Partially agreed. But I think the notion of protesting in a virtual fashion should not be diminished, but rather encouraged as long as it can do some good. To that end, I encourage anyone who has this sentiment to consider donating to charity on behalf of the cause as a demonstration of its importance [1]. I've chosen the EFF as the charity for my symbolic donation as I stay home with family on this Independence Day. But several other mainstream charity options are available. (Note that the linked site is my side project, and I apologize for the grievous self-promotion.)
Media is a sucker for anything social media, they would probably run a longer news segment on this online protest than they would chaos in the streets. Last workers riot where I live the media solely concentrated on how they were caught from facebook and other social media profiles, they hardly mentioned the reasons for the rioting.
And the media is the next best thing to an online petition surrounded by ads... ephemeral bullshit to hold attention while we show you commercials.
If they aren't afraid of you burning down their palace, they are not about to change.
Why do people in the US think that change comes from meaningless, one-click bullshit? In Egypt, the military says GTFO. In Syria, they can take up arms and say GTFO and have it not work. You didn't see arabs using twitter for the "retweet this if you want change." It was the get over to street a and b and mob.
Peaceful sit-ins on unused public land, out of the way of the entrenched interests is something to lampoon... nothing to be afraid of. You can't put a poster of Ghandi up on the wall and be taken seriously.
Peaceful resistance is standing in the way of the tank and letting the entrenched powers present themselves to the horror of the world. They will either turn popular sentiment strongly enough that they are taken away, changed, of they will stand down from stupidity.
It's like not forcing legislators to actually filibuster on their feet. Tweet-it-in resistance is worthless.
Stand up, step in, and cross the line if you mean it. Otherwise STFU and GTFO.
llamataboot|12 years ago
bhauer|12 years ago
[1] https://usa.brianstaskforce.com/task/386/stop-unwarranted-su...
dobbsbob|12 years ago
tossmeup|12 years ago
If they aren't afraid of you burning down their palace, they are not about to change.
Why do people in the US think that change comes from meaningless, one-click bullshit? In Egypt, the military says GTFO. In Syria, they can take up arms and say GTFO and have it not work. You didn't see arabs using twitter for the "retweet this if you want change." It was the get over to street a and b and mob.
Peaceful sit-ins on unused public land, out of the way of the entrenched interests is something to lampoon... nothing to be afraid of. You can't put a poster of Ghandi up on the wall and be taken seriously.
Peaceful resistance is standing in the way of the tank and letting the entrenched powers present themselves to the horror of the world. They will either turn popular sentiment strongly enough that they are taken away, changed, of they will stand down from stupidity.
It's like not forcing legislators to actually filibuster on their feet. Tweet-it-in resistance is worthless.
Stand up, step in, and cross the line if you mean it. Otherwise STFU and GTFO.
dllthomas|12 years ago
actionscripted|12 years ago
d0m|12 years ago