Re: FYI XR mostly opposed this protest... Archived Message
Posted by brooks on October 25, 2019, 10:20 am, in reply to "Re: FYI XR mostly opposed this protest..."
Yes the greater good, i.e. avoiding self-immolation. I know you find that amusing. Occupy also attempted to ignite a mass movement for the greater good, i.e. an end to neoliberal capitalism and a more just distribution of resources, and I'm sure you laughed then at the young people and their tents. In both cases the people involved were/are aware - or should be - that there are people they'll never reach, who will sit on the sidelines and mock every faltering attempt at social transformation, that the forces of reaction are always there in every society, always have the support of elites, and are a major barrier to progress. Gandhi acknowledged them in his (overly-optimistic) "first they ignore you..." comment. Ideologically, they function as the elite's immune system. The religious right usually fall on this side. I find engaging with them on such issues pretty pointless - if you'll notice I initially avoided responding to you directly in this thread - because they are so ideologically entrenched. But sometimes one can't avoid it, unfortunately. Also unfortunately - because such first efforts always are faltering, because every movement is vulnerable to co-optation and neutralization, because the major institution of solidarity has been decimated, and because the challenges are so enormous - there are a lot of mistakes made. Which are then used by those same forces of reaction as proof of irredeemable flaws in the movement itself. All very predictable, all very tedious.
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