12 Suggestions On "What to do"

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blindpig
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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 12:33 pm

PPLE
01-15-2007, 11:30 PM
Six months of prep, not six weeks.
One issue (Out Now!), not one hundred.
Washington, D.C., not wherever it was convenient.
Everyone is invited, not those who "blah, blah, blah".
Mobilization committee, not a "leadership committee".

...and so on.


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May Day 2007
National Mobilization to Support Immigrant Workers Rights!

http://www.MayDay2007.org

We are calling

A national day of multi-ethnic unity with youth, labor, peace and justice communities in solidarity with immigrant workers and building new civil rights movement!

WE ARE ALL HUMANS! NO ONE IS ILLEGAL!

_________________________________________

Thousands march for immigrant rights
Schools, businesses feel impact as students, workers walk out

Monday, May 1, 2006; Posted: 10:21 p.m. EDT (02:21 GMT)

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Kids skipped school. Men and women walked off their jobs. Others didn't bother going to work. Businesses shut down for lack of patrons or employees.

Throngs of immigrants and advocates took to the streets of many U.S. cities Monday to protest proposed immigration laws, and the sites represented a veritable where's where of American metropolises.

Among them: New York; Washington; Las Vegas, Nevada; Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Organizers of the nationwide event, dubbed "A Day Without Immigrants," asked those opposing tighter restrictions on immigration -- namely immigrants themselves -- to flex their economic muscle by boycotting all aspects of commerce, including going to work and school.

Chicago was the site of one of the largest protests, with about 300,000 demonstrators marching downtown, according to the city's emergency management center. Predominantly Latino schools in the city saw a 10 to 33 percent drop in attendance.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/01/immigr ... index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/01/immigr ... index.html)

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_________________________________________

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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 12:36 pm

anaxarchos
01-15-2007, 11:30 PM
That DC is configured like a wheel and certain spokes/arteries are integral to the proper functioning of the place.

Since we are in a state of conjecture... let's keep going for a minute. If it were me that was doing it, I would start very quietly.

I would raise a few bucks (webwise, of course), subsidize perhaps a couple of youngsters for 3 months, and put them into D.C., now. See if you could co-opt a local professor or clergyperson to add some volunteers early on. Look for donation of a small office, etc. I would go in two directions: “grassroots” locally (union locals, schools, fraternal organizations, churches, temples, mosques, local “Democratic clubs”, etc.) not so much for ideas but for help; and national organizations headquartered in the D.C. area, to put one person on a committee. Go for a very broad Mobe committee. Keep the politics simple – “Stop the War; Out Now”. Let that be the only subject for a handful of speeches on the Mass day. If people have something more to say, let them say it on their own dime (on the periphery).

If the probes yield results, we reinforce, put up a website, etc. If not, at least a few connections are established. If the initial organizing yields results, then you announce. In any case, it would be the “grassroots” stuff within easy driving distance of D.C. that you would look to create a semi-permanent organization based on which, you would launch your next effort.

The objective would be perhaps a week of activity in DC in May or June (anything else would be too soon)... maybe in September, if May is too soon …maybe called Iraq: Out Now Week or something simple like that. The lead up (the first 4 days) would be small demonstrations and speeches, "lobbying", and basic logistic set-up. The culmination would be, perhaps, 3 days - a Friday that was essentially a cultural "festival" (rock bands, poets, religious events, food, concerts, speeches, many things...), a Saturday Mass March (a long march… maybe 6 or 7 miles), and civil disobedience on Sunday… or, shift by one day and try to get a turnout for shutting it down on Monday. The objective would be to draw the youngsters and press visibility early, swell the numbers on Saturday or Sunday, and hope that some of it would carry over on Sunday or Monday.

Just thinkin’…

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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 12:39 pm

PPLE
01-15-2007, 11:38 PM
Just thinkin’…

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Jobs with Justice engages workers and allies in campaigns to win justice in workplaces and in communities where working families live. JwJ was founded in 1987 with the vision of lifting up workers’ rights struggles as part of a larger campaign for economic and social justice. We believe in long-term multi-issue coalition building , grassroots base-building and organizing and strategic militant action as the foundation for building a grassroots movement, and we believe that by engaging a broad community of allies, we can win bigger victories. We reach working people through the organizations that represent them—unions, congregations, community organizations—and directly as JwJ activists. Nearly 100,000 people have signed the Jobs with Justice pledge to Be There at least five times a year for someone else’s struggle as well as their own.

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http://www.jwj.org

I am getting involved with this in my area. The appeal to me is the mutli-racial, distintcly working class tinge to the group I met with and the overall mission to be the thread between many different groups that are all pulling for social and economic justice.

They could probably use a tendril reaching out to a latter day genuine leftist movement, dontcha think?
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 12:41 pm

Raphaelle
01-16-2007, 09:21 AM

BUT they alienated conventional types with their niche issues always presented with screaming ivy league hippie throwbacks--and their sort of juvenile antics were never threaded together into a greater movement--everything was disconnected--


AND AND AND

ANSWER was subjected to a campaign to shut them up and shut them out due to their support of Palestinian rights and focus on the criminal influence of Neo-Con influence on our ME policy. This was carried out by the LEFT, the Nation and Michael Lerner (close relationship to Kucinich) especially, who wrote red-baiting editorials in the WSJ at the height of ANSWER's mobilizations. ANSWER was attacked as "anti-semitic" for bringing up Israeli apartheid and connecting it to our policy. And so it continues with Iran--with the drumbeat of intent building and even Kucinich apparently making noises about the threat of Iran.
So, here is the problem that is always is the problem--the issues have to be tied together as the interests of the ruling elite vs the interests of the community. No issue can be viewed with blinders as in the case of PI advocating peace, accompanied with an unwillingness to see how their narrow view is compromised before it gets out the starting gate. What good is all their posturing about the plight of the Palestinians when they see the solution as an unquestioning endorsement of a compromised politician that they excuse with rationale for political expediency. Can you see the futility in it all?

Last week I walked over to the Statehouse to a paltry protest - I didn't even know about until maybe an hour before it was scheduled. Some college kid from, I don't know, the College of NJ, I think, spoke. He was exceptional because he presented a well-thought out point that if all the Al Queda tewwowists are in Kurdish territory, why are we sending the surge into Baghdad? The framework has to be challenged--and no politician will operate outside it.
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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 12:43 pm

Two Americas
01-16-2007, 12:18 PM
...they alienated conventional types with their niche issues always presented with screaming ivy league hippie throwbacks--and their sort of juvenile antics were never threaded together into a greater movement--everything was disconnected--
Yes. This can't be resolved because "conventional types" are seen as the problem by many activists. The enemy. They don't accidentally or inadvertently alienate the conventional types. Alienating - and confronting and provoking and upsetting and ridiculing - conventional types is the whole purpose of the movement for them.

So, here is the problem that is always is the problem--the issues have to be tied together as the interests of the ruling elite vs the interests of the community. No issue can be viewed with blinders as in the case of PI advocating peace, accompanied with an unwillingness to see how their narrow view is compromised before it gets out the starting gate. What good is all their posturing about the plight of the Palestinians when they see the solution as an unquestioning endorsement of a compromised politician that they excuse with rationale for political expediency. Can you see the futility in it all?
Exactly right.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 12:44 pm

anaxarchos
01-16-2007, 12:26 PM
So, here is the problem that is always is the problem--the issues have to be tied together as the interests of the ruling elite vs the interests of the community. No issue can be viewed with blinders as in the case of PI advocating peace, accompanied with an unwillingness to see how their narrow view is compromised before it gets out the starting gate. What good is all their posturing about the plight of the Palestinians when they see the solution as an unquestioning endorsement of a compromised politician that they excuse with rationale for political expediency. Can you see the futility in it all?
Exactly right.
Not sure how far this goes... If you are talking about a political outlet like PI, certainly this is true. If you are talking about a demonstration, there are too many "issues". Coalitions are about one issue... such as Iraq. Conflating the two seems to be one of the symptoms of "primitiveness" in the current "movement".
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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 1:26 pm

Raphaelle
01-16-2007, 12:46 PM

true.

But just the issue of Iraq itself is complicated and people come at it from different angles. The down side of the Answer demos is they brought in an array of topics that could be related--but they were sabotaged on the Israel issue. I really can't see how that aspect can be ignored concerning our ME policy--in fact NeoCons have been advocating for the US to move against Iran, and looky-see. How can we look at this and not be willing to see it? How much does the Zionist agenda pull the strings with a most willing partnership in the oil sector- shouldering US economic muscle for the investment class?

The polls don't seem to make any difference on this issue. Would demonstrations be little more than "special interests groups"? As far as PI's agenda, it just doesn't pass the smell test and they have already demonstrated their unwillingness to approach it in solidarity regardless of how much they pronounce their commitment to unity. :x
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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 1:28 pm

Two Americas
01-16-2007, 12:58 PM
Not sure how far this goes... If you are talking about a political outlet like PI, certainly this is true. If you are talking about a demonstration, there are too many "issues". Coalitions are about one issue... such as Iraq. Conflating the two seems to be one of the symptoms of "primitiveness" in the current "movement".
Two things I see. First, the upper class bias in the activist community, secondly the faction that seeks to convert people to a new awareness or enlighten people. There is only a tiny percentage of the population that is interested in becoming enlightened. For most of the people, it is meaningless at best. Gatherings of like-minded people, and efforts at converting people to be like us is the main theme that I hear from the activist community. That can only serve the ruling class.

Activists want the stupid TV watching WalMart shopping rednecks to wise up and become like them – beautiful and gentle and peaceful and enlightened – altogether superior beings, don't you know – and fill the ranks of mass demonstrations so that the activists can “get what they want.” Never mind what the stupid rednecks want. These sentiments are expressed everyday in activist meetings and on the liberal boards - “how can we get what we want?” and “what will it take to wake the people up?”

In other words, the activists want the people to serve the, and the activists want to be an elite aristocracy that decides what happens – for people's own good, which they presumably are too stupid to recognize.

The proper relationship for the intellectuals and activists from the working class is to place themselves into the service of the blue collar people, not try to get the blue collar people to serve them. That is what we need to get enlightened about, and enlightenment about political and social problems is only of real value to the extent that it is useful in raising the conditions – not the spirituality – of the broad mass of people. If, on the other hand, enlightenment continues to be a matter of self-actualization and self-fulfillment - “what we want”and “my personal values” and “my choices” - enlightenment remains at best irrelevant politically.
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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 1:30 pm

anaxarchos
01-16-2007, 01:41 PM
true.

But just the issue of Iraq itself is complicated and people come at it from different angles. The down side of the Answer demos is they brought in an array of topics that could be related--but they were sabotaged on the Israel issue. I really can't see how that aspect can be ignored concerning our ME policy--in fact NeoCons have been advocating for the US to move against Iran, and looky-see. How can we look at this and not be willing to see it? How much does the Zionist agenda pull the strings with a most willing partnership in the oil sector- shouldering US economic muscle for the investment class?
If ANSWER is a mobilization committee, it has no right to "bring in" anything at all. The job is to mobilize the widest possible group on one issue but not to speak to it. That is the job of the individual members of the "coalition". "Bringing in issues" means shrinking the demonstration. When you get down to ANSWER's issues, you are not a coalition at all. Trying to do both, together, is dishonest and doomed to failure. Let the members of your coalition speak for themselves... The "Mobe" is responsible for the one issue and, to a lesser extent, to create a forum for its component voices.

Personally, I thought what ANSWER "brought in" was some seriously silly shit, but, if I thought the opposite, I would still argue the above.

The requirement that chlamor was addressing was "mass demonstrations", leading to "action". To get to that, you need "mass" tactics.
If you have popular organizations that can turn out a "mass", you don't need coalitions.
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Re: 12 Suggestions On "What to do"

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 10, 2020 1:32 pm

anaxarchos
01-16-2007, 01:49 PM
Not sure how far this goes... If you are talking about a political outlet like PI, certainly this is true. If you are talking about a demonstration, there are too many "issues". Coalitions are about one issue... such as Iraq. Conflating the two seems to be one of the symptoms of "primitiveness" in the current "movement".
Two things I see. First, the upper class bias in the activist community, secondly the faction that seeks to convert people to a new awareness or enlighten people. There is only a tiny percentage of the population that is interested in becoming enlightened. For most of the people, it is meaningless at best. Gatherings of like-minded people, and efforts at converting people to be like us is the main theme that I hear from the activist community. That can only serve the ruling class.

Activists want the stupid TV watching WalMart shopping rednecks to wise up and become like them – beautiful and gentle and peaceful and enlightened – altogether superior beings, don't you know – and fill the ranks of mass demonstrations so that the activists can “get what they want.” Never mind what the stupid rednecks want. These sentiments are expressed everyday in activist meetings and on the liberal boards - “how can we get what we want?” and “what will it take to wake the people up?”

In other words, the activists want the people to serve the, and the activists want to be an elite aristocracy that decides what happens – for people's own good, which they presumably are too stupid to recognize.

The proper relationship for the intellectuals and activists from the working class is to place themselves into the service of the blue collar people, not try to get the blue collar people to serve them. That is what we need to get enlightened about, and enlightenment about political and social problems is only of real value to the extent that it is useful in raising the conditions – not the spirituality – of the broad mass of people. If, on the other hand, enlightenment continues to be a matter of self-actualization and self-fulfillment - “what we want”and “my personal values” and “my choices” - enlightenment remains at best irrelevant politically.
Personally, I don't think that anybody "converts" or "enlightens" anybody on anything. I think we give outlets to opinions that are already formed or forming as you yourself have said. The rub here, is that sometimes those opinions form on one or more "issues" and sometimes they form on a more comprehensive "world view". Both matter... so it makes sense that we understand what the different outlets are for each. We try not to build a mass demonstration on a party platform and we try not to build a party on one issue, no matter how important (I make an exception for slavery).
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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