Consider how student debt forgiveness is not surprisingly being fumbled amidst a financial and economic crisis. How is anyone supposed to pay these loans back?
Consider the recent loss of rights in Roe v Wade. As our countries economic future looks bleak, how exactly are we supposed to afford having more children?
Consider that corporations and businesses have been bailed out for trillions of dollars, multiple times, only to get us back to the brink of economic collapse again while consistently paying employees too little to keep up with inflation.
How many times will we sit by and let this group of government and business continue to profit of off their bad decisions and control our lives, while we suffer the very real consequences of their actions and decisions?
Change has to happen, we all see that. But How? Voting? Partially.
I argue that our government leaders are mostly self-interested and corrupt, in bed with their billionaire oligarch friends who have a pay-to-win policy behind closed doors.
They collectively own policy and profit and we don't matter. They thrive on unfettered, limitless gain and greed, which necessitates someone else losing tremendously. We will always lose in their system of government-business that exists now and dictates policy and our lives.
So, voting helps, but change from top-down will clearly be slow and difficult because it would be asking our leaders to change their fundamentally greedy cores. These exact people have proven for decades that they they won't change and will get worse.
So how do we get the change we need? What actions are effective?
_________________
As I see it we have 3 paths of protest to choose:
1) Violent Protest
I have to say I'm not for violent protest. The public becoming violent in protest is the option that the elites hope we go for asap. It makes it easy for them to snap back with a ferocity that we cannot match and to end our movements quickly. If violent tweets are handled like this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/vpf7qf/be_careful_what_you_post_online/
then what do you think comes to those who actually commit violent acts?
Don't forget that our leaders are well trained terrorists with years of expertise in causing collateral damage for the sake of instilling fear in innocent civilians. Our tax dollars paid for their training all over the Arab world the past 20 years, remember? They are more than happy and capable of retaliating in extremely violent ways. You are incredibly naive if you think your government won't turn it's weapons and tactics on you and your communities to protect their profits and way of life.
As I said, we can't match their violent power, so it would be absolutely foolish to be the ones to cross that line first. Though, it's arguable that the actions of police, governments, militaries, and corporations all around the globe towards their citizens, and the planet, for centuries, have already well crossed that proverbial line.
For now, let's take violent protest off the table for the sake of argument.
So, what's next, then?
_______
2) Non-Violent Protest
There is a lot that can be done on an individual and collective level with non-violent protest, but I can already hear many of you screaming that non-violence is a scam that only benefits the oppressors. You're angry, scared, and in a corner, so of course you feel that way – and you're not wrong either. I hear those of you in this camp and feel for you, and refer back to my first point – as well as urge you to continue to the 3rd point coming up next.
https://www.brandeis.edu/peace-conflict/pdfs/198-methods-non-violent-action.pdf
This is worth a read if you're looking for ways that you can non-violently take action.
Non-violent doesn't meant non-punishable. Be careful what you do and say but please, do and say it. Just cover your ass when you do. Work and coordinate with others to ensure full ass coverage for all.
We need people capable and willing to take all action they can on a personal level, which loops me back to the idea stated earlier: that we can't expect change from the top-down because we can't expect personal change from our leaders.
You CAN change yourself, though. Can't you?
On a personal level, you can choose to change your incentives away from our indoctrinated focus on personal greed and personal wealth accumulation and towards ensuring that we, as a human collective, are doing what is necessary for us all to thrive. Then, you can form with others who are willing to make the same pro-social and rational decisions as you.
You can decide that you will ensure your neighbors bowl has plenty before you stock up for 2nds or 3rds, millions or billions, for your self.
Which leads me to my 3rd and main point of protest.
_______
3) Effective Non-Violent Protest
In order to protest effectively and non-violently, we need to zero in on what dictates power: the labor force and large amounts of money. Then, how can we get this non-violently?
We form a union of businesses that stands as an economic force to pull employees out of the current exploitative business world, as well as to work with governments to bring about change that provides a better platform for us all to thrive on, while directly competing against and dismantling the existing business system and it's relationship to government.
Consider the strength that unions give to employees within their workplace to stand up to employers. Take the same logic and apply it to a union of businesses that is capable of standing up directly to large corporations and to governments.
We don't need permission to form this union. We just need to start doing it.
I believe this is our most effective and sure way to create change as we directly create the change with our own hands and make it happen in areas where it needs to happen. Most importantly, the change happens within us individually first – as leaders of our selves who desire to provide a better way of life for others before enriching ourselves.
If we do this successfully, in a way that tangibly provides a better way of life for employees/consumers/the environment, then we will slowly drain their system of exploitation, pollution, and corruption that has a stranglehold on this world.
From the elites parasitic perspective, this is actually incredibly violent while we make no threats and spill no blood.
We are just walking way from our abusers and oppressors, as we absolutely should.
Leave them behind to rot with their broken system, or to change their ways and join the rest of us who want to create a new way of living.
_________________
How do we enact Effective Non-Violent Protest?
Step 1:
- Form a Union of Businesses that focuses on delivering Basic Human Rights and operates with transparently with Governments.
Consider again the strength that unions give to employees within their workplace to stand up to employers. Take the same logic and apply it to a union of businesses that is capable of standing up to large corporations and to governments.
Again, we don't need permission to form this union. We just need to start doing it.
- Form a single set of rules that all businesses will adhere to that focuses on delivering Basic Human Rights and providing conditions where workers can thrive on their wages and benefits.
What are Basic Human Rights? Things like food, water, housing, healthcare, education, and a clean environment. You could also look up Universal Basic Services:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_basic_services
This will likely mean personal sacrifice, such as things like Maximum Wages which then supply greatly increased Minimum Wages.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_wage
_______
Step 2:
-
Persuade existing businesses to work with our union of businesses and it's rules. Think Mom and Pop shops before you think Starbucks – but those businesses aren't entirely unnecessary. In fact, if their employees are willing to work for our values despite their employers wish, then we win from the inside.
a) **Example: What if every Dunkin Donuts or 7-11 really going to do if a bunch of trucks come by every night and take all the left over food to feed those in need, and the employees help them do it?** Fire them, right? And when they fire those employees, the next batch of employees do it too? And the next? It's just the way it's going to be from now on. We have the resources to feed, we will take precautions for safety, and we will get it to those who need it. What we are done doing is wasting tons of resources that could be used to feed millions.
_______
Step 3:
-
Share profits together within this union of businesses to provide better conditions for employees that existing, exploitative competitors refuse to deliver despite obscene profit margins and insane c-level salaries, bonuses, and stock payouts.
a) **Excess profits from one company within the union can be used to ensure that other businesses in the union are capable of paying a thriving minimum wage and for better benefits compared to most businesses.** Successfully supporting one another also further attracts employees and other business owners to this union of businesses, strengthening it, and putting non-union businesses in a position to follow suit or be left behind.
_______
Step 4:
-
General Strike. Once we have a union agreed upon, we go on general strike. We walk away and we start doing business amongst ourselves as broadly as possible.
1) We go on strike and spend the time working to form connections and businesses together under our union rules
2) We support one another individually and as businesses directly through these strikes with resources that are necessary. We do it because this union of businesses is one forming based on caring for one another. We have to actually do that if that's the reality we want to create. So we will just do it.
People will be taken care of and able to survive simply because they exist. They have enough intrinsic value to deserve to thrive, no matter what they produce for society.
3) We deepen our connections and keep going on general strikes as many times as necessary until the exploitative system and policies are dismantled.
Yeah, like it will be that easy. Obviously it won't. It will be a tremendous fight.
But we aren't being violent. We are being effective and making new choices.
_________________
We don't need permission to create a better world for ourselves.
Deciding we will no longer do business with exploitative employers is not violent.
Deciding we will no longer be governed by corrupt and radical tyrants who will strip away rights is not violent.
Walking away from an abusive situation and creating a better one for yourself is not violent.
We aren't threatening any overthrow of the government. This is all business.
We will not be the ones to get physically violent first, but we will also not be forced to work for a system that doesn't allow us all to thrive, and one that already actively perpetuates violence across the globe towards millions of people and the environment – all for the express intent of obscenely enriching a few elites.
Do you think they will use violence to stop us from walking away from their system? Of course they will.
We will be forced to support their system and their businesses.
But we already are forced to participate, aren't we? What other options do we have where we can actually thrive or even survive outside of this system? We can't. And what will happen if we start to form a system standing opposite to theirs? It will be fought against.
To me, that says it is exactly the route we need to take because it's the one they fear most – their absolute loss of power and control over us.