spartan
13th February 2008, 15:07
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/13/antiwar.iraq
Five years ago, the biggest political protest in our history served to explode the myth of public apathy.
The demonstration, and the movement around it, exploded the notion that society is slumped in a consumer-sodden apathy, and incapable of political engagement. The country's biggest mass movement followed a general election with the lowest turnout in modern times, and preceded one in which participation was scarcely improved. The problem is the system, not the people.
So perhaps the biggest lesson of February 15 is that it embodied the failure of representative democracy. It highlighted a gap between the electorate and the elected, a gap several hundred thousand lives have slipped down as a result.
Thoughts?
I am guessing that some revleft members went to the famous anti-Iraq war protest five years ago, so what were your experiences on that day?
Five years ago, the biggest political protest in our history served to explode the myth of public apathy.
The demonstration, and the movement around it, exploded the notion that society is slumped in a consumer-sodden apathy, and incapable of political engagement. The country's biggest mass movement followed a general election with the lowest turnout in modern times, and preceded one in which participation was scarcely improved. The problem is the system, not the people.
So perhaps the biggest lesson of February 15 is that it embodied the failure of representative democracy. It highlighted a gap between the electorate and the elected, a gap several hundred thousand lives have slipped down as a result.
Thoughts?
I am guessing that some revleft members went to the famous anti-Iraq war protest five years ago, so what were your experiences on that day?