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“Propaganda” is just a pejorative way of describing attempts to persuade people of something you don’t like. Please explain how the actions you list have any c

“Propaganda” is just a pejorative way of describing attempts to persuade people of something you don’t like. Please explain how the actions you list have any chance of successfully promoting anything but already popular ideas. And would it be okay for Fox News or CNN to engage in propaganda, and spend billions of dollars on it, as long as it’s under the guise of journalism? Are judges going to start ruling on what is propaganda and what is news?

specialist 8y ago
So you haven't lobbied? I encourage you to head to your closest legislative body (city hall, county council, state legislature), just to see what they're doing. (In person.) If something's on the agenda that piques your interest, sign-in to speak. Then keep doing it. There's got to be something under discussion that warms your belly. Once you find it: Call any of your reps (city, county, state, federal) and ask for a 5 min appointment. Show up with a one pager summary of your position. Show up, say "Hi!", thank them for their service (even if you don't mean it), hand them your paper, tell them why your issue is important to you. See what happens. Or just figure out when your locals are doing public meetings, town halls, events. Just show up, see what other people are working on. For example, my state reps have a joint monthly beer & hotdog event. Maybe 20-50 people show up (depending on the weather) and talk about whatever. I love just eavesdropping, seeing what people are working on. Then take it to the next level. Find your allies. Get them to support your position. For instance, you could have your local party (whatever flavor) pass resolutions, which you then bring to your reps, to demonstrate support for your position. Policy work is a tough marathon. But anyone can do it. Just hang out, note who gets things done, copy their methods. Camp Wellstone has a road show for activist training, which is fantastic. Many many other orgs do the same. Good luck.
- marcoperaza 8y ago
  That’s all great, but if your ideas are anathema to what the major political forces want, then it’s not going to work. Sometimes you have to take your case to the people.
  - specialist 8y ago
    Dude. I feel like you need a bro hug more than advice. Don't despair. My friends work on and have milestone achievements on marijuana legalization, marriage equality, campaign financing, DREAM ACT, family leave, increasing the minimum wage, etc, etc. The biggest impact any of us can have is on the local level. The cliche is that states are incubators of democracy. Well, cities are the incubators of states. While the federal government is AWOL, it's left a huge vacuum, which many states, counties, cities have chosen to fill. The opportunities have never been more insurmountable (h/t Yogi Bera).
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]

specialist 8y ago

So you haven't lobbied? I encourage you to head to your closest legislative body (city hall, county council, state legislature), just to see what they're doing. (In person.) If something's on the agenda that piques your interest, sign-in to speak. Then keep doing it. There's got to be something under discussion that warms your belly. Once you find it: Call any of your reps (city, county, state, federal) and ask for a 5 min appointment. Show up with a one pager summary of your position. Show up, say "Hi!", thank them for their service (even if you don't mean it), hand them your paper, tell them why your issue is important to you. See what happens. Or just figure out when your locals are doing public meetings, town halls, events. Just show up, see what other people are working on. For example, my state reps have a joint monthly beer & hotdog event. Maybe 20-50 people show up (depending on the weather) and talk about whatever. I love just eavesdropping, seeing what people are working on. Then take it to the next level. Find your allies. Get them to support your position. For instance, you could have your local party (whatever flavor) pass resolutions, which you then bring to your reps, to demonstrate support for your position. Policy work is a tough marathon. But anyone can do it. Just hang out, note who gets things done, copy their methods. Camp Wellstone has a road show for activist training, which is fantastic. Many many other orgs do the same. Good luck.

marcoperaza 8y ago
That’s all great, but if your ideas are anathema to what the major political forces want, then it’s not going to work. Sometimes you have to take your case to the people.
- specialist 8y ago
  Dude. I feel like you need a bro hug more than advice. Don't despair. My friends work on and have milestone achievements on marijuana legalization, marriage equality, campaign financing, DREAM ACT, family leave, increasing the minimum wage, etc, etc. The biggest impact any of us can have is on the local level. The cliche is that states are incubators of democracy. Well, cities are the incubators of states. While the federal government is AWOL, it's left a huge vacuum, which many states, counties, cities have chosen to fill. The opportunities have never been more insurmountable (h/t Yogi Bera).
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]