this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2026
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[–] BanMe@lemmy.world 6 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Yeah this is why sociologists tell people not to bother with these. It's slactivism, makes people feel good about themselves for participating but has no effect. So they likely think "Well, there's my good deed."

Just the same, a one-day national strike won't accomplish anything, and will actually be worse because only 1% of people will actually do it, making it a joke if the media covers it. And organizers waste so much time and energy on it.

No you gotta go be visible or make a permanent change.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 7 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

Which sociologists say "not to bother"? Is it 9 out of 10 of them, like in a toothpaste commercial?

And why do you think people who participate in these things only do it once and stop? Generally the people who participate in one thing are the same people who continue participating in more things. Movements rarely spring full-force into existence at once, they build as more people are affected and/or become aware. Awareness is definitely starting to grow as even oblivious parts of the county are now starting to hear stuff getting through their bubbles that doesn't match the propaganda from their usual feeding trough.

TBH this post reads like a copy of the typical "your efforts are useless so don't bother" propaganda that every. single. post advocating activism gets--there are at least 5 times as many posts lie this trying to dissuade people from taking action as posts advocating action. Gee I wonder whose interests that helps?

If you want to argue about what works best and encourage more effective activities, go ahead and do that instead of just complaining about people who are doing something instead of nothing.

[–] mika_mika@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

They're not saying that. They're saying those efforts are useless so do something that actually matters. Like a general strike.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

They literally said what I quoted and what I responded to: That sociologists say not to bother (who? which?) and that if people do one thing they think they're done and stop (not at all in my experience).

[–] mika_mika@lemmy.world 4 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Okay I got one for you. The No Kings protests amounted to absolutely nothing and things have only gotten worse. From my experience it sounds like the person you're replying to is more correct.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Protesting isn't effective until it is. Maybe it never will be or maybe the tide will turn or who knows what. We only know doing nothing accomplishes nothing. There are plenty of cases on video of people in Minneapolis preventing ICE from taking people when a crowd showed up yelling, recording, and blowing whistles, where ICE turned around and left. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.

Now since you know so much about what doesn't work, tell me what should people be doing and what you have done to help make whatever that is happen? I'm tired of every time people try to take action and there's a post about it on here, you all come swarming out of the woodwork to repeat your same old talking points saying it's useless and no one should bother. What is your agenda?

Either actually start doing something you think will be effective or shut up about it. Stop trying to dissuade the people who are actually doing something, whether you think they're effective or not.

[–] mika_mika@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

I quit my job and am advocating for a general strike. A method that will have an actual effect. I will also inform people about methods of protest that are ineffective because there's too much on the line here to be so soft. Not everyone is as privileged, or they think fascism coming for them and their families will not be as harmful as lost labor.

[–] Ironfist79@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

[citation needed]

Stop trying to discourage people from taking action.

[–] Butterphinger@lemmy.zip 2 points 8 hours ago

Anything short of assembling an anti-fascist militia is a larp.

we'll just not buy things for a day or two

piss in the wind, go buy a gun.