(Why) The Resistance is Losing

[G_j]

Last edited Fri Jul 7, 2017, 08:12 AM - Edit history (2)

a little pessimism with your coffee?

https://medium.com/bad-words/why-the-resistance-is-losing-9a8f24f84a82

The Muslim ban is in effect. The info shock-troops are attacking journalists daily. There are open calls for violence from major national institutions like the NRA. Hate crimes are spiking.

Sorry. But: the resistance is losing. And it is losing badly.
Forgive me. This is going to be a brutal little essay. And it needs a disclaimer. As a brown person, it’s easy for me to be accused of being the enemy. Somehow, we always are. So let’s be clear. I don’t want authoritarianism to win.

And yet it is. How come? Because resistance isn’t nearly enough to defeat authoritarianism. A resistance is not an opposition. What’s the difference? Everything.
Let me give you a small parable.

Today I read a tweet from Jon Favreau. I think he was Obama’s former speechwriter or adviser, at any rate he’s a powerful Democrat. He said (to paraphrase): “the right wing is buying up the media! This is bad guys!”. Sure, it is. Now how are we to “resist” that? We can’t. We can only oppose it — with real policies. Media is a natural monopoly. Natural monopolies tend to be run by cutthroat capitalists. Have you ever heard of a left-wing media acquisition spree? Neither have I. Because of these simple economics, every other rich country in the world has two things. One, strong media antitrust laws. Two, strong public media, like the BBC or CBC. Without those, media naturally, inevitably, inescapably becomes monopoly, and monopoly soon enough becomes the institutional support authoritarians need to rise.

..more..

[wasupaloopa]

1. No it is not losing.

Your list of evil things are all but one not government related.

The ban is not good but I visited Canada this week and Muslims are living free and prospering.

We will be going through a period where other nations take our place as the leader of the free world.

In a way that is good. Instead of us influencing them the pattern will be reversed. And they have a lot to offer us.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. +1 . . . nt

[Trust Buster]

2. Complaining is easy. What solutions can you offer us ?

[NCTraveler]

3. Ownership.

From land owners to corporate entities. The resistance is funding marches and pretty websites. Important but not going to slay the beast. I am a bit optimistic when it comes to indivisible being on the ground organizing things at the county level. It has been a missing piece for us for a long time.

[mythology]

4. A rather silly and defeatist attitude from the author

He confuses being unaware of things for those things not existing. Democrats do present larger ideas, but because they don't go far enough for him, he disregards them.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. +1. . . nt

[Vinca]

5. The most important point is that Sinclair is buying up local media outlets.

They send scripted text to local stations and the stations must run it or read it no matter how batshit it is. Most people view their local television station as being more honest than the national news so if the bubbly blond and her handsome co-host start spewing BS, they might be believed.

[DAMANgoldberg]

13. Here is a primer on Sinclair

They are about to purchase NBC Charlotte WCNC 36 in my city. They're in 3rd place now, could be 5th when all is said and done.

[dmosh42]

8. I believe in time the "resistance" will win out. Our problem is we don't have...

the high percentage of educated voters, plus many are one-issue voters. So,
as a result they are reactive. They found out their dumb vote put some crook
in office, and now they realize what happened and have to wait to vote him out. Too many dumb fucks!

[cwydro]

9. What resistance?

The one that turns magazine covers backwards in grocery stores?

The one that is afraid to have liberal bumper stickers on their car?

What resistance?

My parents lived through WW2. People had courage then.

[Dream Girl]

11. And what are you doing? Just curious.

[ck4829]

12. Help create the resistance if you believe it's not sufficient

Join the Palladium group for example.

[PDittie]

10. In before the Alert/Hide/Lock

[Initech]

14. We have one thing that will always be on our side: the first amendment.

They can silence and bully us all they want, but they forget that the first amendment guarantees a fundamental right to free speech, and freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. Trump and his goons can try to intimidate journalists all they want, but they'll lose that fight every single time.

[Downtown Hound]

15. Resistance to powerful, oppressive forces often lose the battles

but just as often, in the long run, they do eventually win the war.

[Demsrule86]

16. No it is not losing...The courts

will do as they will do which is why people like me warned repeatedly abut this being a must win election...and guess what when Trump ET AL is gone ...Gorsuch will still be there.

[lapislzi]

17. You "think" Favreau is a former speechwriter for Pres. Obama?

You couldn't be bothered to look it up? Guess what. I can't be bothered to read your lazy writing. Get a real job and stop whining. Better yet, get your ass in the streets with the rest of us who are actually trying to get stuff done.

[Blue_Tires]

18. Just navel-gazing pie in the sky nonsense

like most pieces on Medium...

Like most hot take merchants he has grand proposals, but they are generally vague and he offers no details on how to specifically make them a reality, aside from the Democratic Party waving a magic wand...

Nice of him to play up Bernie Sanders as some kind of silenced, marginalized victim when he's on TV every other night and the party has repeatedly bent over backwards to kiss the asses of Bernie and his top people...