I think our numbers will be about 10 – yes thats ten.But our action will be the more heroic for confronting a vastly superior enemy in their lair.What we do in life echoes in eternity. Join us 12 noon Windsor and Eton Riverside station.
THE DIE IS CAST – WE SHALL CROSS THE RUBICON
UNLEASH HELL
Ian Bone 
Wil you be there ,say after 6pm? i cnat make it ealier but would like to be part.
Can’t make it -working, besides I might go beserk on a poshi-bashing spree… I thought there was interest from UKUncut or the EAN? Or was I imagining that?
You got 1500 to march on the palace in 1998. It seemed to be the beginning of a movement but was instead pissed away.
A few years later you started going on about anarchism failing because two men and a balloon turned up to protests. Your solution was to try and revive the already failed idea of ‘Bash the Rich’ marches. Of the 300 who turned up only 75 actually went on the march and were herded through the streets by the police. You claimed it was a beginning and then fuck all was done afterwards making the whole thing seem pointless and pissing away any support that could be built on.
Now you propose 10 people marching on Eton. Why keep useing a failing tactic? Why make yourself look stupid and alienate any potential support? If you are noticed at all you will face headlines about ‘Anarchist nutters targeting school children’. While the rest of the anarchist movement will be getting on with trying something useful you will be busy doing a token action that won’t achieve anything and will show everyone weakness. Considering that there is currently no trust for police, politicians and press, there have been large riots on the streets and anarchist ideas are beginning to be noticed, why do a token action that won’t achieve even if ti’s stated aim and can be used to isolate anarchists as a group of fuckwitt’s who never think their ideas through?
It kind of reminds me of the modern day National Front. They can’t accept that time has moved forward and their big idea of marching doesn’t even work in Bermondsey now. At least they can claim they had AFA and splits effecting them, not just a lack of imagination. The thing is, we all laugh at the National Front for the poor turnouts at their demos (70-80 people) while they harp on about how they are the true voice of fascism and anyone else is weak and a splitter. You do exactly the same thing. The EDL were also mocked for a poor turnout they got when they failed to get to tower hamlets. At least they got more than 10 people and the attempt to rally in Tower Hamlets was not simply a token action.
I’m guessing that you will dismiss this post as theory heavy (like you do to everyone who disagrees with you), missing the point on the importance of Eton and written by a keyboard hero. Yet if this si true I would probably be persuaded to turn up on wednesday. The problem is it’s not. I realise the important of institutions in devloping the ruling class in the UK. I realsie the public schools educate kids to be rulers while the normal schools educate us to be ruled. But I also realsie continuously trying the same tactic of getting a token anarchist mob to march from A to B while fulfilling the medias stereotype of being anarchist bogeyman is just plain fucked. It didn’t work when Class War started, it didn’t work when Movement Against the Monarchy started and it didn’t work when you were trying to sell your book. WHy do you think it will work now? Isn’t it time we had a politics that engaged with peoples everyday lifes rather than token actions that engage with what you think people are going on about?
‘ere! Leave Our Uncle Ian alone, you cheeky bugger! He knows what he’s doing, and so does the International Proletariat! Even token actions have their place, besides, you don’t expect members of Ramp-Age to go steaming into JD Sports at their age do ya!? Besides, the sartorial idiom would be all wrong, and if nothing else it would lack irony, like what you do. Beats Fly-fishing or stamp-collecting any day! G’wan Ian, Burn down Babylon!
Since when the fuck did ripping the heart out of the belly of the beast become a token gesture?
No, do not flatter yourself. This post is not theory heavy, its the usual do nothing crap. Your ‘engagement with everyday life and hard long term work’ results in NOTHING!
For all the baloney about ‘the platform’ or ‘anarcho syndicalism’ they are not resulting in any revolutionary situations, or even any visible meaningful politics at all in the UK (beyond the stale routine social democratic work done by the usual suspects).
Lets see the call for serious long term political work with everyday concerns for what it is – THE BASICS WE SHOULD ALL BE DOING ANYWAY.
If you are not doing them, thats your problem, the rest of us want to go that little bit further too.
As it goes I think that both types of agitation have their place.
Trev I was not claiming my post was ‘theory heavy’, I was saying that it would probably be dismissed as ‘theory heavy’ in the same way most criticisms of action are dismissed as ‘theory heavy’. I reckon there was very little theory in my post, but there was a recognition of reality.
I was trying to point out that the march on Eton, although done for the right reasons, will not only result in nothing but will in fact be counter productive. When you are there on wednesday (and I presume you will be there and are not just some academic criminologist who never goes on actions but likes to think his inconsistent writng is theory) what will be achieved? Will it move anarchist politics forward or be counterproductive? Those two questions should be asked before any action and then asked again afterwards so we don’t keep making the same mistakes. To do anything else is simply fuckwitted and allowing your self to be tied by the idea of action without actually looking at the what you are aiming for.
I was a bit harsh on Bone. He has got the right idea that action is needed to achieve anything and he used to argue for using imaginative action. I remember he once wrote somethng along the lines that you try an action, if it works good, but the cops will get wise. If it doesn’t never mind, you tried. But you have to keep moving, being imaginative and chagning tactics. The first ‘Bash the Rich’ march probably did have propaganda value, but even Class War admit the second one was stopped by cops and turned into a farce. The problem is the same tactic is being rfepeated again and again adn again. Each time it doesn’t work and each time it’s tried it is a step back. It results in putting energy into something that has been proved not to work.
The ‘Movement Against the Monarchy’ is an example of this. It started with a big march and promises this was just the beginning, even bigger marchs were on the way. Then that was it. Everyone went home. Soem people kept going in the movment against the monarchy but because the main ambiton was token demonstrations it failed to get people involved or achieve anything. On the way they had some good ideas and success, such as the Queen Mum stickers. But generally they achieved nothing because they ahd the idea of a token march but never bothered to move beyond this idea or build on support and move ideas forward. THe march on Eton does not even have interested people to start with. What failed in 1985 won’t suddenly work in 2011.
You suggest that Bone is the only person who is actually doing anything in the anarchist movement. If this was true then I’d still say the march on Eton won’t achieve anything but wish him luck. However there is loads more going on and loads of it is imaginative and confrontational actions. Take teh planned eviction for Dale Farm, activists are there trying to help, have moved beyond simply a token action and by there actions are getting noticed and spreading anarchist ideas. All the things the march on Eton doesn’t have, despite it’s good intentions and sound theoretical basis.
“If you are noticed at all you will face headlines about ‘Anarchist nutters targeting school children”.
You’re mistaken about that. If it was a down-the-road school, yes. But it’s Eton, so no. Press coverage would be bound to mention how much the fees are. The Guardian might even say how rich the school is, and something about how they avoid tax.
Go for it.
Maybe next time, though, go to Winchester instead, where if you do something in the middle of the town first, and then march to the school, you’d have more chance of attracting working class people who live locally. Also the route to the school from the town centre goes through the Cathedral close. And who’d say no to that?
Ian you are an inveterate stuntist and I don’t know what it is with you and the tabloids, but go for it.
Another thing that Realist might be unaware of is the attitude of the boys at Eton. They don’t have any respect for age, you know. All working class people of any age are scum, as far as they are concerned. Most of them, even most of the 13-year-olds, are not shy violets, they ‘know how to talk to servants’. Most of them will know the ‘joke’ of pointing to a workman and saying to their mate ‘That’s your dad, that is’. Incubus says that if he went he might start poshi-bashing: they’ll try to provoke that if they get the chance. Their hatred against us is deeper in their bones than the more sporadic hatred many working class people harbour for them. Their whole fucking culture is about keeping us out.
And as for:
“I’m guessing that you will dismiss this post as theory heavy (like you do to everyone who disagrees with you), missing the point on the importance of Eton and written by a keyboard hero. Yet if this si true I would probably be persuaded to turn up on wednesday. The problem is it’s not.”
That’s right twisty, that is. You don’t impress me with none of that stuff! 🙂
You should look at yourself, Realist – your take seems to be in terms of a political faction finding the right tactics and strategy. “It’s time we had a politics that engaged with people’s everday lives”. Politico!!!
I’m more into parts of the proletariat giving it some – and no, that’s not anti-theory, before you say it is!
ok, i know i’m going to get hated on. but one of my brothers goes to eton. we don’t hate you, he was actually quite cute and scared when he went, and some of our best friends go to states, and are working class. what this is, is just fucking prejudice. you’ve generalised 1500 people, and they don’t know how to ‘talk to servants’ but some of them know how to beat the shit out of arseholes like you.
“Most of them will know the ‘joke’ of pointing to a workman and saying to their mate ‘That’s your dad, that is’. ”
I go to Eton, and I don’t know this joke. I’d love it if you fill it in!
I should also point out that not only are the majority of my friends from working class families – my best friend has just three GCSEs – but I could equally be considered to be part of the working class too, spending my summers working in fast food stores to earn the money to go to university in two years. Furthermore, the amount my parents are paying for fees leaves them with a disposable income of half the UK’s mean wage. Which is probably less that you earn. I have never met, or referred to anyone as, a servant. I respect age – I have helped out at old people’s homes on several occasions and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The school avoids some tax, yes – because it is a charity, spending literally millions on bursaries, to enable as many people to go to it as possible, and on sports facilities, which are used more often by local *state schools* than Eton itself (e.g. the Lottery-funded TVAC). Eton does not have as many playing fields are Ian Bone suggests; it has less than half that, as the playing fields he mentions do in fact double up for several sports. Half of the students do not pay the full fee. I have no hatred against any other member of society or class; I recently raised £2000 for charity to help the UK’s homeless. There is no “fucking culture” about keeping you out. I have no idea where you got these ideas from, but if you really want to make your views taken seriously – as, I can assure you, they are not at the moment – please have the common courtesy of not insulting us mindlessly without knowing our attitudes (which appears to be hypocritical – who is it who has the fucking culture of keeping who out again?), and get your facts right before you use them to irrationally campaign against this school. I am genuinely shocked by the gross misconceptions about this school, and am horrified that such ignorance can lead to this seemingly mindless rage. Please explain exactly what I have done that means I need to be the target of political abuse?
M- your parents are stupid, for living Under minimum wage as u say, cause they are desperate to send u to this posh elitist school. Its Hardly Sympathy they deserve from us for condoning this privilege lifestyle while the rest of us rot in our slums. Keep your lame efforts of charity work that plays it’s part in keeping the poor low in society and begging for scraps. I dont give a damn how poor your friends are. That doesn’t show u understand anything at all. Your making this personaly about you when it’s about it’s about elitism. Go to a state school and your opinions may have a point.
Miss Maverick – Show me a slum in the UK, a country which has the best benefits system in Europe. Explain to me how charity work keeps the poor low? Surely a very basic understanding of economics demonstrates that by doing charity work such as that I’m aiding the efficient re-allocation of wealth and thus increasing the overall utility of society? Or perhaps that’s beyond you. My main issue is this: Eton does not represent elitism, it represents meritocracy. And no, of course my views would not make sense if I went to a state school, because they depend on me going to a public school for them to be made… The reason my parents have so little disposable income is because they have seen the benefit of me going to this school. You’re really saying that you’d deny your child the opportunity to do much better in life just because you view the institute they’d be going to as elitist, rather than something that is an almost pure meritocracy – in complete contrast to the state system – which rewards ability and supports those with less ability whilst recognising the thing that you seem unable to recognise (no doubt coming from the views perpetrated by the state sector): that those who are worse at something cannot do as well as someone who is better? This is the nature of a meritocracy. You seem to have missed the idea: elitism is the idea that people with more money, upper class people, get better education. That plenty of people at Eton aren’t in that situation, of having huge amounts of money, defeats that argument. My comment about my social circles was merely to diffuse the idea that there needs be a divide (which is clearly fictional) between Etonians and people who don’t go to the school; certainly, if there is one, it is not generated by the pupils – perhaps your hostility towards us, based upon your misconceptions, is part of the cause, not a symptom of some perceived anti-working-class culture?
Nevermind 10 fucking people.
Ian,fucking thousands rioted against boredom and oppresion in the UK and there weren’t too many people who cottoned onto what the fuck the underclass were sticking 2 fingers too apart from ian bone wordpress.Imagine the limpwristed politics of the left evaporating when the front door comes crashing in.Reality fucking politics comrades,and,as a fellow contributor about Durrutti said,SOLIDARITY.If nobody shows for action against Eton I will never think for a micro second that there isn’t a million that wouldn’t mind squashing those termittes into the floor-it’s just that we are learning to chose our moment.London 2011 was the rehearsal for the full scale Class War That is gonna happen.
in the midst of civil war-there is no time for pontification,only action.
Still time to hand out flyers…
And if you’re in South Yorks this week you might want to show your suport for The Leopard (we could lose the best pub in Donny)…
wednesday at noon?
cant make it i’ll be busy on some scaffolding stressing about whether or not im impressing the boss enough to be seen as worth the pay
considering the whole state vs private school thing, it seems a bit odd to schedule it for a time where kids whove just left scool/college and are working cant make it. ofc if id jetted off to uni id be able to make this.
bitter and confused
from small actions,,?, keep it up Ian
it is what it is, no one has said it will be revolution, and if it plants a seed in peoples mind about privilege and power on that day to the citizens of windsor then its more than anyone else is doing there.
Where could I purchase one of those uniforms? I have to admit that they look damn cool. That uniform is guaranteed to get some serious swagger.going on. Just sayin’.
What’s the US equiv of Eton? Cos this is pretty chilling watching and from BBC News no less….
This has already been proved to be a hoax by the Yes Men. But hey, keep believing that!
It hasn’t been proved a hoax at all. The yes men always claim responsibility for their actions a certain time after they’ve occurred, they’ve flat out denied this being their work. The guy is a genuine trader and has done interviews with Forbes and has been tweeting and blogging since 2008.
And yet I work with people who have used his company and services. Unfortuntely.
‘Swagger’? Don’t you mean ‘Run! Run in the corridors!’…I’d be on the roof with my lover and my Bren gun…
Thanks to Realist for his perspective. However, I don’t agree that it is an outdated tactic, not even sure it is a ‘tactic’. Marching to Eton is a visual presence on the streets and we need that. We are so prevented, and prevent ourselves, from taking part in direct action through embarrasment or fear of the consequences so even ten showing it’s political is better than none. People are often laughed at for stepping outside the strictures of the ‘how things should be done way of life’, think feminists, hippies etc, that doesn’t mean their ideas don’t get through. If the key point, the disgusting inequality that Eton not only represents but perpetuates gets across to ANYONE watching or reading about it later it’s worth it.
That said us anarchists can be seen as lazy bastards when it comes to ‘doing’ things, it’s why Mr/Ms copper could infiltrate his way to the top of the activist tree so easily… As anarchists we should engage with peoples’ everyday lives in a mainstream way (true volunteering and ‘skill-sharing’, talking politics down the pub) AND put on a public spectacle AND get up to impish acts as often as possible. One way doesn’t negate another.
Good luck with the event! Class action. Stepping up to these scum is always a step in the right direction. Solidarity.
Yes, well done… fight people who are more successful than you (and who’s fathers were more successful than yours). That’s the way to solve your problems!
Alternatively, stop complaining and work your backside off like other entrepreneurs and ensure that your family through the future generations become rich like the aristocracy.
“and who’s fathers were more successful than yours”
*whose. What if you fathers made it big investing in the slave trade (or inheriting money from said slave trade). Would that be something you’d be proud of?
“Alternatively, stop complaining and work your backside off like other entrepreneurs and ensure that your family through the future generations become rich like the aristocracy.”
Herpaderp, “self made men”. On a related note you can shove your neocalvinism along with all its flaws where the sun don’t shine.
Don’t get jealous now.
Class War always had its numbskull fraction, and it lives on in spirit. Realist
underestimates the effectiveness of cw back in the day, however the criticism is legitimate. Has there been a campaign on this, patiently building it up, leaflets, stickers, public meetings in the local area, talking to the locals
who have to put up with the snotty little brats, reaching out to other anarchist groups, or groups that may be sympathetic, no, not as far as I know it has simply been publicised on this blog. Action may well be the lifeblood, and many people might like to tear the place down brick by brick, but if you go there in an half assed way with a tiny number of people, then it will be them that you empower because they will be laughing at you. Class anger is commendable, chomping at the bit to have a go at them also, but if what you do has the opposite effect, time to rethink. The “we gotta do something”
attitude has always fucked us up.
fact
take your pathetic protest group, or laughing stock that is now being told around eton. What you do will echoe in eternity…for being fucking funny!
Did Eton teach you to English so good?
Slightly ironic…
Top march today lads, completely ruffled our tails.
Toffyboy
Yep, the volume of posts is compelling evidence to the level of butthurt.
Good protest guys. There must have been, what, 5 or 6 people attending? Really scary for us that was.
In truth I think your protest is typically ill-informed. Surely the problem is that state schools are not good enough, not that private schools are elitist. ‘Elitism’ is the search for excellence, no matter what your background is. That’s why Eton gives loads of bursaries every year to disadvantaged children. This year Eton spent thousands of pounds importing two very bright Palestinian refugees to the school so that they can get the education they wouldn’t otherwise get which will allow them to go to university. How many state schools make that kind of gesture? Not to mention the millions of pounds that Eton shells out for charity as well as letting out its facilities to the disadvantaged.
Ah, you won’t agree with me, but I’m right. Opportunity should be for everyone, but that doesn’t mean we should remove opportunity altogether if that’s not achieveable.
“This year Eton spent thousands of pounds importing two very bright Palestinian refugees to the school so that they can get the education they wouldn’t otherwise get which will allow them to go to university.”
“Importing”. Well given your choice of language you must at least realise that such bright pupils for private schools are commodities for them which affect their desirability and demand. Once you realise that a corollary is that such acts are not out of benevolence but in order to boost profit. I mean does Eton offer scholarships to poor kids with SEN?
“as well as letting out its facilities to the disadvantaged.”
Lol. If this was an act of benevolence they wouldn’t be charging them money…
“but I’m right”
Maybe you have a confirmation bias that needs to be addressed if you believe this.
actually about 40% of etonians are on some kind of financial aid so yes actually they do…
Help! The AMP are being ambushed by Toffs!..
Nice to see the fuckers getting riled up 😉
there’s a difference between n anarchist and a hatred-filled cunt
just saying
well done theo
thanks huggy
First of all, you’re all a bunch of jealous fucks. Secondly, you’ve planned your second protest during our half term. Thirdly, what are you acheiving? Eton won’t ever close down it has been going for nearly 600 years. Fourthly go fuck yourselves. There is no class war.
you guys are retarded and/or very misinformed.
I take my top hat off to you for managing to use up a lot of our precious time by having us correct your short sighted views.
Although I must admit it is refreshing to hear someone express some anger at something, trouble is it is ‘New Labour’ who you should be after.
“I take my top hat off to you for managing to use up a lot of our precious time by having us correct your short sighted views.”
The worst thing [for you, and most amusing thing for us] about you using up all your time to throw a hissy fit and attempt to “correct” our views is that it’s been nowhere near successful and in fact has been entirely counterproductive.
Apologies for a somewhat lengthy status- I would like to respond to a random anarchist who today decided that all people at my school deserve to die.
Mr Bone, if you’re reading this, I’d like to ask you for your sources on the Eton culture [as quoted on your blog, where you suggest “They don’t have any respect for age, you know. All working class people of any age are scum, as far as they are concerned. Most of them, even most of the 13-year-olds, are not shy violets, they ‘know how to talk to servants’”]. I would simply like to say that up to this moment I would have been happy to respect Mr Bone as one older and wiser than myself. Now I’m not so sure.
Mr Bone, why is it that no one like you can use coherent argument in these ravings? I’m tired of being the butt of hatred laden class sound bites just because the obsessive lunatic who wants me guillotined can’t be bothered to think up a logical reason for his own bigotry. I’m all for social justice but how is decapitating me and my friends going to achieve this?
All you have done today, Mr Bone, other than exposing yourself as a lunatic and a would be executioner, is ensure that tomorrow morning many more people will hate me than was the case this morning. And frankly that’s something I can live without. I hope you’re happy.
Anyone who disagrees with this, feel free to respond. I’m happy to argue my case, and I’ll try to show some more respect than Mr Bone has thus far.
now I’m getting really angry… apologies everyone.
Anthropologically and historically speaking, decapitation as a means to social justice has always been a favoured method…
600 years eh? About as long as feudalism. Unfortunately, the RICH SCUM DOGSHIT fail to appreciate that the process of democratising humanity has yet to be completed. Not long now…
“There is no class war.”?- You’ve got to be in it, to win it. -August will follow you, wherever you go…
if youre so good at history you would know that feudalism has been around since 1066 when William the conqueror introduced it.
can i just say that in elections we all get one vote and if so many of the lower classes object to the way things are then why are they still this way? if you want to change things then start a political party and see how many votes you get.
also most of my friends are from the so called ‘lower class’. all etonians respect people for who they are not on their tax bracket.
I think realist has a point.
I also think it is strange that anyone, even an Etonian, cannot see that the public school system is unjust. It helps keeping the elite a relatively small group of friends without outside competition. And this is its main purpose. You Etonians are part of the privilieged elite, like it or not.
How is it elite? Sure it’s expensive but that’s not to keep poor people out. That is to fund the incredible experience it is to attend Eton. And, for those who can’t afford it, there is an extremely generous bursary scheme for those who have the academic ability and the enthusiasm to achieve the best they can. Bursaries range from ten percent to 100%.