Comments on: No Action = No Movement = No Change

By: SeandBlogonaut

SeandBlogonaut — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:57:02 +0000

Hopefully that will change hey?

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:09:22 +0000

The local Archbishop thinks up an idea, pops down to the local newspaper office and scores a headline story with not a dissenting voice to be heard.

An atheist's story is not so easily told – and even if it is published, you can be sure the local Archbishop will automatically receive the right of reply.

By: SeandBlogonaut

SeandBlogonaut — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:09:46 +0000

I seem to recall a doco on the infiltration of certain grass roots environmental groups by big money interests for the purpose of gathering intelligence.

Indeed I think the Rationalists have a trust fund set up to guard their finances against malicious takeovers as well.

By: SeandBlogonaut

SeandBlogonaut — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:06:46 +0000

Yes its a shame but then you have to look at reasons why people might not think that a narrowly defined party is the right way to go.

Even though I am a member I think the better way to go would be lobbying.

By: DaveError

DaveError — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:37:27 +0000

Yea I think this is a shame really. But then again, I am not one to put much faith in political parties for making that much of a change for the better
I do think social awareness and education make a huge difference, and that this expands out into other areas .. with regard the secular party, I suppose from those that actually vote it would be a good thing to support and promote, especially with current strengths of advertising over atheism.
I don't think anythings as simple as it first appears, sometimes we have to stand back and look at the social implications. We get very used to dealing with things flat out on the web, but when talking about social change, barriers are a lot harder to break down and rise so much more quickly. It's a comlicated thing and if we are to get more active specifically on issues that relate to non-believers, holistically looking at our long term and short term strategies is important. What we want to achieve, and how we approach doing it. Pros and cons and we hold nothing back from ourselves in doing so.
Unfortunately tho, there is the very real threat of undermining that happens. I know of examples of private investigators deliberately set up to infiltrate groups and push them in certain ways. Many people are not aware this stuff goes on.

Some do and get too paranoid about it.

Really if the ideas are thought through this type of stuff is made harder to do. When you don't plan around stuff, it can happen right under your nose.

http://slackbastard.anarchobase.com/?p=1420

http://www.theage.com.au/national/investigations/...

I may seem paranoid to some, but this stuff is easy to do, especially for well funded groups, and there is a good history of it occuring here in Australia.

By: rigbyt

rigbyt — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:10:07 +0000

Absolutely brilliant, Davo! Although I had to read it twice to make sure I understood
It does seem odd, don't you think, with all this atheistic fervour, that the political 'umbrella' organisation, the Secular Party, can only get about 525 members, and some of those, when telephoned by the Electoral commission to check they really are members, prevaricated and refused to commit themselves, so it is possible the Party wont even be able to take part inthe next general election.

By: Davo

Davo — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:55:26 +0000

re: "Case in point – Monty Miller " I forgot to comment on that twice now

Indeed I do know a lot about Monty, specifically in the involvement of the IWW (wobblies) of which quite a number of friends of mine are members, he then later became a Marxist (sigh). I myself are a member of the ASF-IWA (Australian section of the International Workers Association)
It's interesting that Monty has been picked up in respects free thought and good that he is remembered. His labour activism was an important aspect that should not be forgotten nor lost in other aspects of his thoughts, in fact his socialism was a defining aspect of his life.

By: Davo

Davo — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:29 +0000

Yea for sure, many are super keen, we should really work out exactly how we are going to head and the pros and cons as a basis. I see face to face talk at the convention really contributing to this grounding!

By: SeandBlogonaut

SeandBlogonaut — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:42:25 +0000

Davo,

Send me the long email when you have a spare minute . I suppose what I am looking for, was hoping for out of the convention was a discussion of the kind you would prefer to see above and some action/direction that we might take as an alliance of various atheist/freethought groups.

By: SeandBlogonaut

SeandBlogonaut — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:39:24 +0000

Sounds very promising