[lit-ideas] Re: How to Draw a Crowd
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:01:50 -0600
EY:
*Maintain the integrity of the subgroup. If your subgroup of, say,
Filipino-Americans is resisting their Filipino-American identity and they
increasingly prefer to think of themselves as just plain Americans, it's
important to identify (or manufacture) instances around which the
Filipino-American "community" can unite.
Yes, it's disgusting the way those Filipino-Americans allow themselves to be
led out of the Garden of Paradise into the vale of ressentiment. But if
people are willing to be convinced that they are not flourishing, their
contentment to the contrary, then what can you do? Those wily
Filipino-American leaders lead their people from demand to demand like
shyster shepherds, demanding they all flock together or wander lost forever
on a cattle farm.
Compared to Eric, I suspect that I have a lot less estimation of people's
selflessness. It's damn hard to get people with real grievances to get out
of their easy chair and petition their leaders, much less convince people
who are happy with their social situation to take up arms. "I've got mine,
everything's fine" seems to be a transcendent political maxim. So if they
are a people in the streets, they probably really feel aggrieved (at least a
little) and aren't there out of school spirit.
As far as rabble rousing goes, well, outside agitators know that in a
democracy numbers matter. Rouse ye up, you Rabble. To the barricades!
Biggest crowd wins! Are all the Rabble Rousers honorable men? I suspect
about as honorable as any klatch of priests, police, professors, poets or
politicians. Tits on a bull until bollocks are needed then they're very
useful.
I agree with everyone so far, today economic disparity is the number one
issue. Racial discrimination in the past (recent past at that) is largely
responsible for the economic disparity between the races, and class
prejudice is largely responsible for intra-racial economic disparity. Class
still plays are large role in the growing economic disparity. Class
prejudice that vehemently defends an economic system that rewards the least
needy the most. I would tell you how to solve this problem, but you'd have
to kill me then.
Mike Geary
Memphis
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eric Yost" <mr.eric.yost@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 9:48 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: How to Draw a Crowd
Simon: If you see these leaders as being in a position to ensure that such
measurement remains, then I'm not sure you recognise the problem. When you
can accuse such leaders of measuring what isn't there ...
I know this is taking Donal's joking quote, transforming it into a
diatribe, and then arguing the merits of the diatribe ... but why not?
In my opinion, the activists and self-appointed spokespeople for subgroups
have gone the way of the revolution in _Animal Farm_. What began as a
noble demand for equality changed into an institutionalization of
lobbyists seeking self-enrichment under the banner of social progress.
There are plenty of laws on the books, plenty of lawyers ready to argue
cases, and a general sensibility that racial discrimination is both wrong
and, in many cases, illegal. Done deal.
Economic inequality is the most pervasive inequality right now and that's
not something that can be legislated away. So racism is promoted instead.
As our recent election shows, Americans are quite ready to think in terms
of "best candidate" rather than "candidate of my subgroup," but there's no
way to milk that cow.
So what do activists (i.e., lawyers and lobbyists) do?
*Maintain the integrity of the subgroup. If your subgroup of, say,
Filipino-Americans is resisting their Filipino-American identity and they
increasingly prefer to think of themselves as just plain Americans, it's
important to identify (or manufacture) instances around which the
Filipino-American "community" can unite.
*Resist the melting pot at all costs. The Mexican activist group called La
Rasa ("The Race" ... hmm ... fancy that) has a name that says it all.
An alternative to _Animal Farm_ is for people to expect equal treatment as
individuals right now.
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