We can and MUST counter the forces that threaten the future of our democracy.

[pat_k]

From Page Gardner

It’s a Mathematical Certainty: Short-Term Politics Cannot Defeat Long-Term Power
The fight for democracy will not be won in a single election cycle.

Democratic money is structurally optimized for campaigns, while Republican money is structurally optimized for infrastructure.

That imbalance has consequences far beyond a single election cycle, and points to the need for a longer-term Democratic strategy.

In my latest Substack, I outline five major forces coalescing to threaten the future of our democracy that must be addressed:

1️⃣ Reactions to America’s changing demographic and geographic makeup

2️⃣ Different investment strategies between the Right and progressives/Democrats

3️⃣ The Right’s strategic takeover of the courts

4️⃣ A 50-plus-year campaign to control state legislatures

5️⃣ Right-wing narrative dominance

The path forward requires long-term investment, real power building at the state level and a strategy that looks to 2032 and beyond.

Read more: https://open.substack.com/pub/pagegardner/p/its-a-mathematical-certainty-short

[The Grand Illuminist]

1. It will take necessary evil.

All peaceful messure have fail.

[pat_k]

2. Non-violent resistance is more effective

And more effective than non-violent resistance is serious investment in building power in local and state government. Including mounting a serious campaign to reclaim Governor and SOS offices.

We must all become "movers and shakers."

And we MUST change the mentality among progressives from all volunteer shoestring operations to truly valuing political engagement by establishing organizations that make us more effective and recruiting investors up front, just as with any other start up offering crucial services.

The way we operate currently is a formula for burnout and failure.


Back in 2004, my partner and I started an organization that provided support services for small advocacy groups. We designed and hosted websites, trained “citizen lobbyists” for meetings with members of Congress and staffers, and helped fledging netroots groups extend their reach. Back then, we had a vision for a new approach to political engagement, but unfortunately life got in the way. I still think we were onto something. More here: https://www.greatergoodusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/what_next.pdf

[The Grand Illuminist]

3. I don't think we'll ever get back to it.

Don't get me wrong, I am not even close to being pro-violent, but we are just about down to the last resort, and there is a growing movement that is coming to that conclusion. Late 20th century tactic have been well scouted by the enemy to the point of quelling the seriousness of the matters at hand. Many fights we had in the past 60 years that were polarized are now forgotten.

[pat_k]

4. We can never know what the future holds.

But we can do what is within our power to shape it.

I for one refuse to allow myself to fall into cynicism and hopelessness about our future. For me, that path leads to one place: immobility. If too many of us go down that route, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I could be wrong, but I choose to believe the level of chaos and insanity he has fomented is so extreme that we're reaching a sort of "breaking point." I think the 50-plus-year right-wingnut project (which has transferred more than 75 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1%) may be coming to an end, a victim of it's own success.

Imagine If This Moment Was Not About The Ascent of Authoritarians, But About A New Birth Of Global Freedom...
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221186840