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nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 09:37 AM Sep 2013

Writing on DU is activism, actually

Lots of talk lately about what constitutes activism. And with that, there's the urge to draw the line neatly around one thing, and not "the other."

I've been kicking around activist circles since the 1980s and a LOT has changed since then. Back when I started it was easier to define activism. Things we would have listed as activism included:

-- turning out people to public meetings
-- hosting events for large-scale involvement
-- writing letters to the editor
-- phone-banking
-- door-knocking
-- participating in activist planning/strategy/forums (which, were mostly in-person at the time).

Since the 80s we've seen the rise of this thing called Social Media and most organizations either have a social media job with their communications department, OR they rely on organizers to use social media to take their message out.

Pay attention to that last line..."to take their message out." This is what we used to do primarily with Letters to the Editor. LTEs are still very important, especially when trying to move electeds to a better policy position. It's VERY important b/c electeds use SEO and web searches for their name to report back to the lawmaker on how their messaging is doing out in the world, and...in the best case scenario...to reality check if their constituents are still with them. DU is recognized as having excellent SEO. Often when researching a new issue my searches put DU on the first page, even when I'm using a work computer that isn't full of DU cookies.

This forum can be seen as a daily paper for *engaged Democrats." An engaged Dem is someone who is a likely voter and someone who can be mobilized to participate in other actions such as social media engagement LTEs, phone-banking and doorknocking. We are also likely to turn-out to assemblies, town halls, and protests.

When you're posting your thoughts to DU you're talking directly to Democratic party people with the intent of *moving people* in the direction of your point of view. The audience is different from an LTE; much larger and clearly more Dem.

If there wasn't the potential to move decision-makers with our actions here, there wouldn't be such turf fights over policy issues. It's activism in the clearest sense, using social media to bridge the divide between rank-and-file Dems and their national leadership.

Posting on DU isn't only activism, it's effective activism. But I would agree with others that it's not complete. Also go out and work on the issues that you're passionate about. Election reform, job quality, school reform, environmental and of course, peace and justice organizations all NEED your help.

Use DU to help you think and to better communicate your POV. Save your posts here for LTEs in your local newspapers. If you have a really good one, pitch it as an op-ed, post it on Facebook, or add it to another blog. Use DU's Twitter and Facebook buttons to extend your social reach.

But don't let anyone tell you that what you're doing isn't activism. It is. As a DU poster, you're valuable and needed part of the activist eco-system.



129 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Writing on DU is activism, actually (Original Post) nashville_brook Sep 2013 OP
The 'it's not activism' meme is on fire because the 'centrists' and 'conservadems' know that Bluenorthwest Sep 2013 #1
... OneGrassRoot Sep 2013 #2
OneGrassRoot...your work is a great example of mobilizing nashville_brook Sep 2013 #5
"stop the rising yeast" -- beautifully said. and, OMG on the Stonewall to Obama letter! nashville_brook Sep 2013 #3
We had to change so many Democratic minds to make progress and those minds we changed Bluenorthwest Sep 2013 #14
if we were in therapy we'd call it a cycle of abuse. nashville_brook Sep 2013 #67
a certain faction seemly has a vested interest in the status quo. KG Sep 2013 #4
+1 nashville_brook Sep 2013 #93
+10000 YoungDemCA Sep 2013 #112
You think that's why? Recursion Sep 2013 #17
Was I unclear? I don't think so. Bluenorthwest Sep 2013 #31
Unfortunately, no - they don't [n/t] Maedhros Sep 2013 #40
Yes. "a tussle afoot for the soul of the Party", indeed. Vanje Sep 2013 #21
The Tea Party Cryptoad Sep 2013 #32
those purged GOP stalwert Vanje Sep 2013 #34
that's actually a counter-example to your point. nashville_brook Sep 2013 #36
+1 daleanime Sep 2013 #42
Excellent post.............nt Enthusiast Sep 2013 #115
First … 1StrongBlackMan Sep 2013 #105
Oh, baby! Enthusiast Sep 2013 #114
Considering that most conversations in this country aolwien Sep 2013 #6
that's a great point. i used to think that we needed to find a way to engage nashville_brook Sep 2013 #9
My sense is the lurker/poster ratio on DU and GD in particular is high Fumesucker Sep 2013 #7
i think there's also a lot of lurkers who aren't rank-and-file nashville_brook Sep 2013 #15
All that an a think tank, too! Lars39 Sep 2013 #8
I consider DU my training for activism. CrispyQ Sep 2013 #10
me too -- eggsactly. nashville_brook Sep 2013 #12
I've become much less judgmental since being on DU. CrispyQ Sep 2013 #18
I think it's an important part of activism. rrneck Sep 2013 #11
At its best, it's activism. But it's also everything from an echo chamber... randome Sep 2013 #13
if by echo chamber you mean 'toeing the party line'... nashville_brook Sep 2013 #19
"Defend & pleasure the party's leadership." DirkGently Sep 2013 #23
spit tea on computer screen. nashville_brook Sep 2013 #87
Get what you can from the 'echo chamber' Vanje Sep 2013 #50
I don't just write here - TBF Sep 2013 #16
+1 n/t LittleGirl Sep 2013 #22
Eh....no. This is a nice website for Democrats, but this isn't what I would call msanthrope Sep 2013 #20
i was actually doing both -- but that misses the point nashville_brook Sep 2013 #25
I am glad you are doing both. But I wouldn't ever think my posting on DU is a satisfactory msanthrope Sep 2013 #49
Being 'on the streets' is an outdated concept leftstreet Sep 2013 #27
Agree completely. Maedhros Sep 2013 #43
Then Occupy was a failure? nt msanthrope Sep 2013 #47
Occupy was something of an anomaly - its message certainly resonated with the public. Maedhros Sep 2013 #53
it's actually a great example of the power of social media to organize nashville_brook Sep 2013 #97
It is exactly that aspect of Occupy that, in my opinion, moves it beyond a "protest" Maedhros Sep 2013 #98
Occupy was a hybrid, and much of the best stuff flew under the radar nashville_brook Sep 2013 #94
Um, no. Voters being denied the right to vote don't need your tweets. They need poll monitors. msanthrope Sep 2013 #46
"Um," You're drawing arbitrary lines. DirkGently Sep 2013 #66
+10000000 -- Arab Spring is the prime example of social media activism. nashville_brook Sep 2013 #82
Wow! Enthusiast Sep 2013 #117
When, and if, people are worried about it, they'll respond leftstreet Sep 2013 #68
if you want to "rally" voters, the best place to do that is social media nashville_brook Sep 2013 #78
Yup. woo me with science Sep 2013 #52
This message was self-deleted by its author woo me with science Sep 2013 #58
Depends on where you live too Vanje Sep 2013 #55
I cant pound the pavement where I live Vanje Sep 2013 #62
this is one of those things that we were very optimistic about in grad school nashville_brook Sep 2013 #92
It can be a springboard for activism BainsBane Sep 2013 #24
sitting around your living rarely engages thousands of people at a time... nashville_brook Sep 2013 #26
I believe one needs to engage people outside of DU BainsBane Sep 2013 #29
we're all welcome to have our own private definitions of things, but nashville_brook Sep 2013 #37
okay, I agree the party doesn't bother much with what the rank and file thinks BainsBane Sep 2013 #38
engagement is the first step! :) you're more of an activist than you know! nashville_brook Sep 2013 #44
Do casual visitors to the site, and lurkers, count as "outside DU?" Maedhros Sep 2013 #45
We all have our own definitions BainsBane Sep 2013 #63
Maybe not, but it's an important part of the overall effort. [n/t] Maedhros Sep 2013 #80
The composition of views on DU get noticed. DirkGently Sep 2013 #70
DU is often at the very top of google searches. woo me with science Sep 2013 #74
Noticed that. And apparently, some who argue so loudly that DirkGently Sep 2013 #122
DURec leftstreet Sep 2013 #28
Strange. Some have been quite apoplectic about defining 'journalist'. randome Sep 2013 #30
no irony that i can see -- except that there's some who seem interested in narrowing the definition nashville_brook Sep 2013 #35
Don't both argue for the broadest definitions? DirkGently Sep 2013 #123
Actually it's not at all oberliner Sep 2013 #33
yes, there's some here would like us to think that. nashville_brook Sep 2013 #39
Given the deep disagreements on things like elective war, chained CPI, cabinet appointments, Maedhros Sep 2013 #48
i know, right? an echo chamber would actually be much more peaceful! nashville_brook Sep 2013 #85
It's not always an echo chamber oberliner Sep 2013 #89
I suppose my point is that even if it is not activism, Maedhros Sep 2013 #90
True oberliner Sep 2013 #116
Thanks so much n_brook FredStembottom Sep 2013 #41
seriously, it's the lack of "values" messaging that has screwed us nashville_brook Sep 2013 #57
! FredStembottom Sep 2013 #61
totally agree! nashville_brook Sep 2013 #126
DUrec. & bookmarking for later PowerToThePeople Sep 2013 #51
The NC group feels activist, particularly with Moral Mondays. WorseBeforeBetter Sep 2013 #54
the audience is NOT larger hfojvt Sep 2013 #56
If it weren't considered effective activism by the PTB, woo me with science Sep 2013 #59
beware of those who need to beat you down. nashville_brook Sep 2013 #65
+1 leftstreet Sep 2013 #71
There are all sorts of activism. MineralMan Sep 2013 #60
Did you ever read D.U. before you came over Uncle Joe Sep 2013 #106
If I can do it from my toilet, it's not activism NightWatcher Sep 2013 #64
You can phone bank or organize a march from the toilet too. DirkGently Sep 2013 #72
given that calling, petitioning and messaging *aren't* activism, what then is? nashville_brook Sep 2013 #76
The key to Activism is Active/Action NightWatcher Sep 2013 #79
so activism for you is getting tazed, chased by dogs and arrested. nashville_brook Sep 2013 #86
First comes the thought Uncle Joe Sep 2013 #99
Those who work diligently to inform us on DU are certainly activists grasswire Sep 2013 #69
Preaching to the chior may be important, but it isn't activism BlueStreak Sep 2013 #73
i'd argue that there's a difference btwn "preaching," "teaching" and "reaching" the choir nashville_brook Sep 2013 #75
You can't have activism without action -- action outside this bubble BlueStreak Sep 2013 #108
This "bubble" is open to anyone Uncle Joe Sep 2013 #109
Few come here who aren't already part of the club. BlueStreak Sep 2013 #110
The second sentence of your first paragraph partly makes my point Uncle Joe Sep 2013 #111
Nice. Enthusiast Sep 2013 #118
Debating (or agreeing) among ourselves is not activism BlueStreak Sep 2013 #127
We are not just ourselves, we're everybody that reads D.U. lurkers and even would be trolls that Uncle Joe Sep 2013 #128
I think it's more of an "activity" than activism. It's like going down to the park and sitting in MADem Sep 2013 #77
there's certainly posters here who come to shoot the shit nashville_brook Sep 2013 #95
education is activism DonCoquixote Sep 2013 #81
great example. i might not have taken an active interest in election reform nashville_brook Sep 2013 #84
A few people here have a 'Poo Poo on DU' agenda. Rex Sep 2013 #83
Activism is like journalism, you are if you say you are. You don't need permission. nt bemildred Sep 2013 #88
strange that it's even disputed...but glad it's being examined and hopefully nashville_brook Sep 2013 #91
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Sep 2013 #96
We can tell from thread views that several more people read here than post. Starry Messenger Sep 2013 #100
that's so awesome with the pic of the day... nashville_brook Sep 2013 #103
DU is activism Hydra Sep 2013 #101
i think there's issues that make more sense to explore online, too nashville_brook Sep 2013 #102
I have been one to say … 1StrongBlackMan Sep 2013 #104
it's the "engagement" piece of activism nashville_brook Sep 2013 #125
it is not necessarily activism - but it can be and sometimes, perhaps frequently is Douglas Carpenter Sep 2013 #107
Another Kick for pissing off all the Right people! Rex Sep 2013 #113
Now, that's activism! pintobean Sep 2013 #124
Kicked and recommended....nt Enthusiast Sep 2013 #119
Not to mention that when I signed up for DU JoeyT Sep 2013 #120
+1 nashville_brook Sep 2013 #129
Of course it is... SidDithers Sep 2013 #121
 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
1. The 'it's not activism' meme is on fire because the 'centrists' and 'conservadems' know that
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 09:58 AM
Sep 2013

there is a tussle afoot for the soul of the Party and they want to do anything they can to stop the rising yeast of activism and the leftward motion they dread.
Their concept that persuasion of other Democrats is not a vital aspect of activism is show to be balderdash simply by looking at the recent history of Marriage Equality. Two years ago, 'centrists' and 'conservative Democrats' were all mucked up about equality. ' The real solution' they would say all Third Way Style 'is civil Unions for everyone!' or they would whine that we had to wait and be incremental 'all change is slow, we have to wait until after then next election then after the midterms' or better 'we have to wait until all the old bigots die off, then we can get real equality'.
If no one had engaged with other Democrats, both voters and officials including Obama, we'd still be hearing about how we need to stop the poutrage and pony wanting and be pragmatic.....
Once a DUer posted a screed announcing 'Stonewall does not count, it is not like Selma!!!!' so I sent that thread to the WH and two weeks later Obama was saying 'From Seneca Falls to Selma to Stonewall' right there on the Big Day.
DU is useful, the centrists and conservative Democrats do not care for that fact nor do they know how to use it.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
5. OneGrassRoot...your work is a great example of mobilizing
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:18 AM
Sep 2013

folks from DU. The thrust of the OP is about messaging and moving decision makers...but you take it one step further with mobilizing fundraising for needy people. It's direct and beautiful.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
3. "stop the rising yeast" -- beautifully said. and, OMG on the Stonewall to Obama letter!
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:10 AM
Sep 2013

that's my take as well -- and I had totally forgotten about the centrist resistance to equality. where I live, the party is so completely devoted to equality that i take it for granted. it's hard to believe that just a couple of years ago this was "controversial" within Democratic circles.

i get suspicious when folks say to quit doing something b/c it's not "effective." heard it too often from local pols who were about to fall...it's usually the last gasp of freakout before things change.

 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
14. We had to change so many Democratic minds to make progress and those minds we changed
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:45 AM
Sep 2013

now claim they were always on our side and there is no value in advocating positions to other Democrats! They whine at the activists, then the activists win. Then they claim they too were activists.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
67. if we were in therapy we'd call it a cycle of abuse.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:13 PM
Sep 2013

undercutting, crazy-making, doormat creating.

this is backwards: come in and phone-bank for us, but all this other stuff like messaging, framing, social media and outreach, leave it to the professionals.

professional organizers know that their power comes from the members; from the rank-and-file. and not the other way around.

Vanje

(9,766 posts)
21. Yes. "a tussle afoot for the soul of the Party", indeed.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:52 AM
Sep 2013

I'm sorry its a fight here on DU, but its a fight the party needs to have.

Cryptoad

(8,254 posts)
32. The Tea Party
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:42 AM
Sep 2013

thought is could purge the moderates from the GOP

purging the moderates for the Democratic Party will end the same!

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
36. that's actually a counter-example to your point.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:54 AM
Sep 2013

the Tea Party seems to be running the GOP right now. b/c they wield more power actively than their party moderates, they're moving the entire in their direction from state and local on up to Federal work.

no one want to "purge" moderates from the Dem party. The Democratic base of the Democratic party would like to have a word with the moderates for the good of the party, but no one wants to "purge" them.

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
105. First …
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 09:55 PM
Sep 2013
Once a DUer posted a screed announcing 'Stonewall does not count, it is not like Selma!!!!' so I sent that thread to the WH and two weeks later Obama was saying 'From Seneca Falls to Selma to Stonewall' right there on the Big Day.


That’s not what I said … What I said was:

“Stonewall ...while a turning point in the GLTB, my understanding is it was more of a spontaneous response to police action, rather than a planned action, like the marches and boycott. http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2084828

Secondly, your timing is off. My comment was made on December 28, 2012; President Obama’s Seneca Falls to Selma Speech was first referenced in a commencement speech at Barnard College made on May 14, 2012. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/14/obama-s-barnard-college-commencement-speech-win.html

If you’re going to tell a story, it would be helpful if your story dealt in truth.
 

aolwien

(71 posts)
6. Considering that most conversations in this country
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:21 AM
Sep 2013

revolve around football and "what celebrity did what, wore what, did who, at X awards show" then yeah I'd say anybody actually engaged and knowledgeable about the political process is an activist.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
9. that's a great point. i used to think that we needed to find a way to engage
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:27 AM
Sep 2013

people in policy/politics in a similar compulsive/geeky vein as sports fans engage.

well, i see that here everyday. the only downside is that we also tend to behave as if we're promoting our sports team...but hey, it's a start!

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)
7. My sense is the lurker/poster ratio on DU and GD in particular is high
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:25 AM
Sep 2013

This is a tough room and an intimidating place to post for n00bs, there's a lot of landmines to trip over here that will get you blasted and not have a clue what you did.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
15. i think there's also a lot of lurkers who aren't rank-and-file
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:47 AM
Sep 2013

politics is idea-driven. this is an incredibly powerful place to reality-check ideas, see what's trending, and take the temperature of party people throughout the country.

totally agree too that there's a steep learning curve to GD. it's a slugfest for sure.

CrispyQ

(36,231 posts)
10. I consider DU my training for activism.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:36 AM
Sep 2013

I come here to learn, to exchange ideas, to get ammunition & sources for when I am out "activating." Without DU, I would not as an effective activist.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
12. me too -- eggsactly.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:42 AM
Sep 2013

we can look at engagement as a two-way street. we want to engage other people and electeds...but we also have to engage ourselves. DU helps me define my priorities and refine my thinking with a very sharp audience. it's incredibly valuable to me.

rrneck

(17,671 posts)
11. I think it's an important part of activism.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:40 AM
Sep 2013

Posting here is support for the best activism there is - putting your ass in the street. Ten thousand tweets is nothing compared to a hundred people walking down lower Broadway with signs.

 

randome

(34,845 posts)
13. At its best, it's activism. But it's also everything from an echo chamber...
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:45 AM
Sep 2013

...to a mutual masturbation party.

Your mileage may vary.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
19. if by echo chamber you mean 'toeing the party line'...
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:51 AM
Sep 2013

which is the usual definition of echo chamber...then I'd have to disagree. there's those who come here to defend and pleasure the party's leadership, but if that were the only discourse available here there'd only be 100 or so posters.

Vanje

(9,766 posts)
50. Get what you can from the 'echo chamber'
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:25 PM
Sep 2013

Learn some stuff.
Get comfortable asserting yourself.
Hone your points.

THEN, take it to a larger world

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
20. Eh....no. This is a nice website for Democrats, but this isn't what I would call
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:51 AM
Sep 2013

'activism.' For example, I don't think the people whose posted here in support of Occupy were activists. I think the people actually on the street were the activists.

But I could be wrong. It might be a generational thing.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
25. i was actually doing both -- but that misses the point
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:00 AM
Sep 2013

there's a difference btwn engagement and mobilization. activists know that you need both.

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
49. I am glad you are doing both. But I wouldn't ever think my posting on DU is a satisfactory
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:25 PM
Sep 2013

replacement for pavement pounding.

leftstreet

(36,081 posts)
27. Being 'on the streets' is an outdated concept
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:04 AM
Sep 2013

The was a time when the commons had little means of communication

Technology has changed that

Look at the recent public outcry over Syria. No massive street protests that I recall

 

Maedhros

(10,007 posts)
43. Agree completely.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:15 PM
Sep 2013

The street protests of the 60s and 70s were an attempt to bring the people's message to the media of the time, since the networks were doing what they always do and presenting only establishment voices on issues like civil rights and the Vietnam War. Taking to the streets in large numbers demanded coverage on the news (and we actually had NEWS back then), and the people woke up when they saw the demonstrations on the television.

The PTB learned their lesson well. These days, any coverage of street demonstrations completely ignores the message of the demonstrators and focuses on negative factors such as vandalism and police response. Marches and street protests now serve as motivational events for the participants - which is important - but in terms of changing peoples' minds they do not accomplish much. One typically has one's mind made up about the demonstrators before they hit the street - e.g. liberals will denounce Tea Party rallies, and conservatives will denounce anti-war rallies, without either group paying the least bit of attention to the content of the demonstration.

 

Maedhros

(10,007 posts)
53. Occupy was something of an anomaly - its message certainly resonated with the public.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:32 PM
Sep 2013

But I think the message of Occupy was spread more via social media than news coverage. The news was all about the problems in the encampments and police response.



nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
97. it's actually a great example of the power of social media to organize
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 07:36 PM
Sep 2013

and i could write a thesis on the constellation of ways that people mobilized from Occupy... and stayed mobilized.

i like what you said about 'ritual' with occupy -- you might not have used that term, but the idea that people needed to go somewhere to nurture engagement. it's so true. we've lost our public spaces and our culture of gathering in non-retail contexts. like, it's okay to talk at a coffee shop...within certain boundaries. but gathering at a park and meeting people of all ages from all walks of life who are motivated by similar interests...that was pretty powerful.

 

Maedhros

(10,007 posts)
98. It is exactly that aspect of Occupy that, in my opinion, moves it beyond a "protest"
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 07:51 PM
Sep 2013

and into some other territory. Anomalous and, for all its warts, an incredibly powerful movement that changed how the average citizen thinks - and talks - about class stratification.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
94. Occupy was a hybrid, and much of the best stuff flew under the radar
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 07:22 PM
Sep 2013

for exactly the reason stated above -- that the media focused on black bloc. I'd also add that the tactic of getting a lot of people out in the street lends itself to being sideswiped by people who don't share your values or worse.



 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
46. Um, no. Voters being denied the right to vote don't need your tweets. They need poll monitors.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:23 PM
Sep 2013

People who need to go to the polls can't do it via the Internet--they need people in cars. People denied the right to meaningful franchise because of gerrymandering don't need you to post on Facebook about it--they need you to walk the streets, and rally the voters, and be an active constituent.

Technology has changed what, precisely? Sure, you can sip a latte and post all you want thanks to the glory of the Internets, but if you aren't getting voters to the polls, and protecting those voters, and expanding the franchise, you are doing nothing for actual democracy.

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)
66. "Um," You're drawing arbitrary lines.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:13 PM
Sep 2013

Ask Egypt what technology has changed.

Community, consensus building, think tanking, planning, communication? Your argument is all of that can only be achieved in person?

Nonsense. No one thinks that. Occupy itself arose on the Internet, in chatrooms, Facebook, and Twitter.

Internet communication and social media are universally recognized as important and effective, from local orgs to national political parties. OFA never hesitates to take credit for its high-tech organization, which many think gave a significant advantage in both elections. You don't think the Obama administration is naive or engaging in wishful thinking as to the power of digital communication, do you?

If you need further proof, look no further than the frantically shouting centrist true believers right here on DU, desperately trying to convince everyone that the recent shifts to the left are imaginary, and have nothing to do with online communication and organization.

It's a self-defeating argument. If what they were saying were true, they wouldn't bother saying it.

They are terrified that the public is speaking in new and uncomfortably inconvenient ways.

We just backed off another hot war in the Middle East and rejected a Wall Street elite for Fed Chair. A few years ago marriage equality was not something the Obama administration was willing to discuss. These shifts didn't come about because the usual monied interests changed their minds. Public opinion, most visible now on the Internet, shifted policy.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.”


― Mahatma Gandhi

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
82. +10000000 -- Arab Spring is the prime example of social media activism.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:36 PM
Sep 2013

Occupy is our own version of that phenomena.

And with Occupy you had the exact same people who FOUND us thru social media, trying to sabotage our social media efforts b/c of the false notion that if you're not "on the ground" you don't matter.

I'll say the same thing here that I said to the "OTG-centric" Occupiers: this movement is a marathon and to survive you need everybody: working moms, students, seniors and anyone else you can interest, who are willing to work at their own pace doing that which they are capable of.

that definitely includes showing solidarity through social media and getting the message out effectively. it includes making sure that everyone knows about events that are happening. it means circulating sign-on letters and getting that information to our electeds. it's all about communication, basically. without that, you've got nuthin.

leftstreet

(36,081 posts)
68. When, and if, people are worried about it, they'll respond
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:14 PM
Sep 2013

Not sure your example is a good one. Half the eligible voters don't vote, so obviously it's not a huge concern. And given that Congress has a favor ability rating somewhere south of a colonoscopy, we can guess a certain percentage of people don't currently see 'voting' as a right worth protecting

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
78. if you want to "rally" voters, the best place to do that is social media
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:14 PM
Sep 2013

b/c you're not going to find them "on the streets." which streets by the way? Main Street? Market Street? 56th Avenue? Are you randomly walking up to people to "rally" them? Do you have your own VAN access and run your own GOTV operation? probably not -- more likely you work with people who do that, and find volunteers...wait for it...thru social media, in addition to other traditional forms of networking.

i've done quite a bit of voter mobilization and poll watching, and I can tell you that hardly anyone accepts rides to the polls anymore. what folks DO need is accurate information on how to early vote...something that social media is VERY good at disseminating.

it's also effective to use social media to join up with mobilization activities in your area -- that's how we get the word out, b/c we can't rely on the media to do 100% of it for us. thru social media you get your door-knockers who will then spend every saturday knocking on doors and asking that people USE SOCIAL MEDIA to continue to get the word out.



woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
52. Yup.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:30 PM
Sep 2013

Not outdated in terms of gaining attention for specific causes, of course.

But clearly the vast majority of reaching and educating people re:issues now happens online.

Thank you for making this important point.

Response to woo me with science (Reply #52)

Vanje

(9,766 posts)
55. Depends on where you live too
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:35 PM
Sep 2013

I could occupy Owyhee County Idaho, but I'd be the only one.
Also My state is redder than red, died in the wool Republican.
Its pretty limited what one can do here. There is some work here, for a few local races and issues, but for national offices, I work to get out the vote in my nearby home state of Oregon.

Re: Rural Idaho; There are a LOT of Latinos. (40% of the populace in my small town).There is some Dem effort to reach out , but not much. Not nearly enough

Rural people have different activism options than city folks.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
92. this is one of those things that we were very optimistic about in grad school
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 03:32 PM
Sep 2013

back in the early 90s when we knew that networked "online" culture would happen, but we didn't know how it would happen, or what it would look like.

i did social theory and the most obvious thing was that networking would bring people closer and multiply opportunity for participatory democracy.

hell, i used to have to drive to the indie bookstore (we were lucky to have one) to buy NY Times and Washington Post on Sunday. It was such a big day for me every week. Now i get 100x that information in my twitter feed every day.

BainsBane

(53,003 posts)
24. It can be a springboard for activism
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:00 AM
Sep 2013

If one uses DU to organize people for outreach, letter writing campaigns, or organizing protests.
Posting here is not in and of itself activism. That would be like saying sitting around in your living room talking to your friends is activism. If you don't use that gathering as a springboard for political engagement of some kind, it's not activism.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
26. sitting around your living rarely engages thousands of people at a time...
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:04 AM
Sep 2013

unless you have a really big living room and an active social life.

also, rarely does your living attract party leaders...unless you have a really elite social life.

if you go down to your local community organizing group's office they will tell you that they need people to work social media and if they're good, they'll spend the time to explain SEO to you and why it's so important.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
37. we're all welcome to have our own private definitions of things, but
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:02 PM
Sep 2013

pragmatically you look to the real world for correspondence to determine the truth of a matter.

it's great that you take activism beyond *engagement* to *mobilization.* but there's plenty of need for engagement on a national level. there's need to have informed writers. there's need to mobilize social media strategy. and there's need to refine messages and test ideas. all of these things are activism.

clearly there's a desire for some within the party to not be bothered by what rank-and-file folks think about policy. like George W. Bush said, this would all be much easier if we lived in a dictatorship. that way the party would go about their business and the rest of us could just live with it.

but that's how we end up with unengaged members who don't mobilize to vote or turn out to events. the order of operations is identify > engage > mobilize. we do all three to some degree or another.

BainsBane

(53,003 posts)
38. okay, I agree the party doesn't bother much with what the rank and file thinks
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:04 PM
Sep 2013

but if the message is confined to this site, how do they even know what we think?

Believe me, I'm not portraying myself as an activist. I'm not. I call my representatives and canvas during the election season. I'm looking to become more involved on gun control, but I don't think anything I do rises to the level of activism. I think of activists as people who are truly engaged in a full-fledged way with an issue, like a friend of mine who runs a free college for undocumented students and protests relentlessly for immigrant rights. She uses social media and works in communities.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
44. engagement is the first step! :) you're more of an activist than you know!
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:18 PM
Sep 2013

And, if gun control is your area of policy interest, then (wow!) please take your experience from DU out into the world.

as I volunteer with community organizations, one of the things that we *always* need are people who're engaged enough to work on "rapid response." With gun control there's a constant need to have people taking that message out in LTEs and social media. There's fundraising. There's opportunities for meeting with electeds and telling your story to larger audiences.

It really is activism. Just b/c you're not paid for it, or haven't devoted your life to it (yet!) doesn't mean it's not! and you'd be amazed how much impact you can have. we hear talking points from professional activists all the time. the world needs to hear from real people who're putting their own narrative out there.

there's ways to step your game, but doing the first two things...identifying yourself and engaging...is necessary to going further.

 

Maedhros

(10,007 posts)
45. Do casual visitors to the site, and lurkers, count as "outside DU?"
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:20 PM
Sep 2013

Because there are a lot of people who drop in and form opinions from following threads. Engaged debate within a thread can have a ripple effect - the visitors then share their opinions with coworkers, family, friends, etc.

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)
70. The composition of views on DU get noticed.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:19 PM
Sep 2013

And there is a broad spectrum of comment here, certainly the entire gamut of the Democratic Party and then some. The site is not some conservative echo chamber dungeon, just chanting soundbites and bumper stickers. We're not just talking to liberals, or just to party insiders, or just to lurking conservative trolls.

Everyone is in here, discussing, debating, arguing policy, news events, politicians. And it gets bloody in here, as I think you can attest.

None of which is to say activism doesn't comprise all of the other things it always has. But it simply isn't true that doorknocking and phone-banking and protest marches are the only "real" activism anymore.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
74. DU is often at the very top of google searches.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:38 PM
Sep 2013

It allows discussion and persuasion in a way that standing on a street corner with leaflets could not hope to accomplish.

Note that it's the very same crew that naysays Occupy (and who, by the way, relentlessly attack liberal Democrats here and defend every corporate outrage coming out of this administration) who now argue that only "on the street" activism is capable of getting things done.

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)
122. Noticed that. And apparently, some who argue so loudly that
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 08:32 AM
Sep 2013

left-oriented critique on this forum is a bad thing that will "depress voter turnout" or "hand Republicans a win" are right here, claiming it's not activism.

Which is it? Ineffective navel gazing, or destructive disloyalty?

Can't be both, I think.

 

randome

(34,845 posts)
30. Strange. Some have been quite apoplectic about defining 'journalist'.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:12 AM
Sep 2013

Yet here we are defining 'activism'.

Not sure what that means but there may be some irony at the core.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)
123. Don't both argue for the broadest definitions?
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 08:37 AM
Sep 2013

On the contrary, some here deciding that DU isn't activism are the same who would decide who can and cannot be a journalist.

Both would narrow the categories of whose speech matters. Pretty rightwing idea, that.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
39. yes, there's some here would like us to think that.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:05 PM
Sep 2013

unfortunately for them, that's not the case. fortunately, for the rest of us, we do amazing things here.

 

Maedhros

(10,007 posts)
48. Given the deep disagreements on things like elective war, chained CPI, cabinet appointments,
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:23 PM
Sep 2013

the TPP and other issues, this place is hardly an echo chamber.

Exchange of snark? Yes, I'd like to see more substantive discussion and less sneering.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
85. i know, right? an echo chamber would actually be much more peaceful!
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:43 PM
Sep 2013

we're more like a sports stadium with during playoffs with non-stop marching bands, cheerleaders, dancing bears and deafening crowd noise.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
89. It's not always an echo chamber
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 03:17 PM
Sep 2013

But it can be, don't you think?

The other times, snark reigns supreme!

I find this board very valuable, and I enjoy my discussions here. I just wouldn't call it activism.

 

Maedhros

(10,007 posts)
90. I suppose my point is that even if it is not activism,
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 03:28 PM
Sep 2013

participation in online forums generates meaningful debate that can have an impact on peoples' views of the issues. Online communities are an important way of getting information to people that is routinely ignored by the media.

FredStembottom

(2,928 posts)
41. Thanks so much n_brook
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:12 PM
Sep 2013

I needed to hear this.
I get discouraged by the Disruption Swarm that exists just to spit on Democrats with Democratic values. They are very prolific. And I never, ever expected the Spanish Inquisition just for having traditional values. And to get that treatment [/]here has stunned me at times.

I hadn't quite caught up to the "it isn't activism" meme as just the latest tactic of the No Values squad.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
57. seriously, it's the lack of "values" messaging that has screwed us
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:36 PM
Sep 2013

it's at the center of the work need to do.

i get discouraged too, especially when i see folks being told they don't matter. it's the first move that people make when they're coming for your wallet, or your rights or your dignity...and for sure dems don't need to be doing it to our own.

i've been at this long enough to recognize that those silencing moves are meant to discourage, which means you're doing something right.

FredStembottom

(2,928 posts)
61. !
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:42 PM
Sep 2013

Let's all talk to each other more often.
Lots of Noobs must be shocked and discouraged by the Group ( new term catching on that I like).
We need to work around the noise and keep ourselves and new folks engaged.

hfojvt

(37,573 posts)
56. the audience is NOT larger
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:35 PM
Sep 2013

at least not for me.

This post, about the glories of activism on DU, is getting a lot of replies and a lot of views. My own efforts at activism, you know, trying to get people to care about progressive taxes, get far, far fewer replies and thus far fewer views.

As many as 5,000 people might read one of my LTTEs in the local paper. More in some other papers I have written in, like the KC Star or the Des Moines Register.

Not sure if anything I have ever written has ever changed a single mind though. Sure doesn't seem to on DU. And these are people who supposedly already largely agree with me.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
59. If it weren't considered effective activism by the PTB,
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:38 PM
Sep 2013


we would not be treated to the daily, absurd, and unnaturally growing presence of the propaganda/disruption machine.

leftstreet

(36,081 posts)
71. +1
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:23 PM
Sep 2013

That's probably why M$M and tv programming has no depth or perspective

Gone are the days when you could find investigative reports and counterpoint discussions on the tv/radio. It's becoming one giant Sham-Wow! spectacle of Orwellian talking points

The propagandists know that when media becomes interactive, the people have the control

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
60. There are all sorts of activism.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:41 PM
Sep 2013

Some have more effect on elections than others. Everyone does what they see fit with regard to their activism.

That's how it always has been. DU postings are relatively low on the scale of effectiveness. It's in the preaching to the choir category.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
64. If I can do it from my toilet, it's not activism
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 12:56 PM
Sep 2013

That's right, with a smartphone you can post on DU from the toilet, bed, lounge chair next to the pool......

The term you are looking for is Slactivism. Sure there are some well thought out posts, but nothing really gets done on DU. DU can be a tool for activists, but in and of itself it's not true activism.

Ps. Signing petitions, emailing congress, and calling the Capitol Switchboard are not activism either.

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)
72. You can phone bank or organize a march from the toilet too.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:26 PM
Sep 2013

So what?

I think you're feeling some tool bias here, NW. Just because instant, worldwide communication is easy doesn't mean it's ineffective.

Occupy would not have happened without Internet chat, Facebook, and Twitter. It terrified the PTB, because it seemingly erupted out of nowhere. Shoe leather's great, but it simply doesn't have the capacity to unite huge numbers on specific issues in such a short time.

I also don't see where you can say petitions, e-mail and phone calls aren't activism either. Activist orgs put massive energy into getting constituents to reach out to legislators. They all -- and especially Congress -- carefully track opinion polling and constituent phone calls. They modify their speeches and positions accordingly, because public opinion is the lifeblood of any elected figure.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
79. The key to Activism is Active/Action
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:17 PM
Sep 2013

n.
The use of direct, often confrontational action, such as a demonstration or strike, in opposition to or support of a cause.


DU is passive in nature. You can get tasered on DU. You can't have police dogs turned on you. You can't break a police line on DU. Sure, you can plan to meet and storm the line, but that's when you've become Active. I dare say most here are not actively trying to change anything.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
86. so activism for you is getting tazed, chased by dogs and arrested.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:47 PM
Sep 2013

no wonder there's so few people doing it by your estimation.

Uncle Joe

(58,112 posts)
99. First comes the thought
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 08:01 PM
Sep 2013



First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.

Napoleon Hill

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/napoleonhi393412.html#jhveSdhogdXQhRJB.99





http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/activism?s=t

noun
1. the doctrine or practice of vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations, protests, etc.
2. Philosophy .
a. a theory that the essence of reality is pure activity, especially spiritual activity, or process.
b. a theory that the relationship between the mind and the objects of perception depends upon the action of the mind.



Those thoughts can come regardless of where you are, even on the toilet, if you upload them to the Internet then you have altered the objects of perception by the actions of your mind.

Here's another thought your subconcious mind works best when you're relaxed, that's one of the powers of meditation or selp-hypnosis.

No doubt many great earth changing thoughts came about when the thinker was relaxed.

grasswire

(50,130 posts)
69. Those who work diligently to inform us on DU are certainly activists
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:19 PM
Sep 2013

People such as Catherina, Kpete, WillyT, Octafish, Fire Walk With Me, Omaha Steve, Dkf -- day after day they bring us articles that are critical to Democratic issues and/or our understanding of the news of the day.

Informing DU is valuable activism.

 

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)
73. Preaching to the chior may be important, but it isn't activism
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 01:35 PM
Sep 2013

It is sharing information that can be used in activism, and that is very important. But what happens within this site is of no consequence at all by itself. It is only when DU members become activists OUTSIDE this bubble that we have an impact.

There are clearly many people here who do exactly that, and I applaud every one of you.

And there are others who I suspect never get far enough away from their keyboard to accomplish much of anything.

Please spare me your daggers and arrows. If the shoe fits, wear it. It the shoe does not fit, then don't take offense. I'm not talking about you.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
75. i'd argue that there's a difference btwn "preaching," "teaching" and "reaching" the choir
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:03 PM
Sep 2013

On one level it's just you and me exchanging ideas (preaching).

On another level, it's you and me moving each other to action -- trading best practices (teaching).

And on yet another level, it's you and me pushing messaging, and *trending* ideas that are paid attention to by party leaders and other decision makers when they need to take the temperature of the people on the ground (outreaching).

Many in the party would like for Dem activism to all be focused outside of the party. Something that DU offers that is unique is that our activism is focused on both outside and inside the party.

 

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)
108. You can't have activism without action -- action outside this bubble
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:35 PM
Sep 2013

When people are simply keyboard warriors inside this space and don't actually do anything outside this space, it is not activism. It is just a club.

Uncle Joe

(58,112 posts)
109. This "bubble" is open to anyone
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 11:52 PM
Sep 2013


First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.

Napoleon Hill

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/napoleonhi393412.html#jhveSdhogdXQhRJB.99






http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/activism?s=t

noun
1. the doctrine or practice of vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations, protests, etc.
2. Philosophy .
a. a theory that the essence of reality is pure activity, especially spiritual activity, or process.
b. b a theory that the relationship between the mind and the objects of perception depends upon the action of the mind.



Typing, reading, communicating ideas, motivating and influencing are actions, that carry beyond this bubble.

People come and go, lurkers read and are influenced and the message is spread

I'm not by any means suggesting that phone banking, knocking on doors to get out the vote, protesting, raising and contributing money aren't activist but writing your sincere ideas and debating their merit for all the world to see and spread most certainly is activist.
 

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)
110. Few come here who aren't already part of the club.
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 12:05 AM
Sep 2013

Activism doesn't happen here. Nothing wrong with thinking of this as a good home base when you need information or need a boost of enthusiasm. But activism doesn't happen inside here. You have to go outside the clubhouse to be an activist.

And that really isn't asking a whole lot. It means:

- Calling your representatives
- Emailing your friends and colleagues
- Attending local events, such as town halls
- Writing letters to the editor -- yeah, newspapers still exist
- Donating to or volunteering for progressive candidates
- Etc

I'd like to think that the majority of people here do some of those things, and therefore can rightfully call themselves activists.

Uncle Joe

(58,112 posts)
111. The second sentence of your first paragraph partly makes my point
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 12:22 AM
Sep 2013


Activism doesn't happen here. Nothing wrong with thinking of this as a good home base when you need information or need a boost of enthusiasm. But activism doesn't happen inside here. You have to go outside the clubhouse to be an activist.



But it's more than just getting information or enthusiasm, it's the spreading of ideas and debating them, that's the crux.

The Founders believed in the power of debate, no doubt that's why the 1st Amendment is the 1st Amendment.

Now if one wants to live in a bubble, just get your news and information from the corporate media; where debate is heavily skewed toward one side or non-existent.

Influence is power, no one knows that better than the corporate media and that's why they're attacking the Internet ie: by trying to kill Net Neutrality, they want turn the Web in to cable television.

The corporate media knows the Internet is a powerful contending counter to their corporate supremacist propaganda, they also know our power and influence is growing virtually every day as more people log on and come up through school familiar with the Net from when they were just a child.

Propaganda is power and countering it is activism.



Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)
118. Nice.
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 06:44 AM
Sep 2013

"Influence is power, no one knows that better than the corporate media and that's why they're attacking the Internet ie: by trying to kill Net Neutrality, they want turn the Web in to cable television."

 

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)
127. Debating (or agreeing) among ourselves is not activism
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 09:56 AM
Sep 2013

It may be good training for when we actually go outside the bubble and engage with people who aren't already in the club. But activism does not begin until you actually engage somebody who is not already in the club.

I don't mean to be pedantic, but I cannot let people perpetuate the myth that typing snarky messages to fellow DUers is actually activism. It isn't. You have to get outside to be an activist.

Uncle Joe

(58,112 posts)
128. We are not just ourselves, we're everybody that reads D.U. lurkers and even would be trolls that
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 12:06 PM
Sep 2013

read D.U. and have their own pre-concieved ideas altered or influenced by our debate.

Furthermore I never said that "snarky messages" were activism, I said that our publicly debating sincere held beliefs and ideas is activism.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
77. I think it's more of an "activity" than activism. It's like going down to the park and sitting in
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:11 PM
Sep 2013

the sun, or going over to the diner for a cup of coffee, or hanging around the barbershop, and having a chat with a few pals.

You learn a little something, you might impart a little something....but "activism?"

Not by my definition of the word, sorry. That's a bit of a stretch.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
95. there's certainly posters here who come to shoot the shit
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 07:31 PM
Sep 2013

and i totally cop to not being in that category.

but there's also people who're engaged in rhetoric, developing messages, and intending to sway opinion. there's also those take that messaging so seriously that big flame wars start. if it wasn't impactful, there wouldn't be tussle.

granted that beyond engagement we need folks to mobilize, and i'm particularly happy when i see issues brought here like immigration and tax reform that require a simple action like calling a rep on a patch-through line, or linking to an online issue site that serves both as an action (such as signing on) and education through sharing the link with others. Social Security issues have benefitted from this model as have worker's rights issues such as the Our Walmart campaign.

DonCoquixote

(13,615 posts)
81. education is activism
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:29 PM
Sep 2013

I will confess, I would probably still be a "centrist" if not for reading DU, which shows points of view that not even the "far left" of media tends to cover.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
84. great example. i might not have taken an active interest in election reform
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:39 PM
Sep 2013

were it not for coming here in 2004 and getting educated about how central that issue is to the larger goals.

community organizers get funded for "education" b/c it's central to our work. some organizations do nothing but education. it's a BIG piece of the activist pie.

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
83. A few people here have a 'Poo Poo on DU' agenda.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 02:38 PM
Sep 2013

You can tell them by the foam over your OP. SO for that reason, it gets a big Kick and Rec from me!

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
91. strange that it's even disputed...but glad it's being examined and hopefully
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 03:28 PM
Sep 2013

people don't believe the BS.

Starry Messenger

(32,342 posts)
100. We can tell from thread views that several more people read here than post.
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 08:18 PM
Sep 2013

Keeping people informed enough about political issues absolutely is activism. I know my own arc of political life has been affected in major ways over the past 8 years I've been a member here.

Also I was just on Facebook, where I found my cousin had reposted DU's photo of the day, which was itself shared by Rachel Maddow's fan page, so this OP is particularly relevant at the moment.

Hydra

(14,459 posts)
101. DU is activism
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 08:38 PM
Sep 2013

And it's interesting to see the people who say it isn't. They claim to be busy in the outside world doing political things, but their first thought is that the DUers they don't agree with is that they are keyboard warriors.

Very curious. I've learned a lot of what I activize with here from articles posted, discussions and cross links. I also activize here on subjects that I think are important when I have the time, because I used to lurk, so I know people are lurking and listening and having their opinions formed by what they are reading here.

Smells like desperation to me. Probably because 3rd Way only polls 16% favorable. That's even less than GWB the Unelected.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
102. i think there's issues that make more sense to explore online, too
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 09:12 PM
Sep 2013

tech and national mobilizations kinda demand online engagement. it doesn't make a lot of sense to work those issues on the local level b/c the levers don't reside locally to make action meaningful.

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
104. I have been one to say …
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 09:52 PM
Sep 2013

That posting on an anonymous message board wouldn’t qualify as “activism”; but your OP has me re-thinking that, somewhat. As one that grew up and around folks that did the sit-ins and demonstrations, took to the streets to register voters, etc., this social media thing is relatively new … As misanthrope mentioned … it might be a generational thing.

While nothing will replace the actual face to face, get on the phone, “ knock and drag” activism, DU does serve, as many have mentioned, a vital “test your metal” and refine your message proving ground function among other politically engaged folks … the two can, and should, go hand in hand. But, I fear too many will post and call it a day.

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts)
125. it's the "engagement" piece of activism
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 09:03 AM
Sep 2013

using the sit-ins analogy, I'm sure people attended meetings for quite some time before the actual events. Of the 100% of the people who attended the meetings to learn, there were maybe 5% who self-selected to do the action, and 3% who made it all the way through training to do the action. Everyone else went out and talked to people at church to teach the message. Or took the idea to another city. Or, they might have spent time with their family educating them about why this was going to be important and why the protestors needed support. The 97% of people who didn't make it all the way to doing the actual sit-in served a very important purpose of lifting up and supporting those who did. In other words, they were engaged.

One of the my criticisms of Occupy was that there wasn't enough focus on how much planning and how much support you need to pull of effective actions. Unless you were on the ground with an Occupy you might not know that nearly every day there were demonstration. We did a mock water boarding at an Army recruiters office. There were bank blockades. Marches every other day, it seemed.

The marches and actions that were effective took a few weeks to get the word out through social media, leafleting and some lucky media coverage before the event. They were raging successes b/c in addition to the 40 or so core Occupiers, we had 2,500 "engaged" people who got the message and showed up. They had no intention of sleeping in the park, but it was their numbers that made the work historic.

Douglas Carpenter

(20,226 posts)
107. it is not necessarily activism - but it can be and sometimes, perhaps frequently is
Mon Sep 23, 2013, 10:30 PM
Sep 2013

a newsletter going on to healthcare providers is not usually providing direct healthcare to the community but it informs and raises awareness about issue that many providers may not otherwise be adequately informed about and this sometimes motivates the providing of healthcare to the community.

To the extent that posting on DU either motivates people to action or on some slight level contributes to the general shift in consciousness toward a more progressive understanding of the world - well that is part of the real body politic.

JoeyT

(6,785 posts)
120. Not to mention that when I signed up for DU
Tue Sep 24, 2013, 07:04 AM
Sep 2013

an administrator didn't come to my house and physically chain me to the table my computer is on to prevent me from ever going offline. It's perfectly possible to engage in activism here AND to engage in it offline too. If nothing else, DU makes informed activism possible.

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