Those who are not interested will of course not have a say in these matters, but what about two very large groups approximately equal in numbers and approximately the same level of zeal?

They could each in turn shut down large portions of our business activity for several weeks to months while actually causing no permanent change.

Is that kind of harmful chaos justified, even if you disagree with the protestors? At some point, the government must restore order.

Well, “breezinthru”, if the rest are not interested, then those who are will decide.

If you don’t know what you want, then I guess anything will do.

Or, if you don’t know where you are going, any road will do.

Get it?

I wonder just how popular the recent mass movements in Egypt and Tunisia actually were; what percentage of the population was not just unsatisfied in a grumbling sort of way, rather so unsatisfied with the current state of affairs that they were willing to roll the dice by taking personal action?

What was the critical mass required for people to achieve change? Was the percentage the same in both countries? How close was the critical mass to 50%?

Consider then a country like Iran with large percentages of the population in direct opposition to each other. If the ability to assemble and loosely coordinate a large group of people who are deeply committed to their position provides moral justification for doing so, how then can one side or the other ever govern effectively?

Consider then a country like America with presidential elections decided by a very small percentage of voters. What would it take for America to implement change?

For example, I wonder what percentage of American citizens believe deeply that the Wall Street profiteers and corporations who benefitted the most from the recent bubble should suffer severe financial consequences and/or put in jail, rather than continue to be treated like economic demigods?

If it is only 50%, would they be morally justified in initiating a internet-coordinated assembly? Even if it was greater than 50%, what critical mass would it take to be effective in a country that ostensibly operates a government of the people, by the people and for the people?