Some are saying 'take to the streets', some say that's a waste of time.

[Philosoraptor]

Some say its too late to take to the streets, some say why bother because we tried that to protest the war but the protesters were ignored by the monarchy.

Michael Moore suggests taking it to the streets, among other things, but would it really do any good?

I know many of us have already begun to take it to the streets, certain among us have never stopped taking it to the streets, I personally love the idea, and I'd like to see Americans actively raising hell and letting their feelings known about this and that.

I think it would be a good and productive thing to do, but there are many other things that we need to do besides protesting, and besides voting.

[summer borealis]

1. The sheep would never do that

Steal the money. Steal the elections. Doesn't matter.
We are so fucked.

[Smart Guy 4 Freedom]

2. Yes, there are many things we need to do

"but there are many other things that we need to do."

Sure is. Like cut down a rail, heat up the tar and pluck the chickens. A good old fashion way of protesting.

[ixion]

3. any protesting would only be effective en masse

that is, millions of people stopping work and gathering around their city centers to show displeasure. A few hundred thousand, or the more typical protests in major metropolitan areas, wouldn't be very effective. The robber barons have their heart set on dumping their worthless paper, so they're going to get that, because they're the ones who matter.

We're here simply to clean up the mess and pay their bill. :grr:

[demnan]

4. I'm a member of a group of local political activists

We have gone on all the peace marches and done local demonstrations for peace, impeachment, immigrant rights, etc. Very little seems to be accomplished because of our small numbers. I was in this group for a while before I really realized what our function was. We were not out there to make the controlling factions do our bidding, we were there to educate the rest of the populace that something is wrong. We were there in hopes that people would stop and think.

Perhaps the result might be that people will vote for Obama. We have indirectly helped his campaign because we caused people to think.

Some of us are actually working on the campaign now, but some of us are not. I still think the result is the same.

[tama]

8. Well realized

I was this weekend in a meeting of Friends of the Earth activists, and one main theme of the discussion was that negative, angry forms of demostrations are counterproductive, they usually succeed in little else but spreading negative feelings and frustrating and depressing also the demonstrators while failing to rise spirits and consciousness of the populace.

Joyfull performances, general sillyness and not taking our persons too seriously, making demonstrations into public parties where everybody is free to participate, these are not new ideas but worth repeating.

[gateley]

5. I heard a clip of Liddy Dole on my local Raleigh station, saying she answered

the phones herself for two hours. They'd received about 900 calls, and only 4 were in support of the bailout.

We hear stories like this from other Senators and Congressmen. They KNOW we don't want this, but they are going to vote for it anyway.

There has got to be a reason why they're willing to anger so many of their constituents. Not being a financial expert, I'm wondering if those who do support it, realize that not to do so would cause more harm than good in the short term. And you get people like Warren Buffet saying if we don't do something, we're in for a financial Pearl Harbor.

In theory I'm strongly opposed -- enough with the bailouts, enough with having to clean up after people who have let their greed put our country (and the world) in such a precarious position. But if they don't take this measure - what will that really mean? In real, every day consequences?

[ShortnFiery]

6. If we allow ourself to fall into "a learned helplessness state" then that WILL usher in

a Depression. The wealthy will take our tax dollars overseas and we will live in destitute poverty. DAMN ANYONE IN CONGRESS WHO VOTES FOR THIS SCAM ... - may they be unseated by their next democratic challenger. :grr:

[riverdeep]

7. We should wear masks, and march on Washington.

It might look something like this:

[cobalt1999]

9. Mostly it is a waste of time.

People are numb to protesters for the most part. In an era where there are daily protests on dozens of issues...anti-abortionists, anti-global trade, anti-teaching evolution, anti-war, anti-toilet paper flap on top of the roll, etc.

No one pays attention anymore to protesters unless it is a generational type event. Something on the order of 5 million in DC and 10's of millions walking off their jobs across the country.

We are no where near the level of frustration across middle America for that to happen yet.

[riverdeep]

10. We're all too Numb. Years of complacent consumerism shrank our capcaity for outrage.

Don't move
Don't talk out of time
Don't think
Don't worry
Everything's just fine
Just fine

Don't grab
Don't clutch
Don't hope for too much
Don't breathe
Don't achieve
Or grieve without leave

Don't check
Just balance on the fence
Don't answer
Don't ask
Don't try and make sense

I feel numb
I feel numb
Too much is not enough
I feel numb...

-U2, Numb

[cobalt1999]

11. Years of escapist entertainment.

We have a whole generation that has 200 channels of television, internet entertainment, movies on demand, & video games all designed to help people forget about the real world.

Now people spend more time "escaping" than living.