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Category: Strategize!

  • What The World Can Learn From Radical Queer Aid Collectives

    One of the 26 executive orders Donald Trump signed on the first day of his presidency was a 90-day pause on foreign aid, which he said is often “not aligned with American interests”.

    The subsequent suspension of overseas aid programmes has hit vulnerable communities around the world, with LGBTIQ+ organisations in the Global South among the worst affected. But three East African queer mutual aid groups were well-prepared for this scenario, and have a model that could help organisations reeling from Trump’s actions.

    Since their inception, The Trans and Queer Fund and UmaUma Buy Nothing group, both based in Kenya, and an untitled queer collective in Uganda have organised themselves to be independent from foreign donors, which they say do not understand the realities of the communities they serve.

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  • When The Banality Of Evil Becomes Normalized, It Grows Unchecked

    February tends to be a pretty harsh time of year in Berlin. Freezing temperatures, short days, and perpetually gray skies weigh heavy upon the city’s inhabitants, amplifying an already fraught atmosphere in Germany. Amidst a persistently bleak economic outlook, the country is undergoing a sharp rightward shift, with traditional parties increasingly mirroring the rhetoric of the far-right AfD, to the point where the distinctions between them are becoming negligible.

    This shift has been accompanied by the criminalization and escalating repression of any movement, initiative, or individual criticizing the Israeli government’s actions, or expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people — the victims of what numerous experts describe as an ongoing genocide.

    The post When The Banality Of Evil Becomes Normalized, It Grows Unchecked appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • When The Banality Of Evil Becomes Normalized, It Grows Unchecked

    February tends to be a pretty harsh time of year in Berlin. Freezing temperatures, short days, and perpetually gray skies weigh heavy upon the city’s inhabitants, amplifying an already fraught atmosphere in Germany. Amidst a persistently bleak economic outlook, the country is undergoing a sharp rightward shift, with traditional parties increasingly mirroring the rhetoric of the far-right AfD, to the point where the distinctions between them are becoming negligible.

    This shift has been accompanied by the criminalization and escalating repression of any movement, initiative, or individual criticizing the Israeli government’s actions, or expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people — the victims of what numerous experts describe as an ongoing genocide.

    The post When The Banality Of Evil Becomes Normalized, It Grows Unchecked appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

  • We Need A New Wave Of Airport Protests

    Over the past two weeks, the Trump administration’s detention, interrogation and deportation machine has shown a new level of cruelty. The detention and deportation of visa holders, followed by over 200 Venezuelan nationals without due process, has caused judicial controversy and a struggle in the courts. But activists and progressives cannot simply rely on the court system to rein in Donald Trump. Popular pressure is needed to push back on the impunity of the Trump administration and the cruelty of border control agents, especially in the face of a likely new Muslim ban.

    The post We Need A New Wave Of Airport Protests appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Attacks On Public Workers Are An Attack On The Entire Working Class

    Despite contradictions in the U.S. regime and emerging opposition, Elon Musk and Donald Trump are moving forward with their goal of gutting the federal workforce and attacking public sector unions. Both their method of carrying out the attacks and the impact so far have been an absolute shitshow, with many attacks quickly being halted by interventions from the courts, leading to changes by the day. It is clear though that the Trump administration and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are hellbent on gutting services that working communities rely on, destroying tens of thousands of jobs in the process.

    The post Attacks On Public Workers Are An Attack On The Entire Working Class appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Call For Permanent Mobilization In Support Of Social Reforms

    In the midst of tensions with Congress over the shelving of labor reform, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, said in Bogotá that a referendum had been launched to decide on the future of the reforms and that the people must remain in permanent and growing mobilization so that the parliamentarians serve them and not the powerful.

    In front of tens of thousands of people who filled Plaza Bolívar, in the historic center of the capital, the head of state said that the proposal for a referendum is essential to decide the fate of the social reforms presented by the Government of Change.

    The post Call For Permanent Mobilization In Support Of Social Reforms appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • A Strategy For Social Self-Defense

    French Prime Minister George Clemenceau once warned that “generals always prepare to fight the last war, especially if they won it.” Conditions in 2025 differ in many ways from those of 2017. Social Self-Defense against Trumpian autocracy in the new MAGA era will fail if it is simply a rerun of the first Trump Resistance. Its strategy will have to pay continuous attention to what the Trump regime is doing, how people are reacting, and what opportunities for action those developments open or close.

    Trump’s actions and popular response are highly unpredictable, so his opponent’s strategies will have to be highly flexible.

    The post A Strategy For Social Self-Defense appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Florida’s Union-Busting Regime: A Report From The Front Lines

    Organizing in the South has always been challenging, and Florida’s latest union-busting legislation has only made it harder.

    Public sector unions had successfully fought off these attacks for years, but the tide turned in May 2023. The new law imposed severe restrictions: requiring public sector unions to maintain 60 percent membership, banning payroll dues deductions, and mandating a cumbersome four-page membership form. Notably, police, fire, and corrections unions were exempt.

    We left the State Capitol before the ink was dry and returned home to start organizing.

    The post Florida’s Union-Busting Regime: A Report From The Front Lines appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • A Love Letter To The Student Movement

    In January, Gaza took its first tenuous breath of stillness in more than a year. It is a moment of clarity, a reminder that our work is far from done. For the student movement, this is a call to recalibrate and push forward. We cannot mistake temporary stillness for resolution, nor recognition for accomplishment. Nothing short of full liberation can be our goal.

    By now, you know that universities have nothing to offer us but spectacle and scorn. The U.S. ruling class has spent decades perfecting its support of Zionism, with universities as central pipelines for research, propaganda and profit.

    The post A Love Letter To The Student Movement appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • A Love Letter To The Student Movement

    In January, Gaza took its first tenuous breath of stillness in more than a year. It is a moment of clarity, a reminder that our work is far from done. For the student movement, this is a call to recalibrate and push forward. We cannot mistake temporary stillness for resolution, nor recognition for accomplishment. Nothing short of full liberation can be our goal.

    By now, you know that universities have nothing to offer us but spectacle and scorn. The U.S. ruling class has spent decades perfecting its support of Zionism, with universities as central pipelines for research, propaganda and profit.

    The post A Love Letter To The Student Movement appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Is Social Media The New Union Battleground?

    Airplanes with standing sections. An extra fee for boarding charged at airport terminals. Even smaller carry-on luggage allowances. These are a few of the features offered by Unfair Canada.

    Since December, satirical ads for the fictional airline have popped up on Facebook and Instagram alongside anonymous, first-hand accounts of flight attendants stuck on planes for hours without pay.

    The posts are part of the Air Canada flight attendants’ union’s campaign to put a spotlight on the hours of unpaid work expected of flight attendants as their union negotiates a new contract.

    The post Is Social Media The New Union Battleground? appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

  • The Seven Fundamental Drivers Of Overshoot

    Humanity is in overshoot. The last 50 years have marked a unique period in history during which our species has been able to access, extract, and consume natural resources at a rate faster than the Earth is able to regenerate them. As humanity continues to grow its population beyond the carrying capacity of its environment, the associated excess consumption is degrading the health of Earth’s ecosystems. By over-consuming our environment—and ecosystem stability—in the short-term, we are putting our planet’s long-term stability and capacity to provide for future generations in jeopardy.

    The post The Seven Fundamental Drivers Of Overshoot appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Plan 2028: Bringing Labor And Social Movements Together

    The Trump Administration has come in with brute force, attacking working people and institutions from all angles. Their “flood the zone” strategy has left many feeling confused and powerless. But MAGA forces are not unstoppable. Strong coalitions among labor and social movement organizations offer one of the best hopes for blocking the rise of white Christian nationalist forces, and for countering authoritarianism with progressive power.

    In Fall 2023, United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain called for unions around America to align their contracts with a May 1, 2028 expiration date, in order to align with the UAW’s next round of bargaining with the Big Three: Ford, General Motors (GM), and Chrysler (now Stellantis).

    The post Plan 2028: Bringing Labor And Social Movements Together appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • The Fog Of Class War

    A class consciousness among the working masses, one that takes the issue of race seriously, is critical at this moment. Still, the democrats are working to disrupt this effort to organize against the capitalist elite. “War is the realm of uncertainty; three quarters of the factors on which action in war is based are wrapped […]

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  • Army Corps Workers Defend Parental Leave With Direct Action

    The doctor recommended at least 18 weeks to recover from childbirth. But Jane (whose name was changed for this article) was entitled to only 12 paid weeks under the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act. So she put in a request with her employer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for advance sick leave to cover the other six weeks.

    But her request was denied; the Army Corps said her work was too important for her to be gone that long. Jane asked to discuss a solution. Management suggested filing a grievance and declined to discuss it any further, despite its contractual “open-door policy.”

    The post Army Corps Workers Defend Parental Leave With Direct Action appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Trump Labels Tesla Dealership Attacks As Domestic Terrorism

    President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that attacks on Tesla dealerships and vehicles would be classified as acts of domestic terrorism, escalating his support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk amid the company’s stock decline and ongoing protests. The declaration follows weeks of demonstrations against Musk’s deepening political ties to the Trump administration, including his role in government restructuring and his controversial far-right rhetoric.

    The statement came during a White House event where Trump stood alongside Musk, who had brought several Tesla vehicles for a photo op.

    The post Trump Labels Tesla Dealership Attacks As Domestic Terrorism appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Lawfare In Perú: Trial Of Rupture

    On March 4, José Pedro Castillo Terrones, Peru’s first Indigenous rural president, went before the Supreme Court in what he, his lawyers and supporters have called a “show trial” for the supposed crime of rebellion. Since being overthrown in a 2022 coup, Castillo has spent the past two years in Penal Barbadillo (a prison) in conditions described as torture. He is said to be under pre-trial detention, itself a violation of his human rights.

    Shortly after Castillo gave an announcement that he would pursue closing Congress , a primary demand of the Peruvian masses for years, Congress swiftly moved to impeach him. In a chain of procedural missteps, Congress rammed through (illegally, as his lawyers argue) the impeachment of Castillo.

    The post Lawfare In Perú: Trial Of Rupture appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • South Korean Workers Unite Against The US-Backed Far Right

    South Korea’s U.S.-backed President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from the Seoul Detention Center on March 8. Yoon was impeached on Dec. 27, 2024, for his role in ordering a right-wing coup, an order that failed earlier that month. Yoon’s release was based on a legal technicality, and it is already sparking some resistance and some chaos.

    Yoon had declared martial law on Dec. 3 during a televised address. The declaration aroused fierce and massive resistance, particularly from organized labor, students and two opposition parties that participate in the Korean Congress.

    The post South Korean Workers Unite Against The US-Backed Far Right appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • The Need To Protect Direct Democracy

    Direct democracy in America is under attack. That development has been underappreciated as we focus on the vibe shift represented by Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. Still, it tells us just as much about the strengths and weaknesses of America’s constitutional system.

    Direct democracy in some form — through citizen initiatives, popular referendums or both — is an option in 26 states and the District of Columbia. Citizens can petition to place statutes or constitutional amendments on the ballot or ask voters to approve or repeal actions of their legislatures.

    The post The Need To Protect Direct Democracy appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • International Law’s Fight For Relevance

    International law is fighting for relevance. The outcome of this fight is likely to change the entire global political dynamic, which was shaped by World War II and sustained through the selective interpretation of the law by dominant countries.

    In principle, international law should have always been relevant, if not paramount, in governing the relationships among all countries, large and small, to resolve conflicts before they turn into outright wars. It should also have worked to prevent a return to an era of exploitation that allowed Western colonialism to practically enslave the Global South for hundreds of years.

    The post International Law’s Fight For Relevance appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Will Pakistan Remain A US Proxy Or Become A Regional Partner?

    Pakistan is one of the largest countries in South Asia. Ever since its formation in 1947, it has been politically dominated by a coalition of landed and military elites who rule over millions of impoverished citizens mainly by force. Attempts to break this dominance and establish a truly popular government independent of the military establishment have mostly failed. Meanwhile, the ruling classes in Pakistan have been unable to industrialize and democratize the state. Their deep dependence on rent and the interests of the imperialists are in complete opposition to the popular aspirations and sentiments of the people.

    The post Will Pakistan Remain A US Proxy Or Become A Regional Partner? appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Press Conference

    The year 2024 saw profound changes in the international landscape as well as remarkable progress in China’s reform and development. Under the stewardship of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China made important progress in its diplomacy. We fostered a good external environment for China’s high-quality development, brought much-needed stability to a changing and turbulent world, and made new and solid strides in building a community with a shared future for mankind. This year, the international situation is still full of challenges. But the mission of China’s diplomacy remains unchanged.

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  • The US Has Never Been More Divided On Climate

    In the autumn of 2014, I was sitting in a tiny shed at a writing residency in Point Reyes, Northern California. I was there to write my book about the psychology of facing planetary crises. One particularly warm afternoon, I was looking out at Tomales Bay, teeming with bird life, when my phone rang with an unknown Washington DC number.

    Grateful for any distraction, I took the call.

    The fast-talking man on the other end of the line introduced himself as a senior advisor to the Republican Party. Let’s call him “Bob” (not his real name).

    The post The US Has Never Been More Divided On Climate appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Lessons On Trans Liberation From The US South

    In a recent exchange between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills, she publicly declined to comply with Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletic participation. The governor’s act of defiance made headlines as electeds, advocates and organizers grapple with how they might respond to the president’s anti-trans agenda.

    This practice of defiance and dedication to trans lives is nothing new to reformers in the U.S. South who have a message to national organizers: the fight may look different but the endgame remains the same. We have to protect our trans neighbors fearlessly and without exception.

    The post Lessons On Trans Liberation From The US South appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Who’s Fighting Back (And Not) Against Cuts in Veteran’s Administration

    Among the Republican voters experiencing buyer’s remorse are more than a few military veterans who chose Trump over Harris by a margin of 65 to 34%, according to some exit polls.

    Their shock and dismay surfaced in DC this month during the legislative conference of the reliably conservative and hawkish Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), which has 1.4 million members.

    In the run-up to that annual event, VFW national commander Al Lipphardt, urged his members to “march forth” and “engage with lawmakers” to “stop the bleeding” at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

    The post Who’s Fighting Back (And Not) Against Cuts in Veteran’s Administration appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Gendered Perspectives On The Global Resource Economy

    Extractive economies are deeply gendered, disproportionately harming women and Indigenous communities (mining, land dispossession, violence, health effects) while benefiting multinational corporations and financial markets (Altamirano-Jiménez, 2021). Women are often the first to experience land loss, pollution, and social upheaval, yet they are often sidelined in decision-making. The relationship between people and the planet is undeniably complex. Historically, it has been marred by narratives of domination and exploitation.

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  • American Lumpen Development: The Data Center Boom

    In the Marxist view of economics, the development of the productive forces is a key element which defines the overall development of a certain country or place. This generally means urbanization paired with real industrialization and the reduction of the urban-rural gap through land reform and an agricultural policy that promotes food sovereignty and self sufficiency. All of this paired with schools, hospitals, mass public transit and other markers of the development of social and cultural life can provide people with jobs and livelihoods that are the building blocks for socialist development.

    The post American Lumpen Development: The Data Center Boom appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

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  • Slouching Towards Mount McKinley

    “We will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley where it should be and where it belongs,” President Trump announced to a burst of applause during his inaugural address on January 20th. Continuing his celebration of a decidedly mediocre president, best known for taking this country on an ill-advised turn towards colonial conquest, Trump added: “President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent — he was a natural businessman — and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did including the Panama Canal which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama after the United States… spent more money than ever spent on a project before and lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal.”

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  • Postal Workers Brace For Trump’s Wrecking Ball

    Is the nation’s biggest union workforce, at the Postal Service, President Trump’s next target?

    The Washington Post broke the news February 20 that Trump was on the verge of issuing an executive order to dissolve the independent leadership of USPS and move it into the executive branch under the Department of Commerce, now led by enthusiastic privatizer Howard Lutnick, a Wall Street banker. Trump confirmed the next day that he was “looking at” this option.

    The other shoe hasn’t dropped yet. But one immediate threat is that moving USPS into the executive branch could provide a rationale to cancel union contracts.

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  • Don’t Let Insurance Companies Fleece Homeowners

    As climate-fueled disasters escalate, insurers are getting richer while leaving Americans in the lurch. Citing climate-related losses, many insurance companies are exorbitantly inflating rates, refusing to renew policies, and delaying, denying, or underpaying claims.

    The latest of many examples is Los Angeles, where wildfires devoured over 40,000 acres and left thousands unhoused and unemployed.

    Many families were dropped by their insurers or struggled to find affordable options before the fires. Some turned to the state’s coverage plan, which costs more and covers less.

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