Billy Bragg visits Nottingham Uni occupation
Published:
December 03, 2010 15:18
by Anarchist Occupier |
Neighbourhoods: nottingham university
Published by group:
Anarchist Federation, Nottinghamshire
Singer songwriter Billy Bragg visited the ongoing occupation at the University Nottingham the day after his gig at Rock City. He had also visited Nottingham Prison to see the results of his project to make guitars available to inmates. He arrived just as the 1pm daily meeting of the occupation was starting.
Billy Bragg speech in the occupied Great Hall at University of Nottingham on 3rd December 2010
Inside the Great Hall surrounded by a seated audience of well over a hundred people he spoke passionately for the present action and against cynicism. He was full of admiration for the students' struggles over the past weeks and described students as being the 'front line' now and was positive about the events at Millbank. He stressed that the 1980s when he played miners' support gigs with Red Wedge were about Cold War ideology when left and right were clearly demarked and that now we are in a post-ideological world. The terms marxist or trotskyist are no longer relevant and hark back to a time of sectarianism that should not be revisited, and that 1968 was last century. He argued for socialism as compassion, not as ideology, although still in terms of a society with a state where we all pay taxes and have pensions, one that ensures we all have access to free healthcare. He talked about what had been lost since the post-war settlement and in particular about the loss of free education.
Billy Bragg may never find the words to say the 'a' word (anarchist) in a positive way and his vision of post-capitalist society may still be one of conventional state-run society with police and with a heavy dose of English 'civic' nationalism (not mentioned on this occasion), but all in all this was a speech full of pride of what has been achieved by students over the last month to get opposition the cuts well and truly going. And the audience treated him with a standing ovation.
Comments
libdem apologist
Published: December 03, 2010 17:21
by
darren redstar
no mention or apology for his past ten years touting for the libdems?
A politically opportunistic scumbag
Published: December 03, 2010 19:22
by
Anarchist
Did Bragg also apologise for the long period he recruited for the Labour Party (that's what Red Wedge was about kids)? Bragg was a Kinnockite during and after the Miners' Strike, and Kinnock shat on the miners. In the 80's Anarchists picketed Bragg's gigs. Nottingham @s should be ashamed for giving this smarmy twat the time of day.
Not fit to lick Woody Guthrie's shoes
Published: December 03, 2010 20:17
by
Bragg is a fraud
Did he have his (reclaimed) England flag with him? What an idiot! If he ever played any benefits for miners they were probably in the UDM!
cruel n unusual punishment
Published: December 03, 2010 21:36
by
Fletch
Hope the poor sods in hmp Notts didnt have to listen too him sing
so he made afew mistakes, his +side far outweighs
Published: December 04, 2010 06:19
by
Chill Pill
any mix ups with scargill,then betrayal by Clegg& Co.
He is on the libertarian side of socialism& his commitment to charter 88& willingness to get on the street prove this.
A few mistakes?!
Published: December 04, 2010 09:13
by
Black n Red
Are you stupid? Theqe is nothing remotely libertarian about millionaire Bragg - He's just schmoozing another generation of would-be punters. The bloke has got by for years on invented faux radical cachet and done very nicely out of guillible would-be radicals and the politically confused. Creating a new ficticious history for himself and making up some new political babble will not alter the fact that he's about as radical as a sausage roll.
FRAUD!
Published: December 04, 2010 09:42
by
DAVEY
BB has never been involved witi any radical protest, he has never had any radical politics, he has never performed any radical act, and he has never been a member of any radical group. EVEN MHEN HE WAS YOUNG! So why would anyone treat him as if he could possibly have anything radical to say?
whoevers perfect lob the first brick
Published: December 04, 2010 19:43
by
Chillpill
so he hasnt been involved in riots,
he has spoken out publicly against the bnp, supporting stopping them on the streets& proportional representation a step forward which would make it harder for nazis& warbarons.
He would no doubt be on the frontline if nazi's ever tried a coup.He has stated publicly he is willing to risk going to prison for not paying his taxes over bankers bonuses.
He isnt not really radical enough for me either I definetely dont support everything he does, but he is definetely a goodguy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17xRTcqhHqU&feature=related
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=417490570190#!/group.php?gid=417490570190
Don't some people just love to hero worship popstars?!
Published: December 04, 2010 22:53
by
This Machine Kills Biscuits
Bragg willing to go to jail?! LOL! What utter bullshit! And (like Clegg) he's in favour of PR?! How fucking rad is that?! Please stop licking this wanker's arse, he's a total clown and always has been.
The Great Strike
Published: December 04, 2010 23:50
by
Don Williams
In the Miners Strike of 1984-85 we could not have been betrayed by the Labour Party hierarchy more than we were. Neil Kinnock in particular was regarded as a class traitor by miners and our supporters. Shortly after the end of the strike (a terrible time for many working-class families) I remember seeing a party political TV brodcast for the Labour Party. Besides smug bastard Kinnock was a smarmy young Billy Bragg trying to shore up their lost credibility. Thatcher stood by her class and achieved a lot for them at our expense. Yet Kinnock and co stabbed the miners in the back. I have never forgiven them for their class treachery, nor have I forgiven their willing accomplice Billy Bragg.
Billy 'I once went on a CND march' Bragg
Published: December 05, 2010 12:45
by
@
My first reaction to this was to be suprisf that people are still being fooled by this con-artist. I met him once and he came across as very 'boy next door', but his politics are shit and he seems to have done very nicely out of a historic radicalism he's actually gou nothing in common with. I'm never sure if he's a crafty grafting fucker or just thick, but it would help if people who ARE more radical stopped apologising for him just because they own one of his records or because he's buttered them up. The facts about Bragg are actually very clear and shouldn't need restating..
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Sumac Center Invite
Please Mr Bragg how about coming over to the Sumac Center for a evening meal and playing us some tunes??
You'll find us at 245 Gladstone Street,Forestfields,Nottingham NG7 6HX
THE kettle will be on!