Adspar I'd like to see a post on what the options are for people who, like yourself, have principled objections to the laws they are subjected to. I know you're moving to Canada (and believe me, I have a lot of respect for someone who's really willing to move rather than support a regime they don't agree with), but I have the suspicion (given your recent anarchist bent) that Canada won't really scratch your political itch (even though it will be much better). What does one do when there is no nation (or region for non-statists) where one can go to that is well-aligned with one's own political ideals?I'll start off with a few links that do a better job of answering the question than I will:
http://stopmebeforeivoteagain.org/2007/03/stop_traffic.html
http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/2007/10/break-goddamned-rules.html
http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/2007/11/you-may-as-well-break-goddamned-rules.html
http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/2007/10/sunday-sermon.html
http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/2007/10/children-of-revolution-part-one-zillion.html
http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/2007/10/grve.html
http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/2007/10/yutes.html
http://ajbenjaminjrbeta.blogspot.com/2008/03/stop-traffic.html
Next I'll note that previous posts here have offered answers to the question. I've tagged some of them with "Raging Against the Machine" to make them easier to find. There are probably more posts in the archives that deserve that tag, so I'll add them as I come across them.
I really would recommend reading the material at all of those links, but here are my own thoughts on the matter without any quoting of those other people or my previous entries.
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The first thing you need to do, after recognizing the set of problems we're confronted with, is to realize two key points. 1) You're going to be confronted with these problems in almost all aspects of life on a daily basis, and 2) that you aren't going to solve these problems. There's no magical catharsis here. So the way I see it, all anyone can do is make the best of things, which involves some combination of fight and flight. Some of my suggestions for each are below.
Fight (a.k.a. disrupt the system)
- Learn as much as you can about these problems, and speak about what you learn to anyone who will listen (and some people who won't). Spread the message. Knowledge is power. Raise awareness. Educate. Advocate. Inspire. All that shit. It matters.
- Call things what they really are. Up isn't down; black isn't white. Don't let words become meaningless. The US Military isn't fighting a war in Iraq; they're occupiers. America isn't a" democracy" in any meaningful sense. The Department of Defense doesn't defend; the Department of Education doesn't educate; the Homeland Security Department doesn't make us more secure; the Department of Justice doesn't provide justice. Intelligent design isn't science. There's nothing conservative about neo-conservatism, and there's nothing liberal about neo-liberalism. Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama aren't anti-war. John McCain isn't a straight-shooter. Public Relations is propaganda. The Bible is a work of fiction. Declaring "war" on an abstract noun or certain kinds of chemicals literally makes no sense. The President of the United States is sworn to protect and defend the Constitution, not the nation. NAFTA isn't a "Free" "Trade" "Agreement." Collateral damage means innocent people were slaughtered. Enhanced interrogation techniques means fucking torture. Call things what they really are. Words mean something, and have tremendous power. The lies stop at you.
- Paper currency passes through your hands on a daily basis. It could look different when it leaves your possession. Lots of other people will see it. For example, should religious messages be legible on government-issued money?
- There's an important day for the federal government coming up in 11 days. You probably don't want to risk large fines or imprisonment, but aren't few little innocent mistakes bound to happen in such a confusing process?
- Minimize: driving, taxable income, electricity usage, non-essential purchases, paper trails, interaction with illegitimate authorities (including voting for them), processed food consumption, television, religion.
Flight (a.k.a. enjoy life responsibly)
- You'll never find a perfect place, but you can move some place more in line with your ideals, a place where you can be more comfortable with the consequences of your daily decisions. Keep fighting when you get there.
- Immerse yourself in an occupation or hobby (one that doesn't compromise your principles).
- Have sex.
- Buy as much of your food as possible from local and sustainable farms. Experiment with new recipes. Eat slowly.
- Self-medicate.
- Play sports. Go camping. Listen to music. Adopt a pet. Take a walk. Read a book. Join a club.
- Keep in mind that flight is actually a fight strategy too. You're leading by example, demonstrating that people can be more happy and healthy outside of the fucked up system.
5 comments:
Fight. Disrupt.
Do you know what puzzles me? Why haven't we (those who abhor this administration) used the one weapon available that could change this government and even history? Civil disobedience. Clog the intersections around Capitol Hill with a couple thousand protesters 24/7 for as long as it takes to get change. It would take a lot of planning at first to get 5-6,000 people to commit to spend 6 hours a day sitting in an intersection surrounding the Capitol. There would be arrests but there would have to be people in reserve to take their place immediately. As it proved successful and attracted more and more publicity the number of people willing to participate would grow quickly I believe.
Those who participated would have to agree to remain silent and be non-violent, and just sit.
The leaders would have a simple list of grievances that would resonate among moderates and independents. We would end the sit-in only after we see real change.
This is off the top of my head, but I believe literally millions of Americas would love to see some kind of popular action, and provide us with a way to demonstrate how angry we are at this administration.
Civil disobedience, used wisely can accomplish a lot.
Yeah I agree with the nobility and potential utility of that kind of thing. There should be more of it.
i see "have sex" and "join a club" as specific examples of "spending time with people you care for, respect, appreciate and/or enjoy".
Remember the Vietnam protests?
Those who do, also remember how easily the government ignored them even when the Administration knew Vietnam was a lost cause.
Lost, because the US violated its own democratic principles by setting up a rump state in the South after the Geneva Accords divided those who fought with the French from those who fought against. Elections to determine the future of the country were to be held in two years, elections which Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnam nationalist running at around 80 percent in the polls, would most certainly have won. During the war, Ho found support where he could find it, from Communist countries, and we couldn't have that, given the extant 'domino theory.' US intervention followed. The South Vietnamese government, a Potemkin creature of the US, was too corrupt and too weak to sustain itself, addled by US advice, meddling and sponsored coups.
The US didn't support a democratic election when it was there for the taking in violation of its own principles. The US introduced itself on the ground with disastrous results for everyone concerned. As has happened so often since.
Nothing is learned from history, that is the lesson of history.
I tend to think of the study of history, the way it is practiced in the mainstream, as some kind of superstitious alchemy. It is like primitive science, with the early vestiges of an honest discipline, but missing a few crucial modifications. Will it ever mature, as science has?
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