I was looking all over social media, trying to understand how Donald Trump managed to win a second term. What I found was that the Democratic Party failed to connect with the working class—a point Bernie Sanders had raised repeatedly. Additionally, a large portion of people seemed uninformed about Trump’s policies and plans.
What we need now is a movement like ‘Our Revolution’ but on a much larger scale. We need a grassroots think tank, a network of groups committed to strategic engagement. It’s time to start playing the long game and thinking several moves ahead, like in chess.
Imagine if we approached this with the same conviction as missionaries spreading their beliefs, showing up and engaging people directly. We need to create local groups that focus on educating people—not by overwhelming them with everything, but by making them aware of the policies that affect their lives the most. Starting with the issues closest to home, we can help people understand why certain laws exist and empower them to push for change.
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I’d also like to emphasize how important it is to address the real struggles of everyday Americans in this process and to understand why so many believed Trump could be the solution to their problems. This has to go beyond superficial talking points—every detail should be studied and documented, so that when we go out to engage people, we’re ready with the knowledge that speaks directly to their concerns.
We also need to consider the way we bring people into the fold. Most people today have short attention spans and might not be interested in long political discussions, so creating a sense of community is key. Imagine gatherings that go beyond politics, where we include things like board games, snacks, and even social activities that allow people to bond and feel at ease.
This could make a big difference—if we invite people to something more engaging than just a ‘political meeting,’ they’re more likely to participate and bring friends along. For instance, if someone who’s highly engaged in politics invites a more apolitical friend, it’s far more appealing if there’s more on offer than a debate. Activities like group volunteering, movie nights, or other casual get-togethers could go a long way in drawing people in and building an inclusive environment.
The goal is to create a broad and welcoming space where people don’t feel pressured to have all the answers or be deeply political. We want to foster curiosity and connection, and in that setting, meaningful conversations can naturally follow.
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@progressivemma You have an interesting vision for a grassroots movement, and there’s potential to make an impact. What you’re describing, a welcoming, community-centred approach to political engagement, is already happening in some circles. Plenty of people are holding these kinds of gatherings, mixing social activities with political awareness, and it’s a valuable tactic. But if the goal is to make a unique, lasting impact different from what’s already out there, the approach needs something unique to stand out.
Expanding these efforts to new areas can help spread the word and bring more people into the movement. However, if you want to see a more significant change, it’ll take more than just reaching new audiences. The key will be finding ways to make your grassroots movement different, unique, and engaging on a whole new level. That could mean innovating how information is shared, using tech creatively, or focusing on hyper-local issues that matter deeply to communities. A model that builds community around authentic, actionable knowledge could go far—but it has to speak to people in ways they haven’t experienced before.
Your idea of mixing social gatherings with learning opportunities is spot-on, and creating a network that strategically engages people with relatable content is powerful. However, to reach a point where this movement becomes a “game-changer,” try to identify what will set it apart from similar efforts. Consider what kind of experience would make someone want to stay and invite others or what connections will make people feel genuinely part of something special and unique.
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I would argue that the Left (not the right leaning Centrist Democrat “Left” that gets that title, but the real Left in this country) has been trying to educate the masses since Marx first dared to critique the dangers of Capitalism way back in the day. The problem here is that Democrats and Republicans are part of the same wing of the Corporate Capitalist Party. Their economic interests are really not that different from one another, but their social interests are. The problem is that they both have the same wealthy donors who don’t see themselves losing any freedoms or having to contend with any serious legal problems regardless of which party wins, because they are immune to such due to being shamelessly wealthy and powerful. Since they own the Media, where do you suggest this education be done? I have personally been involved in all sorts of independent parties from the Peace and Freedom Party to the New Party (a failed attempt to create a worker’s party for all workers, not just union workers), but our biggest opposers have always been the Democratic party. As for the New Party, it was Unions themselves, which I was part of, that didn’t want to support something that benefitted all workers. In terms of the Independent media, NewTimes Publishing was shut down, in part, by the direct efforts of Kamala Harris as Attorney General of California. I have watched Democracy Now become “All Inclusive Capitalism Now” and Pacifica Radio Stations go from playing Parenti and Chomsky on a daily basis to being little more than eclectic little music stations. Sadly, the system is so corrupt that it is hard to imagine that anything will change until it completely collapses in on itself, but, as Studs Terkel, used to say, “the last thing that should ever go is hope,” and so, yeah, let’s educate the masses.
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I honestly think we are being tricked into watching Trump craziness too much while in fact Peter Thiel and his Paypal mafia friends are taking over.
I wrote extensively about this.
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I say be wary of using a “missionary model“ there’s been too much abuse and there’s such a negative connotation that goes with it.
I prefer “canvassing“.
Either way we need to start a process similar to the deconstruction that one goes through when they leave a cult.
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