(For foreigners and video-gaming fans) Here's yet another lesson in British politics. Plane Stupid, a wild group of direct action democrats, stormed through the chicken wire at Stansted in a protest against the needless expansion of airports serving boorish bored bourgeois travellers and the rich businessmen encouraging this "me, myself and I and fl**k everybody else and the planet" generation.
Here's the toxic stuff though. The BBC London, all bitchy at the shortage of champagne and canapes, decided to give a lesson in democracy to its viewers. A Plane Stupid campaigner was sat in front of a target and spat at by a Transport wonk and the BBC's talking head. Not only was the necessity for direct action in a healthy democracy belittled (freedom demands dilligence), but also, the poor boy was set upon with such a barrage of bull-cack as to make me gag.
Mr Wonk says 'follow the democratic path', i.e. wait 4 years for the next crop of politicians, local and national, to tell you they will help you if you vote for them, and then they'll show you the door of their new political office; the exit door! We all know that politicians side with business, business wants travellers, therefore politicians will push for new runways. Right, Boris the- Karloff Johnson?
When the Plane Stupid lad said that the unintentional cancellation of flights that day had saved the earth from several hundred tons of CO2, Mr Wonk replied "One of the people going to Poland, to discuss the next CO2 deal, could not fly today." Oh, the pain. The unstated subplot is that Mr Wonk doesn't give a toss for CO2 anyway. He wants business as usual. But, good rhetoric doesn't rely on truthing, innit?
Both of the 'representatives of the people' were attacking the PS warrior, with the Beeb's talking head taking on quite a tone. They cut off the PS crusader regularly. He stuck his ground, and I'm glad to see that the group can take full frontal attacks from the Man and still keep going. checkitout!
http://www.planestupid.com/
Here's the toxic stuff though. The BBC London, all bitchy at the shortage of champagne and canapes, decided to give a lesson in democracy to its viewers. A Plane Stupid campaigner was sat in front of a target and spat at by a Transport wonk and the BBC's talking head. Not only was the necessity for direct action in a healthy democracy belittled (freedom demands dilligence), but also, the poor boy was set upon with such a barrage of bull-cack as to make me gag.
Mr Wonk says 'follow the democratic path', i.e. wait 4 years for the next crop of politicians, local and national, to tell you they will help you if you vote for them, and then they'll show you the door of their new political office; the exit door! We all know that politicians side with business, business wants travellers, therefore politicians will push for new runways. Right, Boris the- Karloff Johnson?
When the Plane Stupid lad said that the unintentional cancellation of flights that day had saved the earth from several hundred tons of CO2, Mr Wonk replied "One of the people going to Poland, to discuss the next CO2 deal, could not fly today." Oh, the pain. The unstated subplot is that Mr Wonk doesn't give a toss for CO2 anyway. He wants business as usual. But, good rhetoric doesn't rely on truthing, innit?
Both of the 'representatives of the people' were attacking the PS warrior, with the Beeb's talking head taking on quite a tone. They cut off the PS crusader regularly. He stuck his ground, and I'm glad to see that the group can take full frontal attacks from the Man and still keep going. checkitout!
http://www.planestupid.com/
