people on my dash keep popping up talking about mizj drama. srsly?
Why yes, I do. And I’ll explain why.
I have hardly addressed the Middle Eastern uprise because others are doing it better than I would. I live in The Netherlands and I write about either local subjects (the country where I live), media, pop culture and some sporadically conversational stuff from Tumblr (like what you just dubbed “the MizJ drama”).
A great number of people on Tumblr (not people I am following, but stuff that has popped through reblogs and such) are trivializing the events in the Middle East, seemingly living vicariously through “exotic people’s revolution”. I sometimes have the impression that many that reblog incessantly about the Middle East are also amongst the most apathetic in their local politics (i.e. incapable of as much as signing a petition at their local Walmart, but unusually excited that someone, in a far away land is doing what their own apathy prevents them from doing locally). This kind of “vicariously participating in social movements” is actually inane and brings zero change but high percentage of “feel good endorphins”, which you know, are useless in the big picture but pretty nice for the person engaging in such tactics.
Also, I do not romanticize revolutions because I have lived through them. I have spent several nights in jail for taking part in such acts, had my photo taken by the deadly Argentinian secret service for supporting the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo when they wanted justice for the disappeared, have had more troubles with state repression than I am comfortable discussing in a public platform. In brief, I will not discuss social unrest just for the sake of feeling good about myself for being so politically conscious. Because I have seen people bleeding directly next to me, because I have had to run from the “policia montada” throwing gas at me and my friends. I do not particularly feel elated posting animated gifs to celebrate that other human beings are going through the same shit I did in some far away country.
I’ve DONE my revolutions. Now I talk about “MizJ drama” because it pleases me. I think I earned that right.
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