Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to re: The Jungle

environmentalists = socialist buttmonkeys
Mary Anne — (archived)

When a number of the major environmental groups became socialist buttmonkeys, despite the record of socialism in this area, I lost interest. When some radical environmentalists became actively anti-human, I got hostile.

Congratulations. You have helped to turn a beneficial movement over to radicals by turning your back and walking away.

Libertarians do this with organized movements all the time (including their own party), because, as you say, they only want to be left alone. The more I listen, the more convinced I am that the real object is to have something called a democratic form of government without actually having to get involved and do anything to make it a government of the people.

Short history of one person's successful involvement in one aspect of one political problem of one small community:
-Three years of a minimum of 2 3-hour meetings a week, some weeks as many as 5.
-Five organized community events, including recruiting a local celebrity moderator, vetting and recruiting speakers, making press contacts, and finding a hall that could be used for free.
-Reading countless articles, reviewing books, writing letters to individuals and to the papers, ghostwriting speeches.
-Probably 120 hours on the phone, and 40 faxes.
-Personal expenses of >$300.00, not counting mileage and incidental supplies like markers and posterboard.
-Personal threats by two nuts. (Leader of organization had his car windows busted out while the car was sitting in his own driveway.)
-Turning blue standing outside of polling places in a dress distributing literature on Primary Day and Election Day.

It's a lot of work. People say they don't have time. If they don't have time, they have no grounds for complaint when they don't like the result. It's very true that money speaks very loudly in our political system today. This is because people would rather write a check than stir their stumps and get out there to work for what they believe or what they want. When money is the only thing talking, more money is louder than less money. You'd be surprised what personal involvement can achieve on a shoestring budget.

The radicals in all social movements know this. That's why their agendas take over: they're willing to put themselves out to promote the things they want.

Government isn't "them"; it's "us". If we are unwilling to put some effort into it, we should not be surprised when it fails to reflect what we view as our interests.

Regards--
Mary Anne
(not born on the 4th of July, but born on Election Day)

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