Activism

[kvnchrist]

Is activism something that comes from the desire to change social patterns for the betterment of man or just to have something to do when nothing else sounds good. Is it addictive to those who wish the power to force others simply for the sake of change. What is the end game. Do these activists look beyond the present to any side effects of their actions or are they there just to be a part of a cause and have no concern about the aftermath of their actions. Can this activity become a part of a persons identity, where they actively look for causes to react to.

[Flintlockecole]

It's a bit of both in all of your questions. In my belief Activism is a stage towards revolution violent or not. Group's who are activist never get to the revolution part for the most part. Personally it does become part of you but not in the way of looking for a cause to react to but openly oppose that which opposes them if that makes any sense. Edited July 24, 2011 by Flintlockecole

[Vindekarr]

I have very few beliefs that I would consider extreme, however, my beliefs towards "activists" are, and I feel no shame about that.

 

"Activists" disgust me, I feel no shame over that either. It's because they're liars. They're all liars. I know, I used to be one.

 

Many years ago I attended a "rally" supposedly against newly introduced laws that greatly descriminated against non-western immigrants. The laws were appauling, but the oppostion to those laws made them look utopian. I vividly remeber that day, it cost me what little faith in humanity I still had-the crowd's interest in political reform and racial equality lasted about until they reached a retail district, then they went mad. I'll never forget the noise they all made when they started looting shops-there was no chanting of slogans, placcards weren't waving, they were being used to smash shop windows in, they forget every bit of political motivation in an instant when they realised they could go home with a free DVD player instead.

 

I dont give a pig's ear about what you believe in, if you use violence, or any kind of threat to achieve your aims you are nothing more than a terrorist, than a street thug. I don't give a pig's other ear about your cause either, if you're rioting then you're only proving that the only language you understand is violence, and that you are nothing better than a barbarian. In my personal experience as a former "human rights" activist, activism is rarely about politics, belief or change, it's usualy either simply an excuse to make noise and feel important, or to have an excuse to make life worse for others. From my own personal viewpoint, activism usualy overides any political motivation with crime-it doesn t matter if you're trying to save the world if you make it worse by trying.

 

I also have a very personal reason to hate activists-some months ago my car was torched and my neighbour's was dog killed by lunatics that went on an extremely violent riot claiming to be protesting a proposed new power station, and many years ago, another set of rioters destroyed my grandfather's tombstone with a sledgehammer, claiming to be, again, protesting to "save the environment"

 

The other reason being that most rioters aren't very bright. Protest climate change will you? well what the bloody hell do you think then, that thinktanks, governments, corporations, and private citizens are doing right now? Did you really think I had solar because they looked pretty on my roof?

 

Rioting obliterates any good in your actions-all you end up doing is destroying property and acting like a runaway Viking raider. And for what? even if you did try and get a point across, what good will it do? even if you weren't destroying property of innocent people, do you really think you'd even make a diference? We have immense power to change the world for good, and forever, but "activism" changes nothing, it just makes a mess. Why attack innocent civilians? how doesd killing a dog possibly effect the construction of a power station? it doesnt. You can stop the world in it's orbit with words and reasoning, violence and destruction only prove's you're an idiot.