"We must develop huge demonstrations, because the world is used to big dramatic affairs. They think in terms of hundreds of thousands and millions and billions... Billions of dollars are appropriated at the twinkling of an eye. Nothing little counts"
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A. Philip Randolph's quote calls attention to the requirement for large-scale demonstrations in order to catch the attention of a world that has actually become desensitized to smaller, less significant occasions. In his observation, substantial change is attained through numbers and scale, as society and its organizations are conditioned to react to the magnitude of a concern instead of its inherent benefit.
Randolph underscores the importance of exposure and impact in driving social and political motions. The comparison to monetary appropriations-- dollars being allocated at the "twinkling of an eye"-- serves to highlight the stunning ease with which large amounts are moved when deemed needed. This suggests a critique of societal worths, where big monetary deals occur nearly regularly while substantial social issues languish without the exact same level of seriousness or attention.
The expression "nothing little counts" speaks with the idea that smaller sized efforts typically go undetected in a world obsessed with size and immediacy. For a cause to matter or prompt change, Randolph suggests it needs to be grandiose sufficient to disrupt the status quo, therefore requiring observers, including policymakers, to take notice and act. This prioritization of the 'big' over the 'small' perhaps shows a capitalist or materialistic frame of mind common in modern societies, where numerical values overshadow qualitative ones.
Furthermore, the quote calls activists and advocates to action by framing large demonstrations as not just tactical however necessary. It suggests a tactical method to social activism that leverages the mental and societal pull of substantial numbers, aligning the scale of action with the scale of existing global or nationwide conversations.
In essence, Randolph's words articulate a useful viewpoint for advocacy: if the objective is to sway the cumulative awareness or to force systemic change, then the scale should reflect the seriousness and value of the cause.
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