Five reasons why Americans won't resist

[griffjam]

Five reasons why Americans won't resist

by Mickey Z. (http://www.smirkingchimp.com/user/mickey_z) | March 23, 2009 - 4:21pm

Protest (American, definitely not a verb): Wait for UFPJ or ANSWER to stage a parade (I mean, demonstration) on a weekend afternoon so no one misses work or school or in any way disrupts the flow of commerce. Don't make a sign; the organizers will make one for you. March in an orderly fashion, be polite to the occupying army (I mean, cops), and be sure to stay in designated free speech zones. Blame the Republicans. Wear costumes. Make puppets. Exclude anarchists. Hold a candlelight vigil. Sign a petition. Chant. Vote for a Democrat and hope for change. Need I continue?

With the stakes never higher than they are now, why aren't activists ramping up the pressure and looking beyond tactics that are allowed by those in power?

Here are my five guesses:

1. We are trained to believe that nothing major is wrong. Global warming? Economic meltdown? Epidemics of preventable diseases? Slavery, genocide, ecocide? You name it and we're ready to downplay it. We're Americans, goddammit, we'll figure out a way to fix it. When the going gets tough, we'll call the experts.

2. We are trained to leave it to experts. Rather than worry our little heads over why more than 100 plant and animal species go extinct each day, we rely on experts. Instead of learning what a "collateralized-debt obligation" is and how it contributed to the current economic depression, just let the professionals handle the mess. Besides, such delegation frees up much more time to watch TV and update our Facebook pages.

3. We are trained to embrace non-violence. All the real heroes would never raise a fist in anger: Jesus, MLK, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, etc. Sure, the government and its corporate owners are taking away all our rights and all our money. They're poisoning our air, water, and food while crafting laws that make prison a looming possibility, but the moment we contemplate anything more than a non-violent response, we become worse than any of them. Ain't that right?

4. We feel too damn privileged to risk prison (or worse). The average Gaza resident doesn't have the luxury of wondering if their resistance could result in arrest and thus perhaps ruin their reputation. The average American? Well, that's a different story. I can't defy insane laws designed to squash protest. I might get arrested and that means close proximity to all those scary criminals and it also means hurting my chances of landing a good job and maybe even losing all my respectable friends. I mean, I'm an activist and all but that's asking way too much. Who do you think I am, Mandela?

5. We're fuckin' cowards. Our acquiescence in a disturbingly broad range of areas—access to health care, tolerance for voting irregularities, directly funding the Israeli war machine, stomaching the groupthink behind saluting a flag, etc. etc. etc.—appears to have no limits. Americans love to talk the talk about being fearless and tough but when ordered to remove our shoes before going through airport security, it’s “yes sir” all the way.
We know things have passed the proverbial tipping point and that immediate action is 100% needed and justified, but we're far too spineless to do anything that might get us in trouble. Somehow, it's more terrifying for any of us to face down a cop than it is to contemplate the total destruction of our earthly eco-system.

If it's true that action expresses priorities, we American activists aren't overly concerned about the future.

We now return to our regularly scheduled slate of left wing articles…

Until the laws are changed or the power runs out, Mickey Z. can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net (http://www.mickeyz.net/)
_______
"I never met another man I'd rather be. And even if that's a delusion, it's a lucky one."
- Charles Bukowski

[bcbm]

This article seems like its describing a specific section of the liberal-left, not Americans in general. There was a random letter to the editor in a newspaper here from one of the working class suburbs here basically suggesting we go smash up AIG bosses. That isn't an isolated sentiment anymore. I think things can and will heat up, its just a matter of getting out there and getting class action back on the table.

This is also typical of leftist "blame the victim"-style writings where various activists whine and moan about how its everybody else's fault that nobody is listening to them or acting without stopping to think for a second maybe the problem is with them and how they're going about things.

[el_chavista]

Ain't it an old tale about Lenin saying that Germans couldn't do their revolution because they don't dare to hit a cop?

[Bitter Ashes]

There's always something that can push a group too far.
I could probably, jokingly, say that for us Brits, that "something", is whenever somebody messes with our tea! :laugh:

[Nils T.]

It's not training. It's the restriction of the political consciousness trough the restriction of life down to its economic aspects.

[RedSonRising]

I actually stumbled-on this today. To be honest, I think that a revolution occurs when one's self interest is to revolt. Now don't jump all over me, I do not believe that humans are selfish in nature or whatever, but revolutions have historically occurred when conditions worsened to an unbearable or unmanageable level. Conditions in the US are in many ways terrible, but society is kept just satisfied enough to not risk violence and busy enough to not seek alternatives. Those are the real reasons, though the article makes valid points in our culture, albeit ones that stem from the reasons I just stated before.

[Lynx]

The police play rough. They hit you with their batons, use pepper spray, taser you, and worse. It's not worth engaging in violence unless the situation is really bad, at which point you will no longer have a choice - violence will be all around you, in your neighbourhood.

[Martin Blank]

This is also typical of leftist "blame the victim"-style writings where various activists whine and moan about how its everybody else's fault that nobody is listening to them or acting without stopping to think for a second maybe the problem is with them and how they're going about things.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Give that comrade a cigar!

[bcbm]

A cigar would be awesome right about now...

[Lynx]

6. Mass Stockholm Syndrome

[bcbm]

I think comments that the under-class is simply brainwashed are insulting, to say nothing of detrimental to trying to bring those people into struggle.

[Lynx]

Number 2, deferral to expert opinion or authority, is a symptom of representative democracy.

[Poison]

Very true. Shared. Thank you.

[ZeroNowhere]

Vote for a Democrat and hope for change.Well, of course. Liberalism is based upon this kind of hope. This often applies to the Kucinich left-libbies too.


1. We are trained to believe that nothing major is wrong. Global warming? Economic meltdown? Epidemics of preventable diseases? Slavery, genocide, ecocide? You name it and we're ready to downplay it. We're Americans, goddammit, we'll figure out a way to fix it. When the going gets tough, we'll call the experts.
Greens, being a force for capitalism and large component of the lib'rul right, would disagree. Something is wrong... And it's YOUR FAULT, you consumerist bastard with a car.


2. We are trained to leave it to experts.
I wouldn't know about this one. Though I'd say that one was trained to leave it up to authority rather than experts.


3. We are trained to embrace non-violence.
I haven't got much of an issue with this.


They're poisoning our air, water, and food while crafting laws that make prison a looming possibility, but the moment we contemplate anything more than a non-violent response, we become worse than any of them. Ain't that right?
Yes, let's take on the army! Wheeee!
Though if you're referring to fighting the police at protests, you're not, you're just boring as fuck.


Who do you think I am, Mandela?
It's interesting that you mention him in a rant against liberals.


4. We feel too damn privileged to risk prison (or worse).
Yes, of course, this is the major underlying problem. No, I don't think so. And anyways, I wouldn't especially like going to prison either. Not an especially cozy place, certainly when it's not even necessary or beneficial.


5. We're fuckin' cowards. Our acquiescence in a disturbingly broad range of areas—access to health care, tolerance for voting irregularities, directly funding the Israeli war machine, stomaching the groupthink behind saluting a flag, etc. etc. etc.—appears to have no limits. Americans love to talk the talk about being fearless and tough but when ordered to remove our shoes before going through airport security, it’s “yes sir” all the way.
Right, so people are cowards for removing their shoes before going through airport security? Seriously? And the rest of your points have no relevance whatsoever. What are people supposed to do, walk into the White House and shoot the President and go to jail and accomplish nothing whatsoever?


March in an orderly fashion, be polite to the occupying army (I mean, cops)
I vaguely recall somebody being slagged off a hell of a lot here for dissing teachers (I was too, though I didn't. I dunno). Also, occupying army? Eh?