Blockheads

 

Once upon a time, being a revolutionary meant having enough self-denial for a protracted hunger strike or a bright idea like self-immolation. But the need for such showy exhibitions have fallen out of fashion. Today, when you want to get your political point across, all you need is a car, a functional horn, and a love of yelling. There’s nothing like a standstill to force your enemies to reexamine their priors. That’s why blocking traffic has replaced the five-paragraph persuasive essay as a means of winning a heated debate.