Mass protests have failed to bring about social change. It’s time for a new strategy.

Comments

• Jaysyn@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  The answer is a general strike, but I'm have no fucking idea how we'd pull that off in the USA without the majority becoming homeless.

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  • Maajmaaj@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Facts. A general strike would work if the police didn’t exist, and if there was much less division in the country

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    • SlikPikker@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Cops can’t stop general strikes

      Crackdowns only turn supporterts to active rebels, and sympathizers to supporters.

      State Violence only strengthens the movement.

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  • eatthecake@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Consumption strike. Just stop buying nonessentials. Rent strike, mortgage strike. Protests are worthless if you’re still buying crap from amazon and eating at chain restaurants.

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    • AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I guess I’ve been on an involuntary consumption strike for the last 10 years or so then lol

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  • BolexForSoup@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Historically it has been sustained, smaller, local action that has produced results far more frequently than attempted general strikes. Everybody wants to do this the quick way and they aren’t willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the time to do it locally. They think that everybody’s just going to nod and stop working and it’s all going to be glorious, but that’s just not how it goes down.

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  • CookieJarObserver@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    You strike and just keep striking, they cant take you.out of your home if you have a gun…

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    • kakes@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I think what you’ll actually find is that they definitely can.

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    • seathru@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Yeah, I’ve heard if you have a gun in your house the police will just give up and move on the the next.

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  • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Like the Roman plebs used to do. Just every pleb go on vacation to the country at the same time, leaving the rich to fend for themselves.

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  • tdawg@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Mutual aid is probably the best we could do in the short term

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• NegativeLookBehind@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Peaceful protest is legal because it accomplishes nothing.

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  • metaStatic@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Peaceful protest was the compromise. It's time the owning class is reminded of this.

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  • DessertStorms@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Peaceful protest is legal

    And they're trying to change that too, just in case
    https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/uk-passing-new-public-order-laws-marks-dark-new-era-peaceful-protest

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  • possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    It can if you do it right and have a purpose. Martin Luther King Jr. Did peaceful protests and changed America for the better.

    The problem is there is very little to protest. If you are protesting current issues chances are your political party is already trying to accomplish those things. They are then fighting the opposite party for control.

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    • KaleDaddy@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      “riots are the language of the unheard” -MLK peaceful protests are the alternative you give, the other option is violence. MLK new this. Despite how incredibly watered down and whitewashed his message and words have become when they teach about him in school.

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• ubermeisters@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Probably because we haven’t had any actual mass protests

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  • fiat_lux@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I guess that depends on who 'we' means? The September climate protests were pretty big globally, with 50 countries participating.

    As someone who has been to protests in the past for various topics, my experience is that the media isn't interested in reporting on them unless they get dramatic eye-catching footage. Which unfortunately usually means just the ones that have a physical fight break out make the front page anywhere.

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    • ubermeisters@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      We = humans

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  • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Also because even if you are protesting for someone’s right, that same person will hate you if you block the road or inconvenience them in any way.

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    • ubermeisters@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      As they should. Are you actually “protesting my rights” in a meaningful.way if you make me late to an urgent medical appointment? No.

      Fuck every single person (in the ass) who has ever blockaded a public way without permit to do so.

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  • possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    What is there to protest?

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    • Honytawk@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Climate Action, housing crisis, massive debts, pollution, minimum wage increases, racism, police brutality, rich people not getting punished, politicians not keeping their word, corruption, …

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• sadreality@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Protesting does not do anything because politians are not accountable to voters. People who they are accountable to don't give two fucks if pleb burn down parts of cities. They will get contracts to clean it up.

  Hurt their profits is the only language they understand.

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  • chaogomu@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Or, start taking the protests and riots to their doorsteps.

    They don't care when you burn the areas they don't live in. But when you take the protest to them... They scream and call for more cops. But in the time it takes for the cops to show up, you can do a lot of damage, especially if you have a thousand friends.

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  • possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    The people protesting are most likely a extreme minority. Also they are often politically affiliated which accomplishes nothing

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    • sadreality@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Don't forget that they are either caused by FBI like Jan6 or infiltrated within days like summer of 2020 and BLM in particular.

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• possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  People expect way to much change from a single protest. You need to contact your representative and get enough people to join in order to get some attention.

  Your protest also can’t be silly like a lot of recent protests are don’t go protest the 2016 election or 2020 election as you will accomplish nothing. Also make sure you have some sort of purpose or end goal.

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  • gmtom@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    So you’re going to ignore the decades of protests about climate action? That have all been ignored because the people in power will never give a shit about your protest if its easily ignored.

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    • GalacticCmdr@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Small protests are easily ignored. DC climate action protest - 75k people in a nation of 300+ million - even if the muster 1m it’s still peanuts. It doesn’t even move the needle.

      Take that same number, 1 million, and have the vast majority be from Georgia marching in Atlanta. Georgia is 10m with 7m available voters. Now we have enough numbers to push the needle.

      Sure it’s not on a Federal level, but politics are local. Federal action is a quagmire unless enough localities begin to gel behind a single direction - then those seeking Federal office will have to pivot.

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  • Honytawk@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    If we take out the guillotines, there will be much change from a single protest

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• fiat_lux@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I'm telling you, an army of vuvuzela-players and mimes to follow elected officials around in public, with a shift roster to get 24/7 coverage. No media interviews without the droning hum of a vuvuzela, no photo opportunities without a sneaky mime making an exaggerated lewd pose in the background, no pleasant meals with lobbyists without a distant but audible brrrrrrrrrrrr.

  The media chooses not to report on peaceful protests all the time, but they always give coverage to Gaetz, Cruz and Graham talking absolute shit. Make them edit the videos to take out mimes and vuvuzelas.

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  • Deceptichum@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Yeah obvs the police would side with and defend the politicians, you’d never be allowed to do that.

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    • fiat_lux@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Police can arrest someone for playing a vuvuzela and being in the background of a photo? Probably, but... what do they charge you with, a noise disturbance? Better than an assault charge. The police are going to defend the rulers no matter how peaceful the protest.

      CW: police violence
      Remember when those UC Davis students got pepper-sprayed while sitting? Or "don't tase me, bro!"?

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  • ThrowawayPermanente@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Do you want fascism? Because vuvuzelas are how you get fascism.

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    • fiat_lux@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      So that's why FIFA and the London Olympics banned them? /jk

      I just want what the interviewee wants. Media that can't easily ignore the angrily trumpetting elephant in the room.

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  • possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Sir, this is a taco bell

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• blazera@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  What mass protests? Have any of yall been protesting?

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  • Psythik@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Have you? Hell, have I?

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  • possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    That’s what I want to know

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• Sanctus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Mass disruption of the economy?

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  • ubermeisters@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Sorry all of our retirement accounts ts ate tied to that

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    • Sanctus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Oh I apologize, but you aren’t nearly close enouhh to the retirement age of 86. You’ll have to wait for 2050 for it to be raised to 93. But by then it will actually be 102.

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  • sadreality@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Domestic terrorist spotted

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    • Sanctus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I’m not that desperate, yet. Give it 2 more years of centralizing wealth and power.

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• Son_of_dad@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  If you even say the word “guillotine” in most forums and you get banned, so no wonder things will never escalate to where they need to.

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  • shalafi@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Liberals: “We want change NOW!”

    Me too my brothers!

    Liberals: “The Christo-fascists are taking control!”

    Too late, they’re in control and consolidating power.

    Liberals: “Cops are running amok and accountable to no one!”

    No shit. Just now figuring this out?

    Liberals: “Turn in your guns and disarm yourselves!”

    hold up…

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    • possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Its good that lemmy isn’t entirely full of left wingers

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  • GraniteM@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    My take is that if I went out in the public square tomorrow and they were setting up head removal devices and lining up landlords and student loan recovery agents and fossil fuel executives on the scaffold, I would shake my head and say “You know, I wanted to do this with progressive tax policy and UBI, but you broke democracy, so here we are…”

    Democracy and peaceful protest aren’t just nice things that we do for fun. They’re what prevent the streets from running red when enough people get angry enough to do something. They’re MUCH BETTER than violent revolution, for all parties involved. Any member of a ruling class that thinks they can prevent change when the time for change has come will find themselves in very bad trouble, sooner or later.

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• MedicatedMaybe@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Well we should really try a mass protest first. If we can actually get people together we can see if mass protest work. The only other attentive is to compost the rich!

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  • possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    To protest what? That’s the problem with modern times. Everyone is dead set in there beliefs and protesting doesn’t change that.

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• OrteilGenou@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  We all fart into pillows for hours, then tell the baddies we bought a new fabric softener that smells like peach

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• some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Vincent Bevins just published a new book on this topic:

  If We Burn; The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution

  He was interviewed about it on the TrueAnon podcast, but I dunno if that was in the public feed or the bonus feed.

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  • tillimarleen@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    and no one gives a shit ( anyhow his first book about the CIA was pretty cool, too! I heard an interview with him about the new book on the Intercept podcast, and his narrative is something I‘ve been thinking about for some time. It‘s actually insane how the right could take the initiative instead of the left and now there‘s only little room to manoeuvre.

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    • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      If you mean The Jakarta Method, Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World, that was one of the best books I’ve ever read. Blew me away. That’s how I recognized his name in the show notes for the latest podcast interview.

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• Hello_there@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  The only actual wealth redistribution to the working class that has happened in recent years are the flash mobs looting from stores during the pandemic

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• BaroqueInMind@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  The new strategy should be armed protests that promise violence to the politicians and their families. Anything short of that is just facts.

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  • AlwaysNowNeverNotMe@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Truly the only way meaningful change is ever achieved.

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    • fiat_lux@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I would really like it if we could at least try some other non-violent strategies first, but that's just me.

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  • Deceptichum@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Nah fuck promises, i want delivery.

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  • ubermeisters@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    If your only route to success is harming others or threatening to harm others, you are literally the same as them.

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    • Deceptichum@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      If you try to defend yourself from the people oppressing and killing you, you’re just as bad as them?

      What a shit lib take.

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    • BaroqueInMind@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Change my mind.

      No one gave two fucks about Hamas until they came through with gun fire and violence. Now everyone suddenly cares and a significant change will come to them.

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    • AlwaysNowNeverNotMe@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I'm not convinced you have one to change.

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• iHUNTcriminals@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  War?

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  • ubermeisters@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    So how exactly do you hunt yourself

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    • iHUNTcriminals@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Any suicide method.

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