tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post5827076692243903698..comments2023-10-21T11:07:31.849-04:00Comments on Silly Humans: Politics as Unusual?Michael Bainshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734972725056899460noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post-2714554514187540762008-09-26T06:47:00.000-04:002008-09-26T06:47:00.000-04:00I agree with both of you. As was made a point in t...I agree with both of you. As was made a point in the last post, though, the diminution of one thing doesn't negate it entirely by any means. <BR/><BR/>My take on the post - though I do see where y'all are coming from - is that the more folks who ACTUALLY VOTE AND TALK ABOUT POLITICS there are, the less need for radical expressions of anger and discontent via protest marches. <BR/><BR/>Of course, we need A LOT MORE FOLKS taking that daily, routine interest. Certainly a lot more than do so as a matter of course in their daily lives. <BR/><BR/>Progress in wee chunks over centuries, eh. That's where the hope comes in <I>pour moi</I>.Michael Bainshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13734972725056899460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post-37209696001592278682008-09-25T18:26:00.000-04:002008-09-25T18:26:00.000-04:00I agree with Larry.Certainly organizing door to do...I agree with Larry.<BR/><BR/>Certainly organizing door to door is valuable but large numbers of people protesting tends to gather quick attention... you might get the beatings of 60s Chicago or the fire hoses of 60s Mississippi but protesting puts a huge magnifying glass on issues.<BR/><BR/>Authority responds to very few things... peaceful door to door stuff hardly warrants their attention - and they know how to counteract the door to door stuff - flood the world with their lies and half truths. Counterpointing a massive demonstration is much more difficult - hence the often violent reaction of authority. And in the crucible of demonstrations change is often the result.willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15590217997145761582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post-79660062023757844122008-09-25T13:41:00.000-04:002008-09-25T13:41:00.000-04:00"...forty years of conservative rule..." is a simp..."...forty years of conservative rule..." is a simplistic analysis.<BR/><BR/>Vigorous protests in the streets have always called public attention to injustice, and started the wheels turning toward correction. Ghandi might dispute the thesis that protest is ineffective. And in the U.S., street protests were the hallmark of the Civil Rights Movement, which, if you'll check your history, had a salutary effect on American life. And not to go on and on about this, but who knows when the Vietnam war would have ended had Americans not taken to the streets to let our government know that we were not going to take it any more?<BR/><BR/>When you write a feature story like this one in WaPo, you have to have an "angle," a perspective lens through which to present your topic. David Segal chose the wrong one.Larry Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13425250800667058263noreply@blogger.com