Day
X is here…
This
blog will post just before Julian Assange goes before the
court in London for his extradition hearing on February 20-21. To
keep up with the latest news on him, please tune in to the Indie News
Network for
updates: https://www.indiemediatoday.com/
An
update on the Ceasefire in Gaza resolution that Toledo City Council
has dragged its feet on for
the past several months:
It has finally passed! It passed “unanimously”
(or at least the council members who were actually there all voted
for it). This
is a huge relief to all the
people who
have put so much time and energy into seeing it pass.
It’s
probably no coincidence the resolution's
passage happened after
Biden’s poll numbers took a huge dive because he couldn’t give the correct names of the presidents of Egypt and Mexico. The
Democrats
on council might have felt now was the time to
divert
away from their party’s stance on refusing to acknowledge that a genocide in
Gaza is actually happening and that a ceasefire is necessary. Rest assured, politicians don’t do things out
of the goodness of their hearts without first checking in with local
party
leaders for their okay to vote yes. But
a win is still a win, and it was well-deserved. Power to the People!
Now onto this week's topic.
Bullets v.
Ballots or...?
by C.A. Matthews
After
the third online discussion on pretty much the same topic within a
week, you start to notice a pattern: Folks are fed up.
The
revolution isn’t happening quickly enough or at all. The same
corrupt puppet-politicians are still in power. The workers are being
oppressed
by capitalist bosses who don’t give a damn about the harm they
inflict upon their employees or the earth itself. Endless war is
waged to line the pockets of Big Oil and MIC CEOs. Genocide is openly
practiced and applauded by sycophantic politicos and celebrities
alike. A human life is only
worth
whatever a billionaire says it is.
 |
Gaza today
|
Get
the picture?
What
are we to do about it? There are two major schools of thought on this
topic that can be summarized as follows: The revolution will come
about through either 1) bullets or 2) ballots.
That’s
it. It comes down to fighting our way out of this oppressive,
corrupt system by using good ol’ fashioned firepower, that is, guns
and ammo, or by using the power of the vote or ballot box.
Tempers
have been strained these past four months watching innocent children
and civilians being slaughtered in Gaza. Palestinian homes and
refugees have been pulverized. Most Americans are heartsick and
angry, totally at a lost as to how to stop the killing. If there’s
anything positive to come from this horrendous loss of life, it’s that
most Westerners don’t
see
their governments as the “good guys” any longer.
Eyes
have been opened. They don’t like what they see. Those
brainwashed into thinking they live in a “democracy” now know
better. “Freedom
and democracy” cannot
be created
though military strikes and conquests. Military excursions are just
that—a use of deadly force to take what another country or people
possess. If
you want the land itself, you bomb the inhabitants into rubble or
push them into someone else’s
backyard. (In Gaza’s case, this means Egypt.)
“Freedom and democracy” are imaginary constructs used to manipulate
Westerners into cooperating with their imaginary democratically
elected governments. The so-called “major parties” in any Western
country are about as genuine as a $3 bill. The partisans work for the
same bosses everywhere, the billionaires (oligarchs), and not for
their lowly constituents.
Sure,
on occasion our elected officials
might
throw us a bone to get us off their backs. This happened
this past week when the Toledo City Council finally passed a
Ceasefire in Gaza resolution after three months of tortuous protests,
intense email and phone call campaigns, and painful public statements made
by individuals who have lost family members in the genocide. Not
passing the ceasefire resolution could have very well spelled an end
to
the
council
members’
political careers at this point. Pro-Palestine
protests have
exposed
politicians
for
the sociopaths they are,
breaking the illusion of “freedom and democracy” and “justice
for all” Americans
supposedly enjoy.
We
the People are “free” to live in the falsehood of
a “democracy”
that allows 60,000 Americans to die each year due
to lack of
health care. Westerners are “free” to live in a “democracy”
that ethnically cleanses a whole population in order to steal their
oil and land resources while
allowing white settler colonialism to flourish. Or we are free to rise up and
take out the puppet-politicians and
the billionaires by use of force.
A
lot of folks online think that force or
the
“bullet” is the only effective solution to bring about
revolution. Obviously, the
ballot has failed us—just look at the example of Toledo City
Council.
But I’m not convinced the bullet is anymore effective than the
ballot. Consider
this:
Western governments have bombs and nuclear weapons and large
organized
military forces called “Armies”. We the ordinary people have
nothing close to approximating their firepower, and we
never
will.
A
bunch of angry citizens running around with shotguns and pistols will
not be able to take out a professional military force using the
latest in weaponry and tactics. Sorry, but
it won’t work. We
can’t do it because we
will not lay aside
our differences
with our
fellow citizens in order to organize and train sufficiently to be
able to take on a
professional
army. Governments have endless bombs to
drop on any uprising that occurs. Plus, they have friendly fellow
governments to
help
out when
they
need it. Just look at how readily
the
US helps Israel in conducting its genocide against the
Palestinians.
Sorry
for the cold
splash of water in
the face,
revolutionaries. In the bullet v. the ballot argument, we
are not organized enough, and we are not on the same footing
weapons-wise as
the corrupt government we wish to do away with. But the ballot? It
has problems, too. We just have to look at our elected officials and
see how they do as their wealthy donors tell them to do. Billionaires
rule.
Neither
the bullet nor the ballot alone are able to bring about the
revolution we seek. Could combining them be effective? Possibly if
the government we wish to overthrow doesn’t have a professional
military.
We’re screwed if it does. Violence
is never the answer.
The
“major parties” only
nominate candidates they’re assured will do
the bidding of their
billionaire donors.
Voting
under
these circumstances
isn’t the answer. It’s time to add another “B” to the bullet/ballot scenario of
revolution: Brains.
We
the People may be poor and lacking firepower, but we’re not stupid. Our
corrupt governments run by puppets of the wealthy assume we’re
mentally deficient because we’ve allowed their
corrupt politicians to take power. But what the billionaires and their
puppets don’t realize is how frustrated ordinary
folks
have
become. They don’t seem
to realize
that desperate people are not afraid to try new tactics and learn
new skills in order to survive and thrive.
Using
our brains, we can bring about the revolution we desire.
The
BDS Movement (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) is one example of using
brains and not bullets or ballots to make a point. We pressure the
real power behind the politicians—the corporations—to stop doing
business with people and
countries we
don’t like and want to see go away. McDonald’s has
experienced huge losses because of the boycott of their restaurants worldwide
by
those who support the Palestinian cause.
We
could kill off the military-industrial-Congressional-complex this way
if we really worked hard at it. McDonald’s and other corporations
stop doing business with Israel and wham!
Israel is too broke to keep buying armaments from Western nations.
The Israeli
government is weakened and overthrown by those who want to end the
genocide and bring about a true democracy in that part of the world.
Along
with the BDS, the power of the strike could be wielded as a weapon
of brains. Workers organized and striking could bring down major
corporations and industries that have harmed our planet with their
endless wars for oil and their insistence on building nuclear
weapons. A
nationwide General
Strike or, even better, a Global General Strike is the power of the
people on steroids. We’re
talking millions
or billions
or human beings striking against corrupt governments everywhere
on the globe at once. Yes,
there is the risk of bullets—mostly coming from the weakened
corporations-governments who
want to terrify the workers back into the factories—but
possibly if we’re organized enough to run a Global General Strike
effectively, we can effectively organize militia units to protect our
fellow workers on the picket lines.
Brains
and ballots can
be used
effectively together when we organize ourselves to support
candidates
and issues that
take out the
corrupt
government. One recent example in
the US is the “Abandon Biden” movement. Arab Americans are not going to
reward Genocide Joe Biden with their votes, and they’re not making
any promises that they ever will support his party ever again. This
organized method of creating a massive voting bloc can wake up the
powers-that-be and prove to them that we’re not stupid.
We’re not cooperating with their evil intentions, and we’re not
afraid to deny them power.
If
a General Strike and the BDS tactics are added to this massive voting
bloc to
take out the “major parties” in the US,
then
We
the People could
become
stronger than any army in history. But we will need to be united on
whom we will support
in order
to prevent Biden or his evil twin Trump from taking power again. My
suggestion is to support a strong alternative party candidate who
will have wide ballot access and is clearly on the people’s side.
And there is one such individual who is currently rising in the polls
that fits this definition: Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. (The Green Party US does not accept money from corporations or PACs.)
I
know there are those who will still moan that the ballot box is
ineffective—especially in the US where rigged voting machines are
not unheard of—but give me a chance to explain this tactic further.
By voting in large numbers for Jill Stein, Americans
will be making a very strong message that we’ve
caught onto
the major
parties’ crooked
methods. We’re
not playing along with them and their billionaire donors any longer.
Throw in a General Strike or a series of wildcat strikes, BDS
tactics, teach-ins,
sit-ins, protests and other outpourings of anti-oligarchy sentiment,
and we will have seriously messed with the minds of the
powers-that-be. The
use
of our collective
brain
power will
cause confusion and panic in the ranks of the elites and their puppet-politicians.
Mistakes
will be made by
our oppressors that
We the People can take advantage of to our ultimate benefit. If the
government resorts to rigging the election, we can up our strikes, protests and other tactics to expose their treachery. That's what independent media and journalism is for, helping the people tell their side of things.
If the government resorts to violence, then we can return the same with a clear
conscience that we didn’t instigate it. We are only protecting
ourselves from tyranny. We are true patriots, and they are despots.
Who would blame us for standing up to evil?
What
have we got to lose by exposing the corrupt puppets and their
billionaire donors in such a fashion?
Propaganda is meant to keep the people in line. When we’re in
control of making the headlines through indie media, then the propaganda narrative of
Western governments will cease to exist and
so will they.
We
will become the story.
Bullets
v. Ballots doesn’t quite give us the credit we’re due. We the
People have brains, too. If we organize and use them wisely, the
future is ours.
Related Articles and Other Interesting LinksEgypt Builds Walled Enclosure on Border as Israeli Offensive Looms https://archive.is/yswSj#selection-2175.0-2175.66
Ignore What Western Officials Say About Israel; Watch Their Actions Instead https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/ignore-what-western-officials-say
Washington’s End Game for Ukraine is a New “Charlie Wilson’s War” https://joebrunoli.substack.com/p/washingtons-end-game-for-ukraine
John Pilger's 2002 documentary Palestine Is Still the Issue
https://youtu.be/P3kfb6SzTYE?si=vA6Q0gZTP7XL4mhf
Continuing To Support Israel At This Point Just Means You're A Garbage Human Being https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/continuing-to-support-israel-at-this
US Gives Israel Green Light to Kill Civilians in Rafah
https://scheerpost.com/2024/02/14/us-gives-israel-green-light-to-kill-civilians-in-rafah/
Frustrated by Netanyahu, Biden Is Under Pressure to Condemn Israeli Atrocities https://truthout.org/articles/frustrated-by-netanyahu-biden-is-under-pressure-to-condemn-israeli-atrocities/
South Africa lodges Urgent Complaint with Int’l Court of Justice over Israel’s Plan to Assault Rafah https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/complaint-justice-israels.html
Australian federal MPs, including PM Albanese, back vote calling on UK, US to free Julian Assange https://www.firstpost.com/world/australian-federal-mps-including-pm-albanese-back-vote-calling-on-uk-us-to-free-julian-assange-13727162.html
Dunning Kruger America https://julianmacfarlane.substack.com/p/dunning-kruger-america
Israel accidentally lied about data centre below UNRWA HQ https://normalislandnews.substack.com/p/israel-accidentally-lied-about-data
We Think This Dystopia Is Normal Like People In Abusive Relationships Think It's Normal https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/we-think-this-dystopia-is-normal
Crocodile Tears Over Navalny While Ignoring Assange https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/crocodile-tears-over-navalny-while
100 days and 75 years of Genocide https://www.facebook.com/17841401579080873/videos/1614754079330246/?mibextid=0VwfS7
ICJ Hearings to Examine 57 Years of Israeli Occupation of Palestine https://www.commondreams.org/news/israeli-occupation
We Can’t Watch Genocide and Do Nothing. Now Is the Time for Renewed BDS. https://truthout.org/articles/we-cant-watch-genocide-and-do-nothing-now-is-the-time-for-renewed-bds/
State Department Threatens Congress Over Censorship Programs https://www.racket.news/p/state-department-threatens-congress
How the US government began its decade-long campaign against the anti-pipeline movement https://grist.org/protest/keystone-pipeline-fbi-government-documents/
Why you need to stop criticising Putin’s “Special Military Operation”https://joebrunoli.substack.com/p/why-you-need-to-stop-criticising
75% of all journalists killed across the world in 2023 were killed in Israeli war on Gaza, says CPJ https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/02/16/75-of-all-journalists-killed-across-the-world-in-2023-were-killed-in-israeli-war-on-gaza-says-cpj/
Julian Assange’s Final Appeal https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/assanges-final-appeal
For Biden, ending Israel’s mass murder in Gaza is a ‘non-starter’ https://www.aaronmate.net/p/for-biden-ending-israels-mass-murder
200+ Unions Launch Network to Push for Gaza Cease-Fire https://www.commondreams.org/news/labor-unions-cease-fire
Local Papers Across the US Are Refusing to Cover the Movement for Ceasefire https://truthout.org/articles/local-papers-across-the-us-are-refusing-to-cover-the-movement-for-ceasefire/
You Only Need To Cage A Bird If It Knows That It Can Fly https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/you-only-need-to-cage-a-bird-if-it
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