Pursuing Political Defiance

"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." --Malcolm X

Pursuing Political Defiance

by C.A. Matthews

Political Defiance is nonviolent struggle (protest, noncooperation, and intervention) applied defiantly and actively for political purposes… “Defiance” denotes a deliberate challenge to authority by disobedience, allowing room for submission. “Political defiance” describes the environment in which the action is employed (political) as well as the objective (political power). The term is used principally to describe actions by populations to regain from dictatorships control over governmental institutions by relentlessly attacking their sources of power and deliberately using strategic planning and operations to do so… Political defiance, nonviolent resistance and nonviolent struggle [can be] used interchangeably… the later two terms generally refer to struggles with a broader range of objectives. --From Dictatorship to Democracy by Gene Sharp (The New Press www.thenewpress.com)

It’s time for Americans to be defiant. It’s time to stop cooperating. It’s time to nonviolently resist all the crap that is being thrown at us.

First off, let’s talk about how to become a conscientious objector. It might become a necessary option for American males between 18 – 26 years of age. It’s best to be prepared with your reasons for not wanting to be conscripted into the army in case a draft is reinstated.

If you’re not sure you want to exempt yourself from military service, ask yourself the following: Do I want to risk my life fighting to increase the profits of the CEOs of the oil companies and the military-industrial complex? Do I wish to become complicit in the ethnic cleansing/genocide of Palestinians by forcefully removing them from Gaza and the West Bank? Do I long to round up asylum-seekers at the border and force them back into possibly deadly situations in the countries they have fled from? Would I be willing to hunt down, capture, kill or imprison my fellow citizens who don’t agree with the current regime’s methods or policies?

If you answered no to any of the questions, watch the following short video:

During the Vietnam War era, many young men simply left the US to avoid the draft. This might not be an option in 2025. The government of Canada probably will not cooperate with hiding US draft dodgers. The same billionaires (Big Oil, the MIC, AIPAC) that rule the US have locked up their political system. This is probably the case for many other Western “democracies” as well. Only by openly defying the immoral, genocide-enabling system will Americans send a clear message to the oligarchy: Hell no! We won’t go!

Gene Sharp lists almost 200 Methods of Nonviolent Action in the appendix of his best-selling book From Dictatorship to Democracy. Here are just a few of them:

Public speeches, mass petitions, banners, posters, journals (this would include e-zines, blogs, online forums, etc.), picketing, mock awards, mock elections, “haunting” (and taunting) officials, singing, parades, marches, teach-ins, walk-outs, boycotts, student strikes, social disobedience, lock-outs, general strike, domestic embargo, lightning strike, slowdowns, “sick-ins”, noncooperation with conscription and deportation, hunger strike, fasting, guerrilla theater, nonviolent occupation, alternative economic institutions, civil disobedience...

It’s time for Americans to implement as many of these nonviolent, non-cooperative actions as we possibly can. We must or else we could find ourselves backed into a corner, left with nothing but violent options. According to Sharp this is essentially an unwinnable scenario for rebels without an organized military of their own or at least a majority of the country’s army or the state police on their side.

Why should we be cautious about the use of violent tactics? It’s simple—they’ve got trained personnel, guns, ammo, drones, robo-dogs, tear gas, bombs, jets, tanks, subs and nukes. We the revolutionaries do not. We can’t purchase any of these destructive items online at Amazon or Walmart. Our strongest weapon is our great numbers and our fierce determination. Sharp says:

By placing confidence in violent means, one has chosen the very type of struggle with which the oppressors nearly always have the superiority. (…) Violent rebellions can trigger brutal repression that frequently leaves the populace more helpless than before.

This is a untenable situation we don’t ever want to place ourselves in. We don’t need to be made more helpless. We need to be made more hopeful.

“A liberation struggle is a time for self-reliance and internal strengthening of the struggle group,” says Sharp. We all must work together on becoming more self-reliant, strengthening the mutual sense of the righteousness of our cause. We shouldn’t shy away from asking ourselves tough questions. They will keep us focused and on track toward the goal we wish to achieve.

Every revolutionary group working toward liberation from fascism should ask themselves these questions:

Do we want to just roll over and go back to sleep and let someone else do the work for us? Do we truly believe in justice for all—especially for the downtrodden and oppressed? Do we hesitate to free people imprisoned as slave labor for the benefit of the wealthy? Are we okay with trapping others into open-air prisons because of their race or ethnicity? Are we simply content with the bread and circuses (what little bread they’ll give us as the circuses become more violent and immoral as time progresses) that the oligarchs allow?

There are many folks out there who will loudly proclaim that they’re against Trump and ethnic cleansing and genocide in general, but there are relatively few who seem willing to put their own safety at risk in order to free everyone. Be brutally honest with yourself: Are you better off under the current regime of the duopoly and their billionaire puppet-masters? If you are, then you’re probably only going to make a halfhearted attempt to eliminate whatever action it is that the regime is committing that you view as immoral or unfair. You don’t have to respond halfheartedly, but you would be an exception.

Case in point: Several online acquaintances have asked organizers if we’ve seen more self-labeled “Democrat Party members” at pro-Palestine events since Trump took office. Has Trump’s blatant declaration of ethnic cleansing, sending Gazans off to live in Jordan and Egypt, inspired Dems to join in pro-Palestine protests and parades and to speak out against the genocide at last? It seems not. So far, there’s been no known sightings.

It’s obvious why Democrats can’t be bothered to show up even at this late date. Members of duopoly factions (DNC or RNC) are perfectly comfortable with the current regime, even if they pretend the opposite. They’re not hurting economically more than likely, and they don’t want to rock the boat by being caught in public protesting Israel’s immoral actions. They probably could lose their standing in their respective political factions if they angered AIPAC. While in theory they may believe it’s wrong to commit genocide, they’ll have convinced themselves that genocide never actually happened in Gaza. US government propaganda and Israeli hasbara has repeatedly stated that the murdered children of Gaza were simply “human shields” and deserved their sad fate, letting Dems off the hook.

Dedicated duopolists of both the red and blue teams aren’t going to practice political defiance against the current regime. It’s best not to waste time and energy trying persuade them to join the fight. If they have a sudden epiphany that genocide is morally wrong and their party’s officials have sponsored it, then they might join us in the struggle. Until that day, ignore them as best you can.

The Revolution needs numbers—and we will have them without the duopolists. Recent polling figures indicate the majority of Americans call themselves independents or members of alternative parties. Many more have simply given up on voting. We the People who are not content with the current fascist regime must be the ones willing to do the heavy lifting.

It won’t be easy. Nothing good ever is. But it doesn’t mean we should give up on acting politically defiant.

Don’t be afraid to speak out and take nonviolent action against the genocide-enabling tyrants. Dictatorships eventually fall, Gene Sharp assures us, when We the People refuse to cooperate with the dictators’ immoral actions.

So, here’s your first mission, American revolutionaries, on the road toward building a better world for all human beings: Become—or help someone else become—a conscientious objector today. Take a potential soldier out of the equation. Deny the military-industrial complex and its CEOs their profits from eternal wars for oil. After all, impoverishing billionaires is the ultimate act of political defiance in an oligarchy like the US.

ICE can investigate and arrest people within 100 miles of the US-Canada/US-Mexico border. Many Americans live well within that 100 miles. Non-cooperation with ICE and CBP is an act of political defiance.

WHAT TO DO AT AN ICE CHECKPOINT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WHITE and/or FEEL THE NEED TO JAM UP THE WORKS.

Here's the deal:

Border Patrol can verify citizenship within 100 miles of a border or "external boundary." This includes coastlines, so New York City, Philadelphia, and all of New Jersey are within the 100-mile zone.

Border patrol can only ask brief questions about citizenship, and they cannot hold you for an extended time without cause.

You always have the right to remain silent. You do not need to answer their questions.

WITH THAT SAID, IF YOU ARE A NATIVE BORN CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WHITE, YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP.

The most important acts of resistance are the small ones. Make it difficult and uncomfortable for ICE agents to do their jobs. They are counting on citizens to turn a blind eye and allow them to deport undocumented citizens without challenge. Disabuse of that notion.

If you are on a train, bus, or anything else and ICE or CBP boards, you need to stand up and loudly let everyone know that they have the right to remain silent or only answer questions in the presence of an attorney, no matter their citizenship or immigration status. There have been numerous reports that confronting the agents in this way has caused them to leave without verifying citizenship. THIS CAN SAVE LIVES.

If you see anyone being held up by immigration, loudly ask if they are being detained and if they are free to go.

Immigration officers cannot detain anyone without reasonable suspicion, an agent must have specific facts about you that make it reasonable to believe you are committing or committed, a violation of immigration law or federal law. If an agent detains you, you can ask for their basis for reasonable suspicion, and they should tell you.

Always say no to a search and let everyone know that they can and should refuse consent to a search.

They cannot search or arrest anyone without facts about that make it probable that they are committing, or committed, a violation of immigration law or federal law.

Silence alone meets neither of these standards. Nor does race or ethnicity alone suffice for either probable cause or reasonable suspicion

White citizens, you have a level of privilege which protects you from retaliation from ICE for being "rude" and making a scene, which makes it your DUTY to speak up and make sure people without the same privilege know their rights. GET LOUD. YELL. YELL IN SPANISH IF YOU KNOW IT. LET PEOPLE KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING. MAKE ICE UNCOMFORTABLE. THROW SAND IN THE GEARS OF WHITE SUPREMACY.

Bonus info:

It is perfectly legal to record immigration agents as long as you are not on government property or at a port of entry. If your train/bus gets boarded, pull your phone out and start videotaping immediately.

If you are detained or see someone getting detained, get the agent's name, number, and any other identifying information. Get it on video if possible.

Contact the ACLU or local immigrant/migrant support organizations if you see someone's rights being violated.

(This list has been copied and pasted . Please do the same.)

You can give a donation to keep The Revolution Continues going at https://paypal.me/camatthews or at Buy Me a Coffee or at Ko-fi. Every little bit helps since this is my only source of income. Thank you.

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