is dissent pointless?

I recently commented upon someone else's blog post,
regarding the need for people to rail against the state
of things. My comment was that we need to do more
than just bitch about things to others who think like
we do. If people outside of our sphere of perception
aren't made aware of a different way of seeing things
(ie, seeing things as they really are, without some
political 'spin'), then all we're doing is preaching to
the choir, and our efforts are wasted.

In response to my response, that blogger said:

"Corporate interests have a much louder voice. Do
you think your tired, overworked voice really stands
up to the voice of Monsanto? or Proctor and Gamble?
or Phillip Morris? or Arthur Anderson? or even TXU?
Not a chance, man."

In the face of such a disheartening thought, what does
this say about books that have been published such
as Friendly Fascism by Bertram Gross (1980), which
warned of the evils that would emerge from the shady
partnership of Big Business and Big Government?
What good does it do to produce movies such as the
2004 film The Corporation? Are these voices of
dissent just engaging in pointless monologue?

The percentage of the population who are exposed
to these truth-tellers is small, and those who need
to hear the messages the most are buying books by
right-wing pundits and listening to right-wing talk
shows (that are de facto mouthpieces for the GOP)
while complaining about the "liberal media," even
though the mainstream media are owned and con-
trolled by huge corporations, including many of
their advertisers--who have a vested interest in
keeping the masses uninformed, unquestioning,
and unswervingly consumerized.

And then, there are those with little or no interest
in things political, numbing their already dull minds
with entertainment, drugs, or some combination of
the two. The working poor--and the struggling
middle class folks who are increasingly joining their
ranks--could be a powerful force for change, if they
just cared enough to be informed, and had the time
energy, and motivation to become actively involved
in the political life of our nation.

I fear that too many of us have sunk into a tar pit
of apathy. But perhaps the next four years will
see the beginning of a new America, and fear can
be trumped by a renewed trust in the human spirit.

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an afterthought:

As long as I'm engaging in wishful thinking, the
emergence of a viable third party--one immune
from corruption--would be wonderful, too!