"A year ago, the FCC had sold out. Now it’s pushing real net neutrality. What happened in between proves that people power works." Zephyr Teachout & Donny Shaw
What did it take for the people's voices to overpower the forces of lobbyists representing mega corporations like Comcast, Verizon, AT&T? The Wireless Association spent $75 million dollars last year.
Zephyr Teachout and Donny Shaw's analysis of this achievement (we'll see if and how long it holds) is worth careful reading for essential clues, nearly a roadmap, about how to mobilize an "explosion" of people's power to get results. HHow the Little Guys Beat the Monopolists on Net Neutrality
It's a great story in and of itself though I was reading with a question about what there was that could be replicated in other contexts--in our struggles for equity in education, access to health care, a home and livelihood and not destroying our planet, some differences crossed my mind. I considered some possible differences with net neutrality as a more discrete issue around which different groups united, each bringing their own skills. Perhaps it was harder for the other side to figure out propaganda to raise fears and blur reality. Perhaps it is a different story when you are influencing the FCC rather than Congress.
Yet, I saw parallels for application in every step. For example, they aligned their efforts with their goal and their expertise. They stayed true to their cause in their tactics.
The tactics of the net neutrality organizers mimicked the Internet that they believe in. It turns out, as disaffected as Americans are supposed to be, they respond to organizing that gives them real power.
In education, while we still search for one unified rallying cry, we can take what we know about reaching people's thinking and understanding to engage,organize and mobilize. Rather than hammering home our arguments to people who either won't listen anyway or already agree, we can think about our most effective pedagogical moves---building community, relationships, connecting to background knowledge, discovery and inquiry.....
While each of our causes may have a unique storyline to follow, I think we could all benefit from figuring out these steps in our contexts.
They were as creative as they were committed
They targeted the decentralized power at strategic centers of power.
Different groups brought different tactics.
While the power of identifying the steps and strategies is significant, there is a human element through every point in this story.
The organizers who led the fight employed a basic but rarely used strategy: fighting for what they believed was important without pre-compromising to comply with what Washington thought was politically possible.
A "fierce moral vision," core beliefs, a dream, gave ongoing life and inspiration to those involved at every level. Maybe we
can overcome the forces of profit over life. I believe this story gives reason to hope.