What's the point of Political Societies?
Just like the IRA ceasefire of the mid-1990s, we knew it wouldn’t last. In recent months the loons at OUCA and OULC headquarters have been keeping their heads down and looning in privacy. Even during the run up to the general election, the battles were strictly on the skirmish level. Perhaps the Tories realised that no force in heaven or earth would bring their dilapidated party to power.
What a shame then, that the two groups decided to break cover with an argument about that most controversial of rhetoricians, George Galloway MP. It seems that gorgeous George, with trademark attention to detail, hadn’t checked what the C in OUCA stood for (Commie?). As soon as he was made aware of his error (and the probability of bad press resulting), Galloway cancelled, with a suitably scathing comment on both the opposing sides.
It was a bravura farce and set me thinking about the nature of party politics in Oxford. In general the students of Oxford are politically apathetic. This week, however, the hardcore hacks of OUCA and OULC have proven once again that they are just plain pathetic. Harsh words were exchanged (‘gimp’ a particular favourite), and the heads of each organisation sat stroking their egos with all the fervour of a pair of masturbating chimps.
Column inches were given over to the story in both this rag and the other, as though it was a surprise that Galloway had changed his usually steadfast mind. Surely this misses the point of OUCA and OULC • glorifi ed drinking societies with nominal political affi liations which in practice only mean that you’re more likely to mingle with ironic/moronic (delete as appropriate) holocaust apologists at one society’s function than the other’s.
Oxford students are prepared to tolerate the party political hacks in their midst as long as they keep their knifi ngs and dubious sexual mores behind closed doors. As soon as the delusions of grandeur kick in (and an open letter is always a sign of ballooning egos) it should be taken as a sign that it’s time for everyone to take a deep breath and get back to basics, i.e • poisoning themselves with booze.
In all the kerfuffl e it was nice to see that one political group wasn’t stooping to get involved: following in the steps of the national party, OULD heroically continued to say nothing, offend no-one, do nothing and be nothing. Thank God we can rely on one constant in Oxford student politics.
10th Nov 2005