Politics

Lisa Novemsky sent out a link to a song by Tom Chapin about testing kids, called "It's Not on the Test," at LISTEN . There's something about lilting message ballads that makes me all nostalgic-- as if listening to an anti-highstakes testing song and sending it on to a few people actually made change. Does it? Even a little? What does work, nowadays, in the way of direct action? I've been using most of my political energey for the last ten years on the Community Coalition, which has meant lots of low level detail work and not much in the way of big rallies and inspiring marches.

Andy and I watched a DVD two nights ago,V for Vendetta, in which there is the usual outlaw in the vanguard of political change (in this case a rather insane but brilliant and anguished murderer). There is a scene at the end when The People rise up all wearing identical masks and capes and fill the streets. So mass action remains a sort of vague ideal, at least as a good visual, in Hollywood.

A lot of people find more action on the Internet, signing on with MoveOn, etc. But protest ballads still get to me.