The twentieth century was the age of collectivism. It was the age of the State.
Hitler. Lenin. Mao. The century’s theme: the collective is bigger than the individual. Individuals made sacrifices for and were sacrificed to the collective. Its hero suppressed personal expression, sacrificed for the greater good. Hard work was compulsory.
The archetype is Boxer in Animal Farm. His mantras: “Napoleon is always right” and “I will work harder”.
Our century is different.
Renty-somethings in a Battersea wine bar are more into clicktivism. The private sector has eclipsed the State. Is anything now bigger than the individual? Has sacrifice even maintained its place in the dictionary? Chillaxing beats hard work any day of the week.
Collectivism, with its mass parties, enforced common actions and Gulags, unleashed actions that made nations quake.
Clicktivism, with its individuals on their phones or surfing the web, unleashes a flurry of e-petitions and a snow-storm of Tweets.
A savvy, young colleague pointed out that clicktivism and slacktivism are kissing-cousins. Liking a good cause on Facebook or re-tweeting some 102 character message about a campaign may give comfort to the clicker – but does it move the cause forward?
It’s certainly a stark contrast to Boxer who was always ready to do more:
“His two slogans…seemed to him a sufficient answer to all problems. He had made arrangements with the cockerel to call him three-quarters of an hour earlier in the mornings instead of half an hour. And in his spare moments, of which there were not many nowadays, he would go alone to the quarry, collect a load of broken stone, and drag it down to the site of the windmill unassisted.”
Outrageous. I’ll do something about it.
B fair2Boxer.Click.
Right, back to the glass of Sancerre and the calmares en su tinta.