July 5, 2012--Revolutions

Appropriately, as July 4th was approaching, earlier in the week, over cortaditos at the Smile, the subject turned--as it often does--to wondering out loud why so many these days seem so politically passive. To be fair this is not so true on the right, especially among Tea Party members and their followers, but for those on the left.

"Where are the mobilizations?" Peggy asked. She had done her share of demonstrating even as a teenager and then later for civil rights, against the war in Vietnam, for woman's rights, and so forth. "With Tweets and Facebook postings they managed to get millions to demonstrate all over the Middle East and even in Russia. But here? Nothing. Except to organize flash mobs to line up overnight at Apple stores to get the latest iPhones or at sneaker shops to get the newest Air Jordans."

"On the front page of the New York Times a few days ago," I noted, "there was an article about politically disenchanted young people. Those who four years ago were enthusiastic supporters of Barack Obama's but who, now, are feeling despair about the economy and their futures, so much so that they are saying that they will either not vote at all or . . ."

"Vote for Mitt Romney," Peggy jumped in to say.

"Exactly," I said.

"So, what do you think is going on?"

"I blame the 24/7 media and right-wing talk radio," Rona said. "They are in competition with each other, as well as with the traditional outlets, to make money and the way they make money is by building audiences. They are thereby in the entertainment business and nothing entertains more than hyperbole and fierce partisan fighting."

"But there's the Internet," Peggy said, "On it anyone anywhere can read the Times or the Guardian or whatever. You not forced to read any of Rupert Murdoch's rags or watch Fox News or, for that matter, MSNBC."

"True, all that and more is available," I conceded, "But most of what's there and in the blogosphere--left as well as right-wing sites--is even more ideological and strident. People, even if they search around, are getting turned off by all the incoherent screaming."

"So what was different in my day?" Peggy asked. "Half a million marched on the Pentagon, whereas now when was the last time there was an anti-war rally? Against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or who knows where else we're fighting?"

"The difference is that most young people, middle class ones, are not in the army. Back in the day there was the draft."

"I agree," Rona said, "Now fewer than one percent are in the service. So 'no one' really cares." She made air quotes.

"But they do care about not having jobs," Peggy said.

"So what are they supposed to do?" Rona sighed, "march on the Department of Commerce?"

"There was the Occupy movement," Peggy insisted.

"And what's with them now?" Rona asked. "When was the last time we heard anything from them?"

"True. Months ago. Maybe it's just that your media are not paying attention to them. To keep their audience--and ad income--they moved on to . . . '

"Stories about the weather," Peggy joined Rona in sighing.

"Is there anything we can learn from previous 'revolutions'?" I asked, also making quotes in the air. "I don't mean the one in 1776 but social revolutions like the civil rights and women's movements."

Peggy and Rona just looked at me so I continued: "Here's what's different about those and the current situation. When it came to civil rights black people felt personally the hurts of discrimination and segregation and the accompanying brutal violence. Pretty much all black people and their white allies. So the movement to desegregate schools and secure voting rights and fight for affirmative action was direct and immediate. A day-by-day, in-your-face reality. Ditto for the women's movement."

"Go on," Peggy said.

"There was a war in Vietnam. One war. And tens of million were directly or potentially affected. So it wasn't so hard to mobilize people for these very personal movements. Yes, people today need jobs. But what's the bumper sticker about it? Where should the lever of change be placed to have a chance of succeeding? Get Congress to pass an infrastructure jobs bill?  March for that? I doubt it. Organize to stop out-sourcing jobs? Who do you confront? Where do you protest? Assuming people could be roused to do so. So passivity and despair and fear are taking hold.  And we are left with the result--inactivity, resignation, and resentment."

With that I reduced Peggy and Rona to resignation and inactivity. So they motioned to the waitress to bring us another round of cortaditos.

We again sat in silence, contemplating all that had passed and what we now faced. Then, looking around at the 20-somethings who are the Smile's clientele, Rona said,"I just hope these kids decide to vote."

"Happy 4th," Peggy said, sipping her coffee.