For the past week, I’ve been instructed by a few Facebook friends to update my status by cutting and pasting a sentence or phrase that reflects their outrage of the current Debt Ceiling Impasse...
… or to email my Congress person…
… or to Tweet THIS if I want change…
… or to text someone that ‘I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.’
And after all that updating, and reposting, and retweeting, and Google+ing, what’s the result?
– Debt ceiling impasse.
– Unstable global financial markets.
– Multiple stories about the inevitable downgrade from our AAA credit status and a coming stock market collapse.
Now, perhaps there are a few young congressional aides that are monitoring the ‘Facebook Status Update Situation’ and how many constituents actually posted the sentence of choice – but, really, is Congress listening?
Of course not.
Support or dissent from social media is like “American Idol” voting. So silly – but since it’s so easy to participate… why not?
It’s just another reason I feel Facebook is worthless. Superficial passion. “My day was awesome!” “My kids are the best students!” “Here’s the greatest recipe for Apple Pie!”
On “American Idol”, viewers are urged to phone or text (standard text message rates apply) as many times as they can for their favorite contestant. If you can’t get through – please keep trying!
Millions and millions of “votes” for Scott McCreary. Millions and millions for Lauren Alaina. Yet more millions and millions for Haley Reinhart (why, I’ll never know – don’t be hating me Haley fans – I just don’t think she’s talented).
And the winner is? Oh, I don’t know… we don’t care. The producers have agreed on… I mean, America has voted on… let’s say… Scotty!
You realize the votes aren’t counted, right?
If they actually did count the votes, the viewers would see those counts. Because that would add an interesting dynamic.
But producers can’t do that because then they wouldn’t be able to kick off the contestants they don’t like.
The same thing applies when social media takes on politics. When one person can re-post something a thousand times, it’s a superficial reading of what is really going on.
“Millions of emails have flooded the in-boxes of members of Congress.” Yeah, millions and millions of emails from three guys in Utah. And all went straight to the Congressional Spam folder.
And every political party is doing it – which creates nothing but muddle.
I am fairly certain the Tea Party people are flooding their status updates with “Don’t Raise The Debt Ceiling At All. Take Back America!”
And Republican Facebookers are pasting “Make Obama a one-term President.”
And the Democrats: “Don’t let the corporate jet owners win again!”
Is there anyone counting who is updating their Facebook status the most times? What do you think? And what do they win if they post the most? At least Scotty McCreary gets a record contract. Social Media activists get… ignored.
We all know where the Debt Ceiling Impasse is headed no matter how many Tweets are Tweeted – and so does President Obama. The U.S. will be kicking the can further down the road and a six month or one year debt ceiling extension that will accomplish very little and will be reluctantly signed on August 1st or 2nd.
Then Congress goes on vacation for the month of August.
The issue will be taken up again in early 2012 – two weeks or so before another possible default. And the Facebook status posting and Tweeting will begin another cycle… just in time for the new season of “American Idol”.
Jill Kennedy – OnMedea
No way, Jill! I am making difference. [PASTE THIS IN YOUR COMMENT IF DON’T AGREE WITH JILL]
[PASTE THIS IF YOU DON’T LIKE FRED]
It’s starting to look more and more like Obama will have no choice but the Clinton plan — ignore the debt ceiling, pay the bills and let the courts sort it out.
I think it’s likely that no court, especially the Supreme Court, would want to be the body than plunged the nation into default.
I agree that Haley sucks. I don’t agree that flooding the emails of members of congress is not-effective. It’s like playing the Marine’s playing rock music outside of Noriega’s palace. Eventually the dude is going to come out saying ‘Please, no more.’ I hope I’m not being naive in saying that I think congress listens to its constituents.
I think it took a gun battle to get Noriega out of the palace. I do believe members of Congress listen to their constituents on most issues. But this one, they are locked into the party line and cannot waver. Most people want compromise and that’s just not going to happen on the Republican side on this round. They’ll take a test of the polls again around the holidays and see if they can compromise a bit on the next round.
Listen – everything is cyclical. It’s all politics. Debt is a problem but don’t worry it’s all part of the game. China is the only country capable of getting rid of debt because they have no problem plunging the population into poverty to do it. Is that the way for the U.S. to go? It’s stunning how close the Chinese Communists and the Right Wing Republicans are.
I get so annoyed when I’m asked to repost something. Repost this to cure cancer. And then in the next status update my friend would say “I’m going out to get drunk anyone wanna join?!” But I thought we were curing cancer first.
OK, Jill. I don’t know this Fred – but – here ya go…
[PASTE THIS IF YOU DON’T LIKE FRED]
Are you sure there is nothing I can Tweet that can make congress come together?
Yes, you can Tweet this…
“I realize I am powerless over you idiots – so, please, just try not to start a Civil War.”
Heh.. Anyone that doesn’t understand the power of social media in 2013, probably would not of understood fire before it was trendy either.
Truly a silly thing to say.. more Facebook users than any other site (Bazillions) and the networking potential is unlimited. Just because the young lady who wrote this doesn’t understand or have the capacity to utilize it, doesn’t mean it is worthless. In fact, I was on facebook and linked to a site that led me here.. Dig?