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UNF Spinnaker

UNF's #1 Student-Run News Source

UNF Spinnaker

Editorial: Viva la revolution!

Hey, folks. Are you having problems with your dictator? President? Prime Minister, perhaps? Or maybe your district’s school board is giving you the decades-long run-around?

Well, have we got the solution for you: It’s called revolt. It’s societies natural Royal Flush — you just can’t beat it. And it’s fun too. It’s sort of like having a parade, but with a motive that just won’t quit. And sometimes there are burning cars and Molotov cocktails.

We’ve got the teachers demonstrating up in Wisconsin, where thousands of protesters are demanding collective bargaining and equal rights for teachers; Morocco is having a carbon copy of the uprising in Egypt; and Libya is in on the deal too — there are also some other poor countries we know nothing about, but we like it.

As H.L. Mencken put it: “Democracy is the theory that the people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

But through these recent incidents, it makes us proud to see that demanding what is rightfully yours, and actually receiving it, is a surreal experience in this day and age. It’s something we, as Americans, can certainly relate to.

It seems like it’s always been a question: Why can’t individuals who live in these impoverished, corrupt countries simply demand their rights?

Oftentimes, it’s because the control over the people has become so overbearing and daunting that the resources for revolt are nil. Not to mention many of the oppressed are too worried about getting their next meal.

Not everyone has the time to think about living the way Americans live.

Many people are left in the dark. Others think it’s best to ignore the outcries. So, how are people supposed to organize such a revolt? Who would know what time or where?

The Internet, in all its ubiquity, is a great equalizing force. With it being so easily and readily accessible, protesters and mosh-pitters alike can effortlessly satiate their curiosity, read into some of these going-ons in their country, and figure some shit out.

Once they stumble across something, they can simply send it to their pals, who will then send it to their pals and so on. Knowledge is power.

But knowledge is not inertia. Just because you know about an injustice, it doesn’t mean that awareness is making a difference.

You can “like” all the feel-good Facebook groups you want, but until your shoes hit pavement, you probably aren’t doing a whole lot.

Now with that in mind, recall the current deliberations involving the Internet and net neutrality rules. The Internet may be getting a lot less influential in its purpose to inform. It could be the case that the Internet will soon get a communist overhaul, and then what will we have? That’s right, hackers and more revolters. And they’ll fix that mess and give us what we want, and all will be fine and dandy.

So the point is, governments, parliaments, and houses of representatives, give us what we want from the get-go and nobody will get hurt. Think we’re bluffing? Try us.

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