People or Sheeple On JFK and 'The Whole Mess'

[Bruce Clemens]

Here's what I'd like to do here, in this thread or on this web site, subject to ... (I do some cross-over posting and communicating to other places):

I'd like to have a conversation about how to find, coalesce and energize others (whether online or face-to-face).

And I'd like to suggest that we go through that list of 198 ways and begin to brainstorm the examples, what's, how's, ideas, etc.

And, of course, I'd like to enlarge this conversation to enroll others ...

I am pleased to see this, Ed. It's stuff I have been thinking about for a long time. Here are some points that I think need to be considered before progress can be made on this front:

First, Dr. King and Gandhi, indeed all civil rights and human rights leaders, spoke to a population who knew they were oppressed. Most of the people we will encounter have to learn that they are oppressed, or have to be made to understand that oppression is coming.

That process must be handled carefully. The Powers That Be have been working hard for 40 years to create an illusion that "we are a free people with self determination" who need the "authorities" more and more for the "protection of our liberties." Most people I work with, live with and encounter daily have bought into the line that the things we discuss everyday on this forum and elsewhere just can't be. By the time most people see the truth that was so clearly evident to African Americans in the 60s and to Indians in the 40s we may well have fewer freedoms than King or Gandhi had to work with.

Secondly, the cultural situation in King's case was much different than ours today- King had church congregations and community leaders as a nucleus around which to build a movement. When oppressed people share common social and communication networks, and have a respected leadership structure already in place building a movement can happen relatively quickly and efficiently.

The social framework we have today is much different. If we are going to build a successful movement we will be breaking new ground. We will need, early on, the help of people who know how to fully use today's social media. We'll need cell-phone videos of campaigns on you-tube, we'll need Twitter and viral marketing of the message, etc, etc. Hell, I can hardly use a cell phone. We'll need to be decentralized yet all part of the same philosophy. Sort of like the structure of that famous middle eastern organization I am afraid to mention

Thirdly, and this was the subject of much discussion at BBB, once people understand what the truth is around them and have fully internalized it (how long did that take for you? I spent years before I could really accept it), we then have to convince them that non-violent non-compliance is the only possible strategy. That may be the most difficult part for some people to accept. It takes a long time to accomplish things and the defeats are very difficult to stomach.

Violent confrontation gets people killed needlessly. Militias will become an excuse for the government to simply ratchet up the ante. You can't out gun a multi-trillion dollar military industrial complex that will be turned loose on its citizens. But non-violent non-compliance forces the oppressors to behave outwardly where all can see the oppression. The general population will quickly demonize a tax protester holed up in his house with guns when the government comes to take him out- but they will look on a poor defenseless grandmother who has chained herself to the doors of an IRS office as a moral hero. Especially if they see 6 o'clock news footage of a gov't official abusing her. Is N-V N-C safe? No. Will people get hurt? Yes. But in the long run fewer people will get hurt and the outcome will be more successful than any other approach. That is the message of BBB and the web resources there.

I am glad you are exploring it. There is a lot of information and tips on further research into the tactics that have been successfully used to stand up to repression for a hundred years. We have much work to do. I am glad to see this seems to be giving you some hope and direction. Me too...