I've been seeing an insane amount of petitions circulating young, mostly liberal spaces online. Some of them being obviously useless and embarrassing, like sign to end the war in Yemen or to free Hong Kong.
What's the general consensus on petitions? I feel like they often stand in for action that is much more likely to work like in-person protests, boycotts, etc. Like I see people who said they sign petitions online for large swaths of time every day, which seems to me to be a huge waste time, compared to any other way of supporting a cause.
But is there something to be said for them "raising awareness" for issues? Or do they just let people feel like they've done their part and demobilize them? Are there specific issues that petitions can help with? As opposed to generic petitions with no feasible way to achieve their stated goals.
Those in power don't admit what makes them actually change things, so most people are just taking shots in the dark about what they think works. In person protests are largely ineffective. Property destruction makes libs piss their pants. Strikes are hard. Voting and petitions are a way to feel like you're doing something and you get a pat on the head from teacher.