Continued coverage of the G20 protests seem to have encouraged more support. Protest groups are predicting that their numbers will increase. At the same time, the police are geared up to protect the public from some who will be attending for the sole purpose of crime and violence. Though several of the groups say it will be peaceful, others have stated they will “take action”.
What does it mean when protesters “take action”? What it says to me is that these people will try to be a disruptive force. They feel this is the only way to get government to act. What they have not learned is that the government rarely can be intimidated in this way. Do you really believe that Gordon Brown has not heard all the complaints? Do you think he does not know that people are frustrated? His problem is not that he is not aware of the public’s concerns and troubles. His problem is the inability to come up with a sustainable plan to address all the issues. Perhaps, he does not have the right advisers working for him.
To make better use of their energies, these protesters ought to sit down with each other. Those with similar agendas should come up with ideas on how to address their particular concern. It is not enough to simply parade around with placards and chanting or screaming that you demand action from the government. Government is slow. Help them out by presenting a realistic plan on how to implement “green” programs, how to solve the financial crisis, how to create more jobs, how to help the poorest countries. Have a representative submit those plans to the leaders. Who knows? These representatives might be given a job as a government adviser.
If you don’t trust your MP to hear your concerns and act on them accordingly, don’t vote for them. Better yet, if you have concrete ideas and you think you can do a better job, then run for office. I cannot take a protester intellectually seriously unless they have something to back up all their whining. I am forced to take them physically seriously because they can cause physical harm.
