Monday, January 30, 2017

Digital Resistance

The potential for social media to quickly and widely organize was amply proven in the many women's protest marches on January 21, in which millions participated nationally and worldwide.

Similarly the more targeted but quicker response to Homegrown Hitler's immigration blitzkrieg that got demonstrators to airports around the country and the world.  Digital media doubtless also helped organize the more direct help by lawyers helping people in the chaos of an unconstitutional sneak attack.

The internal blitzkrieg appears to be a current strategy for the apprentice emperor and his regime, so counter-moves will need to be nimble.  But when things get more widely consequential, digital communication won't be enough in itself.  Serious disruptions and true resistance will take cool heads, careful strategy and planning, and courage.

Social media can help spread the word, but can also spread panic and misapprehensions.  There is power in the spontaneous and instantaneous, but also danger.

I foresee the possibility of the ultimate weapon of peaceful resistance, the strike. There will probably be sit-ins, occupations and so forth, especially on the appropriate issues.  But for actions with economic consequences, or actions that try to force good people to commit injustices and cause others to suffer, we may see strikes of some kind, and maybe many kinds, including a general strike.  I would have said 'eventually' but that may be sooner than later.

It may be best if people start thinking about this now, before the back and forth gets out of hand, or before people get tired of demonstrating with no result, or get exhausted by Homegrown Hitler's unrelenting blitzkrieg.

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