24 January 2025

Resistance is not futile... it is absolutely necessary

We've been on a vacation in Mexico, ignoring most of the news, for the last couple of weeks. I intend to continue to keep the relentlessly negative news from this terrible time at bay, for my mental health (not ignore it, but keep it within bounds in terms of consuming my attention). I hope we will be able to continue to live a decent life, as law abiding citizens who have small-d democratic ideals and seek to bring about change peacefully and through civil processes. But it is already clear to me that, without what amounts to a (hopefully entirely peaceful) mass uprising, our country's whole character is on track to be totally transformed in a dark and ugly direction, probably irreversibly, at least for a long while. We are rapidly headed for actual no-kidding dictatorship and, more than likely, economic collapse. At least to some degree this will be unavoidable. But conscientious people must resist. We must stand up and denounce oppression, defend human rights, and refuse to "go along to get along." Any violence that occurs in this dark time will... must....come from the oppressors, not from the people. We must organize and practice nonviolent civil disobedience, as taught to us by Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, and, especially, by Gene Sharp, whose work needs to be much more widely known. He systematized a whole theory and practice of nonviolent resistance, and we will need all these tools, and need to know how to use them, because the time is now. 

This may not be Germany, 1933, but it could be, and it certainly is a time when everything we care about as a democracy-based society is at risk of total destruction at the hands of people who simply do not believe in democracy, and who intend to impose tyranny upon the people. They have all but stopped pretending otherwise, and actual Nazis like Elon Musk are among their ranks. I genuinely believe that only through massive lies taking advantage of the structural defects of our political system were they, much like Hitler in the 30s, able to barely get elected. Another lie they all tell, like some hellish chorus, but remember the truth: it was no landslide, but a bare plurality. Had the 17 million people (including a margin for population growth) who voted for Biden in 2020 but simply stayed home in 2024 not done so, but had turned out to vote, good people who were lulled into complacency and believing the torrent of lies they were deluged with, this wouldn't have happened, but this is how democracy works. As Goebbels himself said in the late 1920s... the democrats (small-d), swayed by vicious and evil propaganda, actually give them the power to end democracy. 

We
must have courage, like the students in Mexico City in 1968. With tears in my eyes I hope and pray that it does not come to that, but I fear it is likely. Courage!

Here is a good rundown of Gene Sharp's brilliant "codification" of nonviolent civil disobedience:

  Gene Sharp's principles and practice of civil disobedience are grounded in his belief that power in a society derives from the consent of the governed and that nonviolent action can effectively withdraw that consent. Here's a brief summary of his key ideas:
 
* Nonviolent Action as a Method of Combat: Sharp views nonviolent action as a method of combat, akin to military warfare, but using psychological, social, economic, and political weapons instead of violence. This includes acts like protests, strikes, and non-cooperation.
* Strategic Planning: Sharp emphasizes the need for careful strategic planning in nonviolent movements. This involves analyzing the dictatorship or oppressive regime, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and devising a strategy that targets these vulnerabilities.
* Concentration of Power: He argues that power in a society is not monolithic but rather dispersed among various pillars such as the military, police, civil servants, and cultural institutions. Effective nonviolent resistance seeks to undermine these pillars and shift their loyalty away from the regime.
* Methods of Nonviolent Action: Sharp catalogued 198 methods of nonviolent action, which he detailed in his book The Politics of Nonviolent Action. These methods range from symbolic protests like public speeches and displays of flags and symbols to more proactive strategies like sit-ins, strikes, and creating alternative institutions.
* Psychological Resilience: Nonviolent resistance often provokes repression from the status quo. Sharp argues for the psychological preparation of activists to endure suffering and repression without resorting to violence, thereby maintaining moral and strategic superiority.
* Political Jiu-Jitsu: This principle describes the dynamic where the nonviolent response to oppression can lead to political mistakes by the oppressors, which in turn erodes their power and legitimacy, and galvanizes public support for the resistance.
Sharp's work is focused on empowering oppressed populations with a methodology and tactics that allow them to effect change and resist tyranny without the use of violence, thereby reducing the destruction, casualties, and moral compromises associated with armed conflict.

We, the decent and pro-democratic people of the United States, whom I truly believe actually are the great majority of the people, must keep all this in mind, and simply not go along. We must strive to spread truth, and the importance of awareness and understanding of what is happening. We must identify and promote leaders from within our ranks who will actually do these things, and outsmart (that part's easy), and outwork those who would impose autocratic and oligarchic power upon us, against our will. We must resist any impetus to violence, but never give up, never give in, and do everything we can to maintain and restore democracy in our country. Again, my friends, Courage! 


 

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