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I think that deep down many people often believe that they could have a say in policy if only they tried hard enough, so their lack of influence is a kind of pe

by tdeck 2mo ago

I think that deep down many people often believe that they could have a say in policy if only they tried hard enough, so their lack of influence is a kind of personal failing. In reality these systems are designed to absorb your effort and direct it into time sinks that either serve those in power Want to change things? First "we" need to take back the house by phone-banking for this blue dog Chip in $5 today to help Chuck Schumer win back the Senate or avoid putting pressure on anyone We're going to "show Trump" with a big attendance at the next No Kings rally It's similar to how people are led to believe anyone could have a billion dollars if only they were smarter and/or worked harder.

inigyou 2mo ago
These things do help but only very slightly, not sufficiently. The main function of a protest is not to effect change, but to help people who support a cause meet each other. Voting for one party can be better than voting for the other party even if both parties are bad in different ways.
- tdeck 2mo ago
  > The main function of a protest is not to effect change, but to help people who support a cause meet each other. This is certainly the case with many protests in many contexts, but there are ways to protest that make the powerful worried and ways that reassure them they really have nothing to worry about. There have been many protest movements that were organized to effect change and succeeded in doing so. What's more, people aren't showing up to these events thinking "this will certainly not effect change but may help me meet people". Once they get a clue that there's no potential for change they'll stop showing up.
JKCalhoun 2mo ago
"I think that deep down many people often believe that they could have a say in policy if only they tried hard enough…" Really? I don't know anyone that thinks that. Everyone I know think, "I'm not a billionaire, so of course there is nothing I can do." "It's similar to how people are led to believe anyone could have a billion dollars if only they were smarter and/or worked harder." Ha ha, well there you are. I also know no one that believes that either. But of course if someone believes the latter, the former follows. ;-)

by tdeck 2mo ago

inigyou 2mo ago

These things do help but only very slightly, not sufficiently. The main function of a protest is not to effect change, but to help people who support a cause meet each other. Voting for one party can be better than voting for the other party even if both parties are bad in different ways.

tdeck 2mo ago
> The main function of a protest is not to effect change, but to help people who support a cause meet each other. This is certainly the case with many protests in many contexts, but there are ways to protest that make the powerful worried and ways that reassure them they really have nothing to worry about. There have been many protest movements that were organized to effect change and succeeded in doing so. What's more, people aren't showing up to these events thinking "this will certainly not effect change but may help me meet people". Once they get a clue that there's no potential for change they'll stop showing up.

JKCalhoun 2mo ago

"I think that deep down many people often believe that they could have a say in policy if only they tried hard enough…" Really? I don't know anyone that thinks that. Everyone I know think, "I'm not a billionaire, so of course there is nothing I can do." "It's similar to how people are led to believe anyone could have a billion dollars if only they were smarter and/or worked harder." Ha ha, well there you are. I also know no one that believes that either. But of course if someone believes the latter, the former follows. ;-)