While surfing, somehow I stumbled onto a very, very, far-left political web site and saw the following:
I’m sorry; I didn’t copy down the URL. I just grabbed the screen shot because I thought it was really funny.
I just had this mental picture of thousands of pale, coke-bottle glasses wearing, significantly over or underweight people, groaning as they got up from too many hours behind their computer and grabbing pitch-forks and brooms to take on the modern U.S. Army. And I pictured the U.S. Army as the life-sized green army men that every little boy plays with. And this mind picture still makes me smile.
And it’s not a mean thing, I fit the above description and I can’t see me taking on an army either, although I don’t think I post enough to be qualify for being a blogger.
The more I thought about this quote though, the less funny it became.
Every day, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of bloggers ring a blow for freedom. Even if it’s just freedom for their cat. They take their time to stand up (sit down) and express their views in a public forum. Even though the average blog is read by 1.5 people. Even though the vast majority of posts make drivel look interesting. Even through inaccurate facts, bad grammar and document frameworks that collectively change the rotation of the earth because of all the dead English teachers spinning in their graves. Through all of this, collectively, they make a difference and that will grow with time. From tiny pieces so trivial comes the power of a collective voice and few things are as powerful.
Actually, I should say collective voices, because they certainly don’t speak with one voice. But they could. Given the right circumstances, they could.
I’m not sure that getting up from behind their computer is a good thing; their power probably lies in the magic they harness inside their computers. Every revolution needs a Thomas Paine to put up pamphlets and schedule meetings. But beyond that, I’m pretty sure that future revolutions are not going to be fought with weapons. They are gong to be fought with crowds. They will be won by thousands upon thousands of people showing up in public squares across the country and standing in front of the tanks. In a world where militaries are as strong as is possible today, the only path lies in the power of the will of the people to keep anybody from taking up arms.
And that’s the power at the fingers of the bloggers.
And if that ever comes to be, it won’t be funny at all.
And I want to be a part of that. Even if I don’t have a cat.
