Protestors against the Iraq War have taken to moving copies of Tony Blair's insufferable and next to unreadable autobiography from the Politics, Current Affairs or Biography Sections to True Crime, Humour or wherever they is funniest. I have to say it's a really feeble protest.
There are forms of civil disobedience which allow the powerless to speak to power. This is not one of them. It doesn't affect Tony Blair at all. I doubt he has to ask Hatchard's where his book is. It barely affects the publishers. They might send their reps in to check that the book is prominently displayed but beyond that would be quite happy if a few copies 'got lost' and didn't get returned. The management of the big chains don't much care about your protests either. No, the only thing you're doing with your pathetic, pointless little act of resistance is annoying some poor bookseller who has to reshelve the book.
If you want to make an effective protest against the publication of this horrid, horrid book then write to the publishers or to the managers or owners of the bookshops and stop your childish little games. It's pathetic.
There are forms of civil disobedience which allow the powerless to speak to power. This is not one of them. It doesn't affect Tony Blair at all. I doubt he has to ask Hatchard's where his book is. It barely affects the publishers. They might send their reps in to check that the book is prominently displayed but beyond that would be quite happy if a few copies 'got lost' and didn't get returned. The management of the big chains don't much care about your protests either. No, the only thing you're doing with your pathetic, pointless little act of resistance is annoying some poor bookseller who has to reshelve the book.
If you want to make an effective protest against the publication of this horrid, horrid book then write to the publishers or to the managers or owners of the bookshops and stop your childish little games. It's pathetic.
