On April 1, Cory Booker very movingly said in his marathon speech before the Senate, “The Constitution is only a piece of paper unless we live it and protect it.” We are all the way fully into Constitutional crisis in the past week as the President has refused to obey the directions of either Congress or the Courts. This is a constitutional crisis in a country that was designed with a careful balance of power that appointed to each of three branches unique powers designed to keep checks and balances on any one branch to prevent it from usurping too much power. So now we will wait to see if the military enforces the rule of law – the requirement that the President follow the Constitution and obey Congress and the Courts when they operate within their roles.
But really we cannot just wait – we have to act. We cannot stand by. Part I of this opinion piece explained the uses and limitations of marches and protests to resist the on-going destruction of our democracy. Demonstrations alone will not be enough. This Part II will review other nonviolent tactics that can be effective and will end with discussion of the successful nonviolent overthrow of dictators. Unfortunately, it is not too early to begin to plan that resistance.
Non-compliance and Over-compliance to Evil
One of the first principles of nonviolent resistance is noncompliance with evil laws and decrees. Examples are men refusing conscription or even the requirement to register for the draft. Another during the civil rights movement was the non-compliance with Jim Crow segregation laws: refusing the ban on segregated lunch counters by presenting for service; going into segregated places like swimming pools and joining in; and, famously, refusing to sit at the back of a public bus.
The flip side of this is over-compliance with a rule or law for the purpose of jamming the system and rendering it meaningless. For example, in 1980 when men were required to register again after a decade-long break in the draft, women registered, causing the Selective Service and the FBI to have to spend time sorting out what registration was valid from that which was invalid. Perhaps one of the most famous and moving cases is when the Nazis required all Jews in Denmark to wear yellow stars on their coats. The Danish king, and quickly then the Danish general public, began wearing yellow stars both in solidarity but because their over-compliance rendered meaningless the attempt to single out Jewish citizens.
How might we apply non-compliance or over-compliance to the current situation? One of the difficulties in the present moment is most of the horrors are a lot of US laws being violated or attempted to be eliminated by presidential order, which was not the founding fathers’ intention for presidential orders. Also a lot of federal employees are being fired and their departments being eliminated. While it is clear to progressives what is wrong with this, it is less clear what to do. Those who are actually being fired can attempt to non-comply up to the limits of being barred from buildings. Supervisors can refuse to fire people. ICE officials could refuse to arrest immigrants. (Although realistically by having taken ICE jobs in the first place they are unlikely to take such conscientious positions.) However, certainly schools and hospitals and employers can refuse to cooperate with ICE as is already taking place throughout WA. How might you apply non-compliance or over-compliance to the current situation?
Boycotts
It became very clear at the presidential inauguration with all the trillionaires standing behind Trump and the insane role of one of the richest men in history in the DOGE nightmare, that this is a takeover of the US government by the multinational corporations and the oligarchy that runs them. They are acting quickly to enact laws and strike down others that will create an ideal business environment for their further profit and to reduce protections or wage gains for workers.
An important strategy of nonviolent resistance is to understand the sources of power for oppression and to weaken those sources for the oppressive power. For example, in the 60’s during the civil rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama, the organizers knew that progress was being blocked by the power elite in the town, which were about a dozen owners of white-owned businesses. So the civil rights organizers instituted a boycott on white businesses. The African-American community refused to spend one penny in those business for just nine weeks—well-timed, busy Easter season weeks. The white business owners made concessions that led to the end of the boycott.
Other boycotts have been made against products, like the boycott in the late 70’s and early 80’s against Nestle to get them to stop selling baby formula in countries where, when mixed with contaminated water, it was killing babies. Thirty-five years of boycotts of consumer products made in South Africa, combined with many other tactics, eventually led to a change of power that could bring about the end of the apartheid system.
Therefore, a powerful way for us to say “No” to the trillionaires running the show means boycotting their companies and their profits – to vote with our wallets. Many have expressed frustration that no one voted for Elon Musk, and thus they feel they cannot vote him out. Yet his stock has dropped by 42% (and still continuing) since his involvement started in this far-right takeover. Boycotts against Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Walmart will also be necessary. While inconvenient, participation in a boycott creates a feeling of freedom from no longer giving any of your life energy to those folks. Some have been convinced that Amazon now has such a tight grip it is not possible to shop without them. I assure you from my experience of a personal 15-year boycott of that company, that it is possible. What companies will you no longer support?
Creating the World We Would Rather See
The sad over-reliance on rallies and marches reflects a misunderstanding of how big movements effected change in the past. Yes, they did all use rallies and marches, but just as one of a mix of tactics. And again, Elizabeth Chenowith’s research shows the most successful movements used a mixture of nonviolent tactics. An important principle of non-violence is taking actions that show the world that should be.
History offers some good examples of protest actions that embodies the changes the protestors wanted: African-Americans’ lunch counter protests in the 1960’s showed their desire to be served in public venues; the early twentieth-century women who tried to vote before it was legal and were arrested; and Gandhi’s defiance of the British salt tax by making his own salt during the 1930 Salt March. There are literally hundreds of creative and powerful examples of this principle. Can we continue Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies because it is what we want? Can we continue to embrace Trans people because it is right? Resistance does not all have to fight and struggle – some of these acts of creating the world we want can be full of fun and joy.
Alternative Institutions
When this principle of creating the world we want is taken far enough, it takes the form of making alternative institutions and the alternative institutions increasingly holding the real power. The most obvious examples might be cooperatives, worker-owned work places or credit unions which model a form of worker/consumer ownership that is not dependent upon multinational chains. (If you have not already done so, dump your corporate bank or store for credit unions and coops.) An interesting form of this is when the first Trump administration was trying to control the National Parks. Resistance sprang up in the form of an Alt Parks Facebook page where disgruntled staff planned their resistance anonymously. They were forming an alternative Parks Dept. Currently the Democrats in Congress are having to hold alternative hearings because the Republican -controlled Congress will not give official space for any Democratic initiatives. Spend some time dreaming – how can you live right now in the world you want rather than the nightmare which is being created?
One day when I was mad about reading that the Trump Administration’s removing all acknowledgements of People of Color war-time units in past generations from military museums, I dreamed of other museums or any place we as people have control over, such as churches and schools, displaying that same removed material. This would show that honoring is a choice we still have.
General Strikes
One of the most powerful tools throughout history used by the people is a general strike. A general strike is the refusal to work, not at just one company for workers’ better wages or conditions, but a nation-wide strike by all workers. It is a refusal of the population to do any work until something ends. The general strike by the Solidarnosc movement in Poland was used to respond to the imposition of martial law and forced an election. In Iceland on Sept 24, 1975. the “women’s day off” strike saw 90% of women refuse to work at home or in paid employment to force changes for women’s rights and equal pay. The next year an equal pay law passed. In a bold act of solidarity with the Ukraine, longshore workers around the world in 2022 refused to unload any Russian goods, thus doing economic harm to Russian in retaliation for their invasion of the Ukraine. What act of violation of the US Constitution would you lead you to join a general strike?
Overthrowing Dictators
It is most important to understand that Chenoweth identifies dozens of incidents over the last few decades of dictators being nonviolently removed from office. One of the best-known examples is the “People Power Revolution” that removed President Marcos from office after two decades of corrupt wielding of power in the Philippines, the last eleven of which were under martial law and suppression of free press. Opposition had grown for several years after the assassination of his electoral opponent, and because the economy was very bad due to his policies. People began wearing yellow to show solidarity with the opposition leader, and finally in the last days of his reign people flooded the streets of the capitol. There were so many people that the entire capitol was in gridlock. No one could get around. The tanks that had been sent to protect Marcos could not get through to the presidential palace. The generals looked out from the palace on a sea of citizens that way out-numbered the soldiers, and they told Marcos that they could no longer protect him and to flee in a helicopter from the roof of the palace. And so his rule ended.
There are many similar stories of the end of dictators’ reigns. I have been frustrated for months trying to apply this to our gigantic country. We cannot all to go to Washington, D.C., where there would not be enough food and lodging for people. I live almost as from D.C. as you can get, except for Hawaii and Alaska. But I have finally realized. When a general strike shuts down all airports, train stations, ports and highways throughout the country, it will have the same effect as bringing the capital city to a stop.
In the meantime we all need to be studying up on the history of nonviolence and techniques, strategies and tactics of nonviolent resistance to evil….because apparently we will need them. George Lakey has suggested everyone get together a pod of eight of your best buds and call it a bridge group, a kitting club, or a book group but actually be discussing all of this and figuring out together what you can do. That sort of decentralized and grass roots action is impossible for any dictator to strike down and is exactly how resistance operated in all Nazi- occupied countries. Start thinking now with others how to apply tactics of resistance.
Lynn Fitz-Hugh founded and works with Restoring Earth Connection. For over 16 years, she has worked in various capacities fighting climate change.
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