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Hey, you know what bugs me?
Oct. 31st, 2011 12:39 pmThis is a bit of a random gripe/observation, but it's something that I've been noticing in sufficient disparate contexts - feminism, OWS, general social justice issues - that I feel moved to comment on it.
Frequently, when I read criticisms or objections to the dominant paradigm, some member of the dominant paradigm (usually pretty well-intentioned, for a member of the ruling class) will inquire as to what it is that the protester would like done about things ... and as often as not, the protester will say that providing a solution is not hyr job.
Dudes.
IS SO. If not providing one whole and entire, at least indicating the general shape of the thing as you best see it.
I say this purely out of the logical observation that, for the members of the dominant paradigm? There's no motivation to fix the original problem, whatever it may be: the furthest they need to go is fixing the problem posed by the protesters. Sometimes they do it by throwing us a meaningless bone, and quietly letting things go back to business as usual: sometimes they do it by tear-gassing the fuck out of us and hoping the cold weather drives us underground. But, either way, if we want actual change, we sort of need to have some concrete suggestions for the forms it will take, or it'll just take on another form that benefits the dominant paradigm, because, hey, we let them have the challenge of providing a solution ... and the responsibility of providing a solution ... and, ultimately, the authority of providing a solution. Which, you know, might change the layout of the board, but doesn't fundamentally change the game. Or, alternately, we can have another full-fledged revolution, which, at the end of the day, gotta tell ya, hurts the people on the bottom a lot more than it does the people at the top.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, it is your job. Think of the philosophy of "lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way" as a variant on "rock, paper, scissors." These are your choices, and there are no sidelines.
Frequently, when I read criticisms or objections to the dominant paradigm, some member of the dominant paradigm (usually pretty well-intentioned, for a member of the ruling class) will inquire as to what it is that the protester would like done about things ... and as often as not, the protester will say that providing a solution is not hyr job.
Dudes.
IS SO. If not providing one whole and entire, at least indicating the general shape of the thing as you best see it.
I say this purely out of the logical observation that, for the members of the dominant paradigm? There's no motivation to fix the original problem, whatever it may be: the furthest they need to go is fixing the problem posed by the protesters. Sometimes they do it by throwing us a meaningless bone, and quietly letting things go back to business as usual: sometimes they do it by tear-gassing the fuck out of us and hoping the cold weather drives us underground. But, either way, if we want actual change, we sort of need to have some concrete suggestions for the forms it will take, or it'll just take on another form that benefits the dominant paradigm, because, hey, we let them have the challenge of providing a solution ... and the responsibility of providing a solution ... and, ultimately, the authority of providing a solution. Which, you know, might change the layout of the board, but doesn't fundamentally change the game. Or, alternately, we can have another full-fledged revolution, which, at the end of the day, gotta tell ya, hurts the people on the bottom a lot more than it does the people at the top.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, it is your job. Think of the philosophy of "lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way" as a variant on "rock, paper, scissors." These are your choices, and there are no sidelines.