Required reading today, available free online: Gene Sharp’s From Dictatorship To Democracy, courtesy of the Albert Einstein Institute. Here, Sharp explains why we must say, as loud as we can, with a single voice that Donald Trump is not my president.
In the book, start with the Monkey Master fable, which can be seen as a metaphor for how to topple a dictatorship.
In the feudal state of Chu an old man survived by keeping monkeys in his service. The people of Chu called him “ju gong” (monkey master). Each morning, the old man would assemble the monkeys in his courtyard, and order the eldest one to lead the others to the mountains to gather fruits from bushes and trees. It was the rule that each monkey had to give one-tenth of his collection to the old man. Those who failed to do so would be ruthlessly flogged. All the monkeys suffered bitterly, but dared not complain. One day, a small monkey asked the other monkeys: “Did the old man plant all the fruit trees and bushes?” The others said: “No, they grew naturally.” The small monkey further asked: “Can’t we take the fruits without the old man’s permission?” The others replied: “Yes, we all can.” The small monkey continued: “Then, why should we depend on the old man; why must we all serve him?” Before the small monkey was able to finish his statement, all the monkeys suddenly became enlightened and awakened. On the same night, watching that the old man had fallen asleep, the monkeys tore down all the barricades of the stockade in which they were confined, and destroyed the stockade entirely. They also took the fruits the old man had in storage, brought all with them to the woods, and never returned. The old man finally died of starvation. Yu-li-zi says, “Some men in the world rule their people by tricks and not by righteous principles. Aren’t they just like the monkey master? They are not aware of their muddle-headedness. As soon as their people become enlightened, their tricks no longer work.”All governments operate at least in part from consent and cooperation of the governed. Without at least some people willingly following orders, enforcing rules, and so on, the government cannot stand. When government turns bad, and becomes exploitative and repressive against the people they govern, they still require cooperation from those being repressed. At least some of them.
That’s Gene Sharp’s point, and it’s how dictatorships in places from East Germany to Burma have fallen. Enough people got fed up, refused to cooperate with a repressive regime, engaged in various methods of strategic resistance, and those regimes either collapsed under their own weight, or were forced to back off on their repression.
So our first words, and words that must be repeated over and over and over must be ”NOT MY PRESIDENT”. I’m not his fucking monkey. I refuse to recognize this piece of shit as having any authority. I will not cooperate with his proctocracy.
As we’ve all learned earlier this November, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Just this morning, our new ignoramus in chief’s newest incoherent howl:
xNobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016Yep. Showing a real understanding of the Constitution and the First Amendment there. The thing that pisses me off the most is knowing that I have to see that piece of shit’s face on the TV for four more fucking years.
Mitch McConnell started a policy of non-cooperation and obstruction to President Obama’s administration from his first day in office.
So we must begin the same way. With an absolute pledge of non-cooperation and resistance to Donald Trump’s attempt to turn America into his pet dictatorship. Without the cooperation of the nation, he has no power. All he’d have left are his tweets. And I’ll bet that scares him to death right now.
Gene Sharp published a list of 198 methods of non-violent action. Might want to look at the list, it might provide some inspiration:
198 Methods of Nonviolent Action
There’s a start.
Remember the mottos: Not My President, and I’m Not Your Monkey!