Things are feeling a bit quiet again with the Occupy movement. While LA is hopefully still dancing up a storm, Dallas is regrouping and being accused of doing nothing/being in the city’s pocket (apparently, there’s a report the Dallas occupation has cost the city of Dallas nothing, and that’s somehow bad?), and London is placidly waiting for their court date next month.

Or are they?

As we here in the United Kingdom know, that people in America might not – tomorrow is set to be the largest public sector strike in a very long time. While the government alternates between threatening the protesters (by not negotiating with them any further on their pensions//withdrawing the meagre offering on the table), to saying it has no merit because only a third of those in the unions were petitioned, to trying to shame them into stopping because it will inconvenience people. Americans have forgotten/been brainwashed against unions; I know that I still catch myself thinking unkindly thoughts, but then? I sometimes think the British unions carry themselves too far in their demands. I admit that could be because of my upbringing, but as said – unions are a good thing at the central idea. It’s all in the balancing game in getting right how much is enough, and how far is holding people hostage.

I don’t think tomorrow will be holding anyone hostage – I think it’s a fair demonstration against an unfair pension deal. I think that a predicted 2.6 million people will be striking is fantastic – that is not an inconsequential number, however the government might try to play it off. And with some experts claiming that the British economy is on the edge of another recession, and the government admitting that the books aren’t going to balance in this Parliament, things don’t look that pretty. At least, compared to the US, the UK has cut military spending? They’re also robbing Peter to pay Paul by cutting into working tax credits to provide nursery slots, causing copious amounts of money to be wasted in trying to force people back to work (I can’t remember the percentage of disabled ‘back to work’ tests that have been overturned, but it was easily in the region of 40-60%+ percent), and scariest to me – spitting out the same creepy-ass rhetoric that has been coming out of the States. Sorry gov – I don’t think the USA is the example to follow right now.

So then, I guess we’ll see how tomorrow’s storm looks. I sincerely hope that the point is made, and isn’t lost to anarchists like in the student riots this year. And the other riots, which could happen again, and I think are likely to if the social safety net continues to be dismantled. Things are pretty bad here, but we only have to look west to see how much worse it could be if people don’t continue to stand up and say ‘Quit it, seriously.’ That goes for all sides of the pond – it’s great to see people care about themselves. Let’s hope that it continues to stay mainly polite in spite of undue police violence, and the smear campaigns everywhere.

Have yourselves a great day, and keep on questioning things and looking for truth!

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