#114 A Self-Help Text For Andolan-jeevis 🎧

- <em>RSJ</em><br/><br/>Two somewhat random thoughts triggered this edition. <br/><br/><strong><em>One</em></strong>, we have been talking about Radically Networked Societies (RNS) a fair bit here. These are non-hierarchical networks of individuals who share a common identity and take up a cause they are passionate about through adroit use of social media platforms and cellphones. In an RNS, there are no clear roles, the decision making is amorphous and the leadership is diffused. But things move really fast. The state which has to contend with RNS is hierarchical, slow and regimented. It can’t keep up. We have seen this with the many protests world over that have been triggered by RNS. Forget the state, even nimble hedge fund managers have found it difficult to stay in step with an RNS-like Reddit forum, r/wallstreetbets. We have <a target="_blank" href="https://publicpolicy.substack.com/p/106-exit-voice-loyalty-and-mia-khalifa">made the case</a> RNS are here to stay and the state will have to find a solution to control them. <br/><br/>But over the weekend I was struck with a thought. What have these RNS movements truly achieved? Have they turned themselves into mass movements and brought dramatic change anywhere? The answer is no. Over the last decade (starting from Arab Spring), there have been innumerable RNS movements driven by Twitter, WhatsApp and other platforms that have created a stir and captured media imagination. But they have been transient. Their long-term impact is yet to be seen. Does anyone really believe that the most long-lasting among RNS instances like Black Lives Matter or Occupy Wall Street will ever morph into something like the Civil Rights movement of the 60s or, more impossibly, the Russian revolution? <br/><br/>No. <br/><br/>So, the question: why?<br/><br/><strong><em>Two</em></strong>, the majoritarian problem that’s facing many democracies the world over today. This is the ‘<a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyranny_of_the_majority">tyranny of the majority</a>’ t