<p>I don't care much for political activists of any color; I really don't appreciate the lack of civility and the aggression they tend to engender.</p>
<p>But I got myself mixed up in it. I am on my way to Indianapolis today for an intensive training camp on political activism that is basically non-stop until Sunday night. My fees are being paid for by Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian group that has a chapter here that I have been a member of since I arrived. I really don't know what I'm getting myself into, and I'm not sure if it is really my thing, but I'm excited nonetheless. One of the main motivations for me going to this is so that I can learn a lot about the nature of the political machine, and also most people who attend end up getting hired by campaigns and activism organizations at the conclusion of it. I would love to have a job back here with YAL or LI to keep me busy. We're also trying to found a libertarian newspaper here that I volunteered to help with.</p>
<p>I am jealous. I interned for Organizing for America last year and had a lot of fun. Please do report back on how it goes, I am curious.</p>
<p>The Youth Leadership School, as it is called, was a blast. It is run by the Leadership Institute. It is all about political technology, not philosophy, so I would encourage all stripes of people to attend (LI is a conservative group, so there is a conservative emphasis to the school, but it is open to everyone and nothing philosophical is discussed). It was very intense, starting at 9 AM on Saturday, ending at 10 PM, and then starting at 9 AM and then ending at 6 PM on Sunday. There were no breaks apart from meals, and there was an important homework assignment.</p>
<p>The kinds of things you learn really change the way you look at political activism and youth campaigns in general. When you’re finished, you feel empowered with the tools and knowledge to be an effective force in any political organization. I’m not sure if a liberal organization has a similar school, but it can’t be any better than this one. I even told some of my liberal friends to check them out if they can. I bit my tongue for some of the conservative jokes/jibes that came up, but otherwise, it is all gold. Again, political technology is not philosophy, so they even praise and dissect the efforts of early communists in their contribution to this art.</p>
<p>And, of course, the networking is worth as much as the course itself. The work they have you do is also a way for them to evaluate your capability should they be interested in you helping in campaigns (if you indicate that you are interested). I have several solid political contacts now that I did not have before as well as good internship prospects.</p>