Comments on: Another day, another demo http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/ Musings on politics: anti-war, global warming, peak oil and otherwise Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:43:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: DJ http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144274 DJ Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:21:34 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144274 It's not going to move on its own. Excitement is a transformative experience-- a "conversion" if you will-- which is transmitted through personal contact. The really good conversion specialists have studied the methods of the early (18th century) evangelicals, and can convert people on a group level. And no, it doesn't have anything to do with religion. It's a set of techniques, used effectively in many types of groups from political to business to sports. Even Hitler used these same techniques with great success. For most of us, though, it's just one person talking to another-- one new convert at a time. It's much slower and less glamorous that way, but there's nothing more effective. It’s not going to move on its own. Excitement is a transformative experience– a “conversion” if you will– which is transmitted through personal contact.

The really good conversion specialists have studied the methods of the early (18th century) evangelicals, and can convert people on a group level. And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with religion. It’s a set of techniques, used effectively in many types of groups from political to business to sports. Even Hitler used these same techniques with great success.

For most of us, though, it’s just one person talking to another– one new convert at a time. It’s much slower and less glamorous that way, but there’s nothing more effective.

]]> By: Bob Morris http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144266 Bob Morris Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:21:00 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144266 The Sept. 15 antiwar protest in D.C. was especially enthusiastic and animated. Clearly, the movement itself was motivated, a spirit that hasn't as yet moved into the populace at large. The Sept. 15 antiwar protest in D.C. was especially enthusiastic and animated. Clearly, the movement itself was motivated, a spirit that hasn’t as yet moved into the populace at large.

]]> By: DJ http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144263 DJ Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:46:36 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144263 There is no substitute for face-to-face contact-- no short cut for grassroots consensus-building. There is no substitute for face-to-face contact– no short cut for grassroots consensus-building.

]]> By: Bob Morris http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144235 Bob Morris Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:46:35 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144235 Demos do help build the movement and recruit new people, and long-term this is good. But in terms of mass impact, yes, we need something new. Demos do help build the movement and recruit new people, and long-term this is good.

But in terms of mass impact, yes, we need something new.

]]> By: John Couzin http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144226 John Couzin Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:11:37 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/10/12/another-day-another-demo/#comment-144226 Being a wrinkled old septuagenarian I have wrestled all my life with "symbolic" actions and have wondered about all the demos I have been on and though I felt they were successful, on reflection their impact was probably minimal to nil. Your example of the dollars at the New York stock exchange is one where it got lots of publicity and showed the public something but sadly the stock exchanged carried and is still doing what it always does, so basically it effect was nil. I still don't know the answer except to keep trying to raise the general public awareness by slow propaganda at the grass roots level rather than the grandiose display in front of the powers that be, continually trying to get the public to disengage from the system and create alternatives. I agree that with war and erosion of civil rights we sometimes need the more dramatic display of our displeasure but it still must have the backing of the mass of people and they must be aware that we are doing it, the question is how do we get there? Being a wrinkled old septuagenarian I have wrestled all my life with “symbolic” actions and have wondered about all the demos I have been on and though I felt they were successful, on reflection their impact was probably minimal to nil. Your example of the dollars at the New York stock exchange is one where it got lots of publicity and showed the public something but sadly the stock exchanged carried and is still doing what it always does, so basically it effect was nil. I still don’t know the answer except to keep trying to raise the general public awareness by slow propaganda at the grass roots level rather than the grandiose display in front of the powers that be, continually trying to get the public to disengage from the system and create alternatives. I agree that with war and erosion of civil rights we sometimes need the more dramatic display of our displeasure but it still must have the backing of the mass of people and they must be aware that we are doing it, the question is how do we get there?

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