Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA18167 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 14 Sep 2000 13:24:47 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745A13@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: the fuel crisis meme Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 13:22:12 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi everyone,
I've been checking various online newspapers today to see how much coverage
of the British fuel crisis there is , and also, how extensive protests have
been around the rest of the world.
The French started it, of course, with their blockades of channel ports,
and subsequent blockades of refineries. Almost within minutes (or so it
seemed) of journalists, politicians and the public in the UK complaining
about the French and their dreadful methods of protesting, similar protests
began here as well (after the French efforts got some governmental rewards).
In checking coverage elsewhere in the world, the presentation of events
seems pretty accurate: a government and PM angry at people protesting (Blair
seems to think it's somehow undemocratic for the public to protest- a bit
like Lieberman and Gore complaining about the US media recently, in the the
UK case a (nominal) socialist telling people to do what they're told, and in
the US, democrats trying to censor the media), and a general public very
sympathetic to the protestors despite the problems caused by fuel supplies
running dry.
What's this got to do with memetics?
Well there have already been some similar protests in other countries e.g.
Belgium, Holland, Germany, and in both Israel and Argentina (acc. to the
Jerusalem Post and Buenos Aires Herald respectively) possible action in
those countries as well. In Israel, for example, fuel prices are hitting
the airlines who are raising flight prices, which hauliers are complaining
about.
Some speculation in the UK has begun about how such nationwide protest could
have occured outside of traditional routes, such as pressure group or union
action, with notions that new technologies- internet, e-mail & mobile
phones, have played a part in co-ordinating efforts (despite the recent
failure of a pump boycott in the UK, a la the US, which was also mainly
trailed via the new media).
What I'm wondering is what's been going on here, from a memetic point of
view? Is it a case of Brits seeing French people protesting and getting
somewhere with their government, and thus deciding to do the same? But the
French protest about something every summer, and block the channel ports
every summer (most often the farmers, but also hauliers, fishermen etc. etc.
etc.), so why this year has their style of protest found itself being copied
in the UK extensively, and to a lesser extent (so far) elsewhere?
Vincent
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