Just remember this before you criticise "Protestors"

Who would you say was the best Prime Minister of the last 50 years? I suspect that if you are a Tory, you'd say Margaret Thatcher. Just suppose Lady T had been born 100 years before, would she have done so well in her chosen career? The answer to that is NO. The reason? Women didn't have the vote. Why did this change? Because of the Suffragette movement. My sadly missed cousin & film director Midge MacKenzie made a documentary series about these inspirational women which was shown on the BBC in the 1970's called Shoulder to Shoulder. At the time, the suffragettes were dismissed rather harshly in the same tones as the G20 protestors. Who was right?

Let me ask you a different question. Do you think that Ireland (the south, not the north) should be under British rule? I don't think we'd find too many takers for yes these days. My cousin, Kevin Barry would be 107 if he was still alive today. The British Government executed him when he was 18 years old for his part in the struggle to free Ireland. He's fondly remembered by the family and by millions of Irish across the world.


Was Kevin right to oppose the British Occupation? I'd say that most people these days would agree that he was.

What about the US involvement in Vietnam? Were the anti war protestors right to campaign against the awful US policy. Here's a clip of Country Joe MacDonald singing his famous anti war song "The Fish Cheer" at Woodstock. I don't know how often a bloke on his own with a guitar had such a seminal effect, but every time I watch this clip it sends shivers down my spine. Joe MacDonald had served with the US army in Korea, so he knew. This song is, in my humble opinion, the greatest ever protest song.



Lets look a bit closer to home, in Barnet. Several leading members of Barnet Council are "out" Homosexuals. In this day and age that is fine, they are chosen on their merits and righly their sexuality is not an issue for the voters. Rather like Margaret Thatcher, had they been born 100 years earlier, they would have had a rather different life. They would have been faced with the choice of living a secret life or facing jail. Why has the situation changed? Because of protest groups such as Stonewall. It is worth remembering that it was only in the 1980's that Peter Tatchell lost a safe Labour seat, purely because he was gay. How many people in 2009 think that Homosexuality should be illegal? Why has it changed? Because of protestors.

I saw a comment from some Barnet politician, who's name escapes me right now, that the majority of right thinking people were repelled by the G20 protestors. Time will tell as to who is right about this one. I've no idea what a right thinking person is, but by I suspect that by the definition he uses, it is probably someone who events prove to be wrong. I'm rather happy to be a wrong thinking person !

G20 - I just cant be angry today

It's fair to say that the protests against G20 have been rather muted. Given the chaos in the financial markets, this may seem rather strange. Even my most militant friends are struggling to get worked into a frenzy. I was discussing this yesterday and I've come to the conclusion that with Bush and Blair gone, it is just so much harder to get worked up. People are so relieved to see the back of the undynamic duo, that they just haven't got the energy for a good riot. The consensus is that Obama is a breath of fresh air and he might make things a bit better. As such it's a bit pointless going out to complain. I'm not saying that the many groups out making their point were wrong, far from it, but it does seem to me that at the moment people don't have the energy to protest at these leaders.

Perhaps the most interesting contrast was with the recent community meetings to discuss Barnet Council's warden cuts. There is certainly energy here for a fight. At the recent meeting, I bumped into a friends dad. Bill now lives in one of the sheltered homes. He explained the work of wardens. Bill is angry, the other residents are angry. Whatever conclusions you may draw from the muted G20 protests, don't be fooled into thinking that people won't come out when they are enraged. I think it's something to do with the British Psyche. We only get cross when there is something to get cross about. Whilst we are prepared to give Obama a chance, we will fight the injustice of warden cuts like tigers !