Dancing in the Ruins of EmpireGhost-Angels to commemorate Pulse nightclub massacre, Gay Pride Orlando 2016Things are rough in the United States, yeah? We’re in terrifying, fearful times, and it doesn’t seem like there’s much we can do about it. There is…but I’ll get to that stuff in a minute. First though, I think we should be hopeful, and maybe even a little excited.
That sounds awful, I’m sure. And before I continue, let me say I understand why we should be panicked. The right and far-right of American politics is about to take the reins of the largest and most violent empire the world has ever seen. They’ll have control of the military, the congress, the courts. They’ve already said they intend to dismantle most of the civil rights protections, benefits, and social programs that not only keep many of us safe, but keep the most vulnerable amongst us alive.
That’s terrifying, yes. We should be very worried, and I’m not going to tell you otherwise. Anyone who tells you not to worry probably hasn’t taken the time to see how bad things are going to get, and maybe even stands to benefit from the new regime.
I don’t mean you shouldn’t worry. You should. But you shouldn’t be terrified, because terror will cripple you. ‘Terror’ is what was used to bring in most of the government surveillance that’s about to be used against us. “Terror” is why many environmentalists in the last decade were imprisoned. “Terror” is also why most of the police forces in the United States are now as armed as military units overseas.
Terrified people make mistakes. They run towards the nearest person offering them protection, or hide in silence as those around them suffer violence. Terrified people are easily controlled, easily abused, easily conquered.
We must not be terrified.
Instead, we should be excited. Not for the rise of the far-right, for nationalism and white supremacists and fascists and Christian fundamentalists. Not for the suffering of our friends, nor for ours, nor for the coming violence against everyone who doesn’t fit into the plans of our new masters.
We should be excited because we suddenly have a chance we didn’t have before. This is a crisis, absolutely, but it isn’t just ours. During the summer, I wrote of the impending death of Liberal Democracy. That time is upon us.
Environmental destruction, climate change, and extinction are all the effects of capitalism. Racism, patriarchal violence, and the oppression of the poor and disabled are requirements of capitalism. And the government, the ‘State,’ is how capitalism survives.
This is why no real change has ever happened regarding climate change. Why no government has ever truly stopped racist oppression of minorities in any country, why life has never been fully livable by the poorest and most vulnerable. The State serves capitalism, and fascism arises whenever they are under threat. If capitalism and the state are under threat, though, who is threatening them?
We are.
Anti-government and anti-capitalist protests around the world have only increased in the last 20 years. Entire countries in Europe have become ungovernable because of the people’s unwillingness to play along with elected leaders who promise them only austerity, more war, and the hope of eventual reform. Entire towns and regions in Spain and Greece, for instance, are de-facto autonomous zones. In smaller regions of France it is the same.
That is, empire is crumbling, people are finding a new way to live, and governments and the rich everywhere are on the defensive.
That’s why we shouldn’t be terrified. That’s why we should be excited. It’s time to press our advantage. It’s time to dance in the ruins of empire.
Here’s some stuff that might help.