I don't want to mourn, dammit. I want to organize

[deutsey]

I'm talking about finding ways to update, modernize old-style progressive organizing (for an example, read labor history of the late 19th/early 20th century, if you can find it) to fight for our interests right here, right now.

Rightwing corporate power was the big winner yesterday and it's going to continue crushing us if we remain fragmented, demoralized, dependent on weak-kneed Democrats (there are strong Dems, certainly, but not as many as we had the day before yesterday), and relying exclusively on an electoral/political system that's broken, corrupted, bought and paid for by corporatist interests.

We need to come together, right fucking now, and start fighting back the way our progressive forebears did.

If we don't, everything they fought for, struggled for, and died for will be lost for who knows how long?

I'm not willing to let that happen without giving these motherfuckers a real fight.

The class war is over? The hell it is.

After yesterday, I say I have not yet begun to fight.

Post your suggestions here for how we can start.

[polichick]

1. There is definitely something percolating...

Even Naomi Wolf was saying this week that there's a movement coming that she just can't quite see yet - it's the feeling I've had for a while.

I'm not sure it'll come through this party though.

[deutsey]

2. I'm saying work outside the party

If the party follows us, fine. If not, it becomes the modern equivalent of the Whigs.

[polichick]

3. I'm watching along with millions of others - can't wait to see it! nt

[gkhouston]

5. If you want to work outside the party, consider starting a movement not strictly

tied to any party -- something against huge anonymous contributions to campaigns. Those big donations mean companies are buying our elections and nobody wins. Also, tons of money means tons of attack ads and people are sick to death of them. Perhaps social media could be used to start a grass-roots movement.

[TygrBright]

4. Run for local office. School board especially.

That's how the wackjobs started, back in the 1970s. They ran for "unimportant" offices, under the radar. And while the Dems were paying attention to the big races, the nutcakes snuck in at all kinds of local entry points, and became "incumbents." And then used that incumbency to build name recognition and start winning state-level offices. And when they got there they worked on changing the rules, putting cronies into the bureaucracy, and setting it up so they could power-broke the bigger offices.

Once they were established as powerbrokers, in the late 1980s, the avalanche was already halfway down the mountainside and it was too late for rational people to reverse the tide.

So: Start by running for office. Hell, run for dogcatcher or deed registrar if that's what it takes to get a foot in the door. No, it's not exciting, it's not glamorous, it won't let you Make A Difference, NOW! But if enough of us do it, we'll be positioned to crack the system open from within, in fifteen or twenty years.

Slow but sure wins the race. And with the level of money and power arrayed against us now, our best strategy is to burrow into the lower levels and wait for the outrage to build as people start dying in ever-greater numbers from lack of health care, from starvation, from police brutality, and all the other ills that are coming our way.

helpfully,
Bright

[deutsey]

8. I've actually been considering this

and will look into the next go-round.

[deutsey]

10. ...and regarding "slow but sure wins the race"

I think (unfortunately for us) we're entering a time that's similar to what happened after Reconstruction failed. Look how long it took for black citizens in this country to push America to live up to the promises made during Reconstruction.

We may not get to the promised land, but maybe our children will or their children.

One things for sure: if we don't do shit, that's all future generations will inherit from us, nothing but shit.

[Shallah Kali]

12. +1000 - with one quibble

even those minor positions *will* make a difference for each community. Each person on the school board there to do what is best for the students instead of a religious, anti-science, and/or anti-gay agenda is a WIN. That piece of scum McCance in Arkansas started out on a local school board at one point. Each person on a town council or county board that isn't there to promote their relatives, friends and business associates is a win for that town and county. And as you said it is vital experience and we have all seen how this system of no job to minor has helped the gop. We need to liberalize america one town, one community, one county at a time.

[TygrBright]

14. That's why I put "unimportant" in quotes. They ARE important... but Big Media ignores 'em. n/t

[DFab420]

6. Amen

but I think you may be be asking a bit much of this board right now..

DU is apparently for people who want to martyr themselves to the progressive cause..crying about ALL IS LOST ALL IS LOST!

Apparently wallowing in our own self-pity is the new strategy :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

Sorry I had to get that out of the way..

Now ideas for progressive organizing..

1) More student/local government groups. As in, we need to help create organizations that can help link young college students to their local governments, show them and get them involved with the process.

2) Large progressive strikes. I think it's time to take our voices to the streets. We may not agree about everything on all fronts, but if we could get all those of progressive leans to stop feeding into a system that lies about us everyday. I mean everyone, from burgerflippers to big buck doctors. Let's start letting people know there are a hell of alot of us in this country.

3)Stop the infighting. To many progressive institutions are so defensive of their policy's they refuse to see big picture tasks that same way the conservative machine does. I understand the hostility, for so long progressive groups have been un-funded, de-funded and closed down. But now is not the time to be seeking yours, we need to be working together for OURS..whether it's gun control, civil rights, or any other multitude of progressive groups. I think a large overall board. With members of labor unions, peace activists, feminist, etc should be put together from the heads of these large progressive movements and they should oversee messaging between the groups. If we can help draw a progressive road map, maybe then we can stop worrying about whose turn it is to get some legislation passed.

[deutsey]

7. Yeah, I've been here since 2001 and have seen it before

Thanks for your suggestions! :hi:

[DFab420]

9. No no thank you

For not caving in under the weight of the republican congress. For not going belly up and the first sign of trouble.

If you want to organize. If you want to fight for what is right for this country. Then you know one person here at least has your back.

[deutsey]

11. Thumbsup n/t

[Naturyl]

13. Then organize. Nothing's stopping you.

Make a website. Send e-mails. Spam DU. Do what you gotta do. It's not rocket science.

I'll help, if you need me. I'm sure many others here will as well.

[deutsey]

18. Websites, emails, and spam have done so smashingly well since 2000.

We've got that kind of shit in spades.

I'm talking about the kind of face-to-face, in-the-streets movement organizing that abolitionists did, that unionists and socialists did, that civil rights and women's rights activists did.

I'm also talking about what the rightwing did beginning back in the '70s when it began to build a network of think tanks and media outlets to define, promote, and defend its agenda.

I'm also talking about recognizing that what's happening to this country goes beyond Democrat and Republican, liberal and conservative. It's outright class warfare against where I'm from (the working class) and where I would like to remain (the middle class).

[starroute]

15. I think a "liberty and justice for all" movement might be appropriate

A few criteria:

1) We want to embrace what the right accuses of us of -- and social justice is the truest, most central value that we hold but they unambiguously reject. As a concept, it also lets us focus on what unifies the poor (and the insecurely middle class), whether black, white, or Hispanic, rather than on what divides us.

2) Liberty is another good word. It shares the same root as "liberal," and it hasn't been corrupted the way "freedom" has in being reduced to a meaningless formula of free market economics and "freedom" from taxation. It encompasses everything from being pro-choice to resisting warrantless surveillance -- and with a touch of net neutrality thrown in.

3) And then there's the "for all" part -- which signifies our support of gay rights and other "identity" issues but only as part of a larger social agenda with a general populist appeal.


Knowing who we are and what we stand for is the first step, I think. Anything else, whether running for the school board or holding mass demonstrations or simply educating our neighbors, flows out of that.

[KansDem]

16. "Savvy?"

I was thinking about this while lying in bed last night. We should organize into "'Savvy?' Squads."

Here's how it works:
The Teapublicans were successful in crashing town meetings. I heard on the radio yesterday that many members of Congress were afraid to campaign for fear of running into loudmouthed, confrontational Tea Baggers shouting whatever talking points and slogans were given them by the corporatists. This made the Congress folks appear cowardly and ineffectual.

So, why don't Progressives organize "'Savvy?' Squads?" We go to town halls--or any public appearance--of Teapublicans and "demand" they do not:

Touch Social Security;
Cut Health Care;
Continue the Wars;
etc

Insist they:
Create jobs,
Regulate Banking and Wall Street,
Protect the Environment
etc.

But...

We frame the "request" with "YOU Don't Mess with MY Social Security! Savvy?"
or, "You Don't Repeal MY Health Care! Savvy?"
or, "YOU Don't Use MY Taxes to Continue to Fund Needless Wars of Aggression! Savvy?"

and,

"You Need to Protect ME from Out-of-Control Bankers! Savvy?"
"YOU Need to Protect MY Environment! Savvy?"
etc.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, INSIST ON RESPONSES. AND DON'T LET UP UNTIL WE GET ONE!!!

...then as "Savvy?" becomes tied to Teapublican incompetence and lunacy, we simply show up with signs reading "Savvy?"

Imagine, a public-relations campaign where Teapublican malfeasance and ridiculousness is summarized in one work, "Savvy?"

I see: "Savvy?" bumper stickers; "Savvy?" tee-shirts; "Savvy?" coffee cups, "Savvy?" yard signs, etc.

Each time an American sees the word, "Savvy?" they'll think of the Teapublicans' inability to identify and comprehend the nation's problems and offer credible solutions.

"Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?" "Savvy?"

[Radical Activist]

17. Good. Whining to daddy Obama to hand down change to us isn't organizing.

I hope more people realize that now.

[oswaldactedalone]

19. OK, I'll contribute with organizing at the street level

especially in areas where there are large African-American and/or Hispanic populations. In my city of Greensboro NC, population 260,000, and county of Guilford, population about 400,000 or a little more, we had less than 40% turnout in this election(39.8%.)

We had 4 predominantly black precincts, of about 100 total, that had less than 10% turnout. That's less than 10% of registered voters, doesn't even count the ones who aren't registered. There were several precincts that had 10-20% turnout as well. At least 95% of these folks would vote straight ticket Dem, but they didn't make it to the polls.

We have to have intense voter registration drives and, more importantly, voter education drives, to help them understand the mechanics of voting, ie, where to vote, how to find the ballot for their precinct, where to find the info on candidates in non-partisan races, where to vote when you've moved from the place where you lived at the time of registration, how the early "one-stop" voting process works.

I've had former felons who've fully paid their debt to society, are employed and paying taxes, tell me that they thought they could never vote again. That's not true in my state, and in many others.

Each of us has become a "one person ACORN" group to not only register legitimate voters, but also to provide the education to them to make voting more understandable/less intimidating.