Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

We've been over this before a bit, but anyway.

Many bits of direct action - and indeed entire campaigns - turn out to be a waste of time in themselves. The problem is, when you set out, you can't really tell how possible the changes are. Additionally, there's the fact that future successful campaigns will draw from the lessons of earlier failed ones.

You don't only fight if you're certain of winning, you fight because there's things worth fighting for.

Would you really only advocate direct action if it had a guarantee of success, no matter what the injustice?

No one piece of direct action, in and of itself, forces change. But as part of a number of actions and other measures, it does.

For one morning's work by one person, what Deen did had a huge impact. It added to the prominence of aviation and the third runway as controversial topics in the public mind. It had prominent mention of Mandelson's unelected Cabinet status, adding to the illegitimacy of his and Cabinet's decisions in the public mind.

Will it stop the third runway or change the make-up of power in itself? No.

But, as when you previously pointed out that once action is over things go back to normal and 'nothing has changed. NOTHING', I ask you; which individual restaurant sit-in or bus occupation forced the victory of the Civil Rights movement in America? Which individual letter to an MP or smashed window forced women to get the vote in Britain? Which individual signature on a petition, demo outside a town hall or unpaid bill overthrew the poll tax (and Thatcher with it)?

Right now the wind is blowing outside. No one leaf is loud enough to be heard from hear, but when the whole tree's being blown...