[I’m asking that if there is only one of my pieces that you read, please make it this one. THIS IS IMPORTANT. And if you’re comfortable, please share it with friends or on social media – thank you.]
There have been hundreds of essays, newscasts, op-ed pieces, and articles about the difference between the political left and the political right. One of the best-known phrases is “Republicans Fall in Line while Democrats Fall in Love.” In truth, this is a fairly accurate description of the main issue for those who believe in fairness, inclusion, and scientific facts.
As has been stated ad nauseam, the right wing propagates fear and thereby controls the narrative through false claims that scare the crap out of people. And yet it works as we see in our current situation. In response, organizations on the left run around like the proverbial chickens without a head, flapping and waving their collective wings in the air but not making much of a sound since their heads are missing.
In theory this problem should be a relatively easy fix: COOPERATE! Form salient groups that can create hard hitting and workable solutions to the issues at hand. The difficulty arises because most of these organizations believe they have THE solution, that they alone know the answers to all of our problems and so they work in isolation. They call for rallies or boycotts. They post on Facebook or send out postcards calling for action. They tell us that all we have to do to make everything better is send them a donation and sign an online petition. Hundreds of them all working in their own little bubbles of self-aggrandizement.
Meanwhile, the right wing has coalesced around the leadership of a sociopathic dictator wannabe because he understands that by wielding an iron fist, his followers in congress, in industry, and in the general population will kowtow to his whims. And they do. We see this in the news every single day.
So what can we do? We can drop the egocentric bullshit and start working together. As an example of the problem; according to Cause IQ, over 30,000 nonprofit environmental groups exist in the United States alone, each one competing for funding and many of them with similar agendas and goals. Some are focused on local issues while others are geared towards dealing with broader problems. But for the most part these organizations do not communicate with one another. Many spend their resources reinventing the wheel of functionality when that information is readily available from other groups that have already found ways to work through or around these various logistics.
It only takes one of the better-known groups or individuals (i.e. Robert Reich) to step forward and call for a national gathering of like-minded groups. Bring them together with the single goal of breaking down the barriers that keep them from cooperating with each other. This is not a competition to see who can win Best Democratic Environmental Voters’ Rights LGBTQ Gun Safety Equal Protection Organization. We are facing an unprecedented and existential situation that calls for unity across the board. PERIOD!!!!
This is not an impossible task. We’ve seen examples of this kind of cooperative effort as recently as 2017 when Pantsuit Nation was able to work with multiple groups to create the Women’s March, bringing together well over a million individuals in Washington DC to make a strong and definitive statement. Unfortunately they were not able to sustain that momentum, and we have devolved back into the hundreds of nattering factions where we are not accomplishing anything near what is needed.
During the Second World War, the U.S. government called for national unity by asking the citizens of this country to work together to defeat two tyrannical megalomaniacs and a ruthless Asian emperor. We planted victory gardens, brought women into the workforce, collected scrap metal, and sacrificed our convenances all towards the betterment of the world at large. I wasn’t alive during that time, but I’m certain that the atmosphere of cooperation must have been palpable. And it worked.
I have very strong opinions (obviously) but I also know that I don’t have all, or even some, of the answers needed to solve the overwhelming number of issues we face today. I have ideas about how we might find a few of those solutions, but I also know that I would put aside my most important concerns if I could find a way of working cooperatively. I will never be able to achieve the things I would like to achieve unless I can take a step back, learn how to compromise, and then work my ass off to help form a sense of overall unity.
We are once again battling an enemy that would derail our democratic processes and form an authoritarian autocracy. But this time it is not some foreign aggressor, it is from within our own borders, embedded in the very heart of our fellow citizens and in the halls of our government. Those who have not bought into the lunacy of the current regime can put an end to this madness, but it will take sacrifice, grit, determination, and above all else; cooperation.
There are two ways of helping. The first is to write to the leaders of the various disparate movements in this country and beg them, plead with them, demand that they begin working cooperatively with other organizations. A list of some of these groups has been compiled and you can find the names and addresses by clicking on THIS LINK. Also provided is a SUGGESTED LETTER, but please use this only as a template for your own thoughts. The second thing is that I ask you to share this message. Link it to your social media page or copy and paste it into emails you can send to friends. We have a limited amount of time to turn this ship around. Please, let’s get busy.
Thank you for this! So many of us feel so helpless! I don’t often feel that I have the energy, capacity and drive so I can make a difference! I appreciate the links you have shared.
Dean,
Thank you once again for your note. My sense is that the intent of those in power are doing their very best to tamp down resistance to their agenda by overwhelming us with negativity. Many us feel drained and wake up each day wondering if it’s even possible to do anything. I’m going to do me best to overcome that feeling so I plan on working on sending out at least 50 letters to moderate and liberal groups and individuals over the next two weeks begging them to work cooperatively. I don’t expect any responses, but will keep plugging away and encouraging others to become involved and do the same.
Thanks again,
Tobin
Thank you, Tobin. This will need some thought, and hopefully some action. The problem you state is correct. To get at a solution comes up against a dilemma. Having a list, though, is a good way to start.
The divide really isn’t Right Left. Those are not really useful descriptors and already contain connotations which illicit fear on both sides. The actual divide seems more like Authoritarian ??? ; Ah! coming up with an agreed-upon term is problematic. “Egaliarian” has been suggested, but does not really fit well. The “Right” have many descriptive terms for us, which all agree on pretty closely. It seems we would have disagreement if trying to adopt one of these negative disparagements as our banner.
The “Right” is naturally inclined to adopt cooperation; happily goose-stepping behind their Great Leader. Their Great Leader has an incentive to strive towards his or her leadership position. This is how they get their pleasure, satisfaction, and rewards.
On the other side, anyone who would WANT to become a Great Leader, whipping the rabble into line, is by definition NOT part of this side.
This doesn’t mean the separate rabble groups are against cooperation. Most would remain perfectly happy adopting a better idea and using their own variations of the idea to contribute to the goal. However, each rabble faction, however egalitarian or democratic, has its own little mini-Great Leader. This is perhaps necessary, if only to force agreement about wearing their shoes on the intended feet. The evolutions of these mini-Great Leaders are all too recognizable: Either sink into obscurity (the most common!); Win over a large enough following becoming a Great Leader (Lenin, Mao Zedong, we see where this is going!); Or, be crucified by the Authority or even their own followers.
There may be ways to unite the “Left,” but already my comment has gotten too long.
Michael,
As always, I greatly appreciate your perspective. Over the years our small group has had many discussions about the shortcomings of language since every word, thought, opinion, and even “fact” is open to interpretation. Language is supposed to give us a common ground from which to build understanding and consensus, but that is more often not the case. This is particularly apparent when it comes to defining political aspirations, especially on the “left”. You may remember my attempts at bringing together disparate points of view 8 years ago with A Single Voice. Gathering stardust would probably have been easier, but today seems different and perhaps with prompting, we can see great cooperation between groups whose focuses remain extremely varied. At times I think it would just be healthier for me to bury my head in the sand, but that’s not who I am, so I’m going to keep doing whatever I can. Thanks again.
Tobin
Michael, I share your sense of the constraints upon finding leadership to enable cooperation so that we may oppose the Trump juggernaut. A person with name recognition, an established reputation for advocacy of equality for LGBTQ, women, and non-white residents of our country, seasoned experience with the legislative branch, the chutzpah to go toe to toe with Authoritarians, and most importantly, sufficiently youthful to work their ass off.
Oh, perhaps this is most important: willing to be crucified in the course of advancing the cause of equality.
Having said that I intend to make use of Tobin’s list, and letter template.
Thank you Jerry. If you have any suggestions about connecting to other potential letter writers, please let me know. It’s going to take a village.
Well said Tobin! I agree with Dean Miller about feeling helpless. I was moved by a text message solicitation to make a donation towards the upcoming House special elections, which I did, but I realized I have no idea which of the various ways to contribute might have the most impact. Tobin, would you consider finding or writing guides to where to make contributions most effectively, both to political campaigns and the various causes of interest to you?
Hello Anne,
Thank you for adding your voice to the conversation. Finding the correct point for contributing is a mind numbing process, especially now that many of these solicitations are coming from nefarious sources. In a perfect world (not even on the horizon) there would be a single entity that vets political and social organizations, allowing donors to send their contributions to this one group and having them then distribute the funds. For instance if I were to send $100 to this fictional entity and earmark it for environmental causes, or the mitigation of domestic violence, or for working on curtailing income inequality, this group would be able to research the most effective non-profits and distribute my funds accordingly. But that’s not the reality of the moment. But I’ll do some research and see if I can’t come up with a better answer. Thanks again.
Tobin