EvolveThruPeace

Steve, on 23 September 2009 - 07:18 PM, said:

Actually, staying vocal and active, even if it doesn't (it often does) have a direct effect on any policy makers, has many indirect contributions:

1.  It inspires other people to research into subjects that they would otherwise know nothing about.  (This is true for all forms of art and demonstrations.)  Protests in large numbers also make it clear to observers that there is a legitimate amount of support for these ideas, making them more attractive in the process.
2.  It creates optimism and legitimacy for the people already in the political scene such as Dennis Kucinich, Ralph Nader, Mike Gravel, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, and others, who only started/continue to fight because they feel it be in a high enough demand.  As a result, their ideas, whether through literature, speeches, or interviews bring in even further education to populations.  
3.  It's a counter-balance to right-wing protests, to show how and why their ideas are not attractive, or highly supported.

It's not smart or funny to type in capital letters as if you're some pre-teen Democrat who just got into politics.  I know you believe in violent revolution, but your ideas would be much different today if it weren't for this "pointless activism" to get you, and the people who infleunced you (that means everyone; not just some anarchist author who's book you read after you were already a leftist), into politics in the first place.