Guess why Obama took action on this? Not because hes a good guy that we can all trust. He acted because the people demanded it via mass nonviolent resistance. I think our tendency to think in terms of individual narratives often lead us to grasp at whatever straws we can in order to preserve this naive faith that heroic figures will save us. It vindicates that ol Frederick Douglass quote that power concedes nothing without a demand. Calls for politeness, to just avoid controversy and trust in the fundamental justness of the system (that the status quo is fundamentally okay) ignores the tendency of all power to corrupt. Those in power are only moved to act by forces exerting real power over them. Our institutions will only progress to serve the well-being of all people if the people demand it by using the most powerful tool at our disposal: our overwhelming numbers and our willingness to bravely sacrifice via acts of civil resistance. Bottom line: we can celebrate victories without becoming complacent. We owe no politeness to those in power, and calls for civility generally only serve the status quo. Nevertheless, thanks Obama. Well keep pushing you to do more.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 05:46:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015