Liffey swim banner drop!

by hs Mon Sep 12, 2005 01:16

You cannot remove culture away from political struggle, if you look at all the countries in recent history who managed to create mass working class parties, culture was always a major part of them. People don't stop existing when they leave the factory or office. In my own experiences iliving in italy, culture is a huge part of the movement. And has always seen to be important, it is an important aspect to building the mass party. The Italian Feasta L'Unita and todays Festa di Liberazione play a huge role in building the party. That is to say nothing of the hundreds of social centres, casi di populi and the mass organistaion ARCI (a leftist cultural organistaion with 1 million members).
It may be a more generalised type of thing and may be more "moralistic" as opposed to "economistic" but it is still an import aspect. Everyday we are being battered with constant capitalist life, today it's almost impossible to see past this hegemony, it's common sense almost. One way to challenge this hegemony is through culture. Obviously this takes a much lesser role to economic struggles but it can still challenge modern capitalist ideology. It may strat with just a party on a street but it may lead to more. Like you say, at least it's a start!

by Anon Sun Sep 11, 2005 23:00

Speaking of atomisation... I always got the feeling that these street parties were just another manifestation of our atomisation, and not much help to tackle it. The "I'm dancing in the street today, causing yet more grid lock, woopee!" method of "protest" tends to rub a lot of people the wrong way. Not just the old guard of the left who dislike dance music, but also the folks stuck in cars who you're saying you're sorta protesting in solidarity with??

I don't see how the street parties can actually do more good than harm for everyone in the city except (a) the participants, and (b) the politicians who like to say "oh look how hip Irish capitalism is! We've even got impromptu street parties!" The Thai government setup a grant scheme for similar activities, for the same aims.

by hs - sp (per cap) Sun Sep 11, 2005 14:49

"4. Is Dublin so lacking in serious causes, rotten corporations and politicians, that tackling "car culture" with occasional street parties is best thing we can do with our free time at this point?"

The question of what you call "car culture" is very much to do with rotten corporation and corrupt politicians, in fact most of the major corruption in ireland was around the rezoning of agriculture land into housing land, rotten corporations in the shape of building
companies and corrupt politicians ( by the fistful.) people like george redmond and liam lawor threw all ideas of modern city palnning aside, not for stupidity, but for brown envelopes and suitcases full of money.
So we are left with a sprawling city with no intergrated transport system and we are left with people from the suburbs and beyond communting for up to three hours a day on top of a full day of work.

This has huge implications for people's health and social life and effects society as people have less time to spend with families and are less inclined to becoming involved with their communities which leads to the further atomisation of irish society. And the alienation and social problems that go with that.

A street party while it will not solve any of these problems may highlight some of them and more importantly bring people together to organise something which challenges the current hegemony and ask questions.

The idea of public space and who or what controls them is a very important question, for my own opinion, private lands should be bought over and given to public companies to build public housing at affordable prices and the building should go with some central planning, thinking towards the mass transportation of people and how they can get out of the suburbs and into the centres.

It is also an issue of class, as the wealthy can afford to drive into the centre and park their cars. Working class even when they have cars cannot afford to pay massive parking charges so are forced onto an inadequate public tranport system which can often add 15 hours unpaid to the working week. And as prices of housing continue to increase the poor will continually be pushed out of sight and mind to the very outskirts of the city.

These are all basic questions of quality of life, class and yes even corruption and politics. Anything that can be done to raise these issues should be. Whether it be through political representation, marches, protests and yes even parties. One does not mean the others can not go ahead. The more the merrier,

My question for you is, has the left in ireland become so conservative that some cannot recognise more than one method of struggle, and has the left like irish society in general become so atomised that some so called "leftists" knee jerk reaction of young people operating outside party strutures to occupy public space is too oppose it?

by dunk Sun Sep 11, 2005 13:04

anon
why not check out the link
given above
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=71888:
Seomra Spraoi collective invites you to a night of play, art, discussion, film, food, disco
fri 23rd sep - night before TAKE BACK THE CITY

and join in the discussions, workshops, events etc there

fair play to take back the city people, seen a lot of posters around the town and a lot of people seem to know about it, are talking about it and looking foreward to the day

theres a serious need for more ownership by communities of their communities, more need for communities to be listened to, less reliance on top down orders, more need for local grassroots organisation and action
links
dublin city stuff (vids, audio, photos) c/o IMC-Éire Kev
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=65045&search_text=red%20archive#comment105233

greening the city @ sheriff street
http://easa.antville.org/stories/960542/#1095226

convergence 7- feedback -
Re-Thinking The City
building healthy communities, inspiring culture, redefining progress
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69638&search_text=convergence

your community garden in dolphins barn
sun 25th sep - day after TAKE BACK THE CITY
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69689&condense_comments=false#comment121044

Dublin City Greenway Cycle - another monthly greenway cycle will happen on
sun 25th sep - day after TAKE BACK THE CITY
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69929&search_text=greenway
direct radio stuff
http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2005/06/5219.php

and while were talking about ownership, control and use of space
you have to include virtual space; internet, radio, communications........
This is the next logical step in democratising media.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=71892&condense_comments=false#comment121117

by Anon Sun Sep 11, 2005 03:26

.

by Anon Sun Sep 11, 2005 03:20

1. What do occasional, secretly organised, free street parties have to do with "taking back the city"?

2. What do these free street parties have to do with the people of the city?

3. What do these free street parties have to do with "sustainable solutions"?

4. Is Dublin so lacking in serious causes, rotten corporations and politicians, that tackling "car culture" with occasional street parties is best thing we can do with our free time at this point?