Our most formidable adversary: apathy?

[snot]

Tonite, I was at an event with some of the most liberal folks in my city. I was a bit shocked to find that even those I considered among the more radical, motivated types seemed to have a kind of throw-up-their hands attitude. A few of them when solicited may have signed a few petitions and maybe even sent a few e-mails. But my sense is that few have brought themselves to do even that much.

Any suggestions re- how to overcome this inertia?

[wli]

1. concrete plans of action

I don't have many guesses of how to actually accomplish anything, but if you've got ideas, trying to push them might do something if it appears vaguely plausible.

Something that changes the rules somehow would definitely help, since coloring within the lines is pretty useless when the neonazis are drawing the lines.

[jobycom]

2. I think that's it. People know that most of what they could do

would have little impact, unless they could get everyone to do it. Come election time, people have a real plan with a visible goal.

[wli]

5. we need to come up with something that has an impact

The only thing I can think of is mass unionization and collective bargaining of a union of 100 million or more people vs. the government.

[Jim Sagle]

3. Not to mention cynicism, fear, fatigue, disinformation, and Diebold.

[OneBlueSky]

4. I'll tell you how to break the apathy . . .

get the unanswered questions about 9/11 out there where people can see them . . .

Americans want (and have a right ) to know the truth about the attacks, whatever it is . . . 9/11 is something people care passionately about, and putting the real facts and the questions they raise out there will most certainly grab their attention . . .

the problem, of course, is that the corporate media won't touch the issue, except peripherally and in line with the "official" story . . . our target audience consists of people who get all their news from television and who believe that what they see and hear on the tube is pretty much the whole story . . . the news they're getting is biased and incomplete, of course, but they don't know that . . . and it's this biased and incomplete "news" that is driving public opinion in the heartland . . . it's a tough obstacle to overcome . . .

[stumblnrose]

6. Liberals are wimps

At least where I live. They have been bought off by home equity, gardening and the comfort of their Subarus.

[OKDem08]

7. D.C. in September?

I was trying to convince my husband tonight that we ought to go. He was skeptical that it would make a difference. He thinks it would be better for us to prepare financially for '08 so we could both take an extended time off work to make a greater influence on the next presidential election.

[ray of light]

9. they're trying to get enough people to surround the white house

and block off the city. The more people who show, the less likely it is that the propaganda news can ignore it. I might even go and I'm flat broke!!!

Just go Friday and come home Saturday night. Then you can still do the 08 stuff.

[BlueIris]

8. Yep. I am physically present at (at least) one protest per week.

And I'm always the youngest (26) person there. It's a bit messed up. All of my ex-friends and other people in my life of the same age are still basically OUT TO LUNCH, wrapped up in their own selfish, myopic "goals" and "priorities." Within careers and lives they'll never be able to enjoy any semblance of if we don't start turing the suicide course around. It's so fucking sad. I can't get them to let go, deal with the "humiliation" of protesting injustice, get organized and get involved. They won't make the sacrifice. Apathy is just plain easier. It enrages me.

[zanne]

10. I think the right-wing is waiting us out.

Their key to total control is the media. By now, we've seen it happen time and again. We finally get some traction (and some hope) with an administration scandal, and one by one, these stories simply fade away and disappear from the media. The administration knows that, in time, all the "bad" stories will go away and people will forget about them once they're replaced with another big story. I've been waiting to hear the latest on Plame/Rove, but the silence is deafening. If that story goes away, I don't know how we can keep hope alive.