Anarchists burn ballots in protest

[abbielives!]

Anarchists burn ballots in protest :D

In brief

by Paul Frazier | Freelance Reporter |

While millions of Americans were casting their ballots in polls across the United States on Tuesday, a group of five self-proclaimed anarchists burned theirs in front of the U.S. Post Office on 5th Avenue and Willamette Street in downtown Eugene.

The group was protesting the act of voting in the United States, saying that voting does not give people real power to make a difference. Each person had a unique perspective on what should replace the current system in the United States and the world. However, they shared the belief that in addition to voting, the current systems of government and states is fundamentally flawed.

They huddled together around a portable barbecue as they lit ballots on fire. As the ballots burned, many of them said the ballots were highly effective in warming their hands.

"The best use of my ballot was for kindling," activist Ian Roger said.

When the ballots finished burning, they were careful to not spill any ash onto the sidewalk. Then they unfurled a sign that said, "Whoever they vote for we are ungovernable." As they walked down Willamette Street to the federal courthouse displaying the sign, a woman stopped them and asked if they knew where a ballot drop box was.

They laughed and collectively pointed at the barbecue.

[email protected]://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper859/stills/hhp2218v.jpg

http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2008/11/06/News/Anarchists.Burn.Ballots.In.Protest-3528762.shtml

[bcbm]

What won't they do! Also:


Eugene

:lol:

[chegitz guevara]

How utterly irrelevant.

[bcbm]

Did as much as voting and was probably more fun, spoilsport.

[Knight of Cydonia]

yeeah....sabotage the VOTE!! do not VOTE!

[Sankofa]

I thought what they did was pretty nifty! They got more out of the ballots this way than actually using them for their intended purpose.

[Die Neue Zeit]

How utterly irrelevant.

As someone who advocates coupling spoilage or ballot refusals with anti-electoral protests, this burning of not-to-be-counted ballots reeks more of hooliganist trends in anarchism than of class-strugglist trends.

[redguard2009]

Strugglist sounds like a funny word.

I wouldn't have done it -- "marching" down the street in protest with 4 other kids isn't my idea of a worthwhile protest activity -- but I don't see any problem with it. It's not like the balots would have served any other useful purpose; in any case, any future class "strugglist" trend will inevitably include this sort of widespread denunciation of bourgeois elections; these people could be accurately considered "pathfinders" regardless of the immediate usefullness of their act.

[Junius]

'Strugglist' is not a word.

[redguard2009]

It's still a funny combination of human throat noises.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Strugglist sounds like a funny word.

I wouldn't have done it -- "marching" down the street in protest with 4 other kids isn't my idea of a worthwhile protest activity -- but I don't see any problem with it. It's not like the balots would have served any other useful purpose; in any case, any future class "strugglist" trend will inevitably include this sort of widespread denunciation of bourgeois elections; these people could be accurately considered "pathfinders" regardless of the immediate usefullness of their act.


'Strugglist' is not a word.

Google it up. It's an Internet colloquialism that I have adopted to describe class-conscious worker-"militants" while stressing class struggle as a concept.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

They should have brought along some marshmallows. I love marshmallows.

[Drace]

Fuckin genius.

How come you don't hear this stuff on the news?

[Junius]

Google it up.

I did. It came up with links to this site. The word is not in the dictionary.


It's an Internet colloquialism that I have adopted to describe class-conscious worker-"militants" while stressing class struggle as a concept.So why not call them class struggle militants? Given that 'struggle' is actually a word and is used in the same manner as you are proposing?

[Agrippa]

wouldn't have done it -- "marching" down the street in protest with 4 other kids isn't my idea of a worthwhile protest activity

This isn't a criticism of the nature of the demonstration, as much as the number of it's participants.

I mean, we all agree that 800 people burning their ballots would have been more inspiring.


As someone who advocates coupling spoilage or ballot refusals with anti-electoral protests, this burning of not-to-be-counted ballots reeks more of hooliganist trends in anarchism than of class-strugglist trends.

ghhffd ashas sjdd fjruiw sais gjd rueng djsdnds skis fjfdnfd. dkjf enjef fnjeti gropd djk. fkdsfjdgs did sdiewe fejnfe? djdfjfd!

See, I can arrange random letters of the alphabet to form sentences completely devoid of meaning or expression too!

[alpharowe3]

'Strugglist' is not a word.
NO WAY, no friggin WAY!:ohmy:

[ev]

ahh, the sweet heat of democracy :cool:

[redguard2009]

ghhffd ashas sjdd fjruiw sais gjd rueng djsdnds skis fjfdnfd. dkjf enjef fnjeti gropd djk. fkdsfjdgs did sdiewe fejnfe? djdfjfd!

See, I can arrange random letters of the alphabet to form sentences completely devoid of meaning or expression too!

roflmfao :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

[Die Neue Zeit]

I did. It came up with links to this site. The word is not in the dictionary.

So why not call them class struggle militants? Given that 'struggle' is actually a word and is used in the same manner as you are proposing?

I know it's not in the dictionary (and there were other links besides those to this site - look up the word "strugglist" by itself, and I apologize for not clarifying earlier). :(

[Revy]

I personally wouldn't ever use a word like "strugglist". But I also object to the idea that a dictionary owns the English language. I've used the word "they" as a singular gender-neutral identifier, and some grammar nazis don't agree with that.

[KC]

Can this be moved to Chit-Chat or something? It has nothing to do with politics.

[bcbm]

of hooliganist trends in anarchism

Well it is Eugene.

[Catbus]

How come you don't hear this stuff on the news?

Because the mainstream media can't afford to do a story that challenges the government as a whole. They can me biased party wise, but that's it.


I like the idea of it, as long as they put up valid points so they can back their actions.


Well it is Eugene.
:laugh:

[abbielives!]

As someone who advocates coupling spoilage or ballot refusals with anti-electoral protests, this burning of not-to-be-counted ballots reeks more of hooliganist trends in anarchism than of class-strugglist trends.

yes, we should have been selling newspapers or something:rolleyes:

[black magick hustla]

man some of you are spoilsports.

[Revy]

Never heard the word "spoilsport". Here we say "party pooper".

[Sankofa]

I prefer the term "wet blanket" or "sourpuss"

[ZeroNowhere]

Never heard the word "spoilsport". Here we say "party pooper".
Over here we use 'Social spoilsportocrat who is a rejectist of bourgeois partymentarism'. I have no idea.
Anyways, burning ballots, while it isn't especially productive, is as helpful as voting in this election, and more fun (especially with marshmellows).

[al8]

Nice. More of this! :thumbup1:

This is by far a good beginning. Ballot burners are not the party poopers here. It's the 'neo-kautskyist social proletocratic strugglist structural worrist-boringist' with their boring whining and lame formulaic suggestions.

[Charles Xavier]

What a waste of time, because the election lead to historic turnout.

I pooped in your party lame anarchists.

[al8]

Hey! At least it's an attidude in the right direction these anarchist show.

[Catbus]

I pooped in your party lame anarchists.

I'm pretty sure poop burns, which means you directly made our fire bigger.

[Herman]

Anarchists seem to be good at burning things. Maybe i'll ask one or two to help me burn a bank. That ought to bring about socialism.

[chegitz guevara]

Fuckin genius.

How come you don't hear this stuff on the news?

Oh let's see . . . hmmm, 136,000,000 people voting or five angsty children burning ballots, what to chose, what to chose?

If you are going to make a political protest of your vote, either vote for a socialist candidate who stands no chance of winning or cast a blank ballot, as JR advocates.

[bcbm]

If you are going to make a political protest of your vote, either vote for a socialist candidate who stands no chance of winning or cast a blank ballot, as JR advocates.

Yeah, doing anonymous things seems a better idea than doing something that at least a few people will notice and could start conversation.

[Melbourne Lefty]

As someone who advocates coupling spoilage or ballot refusals with anti-electoral protests, this burning of not-to-be-counted ballots reeks more of hooliganist trends in anarchism than of class-strugglist trends.

The only way to create a new system is to delegitimise the old one, including its icons.

Burning a ballot paper does that, in a small way. Its a declaration that you do not wish to be a part of a corrupt immoral system.

Its also dramatic. That does make a difference you know.

[RebelDog]

As someone who advocates coupling spoilage or ballot refusals with anti-electoral protests, this burning of not-to-be-counted ballots reeks more of hooliganist trends in anarchism than of class-strugglist trends.

What is the difference if they are counted? What is the point in that? Is English your first language?

[Charles Xavier]

I'm pretty sure poop burns, which means you directly made our fire bigger.
Yeah well if you burned the poop than the whole party smells like flaming poop

[Incendiarism]

Wouldn't a blank vote not count? Why not just stay home and masturbate

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

What a waste of time, because the election lead to historic turnout.

But it didn't. The super long lines were due to good ol' fashioned bad planning

[ZeroNowhere]

Wouldn't a blank vote not count? Why not just stay home and masturbate
You send an important message out to the USAmerican public. I'm not sure what. But yeah.

[chegitz guevara]

But it didn't. The super long lines were due to good ol' fashioned bad planning

The second part of this sentence has nothing to do with the former. As a matter of fact, the voter turnout was historic. One hundred thirty six million people voted, thirty percent larger than voted in 2004, which was around one hundred five million, and was at the time the largest number of Americans who'd ever voted.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

The second part of this sentence has nothing to do with the former.

My post consisted of two sentences. Which one are you talking about?


As a matter of fact, the voter turnout was historic. One hundred thirty six million people voted, thirty percent larger than voted in 2004, which was around one hundred five million, and was at the time the largest number of Americans who'd ever voted.

How convenient it must be to be able to draw conclusions based on wildly manipulated figures.
Your numbers are completely fucking wrong.
Where did you get that crap?
I'm honestly really curious. I strongly recommend you cancel your newspaper subscription asap.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/06/pdf.gansre08turnout.au.pdf

[Die Neue Zeit]

The second part of this sentence has nothing to do with the former. As a matter of fact, the voter turnout was historic. One hundred thirty six million people voted, thirty percent larger than voted in 2004, which was around one hundred five million, and was at the time the largest number of Americans who'd ever voted.

The final voter turnout % wasn't much higher though. :confused:

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

That's because he cited the figures for 2000, claiming that they're for 2004. You also forget that the registered population increases with each election. It's really mind-boggling how badly planned American elections are. I've never in my life had to wait more than a few minutes to vote and here almost 100% of adults participate and I live in the fucking third world. You people seriously need to get your shit straight.

[freakazoid]

Oh let's see . . . hmmm, 136,000,000 people voting or five angsty children burning ballots, what to chose, what to chose?

Oh let's see . . . hmmm, pretty much THE ENTIRE US people who are capitalist, or a few socialist/communist/anarchist "children" marching around chanting slogans and handing out flyers. What to chose, what to chose? :rolleyes:

[FlamingChainsaws]

I think it would have been better had they burned the polling place instead. However, reading this made me laugh.

[bcbm]

I think it would have been better had they burned the polling place instead. However, reading this made me laugh.

A number of polling stations in Santa Cruz had their locks glued and some were attacked with stones.

[PRC-UTE]

Wouldn't a blank vote not count? Why not just stay home and masturbate

Email this to a few parties and see if they put it in their program :thumbup1: