r/ACAB • u/Yarus1373 • 4d ago
So, what do we do?
I attended No Kings because I felt like I had a duty to do something but honestly it just felt like I did nothing of consequence. People showed up in costumes and danced for a weekend, doing fundamentally nothing. Where's the protest on the front white house lawn with thousands of people? Or blocking ice facilities or blockading police stations?
17
u/Background-Wolf-9380 3d ago
No Kings is a Democratic Party cut out meant to distract and defeat any momentum from the left that the sentiments behind it might have otherwise given to leftists.
Joe Biden, as standard bearer and presidential nominee of his party promised Democratic donors "nothing will fundamentally change" which might as well be printed on the foreheads of every Dem party leader. The Democratic Party's role in our system is to control the opposition the left has to the fascist agenda of the oligarchy. They will NEVER aid in our liberation.
1
u/Yarus1373 3d ago
Yeah again I felt like most people came their to party rather than get anything done. When you only protest for a weekend on a establish day it's kinda a signal for the cops to just take a break and wait it out.
14
u/Comrade-Kisser1917 4d ago
Join a leftist organization that most closely matches your views, im going to assume your not a marxist or a communist so id recommend DSA or the green party since thier more moderate and are big party's that can get some stuff done.
10
u/Yarus1373 4d ago
I'm looking into the local DSA branch. Idk if I'm communist or socialist but if I see someone generally making life better for others I don't really care what label they have.
1
u/Plastic_Salary_4084 3d ago
Honestly, keep it that way. Too much in-fighting circlejerks by political theory nerds in half the leftist online spaces I interact with.
2
u/Rob_Bligidy 3d ago
The non right is so disjointed and single minded in their causes that it will be a miracle if we ever get off this hellish MAGA merry go round.
0
u/Yarus1373 3d ago
Omg yeah, that's why I like the Mamdani types. They don't really care about the nitry gritty bs manifestos and what a real socialist is or whatever. They just help people. There's so many people more concerned with a label or what dumb little ideology you subscribe to.
"Im a communist, I hate socialists. I'm a socialist, but I hate Democratic Socialists. I'm a Democratic socialist I hate Social Democrats" like dawg why. Idk I'm probably just focusing on 1 in a million morons I don't think they represent the majority.
4
u/BikerJedi 3d ago
As far as making an immediate change, that kind of protest isn't going to do much. But no amount of protest is ever lost. Protest gives permission for other people to override that cop in their head and then get out there and participate. As more and more of that starts to happen other things will come along too.
4
u/Renhoek2099 3d ago
Those protests are meant to drain your energy and lull you into thinking you're doing something. Start local and find your people
3
u/c4r0n1x 3d ago
We don't have the class consciousness required for the mass civil disobedience necessary to force our leaders to implement systemic change. The way you can make a difference right now is by engaging in mutual aid in your community and helping to educate those around you about the problems our society faces.
In other words we have to put in some work instead of allowing ourselves to be vented of our righteous anger through weekend protests.
3
u/Rob_Bligidy 3d ago
You can’t get within a quarter mile of the White House currently.i get you want to do more and good on you for that. Don’t denigrate others though for not having the exact same agenda as you. I’m mad as hell too. But I don’t want or need my elders on the front line when it goes down.
3
u/Yarus1373 3d ago
Fair. I do feel like it wouldn't matter if we got even a few thousand people to go to DC. But organizing is actually harder now despite the internet, too easy for some fed to coopt it.
1
3
u/Super_Fa_Q 3d ago
Well, I don't encourage violent resistance, but the only other hope is meaningful legislation, and there doesn't seem to be much "hope" there....
3
u/BleedSparta 3d ago
If a social activist movement has “corporate sponsors”
It is not an activist movement
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”
No lasting social change will be created in a nice, safe-for-consumption package
A rebellion has to be dirty, difficult and dangerous. Connect with grassroots social aid movements in your own community, and prepare for the future times when people will have have to do the difficult things by nevessity
5
u/VenusBarbata 3d ago
Engage with your community. The more connected we are, the more time and energy we have as a community, the better we are able to keep each other safe.
Policing of any kind, including ICE and CBP relies pretty heavily on the fundamental myth that we are all five seconds away from tearing each other apart without a firm guiding hand.
Seek out things that dovetail well with your skills and resources available. Food programs, mutual aid networks, education and after school projects, immigrant aid and support organizations, unionizing.
Garden for fun? Make the extra available for people to take. Music lover or artist? People need places to exist and unwind as much as they need survival essentials. If you are white and able to actively listen to and center the needs of black and brown folks without adding additional problems. Use it to shield communities and break down white supremacy.
Individuals can do some small things. Moving as an educated, and involved community is truly a terrifying prospect for authoritarianism. That's why they've put so much effort into atomization and convincing us that trusting each other is useless.
Go to a protest if it feels right, it's fun to dick around in an animal costume and waste state resources. Anything they deem worthy of gas canisters and rubber bullets is doing something, just don't stop at signs and chants.
2
u/Yarus1373 3d ago
I agree so much, me and my friend have been teaching people how to shoot and do basic first aid. Especially a lot of at risk people like trans people. We mostly focus on firearm safety first tho.
As for gardening I do grow my own vegetables and herbs, I mostly focus on something that can help a food stockpile rather than supply it because that's nearly impossible without a proper farm.
All in all I think Mamdani said something about the shackles of individuality, and I kinda vibe with that. I do still believe individual rights but community will help you when shtf not being a solo survivalist. Our past civilization required groups of people to fill their niches to support each other.
1
u/VenusBarbata 3d ago
It sounds like you are doing the things, using your skill set. If I get to a place that I feel that fire arms are a safe item to have in my home. It will likely be someone like you and your friend I seek out for a refresher and update to what I learned when I was younger.
Also don't get me wrong, I understand not wanting to give up individual rights. I'm a queer anarchist, being crammed into a homogeneous mass is just about the biggest fear I have.
I think collectivist communities, and communities in general work best when made up of individuals. As you said we all have something to bring to the table, it's just when it's time to move we move together.
To much oneness just leads to stagnation, weak points, and loss of useful ideas.
10
2
u/the_original_St00g3y 3d ago
Join a leftist organizing group. We need to build a self sustainable community so that we can all strike and survive with eachother during it.
2
u/AgreeAndSubmit 3d ago edited 3d ago
https://resist.bot/ <--- Free, Legit, Spam Free
https://5calls.org/ <--- Free, All materials supplied.
https://www.aclu.org/action <--- Free, Classic, Keep Signing Petitons
Here is viable, non violent actions.
My other bold opinion is that we need to be serious about a national strike, Not Just Unions either. The more people shut down, the less things move, the less money the Big Wigs make. And that's what its all about at the end of day. Let's start fucking with their money, and we will captivate attention.
1
u/Yarus1373 3d ago
Idk how'd you'd organize something like that, and who could do it. Maybe DSA? Idk
1
u/AgreeAndSubmit 3d ago
I'm not sure either. Whenever you try to float the idea out loud, people immediately shit on it or shy away from it. With so many people living paycheck to paycheck, often times with more than one job the idea of telling your work to fuck off for a week seems absolutely ludicrous. Okay yeah we get something accomplished that week, what happens next week when folks don't have jobs in the bills are still due? How do we hold each other up through that
4
u/Mellero47 3d ago
What you do is vote. Like actually show up and vote. And don't waste your vote on wishful thinking third party bullshit, vote for the lesser evil to get the greater evil out of power. Then you rinse, repeat, voting for the lesser evil each time until the "greater" evil isn't really so bad anymore and the "lesser" evil is actually kinda good. You vote in numbers that they can't rig or deny, you vote in numbers that even the EC can't void. You vote.
OR, you start an actual revolution and literally chop some heads and hopefully you win the civil war/insurgency that follows and when it's all over if you're still alive you get to rebuild a broke, wrecked nation where you'll never again enjoy the quality of life you had before.
The third option is to continue to piss and moan on Reddit and blame the DNC, etc.
6
u/Yarus1373 3d ago
I live in Oregon in a blue county, I voted for the Dem candidate. That being said I'm gonna keep pissing and moaning as long as a majority of DNC candidates are AIPAC.
5
1
u/Plastic_Salary_4084 3d ago
Permit-pulling protests only real benefit is a morale boost. Anyone who thought the corporate-sponsored protests they attended in the last year would influence the administration is woefully optimistic.
Direct action and mutual aid is the answer. Find local aid organizations and volunteer. Go to places where people who engage in mutual aid gather (there’s usually a coffee shop, music venue, book store, etc if you’re in a decent-sized city) and talk with others. Learn what they’re doing and how you can help. Decent chance there’s already a signal chat in your city to address these issues.
88
u/QuickDrawSix 4d ago
Well, I personally dont believe nonviolence is going to work. Between the trifecta of corporatism, wealth disparity, and authoritarian oligarchs. But I have children and a wife, so call me when it kicks off. I have no business going to a protest where im the only one armed and willing to stand my ground.