Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.
—John Stuart Mill, 1867
The most important thing to do, if you can, is to help get out the vote. Vote Forward and Swing Left are working together on a retro letter-writing campaigns that have been proven to work better than more impersonal approaches. Indivisible and Daily Kos have similar programs. And there are several other ways to plug into these and similar organizations.
But as you work with these organizations and as you talk politics with your friends, remember to apply some of the principles suggested by this book.
- Don’t spread damaging stories you may hear about our Democratic leaders. They are almost all slanderous.
- Do think practically. Idealism is fine, but if it makes things worse, that’s not true idealism.
- Do speak up when you hear liberal Democrats being slandered or hear baseless claims that radicals can accomplish what no one else has been able to.
Myths, prejudices and attitudes are all spread as much from person to person as they are through mass media. So what we say to our friends matters. Unfortunately, extremists and radicals, who are always completely sure they are right, assert their views more often and more forcefully than those with more nuanced views. Your help is needed to shift political discussions back towards reality.
It’s not necessary to argue. Expressing doubt or disbelief is enough to apply some gentle social pressure. Every nudge in the right direction is a help.
Also, remember that this is the age of negative partisanship. Expressing hate for Trump’s base, even when not in their presence, fosters a climate on the left that seeps out, fires them up, and galvanizes them. Besides, it contradicts our philosophy of opposing hatred of others.
Here are two warnings for the next few months and one for November 3:
- Don’t believe any new information about candidates that comes out in the last three weeks before the election. The biggest lies are held till the end.
- Remember that Joe Biden is not now and has never been a racist. His positions have come from and been shared with the Black community.
- Don’t let friends not vote for Biden just because they live in a deep-blue or deep-red state. That still helps Trump and what he stands for. The popular vote has a huge effect on the popular view of the outcome. A landslide confers a mandate, while a close popular vote could energize Trump’s base.
Ripped Apart
