Ambush on DC Diners should remind us the public listens to people based on how they campaign because it is a preview of the way they will govern.
If you want “systemic change” you can’t sell it via systemic authoritarianism so how about a 2-Month hiatus of white liberals yelling at white liberals?
We obviously have bigger issues to worry about than protesters yelling at people at a restaurant right? Well not so fast.
Trump and his movement are causing chaos but if we’re unable to stop it by electing a new president in November then things are going to get worse.
But national news coverage that depicts “social justice” activists hunting down people who don’t follow their allegiance-pledging games of “Simon Says” just feeds the narrative that the Left is running rampant and needs to be stopped. And when rioting late at night is combined with random street harrassment during dinner time it is a story builds momentum.
If you want to know why Trump still has the fuel to complain about protesters this is it. It is a problem nationwide — most notably in Seattle and Portland.
Will it change the minds of many voters?
And I describe them as VOTERS because you can insult and shame your fellow white people all you want but they get a ballot just the same as you and they will anonymously VOTE whichever way they choose when the time has come.
Considering that approximately 13% of Trump’s voters also supported Obama anything is possible. And in a key swing state like Wisconsin or North Carolina i think the answer is YES.
And it matters even in the DC bubble. Lots of activists are pushing for more progressive candidates for the single “Independent’ seat on the GOP-free city council in the November general election but do you think this is how you butter up fellow progressives to vote for the most Pro-BLM candidates that the protesters might want?
People don’t care about your policy proposals anymore when they feel the threat of authoritarianism. This is simply an example from the Left.
Keep in mind the lady being lectured during dinner said she has actually marched in BLM protests recently. You think she will ever want to associate with that crowd again?
Based on the way I personally have been treated and have seen other people treated by these kinds of “Cancel Culture” activists I would say that they’re the thing I least want to associate with as a Democratic Voter. And this is one of the only topics where I find common ground with more conservative commentators and so I assume it is a gateway drug for many people to switch sides.
And the problem with these activists is not only do they put a stain on their cause but they have somehow brainwashed much of the progressive movement to following their lead. They might not yell at anyone in public but they will shame and use racial insults against their “friends” on social media which leads to getting blocked or ignored.
I am still waiting for someone to prove that letting emotions take over a mob is a strategy that works. I don’t care what the cause is about….human psychology is what it is. This is like “Dale Carnegie 101” on how NOT to make friends and influence people.
But I think we all know what the most successful leaders have done to make change and need to stop apologizing for people who harm the movement. Check out “How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change” by Barack Obama for a more reasoned approach.
The response I have seen to these criticisims just reinforces the point. Someone posted about this story in the “Progressive Communicators of DC” google group and it exemplified why this problem is speading. The sender compared BLM to the Hitler Youth which was a bit over the top but the responses backed up the guy’s point and I responded with a more thorough take on how harmful the protesters were to the cause.
This quote summed up the absurdity pretty succinctly:
“You seem to think the goal is to build coalitions or conscript allies. But that isn’t the goal. The goal is systematic, systemic policy change.”
And that is the crux of the problem. Too many people, on both sides, seem to think they can change the world through “outrage” but in a democracy that is entirely a false argument. It seems like neither extreme wants to win a majority of the voters right now and instead are obsessed with reactionary nonsense instead of building toward a solution.
I assume we have similar “goals” for systemic change but it has to be earned not yelled. You can make noise all you want but Donald Trump or some Wisconsin Sheriff isn’t going to change his ways because you yelled at a voter having dinner over some symbolic bullshit that doesn’t matter.
Trump was ELECTED by a COALITION of VOTERS so he will do whatever he thinks makes them happy and if you’re not on board or “gettable” then he doesn’t care. Although most politicians will listen to all their constituents to some extent it might require more of a charm offensive for them to act on demands that can be ignored.
So, Plan B is to vote him out in the next election.
As someone who has been involved in flipping Virginia BLUE for 15 years I don’t see how you create systemic change without coalitions of voters.
How did we expand Medicaid without voters?
How did we make Election Day a state holiday and enact Early Voting without voters?
How did we change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway without voters?
How did we elect 3 new progressive county attorneys without voters?
All of it was systemic change that benefited African-Americans and people of color especially.
What worked for people like MLK? Actions like the “I Have A Dream” Speech at the peaceful march on Washington and working with Lyndon Johnson to pass legislation approved by elected officials. Yes, he commented on the CAUSE of rioting but never condoned it and it didn’t work in 1968 compared to the work of 1963–1965.
Call it tough love or whatever but from what I am hearing people need to remember the rules of life don’t change because your upset and want to express yourself. From a psychological or communications perspective I don’t think you will find the tactics of these protesters in any serious textbook or seminar I have ever attended…..because it is a LIE.
And my message is to not just call out this nonsense to lecture to everyone but to stop spreading the LIE that these methods are OK because your network is watching and i bet lots of people you know silently think it is insane. So, we’re just trying to make people think twice before they speak and act.
But regardless, it would be great if more progressives could communicate without personal and racial insults (including from other white people who have less to lose) instead of logic and facts.
It should be obvious that we’re allies trying to steer the movement in a winning path not the enemy.
I don’t see how someone is guilty of “white privilege” if they don’t want to be yelled at by white strangers and endorse it as a vehicle for “persuading” people.
But the bottom line is that we’re ALL HUMAN BEINGS AND ALL DESERVE RESPECT. We all want systemic change so why does sharing relevant facts threaten anyone? We’re trying to raise a red flag. Don’t shoot the messenger.
If you look at the Wikipedia page on common propaganda techniques you will find some familiar tactics that are being used by the Left not just the Right like “whaboutism” and “transfer” and “ad hominem” and “stereotyping” arguments that are a crutch in the absence of listening.
As part of the responses I read I kept hearing that any example of injustice in the world therefore “justifies” almost any response regardless of its maturity. The fact is injustice happens somewhere every day but we cannot go “nuclear” on a daily basis and don’t have some form of “reaction immunity” or you’re just a Vigilante Justice Warrior who thinks they can deputize themselves to sentence whoever they want as a social pariah.
I used to work more with the progressive community but there are too many people making me stay away and the results don’t lie. I voted for Bernie in 2016 even though I wasn’t sure if i trusted the Democratic Socialist movement because I knew Hillary was a bad candidate who would probably lose.
Everyone knew that Bernie’s coalition was flimsy but instead of building the movement with a broader coalition they decided to double down on the “revolution” and champion fringe candidates that won some primaries against out-of-touch incumbents and won on twitter but didn’t expand the base.
And by 2020 I had no reason to think I should come back and Bernie lost some support to Biden who won easily after South Carolina.
In the meantime, I supported the “Humanity First” Movement of Andrew Yang who framed his ideas in a way that brought together elements of both the Left and Right. I still think his vision is the future of the Democratic Party.
But now we’re all stuck with a 77-year old Joe Biden and are hoping his debate performances are as good as his DNC Speech. And it sounds like some folks don’t care if they get Trump and a Republican Senate again too.
That means continuing an endless pandemic depression and march toward fascism. And in even worse, it means probably THREE new Right-Wing Justices on the Supreme Court who can decide in his favor on any issue he wants over the next four years and stick around for at least two more decades.
So, the question is simple. Do we want to defeat Trump or not? YES or NO?
If the answer is YES then show the confidence to attempt PERSUASION because swing voters need to be convinced to vote Democrat but also non-voters that you think are “progressive” need to be convinced to cast a ballot at all because they probably don’t like politics.
Well, you can catch more flies with honey not intimidation.
