Why Today's Social Movements Aren't Working »
Posted by: trnscndr 10 months, 2 weeks ago27 CommentsReflectReport this Story
DULY CONSIDER - The phrase , The Movement , encompasses a period during the 1950's to the mid 1970's . A time of major social reforms. When News Programs night after night broadcast to the world, the social injustices that many had endured for decades, which had fallen under the radar of many for so long, It was a wake up call and America responded
Read Full Story at dulyconsider.com
Join the Discussion 
+ Add Comment
Comments So Far: 27
-
trnscndr
Sept. 9, 2007, 6:04 p.m.Is activism today all cheerleading and no action? It seems that today's political environment is just a little too sanitized.
-
david_nwpa
Sept. 9, 2007, 8:45 p.m.I would argue that social movements are working, but in ways different from those of the 1970s. We live in a far more savvy world in which people are either more apathetic or lazy. I think it is a mixture of the two. As a result, the social movements which bring progress, such as those for women's health, gays and lesbians, minorities, have taken on the role of behind the scenes money making rather than take it to streets marching. I agree with you, it is far more sanitized. I am just not sure it is worse.
-
Amazing1
Sept. 9, 2007, 9:11 p.m.I think there is also the lack of backbone in the MSM. Protests and marches are held, but there is little coverage. Without coverage, it is hard to gain traction. This may be in part due to the media being held in the hands of so few. I have been to countless demonstrations and marches and rarely more than a blip has registered on the TV news stations or the local news papers. Even when there were thousands of us participating.
-
gamahuche
Sept. 9, 2007, 9:31 p.m.>> It's time to stop the pseudo activism and learn to actually make a difference. Otherwise, it's all for naught. When will today's movement ditch the hype and get back down to true organizing, with results. Where [are] the creative minds? Where are the intelligent speakers,?
The answer to your closing question is easy! They're right here and all over the internet..
Is virtual synonymous with pseudo? i don't believe so. Ersatz - maybe.
The one ENORMOUS advantage of the internet is speed. Here it seems you have c. 15 people in some kind of communication over a wide geographic area - west to east coast and here I am in Central Europe and theooretically we could, right now, be starting to solve the problems of the world.. I might have to drop out soon - 3.26 am and I'm only up because I'm waiting for my partner to come home from her crazy schedule.
-
gamahuche
Sept. 9, 2007, 9:44 p.m.What is undoubtedly different is the volume of information that most of us are dealing with daily. A vast smorgasbord of attractions all pixelling at us - read me, read me - and for quirky, inquisitive, easily-distracted minds its easy to let hours disappear as we pry ever deeper into the minutiae of a story, link-by-link.
I used to organise demonstrations in the very early '60's and the work involved in contacting people was phenomenal. No answering machine, no cell phones, so some key people one had to keep calling over and over again. One phone I used was tapped, which meant using code sometimes. This also once had the amazing and hilarious plus that we were able to use a secret exchange and persuade the spooks to play us a tape-recording of a meeting which had been held in our flat over the phone which was tapped, thereby completing the circle. Not long after that we were raided and I sat staring at one glaring piece of evidence and made it invisible.
-
-
icono1
Sept. 9, 2007, 9:51 p.m.I think that when the protests over social issues start receiving more market share in tv land then the protests will be covered more. In today's 'news environment' it is more profitable to media enterprises via advertising to cover the latest psycho-social snafu of the rich and famous than to cover important social or political issues.
-
Locky12
Sept. 9, 2007, 10:17 p.m.Here's why social movements don't work anymore. The real fight is over. We no longer have slavery, we no longer have Jim Crow and just about EVERYBODY is screaming discrimination, bigotry and bias clogging our courts and television sets. What's more, the big issues of the day are carried by the biggest hypocrites of today: Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Michael Moore, etc. People who can't let the truth get in the way of a good front page story.
All the movements are about hucksters these days.
-
insideoutgraphics
Sept. 11, 2007, 8:17 a.m.Locky12,it appears that you are suggesting that the many social ailments during that period, have been cured and are now erradicated. I disagree totally. The Jena Six, the shredding of our Civil Liberties, and the fact that what ever gains were made back then, civil rights has indeed declined over the years. It's also declined not only in terms of race, but also in terms gay rights, womens rights, workers rights,consummer rights,voter rights,prisoner and detainee rights, artistic rights etc..
What was once thought to be a race issue has now become a nightmare for the entire population. Due to the extrordinary sweeping changes in federal laws that impede rather than protect the civil rights of this nation. Those changes reflect the decline and now serve the interests of the Corporate elite. Which by the way, writes/buys our Domestic and Foriegn policies. Search the Campaign contribution files and you will see thwe names of the major players.
-
-
wallyone
Sept. 10, 2007, 1:08 a.m.people are lazy and apathetic.. most are willing to accept the governments story on the events of 9/11 and 7/7 in london.. do they care if these are just that, stories or do they seek other opinions? are they concerned innocent people are dying in iraq or that we may go to war with iran? no.. the fighting is over there not over here is all that matters. does it matter that we were told a pack of lies about wmd's, yellow cake or that scooter libby was pardoned? no.. the MSM is largely owned by one group and they dictate what is to be reported and the sheep eat it up.. those that protest are seen as conspiracy nuts or passifists and are ridiculed. when the people of america finally wake up it will be too late. it is time to dissolve the government and reestablish what this constitution is about, 'of the people by the people and for the people' it is anything but that.. even the elections are fraudulent. no paper ballots, no recounts.. the time is now or forever hold your piece.
-
insideoutgraphics
Sept. 11, 2007, 8:31 a.m.wallyone, I think one aspect we ought to consider is the fact that for many, the stressors of life are so overwhelming,such as healthcare... etc. The more personal stressors that one has to deal with, the smaller their world may become. Because they're just trying to find solutions to their immediate problems.It's a matter of prioitizing. Keep them stressed, and the issues of the world may be forced to take a back seat. Especially when a Mother is trying to figure out how to put food on the table, get a kid to school and the car breaks down and there's no money for repairs and the house is going into foreclosure. Or trying to figure out how to get a kid to a Dr. and there is no Health Insur. Homeless rate is increasing daily. So I can understand why many cannot even begin to view world events, as they are just trying to get through the day. Iraq is not on the forefront for many.
-
-
Radiofreeeuropa
Sept. 10, 2007, 2:21 a.m.I marched with Dr. King in Washington, I was placed on an FBI unamerican activities list for participating in a peaceful environmental protest. (Ironically both protests were attended heavily by Christian Church groups... my how times have changed!). I know what Jude is saying. In those days we faced obvious wrongs and won many of the battles. I feel the totalitarians learned their lesson and won't let it happen again though. In the the 60s and early 70s the press and media were largely INDEPENDENT. Today's media is merely a tool owned lock stock and barrel by the handful of multinational corporate entities who pull the strings of the puppet governments of the G8 nations. (The 1st world, if you will).They will not be reporting anything that reflects poorly on their own agenda. So those types of protests will not have more than a local effect.
-
-
insideoutgraphics
Sept. 11, 2007, 9:09 a.m.Radio,I was also extremely involved during that period. Some months ago I did meet and talked with one of the "Sisters of Selma". If you get a chance to see the movie, I think you will enjoy it. I cried during the entire movie as it brought back so many memories. Many of which involved the harrassment by police, the hate of others and the political climate of the day.But, I would do it all over again even though there was such a high degree of saddness, simply due to the obstacles that were faced back then. The Catholic Church was indeed very involved in the civil rights movement. The Berrigan brothers,Sisters of Selma, and many different orders both priests and nuns, also were heavily involved.They participated in so many grass roots actions.
It was a powerful movement that gained positive results though it also had its extremely sad moments.Unfortunately, many people died,were beaten,arressted, placed on lists and harrassed.But the movement did continue.
-
-
Radiofreeeuropa
Sept. 10, 2007, 3:14 a.m.Perhaps in a sense the use of the internet, through sites like this and Duly Consider for instance, is a more effective blow against the empire than we are aware of. The internet is still a place where free speech is the norm. Are the Orwellian brain police observing us with their patriot axe? Very likely. However I firmly believe that the internet was used fairly effectively to at least plant the seed in people's minds that the propaganda disseminated by the PNAC Bush administration and their corporate conspirators may be bogus. This, along with the astonishing incompetence of every inept blundering crony appointed, the unprecedented hypocrisy of the leaders of their base, as well as the obvious lies and efficacious scandals have given most cognizant citizens at least a skeptical pause. Maybe more.
Maybe the populous is seeing through the lies.
There was a sign taped on the door to a public restroom the other day on the Jersey Turnpike that said "No Senators".
-
insideoutgraphics
Sept. 11, 2007, 10:09 a.m.Radio, Yes, the www has been the vehicle for real news.I think based on Bush's approval ratings, which are in the tank, proves that we are getting our news other than MSM. So if MSM fails to report on grassroots efforts and actions, and yet so many more people are participating in actions, then we can assume it is the NET that is providing the facts to America.
More are becoming involved in actions, and still with all of our information and actions, it has had little effect in turning this adm around.They are not intimidated by us in the least. Which is the gist of the story. We've not changed a major issue as a result of our efforts.Which tells me, then we ought to re-evaluate our tactics.Continued...
-
-
Radiofreeeuropa
Sept. 10, 2007, 4:24 a.m.Still this type of dissidence has an effect. But more action is needed. We must now assess and implement the optimal maneuvers to combat the continual and intentional dumbing down of the general population, the apathy of the citizenry, and tear away the dystopian illusions the neocons have created.
Let's dispel 2 of those deceptions right now.
1.The Republican party has not represented conservative interests for quite some time. It is not in a conservative best interest to be a debtor nation to China, expand federal government's role exponentially, use the military as international policemen, create astronomical deficits, nor expand executive powers (not conserving the constitution much are we now?) The libertarians are the only conservatives in the American political spectrum.
-
Radiofreeeuropa
Sept. 10, 2007, 5:19 a.m.2. Liberal is not a naughty word. A Liberal philosophy implies broad-mind... the protection of civil liberties and progress,the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market or mixed economy,open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law, and a transparent system of government. Liberals are not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition.
This is not a scary evil philosophy that neocons have deceived their brainwashed minions into believing it is. (So next time you hear someone saying "libs sux" or any such ill intentioned spuriousness, they are saying "civil liberty sux, tolerence sux, Thomas Jefferson sux, Benjamin Franklin sux, Thomas Paine sux). Liberalism refers to a broad array of related ideas and theories of government that consider individual liberty to be the most important political goal.
Liberalism has its roots in the Western Age of Enlightenment.
-
-
joeblowe
Sept. 10, 2007, 9:59 a.m.I'm sorry, but that article is too poorly written for me to make it all the way through. A good editor needs to have a whack at it.
-
insideoutgraphics
Sept. 11, 2007, 9:33 a.m.Joeblowe, it WAS EDITED by a FINE Editor.Just goes to show, Ya can't please all the people all of the time.
Joe, Are you an Editor? Then give it a "Whack". That way, you won't ever have to say you're "sorry".
-
-
-
Shadowolf
Sept. 10, 2007, 2:12 p.m.Could it be we need leaders that can galvanize the American people???
-
HomeGMan
Sept. 10, 2007, 2:50 p.m.I would like to see it happen. It has been mentioned that there are so many agendas involved that an attempt to focus on one means that they're "ignoring what's important to America" according to their opponent(s). They can't agree on what's important to America until there's a catastrophe - and the Gulf Coast wasn't catastrophic enough; wasn't spectacular enough, though the suffering is great, and on-going.
There will need to be a catalyst to ignite the true American spirit, and I dread the thought of what it will take.
-
-
eugenegerard
Sept. 11, 2007, 6 p.m.This country has been sedated with drugs. There is measurable amounts of prosac in are water system due to human waste and sodium flouride is a proven mood drug. Not only is this population drugged on a mass scale but the media filters ALL the information given to the population. We are sheeple.
Submitted By:
trnscndr
1)Of all my political tenets the one I know to be true is that emotional politicians who ignore logic are enemies of the state ...
Related Articles:
Why not submit a story?
Also Propping This Article
MidnightPrism
charbarred- Ciera Marie
berkeley- eugenegerard
tehranchik
dandt1612
engineer- wallyone
Gabe_Damage
Groups Watching This
No groups are watching this story. Why not share it with your group?
