Mail lists are fine, but they can easily get locked up and frozen, unable to move.
Weblogs are different, it's possible on a weblog to speak and not give equal weight to every point of view. This begets more weblogs, giving people choices, they gravitate to the places that make sense for them. With this, movement can happen. Ask a question, get an answer, move on, ask another. After a few years, the results are visible.