There must be a goal beyond making ourselves feel like we did something, especially when we didn’t.
While it may be comforting to know that there are others in some kind of alignment with me, I take no comfort in standing on the sidewalk while a portion of the drivers honk in support, another portion jeer, and most ignore the event and forget about it as soon as they are a few blocks down the street. We did not accomplish anything of substance today. I’m feeling cynical which is unusual for me.
To suggest that the action today activated any new people into the resistance movement, while perhaps technically true, is folly as the number of new converts is likely remarkably low. The actions of the presidential administration are what is activating people. Directing that energy into standing on the side of the road is a waste in my opinion.
A protest action needs a demand that can be fulfilled. If stopping the harm with legislative power is the goal, the target of our action should be Republicans who might stand up to the Executive Branch. If stopping the harm with judicial power is the goal, the target of our action should be conservative judges, especially on the Supreme Court who might have some loyalty to the United States Constitution. If stopping the harm by getting in the way of business as usual is the goal, the target of our action should be those practicing business as usual (blocking the road, shutting down offices). This protest had no demand and it had no target to change. That’s why they were allowed with no crackdown.
The Democrats will not save us and they never were the target of change with this protest. Our time to appeal to Democratic legislators has passed. They have shown themselves unwilling to stop this. They have shown themselves unwilling to take a position that would offer the majority of Americans a choice of how we can survive the future (that chance passed when they tanked the Bernie Sanders campaign in 2015). Frankly, they had that chance in 2008 during the financial crisis and in the early 1990s, but instead chose to embrace a neoliberal order, controlled by the richest 10% of the population. It has worked for them as a way to stay partially in power, but that way is coming to an end. They couldn’t beat them at their own game.
Remarkably, we had a chance to reform society again with the COVID pandemic. There were calls for us not to go back to the old systems that preceded the pandemic, but these calls were ignored. This led to a call to return to what we had before, but we can’t go back to what we had before! Culture had been irrevocably changed and we were not prepared to confront it. We are making the same mistake now (or continuing the mistake, if you will). The parties who have a forward vision are winning the day, even if their vision is actually insane.
I spoke with and read comments from several people who expressed the good feeling of getting out together, the good feeling of being part of what may have been the largest mass protest in world history. I hope that my unusual cynicism (normally I have a positive attitude about our chances) is met with actual organizing of resistance that can actually stop this administration. I look forward to my cynicism being proven unfounded.
What we do once we (or as we) stop this insanity is crucial. We can’t go back to the neoliberal order. We must imagine something more or those with a limited and fearful imagination will win the day…again.
Solomon Everta 