Strategy

It’s a modern David and Goliath story writ large. Anti-Earth and anti-democracy forces are united in their quest for power, and the average person has almost no leverage. We do what we can, but the power imbalance is extreme and our efforts seem futile. And given the autocratic leanings of the new administration in Washington, direct resistance feels increasingly dangerous, risky, and even worse perhaps, ineffective.

It’s tempting to simply give up and fall back on familiar amusements, but perhaps we can take some inspiration from the world of traditional marital art. What would the experienced martial artist do when faced with overwhelming force? Direct resistance is dangerous and running doesn’t offer much hope either, but perhaps a lateral side-step would give us some room to move. In this practice, we maintain our integrity, balance, and equipoise, then create something new, something outside the line of fire. This approach is foundational in the practice of aikido and is consistent with Vaclav Havel’s idea of parallel polis, alternative political and cultural structures that create around existing power. (See ParallelPolis2030 for more.)

This is our goal at Radically Human. Instead of taking the fight directly to anti-future forces, we look to create something new, something viable and life-affirming. As our crisis intensifies–as it surely will–we take this opportunity to reflect on who we really are and what we’re doing on this planet. And while this approach might seem soft and philosophical, it is anything but. In the days to come, our humanity will be severely tested. Stress will escalate as chaos and suffering become widespread. If we can maintain some sense of who we are and what we’re doing on this planet, we’re more likely to have a shot at a functional future.