The thing about a grassroots resistance campaign is that many people can take many different individual actions at the same time. Every single action, regardless of how small, is important if combined with millions of similar actions with the same objective and motivation in mind.
1. Core ideas
The most critical aspect of such resistance is a core set of ideas we all agree to, and each one of us can concentrate on what can we do to execute on those ideas. Namely:
- Inequality is the problem that led to MAGA—it creates a general malaise in society that something is not right that the haves, the elites, are oppressing and taking advantage of the have nots.
- Oligarchs are the enemy that exploit the inequality—Oligarchs have grabbed every lever of power, since Citizen's United unlimited campaign contributions have created an impossible political environment to compete in.
- Populist Autocracy, with its propaganda, is the tool of oppression—By dividing the population into MAGA and WOKE, white and foreign, christian and non-christian, etc. The population is kept busy fighting with each other instead of looking at the oligarchs.
- Stupidity of the general populace, all of us, is the result of the culture wars fomented by propaganda and fueled by capitalism—Stupidity is unavoidable in this phase in society, when all facts and fact-based professions are rejected and ignorance is glorified.
2. Communications is key
Goebbels , Hitler's propaganda minister, made the observation that:
Arguments must ... be crude, clear, and forcible, and appeal to emotions and instincts, not the intellect. Truth was unimportant and entirely subordinate to tactics and psychology.
This remains true, even if living in reality and speaking the truth. Above all, we have to follow the dictum of Delphi: Know thyself. Let’s start by not being stupid ourselves. We know that argumentation, reason, facts, and all of those things we hold dear as rational human beings just don’t work when people stand their ground atop mount stupid. We have to break down communication barriers and explore the psychology of other individuals so that we can find a way in.
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent full of doubt.—Bertrand Russell
Goebbels also said:
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State
The Truth is the greatest enemy of the state, the Truth is the weak point. But insanity is repeating the same action over and over again and expecting different results. We already know that facts, arguments, and reason are not working, but other methods like Socrates' and r/StreetEpistemology are good alternatives. Socrates lived in a similar period in Ancient Greece, his ability to make others see the truth is what got him condemned and killed.
One part that we must understand is that repetition is key, simple messages that can reach many people and are repeated over and over again. Simple somewhat ambiguous messages that can be adopted by many people. Messages with some humor, as comedy is a good tool to put authoritarians in a lose-lose situation.
Social media algorithms are not our friend here, going viral or hitting Reddit's top page are the exception, not the rule. And in a society where ignorance is glorified and entertainment rules, truth and reality are fighting a losing battle. So each one of us has to take the responsibility of repeating the important, simple messages, everywhere we can, in every form these can take.
Marches and manifestations are the tip of the iceberg, the eye candy for the media as a symbol of the movement and a way to display our message in placards, but these are not the whole movement. Things that can be measured, like company profits or elections, are a much clearer communications tool. Company CEOs seeing cratering company numbers will call their Republican friends. Red states turning blue are an even clearer message for a politician.
Red hat, blue hair. Oligarchs don’t care!!!
3. Address the problems
We have to make sure that Republicans, in all positions of power throughout the whole country including governors dog catchers and anyone with political aspirations, feel the shifting political winds. Elected republicans are also a social network, they talk to each other. They have to be afraid that their party will become unviable, taking their power with it. Attend local assemblies, meetings, town halls, request audiences, call, write, make it impossible for them to ignore us. Learn the facts, be prepared, but remember that asking questions is how you get them to contradict themselves and have to rationalize on the fly. To create and hit cognitive dissonances in themselves and their audience.
The more local the problems to be addressed, the better. As long as it has consequences for the authoritarians in charge.
Actions, not words!! Spineless bastards impeach the turd!!
4. Grow the movement
The most important aspect is that for the resistance to be effective and for the damage to our institutions to be minimized, we must grow as fast as possible. It’s up to each one of us to push its message far and wide, to recruit more people to the cause.
We need to do the groundwork of changing minds one by one. We know that under the present historical conditions arguments and facts don’t work, we need to look at cult deconversion techniques, interventions, and others to get them to understand what is going on and why it matters. That is engaging in r/StreetEpistemology with our community to inform and educate what the resistance is about. These videos are examples of what I mean.
Look beyond the rage, we're all in the same cage!!!
5. Provide solutions
Last, but not least, we need to be aware of the range of possible solutions that can be taken both to remove the authoritarians and once the authoritarians are removed. Solutions that serve all of society and not a particular class. Something to keep in mind when engaging in conversations. Like, for example: removing money from politics, Ranked Choice Voting, multi-member districts, taxing income inequality in companies, taxing companies that don't provide a living wage, universal health insurance, etc., etc.
Originally Posted By u/Edgar_Brown At 2025-03-09 08:53:53 PM | Source
