This is how we system, through our being, in each moment. I love this manifesto Mike. It is how we see and feel our agency, as embodied, and that we can continue to be the non-authoritarian world for ourselves and others. I love that you bring joy into this. The relational space of who can we be for each other is within our ambit, as authoritarian power dismisses it as soft and powerless. But it is the actual space of resistance as it weaves us together. We make the revolution irresistible.
I keep mentioning empathy because it’s the key to all of this. The forces of autocracy have blinded themselves to empathy, or lack it in the first place. They crave power and wealth as a substitute for it. They think we are weak when it is THEY who are fundamentally broken. They lack the courage of conscience, to say “no” when they are about to cross an unwritten social law. Those laws and ethics bind us together. Without it, we are alone and must buy adoration and glory to substitute for LOVE. Great piece, I’m so grateful to find these.
There are lies and there is self-deception. Maybe admitting to some of the awkward truths that the American Administration is a symptom of, especially to do with the decay of urban life and drugs and poverty that are possibly more obvious to people abroad, rather than trying to allocate all the blame on one camp, would be a good way to go too.
This reminds me of Ionesco and his play The Rhinoceros. To quote him-
“I first thought of the rhinoceros image during the war (World War II), as I watched Romanian statesmen and politicians and later French intellectuals accommodate themselves to Hitler’s way of thinking. They might say something like, ‘Well, of course the Nazis are terrible, terrible people, but you know, you must credit them with their good points.’
And you wanted to say to them: ‘But don’t you see, if you start granting them a good point here, a good point there, eventually you will concede everything to them.’ Which is exactly what happened.
But they looked upon you as an alarmist, then a nuisance, finally an enemy to be run down. They looked like they wanted to lower their heads and charge.”
I have a red state friend that writes romance novels in a very specific genre, contemporary stories of small town girls and cowboys. She makes a VERY good living, and her audience includes lots of rural red state women.
I have followed her socials for years and they are always discussion of things like food and vacation spots, she has never posted anything serious or political.
Until yesterday.
She posted her thoughts about what is happening to our country, to a decidedly mixed reaction, a decision that has the potential to cost her a large amount of money.
But she felt she had to do it, and I applauded her courage.
Bravo! “Take a stand and do the right thing,” backed by salient examples, is a powerful antidote to the psychopathic capture of our public sphere.
That said, the statement “This is why asking ‘what should we do?’ misses the point entirely.” risks overlooking those who hear their inner voice but feel scared or uncertain. I hope you feel both humbled and honored that people look to you for guidance. For those who have lost their way, a guiding light holds more power than a wagging finger.
This is how we system, through our being, in each moment. I love this manifesto Mike. It is how we see and feel our agency, as embodied, and that we can continue to be the non-authoritarian world for ourselves and others. I love that you bring joy into this. The relational space of who can we be for each other is within our ambit, as authoritarian power dismisses it as soft and powerless. But it is the actual space of resistance as it weaves us together. We make the revolution irresistible.
Mike, I believe this was your best piece thus far - and that is saying a lot as the others are excellent!
I keep mentioning empathy because it’s the key to all of this. The forces of autocracy have blinded themselves to empathy, or lack it in the first place. They crave power and wealth as a substitute for it. They think we are weak when it is THEY who are fundamentally broken. They lack the courage of conscience, to say “no” when they are about to cross an unwritten social law. Those laws and ethics bind us together. Without it, we are alone and must buy adoration and glory to substitute for LOVE. Great piece, I’m so grateful to find these.
Nice work Mike:) I use the phrase 'Democracy is an attitude not an act'
Character matters. Feed the darkness, or feed the light. Building character is a choice.
There are lies and there is self-deception. Maybe admitting to some of the awkward truths that the American Administration is a symptom of, especially to do with the decay of urban life and drugs and poverty that are possibly more obvious to people abroad, rather than trying to allocate all the blame on one camp, would be a good way to go too.
banger
This reminds me of Ionesco and his play The Rhinoceros. To quote him-
“I first thought of the rhinoceros image during the war (World War II), as I watched Romanian statesmen and politicians and later French intellectuals accommodate themselves to Hitler’s way of thinking. They might say something like, ‘Well, of course the Nazis are terrible, terrible people, but you know, you must credit them with their good points.’
And you wanted to say to them: ‘But don’t you see, if you start granting them a good point here, a good point there, eventually you will concede everything to them.’ Which is exactly what happened.
But they looked upon you as an alarmist, then a nuisance, finally an enemy to be run down. They looked like they wanted to lower their heads and charge.”
I don't think we can have a rational society as long as the average IQ is below 105.
I have a red state friend that writes romance novels in a very specific genre, contemporary stories of small town girls and cowboys. She makes a VERY good living, and her audience includes lots of rural red state women.
I have followed her socials for years and they are always discussion of things like food and vacation spots, she has never posted anything serious or political.
Until yesterday.
She posted her thoughts about what is happening to our country, to a decidedly mixed reaction, a decision that has the potential to cost her a large amount of money.
But she felt she had to do it, and I applauded her courage.
Bravo! “Take a stand and do the right thing,” backed by salient examples, is a powerful antidote to the psychopathic capture of our public sphere.
That said, the statement “This is why asking ‘what should we do?’ misses the point entirely.” risks overlooking those who hear their inner voice but feel scared or uncertain. I hope you feel both humbled and honored that people look to you for guidance. For those who have lost their way, a guiding light holds more power than a wagging finger.
The collective difference that can be made is through individually engaging with these everyday "moments of truth". That is our power.
Well said.
Thank you, Mike. This is beautiful work.
Really needed this reminder, THANK YOU!