I’m stepping away from the Horror Project for a bit to discuss politics. And, as I’ve stated in other entries: I am on the left side of the spectrum. And as of this writing, we’ve won a victory in getting a candidate in the White House. I should be celebrating, right?
No. There is still work left. If anything, this is a very deliberate reminder that the other side will continue their work and not celebrate. They will contest the results, push for faithless electors, push for ways to suppress votes, and prevent any kind of effective government from running the next 4 years until they have another chance.
The other side – especially these days – bends the knee to this philosophy of conservativism: “If it’s not broken *for me* then don’t fix it. If it’s broken for you, then I don’t care.” and “People get what they deserve. I deserve safety, security, money, and autonomy because I’m a person. You aren’t – so you don’t deserve any of those things.”
For now, I’ll call them the Opposition. It’s kinder than what they call me: traitor, un-American, the enemy of the people, antifa BLM leftist rioter looking to destroy America. That’s par for the course. It’s how things have been for the last 40+ year.
So how do we go forward? What did we miss? What do I believe? I’ve got my thoughts listed here. Think of them as a version of the Moscow Rules for modern politics if you’re on the left. Seven things I’ve come to believe, and what they mean. The Popovic Rules, as it were:
- Act like the Opposition is Smart, Sincere, and Determined
- Power Structures Will Protect the Status Quo (Unless…)
- Emotions Matter More Than Facts, and Dread is King
- Change Happens from Above and Below
- Enthusiasm Alone Does Not Win
- Take Nothing for Granted
- Be Ready for a Ground War
Let’s break them down:
Act like the Opposition is Smart, Sincere, and Determined – Individual members of the opposition may seem stupid, but they are ‘useful idiots’ for the ones who are smart, driven, and determined. So, you must assume everyone is smart, driven and determined.
And you must believe they are sincere. Either they sincerely believe destroying the village is the only way to save it or they sincerely believe going along with destroying the village is the only way. Belief is the core. Your Opposition believes strongly they know the right and true way and will justify anything to defend it.
Also – don’t assume who is and is not part of the Opposition. The third-generation Mexican Catholic? She’s all for building the wall! Her family came over the ‘right’ way. Not like those Hondurans, si? (More on this below).
Power Structures Will Protect the Status Quo (Unless…) – Also known as the Iron Blooded Orphans theory. Governments, institutions, and other power structures are designed to act like foundations or utilities. They’re not supposed to change overnight. The idea is to have a steady foundation on which to build everything else.
Think of it as a power grid. Setting it up and maintaining it takes a lot of work. You don’t want to go changing it all at once – the lights will go out! And, yes, big changes can happen. The head of your power company can get fired, or a new oversight board could start changing its direction. A disaster can hit and wreck your power lines.
However large-scale change – institutional change – takes time and a few other items. And this can be abused. If someone finds, say, a way to use the institution against itself, or to benefit a few and they are left unchecked… they can cripple or steal an institution. The rolling blackouts only hit certain neighborhoods. The complaints of a few are prioritized over others. Maybe you need to grease a few palms…
And then changing the institution becomes harder. “Hey, if it ain’t broke for me, don’t fix it.”
Emotions Matter More Than Facts, and Dread is King – “Fear is my ally.” Words spoken by the Sith, but true for anyone making an argument. Logos arguments – ones made by logic – only work if the person agrees with the logic. Ethos arguments – ones made by ethics – only work if someone believes the same definition of ethical behavior that you do.
Pathos, though… pathos works at the very spine of our cat brains. Fight or Flight response. And the best kind of argument isn’t one that talks about fear, but dread. Fear is a sharp reaction. Will get your senses up. Dread is a slow one. It builds on you. Slowly erodes your ability to make decisions on logical or ethical reasons. Your system is gearing up to either run away or fight for your life.
This means when someone comes to you and says, “Just believe in me, and the dread will go away and be replaced with safety,” it makes an impact. We want people who appeal to Logos and Ethos. But the ugly truth is we listen to our cat brain and follow the Pathos.
Which means a smart, sincere, and determined person can use this. Make you afraid of ‘those people over there, who are coming to take your stuff. You aren’t getting what you deserve because of them…’
Change Happens from Above and Below – “We need grassroots change!” “We need systemic change!” “We need gradual change!” Most folks on my side of the political spectrum tend to fall into two camps: “We need to be in the streets to encourage radical change!” versus “We need to change from within the system!”
It’s not either-or. It must be both. Change cannot be dictated from the top, nor can it only come from below. You need people on all levels, working in concert, with one goal. Because the Opposition has that.
On the ‘ground’ level – Local action is VITAL. Ask yourself: Who’s on your board of education? Your county elections board? Your town council? What about your local prosecutors? Judges?
Don’t know? Because local representatives of the Opposition do.
And on the national level – how does the legislative process work? What can the executive do versus what the judicial branch can do? What are the most effective levers of power to pull on those levels?
Don’t know? Because the Opposition does.
Here’s an example of what can happen if you don’t pay attention at all levels:
You decide you really don’t care about those elections for county clerk, judgeship, and the board of education. It’s not like they have power, right? You want to focus on the President! The big shiny one!
But while you’re doing that, the Opposition has gotten their person elected to county clerk. Suddenly, the ID requirements increase. Fees for getting ID’s increase. And they’ve closed places you can get ID’s for ‘budget reasons.’ Meanwhile, the judge the Opposition has elected is ruling in favor of large developers rather than folks in your affordable housing area.
Oh, and the Opposition on the education board? The “Civics” class – the one that taught you about the Constitution, about government, about how the sausage is made – it’s been replaced with a ‘social studies’ class that tells you how happy most slaves were to be ‘brought’ to the land of the free and educated in the ways of the Prosperity Church, as the Constitution demands.
On the national and state level? How’s this:
You really don’t care about your state legislators and congressmen. I mean, they’re scum and bums. It’s not like there’s a difference in the parties, right? Don’t vote in your primaries and don’t vote for anything but President.
The Opposition, though? They work the state level hard. They get a majority in the legislature – just in time for a census. So, they redraw the districts and suddenly, no matter how much people yell, they will never lose a majority. Democracy suddenly becomes a One-Party state (Hey? Isn’t that Soviet Russia and China? Doesn’t count if it’s the Right Party).
Now it’s harder to get your state representatives elected, and they make it harder for your Senators and Delegates. They can force governors who plan on expanding education and Medicaid and dropping discriminatory laws from the Jim Crow era into deadlocks. They can also re-arrange Federal Districts, so only the Opposition gets elected. And that means on a state and national level – they can push certain judges and policies and favor specific people.
This is how you get a democracy where the government reprints itself, and not the people. And don’t believe it happened ‘accidentally.’ If someone sets things up so only well-off white folks can seem to get things done unless you’re willing to sell out your community – it’s deliberate.
You must care about the whole process. You need to see the government you want reflected locally because that resonates upwards. And you want to make sure the people up top have the structure needed to support their goals on a broader level.
Enthusiasm Alone Does Not Win – This is where I’ll get in real trouble with my side. Enthusiasm is needed, yes. But you also need plans, and hard work, and people willing to do the grunt work. It’s like a relationship. Hormones alone won’t get 40 years with someone.
Here’s an example: Let’s say it’s revealed a prominent member of law enforcement was using Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ laws and the fact there is no requirement for de-escalation to organize hunts for his friends. Living out their Magnum Force fantasies, they’d go and provoke people of color, declare they’re being threatened, and start running them down.
Protests erupt. People are furious! This is essentially state sanctioned murder, and because the victims aren’t white, they’re getting wrist slaps! So, people go out into the street and demand change. Others go on Facebook. They create memes. They flood hashtags with K-Pop. Eventually, someone says, “OK, we’ve got everyone’s attention… how do we want to change this? What’s your proposal?”
(Or for my gaming group, “Do you have a manifesto?”)
What is your proposal? Specifics – what do you want to change? You going to change the law? Are you doing to start driving to get control of the legislature? Are you going to push for a referendum? Going to the courts? All the above? OK, what groundwork do you need to do? Do you have enough voters? Do you have to get them registered?
What about enforcement practices? How are you organizing around that? What localities are you targeting? You going to push for changes in policy? Who are you targeting?
Is your enthusiasm starting to wane? It better not. Because the Opposition not only believes as strongly as you do, but also has the ground game, and control of the legislatures. It’s not enough to be fired up. You’ve got to be ready to go as well. Get organized. Make a plan of attack. And above all else –
Take Nothing for Granted – I’ve got a friend – let’s call her Val – who is a tireless volunteer and campaign worker. She spent the last few months ensuring people had information on early voting key states. She made phone calls. She sent texts. She encouraged folks to vote and then encouraged them bring 3 folks to the vote. She’s trying to get residents in battleground states to participate. All while living in DC and attending protests as well.
I work directly with non-profits, helping them fundraise to support efforts like this, and I am a slacker compared to her. (As I should!)
I bring her up because she doesn’t assume people are coming to the polls. She doesn’t assume people have the info on the proper way to set the ballots. She puts in this work to make sure. She takes nothing for granted.
We take a lot for granted on my side – we assume people will do the work, come to the polls, and see the Opposition as low-lifers and dolts. Then we’re shocked when the Latino population in a state votes in their favor. Why? Well, when new immigrants were getting sworn in – they were there, explaining why joining would be vital for their new life. They were in the local churches, appealing to their faith. They were talking about Castro to the Cubans and singing songs of law and order to those preyed upon by gangs in El Salvador.
And we aren’t there to counter the narrative.
Assume nothing. Take nothing for granted.
Be Ready for a Ground War: You know who’s the most important person this elections season? It’s not the candidates. It’s folks like Val. It’s someone like Stacey Abrams, who spearheaded a multi-year campaign against voter suppression while also working to get more people registered in Georgia. There are people who look at everyone trying to make a difference on the ground in Georgia and thought, “Why are you wasting your time being so local? Why are you wasting your time in the SOUTH? I mean, it’s a lost cause!”
Ask anyone looking at the electoral college map on November 8th – is it still a lost cause?
Ground wars – local action – changes from the roots up – are hard work. It’s so easy to focus on the big items. But we do so at our own peril. We need to be ready for a ground war. This means we need to support the Val’s of the country in every state. We need to include them in our larger strategies. But more importantly we need to listen to them!
The biggest mistake we make, time and again, is we ignore reports from the people on the front lines. When they start winning victories, do we send them re-enforcements? No. We send in ‘consultants’ – who immediately take over. They turn our victories into defeats. It’s less about actual victory, and more about justifying yourself and your paycheck.
Listen, and speak only when asked. Give support but expect nothing in return but continued work and information from the front. Keep them informed of the general strategy but listen when they suggest adjustments. The last thing we need is a general in a Chateau ignoring information from the front because it doesn’t fit their vision – and immediately ordering a charge against entrenched enemies instead of getting the sappers to work.
As of this writing, control of the Senate hinges on two run-off elections in Georgia. Does this mean the national party should rush in and take over get-out-the-vote efforts there? NO. Find the people who are already working to get people registered for the run-off, get arguments prepared, and get ready. Fund them. Support them. Ask what they need and keep them up to date on what’s happening around them. Work together, not at cross purposes, and trust one another.
***
Politics is a relationship. You must work at it. You must put more in than just love or enthusiasm. And you can’t just dip in when you feel it’s convenient and expect it to stay healthy.
Want proof? Go and look up a few articles about people who were angry at the system but decided to do something. Deputies who were fired for being lesbians getting voted in as sheriffs. Judges who gave light sentences to rapists getting opposed and voted out.
And then look for articles about people who stopped caring, stopped participating, and found demagogues taking over their politics. If you ever say “It could never happen hear” – look at those stories. It can, has, and is happening here. But congrats – you’ve got a chance to stop it.
Biomechanoid Blues 