Hypocrites, Zealots and (in)activists – a cartoon (and inevitably unhelpful rant)

I asked my brilliant friend Marc Roberts if there were a cartoon in this blog post, and this is what he came up with. It is in the latest issue of Ethical Consumer Magazine, and it is genius, I am sure you agree.

The problem is that the reality is EVEN WORSE THAN THIS, because in the absence of selection pressures or someone with a very sharp stick who is unafraid to use it, groups tend to decay, into ossified, ritualised sets of behaviour that makes them feel okay about themselves, but no longer (if it ever did) serves to reach their (stated or unstated) aims.

It’s all theme park of “radical” activism now, and unto the apocalypse. (So, quite soon).

The exact mechanisms of group decay, I kinda sorta covered in this blog post (the one with Cher).

See also Hudson’s laws of social movement organisation drain circling, most of the way through this blog post.

I will leave the last word to Private Fraser.