Robert McChesney Quotes

I admire Ralph Nader and Denis Kucinich very much, and insofar as they bring up issues and carry out an educational and organisational function - that's important, and fine, and I support it.

Traditionalists will have to master techniques of sustained activism formerly monopolized by the left.

All the big revolutions, whether it's the Industrial Revolution, the Arab Spring, those changes happened by economic and social shifts brought about by the people's voices, and those things weren't voted for. Most of our changes today are brought about through technology, not by voting.

Social movements are at once the symptoms and the instruments of progress. Ignore them and statesmanship is irrelevant; fail to use them and it is weak.

My political career goes back to the '60s and those were times of vigorous debates.

Before we had the Internet, I organized a fax campaign against the first Iraq war. We blasted faxes to the hotel where James Baker and Tariq Aziz were having their final meeting before the two sides went to war. Much more recently, I co-founded Avaaz and Get Up, which inspired the creation of Purpose.

I was tempted to raise this issue in the Senate several weeks ago, but I decided that I would get more attention if I could get it printed in the papers.

Social change comes not only from the courtroom, but from talking to the media.

The folks that are suggesting Occupy move to electoral politics are ignoring history, ignoring what actually creates change. People get involved in electoral politics because they think there is no movement that can create change.

I think that the movement is weak in Zimbabwe, much weaker than it is in Italy for example, much weaker than it is in Spain, much weaker than it is even in Germany, although there the groups are small they are very vociferous and you get them speaking loudly and organising.

If democracy were to be given any meaning, if it were to go beyond the limits of capitalism and nationalism, this would not come, if history were any guide, from the top. It would come through citizen's movements, educating, organizing, agitating, striking, boycotting, demonstrating, threatening those in power with disruption of the stability they needed.

Rallies, marches on Washington, protests, et al. are pointless if there is no action to make them mean something.

I don't think politics just happens in Parliament. It happens on the streets and in classrooms.

I don't like to really dive too deep into politics.

We think there's nothing like sunlight to mobilize and energize citizens to demand change of their elected officials.

I have a platform, and I can help. I can be in spaces that reporters will never be in because I'm a protester.

Of course sports and politics intersect, and those conversations belong, more than anywhere else, on a network devoted to sports.

Getting political representation is important, but change comes through using direct action, campaigning, and trade unions.

I prefer social politics to politics.

We can avoid liberal candidates by filtering them out at the local level, nipping their ascension to power in the proverbial bud by assuring they don't get nominated in the first place - and we can't do that until we infiltrate the party, beginning at the most basic levels.

Non-violent protests have reached a plateau. There is no other way but to get into politics to make your voice heard.

Revolution used to be cool, but now it's out of fashion.

Agitation prevents rebellion, keeps the peace, and secures progress. Every step she gains is gained forever. Muskets are the weapons of animals. Agitation is the atmosphere of the brains.

I think the most important thing for the public and the press is to just listen to what Donald Trump says and follow up and ask questions about what appear to be either contradictory or uninformed or outright wacky ideas.

Like art, political action gives shape and expression to the things we fear as well as to those we desire. It is a creative process, drawing on the power to imagine as well as to act.