Friday, February 03, 2017
As we come to grips with what is happening, we must not descend
into mass hysteria. Operating on a reactionary basis will not lead to
constructive dialog, and it certainly will not lead to positive change.
Our
Resistance Must Not Descend into Chaos: Practical Suggestions for a Growing
Movement
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and
it never will." –Fredrick Douglas.
"By the way, I think anger is a good thing. This country is
in a crisis. And if you’re fighting to save this country, if you’re fighting to
take this country back, it’s not going to be sunshine and patriots." –Steve
Bannon
The United States of America is in political crisis, and the
whole world is watching. The horrifying decline of the American empire is
unfolding before our eyes. We are witnessing the final stages of a wholesale
corporate takeover of our government and the deterioration of our political
system. It is happening in plain sight.
The availability of information makes it nearly impossible to
ignore the dreadful conditions in our communities and around the nation. The
ascent of Donald Trump into the White House, along with his “cabinet of
deplorables” full of bankers, billionaires, bigots, and climate-change deniers,
is indicative of our failing republic. It is not irrational to use the words
“proto-fascist,” “corporate coup d’état” or “inverted
totalitarianism” to describe our situation.
Emotions are high, and tens of thousands of people are
assembling in the streets to express their frustration, many for the first
time. As we come to grips with what is happening, we must not descend into mass
hysteria. Operating on a reactionary basis will not lead to constructive
dialog, and it certainly will not lead to positive change.
It is imperative that we base our words and actions on a sound
theoretical and historical framework. It is important that we gather ourselves,
breathe, and reflect. Our current situation did not suddenly happen with the
election of Donald Trump, and its reversal will not be sudden, either. It took
time to create this mess, and it will take time to undo it. We must not act in
haste.
This does not mean we normalize anything, and we certainly
should not retreat into despair or apathy. It does means, however, that we take
immediate direct action in every aspect of our personal and professional
lives—but our actions should not be guided by fear, hate, or anger. “This is
the path to the dark side,” as Yoda said.
We are undoubtedly on the brink of the most scandal-prone
administration in history, which will create space for change. But what kind of
change? It is up to us to build an alternative that leads to a more just society—or
we could easily descend into mass hysteria, irrational actions, and violence.
What starts as manageable, well-behaved, peaceful demonstrations
can quickly turn ugly if protesters do not have a sound theoretical framework
to guide their actions. This is especially true for individuals who are new to
political activism and who have not yet cultivated an understanding of
non-violent resistance as a complex strategy to enact social change. We could
easily find ourselves getting out of control.
The national Women’s March was a beautiful demonstration of
peace to inaugurate the resistance; since then, massive demonstrations have
spontaneously erupted in airports and courthouses, and marches are planned to
support science and to demand that Trump release his tax returns. These are
peaceful events.
However, if history offers any lessons for the present moment,
these peaceful demonstrations could diminish into chaos: People will become
angrier the more they are put in the crosshairs of Trump’s dangerous policies,
and the angrier people become, the more impatient and aggressive they will
grow. This increases the likelihood for violence.
To be clear, anger is a rational response given the reality of
our situation, and violence plays a complex role in social change. Rioting is
the language of the
unheard, as Martin Luther King pointed out. People feel they have no
other choice when democracy no longer works, when institutions are unable to
respond to basic grievances, and when all other mechanism for social change
fail.
There could be spontaneous flash mobs and rioting with no
planning or coordination, and groups, such as the Black Bloc, could
deliberately try to incite violence by hijacking peaceful demonstrations with
petty violence. Aggressive protesters will lead to aggressive
policing and vice versa, as in Ferguson and Baltimore.
Standoffs between citizens and law enforcement could create a cycle of
violence.
Things could get ugly. Here are some practical suggestions to
ensure our actions are based on good ideas that lead to social change.
·
Try to fully cultivate how you see and interpret things. Your
beliefs will determine your political actions. It is not enough to be
anti-Trump. We must articulate solutions to the status quo, and work to build
an alternative. This means our political actions must be based on good ideas
and an understanding of history.
·
To do this, spend time reading substantive material. Reading the
news is not enough. Read books. Read serious books about class, power, and
social change. Books provide information and in-depth analysis of the “bigger
picture” that is easy to miss by just reading the news. Books have much less
noise, and they provide clarity that makes it easier to understand the world.
·
Read history books. History will help you understand the present
moment, and it provides a prescription for social change. Start with Howard
Zinn.
·
There is a constant barrage of news, and it is more important
than ever to identity credible information from misinformation, with
alternative facts, climate change denial, and media spin. Slow down and read
books.
·
And remember, fake news is nothing new: Newspapers have always
had sections on entertainment, lifestyle, real estate, sports, and business.
Much of this can be regarded as “fake news,” leaving a small portion of the
newspaper for real news, of which only a small percentage is investigative.
·
Get your news from independent media outlets. This has never
been more important. Independent media exposes the real-world impact of bad
policies, and it reports political change when it is happening.
·
Watch Democracy Now! every
single day.
·
Pay for your news. Donate money to independent media
sources, starting now.
·
Devote the entire 7-10 minutes it takes to read news articles in
their entirely—starting with this one! Do not skim articles or read them
halfway. Read all the information provided, and absorb the author’s intent.
·
Focus on Trump’s actions rather than his words and Tweets. His
words, character, and tone are certainly important, but do not be distracted by
his deliberate attempt to deceive the media. Steve Bannon is in the White House
for a reason. Do not repeat their lies; doing so gives them credibility.
·
It is not enough to bring awareness to issues in the form of
large rallies and public demonstrations. Direct action must be taken to
undermine the power structure, and there may be times when we have to
physically impede actions of the state through nonviolent civil disobedience.
Water protectors at Standing Rock have been doing this for months. How many of
us are willing to impede the construction of Trump's wall with our bodies?
There will be an increased risk and sacrifice on our part as we expand the
types of actions we use—but we must maintain nonviolent discipline. Nonviolence
is an efficient way to
enact change.
·
Join a grassroot organization that has local chapters across the
entire nation. The Left needs to consolidate into larger organizations, rather
than create smaller ones. Larger organizations already have at least some
organizational framework in place. Precious effort and time is wasted by
continuously building new organizations from scratch. Join a local organization
that has national reach.
·
Work to endorse national leaders. The Left needs individuals
with large media platforms who can articulate an alternative to the status quo.
Michael Moore is a wonderful example, but we need powerful civil rights leaders
who can organize and lead entire movements. We need a Martin Luther King, Jr.
·
In order to consolidate grassroot organizations and empower
leaders, we have to stop quibbling over small ideological differences. This
means we should stop zeroing in on identity politics. We divide ourselves when
we organize around narrow causes along strict lines of race, religion, and
sexuality. Our corporate overlords do not care about multiculturalism.
Intersectionality of race, gender, environmental protection, and other
struggles have to be linked with taking on the millionaires and billionaires
who control our lives.
·
We must unite the working class, which means we cannot dismiss
Trump supporters as nothing more than bigots and racists. Reach out to them to
share your perspective in a respectful manner. This is supposed to be a
democracy. People with different opinions are not the enemy.
·
But do not spent large amounts of time debating right-wing
friends and family on social media, and do not waste time on trolls. We do not
need to convince
everyone to enact social change.
·
For those who are new to political activism: Do not assume you
know everything. Reach out to experienced activists, and do your homework
on nonviolent
resistance.
·
For those who are experienced activists: Be patient with
individuals who are becoming politically conscious for the first time. Suggest
independent media sources and books, and help new activists base their
political actions on good ideas.
·
The resistance must be nonviolent to the core; violence is not
an option. Be suspicious of small pockets of people wearing all-black clothes
at rallies. It could be the Black Bloc, the cancer that grows in
movements. Individuals who enact intimidating tactics, such as
pushing, throwing rocks, setting fires, or knocking over trashcans, should be
disavowed and discouraged at all times, even when their members punch Nazis in
the face. Petty violence does not offer solutions. It is lazy activism.
·
The police are not the enemy—but they do have weapons. Police
departments have access to equipment normally available to the army: armored
vehicles, helicopters, night-vision goggles, body shields, machine guns,
surveillance drones, and stingrays.
Stricter protest laws are
being proposed, and Section 1021 of
The National Defense Authorization Act provides the legal framework for
repression.
Donald
Trump exemplifies what it means to take action without thought. This must not
happen to us. Our actions must be based on good ideas. I do not have all the
answers—but I know freedom is a constant struggle and power concedes nothing.
It is absolutely up to us to mount a resistance to loosen the oligarchic grip
on our lives. Change only occurs when enough people are willing to organize and
take action. Democracy is an action word.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
Dustin Axe is a teacher and activist from Chicago, Illinois. He
can be contacted at dustinaxe@gmail.com.
Donations can be sent
to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD
21218. Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class
has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles.
The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their
lives." Eugene Victor Debs
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