Caring too much. That's the curse of the working classes | David Graeber. "What I can't understand is, why aren't people rioting in the streets? " I hear this, now and then, from people of wealthy and powerful backgrounds. There is a kind of incredulity. "After all," the subtext seems to read, "we scream bloody murder when anyone so much as threatens our tax shelters; if someone were to go after my access to food or shelter, I'd sure as hell be burning banks and storming parliament. What's wrong with these people? " It's a good question. One would think a government that has inflicted such suffering on those with the least resources to resist, without even turning the economy around, would have been at risk of political suicide.
Instead, the basic logic of austerity has been accepted by almost everyone. I think the very incredulity with which I began provides a partial answer. To some degree this seems to reflect a universal sociological law. And humans being the empathetic creatures that they are, knowledge leads to compassion. And who do they employ? 'Eeuwige student betaalt de prijs voor de bankencrisis' - Onderwijs. Where is the protest? A reply to Graeber and Lapavitsas | Politiek. Yes, we’re nice people, and yes we have been sapped of our energy. But the main reasons we’re not protesting are deeper and must be targeted directly. by Jerome Roos via roarmag.org Last week, two commentaries appeared in The Guardian — one by David Graeber and the other by Costas Lapavitsas and Alex Politaki — basically asking the same question: given that we’re under such relentless assault by the rich and powerful, why are people not rioting in the streets?
What happened to the indignation? The screws of austerity are only being tightened. So where are the protests? The two pieces provide two very different answers to the question, and while each contains a moment of truth, both ultimately remain unsatisfactory. Before turning to the articles, however, we should note that things are not as bad as it would seem from a cursory glance at the headlines. Do we care too much? That said, it’s true that the protests have generally subsided in frequency and intensity since 2011.
Waarom we niet in opstand komen. Na zes jaar crisis begint het te knagen: waar blijft die revolutie nou? Tegenlicht maakte er onlangs nog een uitzending over: 'We zijn het zat'. Dertig jaar geleden rolden de tanks nog door de Amsterdamse Vondelstraat. Dezelfde tanks die we onlangs aan Finland verkochten.We verkochten de Leopard-tanks afgelopen december. De relschoppers van toen zouden nu zomaar een hypotheek, twee auto’s en een mooie baan bij een of andere woningbouwcorporatie kunnen hebben verworven. En hun kinderen? Ik denk dat er drie redenen voor zijn. Eén: we hebben het te goed. En ‘demonstrant’ staat ook niet best op je cv. Twee: we zijn er niet voor opgevoed.
Via Facebook kun je van alles organiseren, maar ‘vind-ik-leuk’ is niet echt een revolutionaire kreet We worden er trouwens ook niet voor opgeleid, die opstand. Drie: we zijn in de minderheid. De vergrijzing wordt meestal als een financieel drama gepresenteerd: nu vier werkenden per gepensioneerde, straks twee. Het beste voorbeeld is de natie. Why aren't Europe's young people rioting any more? | Costas Lapavitsas and Alex Politaki. People protest in Madrid in 2011 against Spain's economic crisis and its sky-high jobless rate. ‘The frustration cannot find an outlet in mainstream parties, which strike many young people as far too timid.’
Photograph: Pedro Armestre/AFP/Getty Images In December 2008, in Athens, a "special security officer" shot dead a young student, igniting demonstrations, strikes and riots. Young people were at the forefront of the protests, in a country with a long tradition of youth participation in social and political movements. Several commentators at the time spoke of a "youth rebellion".
In late 2009 it became clear that Greece had been living through a period of false prosperity and was in effect bankrupt. Then there was nothing. Similar patterns can be observed in several other European countries, though perhaps not as extreme. Take education. Conditions are even harsher with regard to work. Matters cannot continue indefinitely along these lines.