Where do old ranters go to rant?

RAMP-AGE. PENSIONER POWER

From Freedom News UK

This is something I’ve been pondering a lot over the past year or two. As those of us whose political activism started in the 60s and has carried on until now, us older rebels are beginning to realise there’s little available where we can still ponder and have a good stimulating conversation with others the same age who still fancy overthrowing the state and fucking up capitalism. Physical ailments, frailties, mobility issues prevent us from getting out there on the livelier protests – apart from that we’d be in the way and be an ideal target for cops when the younger more agile comrades have managed to leg it. Then of course there’s the transport – my own main station into London is Norwood Junction: a very busy station that has no access for anyone in a wheelchair. Bollox innit.

So what do we do? I’m talking from experience – I’m in my 70s and full time carer for partner Ian who has advanced Parkinsons. I’ve been looking round Croydon at various day centres for Ian. I thought it might be an option for an occasional break for him, and a break from caring 24/7 for me. Plus these centres have on duty nursing care available should assistance be required with any of the undignified personal bodily functions that come with getting older. But the options are shit: the majority of the places offering day centre places are for dementia sufferers and those that aren’t seem to get treated like they got it anyway. The staff speak to the old ‘uns like we’re 5 years old, in these pitying little voices. “How are you today Poppet” “ooh don’t you look pretty today” etc. Crap below mediocre “entertainers” with Michael Fabricant wigs come to try to jolly everyone along with shit sexist jokes, a stupid puppet and singing along to songs that were popular two decades before these people were even born. There’s also such an assumption that because we’re old we’ve lost any interest in what’s going on, apart from of course assuming we’re all royalists and stick us in chairs with those crocheted square blankets and a little Union Jack flag to wave at the TV at any monarchist event. Cos old people love the Royals don’t they.

Something needs to be put in place for us current and future old rebels and I’m wondering how this would work in the UK. There’s this whole lot of us ageing anarchos with nowhere to fit in. Catching up soon will be the anarcho punks from the 1970s who will have as much luck settling into the present older care system as a fox at a hunt ball. And then everyone else following decade by decade.

My current thoughts are that there could be “Hubs” around led by people with sound politics and able to co-ordinate the personal care/mobility issues, arrange transport etc. Groups where discussions on political issues can take place, maybe films, a bit of reminiscence sharing about our best riots/ protests etc. And of course visits to the pub. Maybe even form groups where we go on the offensive with a “don’t mess with us you patronising wankers” message.

Present day care homes are also a major worry. When you’re too frail, unwell, or disabled to live independently, what is the option? Currently care homes have the same patronising attitude to older people as day centres but ten times worse as you’re stuck there 24/7. “Time for your bed/shower/now dear. The Mayor is coming to visit tomorrow and we want to look our best for him don’t we”. Well actually, no we fucking don’t.

There are a few ageing anarchists who have just given up trying to engage politically and have just chosen to isolate at home and withdraw, feeling like they’re “no use” any more and their views are worthless to the younger lot. Not in a self pitying way, but there is a tendency amongst some junior anarchists that we older lot don’t know what the fuck we’re talking about cos we’re not out there breaking into squats or living the perfect vision of an activist lifestyle, but mainly cos we’re old.

Other cultures and other countries have a much more integrated generational mix, where older people aren’t cast aside as useless old nuisances who know fuck all but are respected as elders.

Something’s got to change, but it’s got to come from us and not the ageist ideas borne from capitalism, and I think the younger anarchists need to start building on this if we can ever achieve a society based on mutual aid and looking out for our own. After all, one day they’ll be old too and unless things change they won’t be happy with what’s on offer.

Jane Nicholl


Image: Rick The Draft Dodger

There are 6 Comments

Anews!

i’m still young, but i’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. anarchist care as we’re aging and sick forces so many artifacts of our current world to change (couple form, jobs/retirement, healthcare, beauty, etc) and it’s scary getting older knowing there isn’t something i value and trust waiting ahead. i want to depend on my friends and chosen family, but they’re so taxed by capitalist structures and forced into such narrow areas of life it’s hard to imagine. i’m seeing a lot more anarchists in their 30s now than i remember seeing when i was younger, and exploring how we can continue to avoid “aging out” of an ideaology like this has a lot of merit.

There were plenty of anarchists in their 30s and 40s when I was younger. The subculture trend of anarchism just erases that labor but the strategies and tactics you inherited came from somewhere.

Chosen family is precious but doesn't always stand up under pressure. Balance personal growth and pursuit with support of chosen and biological family.

Many anarchists rely on traditional family structures as they age in ways that are hard to see when you're young

To the person above mumbling about drastic exits, tell me you've never been around end of life, without telling me that. As you age the time you have left becomes more precious

Age is just a state of mind, calenders mean nothing. Look at Buzz Aldrin, married a lady 40 years younger, he's still walking on the moon inside his head, brilliant. But look at Elon Musk, he is old in his head.

"I'm seeing a lot more anarchists in their 30s now than i remember seeing when i was younger,"
Yes, anarchism is becoming more mainstream now, however, it is important to remember that this is merely the idea, it is thrown around alot, post-liberal with its Idpol equality agenda is supplanting neo-liberalism's older class structures and leaning heavily on progressive democratic leftist doctrine for what was once called the bourgeoisie. But in practice it is still beneath this fashionable veneer the same old middleclass values and materialism. Its becoming a fashionable political topic around the wine bars, but the poverty still exists moreso than ever.

I'm oooooold, turn age 66 soon.

Can lift over 100 lbs., do 5 hours of hard labor in a day, and 30 hours of physical work in a week. Healed abnormally fast from 2 shoulder surgeries (physical therapy document: "miraculous and exceeding any expectations"), the 2nd while living in my truck in the dead of winter, abnormally strong immune system.

Which only goes to show: only abnormal people do LSD, and then abnormal things happen to them. A lifetime of physical work outdoors (landscape contractor) and healthy diet have also helped.

"Retiring" this year to create a self-sufficient backwoods homestead/sanctuary in Appalachia, my ancestral home. Where lots of physical work outdoors will continue to retard my aging. Also the forests aren't all burning there.

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