Last fall, I took part in many Occupy protests. I spoke to college classes about income inequality, marched with 20,000 others in Oakland- the first general strike in America in sixty-five years. I also saw people become confused and frustrated. There were attempts at organization and strategy, but doing so after the fact was difficult. There was a dreadful inefficiency in how the anger and willpower of occupiers was used.
There had to be a better way to create a better society. Throwing rocks at cops and complaining at general assembles has no beneficial end result.
Recently, I got a package in the mail. It contained a pamphlet that I read online a few months ago- one that is not famous like Common Sense by Thomas Paine, but in the modern world is deeply relevant and useful. It is, simply, a road to revolution.
From Dictatorship to Democracy is the distilled wisdom of Gene Sharp, an 84-year old academic who lives in East Boston. His life has been quiet- he has written no best-selling books, held no prestigious professorships. However, he is the world's leading expert on nonviolent struggle. He believes that ideas and willpower are more powerful than guns. Through case studies, one learns that even in the face of the worst evil, nonviolence had been used and been used effectively. Fear is what keeps people in line, supporting their autocrats. But if you remove your support, your obedience, then dictatorships crumble before your eyes. Nonviolent struggle is a way to empower people, and give them a way forward, past fear.
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