I'm gonna ramble a bit while I connect all the dots, so stick with me while we wander a bit - but I promise to being it all together at the end.
Dot #1. It occurs to me that when we post a diary here about most any substantive subject, we are, for the most part, only preaching to the choir. Many great ideas are presented, debated, modified, vetted and finalized in this and several dozen other similar forums.
But who (whom?) besides us political/policy geeks actually see these great ideas/discussions? Do the truly great ideas get distributed widely? It doesn't appear that they get to the `traditional media' very frequently. And since I do not consume any of that form of information distribution, I can't really say for sure. I'll leave that determination to the rest of my gentle readers of this diary.
Dot #2. (Presuming now.) Most likely each of us have some other interest - gardening, car racing, woodworking, boating, spirituality - something that is not directly related to what normally appears on this forum.
Most of our interests have some sort of a specialized Internet forum available. Whether it's a Yahoo group or a standalone site, there are just shy of a zillion different places that people congregate online. Certainly not all, but many of these sites have an off-topic forum. It often is a place where outrageous discussions are channeled. Where we can see on full display some of the most extremist idea garbage that was ever typed into a computer. And no, I'm NOT talking about Drudge, Rush, Hannity or O'Reilly's nonsensical ramblings.
Rather the stuff comes from everyday folks. Not exactly like you and me - but they (most of them anyway) do go to work and pay taxes and raise their children like most "normal" folks. But (I'd guess) their worldview is colored by the absurd spouting of the likes of the above-mentioned slime, err, FOX broadcast personalities.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that they are lost forever. Some, perhaps a majority, can be brought back from the abyss by some consistent application of logical arguments. Before you jump in and say NO! - Never happen, take a look see at this thread. Please notice that the original poster did not seem happy about the proposed wind farm. Then follow the thread to see how a majority of the respondents replied. And yeah, I'm LeoinSA.
But please pay particular notice to my posting at 6:14 am on 5/25 where I link to a Wikipedia entry and then to Jerome's latest Energy Plan PDF and then plug Jerome and the EuroTrib site.
I am not suggesting that my individual post on the Woodenboat Forum is going to make any great difference in the grand scheme of things. BUT!
Dot #3. But if you have followed the idea of buying and distributing Kos' book to all democratic congress-critters and how that panned out - its not too much of a logical stretch to see that this small idea of distributing our progressive message - sowing seeds if you wish - in widely divergent `gardens' can only reap a positive harvest in the years to come.
Dot #4. How did the Rethugs get their ideology into the consciousness of many citizens? Obviously through endless repetition through pundits and `owning' much of the traditional media outlets. Incessant repetition of any idea - no matter how obnoxious in the case of the "conservative" agenda - allows it to become conventional wisdom within a few years.
Much lamentation has occurred here and on other forums about how we - the progressives - don't have the infrastructure that conservatives have bankrolled over the past two or three decades.
But do we actually need that some sort of bricks and mortar structure?
Dot #5. There has been (IMO) an awakening in conservative circles about the power of the Internet and the free flow of information that it entails. No longer can "the message" be tailored and disseminated via traditional media. While the internet was in its infancy - and we have to remember that "the `net" is just over a decade old - in terms of wide-spread public use - it appears to have finally reached a critical mass where enough people regularly use the net to get their daily intake of news and commentary versus the trad-media.
Ergo, a bill in congress to ensure "Net Neutrality" and the attempts to control access and content via the communication mega-corps. Choke off this budding revolution - in both senses - free communication between citizens of the various countries and the rising political clout that comes from organizations within each country/state/county/city/town.
Connecting the dots.
Internet. This (and other) forums for the development of ideas. Dissemination of these ideas to other non-political internet forums via thousands and thousands and tens of thousands of people that want to see not only a regime change in our national/state/local "leaders," but also want to change the minds of millions of people with ideas that are currently "outrageous" but with enough repetition will become conventional wisdom when repeated in the many varied internet places that we visit for our `other' interests.
It's just a modest proposal that takes little effort and virtually zero money to implement. It doesn't require any huge formal infrastructure. It requires no coordination and/or collective action. All that is necessary is a bit of your individual time and effort.
No, it is not a simple as clicking on a "Donate Here" button, but it's cheaper. No it's most likely not as satisfying as being a campaign volunteer, but you can do it nude. And no, it is not a short term `fix' for anything. But the long term consequences of changing millions of peoples minds about their basic system of belief will have profound effects for our great grand children and beyond.
Is it enough by itself? No, not hardly. But it could (and should) be just another dot to connect to bring about the changes we progressives want to see. And IMO, it's something that each of us can do when we (as individuals) fret, bemoan and fidget over the idea that there is nothing that I can do to help "the cause."
Leo