I recently thought about why movements like Just Stop Oil, XR and BLM became so popular, despite a lack of tangible progress. I think it’s because, today, the enemies you target are much more important for popularity than anything. We see it everywhere, not just in these movement, but all over social media with dunk tweets, hate filled posts and other attention optimising actions that don’t lead anywhere.
I hope that this is changing. What these movements have identified is a specific problem, one that they are especially emotional about which leads to these tirades. The most impactful movements often have more to say. Whilst politically Trump was different to someone that I would support, his message in 2016 was hopeful. Bring back jobs to America, create prosperity in non-elite states and generally, MAGA. In the recent election cycle the tone has descended again to something slanderous rather than productive. This is not from one side but from all sides.
This was me. Through 2018-2021, I was very critical of the world, people who didn’t agree with me and people on the “other” side. There was no real empathy in my body, there was an empathy facade. An empathy facade that meant agreeing with what everyone around me said, not thinking critically about the other stakeholders, and other perspectives. Now, I firmly believe that to win, one has to present something more, an alternative, a positive vision for what is possible rather than just criticising.
I hope this era of the chosen enemy mattering more than substantive action will end, and we can have debates, discussions, arguments over alternate positive visions of the world. Or maybe I should go back to La La Land.