Next Years Resolution

Let me begin with a personal update. I am now a part of the gig economy, at least for the time being. I was released from my contract helping people navigate a web page in December. I am now DoorDashing to keep some money flowing and keep from getting bored out of my mind! I am also on the job hunt.

One thing that I have time to do while I DoorDash is think. One thought is how many on the American Left may be looking forward to anticipated Democratic defeats in the 2022 midterms. The practical side is defeats may send a message to the party that running on "We're not Trump" is not enough. The demands of the party's growing activist base need to be heard and acted on; student loans need to be forgiven, the judiciary needs to be expanded, voting rights and reproductive rights need to be codified, etc.

A major part of the Democratic campaigns in 2022 will be that "Democracy is on the ballot". The Democrat's message is Republican wins will put America on the road toward to authoritarian rule. One camp of activists would say "What have you done to defend democracy". There may be some more radical elements of the American Left who may look forward to an authoritarian shift, since they may see it as paving the way toward a mass uprising. If a revolt is what these folks want, there are questions to ask.

First, assess forces on both sides. It is clear the authoritarians have forces at the ready, the events of January 6th and since show that. How many "boots on the ground" do the radicals of the left have have? If the numbers aren't there, social media activists may have to be convinced to put down their phones and get into the streets. How well equipped and armed are the radicals of the left, and could groups like the Socialist Rifle Association assist with training?

What support is there on the inside? As much as the Republican Party denies it, there is support for the authoritarians within their ranks. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, has distanced itself form the black bloc, antifa, etc.

If there is going to be a revolution, there will need to be foreign support. The American Revolution had assistance from countries like France and Germany. The Cold War was fought by proxy with the United States and the Former Soviet Union supports and arming movements friendly to their interests.

The hardest question to answer is what would America look like. The Proud Boys and alt-right have their vision of society; a white, fundamentalist Christian, state. The activists of the American Left can't seem to agree on what their America would look like. Some would want a Communist state, others see a more socialist model, some would like to see the concept of state abolished entirely.

These are not new questions, they are questions that revolutionaries have asked over decades. It's a matter of finding the answers, and then asking "Are we ready"?