Blogging vs. Demonstrating
I'm wondering how much creative energy for change the blogosphere generates, vs. how much it absorbs. I'm old enough to remember the 1960's. One thing I remember is that if you wanted to make a point, you got out and met with others of similar mind, and you got out in public and demonstrated.
I don't deny that blogging is producing political awareness and organizing now. But I wonder if it isn't also absorbing a lot of energy in which people sit around and file comments all day on other people's posts rather than taking more direct steps.
The amazing thing about Cindy Sheehan is that she has moved from cyberspace to real space in a major way, right out in front of everybody. She's been writing columns on LewRockwell.com for some time, but her direct political action now appears to be many times more effective.
Is that a general lesson? Are blogs overemphasized? Is direct action being neglected?
posted by rvtheologian @ 4:04 PM
2 Comments:
My heart goes out to Cindy Sheehan. I have to question anyone whose heart doesn’t. Her protest is so pure, her conscience so strong. Forget some of the things she may have said or wrote that may have sounded to some as un-American or too lunatic fringe. She is not an intellectual or teacher. Judge her by her actions.
I confess I feel a little ashamed at her protest. I feel corrupt, a hypocrite, no backbone, feet of clay. Well before the war, I was opposed to it, for the standard idealistic reasons. As the war approached and the mob clamored for war, I decided I was for it. I had my rationalizations. I guess I got caught up in the heat of the time. I felt the Pope just didn’t understand. My friends, peers, etc. supported the war. Perhaps I let myself unconsciously conform to group norms.
After Iraq fell and the Iraqi people did not en-mass welcome us with open arms, and we saw that Rumsfeld had no contingency plan, I knew this was going to be a disaster--spelled V-i-e-t-n-a-m. Never-the-less I support and respect the individual troops. Soldiers don’t do the politics; they only do their duty.
Cindy Sheehan shows a single person of conscience can do.
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