Thursday, December 08, 2016

Are we self-limiting?

Scot Nakagawa has questions for progressive organizers, which include this:

... many of us appear to be afraid of seizing power.

While I sure don't see us seizing power any time soon, I think he is onto something about how we limit ourselves.

Last night I attended a meeting of the San Francisco Police Commission, a largely powerless but highly ornamental feature of the non-governance of our police department and its rogue union. (Much more here. SFPD shoots citizens with impunity.) There are some good people on that police commission (and some who are probably just sleepy time servers ...) They are people who've pushed and shoved and gotten themselves into a place where, for little material payoff, they can strive to do something that, if effectual, might make the city a better place. For this, if they step out of line, they take abuse. Plus they have to fill their lives with absorbing endless bureaucratic minutia if they want a chance to have any effect.

How many of us who complain have been willing to do that sort of thing? Darn few; I certainly never even considered it. Scot's article is worth reading and thinking about.

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