Why do we say "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem"?

Meaning:

If you don't take direct action to make things better you're an obstacle to change.

Background:

This saying originates in the USA in the 1960s and is often attributed to Leroy Eldridge Cleaver (1935-1998), a writer, political activist and early leader of the Black Panther Party. But, actually, it was ad agency owner Charles Rosner who coined the expression for a government agency named VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), which was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993.

When interviewed by the New York Times in 2012, Rosner recalled that the campaign was a rush job in response to an offer of free ad space on the sides of Washington’s mail trucks. The promotion included several different catchphrases; Mr. Rosner’s own favorite was "Not exactly the sort of work your mother had in mind for you."

The New York Times contacted Mr. Rosner after politician Paul Ryan's use of the expression caught the attention of the media. When asked by the newspaper if he had plans to collect usage fees off Paul Ryan (or for that matter anyone else), Mr Rosner, a registered Democrat, responded, “certain pieces of the lingo sort of become the property of nobody... This one seems to have the half life of Strontium-90. It’s terrific that he’s using it; it’s a pretty decent set of words to live by.”

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