by hkhn on 7/29/22, 1:41 AM with 2 comments
by anigbrowl on 7/29/22, 2:06 AM
Declarations and expressive argument don't work very well. People may agree, even feel it, but social media is awash in emotional appeals so feelings alone are transient. And the grammar of protest - crowds, banners, megaphones - is well understood and easy for politicians and PR types to deflect. The protests against the Iraq war were probably the largest in history and made no discernible difference to subsequent events. No matter how much people vote with their feet, incumbent politicians can defer meaningful response until the nearest election, and if there is an election already coming up then then there's abundant resources for astroturfing and other manipulative tactics.
Ultimata are more effective, because they attach a price tag to a dysfunctional status quo. But they're hard to issue without leverage, and establishing consensus for traditional levers like a general strike is very difficult. Noncooperation with the impending start of the school year would probably be the most effective approach. Sadly the Guardian, like many media outlets, is good at getting people upset (quite legitimately) but not at giving them any tools with which to act thereon.