John Oliver: how to resist the normalization of Trump

Sssh, it’s impolite to interrupt gloating. /s

15 Likes

[quote=“Mindysan33, post:19, topic:89424”]
Little media coverage here or in India?[/quote]

Coverage worldwide i meant. Unless people are filming it on their phones and live streaming then it seems the media aren’t interested, even though you have these huge worker’s rights protests.

[quote=“Mindysan33, post:19, topic:89424”]
These things are tools for organizing, not the organizing itself.[/quote]

I do agree but i just don’t think those tools should be underestimated, it gives a movement a huge advantage over one that doesn’t have access to them. Not just for mobilising people on the street either, i’ve seen many sneer at online petitions and i was one myself but they can work.

1 Like

I think it means more for them to work locally, because that’s where they are going to be able to get the worker protections they need. Not that a global workers movement isn’t important or can’t be organized, but as the old saying goes “think globally, act locally.”

I haven’t done that. But major changes demand more than just tweets, blogs, and the like. None of that means anything if there isn’t real world action. And that real world action has happened well before the age of the internet.

2 Likes

Absolutely but i hate the attitude to so called ‘clicktivism’ as if it’s meaningless and has no weight to it, even if you’re just putting your name to some petition then you’re engaging and it’s a jumping off point. The past is a different country afterall, what worked then will not necessarily work now given ubiquitous surveillance and increasing threats to a free press; you might be getting your own libel laws soon, god forbid.

Sure. But for some that’s as far as their activism actually goes.[quote=“politeruin, post:24, topic:89424”]
The past is a different country afterall
[/quote]

I promise, you don’t have to explain that to a historian. :wink: Also remember that the past isn’t even the past. It lives with us and shapes us, some of us more than others. The ability to ignore history is a privilege that not all of us have.

All the more reason to get out on the streets, yeah? Since the internet will be a good way to pin down people for various kinds of libel.

2 Likes
3 Likes

[quote=“Mindysan33, post:25, topic:89424”]
Sure. But for some that’s as far as their activism actually goes.[/quote]

I’m fine with that really, provided their activism agrees with mine of course. :wink:

Ahh yes, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

[quote=“Mindysan33, post:25, topic:89424”]
All the more reason to get out on the streets, yeah? Since the internet will be a good way to pin down people for various kinds of libel.[/quote]

I feel we’re ever so slightly going around in circles now - how do we protect the internet from this? Why, organising online!

I can’t work out if you’re damning it or endorsing it really. A bit of both? There are some well balanced criticisms and defences though.

Despite the pejorative connotation of the term, a 2011 correlational study conducted by Georgetown University entitled “The Dynamics of Cause Engagement” determined that so-called slacktivists are indeed “more likely to take meaningful actions.”

http://mashable.com/2011/10/24/slactivism-cause-engagement/

Confirmation bias on my part.

1 Like

I can understand first hearing of something on FB or Twitter, and then going to legit sources to look it up; but I cannot fathom just stopping at FB and thinking the info there is somehow “factual.”

Dear Dumbeldore help us, the Dumbening is real, and it’s endangering us all.

8 Likes

Thank you

1 Like

Not really doing either – just injecting some flippant humor into the conversation.

1 Like
4 Likes

Or fail it, if you’re in my class! :wink:

11 Likes

Is there an easy/straightforward way to set up regular donations to ALL of the charities and groups he mentioned? (I’ll do it one-at-a-time if not, but just wanted to ask.)

1 Like

is there a proper mirror to this anywhere?

Band Name!

3 Likes

“Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!”

6 Likes

Yeah, I really wish it didn’t seem like Carlin was right about that bit, but

4 Likes

What I (and probably others) need is the following:

  • Facebook/Twitter/MySpace/Orkut friend posts something awful (racist, sexist, factually incorrect, etc.)
  • I click a button of some sort, and perhaps I classify the post.
  • Based on my classification, a donation is made in the name of the friend in an amount of my choosing.
  • A reply is made to my friend’s post, something like this:

Thank you for sharing your truth. Your words have inspired me to donate to {$Amount} to {$Charity} on your behalf. Peace be with you.

This accomplishes several things:

  • I keep up with the current state of my social network.
  • Money is collected for deserving causes.
  • The amount of garbage in my social feed is reduced either through attrition, training, or both.
  • I get to be both a little snarky and a little productive.

The only problem I can think of is that I’ll need to set a cap for each month or I’ll likely bankrupt myself.

Anyone know of something like this?

13 Likes

But will you? Or are these figurative barricades?

Sometimes what worked in the past works fine in the present as well

1 Like