How to stop a revolution

Well . . . you can’t. Once issues steam up to the point they are being called a revolution (or even capitalized Revolution), you are staring in the face of an oncoming LOCOMOTIVE, for heaven’s sake! Get out of the way!

But suppose that you don’t like the cargo and direction of this particular train-revolution-whatever-it-is? In fact, you pretty clearly see a train wreck ahead. Can you, as an individual, do anything? Surely you must feel that your efforts in this world are worth something—or you would want to throw yourself under the train.

What am I talking about? The digital revolution.

Oh, is that all. Feel free to shrug your shoulders, type a different web address into your browser, and move along the internet highway.

If you’re still with me, think about this: history tells us about many revolutions—maybe we could learn something that would help us avoid a 20-car pile-up.

There was that thing between the pride of the British Empire, The Red Coats, and a bunch of stubborn colonial farmers. At the time it was treasonous, dangerous and inglorious—but now we call it “The American Revolution.” (Notice the capital letters.)

Lesson #1. . .Find a way to get self –interest to help the common interest.

Another time, not long after, a bunch of poverty-stricken slum-dwellers got fed up with a smaller bunch of VERY rich nobles and started chopping off their French, pompadoured heads. A bloody business, indeed. Hardly worthy of capital letters, and yet we now know it as “The French Revolution.”

Lesson #2. . .Don’t trust your revolution to madmen.

Not all revolutions have been political. Once, some people in Europe started getting tired of doing so much work. The serfs had long since fled the castle and weren’t around to take orders. The city-folks needed servants, and somebody thought of making them out of metal and wood. EUREKA!—“The Industrial Revolution.”

Lesson #3. . .Let the revolution serve people, not the other way around.

Some of these revolutions have steamed into the station and let their passengers off safely at a new destination. Others have derailed at Destruction Junction. This is my stop, so I’ll let you proceed to your own conclusions.

My point is this: people create change when they’re unhappy, greedy, annoyed or fearful. Change has a momentum to it. I think I can I think I can. And then an increasing speed. Get behind me get behind me. But unless you are the engineer … Choo CHOO!! … your influence is in communicating with the other passengers along the journey.

Communicating … that reminds me—isn’t that what the internet/digital/social networking revolution is all about? True, powerful communicating just might do the trick. People set the digital revolution in motion, and people can direct and influence it…. Make it work for good, for the benefit of people…. Keep the madmen out of the engine room, and the bandits off the platform.

Some day, a hundred years from now, it will be called The Digital Revolution (capitalization intended). In the meantime, some prayer, diligence and wisdom as we google, blog and twitter could guide us to a happy ending.

All ABOARD!