November 14, 2010

• if you don’t turn onto politics, politics will turn on you.

  
  The sad truth is that one vote doesn't make a difference. In your opinion, what's the best way to make a political difference?

  collective action.

  one vote may not matter but a thousand votes certainly do. that said, voting isn't enough; voting is about the least effective thing you could do if you're looking for political change. you can act personally and (better) collectively political in a number of ways.

  vote with your wallet/ feet.

  probably the most important thing you can do is vote with your wallet and feet (they go hand-in-hand most of the time). only buy the goods and services that you feel promote the social change that you want, and boycott the things you think work against your cause. if a bar you frequent tolerates sexist behavior (most bars?), stop going, get your friends to stop going, talk about it, threaten not to go back until things change and then follow through.  keep in mind, though, that boycotts don't always affect the people you want for them to and you need to think all the details through. i learned during the target boycott that those who would be most affected were the workers (many of whom are gay) and not the uppities who supported the homophobic political figure. (i can't find the article right now so i can't remember names or details, but i do remember exactly why the boycott was a bad idea.) this kind of thinking and acting goes along with most things. if the way we treat our environment concerns you (and it should), do everything in your power to stop doing things that hurt the environment. keep your lights off, unplug the appliances you aren't using, keep your heat reasonably low, use only reusable containers (travel mugs, thermoses, water bottles, microwaveable containers, canvas bags), put old plastic bags to good use (give them to someone that has a dog, use them for your smelly laundry- don't throw them out), boycott places that use styrofoam carelessly (ie. dunkin doughnuts), be mindful of the waste you produce, encourage your friends to be mindful of the waste they produce. raise awareness.

  raise awareness.

  you don't have to protest to make a difference (but you can!); there are a lot of other ways to raise awareness about policies and behaviors you want to see changed.  so do the research, provide information, get creative, and get out. be visible.  we live in a fast-paced world where a million things are expected of every one of us at every given second and we may not be mindful of the fact that the one water bottle a day we snag on our way to the gym adds up to hundreds of water bottles a year, which is a waste of not only plastic but money as well. so make demonstrations. if there's a message you want to get across, say it.  people learn visually.   last week the recycling club lined the campus with old water bottles.  a couple weeks before that the feminist collective put signs about gender, domestic violence, rape, and other feminist issues all across campus. i've seen political writing and statistics in sidewalk chalk across campus.  get organized and then express your mind in a creative, highly visible way.  (just don't hand out tracts. )  be prepared to have conversations and defend your beliefs while respecting others' differences.  you might not change their mind about something at that moment but you might plant the seed that grows inside them.   if you can't do any of that, use your facebook or twitter to bring awareness to the issues that concern you. put it on the web. get it out there.

  counteract consumerism, corporatism. 

  think local first.  support small businesses and farms that nurture their local community, provide local jobs, keep their carbon footprint low by staying local, work to reduce waste, and value their employees. support positive workplace culture.  cook your own meals and deserts and snacks. (make it from scratch; it tastes better, is better for you, is often cheaper than the shop bought stuff -- and there's no packaging to dispose of; packaging makes up the bulk of the garbage found in most homes... and on the side of the streets.)  bring your own lunch. don't buy junk food. (you support not only unhealthy eating, but the corporations which produce this shit; you also support the excess waste that packaging produces.) don't buy from vending machines. buy less. buy in bulk. recycle clothing (buy/donate). recycle. compost. grow you own vegetables and herbs. exchange services with your friends. barter. carpool. bike. keep your cost of living minimal. live within your means. try to keep your debt low. use cash over credit. use a diva cup instead of tampons or pads. repurpose old furniture. stop using using using buying buying buying.

  demand genuine democracy.

  politicians respond to the pressures put on them. so pressure them. in all the ways listed above, pressure them. and pressure them with your voice. WRITE to your politicians, WRITE to companies whose policies upset you, and get your friends to do it. collective voices talk louder than the wallets of billionaires only when enough people organize. this takes time and energy and organization (like everything else above). this requires donating a few hours of time a week to organizations or campaigns you feel passionate about, and/or leaving time for the letter-writing process. this means taking the time to get educated, the time to make demonstrations, the time to cook your own meals, the time to volunteer. make that time. if there isn't a group for a cause you believe in, make your own, and then draw creative attention to it and get it going. PUSH. fucking pressure the people in power. people in power want to keep that power. we have the power to take it away.

  we are not powerless. we are surrounded by millions of people who share our frustrations and our instinct for justice and rationality. it is your job to connect with each other. only together are we powerful. if we remain alone, we remain hopeless. fucking act out already. if we don’t turn onto politics, politics will turn on us.

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