Positive peace

When democracies no longer see opponents as politically legitimate actors, they tend to spiral…This is not reconcilable. This is not something you can reason with. Either this belief has to be abandoned by its proponents, suppressed by its opponents, or it trends inexorably towards violence. Because violence is now the last refuge by which to maintain political control.

People like McConnell and Graham are giving voice to Trump for multiple reasons. They need to keep Trumpists active in the GOP, they need to win the special elections in GA, the controversy creates passion, and it leads to fundraising. But…they’re also fine with a coup. If Trump manages to break through and actually steals the election, the Republicans would be fine with it. That would mean power, and that’s their only concern. This willingness to harness a fascist strongman is why they cannot be trusted with power.

The great non-voting masses of America have fallen prey not only to voter suppression, but also the stories told by GOP/billionaire think tanks: voting is meaningless, both sides are bad, doesn’t matter who’s in charge, life will always suck.

This is a narrative we must counter. And the way to do it is NOT with messages of conciliation toward fascists, or unity with bigots. Not by handwaving consequences because trials and equality are too hard. The way to do it is to SHOW people (don’t tell!) that who they vote for matters. That justice is possible.

We all want life to be better. But we have a chance right now to achieve positive peace, which is the presence of justice, to paraphrase MLK, and not just negative peace, which is the absence of conflict. Elevate the powerless, not the powerful. Focus on justice, not “unity.”

Truth for conservative journalists is anything that harms “the left.” It doesn’t even have to be a fact. Trump’s numerous lies about any subject under the sun are thus justified because his deceptions point to a larger truth: that liberals are evil.

If you support fascism and you love your kids, you are a fascist. If you support it and you volunteer to help the needy, you are a fascist. If you support it and you are friendly and jolly to strangers, you are a fascist. Fascism doesn’t care about anything but the support.

What flushes autocrats out of office? It’s not violence or fear. They’re ok with that. They dgaf about mowing down their own citizens…What dislodges autocrats is ECONOMIC disruption…aka when the autocrat becomes a liability to the folks holding them in power. And for that, you have to cost the cronies $$$. This is why strikes are so effective in regime change.

I began to realize that not only were the prospective voters a bit unaware of where the name databases might be failing them (through no one’s fault, in particular), many of the [volunteer] workers were also unaware…People deserve better, & our default systems are often inadequate to their needs. And when this effects their ability to vote, that’s serious, high-stakes stuff. But we can do better…If you have this basic level of data literacy, in future elections, it’s likely that polling places could use your help.

The ads, Facebook videos and misinformation targeting Florida SINCE BEFORE OBAMA about how all Dems are radical socialist commies have been widely and continuously spread and also widely underestimated. And, they work. They work because they use and abuse the trauma of my people…They were sold the same promises in their countries: “Equality for all!” “Socialism works and everyone is equal!” But those promises turned sour…They turned into suffering and fleeing and death and trauma.

Continue organizing power at local level including: building mutual aid networks, developing leaders, launching issue-based campaigns, engaging in political education & establishing community-based, democratic methods for decision-making outside of existing governmental structures…Give equal energy to imagining the world we want to create as we do to identifying the things that need to change. Build around an energy of love for humanity.