Your number one step is privacy. Privacy is the foundation of freedom; it “protects the right to be left alone”.
If you’re a beginner, Naomi Brockwell’s videos have very good tips. If you’re not a beginner, read Michael Bazzell’s book Extreme Privacy. Read it in full and decide the level of privacy you want (you likely will not need every single one of his tips).
Start contacting local socialist orgs, PSL, DSA, CPUSA, etc., go to their meetings and start talking to people. Look for groups that offer education, seem to have good internal democratic processes, good comradely vibes, and who are actively engaging in campaigns to struggle against injustice, and doing stuff that you want to participate in.
Groups that have lots of political discussion, rather than being obsessed with internal processes, groups that don’t work with cops, and don’t just follow the dems on everything, is another thing to look for.
Your local conditions are the most important thing to consider. I wish I could tell you what group to join, but it varies quite a lot. A small and very active group is probably better than a large group with mostly inactive members. I’m in DSA, because I want to build a alternative workers political party, and I like DSA, but I also know that not every chapter is the same, there’s def some chapters I would not recommend, although my local is very good.
Once you find your political home, you can branch out, keep working with other groups help build coalitions in your city. The most important thing is, you can’t affect change by yourself. We need to combine our efforts to be effective. Always speak up, speak your mind and rep your personal perspective, and groups that don’t handle good well considered perspectives can be toxic. Then again, we can bring toxic perspectives with us, so always be open to hearing criticism and always be trying to improve yourself. Be patient and assume good intent but find a group you can work well with. Develop your cadres.
Virtually every group needs people who can take good notes and/or can begin meetings on time. Like that bar is so incredibly low, but the people who do it for their own groups are some of the only people who will do that reliably, and they’re also often people who are the most committed and experienced. Taking those simple functions off peoples workload or even providing support in those areas can be invaluable to the whole group. Other things, like doing phone/text banking or tabling for like a few hours per month is incredibly valuable work, that helps with turn out to events and allows recruiters to make and build contacts. Very low bar, very high impact. One of the groups I’m involved with actually pays people to make calls so volunteering for that work on your spare time, and being reliable and consistent is another invaluable quality in a new member.
One final tip, it is better to do one thing consistently then it is to try and take on everything that you see needs done. Make room in your life for organizing, and don’t take on extra unless you’re sure you have time/energy for it. Tell people in your life like “I have a commitment every Thursday from 7-9 pm” and then stick to that for a while. Burn out will fucking destroy you. So check in with your self, and check in with others.
Check out generalstrikeus.com. Also the peoples Union
start resisting, you will find the others quickly
What resistance? It seems to me that there is not one big organised resistance that is taking members.
Find a local event and network but be careful about it. The US had that “no kings” thing early in the summer (or before?). That was just a bunch of people against tyranny. No real organisation to it. So you’d go to something like that and just talk to people.
It helps if you have an anonymous way to chat. Something like Signal or Matrix or one of the others. Even Telegram would be better than using something public or corporate-backed, like SMS for the former or WhatsApp for the latter. But be careful with Telegram, read up on it, it’s not a solid recommendation but it’s better than nothing. Fortunately there are alternatives. Even if the other person isn’t tech savvy — you probably are by being on Lemmy. So, show them the way.
Occasionally contact them through anonymous chat, just see how they’re doing, and discuss future plans.
Also, aside from demonstrations, places where like minded people meet. For the authoritarians and conservatives, that’s church, the local BBQ spot, and other, more obvious groups. I feel like they feel they can operate more openly since the US president is one of them. Used to be, these guys wore masks and were hidden, joining them wasn’t about finding them, they’d find you, that kind of thing. Nowadays it’s all out in the open. But I think liberals and progressives have meeting places, too. In response to church, for example, you should know that The Satanic Temple is not about devil worship, they’re about resisting Christian imperialism. They’re the ones fighting churches trying to get the Ten Commandments posted in every classroom. I’m religiously neutral, so they do not interest me, but they’re certainly an option. For the anti-theist/“hard atheist,” they’re a good option.
No, don’t use Telegram. Chats aren’t end to end encrypted by default, you have to specifically request a secret conversation. It’s also not possible to encrypt group chats on telegram. Matrix, signal, session, simplex, and many others are much better.
there is not one big organised resistance that is taking members
The biggest is DSA
Look up the group Indecline and see if they have any suggestions for civil disobedience around you.
I was going to give you a tip, but then I saw that you might be a Marxist-Leninist, so now I have less motivation for that
Socialists need to learn to stop being dogmatic. If a Marxist-Leninist revolution is our most viable solution, democratic socialists et al should back it. If democratic socialism is more likely to succeed, Marxist-Leninists should back it.
there isn’t one you can join, but you can start an argument with stevens dad on twitter any time you want
Nice try, fed.
Or mossad
Join an org, if you’re a fed the good ones will filter you out. I recommend either the Party for Socialism and Liberation or Freedom Road Socialist Organization if you live in the US.
If you want a place to start with theory, I made an introductory Marxist-Leninist reading list, feel free to check it out!
<3
<3
Pee on your shoes.
We will contact you.
A member of the resistance has contacted me, thank you !
Done. Am now resisting arrest in the Wendy’s diner.
serious answer: start by reading theory and knowing how “the resistance” works at all.
once you get a grip of ohm’s law, resistance is a breeze
I groaned, but that’s a good one lol
Stop touching the plug, Cowbee. I fear this is above your pay grade.
Here’s my Marxist-Leninist reading list if you want a place to start (I’m aware of the joke, haha)!
Thank you!
That’s exactly what I wanted.
No problem! Feel free to give me any feedback you may have if you decide to follow it!
For anyone wanting a good place to start, I made an introductory Marxist-Leninist reading list! Under a bit of revision right now, but still fully usable!
oooo you even got jones manoel’s scolding of western marxists for orientalism in there
Yep! Western Marxism needs to be correctly addressed right off the rip, or else the chance of those going through the list ending up as social chauvanists increases. Manoel says it best!
My guess from the question an expectation of some formal group. Such groups exist. Better yet is prefiguration.
Build community in your neighborhood by getting to know your neighbors and contributing your skills to meet common goals. People, being social animals, work together to meet their needs. That is resistance.
Look out for your neighborhoods safety. Some ideas for doing that include: securing a water source, learning to raise food, learning basic repair of equipment, working on cardio, learning grappling/striking or joining a gun club. Be a neighbor with skills.
Lastly, never trust an organization with a heirarchy of leaders. Said leaders will eventually need to lynched. Joining the Marxist-Leninist book club is about as productive as Bible study.
Why on Earth would you advocate for lynching any and all leaders? If someone is elected, and helps guide the people to a better future through correct practice, then that’s a good thing, not the grounds for execution.
Want to help Terrence and Philip?
Sneak out after you get tucked into bed tonight and meet at Carl’s Warehouse.
Punch and pie.
I know guys, let’s like all form a resistance group and we’ll all meet downtown on Thursday at 6 o’clock. That way we’re all done with work and everything and we’ll have a big fucking meeting. Like every resister, all over the country, we’re all gonna meet downtown.
Think about it. There will be too many of us for the cops to do anything about it.
Like, even though they’ll know where we are and when we’re gonna be there, it’ll be all of us versus only however many of them can actually show up.