Do You Feel Totally Helpless?
I do. Everyone is protesting but nothing is changing except the heat from our bright, always on, screens.
Agency. Giving citizens the power, tools, abilities to make change, enact change. The world improving from below. True democracy, the will of the people. I think we all agree these are good things. No?
Yet, so many feel helpless. They can’t change anything. Sure, go out on the weekend and protest, hold up a sign. Feels good. Sure, sign an online petition or donate some money with a click of the button. Sure, buy a t-shirt with your proclamation, loudly acclaimed. Sure, add a gender pronoun to your social media profile. All good. But nothing changes, nothing happens. It’s like the old joke - we pretend to protest and they pretend to do something.
It’s that helplessness that is horrible. The pandemic made this clear but the lack of citizen agency has been eroding and disappearing for decades. One factor is we, the people, are so busy being distracted. Phoned to death. Worked to death. No time left to save the world, only pretend to save the world and sprout, share, promote our righteousness with some timely virtue signaling.
I want a return to a world where people are listened to. People have the power, not just begging for our elites to change a little. I want a world where leaders, business, politicos, others are obliged to do the will of the people AND obliged to ask the people. We have power tech available - why isn’t it used to survey the wants, needs, the will of us, Joe and Jane citizen?
We need agency and action put back into the political equation. Consequences for those who lie to the people. Who talk a good talk but then don’t walk. We need people to be allowed to disturb - to add to protest, the salt in the wounds, the only thing that truly gets others to change things. But at present, protests are just pretty parades - they don’t and aren’t allowed to “hurt”. That’s wrong. It’s taking agency away from people.
I’ll leave it at that. A call for a world more atuned to the will of the people. More reactive to the precious rights of individuals and not just dominating, controlling the narrative and media pressure groups.
We need to rid the world of this “helpless” feeling most of us have. Let’s start, start thinking of ways to make this happen and grow the will of the people.
Just CAUSE
Left-handed necrophiliacs
against cremation.
Schizophrenics for peace
and disarmament.
Fluid, non-binary
Transylvanian queer linguists.
Gucci fundraisers
for bag ladies.
Pensioners
against the death penalty
The Hell’s Angels
ride for brotherly love
MMMADD
Mothers of Mass Murderers Against Doing Drugs)
Cristie Cookies
Girl Guides College Saving Plan.
Help Save the Sea Algae
Narcissists Anonymous
Give! Give! Give!
……….
Yet the harbor
fills with yachts
and you can buy
exploding condoms
only $30 a pop.
Somewhere a man
is purchasing a small country
with his Mastercard.
……….
The Cause????????
Nobody gives a damn…..
Got to get me some ism.
The Cause is the Cause.