It’s educate, AGITATE, organize

edit: putting this at the top so people understand the basis for this:

You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

Letter from Birmingham, MLK

  • infinitevalenceEnglish
    15·
    7 months ago

    We can start with recent history first:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/21/filibuster-voting-rights-manchin-sinema/ The democrats have not had the balls to stop filibuster abuse

    https://www.npr.org/2018/06/29/624467256/what-happened-with-merrick-garland-in-2016-and-why-it-matters-now The Democrats did watched as a justice appointment was stolen, and did nothing substantial.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/democrats-used-rail-against-dark-money-now-they-re-better-n1239830 Remember Citizens United, and how we all knew that it would open the flood gates to dark money… Well now that the Democrats are on the receiving end you will notice how silent they are about any campaign finance reform beyond lip-service.

    What about the two most important redistricting, where were the democrats in protecting voting rights and fair elections? The Heritage Foundation enacted a plan to sweep red leaning people into key positions throughout the US in 2000 and again 2010.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDMAP https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/685691 https://www.vox.com/22961590/redistricting-gerrymandering-house-2022-midterms

    So much of this goes back as far as the 1920’s https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/The-Permanent-Apportionment-Act-of-1929/

    So, what real reforms do I want, and have I been pushing for at local to state levels?

    1. Money is not speech, and individuals can donate, but corporations should not be able to do so.
    2. First Past the Post always produces a 2 party system, we need to switch to something like ranked choice, or other voting system where my vote counts, and i can vote for candidates who I actually want to win.
    3. I want redistricting to be non partisan by law, and proportional universally as was the intent in the constitution. If that means that we need to expand the house (which we do) to keep at the 30,000:1 ratio defined in the constitution then we should do so.
    4. I want voting right to be treated as rights. Automatic registration, paid national voting holidays, and overturning felony disenfranchisement.

    Its crazy, that I would ask the Democratic party to enact actual democratic policy that protects, and encourages citizen participation.

    • TigrisMorte@kbin.social
      4·
      7 months ago

      “have not had the balls”, you mean Votes. They have not had the Votes.
      “watched as a justice appointment was stolen”, again you mean, didn’t have the Votes to do anything to stop it, Senate being in Republican hands and all.

      You are either an idiot or total agitprop. There is no third alternative.

      • infinitevalenceEnglish
        22·
        7 months ago

        I would guess idiot because I have no clue what “agitprop” is.

        I am having a hard time understanding why you are attacking me, and my level of intelligence rather than providing evidence or reasoned arguments to better help me understand why my positions may be invalid.

        I dont disagree that they did not have the votes, and that is the problem, they never have the votes when they need them, and never use them when they have them. The Democrats are a loose coalition and calling them a party is laughable.

        If they want my vote they have to earn it, because every single election they pull the same shit saying that this republican is the most evil. They did it with Regan, with Bush Sr, with Bush Jr, and again with Trump. And yet somehow the most evil always shows up the next election, and nothing changes. Having a most evil is how they maintain power, and is a requirement for it to continue. If the Democrats really cared they would have already made this type of fascism impossible without having to beg and plea with the population that this time is different, and this time we just have to win to save the country, and maybe, maybe if we beg enough we can make a difference this time…

        Maybe there is a third alternative, maybe you have Stockholm syndrome and are in love with your jailer.

        • TigrisMorte@kbin.social
          2·
          7 months ago

          I’d suggest until you do, don’t talk about politics because you’ve no clue what you are spreading as these are not your ideas but those fed to you. https://www.britannica.com/topic/agitprop ag·it·prop
          /ˈajətˌpräp/
          noun
          noun: agitprop; noun: agit-prop

          political (originally communist) propaganda, especially in art or literature.
"agitprop painters"
          • infinitevalenceEnglish
            11·
            7 months ago

            Money is not speech, and individuals can donate, but corporations should not be able to do so. First Past the Post always produces a 2 party system, we need to switch to something like ranked choice, or other voting system where my vote counts, and i can vote for candidates who I actually want to win. I want redistricting to be non partisan by law, and proportional universally as was the intent in the constitution. If that means that we need to expand the house (which we do) to keep at the 30,000:1 ratio defined in the constitution then we should do so. I want voting right to be treated as rights. Automatic registration, paid national voting holidays, and overturning felony disenfranchisement.

            So, these are not my ideas and they are being fed to me, by who? Also yes not a single one of them is my idea they are concepts that I have found through research, discussions, and deliberate thought.

            You keep attacking me personally but providing no rational rebuttal to any of the references or points I have made. I really am open to adjusting my opinions when provided with better evidence or better arguments (logical not emotional). I really dont understand what you want from me, do you want me to just vote for democrats because Trump is evil? Do you want me to just vote because you think every vote counts? Do you think I have an agenda to get people not to vote for Biden because I disagree with his support of Netanyahu?

            Could you please take a moment to stop attack and help me understand?

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
        13·
        7 months ago

        “have not had the balls”, you mean Votes. They have not had the Votes.

        Willingness. They haven’t had the willingness. They would rather protect their Jim Crow era excuse for inaction than protect abortion, trans people, and democracy itself.