Comments on: protest - your thoughts http://homecookedtheory.com/archives/2004/10/31/protest-your-thoughts/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:48:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Tama http://homecookedtheory.com/archives/2004/10/31/protest-your-thoughts/#comment-68 Tama Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://homecookedtheory.com/?p=63#comment-68 Sort of re:"5. Do you consider that the results of the last election in Australia reflect a lack of protest among Australian citizens, or simply an unwillingness to listen to the protests that did take place?". Having lurked CSAA (but not posted), I did see a few messages that mirrored my own feelings. I actually felt there was more "protest" in my visual field via blogs and protest websites. However, since my perspective is very blogosphere-centred, I suspect I built a disproportionately strong expectation of a left (well, Labor, anyway) victory due to the saturation of anti-Howard sentiment in the blogs and websites I'm familiar with and read often. However, I suspect, now, that I was to some extent building digital blinkers and thus my purposeful disengagement with mainstream (and thus often conservative) news media in favour of a (more left) Australian blogosphere meant I was less prepared for "mainstream" Australia to return Howard with an even larger majority. Since I had, in effect, insulated myself from so much of the mainstream conversatism (in both media and, I guess, people [since as an almost-academic, I do "reside" in what is often called the ivory tower of academia]) I was far more shocked by the return of the American-puppet-king-of-Australia. So, I would argue, I saw more protest but was less aware of the "rest" of non-protesting Australia due to my digital leanings. (I shall, I fear, have to expand my reading to ensure the feelings of shock regarding this election result does not happen again!) Sort of re:”5. Do you consider that the results of the last election in Australia reflect a lack of protest among Australian citizens, or simply an unwillingness to listen to the protests that did take place?”. Having lurked CSAA (but not posted), I did see a few messages that mirrored my own feelings. I actually felt there was more “protest” in my visual field via blogs and protest websites. However, since my perspective is very blogosphere-centred, I suspect I built a disproportionately strong expectation of a left (well, Labor, anyway) victory due to the saturation of anti-Howard sentiment in the blogs and websites I’m familiar with and read often. However, I suspect, now, that I was to some extent building digital blinkers and thus my purposeful disengagement with mainstream (and thus often conservative) news media in favour of a (more left) Australian blogosphere meant I was less prepared for “mainstream” Australia to return Howard with an even larger majority. Since I had, in effect, insulated myself from so much of the mainstream conversatism (in both media and, I guess, people [since as an almost-academic, I do "reside" in what is often called the ivory tower of academia]) I was far more shocked by the return of the American-puppet-king-of-Australia. So, I would argue, I saw more protest but was less aware of the “rest” of non-protesting Australia due to my digital leanings. (I shall, I fear, have to expand my reading to ensure the feelings of shock regarding this election result does not happen again!)

]]> By: mc gregg http://homecookedtheory.com/archives/2004/10/31/protest-your-thoughts/#comment-69 mc gregg Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://homecookedtheory.com/?p=63#comment-69 thanks for this, tama: your point is something i found a little lacking in the forum posts, ie. self-reflection on the part of academics and even students who sometimes seem unable to recognise their place in a very narrow cultural network. i also think blogging and email lists can exacerbate that distance from the average punter. which is simply to say, how many people have the money or time to spend on those activities? anyway i think i'm also finding these questions difficult because they're framed in either/or terms. ie. was it 'a lack of protest among Australian citizens, or simply an unwillingness to listen to the protests that did take place'... i think the majority of voters protested against what we intellectuals deem worthy of protest. then again, when i protested against the war it wasn't because i wanted to convert others, rather it was to send a message to howard. what we all forgot is that his favourite line is "no one told me". thanks for this, tama: your point is something i found a little lacking in the forum posts, ie. self-reflection on the part of academics and even students who sometimes seem unable to recognise their place in a very narrow cultural network. i also think blogging and email lists can exacerbate that distance from the average punter. which is simply to say, how many people have the money or time to spend on those activities?

anyway i think i’m also finding these questions difficult because they’re framed in either/or terms. ie. was it ‘a lack of protest among Australian citizens, or simply an unwillingness to listen to the protests that did take place’… i think the majority of voters protested against what we intellectuals deem worthy of protest.

then again, when i protested against the war it wasn’t because i wanted to convert others, rather it was to send a message to howard. what we all forgot is that his favourite line is “no one told me”.

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