WHAT MUST BE DONE?

"Political and economic strikes, mass strikes and partial strikes, demonstrative strikes and fighting strikes, general strikes of individual branches of industry and general strikes in individual towns, peaceful wage struggles and street massacres, barricade fighting–all these run through one another, run side by side, cross one another, flow in and over one another–it is a ceaselessly moving, changing sea of phenomena."
~ Rosa Luxemburg, The Mass Strke, Chapter 4.

I want to direct you over to the Saker for an article on the Evolution of Evil. Here are a few snips:

The biggest challenge for dissidents and rebels is to avoid feel-good therapeutic activism having virtually no chance of removing evil and tyranny. Idealism without practicality tactics without lofty goals, and symbolic protests pose no threat to power elites. Anger and outrage require great strategic thinking from leaders seeking revolution, not mere change. And social entrepreneurs that use business and management skills to tackle genuine social problems do nothing to achieve political reforms. To the extent they achieve results they end up removing interest in overthrowing political establishments that have allowed the problems to fester.

What is the new tool of tyranny? Technological connectivity achieved through advanced communications and computer systems, especially the rise of wireless connectivity. The global message to the masses is simple: Buy electronic products to stay plugged in. Connectivity may give pleasure, but it gives even more power to elites, rulers and plutocrats. It allows them to coordinate their efforts through invisible cabals, to closely monitor everything that ordinary people and dissidents do, and to cooperatively and clandestinely adjust social, financial and political systems to maintain stability and dominance.

In this dystopian world all systems are integrated to serve upper class elites and the corporate state, not ordinary people. When ordinary people spend their money to be more shackled to connectivity products, they become unwitting victims of largely invisible governmental and corporate oppressive forces. They are oblivious that their technological seduction exacerbates their political and economic exploitation. Though some 70 percent believe the country is on the wrong track, they fail to see the deeper causes of the trend. And if Americans were really happy and content with their consumer culture, then why are they stuffing themselves with so many antidepressants, sleeping pills and totally unhealthy foods? In truth, the vast majority of people are in denial about the rotten system they are trapped in (aka The Matrix). They are manipulated to keep hope alive through voting, despite the inability of past elections to stop the slide into economic serfdom.

What to do? Economic rebellion in the form of "[s]uspensions in discretionary consumer spending used as a political weapon could force reforms." Stop lending credibility to The System by "boycotting elections." Finally, "seek forms of direct democracy that give [ ] political power."

Read the rest at the Saker's place.

Speaking of economic rebellion, let me quote something from last September on Cryptogon:

I can’t think of a time in history when the individual insurgent has had such an incredible asymmetric advantage over his opponent. Hierarchical dominator systems—now enjoying primacy on a global scale—exist atop a delicate grid of undefended energy and information infrastructures. With just a bit of intelligent planning, today’s insurgent can turn a small improvised explosive into a weapon of mass profit destruction. Killing soldiers and cops is a waste of time and energy. Killing profits does far more damage to the enemy than killing any number of troops.

Different societies and opponents, however, lend themselves to different forms of asymmetric warfare.

In America (and wealthier parts of the “West” in general), people don’t have to blow up a natural gas pipeline and shut down a factory or cut enough fiber to crash the NYSE and the NASDAQ market systems for a few minutes, hours or days. Voluntary simplicity, or, living well on very little money, kicks evil people in the nuts and gouges out their eyes. (Pacifists may think of this as sending the enemy Joy and Happiness if they desire.) Doing this in the U.S. has a force multiplier effect because the U.S. is the largest source of the funds that keep the global ponzi scheme running. When people in wealthy countries opt out, the action causes major economic damage to the machine.

A mass strike would easily work in conjunction with economic rebellion and a boycott of elections, particularly as a complement to economic rebellion. For more on mass strikes, see the work by the same name, written by Rosa Luxemburg.

This is the type of coordinated strategy is needed for both Turkish-occupied Kurdistan and the Diaspora.