4 ms·

These forces are nothing I can do anything about though. Corporate interests control the outcome of these things, not anything having to do with democracy.

ModernMech 7y ago
Tell that to the civil rights movement, women's suffrage movement, lgbtq rights movements etc. Appreciable gains have been made in civil rights over the years by people paying attention.
- ddingus 7y ago
  And more of us need to pay attention. Only way to do that is to keep talking. Those of us who are paying attention just need to continue talking with others. It will build. As it should.
ddingus 7y ago
Actually, that is only marginally true. The reality is we the people do have very considerable control. An additional reality is we the people are currently very distracted and being messaged to on a near constant basis. Our effective control is at a low ebb right now. That's due to what I just wrote, plus money in politics, and that same money working consolidated media. (Reagan Fairness Doctrine Repeal; Clinton Telecoms Act of 1996) You aren't wrong, but neither is the parent commenter! The civil rights movement is the most immune to these effects as social issues tend to be least impacted by money particularly as big business realizes it's best for business when people get along. And it helps that there are people in executive positions right now who are directly impacted by shit social policy. Progressives, and for purposes of discussion here, are people who are socially liberal and economically left, are building people powered politics as you read this. That's knocking on doors, holding events, messaging directly, largely avoiding big media, and that's largely due to the fact that big media sees the economic left focus as a potential cost and risk. (as they should, but that does not mean some change is not warranted --many feel it is, but I digress here) Manufacturing Consent --Chomskey is a great reference to understand the basic dynamics in play. You probably have read it too. It's here for passers by as much as anything else. Democracy is largely functional, but it's noisy, and the noise is getting in the way of what would otherwise be a respectable state of affairs. All of us know a gay person. All of us know a woman. All of us know a child. These things do matter. While some of us, and this includes me, are in the pocket so to speak, can choose to largely ignore all this stuff, we do so at our friends, peers, future leaders, loved ones potential and personal cost and risk. That's the argument anyway.

ModernMech 7y ago

Tell that to the civil rights movement, women's suffrage movement, lgbtq rights movements etc. Appreciable gains have been made in civil rights over the years by people paying attention.

ddingus 7y ago
And more of us need to pay attention. Only way to do that is to keep talking. Those of us who are paying attention just need to continue talking with others. It will build. As it should.

ddingus 7y ago

Actually, that is only marginally true. The reality is we the people do have very considerable control. An additional reality is we the people are currently very distracted and being messaged to on a near constant basis. Our effective control is at a low ebb right now. That's due to what I just wrote, plus money in politics, and that same money working consolidated media. (Reagan Fairness Doctrine Repeal; Clinton Telecoms Act of 1996) You aren't wrong, but neither is the parent commenter! The civil rights movement is the most immune to these effects as social issues tend to be least impacted by money particularly as big business realizes it's best for business when people get along. And it helps that there are people in executive positions right now who are directly impacted by shit social policy. Progressives, and for purposes of discussion here, are people who are socially liberal and economically left, are building people powered politics as you read this. That's knocking on doors, holding events, messaging directly, largely avoiding big media, and that's largely due to the fact that big media sees the economic left focus as a potential cost and risk. (as they should, but that does not mean some change is not warranted --many feel it is, but I digress here) Manufacturing Consent --Chomskey is a great reference to understand the basic dynamics in play. You probably have read it too. It's here for passers by as much as anything else. Democracy is largely functional, but it's noisy, and the noise is getting in the way of what would otherwise be a respectable state of affairs. All of us know a gay person. All of us know a woman. All of us know a child. These things do matter. While some of us, and this includes me, are in the pocket so to speak, can choose to largely ignore all this stuff, we do so at our friends, peers, future leaders, loved ones potential and personal cost and risk. That's the argument anyway.