Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has - are
words attributed to Margaret Meade. That is all they are... just words.
Some live by them, most nod their heads and agree, then make up excuses
not to show up at the next rally, not to do or say things differently. Most agree that the streets should be clean, then throw the first wrapping or piece of plastic on the ground to avoid holding it in their hands to the nearest bin. Same with parking, cleaning up after your dog or enacting legislation... or any rule really - It's good as long as it is in my favor or as long as someone else does it for me
To those who are against
protesting because it never changes anything: You are all idiots in the most basic sense of the word ("idiotas" in old Greek meaning one who withdraws from public life).
Why is it that whenever you
mention protesting for a change to the system, the first reaction you get is that
protesting never changes anything and that only a fool would try to change the
system?
The system changes all the time! But idiots never notice or never
give it a second thought, worried about something trivial or cosmetic. Whenever a new policy is enacted or law passed that
changes the rules of the game, it usually appears so natural that you
never give a second thought to it or its implications. The government is always
changing the rules of the game to favor itself and to leave you out of it,
especially if the constitution does not account for whatever it is that’s
changing. If, for example, your constitution was written when there were no computers or
internet, then whatever freedom of speech or privacy you are guaranteed in the
constitution might not find itself applied to the digital realm. That is why,
for example, no country allows the postal service to read the content of your correspondence,
but even the most developed and consolidated democracies have been OK with reading
your e-mails in recent years.
Changing the system is not some
ideal act that hipsters and anarchists wet dream about. It’s a necessary
update. If you think that some old people from the 90s (1990s, 1890s or 1790s)
knew better about your world than political activists today do, then you’re the problem. Those people were the activists of their time, the "anarchists" who went against the establishment. New realities mean that you NEED to change in order to adapt.
You couldn’t live today according to the laws of Hammurabi, could you? No, and the reason you don’t is because someone went and changed those laws to suit the
new realities. Finland and Estonia guarantee broadband access in their constitutions because this is the reality they want to live in. They don’t care
what vision someone had in the 90s, this is a different time with different problems.
They also didn’t wait for some global disaster to change their ways. They were
simply aware of the world they lived in and decided to tweak their systems in
response. It’s called ‘forward thinking’ and it’s something governments are
generally bad at. That is why you need activism. This is how change happens in any meaningful way. The state or the "establishment" does not care about development as much as about stability and order. True change does not come without forcing a few hands.
To protest is therefore a duty... not every day, not all the time, but for fuck's sake, get off your ass ONCE IN A WHILE and make it known what the world you want to live in is like! Waiting for politicians to act or for others to act for you because you pay taxes is like waiting for your boss to send you on vacation without requesting it. It doesn't happen until you are literally one foot in the grave!
