Edit: sorry for the rant. Morning Adderall and lots of thoughts on the subject. :)
I think a lot simply don’t know what they can effectively do about it. As is usually the issue with lefty causes, it’s a lot more brain-work and more complicated than chanting a petty slogan and/or a vague willingness to raid a capitol with no actual goal or understanding in mind.
Right now, beyond just trying to hustle the next dollar to keep existing while under this stupidity, it’s very difficult for us average working-class folk to understand how we can actually punish these powers responsible. Corporations and their fascist backers have become hydras.
If there was some kind of “Here’s how you can effectively ruin these bastards’ day for a better tomorrow without risking prison” playbook we could agree on, I’m sure a lot of people would be willing.
We mock neoliberal masses for buying EVs thinking it’s saving the planet, but at the same time, buying something is one of the few levers the average person is allowed to pull, and they were told it would help. I’d like to think they mean well even though they’re being manipulated.
They try to recycle and try to vote and try to stop buying stuff on Amazon, then sigh and keep trudging along when that obviously doesn’t change anything. They probably get tired of being told they’re not doing anything, especially without some sort of unifying “do this instead.”
Some radicals block traffic and make a general nuisance of themselves occasionally and we watch as nothing happens.
Schoolkids appeal to liberal politicians to stop a doomed future and get chuckled out of the room. Nothing happens.
Whistleblowers expose corporate plans too evil for Saturday morning cartoons and end up conveniently killing themselves. Nothing happens.
I think we’re past the point of diminishing returns on silly stunts for “Raising awareness”.
Enough people know. Although complacent, they care. But give them a week off work to stop climate change and they still don’t know what options they have available to them. Or where their allies are.
Furthermore, generally we tend to want to be good people who don’t want to ruin our lives by openly warring with powers that be.
The Right gets away with their BS because they don’t negatively impact profits. They’re sock-puppet proxies for an astroturfed holy-war that’s ultimately about cutting labor and drilling more oil, so even treason charges aren’t enough.
But if we could finally stop arguing theory and get pissed off enough to march on Washington together or whatever, 2nd-amendment toting or not, we’d definitely be met with force for wanting to shut down the slave-driven garbage machines.
So besides “beg your reps” and “stop buying stupid things from evil companies” (almost everything at this point)…
What’s our rallying cry?
How do we engage? Who’s going to step up and lead?
But if we could finally stop arguing theory and get pissed off enough to march on Washington together or whatever, 2nd-amendment toting or not, we’d definitely be met with force for wanting to shut down the slave-driven garbage machines.
Yeah, our parents and grand parents kicked the can down the road at best. I’d argue they actively made it worse. Now we get to choose to sacrifice for a tomorrow, or to also kick the can. Either way people are going to die.
What’s our rallying cry?
There really isn’t one. People would rather keep their head down, make no noise, and hope to die before things get bad (for them specifically). Nothing you can say will break them out of that rut. They have to be personally and directly affected to even have a chance.
How do we engage?
Sadly I’m pretty sure we’re past the point anything good happening through legislation. Without enough people actually caring a general strike isn’t going to work.
Who’s going to step up and lead?
Someone who’s charismatic and willing to be assassinated.
Edit: sorry for the rant. Morning Adderall and lots of thoughts on the subject. :)
I think a lot simply don’t know what they can effectively do about it. As is usually the issue with lefty causes, it’s a lot more brain-work and more complicated than chanting a petty slogan and/or a vague willingness to raid a capitol with no actual goal or understanding in mind.
Right now, beyond just trying to hustle the next dollar to keep existing while under this stupidity, it’s very difficult for us average working-class folk to understand how we can actually punish these powers responsible. Corporations and their fascist backers have become hydras.
If there was some kind of “Here’s how you can effectively ruin these bastards’ day for a better tomorrow without risking prison” playbook we could agree on, I’m sure a lot of people would be willing.
We mock neoliberal masses for buying EVs thinking it’s saving the planet, but at the same time, buying something is one of the few levers the average person is allowed to pull, and they were told it would help. I’d like to think they mean well even though they’re being manipulated.
They try to recycle and try to vote and try to stop buying stuff on Amazon, then sigh and keep trudging along when that obviously doesn’t change anything. They probably get tired of being told they’re not doing anything, especially without some sort of unifying “do this instead.”
Some radicals block traffic and make a general nuisance of themselves occasionally and we watch as nothing happens.
Schoolkids appeal to liberal politicians to stop a doomed future and get chuckled out of the room. Nothing happens.
Whistleblowers expose corporate plans too evil for Saturday morning cartoons and end up conveniently killing themselves. Nothing happens.
I think we’re past the point of diminishing returns on silly stunts for “Raising awareness”.
Enough people know. Although complacent, they care. But give them a week off work to stop climate change and they still don’t know what options they have available to them. Or where their allies are.
Furthermore, generally we tend to want to be good people who don’t want to ruin our lives by openly warring with powers that be.
The Right gets away with their BS because they don’t negatively impact profits. They’re sock-puppet proxies for an astroturfed holy-war that’s ultimately about cutting labor and drilling more oil, so even treason charges aren’t enough.
But if we could finally stop arguing theory and get pissed off enough to march on Washington together or whatever, 2nd-amendment toting or not, we’d definitely be met with force for wanting to shut down the slave-driven garbage machines.
So besides “beg your reps” and “stop buying stupid things from evil companies” (almost everything at this point)…
What’s our rallying cry?
How do we engage? Who’s going to step up and lead?
No need to apologize for a rant! Rant away!
Yeah, our parents and grand parents kicked the can down the road at best. I’d argue they actively made it worse. Now we get to choose to sacrifice for a tomorrow, or to also kick the can. Either way people are going to die.
There really isn’t one. People would rather keep their head down, make no noise, and hope to die before things get bad (for them specifically). Nothing you can say will break them out of that rut. They have to be personally and directly affected to even have a chance.
Sadly I’m pretty sure we’re past the point anything good happening through legislation. Without enough people actually caring a general strike isn’t going to work.
Someone who’s charismatic and willing to be assassinated.
This is very well written, you hit the nail on the head.