In praise of the students and those brave enough to protest.

Let's congratulate the students and all those out there brave enough to protest against the cuts, and the OK Magazine /Celebrity culture garbage, that many of us felt may have resulted in leaving us all comatose in recent years.

It is great to see yesterday the students protesting and writing things such as 'Revolution' on the walls in Whitehall. Yes the 'Evening Standard' and the rest of the mainstream media will protest against the 'violence' and 'destruction', whilst ignoring the 'violence' and 'destruction' caused by the Tories and Liberal Democrats on our society over the last few months. Still it is ok, from the media's perspective, for the rich to get their bonuses, and carry on the privileged lives regardless of the impact of the government's policies on ordinary people.

Hasn't the negative publicity against protest always been this way? The Elite / Ruling Class /Whatever they are, need to ensure the majority remain on the 'right' side of the barricades. (Well at least from the perspective of the Lab, LibDem Con's who basically all agree 'which side they are all on'.) For those old enough (Doesn't it seem like yesterday?) let us not forget the Miners' Strike-the mid 80's- when ordinary people, dared, the last time to crawl out of their shells and dare put their heads above the parapet. Again the media focused on the 'violence' and the 'extremists', and did not give a damn about the impact of pit closures on ordinary communities. The latter was true violence, and those communities have paid for it ever since-through no fault of their own.

In regard to the students, I hope they will make the connections between their 'grants' campaign and wider inequalities in society-particularly those inequalities, which are being actively encouraged by Cameron et al.

Cameron announced today that he wants government to measure how 'happy' we all are. It is only 'a shame' his and Clegg's government makes us so miserable-particularly if you frequent the lower echelons of society.

The Tories have not changed. They are ideologically committed to cuts-irrespective of how the economy is performing. The deficit caused by the banking crisis was just the excuse they needed to implement the Shock Doctrine much loved by the neo -Liberals whether in the Tory party or the 'liberal' economic wing of the Liberal Democrats (Clegg et al).

Still the words of the Tory peer-'elect'-Howard Flight today, provides much amusement- don't ya just love him! It is great to see them vocalise their true feelings- for those that missed it- he argued that cutting child benefit for the wealthy will deter them from 'breeding' whereas child benefit for the poor will only encourage them to 'breed' more! Who said there is now a 'class less' society when the Tories come out with stuff like that! Of course he was 'profoundly sorry' (once Cameron's minders got to him!)Always great when the wealthy let their guard slip and say stuff like that-Priceless!!

It is great to see ordinary people in Ireland, Portugal and Greece saying 'no' to cuts, the various international institutions (such as the IMF /EU etc.), and their own governments. (Shame however on the Irish Greens-just in case we thought it was just the lib dems who copped out in the lust for power! Well there are some doing it on our own side too! Green's attracted by sharp suits-God forbid!).

Great to see the increasing anger of our own people here too in the UK. As an active trade unionist, I am hoping for a big turn out against the cuts for the TUC demo. at the end of March.

It is however awful that we have to get to this point before people make the connections. When I hear of people fearing, and loosing their jobs, their homes, everything they have worked for; seeing the protests does not feel so great. Ordinary people should not have to suffer anywhere near that before they get up and protest.

I guess it is easy for the 'privileged' like myself to advocate for change, harder for those to be drawn to protest because their backs are to the wall and they see no other alternative.

A friend mildly criticised another for focusing on concerns about the rise in methane levels, stating we should focus on the bigger issues. I guess in reality the rise in methane is really a big, big issue, although the media, and the majority of us choose to ignore it, and see it as relatively unimportant for example compared to loosing your job or having to pay for a pension or a grant, when previously these benefits from society were deemed as 'free' and /or taken for granted.

Global warming=no future etc. if we did but know it.

However, the majority loosing their grants, loosing their jobs, loosing their homes here in the UK may not make the connection or realise the importance of so called 'Green Issues'. Lest we forget the effects of global warming are an every day reality for people for example in Bangladesh or Pakistan, and that does result in those people loosing homes, jobs, families,livelihoods etc. However people here in the UK do not see the IMMEDIATE impact of climate change(yet anyway).

As Greens we do have to focus on the stuff which is having an immediate impact on people here; to try and make the connections of the issues in the 'headlines' with the issues less in the public's consciousness; which are just, if not more important.

Radical change in our own society, as well as elsewhere, will not necessarily guarantee a Green society and one which will ensure a sustainable future for our earth. We do however have to make the links between 'Capitalism' (and indeed 'Socialism'-we cannot let Pol Pot, Stalin and Chairman Mao off the hook!),and the destruction of our planet. Continued consumption and economic growth, whether in a capitalist or socialist based society will necessitate the need to consume the earth's finite resources, which leads to environmental destruction, global warming etc. The failure to realise that, however society is organised, will lead to our extinction and our earth's destruction.

It is essential we provide a voice, and a clearly stated progressive and radical one about the key issues of today. This is particularly the case if ordinary people are to see us as an viable alternative-otherwise they will give up and return to planet Catatonia. At the very best they will return once more to Labour as the only solution-and we all know they are a complete waste of space from the limited effect they had in bringing about true change in their 13 wasted years in power.

We must state clear and genuine support for social movements whether that is fighting cuts, supporting students so they can have a decent, free education. We must make the linkages of those causes to wider inequality; the impact of how this society is currently organised; the impact of how we live on our earth. In doing so, we have some chance to raise Green issues, and bring in the various linkages to day to day problems ordinary people face, and hopefully in turn raise consciousness to the wider agenda which may, you never know, just may give us some chance of a future. (We must remain optimistic that our current analysis of the state of the planet is wrong-however unlikely that may be!)

Alas, as many of us feel, it may now be too late...but even if it is, at least we went down fighting, and did not consciously contribute to the problems we face. The more I read and the more I see, I conclude the Green alternative is the only valid way if there is to be any chance of a future. I only wish me and others had realised this 20 years ago.