In my writing, I'm always emphasizing the need for the progressive movement to become highly focused, strategic, cohesive, capable of formulating and acting on strategies and tactics nationwide, in a coordinate manner.
I often comment on the fact that the movement right now is too fractious and diffused to be effective, and that the reason for that include the effects of propaganda, physical and emotional fatigue, and a big one, the co-option of the movement by mainly Democratic party establishment corporatist forces.
As I write about this topic, I'm always asked to explain exactly what I mean when I talk about cohesiveness, about discipline, about strategy. I've engaged in that discussion many times, and based on those interactions, I'm going to provide the answer to those questions here, in a very concise and straightforward manner.
Before I proceed, I would ask readers to read the answers to a question I posed in my last diary: "Building Consensus: What Are The Biggest Challenges We Face, And How Do We Address Them?"
I think by now many people are beginning to realize and accept the fact that democracy in this country is an illusion; that the levers of power are controlled by a tiny wealthy elite and their corporatist cartels; and that the system is becoming increasingly oppressive. This is an important step because once enough people in the progressive movement come to this consensus, then we can start formulating a strategy about how to address the situation.
During the last several months I've been reaching out to people asking them to help me form a nationwide network of activists. So far close to 400 people have joined. This map illustrates their geographical location.
Of the 400 people in the list, over half of them signed after I published this diary: "The reason the population is acting irrationally, and what to do about it."
I think the key quote in that diary is the one attributed to Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. (from what has become to be known as The Powell Memo)
Strength lies in organization, in careful long-range planning and implementation, in consistency of action over an indefinite period of years, in the scale of financing available only through joint effort, and in the political power available only through united action and national organizations.
Although the Powell Memo became an inspirational and guiding document that lead to the "Business Activist Movement" which ultimately resulted in the current situation, where democracy is a lie, an illusion, and where the levers of powers are in the hands of wealthy individuals and corporatist cartels, the message about the importance of organization, long-range planning, consistency of action, and the rest, applies to any social movement.
Unless and until the progressive movement embraces this concept (once again, as it did in the early 1900's, and in the 1960's), we will remain ineffective, and marginalized, as the Corporate State entrenches itself.
Before I proceed, I want to disclose and admit that a lot of what I write about is symbolic, or it's meant to push people to think outside the box. When I invite people to join a nationwide network of activists, is not because I necessarily want to lead the group (although I have no problem doing so if I had to); it is to elucidate about the type of organizational structure we need in order to become effective as a movement.
In that vein, here's what I envision when I call for the formation of a nationwide network of progressive activists:
- Chapter: Each person representing the dots in the map would be tasked with recruiting a group of progressive activists, locally
- Corporate State: The number one and most important role of each Chapter would be to carefully study all the intricacies of how the Corporate State functions. Exactly how all the policies that are currently taking down democracy in the country nationwide came to be; how are the local politicians in your city being bribed, influenced by these corporatist forces.
- Counter-propaganda: Once that understanding is clear, then engage in counter-propaganda, public relations, outreach, to educate the public/general population about how this is happening.
- Taking Down The Corporate State: Once there is a general understanding on exactly how the Corporate State functions, and once the movement has recruited enough people nationwide (we only need a few thousand people to be effective), then you go about defining ways of tearing it down. That's where you get into specific causes, like spreading the concept of employee-owned/employee-run businesses, food and housing collectives, sustainability, de-funding the Corporate State by not supporting big-box retailers in favor of independent, locally-owned companies; shaming politicians on the take (of both parties); supporting progressive politicians; organizing rallies, protests, teach-ins, and public events.
- Intelligence: This is about turning the tables. Right now the Corporate State is engaging in the establishment of a corporate-owned for-profit total-information-awareness surveillance police state. Very detailed personal and psychological dossiers are being built about hundreds of millions of individuals. The implications of this are truly frightening if or when the system takes off its mask and reveals itself to be fascistic. We The People need to turn this around and build our own intelligence network on exactly how the Corporate State functions. Therefore, these Chapters around the country, as they build intelligence locally, need to then connect in a very sophisticated national network and share those findings so we can then identify patterns and weaknesses in the system, and then use that intelligence to destroy the Corporate State.
Finally, let me clarify something I think sometimes scares people... When I talk about "destroying the Corporate State," I'm not talking about doing anything violent or illegal in any way, shape, or form.
The Corporate State is an illegal, criminal enterprise that has taken over our democracy, and thus that part of the power structure needs to be undone, destroyed.
Billionaires, corporatist cartels, influence peddling-corruption, politicians of both parties on the take, all working together to line their own pockets, enslave the population, and ravage the environment.... That's the meaning and definition of the Corporate State. And thus, it is our responsibility as citizens to tear it down and replace it with true representative democracy.
What I've attempted to do here is to provide a blueprint of the type of organizational structure and focus a progressive movement would need in order to be successful. I'm not concerned about whether people want to join "my group," or form their own. My only concern is to see something like this take off.
Right now I'm not seeing it anywhere... One last important point. Any real progressive movement would have to be totally non-partisan, and should be especially wary of any part of the Democratic party establishment trying to co-opt it. That's one of the reasons the progressive movement right now is stunted.
Please take a few minutes to watch this video...