political establishment: the problems we face are hard. there is no easy solution. we don't have enough ideas. if only creative ideas weren't a scarce resource
the internet, grassroots movements, anthropologists: here are lots of new ideas on how to organise people, overcome challenges of our day, and distribute resources more equitably and efficiently
political establishment: first of all, how dare you. second of all, shut the fuck up.
@Cocoron @KitRedgrave frankly I think we need to stop pretending that "the institution" is somehow willfully ignorant, even remotely, and assume they have their own end goal and know that they are resisting any sort of change, including those provided by "the internet, grassroots movements, anthropologists" specifically so they can either meet or sustain their end goals, whichever is more applicable, if we ever want to be prepared to fight
@KitRedgrave @Cocoron (keeping you noticed so this can be properly threaded)
let's talk about today's FCC net neutrality crap, since it provides a great example. the biggest problem that everyone on our side has is that we claim that lack of net neutrality somehow is inherently futureless — we are rejecting the possibility that the internet can survive with tiered plans and censorship, which is in fact a real possibility (just look at China!)
it is true that opponents of net neutrality fear it because then they won't be able to maximize their profits with the current business model, and it is true that we think this is unethical and should not be allowed. but as long as we think that by simply saying this should not be allowed we somehow empower the masses to stop it or cause the world to tend in our direction slowly over time, we aren't going to stop it.
politicians nowadays are in a very unique position: the stupidity over antonin scalia proved that politicians don't have to be held accountable to anything and can just do whatever they want, and the trump administration's "everyone who doesn't kiss my ass is bad" policy is being applied by everyone, even those who aren't directly linked with trump. we can't just unplug from reality in our dream policies anymore.
replacing the current economic system is a noble dream, but our first step here should be making our more realistic goals, like maintaining net neutrality, work within the current system, to ease the transition over.
we also must start being more militant in our words; drop the idea that the truth will set us free and start imitating people like glenn beck and rush limbaugh and ceaselessly blast the other side, even via hyperbole and flat out lies.
I've been told that believing what isn't the truth is true will only kill me, but maybe if we *pretend* we can make the right people angry enough to get off their asses and start pitching in
@Cocoron im currently looking forward for telegran to get that call feature working
@Cocoron political establishment: we forgot the part where one of the problems was "we have to maintain the status quo", which none of your solutions involve