Connolly Festival (1 Viewer)

[classic seanc]

this is why young people don't care about politics.

 

[Janer]

I found the last sentence of Polo's captivating/

 

[classic seanc]

You're not young people Janer

To me, it looks like a storm in a teacup. The 3rd largest party in a very small country, divided up into 500 little groups all sniping at each other. Forgetting about philosophy and diplomacy as quickly as possible so they can start at the bitching and blustering. And not one of these groups is any bigger than your average bingo club. It's petty, it has absolutly no relevance to anybody outside the labour party and when I read it, and I think when most people read it, it just looks sad.

Cop on Labour party.

 

[Janer]

lol

 

[mazzyianne]

edit:
I think there's some good stuff being discussed at this yoke.

 

[mazzyianne]

I do see where you're coming from tho polo.

and seanc I think it's pretty stupid to say young people aren't interested in politics. Coz lots of them are, and almost everything is politics, not just what political parties consider political.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

I do see where you're coming from tho polo.

and seanc I think it's pretty stupid to say young people aren't interested in politics. Coz lots of them are, and almost everything is politics, not just what political parties consider political.

I think the majority of young people have things a little too good to be bothered getting involved in politics, although I'd say they'll be a bigger turnout of young voters next election; theres alot of anger about how badly were being governed at the mo. Although given the alternative is FG/labour I cant see the election results changing it.
Id personally like to be involved in politics more but I think the mainstream parties have too little ideology and the fringe ones too much!

 

[classic seanc]

I do see where you're coming from tho polo.

and seanc I think it's pretty stupid to say young people aren't interested in politics. Coz lots of them are, and almost everything is politics, not just what political parties consider political.

Trust me, it's not pretty stupid. And trust me, most young people couldn't give a fuck about politics beyond "Bertie's a right prick isn't he?" "Mary Harney's fat, ha haha!".
You obviously know a thing or two about it, and you care about it. But, as I'm sure you're aware, not everyone is like you.
These guys aren't talking about politics, they're talking about which little group is the bigger bunch of pricks.

 

[IFF]

Trust me, it's not pretty stupid. And trust me, most young people couldn't give a fuck about politics beyond "Bertie's a right prick isn't he?" "Mary Harney's fat, ha haha!".
You obviously know a thing or two about it, and you care about it. But, as I'm sure you're aware, not everyone is like you.
These guys aren't talking about politics, they're talking about which little group is the bigger bunch of pricks.

you forgot "Sinn Fein is great" is another thing that alot of young people think

or is that just 90% of Louth young people? (me being one of the 10%)

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Trust me, it's not pretty stupid. And trust me, most young people couldn't give a fuck about politics beyond "Bertie's a right prick isn't he?" "Mary Harney's fat, ha haha!".
You obviously know a thing or two about it, and you care about it. But, as I'm sure you're aware, not everyone is like you.
These guys aren't talking about politics, they're talking about which little group is the bigger bunch of pricks.

we need a famine/war/beer shortage/closure of topshop to shake the youth up mr C!

 

[jackwhite]

I'm not convinced that young people aren't interested in politics.

For a start just look at activism in Ireland at the moment and a lot of the campaigns and initiatives that have taken place over the last few years. Many of these initiatives have been organised by young people or certainly most of the people who have been involved were young. I'll name a few things: squatting, critical mass, food not bombs, Reclaim the Streets, the recent protest at Baldonnell, Boycott TOP Oil, Carrickminders, Rossport Solidarity Camp, Boycott Killer Coke campaign, Campaign for Free Education, BODY and pro choice activism in general, Re instate Joanne Delaney campaign.

Now none of these were run exclusively by young people - but most of the initiative, energy and numbers of people involved were young. And there's lots of other campaigns and initiatives that I can't think of off the top of my head.

There is a fair point that when it comes to mass participation in politics then there aren't thousands of young people involved. But there are reasons for this not least the fact that the political/ media establishment don't want young people to be politically active. They spout a continous message that we aren't interested in politics. They tell us it so much in so many different subtle ways through mass media that many of us begin to believe it.

But talk to any young person and ask them what they think of George W Bush and I don't think you'll find them stuck for words.

 

[IFF]

yes but an issue like George W. Bush ain't hard

what about what they think of ned O'Keefe, Ciaran Cuffe, Willie Penrose, Mae Sexton, Sean Crowe, Damien English etc etc etc

or even just ask ythem what parties they are members of and i'm sure most wouldn't know or wouldn't want to know

you know. most friends of mine no. 1 in the European Election was Mairead mcGuiness. Why? not because of her brilliant political policies. no, because she's from Ardee

atleast 3 of the same peooples no. 2 was Sinn Fein's John Dwyer

 

[mazzyianne]

yes but an issue like George W. Bush ain't hard

what about what they think of ned O'Keefe, Ciaran Cuffe, Willie Penrose, Mae Sexton, Sean Crowe, Damien English etc etc etc

or even just ask ythem what parties they are members of and i'm sure most wouldn't know or wouldn't want to know

you know. most friends of mine no. 1 in the European Election was Mairead mcGuiness. Why? not because of her brilliant political policies. no, because she's from Ardee

atleast 3 of the same peooples no. 2 was Sinn Fein's John Dwyer

I couldn't give a fuck about political parties, who's running where, what they stand for. I would still consider myself highly political.
My point was not that I think young people are into party politics. They might not even call it politics. Everything is politics.
I tutor undergrads and they told me they 'hate politics' after weeks and weeks of a gender and development class, discussiing all kinds of stuff I would consider political, and really enjoying it.
Politics shouldn't be defined by political parties, they work within one political system, there's very little difference between any of them, and no matter how you look at it any of them getting elected wll make very little difference.
Bah.
I hate politics.

 

[Bellatrix]

BTW I think comments about the aesthetics of Labour Youth members are pretty irrelevant and superficial.... I know your just having a laugh.... but the insinuation that politics has anything to do with aesthetics is what you'd expect to find on a young pds site ... not on a slightly alternative music board.

Ah, the old Labour Youth earnestness rears its callow head.

Relax guy, the event sounds pretty interesting so how's about creating the impression that its not a fun vacuum.

 

[ICUH8N]

Are we allowed to bring cans?
What was James's opinion on public intoxication/the consumption of spirituous liquors? Was he fond of taking the occasional drink? A Pint of Plain, Perhaps?
Will there be a "The Connolly Moustache, signifier of heightened revolutionary consciousness, or indicator of Leather-Daddy proclivities" workshop?
A seminar on how to be less po-faced without betraying the proletariat?
"Lockout or lockin, secretive political meetings in the era of extended pub opening hours" - a roundtable discussion.

 

[oh shit]

who is this james connolly? he looks english

 

[JohnnyRaz]

who is this james connolly? he looks english

he worked in the GPO. until the brits shot him for having a moustache like kitchener.
bastards

 

[jackwhite]

Well exactly.

I was going out with someone a few years ago who knew I was interested in politics. Well he wasn't the slightest bit interested in politics himself but was anxious to make a good impression with me so the poor guy sat in on Monday night watching Questions and Answers.... probably bored him to death.

Next day he tries to talk to me about politics based on wathcing Questions and Answers the previous night. I tried not to laugh too much!

The establishment want us to think that politics is about electing boring polticians who all seem to say the same thing to boring halls/ chambers where they make boring speeches. And nothing really changes. If this is what you think politics is then of course its boring!!!

But politics is where people organise together to change their workplace/ college/ school/ community. Nothing boring about the struggle in Rossport by the local community supported by the Solidarity Camp to resist the pipepline that Shell are trying to put through. If you think it is boring come up to the Solidarity gathering on the June bank holiday weekend http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75293 (it will change your mind).

Nothing boring about anti war activism or the recent protest in Baldonnel with four arrests and vicious aggression from the gardaí. Nothing boring about the Colombian trade unionists who risk their lives for organising unions in Coca Cola bottling plants where they work. Nothing boring about pro choice activism in Ireland - my first protest that I went to was broken up with hurley sticks by thugs in youth defence. The Gardaí arrived let all the hurley weilding maniacs go free and arrested a pro choice activist.

Yeah they want us to believe that politics is a bunch of old bald men wearing suits making crap speeches that don't change anything. Truth is that politics is everywhere, and that it belongs to us and not some bogey politicians.

 

[classic seanc]

Edit: nevermind

 

[Buzzo]

Am I a hidiot for asking this.... but would it be fair to get someone with opposing views or objective views on the matters being discussed to speak at these type of things ? Is it unusal to get people in to offer the other side of the arguments (and there's always another side) so that when young political activists do go out spreading the good word they won't feel like fooligans when an articulate opposing view is expressed to them that they aren't armed to deal with? Or so that they won't be completely insensetive to people who are adversely affected by their beliefs/policies?

I dunno. Not sure how these things work. I do love hearing someone reinforce my convictions from a public platform though.