American culture seems to be all about the sell - whether it's cars, cosmetics or candidates. Turning a buck is the dominant ethos. But that's not news.
In talking with a long-time friend the other day, I mentioned my ambivalence with what I see as the commodification of pain and protest. A whole sector of the economy seems to exist for the propagation of advocacy for those who want to air grievances, to set things right -- I call it the social movement industry.
These folks who give paid counsel on branding and messaging and coordinate rallies and demonstrations are quite different from the grassroots organizers who met in community centers and church basements, raised money through donations and bake sales, who used phone trees to mobilize, may have even printed manifestos using hand-cranked mimeographs or spray-painted messages on bedsheets. Those ways and means seem somehow purer to me.
Today's social movements need more sophisticated tools to reach their goals. Organizations like The Bridgespan Group and Purpose offer services to non-profits, charities and advocates around the world. Individual website builders and market researchers are in demand by groups seeking legitimacy and fund-raising through the internet and targeted appeals.
This evolution strikes me as both important and regrettable, reflecting my overall disappointment that fighting for fairness is still so needed -- but now is so much more expensive.
Inflation?
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