This semester has taught us to question much about our current ideas of the world, including what it means for an idea or event to be revolutionary. We have talked about some of these ideas in the abstract, on technicalities as much as actual ideas surrounding change and progress. Revolution does not necessarily means progress, but often in the case of much of the subject material, but increasingly in the context of todays issues, I feel as though it does. Following the outcome of this cycle, I feel as though there will be change, the kind of which is finely on the brink of revolution, either a proactive one or reactive one depending on the point of view of the individual, or the establishment. I recently read that close to 80% of the American public thinks that our current president elect will bring about significant change, though they are quite evenly split as to what kind of change that this will be.
This lecture was particularly relevant in the context of todays events, because though historically there is nothing new about a president elect on the precipice of change, we live in an era where everything new, every single piece of information is instantly accessible to everyone. Because of this, we can begin to question our individual roles in participating in what could become a revolution in inspiring progress and change.
I liked how the lecture was broken down into three parts, and there is particular relevance in the first two in the current context. Individual agency is something that we constantly question, how much of an influence one single person can have on the outcome of any event. As I alluded to before, in thinking about the current political climate, there is the opportunity for the individual to be a stronger proponent of revolution than ever before, as the ability for information to spread is unprecedentedly quick. One share of a video can be viewed by millions even billions of people, an individual can now reach globally with the power of the internet and social media. Because of this, like never before there is a responsibility of individuals involved with events of question, or moments which can be documented or reported for the purposes of the improvement of the society or a cause. Though I am not politically impartial, I believe that both sides of any argument have the responsibility to tell the truth, and thus to report the truth, especially in the case of today where each individual has particularly powerful agency.
In terms of the rationale of revolution, where it makes sense, we have to look internally to determine what exactly matters to each of us. Today we have seen activists risk their lives to defend the protesters at the Dakota Access Pipeline, though they may not care that much about the actual issue of what is going on there. The struggle may be over the pipeline, but the idea over individual freedoms, cultural freedoms, and the pursuit of a way of life unimpeded by the government or corporations, may be worth fighting for.