USgal has obviously had some time to think, for her second question of the night is -- our alliance with the neighbouring squatters on our housing estate and what that means to us. From what we have experienced so far, there has been little networking or support that is forthcoming.
We've made a few doubting remarks about an advert on our noticeboard, regarding a squatters network and whether something like this really exists. The very fact the squatters on our doorstep cannot get organised with aid for their fellow newcomers, and yet squatters beyond us feel they are capable of organising a network throng, how is that even possible?
They must be dreamers, we think, to believe they can possibly help local people being evicted from their businesses or residents being thrown out of their homes thanks to the global credit crunch. How can they think out of the box, when they can't even help newbies on their own patch?
Talking of that patch : when the evictions do begin to roll in on our housing estate, and the neighbouring squatters are kicked out one by one, what do we do, as neighbours? Do we stand by them? Do we barricade ourselves in their homes and make a united stand against the police? Do we risk arrest for our compatriots?
Is there an order of priority as to who we stand up for -- the oldest squat gets our total support whereas a younger, ie week-old squat gets little defence? Is there an unspoken equality/unity amongst squatters, or only equality/unity towards those who opened the squats? (another hierarchy lot of thought)
And if we aren't ready to risk our arrestability for someone else, for whatever household or personal reasons, what then? When it comes to our turn, are we alone?
All of these questions, and possibly more.
We shall have to wait for those days to come for the answers. Which could be any day now. Even tomorrow.
