Political Action

I think that our political institutions have abandoned us to such an extent that most people treat politics as something that only happens between elected representatives.

So, when people claim to be apolitical, I think what they really mean is that they are disinterested in the bureaucratic institution that electoral democracy has become. This form of politics often seems completely detached from the struggle of everyday working people, and that’s why it’s unsurprising (to me) that so many people are disinterested.

Unfortunately, if most of us are content to ignore politics at large, and remain unengaged on these issues, then there’s absolutely no reason for our elected leaders — the political “elite” — to listen to the demands of working people.

I think that people are more political than they give themselves credit for. It’s just that the form of politics we default to is this seemingly useless, bureaucratic, parliamentary form. Which means that people think their political activity begins and ends at the ballot box, and nothing more.

We need to remember that politics is much more than four-year election cycles and debates between politicians in old colonial buildings.

Political activity may include many things such as (but not limited to): organizing within your community, going on strike, engaging in mutual aid, participating in mass demonstrations (e.g., protests, sit-ins, encampments, blockades), boycotting companies, or acts of civil disobedience.

We cannot prioritize electoral politics over other forms. All political activity does not need to be mediated by elected officials or “legitimate” political institutions — that’s part of what created this mess in the first place.

I believe that if you want to have any say in the way we live our lives or how society should function then you ARE political. If you want life to feel like less of a struggle, or you wish to build a better world for future generations then you ARE political. If you want to feel like your opinion should be included in decisions that affect you and your community then you ARE political.

It’s hard to remember the last time that a government (at any level) introduced a policy that has genuinely made my life easier, less expensive, or less of a struggle. But politicians won’t make those sorts of decisions unless we have the leverage to hold them accountable.

But the first step towards building that leverage is for working people to get organized.