I agree with everything in the article. I just don't see what community organizing does here. I'm not being nihilist, but when your community either knows this is wrong and is already on the right side of it, or is brainwashed and happily complicit, no amount of community organizing or structure is going to change anything. It's nice to say things like that...it feels like we're really doing something, putting together support networks, etc., and that is *important* work that should continue.
But it won't stop any of this. Not in this country, not with our society.
The only thing that stops this is opting out. Organizing work strikes. Pulling the plug on money flowing to companies like ABC and being *loud* about it. Full-on tanking the country's economy by doing the only thing fascists can't stop you from doing - not spending.
This has been my refrain since January 20th. Unless people are willing to experience discomfort and give up anything that's unnecessary, and by doing so put real economic pressure on the government, no amount of community unity will turn this tide. The administration does...not...care. They have their base - 30-35% of the country that actually *wants* authoritarianism, if it's Trump delivering it. They don't need to convince the rest of the country, because by the time they're done, the rest of the country won't have a voice.
But we have a *choice*. Every dollar you spend on something you don't need is a dollar you're putting into the pocket of a system that wants to silence you. And while strikes are more difficult - we all need money to survive - they can be organized in such a way as to minimize the damage to people's lives and livelihoods. While I think their list of goals is far too expansive for the moment, anyone that's trying to organize a strike is an ally right now - check out generalstrikeus.com. Their goals are...scattered...but their purpose - getting 3.5% of the country to strike at the same time - is the type of action we need to be taking right now.
Community organizing builds the network of bottom-up institutional power that allows workers and renters to go on strike. The Red Scare taught us union leadership won’t stick their heads out to protect their staff and avoid breaking ever-increasingly restrictive labor strike laws.
Only through bottom-up organization can unions be controlled by their membership towards a general strike, and that starts with people like you and me coalescing our own neighbors and coworkers.
I don't disagree with any of that. But by the time those networks are built, they won't matter anymore. I'm not saying that those things shouldn't happen. They absolutely should. I'm just saying they won't be sufficient to stop what's happening, not now, and not here. They're important - not just for Trump, but just in general - but they're not going to move the short-term needle.
In two days, we're going to be 8 months into a 4 year term. There are masked agents in the street, funded now by enough money to throw minimum $50k starting salaries (up to around $90k), with signing bonuses in the $45-50k range for new hires. Television programs are being shut down because the president doesn't like what they say. The department of justice is investigating people for the crime of not saying the 2020 election was rigged. I could go on...and on...but you're reading this, so you know all of it. We're beyond the point at which community organizing moves the needle with this.
I just want to stress one last time - I'm not questioning the value of community organizing, nor whether it has a role to play right now. I'm just saying that any solution that stops there isn't enough. We need to take radical economic action now, because tanking the economy is about the only peaceful means available of putting a stop to what's happening right now. Trump's supporters want an authoritarian - but only if it's one that makes things cheap and makes sure their jobs and/or entitlements keep flowing in. The economy tanks, a lot of those people move on, and if a lot of those people move on, Congressional Republicans might just grow a spine.
Yes - this is hyper-capital at work, they’re tied to the markets as much as their supporters (for now, at least).
When Japan and Canada mentioned they might undo their bond holdings, a chill went down Wall Street and up whatever holds up Trump’s bejowled neck.
Just don’t do business with them and withhold labour strategically or en masse if required.
The fact these firms and moguls console themselves that they can play nice as he’s only got a few years is as dumb as it is cowardly. The opposite stance is preferable if you know it won’t last, you also come through intact and with some sense of knowing you didn’t completely sell-out.
Crazy times we’re living in, what happened to this free speech they’re always lauding to? What Kimmel said was absolutely correct. The alleged shooter was of their own creation. From their vitriolic rhetoric they have incited a violence we have yet to see in its entirety.
In this situation where there is no majority consensus around What Is To Be Done in the form of mass resistance other than increasingly loud arguing, I would advocate for everyone to sit in silent contemplation in addition to a general strike.
Ah. Well. Anyone who is somewhat smart, reasonable intellectually curious that didn’t see some form of this coming must have had their head I the sand.
My “course” examines the root causes of this type of phenomenon and offers up a concrete set of solutions which are designed to try ti avoid it.
I agree with everything in the article. I just don't see what community organizing does here. I'm not being nihilist, but when your community either knows this is wrong and is already on the right side of it, or is brainwashed and happily complicit, no amount of community organizing or structure is going to change anything. It's nice to say things like that...it feels like we're really doing something, putting together support networks, etc., and that is *important* work that should continue.
But it won't stop any of this. Not in this country, not with our society.
The only thing that stops this is opting out. Organizing work strikes. Pulling the plug on money flowing to companies like ABC and being *loud* about it. Full-on tanking the country's economy by doing the only thing fascists can't stop you from doing - not spending.
This has been my refrain since January 20th. Unless people are willing to experience discomfort and give up anything that's unnecessary, and by doing so put real economic pressure on the government, no amount of community unity will turn this tide. The administration does...not...care. They have their base - 30-35% of the country that actually *wants* authoritarianism, if it's Trump delivering it. They don't need to convince the rest of the country, because by the time they're done, the rest of the country won't have a voice.
But we have a *choice*. Every dollar you spend on something you don't need is a dollar you're putting into the pocket of a system that wants to silence you. And while strikes are more difficult - we all need money to survive - they can be organized in such a way as to minimize the damage to people's lives and livelihoods. While I think their list of goals is far too expansive for the moment, anyone that's trying to organize a strike is an ally right now - check out generalstrikeus.com. Their goals are...scattered...but their purpose - getting 3.5% of the country to strike at the same time - is the type of action we need to be taking right now.
Community organizing builds the network of bottom-up institutional power that allows workers and renters to go on strike. The Red Scare taught us union leadership won’t stick their heads out to protect their staff and avoid breaking ever-increasingly restrictive labor strike laws.
Only through bottom-up organization can unions be controlled by their membership towards a general strike, and that starts with people like you and me coalescing our own neighbors and coworkers.
I don't disagree with any of that. But by the time those networks are built, they won't matter anymore. I'm not saying that those things shouldn't happen. They absolutely should. I'm just saying they won't be sufficient to stop what's happening, not now, and not here. They're important - not just for Trump, but just in general - but they're not going to move the short-term needle.
In two days, we're going to be 8 months into a 4 year term. There are masked agents in the street, funded now by enough money to throw minimum $50k starting salaries (up to around $90k), with signing bonuses in the $45-50k range for new hires. Television programs are being shut down because the president doesn't like what they say. The department of justice is investigating people for the crime of not saying the 2020 election was rigged. I could go on...and on...but you're reading this, so you know all of it. We're beyond the point at which community organizing moves the needle with this.
I just want to stress one last time - I'm not questioning the value of community organizing, nor whether it has a role to play right now. I'm just saying that any solution that stops there isn't enough. We need to take radical economic action now, because tanking the economy is about the only peaceful means available of putting a stop to what's happening right now. Trump's supporters want an authoritarian - but only if it's one that makes things cheap and makes sure their jobs and/or entitlements keep flowing in. The economy tanks, a lot of those people move on, and if a lot of those people move on, Congressional Republicans might just grow a spine.
Yes - this is hyper-capital at work, they’re tied to the markets as much as their supporters (for now, at least).
When Japan and Canada mentioned they might undo their bond holdings, a chill went down Wall Street and up whatever holds up Trump’s bejowled neck.
Just don’t do business with them and withhold labour strategically or en masse if required.
The fact these firms and moguls console themselves that they can play nice as he’s only got a few years is as dumb as it is cowardly. The opposite stance is preferable if you know it won’t last, you also come through intact and with some sense of knowing you didn’t completely sell-out.
Crazy times we’re living in, what happened to this free speech they’re always lauding to? What Kimmel said was absolutely correct. The alleged shooter was of their own creation. From their vitriolic rhetoric they have incited a violence we have yet to see in its entirety.
It's getting worse and worse.
Perhaps there will be no more elections at all.
And don't say that's doom and gloom. I think many people have not yet recognized the seriousness of the situation.
Corruption starts at the top.
In this situation where there is no majority consensus around What Is To Be Done in the form of mass resistance other than increasingly loud arguing, I would advocate for everyone to sit in silent contemplation in addition to a general strike.
Ah. Well. Anyone who is somewhat smart, reasonable intellectually curious that didn’t see some form of this coming must have had their head I the sand.
My “course” examines the root causes of this type of phenomenon and offers up a concrete set of solutions which are designed to try ti avoid it.