5 Jul 2010, 3:22pm
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by Danielle Morrill

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Objectivism: Simple Tactics to Get Started with Online Activism

Today we heard an excellent talk from Yaron Brook about the importance of defending capitalism, and he ended his speech with a rousing call to action for the audience.  “I’m willing to put it all on the line, are you?”

People stood and clapped, but I left the room wondering whether they realize this isn’t just something that a small set of us need to do. Activism, in small and large ways, is something all of us can help with.  As much as I wish there were enough people who held the right ideas where I could hide behind “division of labor” as my argument, and just go on building businesses and being productive, here is the harsh reality: if you want to see the world change in your lifetime, you have to live in the future today.

In the most basic terms: it’s time for each of us to do SOMETHING.  I’ve been relaxing at the pool today with Trey Givens, Earl Parson, and Mark Wickens and I asked them to help me brainstorm some ways you can get involved.  If you’ve been helping advocate Objectivism for awhile, this might seem self-evident but please take a look and see if there is anything here you can add to your own playbook.

Activism in…

5 Minutes

  • vote up news stories and bog posts you like on Digg.com
  • add Objectivism and/or capitalism to your online profiles (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN, etc.)
  • republish content that you think is good (e.g. link to an ARI op-ed from your Facebook back)
  • make yourself or your car a moving billboard for Objectivism (with a shirt, bumper stickets, etc.)
  • check out out the free articles on The Objective Standard (or subscribe!) and follow them on Twitter

10 Minutes

  • comment on items posted on Facebook, blog posts, etc. – encourage people to keep blogging
  • donate money to ARI
  • contact ARI about donating money to buy books for your local high school campus club
  • comment on items posted on Facebook, blog posts, etc. – encourage people to keep blogging
  • comment on news stories, or even blog a full response to a news story

30 Minutes

  • subscribe to other blogs that forward ideas you agree with
  • call into radio shows, or television shows (or at least email them)
  • write a letter to the editor
  • write a letter to local or national government etc.

More Time & Other Ideas

  • distribute the Undercurrent to your local schools
  • share your values with non-Objectivists — for example, art at the Cordair Gallery (not just Atlas Shrugged, the Fountainhead)
  • start your own blog (lot’s of good free platforms out there)
  • donate money to the Undercurrent, to your local campus club
  • join local organizers that you’re interested in, and influence the outcomes of their decisions
  • telling stories about your own success or people that you know – about how Objectivism has helped you
  • meet up with people in real life to reinforce your ideas, sharing your values, finding people you can relate to, learning new things
  • join groups like Toastmasters, where you can speak about your ideas to a captive audience

More check out post from Burgess Laughlin about “in-line activism” -about being an activist within your profession

Join the conversation:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • FriendFeed
  • HackerNews
  • Posterous
  • Tumblr
  • Ping.fm
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn
  • Mixx

Possibly Related:

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  • http://rationaljenn.blogspot.com Jenn Casey

    Great ideas!

  • http://topsy.com/www.daniellemorrill.com/2010/07/simple-tactics-to-get-started-with-activism/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Simple Tactics to Get Started with Activism | Danielle Morrill — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Danielle Morrill, Diana Hsieh, Peter Cresswell and others. Peter Cresswell said: RT @DanielleMORRILL: Tips for Getting Started with Intellectual Activism Today #ocon http://bit.ly/cWS2rO [...]

  • http://www.newclarion.com/ Bill Brown

    If starting a blog is too much commitment, many blogs will accept guest posts. American Thinker is a good spot to try.

  • http://treygivens.com/?p=1870 Trey Givens » Blog Archive » Can I Get a Witness?

    [...] This lead to a number of discussions over lunch and margaritas at the pool.  The question was: What can we do to be better activists? Danielle Morrill blogged several of the ideas that we had. [...]

  • http://www.daniellemorrill.com Danielle Morrill

    @BillBrown – great suggestion, I should try that myself!

  • Jared Seehafer

    Reminder: Danielle, can you add a hyperlink to TU on the two places you mention it here?

    http://www.the-undercurrent.com

    Thanks!

  • http://treygivens.com/?p=1902 Trey Peden » Blog Archive » Finding Activism Opportunities

    [...] Objectivism, it’s become incumbent upon me to think of ways I can be a better activist.  Danielle Morrill wrote up several good suggestions the other day for tactics one can use to be an activist, but I was trying to think of ways that a [...]

  • http://www.daniellemorrill.com Danielle Morrill

    links to The Undercurrent and The Objective Standard have been added, any other suggestions?

  • http://www.daniellemorrill.com/2010/10/whos-actually-getting-read-in-objectivism-online/ Who’s Actually Getting Read in Objectivism (Online) | Danielle Morrill

    [...] Simple Tactics to Get Started with Activism [...]

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