This idea mainly came from all the recent immigration protests. Most, if not all, of those are sincere, but don't you think there are some protesters out there who do it just ...well...for the heck of it?
I mean, you have to wonder if people who act passionatley opinionated on some subjects are just doing it for the rebellion and shock value of it. Then sometimes it just seems like people just hop on the bandwagon of an issue because it's being focused on, or, especially young people, because their friends are doing it. It reminds me of "the issue-attention cycle" from government, but right now, "fad" is the word that comes to mind.
This all can be good or bad I guess, but the reason I put this under the progressive principle of "effective government" is because the U.S. government, and many more like it, operate at least partly on public opinion. So if the concern over some issues is as fickle and superficial as it seems to be sometimes, what does that mean for the government. Obviously not all issues or protesters are like this, but I can't help but believe that some of them are
I agree that many protestors do it just because they can, without thought to the effect it has on what they are protesting. I think one should only protest if the cause is more important than the people whose feet you step on in the process, and some causes just aren't that important.
Others are.
--Naj
...I told you I'd change the world.
As you put if, protesting seem like a 'fashionable thing'. I wonder if you are right. Maybe you are, but only to some extent. When you go out to make a protest, I think you actually mean it. The young generation (in general) is very lazy. Do you think they would make all that fuss without a reason?
The problem with recenet protest - in America and around the world - is that half of the people today don't even realize or understand what they are protesting against. This, of course, does not make their cause any less important; it just doesn't get the right message across when you aren't protesting for what people think you are protesting for.
The majority of the peoples protesting against the immigration laws are protesting because someone came up and said "Hey, the government is racist against Latinos and Hispanics and they're sending us all back to ." So that person got up, told a bunch of other people that American was racist and now we have all these people protesting for racial equality instead of immigration rights - which they have all illegally immigrated anyway, so they don't have rights as Americans. This immigration law doesn't just effect the Hispanic community, but the European, Asian and African communities as well, but we don't see those people worried about it. The majority of Europeans, Africans, and Asians who have immigrated to America have adapted to an "American lifestyle" which is why most (but not all) have come over here legally. Mexicans only make up 56% of the total illegal immigrants (Pew Hispanic), which rises the question "Is this really about race?".
The upcry over the cartoons in Europe also brought about protest, but for what? What were they protesting against? Trying to solve? To me, most "protests" are riots that range from quiet to fatal, protests solve nothing today. Gathering infront of the white house will send the same message as having half the nation sign a petetion. In fact, in America, the pen rules the sword. Think about that.
Source: http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/61.pdf