Some of the signatories felt offended because I said that online petitions are generally enthusiastically forwarded by useful idiots.
I'm sorry, but it's true. That doesn't mean that each of the signatories is a useful idiot. But most of them, despite their good intentions, certainly are.
Virtual protests are the triumph of laziness in the modern world. Those with a genuine cause will protest in the streets, under ominous rain, under scorching sun, under the threat of police violence.
In recent years, we have seen this repeatedly, in response to the outrageous injustice that has gripped the world over the last thirty years, starting with Reagan and Thatcher.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is the greatest symbol of this. The Indignados in Spain are another good example. The demonstrations in Tahrir Square, in Egypt, toppled a dictator, later ousted military officers who tried to fill the vacuum, and are now putting a presidency excessively driven by religion against the wall.
That's what protesting is all about.
Where are the people?
Signing online petitions is a sterile demonstration of outrage. If the outrage is real, it needs to leave the cell phones and go into the streets.
This is the big test.
What we've seen, even in virtual protests like this one against Renan, is that the angry protesters don't seem willing to waste a sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon demonstrating.
One, two, three million signatures obtained with a simple click are worth little. Better yet: they are worth nothing. Unless they leave the comfortable virtual world and face the harshness of the streets.