Revolutions Are Not Made They Come

Revolutions are not made: they come. A revolution is as natural a growth as an oak. - Wendell Phillips
The basic equations that are at play are the same in each revolution.
Motivation + Network Capacity = Revolution Potential
We can see that the motivation for change builds from hope and despair. Motivation is inspired by crack downs. Motivation emerges from seeing injustice.  The economic pain motivates people as a does history of police abuse. Motivation comes from empathy and fear as well as belief in success.
Network capacity is the only global virus leaking into every corner of humanity on the backs of cellphones, cheap processing power, commerce and information flows.
Network capacity is the ability for the stories to circulate and networks to coordinate. Network capacity includes a common stories, common language, common vision to throw off the oppression. Network capacity is the ability to share, communicate, coordinate and swarm. Network capacity is the ability to see in real time what works in another country or across town. Network capacity is the ability to adapt quickly. Network capacity is the backbone of solidarity and taking actions with other and working together.
As the world pours “free” network capacity onto populations we are arguably not just entering the age of networks but the age of low motivation revolutions.
What does this mean?
  1. Small bands of really motivated people will connect and trigger revolutions.
  2. Large bands of just very mildly pissed off people will connect and trigger revolutions.
  3. Because revolutions take less motivation we will need to do more to keep people happy or we will endure rapid destabilization.
  4. The longer people suppress connections to the free network  services the more traumatic change will be  once the motivated get networked.
Leading in the age of revolutions is 1 part motivation and 1 part network builder.  If you have a motivated public throw more network capacity on...