Whether the left develops an inclusive orientation towards organizing the working class, or the exclusive orientation of a dystopic cancellation cult, is up to all of us.
Two comments, apart from that this is good and I'm considering it posting on Facebook in spite of everything.
1: Long ago I was an Alinsky-style organizer. Just once we went to the house of the "target" - he was an insurance guy, we were on insurance redlining, and it was a little weird - because his house was almost like ours, ordinary house in a working-class neighborhood. Made people think a bit. The other in-your-face stuff we did sometimes - it certainly didn't attract outsiders.
2: I grew up in Cleveland, and wish I could be there for your concert. If I think of anybody there, I'll tell them. I know two good people in Rochester, NY, but that's not close.
Strategies of the left in Thailand are an interesting case study. Armed forces on the left and right clashed in the 1970s, resulting from military extermination campaigns against the left, campaigns that still frequent Thai streets today. Those clashes involved organized regional Communist Party of Thailand, anarchistic hill tribe and farmer organizations, students Federations and various labor organizations, all with dedicated media as tools in their organizations. None of those tools and few of the organizers survived...abducted, tortured and killed mainly. The King Phumiphol was actively orchestrating the murders, displacement campaigns and more, all the while creating ultra royalist media on all radio and TV stations, movie theaters and street intersections where traffic stopped at 8 AM and 6 PM nationwide to respect the Thai flag. His son is King now. Same techniques. Resistance strategies are largely employing cultural expressions (art, wall murals, street dramatic scenes, prostitute protests) to raise questions with the public about limitations on freedom and despair in living conditions.
I want to describe one “tactic” of the left that almost destroyed the anti-Vietnam War movement.
Remember first that opposition to that war took several years to form up and grow. And there existed several, then many, groups that viewed themselves as leading the fight against continuation of the war. Ultimately, the goal of (almost all) those groups was to convince thousands and hopefully millions of Americans to publicly demand an end to the war.
But in the midst of this campaign, two sides formed around whether to organize anti-war sentiment around a “single issue” of “U.S. Out Now” or to build the movement around a “multi-issue” approach of “U.S. Out” + “End Racism Now” + “Support Gay Rights” + “Fight For Women’s Rights”.
Demanding that anti-war rallies put many issues on an equal level with the simpler demand to End The War tended to limit participation of folks “not yet sufficiently radicalized” while the single-issue marches managed to turn out hundreds of thousands to demonstrations in San Francisco, D.C., and other cities.
And then there’s the group that demanded the D.C. rally unite around “Levitate the Pentagon.” But that’s a story for another day. 😄
When the left has not had success, it has developed an alliance with the right to sell their products as progress like cars often with a green spin highlighting divisions like segregated housing which can be left behind in the walkable bikeable inner city for new wealth burgs floated on wars for oil.
Two comments, apart from that this is good and I'm considering it posting on Facebook in spite of everything.
1: Long ago I was an Alinsky-style organizer. Just once we went to the house of the "target" - he was an insurance guy, we were on insurance redlining, and it was a little weird - because his house was almost like ours, ordinary house in a working-class neighborhood. Made people think a bit. The other in-your-face stuff we did sometimes - it certainly didn't attract outsiders.
2: I grew up in Cleveland, and wish I could be there for your concert. If I think of anybody there, I'll tell them. I know two good people in Rochester, NY, but that's not close.
Can’t thank you enough for all you do! So important for continuing to build a viable movement !
Love and solidarity always, David
Strategies of the left in Thailand are an interesting case study. Armed forces on the left and right clashed in the 1970s, resulting from military extermination campaigns against the left, campaigns that still frequent Thai streets today. Those clashes involved organized regional Communist Party of Thailand, anarchistic hill tribe and farmer organizations, students Federations and various labor organizations, all with dedicated media as tools in their organizations. None of those tools and few of the organizers survived...abducted, tortured and killed mainly. The King Phumiphol was actively orchestrating the murders, displacement campaigns and more, all the while creating ultra royalist media on all radio and TV stations, movie theaters and street intersections where traffic stopped at 8 AM and 6 PM nationwide to respect the Thai flag. His son is King now. Same techniques. Resistance strategies are largely employing cultural expressions (art, wall murals, street dramatic scenes, prostitute protests) to raise questions with the public about limitations on freedom and despair in living conditions.
Great post, David!
I want to describe one “tactic” of the left that almost destroyed the anti-Vietnam War movement.
Remember first that opposition to that war took several years to form up and grow. And there existed several, then many, groups that viewed themselves as leading the fight against continuation of the war. Ultimately, the goal of (almost all) those groups was to convince thousands and hopefully millions of Americans to publicly demand an end to the war.
But in the midst of this campaign, two sides formed around whether to organize anti-war sentiment around a “single issue” of “U.S. Out Now” or to build the movement around a “multi-issue” approach of “U.S. Out” + “End Racism Now” + “Support Gay Rights” + “Fight For Women’s Rights”.
Demanding that anti-war rallies put many issues on an equal level with the simpler demand to End The War tended to limit participation of folks “not yet sufficiently radicalized” while the single-issue marches managed to turn out hundreds of thousands to demonstrations in San Francisco, D.C., and other cities.
And then there’s the group that demanded the D.C. rally unite around “Levitate the Pentagon.” But that’s a story for another day. 😄
an excellent and vitally important example you provide there, yes.
When the left has not had success, it has developed an alliance with the right to sell their products as progress like cars often with a green spin highlighting divisions like segregated housing which can be left behind in the walkable bikeable inner city for new wealth burgs floated on wars for oil.
i suppose that depends on one's definition of "the left."