It used to be a joke that New York City had its own foreign policy. Not something for other cities to aspire to. (It's not as though renaming street corners after Soviet dissidents was going to persuade the Kremlin to do anything.)
Really---the idea of the anti-Israel protesters taking a page from the anti-vaxxers and jamming 311 with messages is absolutely and totally asinine--and vicious, to boot.
311 is another type of emergency number, which should not and must not be abused like that. It seems that the anti-Israel protesters are finding, or are trying to find common ground with the anti-vaxxers. This is some crazy stuff that's going on, and it's not for the good, either.
Look, I despise people using 311 for any political goal, but let's be clear. 311 was literally set up as a non-emergency number. 911 is the emergency number. 311 is for potholes and the like.
Still, to emphasize, no reason for people using 311 for anything related to what's going on in the Middle East.
The City of Boston has very little to say about the policies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, let alone the foreign policy of the United States or the policies of various foreign agencies.
Now, if people were opposed to something the City of Boston is actually doing, or not doing for that matter, you'd have a point.
Its the medium. They're not protesting the city of Boston. They're trying to locally raise awareness of their issue using 311, kind of like postering city hall.
I make no claims to the effectiveness of this particular action, but the complaints on here are another variation of a familiar objection by those made uncomfortable by protest, "you're not protesting the RIGHT way."
I saw two of the posts you linked to before they were taken down (the other had already been removed). Both posts called for a cease-fire in Gaza. This is not anti-Israel, it is anti-indiscriminate slaughter of civilians.
This is not just a technical distinction. Speaking as a jew, I feel it's important to note that criticism of Israeli policies and its apartheid government's actions should not automatically be read as criticism of the existence of Israel.
1. This is not an issue for the City of Boston and has no place on the city's 311 system.
2. The conflict in Gaza/Israel is extremely complex and rooted in history going back centuries. There will be no peace until Iran, the US, Saudi Arabia, and every other other country stops using these two people as proxies for their own interests.
PS. If Boston managed to solve the Methadone Mile and housing crises, I'd put money on Wu being able to bring peace to the Middle East.
Regardless of whether the form of the protest is stupid (and yes, it is) I think it's also worth being careful about conflating "anti-Israel", "anti Israeli military", and "anti bombing civilians".
This reminds me of the recent protest method of using museums and high value art to protest environmental degradation. The museum or art - whether the Gardner, or tomato soup thrown onto paintings - is used because trying to protest the actual issue seems to be without effect. Protesting the policy choices of people who have so much wealth and privilege that they are able to insulate themselves from everyone else creates the sense that protest against their decisions is wasted energy. They are powerful and the rest of us are powerless against them. Whether "they" are the executives at Exxon or other international corporations, the law makers at the tops of governments and any other major organization (for the matter the executives at local institutions such as hospitals - people who are disconnected from everyone else). The people at the top are so insulated, the 1% or even 10% of decisions makers, are so disconnected from the rest of us that they seem to be unreachable. They exercise power over the rest of us while we are powerless against them and their decision.
Lily Tomlin offered a sublime, unplanned commentary that so fits today: "We don’t care. We don’t have to. We’re the Phone Company."
Just replace Phone Company with government, hospital, oil and energy corporation. And of course anyone who has to deal with Comcast or Verizon can also report that the frustration of dealing with the is no less with the Phone Company today than it was nearly 50 years ago.
For decades the belief was that New York City would function far better as a state instead of being a city that is part of a state. Perhaps the same is true of other major institutions and corporations. When the people who run something are so far disconnected from the people served it's time to shorten the distance. Instead of these unfathomably large institutions that are too large to fail, perhaps they are too large for the rest of us to succeed.
The phrase too large to fail is thrown about. Perhaps the reality is that there are too large is to dangerous to continue.
Comments
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Who said ...
311 doesn't respond quickly to things?
It's good practice
They are prepping to rapid fire close unplowed snow related tickets.
they're yelling at the wrong people
It used to be a joke that New York City had its own foreign policy. Not something for other cities to aspire to. (It's not as though renaming street corners after Soviet dissidents was going to persuade the Kremlin to do anything.)
How stupid can people get?
Really---the idea of the anti-Israel protesters taking a page from the anti-vaxxers and jamming 311 with messages is absolutely and totally asinine--and vicious, to boot.
311 is another type of emergency number, which should not and must not be abused like that. It seems that the anti-Israel protesters are finding, or are trying to find common ground with the anti-vaxxers. This is some crazy stuff that's going on, and it's not for the good, either.
Slow your roll there
Look, I despise people using 311 for any political goal, but let's be clear. 311 was literally set up as a non-emergency number. 911 is the emergency number. 311 is for potholes and the like.
Still, to emphasize, no reason for people using 311 for anything related to what's going on in the Middle East.
Common ground ...
yes, I am not surprised. There is a not-insignificant overlap of both antivaxers and antisemites between people calling themselves "left" or "right".
Non-Violent Protest
The point of protest is to get your attention. This seems a pretty harmless way to do it, if you ask me.
But the object (not objective) of the protest is wrong
The City of Boston has very little to say about the policies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, let alone the foreign policy of the United States or the policies of various foreign agencies.
Now, if people were opposed to something the City of Boston is actually doing, or not doing for that matter, you'd have a point.
311 is not the Object of the Protest.
Its the medium. They're not protesting the city of Boston. They're trying to locally raise awareness of their issue using 311, kind of like postering city hall.
I make no claims to the effectiveness of this particular action, but the complaints on here are another variation of a familiar objection by those made uncomfortable by protest, "you're not protesting the RIGHT way."
Yeah, that's not the right way
This idea that everything everywhere needs to devolve into national politics is bunk. It has nothing to do with being uncomfortable with the subject.
Perfect Example!
Thank you for your service.
Trying to convince the 311 employees?
That’s got to be the stupidest medium.
Going door to door would be more effective.
Aren't these more likely to
Aren't these more likely to be the same people who reported people playing sports or dining without masks?
Oh look, it's the 9.55
No. But you knew that.
"Anti-Israel"
I saw two of the posts you linked to before they were taken down (the other had already been removed). Both posts called for a cease-fire in Gaza. This is not anti-Israel, it is anti-indiscriminate slaughter of civilians.
This is not just a technical distinction. Speaking as a jew, I feel it's important to note that criticism of Israeli policies and its apartheid government's actions should not automatically be read as criticism of the existence of Israel.
Also speaking as a jew
1. This is not an issue for the City of Boston and has no place on the city's 311 system.
2. The conflict in Gaza/Israel is extremely complex and rooted in history going back centuries. There will be no peace until Iran, the US, Saudi Arabia, and every other other country stops using these two people as proxies for their own interests.
PS. If Boston managed to solve the Methadone Mile and housing crises, I'd put money on Wu being able to bring peace to the Middle East.
And what are the 311 responders supposed to do about it?
Nothing? But I don't think that's the point.
Regardless of whether the form of the protest is stupid (and yes, it is) I think it's also worth being careful about conflating "anti-Israel", "anti Israeli military", and "anti bombing civilians".
I would be fine with having the 311 requests removed as spam
because they are clearly not relevant to anything the city does, no matter how you categorize them.
I don't think anyone is disputing that.
n/t
The world is too big and we are too small
This reminds me of the recent protest method of using museums and high value art to protest environmental degradation. The museum or art - whether the Gardner, or tomato soup thrown onto paintings - is used because trying to protest the actual issue seems to be without effect. Protesting the policy choices of people who have so much wealth and privilege that they are able to insulate themselves from everyone else creates the sense that protest against their decisions is wasted energy. They are powerful and the rest of us are powerless against them. Whether "they" are the executives at Exxon or other international corporations, the law makers at the tops of governments and any other major organization (for the matter the executives at local institutions such as hospitals - people who are disconnected from everyone else). The people at the top are so insulated, the 1% or even 10% of decisions makers, are so disconnected from the rest of us that they seem to be unreachable. They exercise power over the rest of us while we are powerless against them and their decision.
Lily Tomlin offered a sublime, unplanned commentary that so fits today: "We don’t care. We don’t have to. We’re the Phone Company."
Just replace Phone Company with government, hospital, oil and energy corporation. And of course anyone who has to deal with Comcast or Verizon can also report that the frustration of dealing with the is no less with the Phone Company today than it was nearly 50 years ago.
For decades the belief was that New York City would function far better as a state instead of being a city that is part of a state. Perhaps the same is true of other major institutions and corporations. When the people who run something are so far disconnected from the people served it's time to shorten the distance. Instead of these unfathomably large institutions that are too large to fail, perhaps they are too large for the rest of us to succeed.
The phrase too large to fail is thrown about. Perhaps the reality is that there are too large is to dangerous to continue.
Sounds like...
Sounds like you want to uncap the House.
Yes and...
public funding of campaigns with real enforcement.