Monday, April 04, 2011

Organizing in the Face of the Class War

Now’s the Time: Organizing in the Face of the Class War


Getting thousands to show up for rallies or write letters in the fever of the initial public sector skirmishes hasn’t been that hard. Over the last two months, people have been angry, and they wanted to take action. And while making the drive across the state to be part of a crowd of tens of thousands is a significant commitment of time and energy, it’s also exciting. As the videos showing witty signs and costumes remind us, protesting can be fun and even aerobic.

But now is the time for on the ground organizing, and the work ahead will be less dramatic and in many ways much harder than showing up for a protest or writing a letter. Going door-to-door to get signatures can be thought of as hand-to-hand combat where individuals have to be informed and ready to perform in a sometimes hostile environment. But it’s also essential to the political process, especially given the amount of money corporations and conservative business interests will be spending on political advertising to defeat repeal/recall initiatives.

Read more at Working Class Perspectives.

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