from and lobby them does not work, they will just make sure their out of town then, unless they can see something they get from it personally they will ignore you, shock action is the only way like in 1968

[mrpregnant]

5/5

[peaceful0tiger]

It makes me mad how our government I mean the irish one is actually also pertraining to some of that the bretish the german we go on. We can't effectively protest any violation to our constitution instead of aresting ministers who break laws they get to go of easy while protesters have to go threw a complex and arduos legal system designed to bankrupt the poor.

[Tressco]

...grmpf...so, be tenacious like tar & and soothing like feathers next time lobbying...I see...

[OMGitsaBLAST]

YESSSSSSSSSSS

[KazukiSeirei]

So true... the G20 meeting last month is a perfect example of a "controlled" protest.

Peace.

[ChangeTheRide]

Fuck yeah protests are pointless. What do you think this is? A free country? A democracy maybe? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Nope. Not really. "You are free, to do as we tell you. You are free to do as we tell you. Here's American Gladiators." - BH.

[KidOmniMan]

Awesome quote

[TheIr0nMike]

Not the point, but what KidOmniMan said.

[anastasia81472]

A big part of the problem, as I see it, is that the young people are largely more concerned with texting and parties, and those of us who are older have a hard time getting loosed of our children long enough to storm a castle. As much as I'd love to do that, I'd be the middle-aged, overweight, crazy lady beat up by the cops while the college students watched and laughed. I'd probably wind up in a crazy house and my kids in foster homes. The youth were way more hard core in the 60s.

[KidOmniMan]

The youth today is pacified. The first home video game consoles were released in the early 70's and they have been becoming a bigger part of youth culture since, same with cable, movies and now the internet in the palm of your hand. I think the youth of the 60's were only different in that they had less pointless shit to do with their time. To think all the protests in the 60's were organized without E-mail, facebook or cell phones, it's pretty impressive.

[anastasia81472]

So true. There are entirely too many distractions all around. I have said before that it would take the power going out for a lengthy period of time to wake people up.

[KidOmniMan]

Yes, after all the looting that would take place, people would start to wake up if the power was out long term, probably around the time they realize the plasma T.V. they stole is useless without electricity.

[anastasia81472]

*laughing* I hadn't even thought about the looting. You're right, there would be enough fools out there looting useless television sets before reality really set in.

[imjustagirl776]

Most excellent and very true.

[davisfleetwood]

Asher

Great video. I too have been arrested & chanted the cool chants and carried the cool signs. F*&K permits.

That said, if there were to emerge a protest (permitted or no) to protest your facial hair- I AM THERE!!!!!

[ThePunkPatriot]

I will join you in protesting my facial hair. We'll see if it decides to change course.

[jeremyoyer]

This video is straight up. I love all your videos. I don't agree with some of your views but I'm hardpressed to find a liberal that's actually trying to fix the problems of his own party rather than focusing on the problems of Conservatives.

It takes guts to do what you're doing. You should be proud.

[theVAGINAntichrist]

Your fake glasses are cool.

[ThePunkPatriot]

HAHAHAAHA

[DonJack1776]

Demonstrations are not enough. Direct action is what is needed. That is the only way any movement has ever had an impact.

[punklover99]

wait what about the protests at the dnc and rnc and not the bull crap walking mean the people trying to it shut down direct action worksand getting macain to tell them to try and ignore what was going on outside

[TiradeFaction]

Disruptive action is far more effective than the "Ok we'll agree to stand behind the fence" style action, as you say. There's a group called Mobilize for healthcare, that's effectively doing this with the single payer activism. Many have already been arrested doing the sit ins at insurance industry buildings and congressional offices. Hopefully some good can come of it....

[jmeiskues]

i guess people are afraid to get arrested these days.

[TiradeFaction]

That's true, and a lot more people need to get unafraid, as it's the "illegal" stuff that really changes things.

Well, that, and organizing citizen lobby groups. I talk a lot about this stuff, I should get involved...lol

[ThePunkPatriot]

It's up to you!