So something that deserves a bit of notice in our charitable social justice, hipster activism world is the near inevitable failure of most causes. Its a bit of a do, but lets break it down.
The first problem that I always see with various people and their causes is fragmentation. There is no such thing as a monolithic group. People have different understandings of their needs, different perceptions of inequalities; hell, just different beliefs concerning what the problem in question is. No group is free from this factioning. Part of the issue is that people only generally associated with a group get dragged into the argument. Not all women are feminists. Not all homosexuals are activists. The overwhelming majority of people don't really give a fuck as long as they can get by. In fact, by involving people who aren't actively informed and passionate you tend to force fractures in the group. There are people who claim that a story about a woman passively acquiescing to a series of particularly charming rape episodes is empowering to their sexuality. That's a thing. Not even a terribly new thing.
The worst bit about that is the context of the argument tries to cite the BDSM community, which really just makes everyone involved in either female empowerment or BDSM look like an asshole. I've written on issues of mass association before but this kind is painfully insidious, not just because it breaks the focus of people legitimately engaged in a cause but because it provides idiot fodder for anyone in opposition. The case above being especially dangerous in that it provides an apparent referential justification for rape. "I was just trying to show her that she'd like it," is not only a fucking evil thing to say, people have gotten off on less.
In addition to the unfortunately fractious nature of groups there is the simple problem that a good deal of activism revolves around either standing around or throwing money. Lets cover the last one first. Let me be clear here. If anyone, ever, tells you that they are raising money to "raise awareness" about pretty much anything; they, or the someone further up the ladder is straight up lying to you. Raising awareness for anything other that an obscure, dick-stealing monster is basically only an attempt to raise funds and justify it with high minded social rhetoric. Everyone knows about cancer, getting me to pay you to tell people that cancer is a thing is less useful than if I just payed you to stare disconcertingly at strangers. The other side of this breakdown comes from the belief that protest is effective. Its not. Seriously, its fucking not, stop it.
Protest can only ever be effective if the people you protest to give a passionate slow-fuck what you think. And they don't, they never do. If they did you wouldn't have to protest, you could just send them a nice letter asking them to change their shit. The only reason the civil rights movement worked in America was that the government started to face the very real concern of a race war, not because a bunch of people were willing to constantly stand around turning the other cheek. Gandhi's hunger strikes were only effective because they brought to mind what happened last time India had told Britain to fuck off. Protest is only useful as a gauge for immanent violence, and even then it only does anything if the oppressing group has anything to fear from your violence.
In the end the real concern I have with activism and charity in general is that they seek to act as a masturbatory congratulation to their participants. Make a token gesture, feel good about yourself. You can work every fucking day at the soup kitchen, it isn't going to reduce the homeless population. Blog about the evils of rape culture till the sun burns out, it does nothing to ensure those pieces of shit go to jail. If there's something you feel needs done, do it. Help people who are already doing it, as directly as possible. Homelessness rends your heartstrings? Go become a councilor and help them kick their drug habit or treat their mental illness. Hell, help them get a job, and keep it. Rape culture gets your shit all stirred up? Go into law, make sure people who do go to court for rape see a real trial. Someone at your work doesn't make as much because of their gender? Take up a collection, make sure they get properly compensated. Fuck, stage a walkout.
Look, standing up and saying something is great... when the person you're talking to is willing to listen. If voices aren't being heard, do something. Doesn't have to be violent, doesn't have to be loud. It just has to be something that people care about enough to change. Because if you don't care enough to stick your neck out, you don't really care.
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