the people paying attention to the news constantly and using that to actually makw change are not watching a constant stream of it from their phone…they’re coordinating in groups to affect the most effecient change for their time/sphere of influence (first step generally being to secure the local government, the majority in the US are captured by local business/real estate baron interests)
if your sphere of influence just comprises your immediate family and friends, it does you no good to occupy your mind with the suffering of those halfway across the world (unless you think their suffering is tied to an easily solvable problem you have the answer to). doing so just robs you of energy/agency to affect change where you can have the most impact.
there’s saying i don’t remember where it’s from…
before you fix the world you have to fix your country, before you fix your country you have to fix your community, before you fix your community you have to fix your neighborhood, before you fix your neighborhood you have to fix your family, before you fix your family you have to fix yourself.
Organizing works necessitates being up to date with the latest political developments and with Trump that means you gotta have people on the pulse constantly. There’s an aspect of guarding your mental but not to the point of hindering your understanding of things.
All organizing must start local correct. There is no top down solution for this it must be bottom up by the power of the average person, the worker. But I disagree with this framing where you can’t care about people half a world away. Their struggle is our struggle. It is one in the same. And while maybe my direct actions can’t change things my actions sure as hell can help raise awareness or build a movement that can change things.
My dad loves to use that line to excuse him playing golf 6 days a week instead of doing anything to help people beyond some donations. I’m not saying he can’t golf but maybe one or two of those days could be spent doing organizing and activism work.
This line of thinking is more pablum to keep yourself docile and subservient to the powers that be. Emancipation from the oppression of capital is a global fight that requires us to always keep the international struggle in the back of our mind.
the people paying attention to the news constantly and using that to actually makw change are not watching a constant stream of it from their phone…they’re coordinating in groups to affect the most effecient change for their time/sphere of influence (first step generally being to secure the local government, the majority in the US are captured by local business/real estate baron interests)
if your sphere of influence just comprises your immediate family and friends, it does you no good to occupy your mind with the suffering of those halfway across the world (unless you think their suffering is tied to an easily solvable problem you have the answer to). doing so just robs you of energy/agency to affect change where you can have the most impact.
there’s saying i don’t remember where it’s from… before you fix the world you have to fix your country, before you fix your country you have to fix your community, before you fix your community you have to fix your neighborhood, before you fix your neighborhood you have to fix your family, before you fix your family you have to fix yourself.
Organizing works necessitates being up to date with the latest political developments and with Trump that means you gotta have people on the pulse constantly. There’s an aspect of guarding your mental but not to the point of hindering your understanding of things.
All organizing must start local correct. There is no top down solution for this it must be bottom up by the power of the average person, the worker. But I disagree with this framing where you can’t care about people half a world away. Their struggle is our struggle. It is one in the same. And while maybe my direct actions can’t change things my actions sure as hell can help raise awareness or build a movement that can change things.
My dad loves to use that line to excuse him playing golf 6 days a week instead of doing anything to help people beyond some donations. I’m not saying he can’t golf but maybe one or two of those days could be spent doing organizing and activism work.
This line of thinking is more pablum to keep yourself docile and subservient to the powers that be. Emancipation from the oppression of capital is a global fight that requires us to always keep the international struggle in the back of our mind.