Keep them busy and poor

[marnanel]

There was a protest against austerity in Piccadilly Gardens, in the centre of Manchester, last year. A friend of mine was on a bus and heard someone say, “I wish these people didn’t keep protesting all the time, I need to get to work!”

Keep them busy and poor, and they won’t have time to think about revolution.

When I was a small kid, I was always hearing about politically active students. But that was when students routinely got grants, and before college tuition fees. Most students didn’t have to work. Now I don’t know any students with spare time to speak of.

Keep them busy and poor, and they won’t have time to think about revolution.

Every time the railway workers go on strike, I hear people saying “I get paid less than them for longer hours. They’re so selfish, asking for better conditions.” They never seem to figure out the cause and effect, but they’re too desperate to keep their jobs to even think about strike action.

Keep them busy and poor, and they won’t have time to think about revolution.

Comments

[pofflewomp]

Also, keep us living in fear and we'll be too close to breaking point to take action.
I for one have had to avoid almost all news and politics because I'm in such a precarious position I just get overwhelmed with fear or horror. (I've been in the same or worse position most of my life, but they seem to keep moving the goalposts/stripping away rights and safety nets while removing any tiny loopholes of opportunity left, so it feels more threatening now than ever.)