The Ballot, the Bullet, and the Grand Refusal

[kitsap_charles]

This is an outstanding essay on how to respond to any delay of the election process. Excerpt:

In 1964, Malcolm X posed the question to the government: 'The Ballot or the Bullet."' Without representation, Malcolm roared, rather than "I have a dream," the racist, antidemocratic government might expect to hear instead, "I have a rifle!" Today, we might make the same clarion call to arms.

Yet, while purely passive resistance will be utterly ineffectual, the condition of red or orange 'alert' will allow resistance to be classified as 'terrorism,' with militants facing imprisonment without charges, or worse. Today, perhaps like yesterday, the call to arms would be sheer suicide.

Under such circumstances, should officials attempt to cancel or inject fear into the elections, the only possible solution is the Grand Refusal. The Grand Refusal was Herbert Marcuse's term for the complete rejection of the techno-military government and the whole gambit of repressive state and ideological apparatuses. Unlike other Frankfurt School theorists, Marcuse had a pragmatic side, and suggested, under inspiration from the sixties revolts, the notion of a complete refusal of the system.

The refusal would begin on the planned election day, and last for for as long as necessary. On election day, this would mean showing up at polling places ready to vote, and demanding access to the ballot. It would be demanding the vote with our feet, until the vote with the ballot is granted. It would mean, for many voters, intimidation, but a refusal to succumb to fear.

Comments

[gaiagurl.livejournal.com]

sounds kinda like the way the people of san francisco behaved in starhawk's fictional novel the fifth sacred thing. when their city got overrun by militants, they simply refused to obey and went about their lives as usual. if someone got killed for disobeying, that person's relatives would "haunt" the soldier who killed him or her and tell him stories about the person and what the person contributed to their lives. they had just about the entire army freaking out and spreading weird rumors about them in the space of a few weeks. ;o)

[bigby2k.livejournal.com]

And 2004 is the 40th anniversary of "The Ballot of the Bullet"... creepy..