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Saying that there is a false dichotomy between taking down a statue and passing an appropriations bill is like saying there is a false dichotomy between comment

Saying that there is a false dichotomy between taking down a statue and passing an appropriations bill is like saying there is a false dichotomy between commenting on hackernews and writing a pull request. No, one does not block another...but there are only 24 hours in a day.

watwut 6y ago
Most people on hacker news do actually both, write on hacker news when they take break and do pull requests when they work. By the exact same logic, any activity you have, you could have spend that time by advocacy for good cause. Whoever works on own side project or plays board games afternoon could have instead be activist for better healthcare and is now starwing oxygen to those causes. Plus, quite honestly, if I would seen advocates for better healthcare or better affordable school system complaining about the other issues being distracting to them, then it would sound like a good faith argument. But, I have seen this opportunity cost argument being done by those who oppose one advocacy and don't practically care about the other. I mean, I am not doing anything activisty/charitable either, but I am not claiming it is because another cause starwed the oxygen or what not.
protomyth 6y ago
No, one does not block another...but there are only 24 hours in a day. Well, the symbol folks actually do block change. As you say, there are only 24 hours in a day, but it gets worse when dealing with politicians and their schedules. If they can be seen as doing something by doing a low-cost thing, it is do and move on to the next thing. When actual action is demanded, it is a time consuming thing. Bills are hard work even with a staff. The path to change is attention of politicians to writing bills to address the root problem. PR looks exactly like change but is much cheaper and often removes the problem from sight.

watwut 6y ago

Most people on hacker news do actually both, write on hacker news when they take break and do pull requests when they work. By the exact same logic, any activity you have, you could have spend that time by advocacy for good cause. Whoever works on own side project or plays board games afternoon could have instead be activist for better healthcare and is now starwing oxygen to those causes. Plus, quite honestly, if I would seen advocates for better healthcare or better affordable school system complaining about the other issues being distracting to them, then it would sound like a good faith argument. But, I have seen this opportunity cost argument being done by those who oppose one advocacy and don't practically care about the other. I mean, I am not doing anything activisty/charitable either, but I am not claiming it is because another cause starwed the oxygen or what not.

protomyth 6y ago

No, one does not block another...but there are only 24 hours in a day. Well, the symbol folks actually do block change. As you say, there are only 24 hours in a day, but it gets worse when dealing with politicians and their schedules. If they can be seen as doing something by doing a low-cost thing, it is do and move on to the next thing. When actual action is demanded, it is a time consuming thing. Bills are hard work even with a staff. The path to change is attention of politicians to writing bills to address the root problem. PR looks exactly like change but is much cheaper and often removes the problem from sight.