Heat: Asymmetrical Tactics Are Needed In Uncertain Times.
“’Cause ya mama still around, dog, and that ain’t good
If you was smart you’d be shook of me.
’Cause I’d get tired of lookin’ for ya, spray ya mama crib
And let yo’ ass look for me.” — Heat, 50 Cent.
For the first time in modern times, Americans were sequestered in their homes. Only “essential” workers were carrying on like usual. The rest of us were trapped in our homes. Days slipped into weeks, which morphed into months. By the time the video of the murder of George Floyd had been released, Americans were eager to hit the streets. Not only those demanding justice for a black man, but those defending the actions of his murders: the police. People wanted to be out in the open, surrounded by community, and protesting the murder/lynching of Mr. Floyd was the perfect excuse.
Marches and protest dotted American and even some international cities. However, what came next? A protest or a march is an excellent early action. The visual of bodies coming together and marching will always get coverage. However, what comes next? The news will only cover non-violent protests/marches for so long. What comes next?
Until George Floyd’s murder, Republicans were registering more people to vote than Democrats. Then the protest started and people used that energy to register more people to vote. This erased the Republican’s gains. One of the mistakes that the Biden administration currently makes, is that it believes people voted for him, when in reality more Americans who voted for President Biden, voted against Donald Trump. Yet, it was the ability to understand the moment and embrace new tactics that obtained an electoral win, but did things get better for black people on the ground?
George Floyd is one of thousands of black men who have been lynched. The protest and marches in Minnesota accomplished an important goal: it resulted in the firing, arrest, and successful prosecution of Mr. Floyd’s murderers. The Hennepin County Attorney was reluctant to prosecute George’s murderers (how this man was not first to resign is baffling). However, the tactics of protestors were able to achieve a historic victory, when Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison decided to take control of the case and prosecute Mr. Floyd’s killers.
This was an incredible result and the streets achieved it.
However, marches and protests in the streets and at the sites of the murders have become common-place. Accordingly, politicians, police, and people who wish to cause harm and sow mayhem also know the playbook. Police have already created dossiers on protest leaders. Politicians can marshal resources to the areas of the protest to make it more dangerous for Americans to embrace their 1st Amendment rights. Finally, those who wish to discredit the message or even those who are just bored and looking for something to do, now know where the action is. When we get too complacent in our tactics, they can anticipate what we are going to do, therefore we must adopt asymmetrical tactics.
If the powers at be already know where, when, why and what of your planned organized resistance to their rule, how can you shift that to your advantage? Politicians are still human, but they have developed a callous exterior that is soothed by their donors and their staff. Instead of targeting the politicians target their donors.
Organize a letter writing, email, social media, or protest outside their donors’ homes or businesses is a devastating tactic. When these donors are besieged with letters, telling them how their support and contributions have made our city and nation less safe, they will be shook. They are not built for that. They will get in touch with the politicians and deliver your message. I am telling you that they will be mystified about how you know how much they gave and their address. Perhaps, they might even be embarrassed for others to know they donated to an unpopular politician or cause. This type of attention might give them a good excuse to not donate to any candidate again. If you can shut-down the lifeblood of all campaigns, money you can now start to assert your will on the politician.
Arrange a protest outside one of their donor’s places of work or their business. The police are prepared for you at the normal places to protest, but would the city council be prepared if you showed up at their home protesting? It does not take many people to make a difference at a protest. 50 people outside of a city council member’s residence will have them in their feelings. What about the City Manager? How would they or their neighbors react to that smoke?
What if one local business has been the main contributor to the campaigns of elected officials who continue to spread harm in the community, boycotting and protesting outside of their business or executives homes is a powerful tool.
“The drama really means nothin’ to me.” — Heat by 50 Cent.
However, to most donors the drama is everything and they don’t want it at their front door. Non-violent protest is essential to being an American. Too many times law-enforcement turn peaceful demonstrations violent with their tactics. Using email, social media, letters and other forms of protest will now put donors on their toes. Most people know who and what they are, but their biggest concern is for the rest of the world to see them for who they truly are, that is what these tactics hope to accomplish.
