What is "the current system" ? What is this thing you want to "make a dent in" ? how does it work ? If you could define what those are, maybe you'd have a better idea of what you want to do.

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In answer to the original question - No you are achieving nothing. The left of centre political movements in europe and elsewhere and never achieved anything because the pattern of involvement is always the same.

Young person decides something is an injustice. Because he or she is young and easily lead they don't think through effective ways to change the unjustice but prefer "direct action" or "demands". This period coincides with left of centre political views because the individual is at a "take" period in theior lives, ie grants, education, benefits etc
This is a bit of fun for a few years but after a while one of three things happen.

1)
Said person matures, forms stable relationship and realsies that society works the way it does for very good reasons and that although injustice does exist there are better more subtle ways to address it. Their political views move to the right as the person becomes a "provider" is family, employment, tax payer etc

2) Said indivudual never fully matures and contines to follow the path of their youth, there comes a point in the late twenties / early thirties where the habit is now so strong they continue with the immature viewpoint for life.

3) Said person recognises the futility of the path if youth but has publicly commited to it for political reasons. In private they live the mature life but in public pretend to follow a radical path. Known as "doing a Galloway"

You are young, much of the world may well seem unfair - you're right it is. standing in Trafalger Sq with a banner won't change it. Working in your own community using persuasion and reasoned argument will.
Welcome to the real world.

Dear Dave,

thanks for playing the part of token patronising old fart, it saves me bothering

However, your assumption that direct action acheives nothing, and that standing around organising bring and buy sales is the safe way to sort all situations is just wrong.
Sure, demonstrating (unless really en-masse) is not immediately nationally effective (it /is/ on a local level though) - as getting the TV/press involved rather than shoving Eastenders down the throat of the compliant masses is difficult nowadays and most of the national daily papers in this country gave up on journalism a long time ago.

but even so, direct action can work.
If you think it doesnt then try telling that to Greenpeace,the zapatistas,the romaininans, the yugoslavians,Fidel Castro ! , Lech Walesa and solidarity, Watt Tyler!, the americans at the "Boston Tea party", the french during the revolution or any other situation where members of the public chose to not accept the status quo and do it their way.

Rational discussion did NOT deter Tony Blair from leading my country into an illegal war.
Direct action didnt either, but then the action wasnt that extreme (peaceful marching) and cabinet ministers arguing against it and resigning or members of the UN arguing against it didnt alter it either. Perhaps if real direct action (en masse) had occurred then the outcome /may/ have been different (no method is ideal).

Taking part in the anti-bush demos last year did not stop him coming to the UK, but no-one could fail to see the country's objection to him - even though, again, the press were remarkably quiet on the subject. I do know that we severely hampered the events that were supposed to take place and that the government COULD NOT FAIL to be aware of the public's viewpoint - lets fact it, if you were arguing against our government jumping into bed with that idiot - they werent listening to you. - We gave them no choice but to listen. They are supposed to be OUR government , representing US (rather than U.S. ) - when that happens then to sit in your arm chair banging on about how innefectual actually doing anything is, then you're more of a saddo than you appear.

>In answer to the original question - No you are achieving nothing. The left of centre >political movements in europe and elsewhere and never achieved anything because the >pattern of involvement is always the same.

Er, much of europes governments are "left of center".


I'll skip your 3 methods to maturity, suffice to say, I voted tory right up until my early 30's until I woke up and saw how rotten the whole system had become (nope, i wont vote labour or libdem either) - but that probably doesnt fit into your perceived viewpoint.

>You are young, much of the world may well seem unfair - you're right it is. standing in >Trafalger Sq with a banner won't change it. Working in your own community using >persuasion and reasoned argument will.

Er, people have been using persuasion and reasoned argument for years and the world is STILL in a shit state. Perhaps its time we all did something a little differently.
Just because people get old, cynical and out of puff does not excuse us from doing nothing.

>Welcome to the real world.

Yep. I suggest you put your glasses on and have a fresh look around.
Although Having seen some of your other posts, i think you're just a troll anyway.

If you want to see somewhere where our current tactics have and still are working, just take a look at the animal rights movement. A hell of a lot has been achieved by demo's and direct action. I won't give any specific examples, but you just need to look at the Shac campaign or CIWF's campaigning or VIVA's campaiging against many different areas.

Stick with it, it does work. You just need to focus your aims and decide what it is you actually want to achieve.