Where Political Mourning Ends, Real Struggle Begins
“Not Me. Us.” is no longer a campaign slogan. It is a call to courageous solidarity in the great fight for human and ecological survival.
The following story is published for Rust Belt Revolution. Please join the ground zero struggle for human survival and stop the fascist slide into ecocide.
In moments of electoral defeat, political activists of moral substance can easily find themselves mourning a personal loss. Months or even years of hard work, cash, sweat, and blood is blinked out of existence. Policy goals to save humanity are left to whither. Our bodies are freeze-dried into prepackaged commodities, which are then bought and sold by media pundits. Condemned to the dark void of the fringes, most people believe their only salvation is to crawl toward the benevolent light of the ruling class. Oligarchs adorned in silk only ask for one thing in return, that we turn a blind eye to ecological collapse and a few human rights violations.
“Don’t worry,” they whisper, “it will hurt so good.”
All around us, friends and allies are lured away by the intoxicating splendors of power inside the mainstream parties. The activists who stand their ground are forever branded as villains by the same class traitors we once trusted with truth. Our numbers reduced and powerless to the great dominance of wealth, we are forced to bear witness as the principles we fight for are tied to a rusted execution pole and shot to death.
What if I told you there is another way?
The truth is, the ruling class derives its power from the people. Through emotional manipulation, political bootlickers coerce us into believing they are humanity’s saviors. For all of their engineered language over the airwaves and social channels, the fact remains, these venial charlatans have proven themselves inept at ensuring the public’s health and welfare. The working class must find the courage to reach across the fictitious partisan divide, build democratic solidarity, and reclaim power for the people. When that happens, there is simply no limit to the possibilities in which we can improve our communities. Accomplishing this goal requires issues-based political activism.
In the world of activist politics, there are two general categories: electoral politics and issues politics.
In a pop-culture nutshell, electoral politics is the mechanism for citizens to throw money at candidates in hope the quality of their lives is improved. There’s also a desire to receive superficial love projected from politicians and other like-minded followers. Electoral activism is really about donating, spreading a candidate’s message, or otherwise paying a fare to be part of a movement represented in local media or CNN.
Issues politics, however, is the grunt work that actually forces the political class in any party to take action on the nuts and bolts issues people require to sustain life. In this landscape, there are few, if any celebrity pundits or politicians. There are no rallies with live music and balloons. There are no selfie lines or t-shirt stands or applause to fill the existential loneliness that haunts us between unhealthy meals. Issues activists gain fulfillment through small victories that benefit others. The best part is, class traitors are not usually attracted to such work, therefore, we gain a true sense of loyal solidarity among fellow activists and the people we serve.
Divorced from the fictional narratives broadcast on MSNBC and Fox, issues activists choose not to line up behind fracking supporters, rapists, or Social Security cutters. Instead, we use our minds and our bodies to prevent their greedy hands from damaging our communities.
In the service of worthy causes there are many kinds of issues activists. Media activists research information, interview people, and write words (like these words) to raise public consciousness. Some people have busy careers and families, so they share some of the fruits of their labor via financial activism. When matters grow dire, revolutionary activists lock arms in protest, and when the need arises, these courageous souls throw their bodies onto the gears of the machines to save human life. Most of the time, however, activists walk miles in freezing rain or under the sweltering sun, just to knock on doors and gather information on clipboards.
Generally speaking, issues activists operate on shoestring budgets because we’re not broadcast on CNN, nor are we offered contracts for reality TV shows. The work isn’t sexy, but it is paramount in the fight against the ruling class. While the brunch crowd is happy to discuss homelessness between mimosas, shake their heads at global warming, or weep about illiteracy — actual sacrifices of a few dollars or their time to solve these issues is simply a bridge too far. That’s why issues activists, who are willing to take on the work to pursue democracy, are always in high demand.
The issues are what really matter. Therefore, our attention must be focused on building solidarity, growing coalitions of people power, and then forcing the political class to take the necessary steps to save lives.
So, the next time some unfortunate scab shames you for not voting the way they prefer, tell them you’re an issues-based political activist. When they stare at you in confusion or snap back online, remind them you’re doing the work to literally save what’s left of their miserable lives.
Note to Readers: The Greater Pittsburgh area is ground zero in the nationwide struggle to stop the fascist slide into ecocide. Rust Belt Revolution is a grassroots platform to take on the long fight for environmental, labor, and civil justice. We must raise public consciousness to end fracking and usher in the American renaissance of union manufacturing under the Green New Deal. Your support is required.
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Solidarity forever!
