What defines a polticial action?
A N Interested Person | 31.10.2001 10:20
As part of a forthcoming series of talks and workshops on protest I am trying to find out what people think 'a political action' to mean.
It's a broad term and I've got this theory that 'a political action' is political when someone defines it as political. So, for example, a lot of anti-veal campaigners didn't define their struggle as political. Anti-Huntingdon Life Science activists however, have often defined their actions as political. In one way there is no difference - they both have the effect of highlighting a campaign to the public and bring greater knowledge of animal suffering. Yet, on the other hand they are different because of the way that these different groups choose to define themselves.
Anyway, before I disappear into a hole of my own making, I'll stop. Does anyone out there have any suggestions to make to this?
It's a broad term and I've got this theory that 'a political action' is political when someone defines it as political. So, for example, a lot of anti-veal campaigners didn't define their struggle as political. Anti-Huntingdon Life Science activists however, have often defined their actions as political. In one way there is no difference - they both have the effect of highlighting a campaign to the public and bring greater knowledge of animal suffering. Yet, on the other hand they are different because of the way that these different groups choose to define themselves.
Anyway, before I disappear into a hole of my own making, I'll stop. Does anyone out there have any suggestions to make to this?
A N Interested Person
Comments
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everything's political
31.10.2001 13:52
Ben Drake
e-mail:
ben.drake@york.gov.uk
Political action
31.10.2001 16:41
In my humble opinion, a political action is an event or activity that aims to influence the structures of power. Hence, political actions need not be aimed exclusively at the government. A great deal of "anti-capitalist" direct action is aimed at private corporations, since this is where much of the real power lies.
Animal rights protests do fall into this category, since they aim at changes in legislation (whether or not these are explicit demands of a particular protest). Anti-capitalist carnivals and festivals also fall into this category (such as Reclaim the Streets parties), even though they may appear to be recreational in nature.
A great deal of "criminal" activity (be it shoplifting, fare-dodging or vandalism) is also political in nature, because it seeks to challenge the dominance of a commodity-based society. "Crime" and politics are in fact two sides of the same coin. Hence, Hannah Arendt wrote: "whatever political organisation men may have achieved has its origin in crime".
Even where criminal activity may not be consciously defined by the perpatrator (or the police) as "political", crime has an implicitly political impact upon social relations (as any Home Secretary will tell you). In fact, there is very little in a capitalist society that isn't political! Isn't that part of the problem?
Danny
what is a politiacal action,a good question
31.10.2001 20:48
We should not confuse political action with intellectual action.If you want to advance your intersets then you are involved in a politiac action.
Kazum
Cheers
01.11.2001 11:10
It's a really broad question so thanks for putting your minds into it.
Dan
Dan Anchorman