“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”― Margaret Mead
Now that the Bloat King and his coterie of oligarchs have hijacked our nation and have Gaia in their crosshairs, and are rapidly fomenting chaos and dread by taking a wrecking ball to the essential institutions of democracy and civility, we have no alternative but to launch a Satyagraha campaign, as quickly and effectively as possible, to which I will devote my efforts till my last breath, or till the Bloat King and his enablers join Hitler and Stalin and all other tyrannical thugs in the toxic waste bin of history. So be it.
So let’s begin with six words, six key concepts, that form the foundation of Satyagraha, (lit. “grasping the Truth” or “firmly adhering to Truth”), Gandhi’s visionary approach to organized nonviolent resistance to tyranny and oppression (which directly influenced his later disciples throughout the world, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, Lech Walesa, and Wangari Maathai).
So what are these six words, to ground our understanding of Satyagraha? Three Sanskrit nouns, modified by three English adjectives, such that you can place any one of the adjectives (or their adverbial form, as necessary) in front of any one of the nouns.
(1) Ahimsa: “doing no harm.” Resolutely nonviolent noncooperation with evil.
(2) Satya: “truth.” Speaking truth to power.
(3) Swaraj: “self-rule.” Refers to a combination of self-discipline, self-reliance, and solidarity, not only in confronting evil, but in creating localized, sustainable alternatives to subjugation, ecocide, and oppression.
And the three adjectives are as follows:
(1) Mindful: compassionate attentiveness to what we are thinking, feeling, and doing in the present moment, so as not to be distracted by rage or fear. Taking refuge in the Sacred as we conceive it, within our own faith traditions or otherwise. For example, a good mantra from the Christian tradition is “Thy Will be done,” no matter what. Gandhi called this practice “renunciation of the fruits of action.” Doing our best, without getting attached to success or failure.
(2) Strategic: Carefully considering the consequence, both foreseen and inadvertent, of any proposed action; choosing actions with maximal effectiveness and favorable exposure, and minimal risk. Balancing prudence and courage in planning every action we take, individual or collaborative.
(3) Relentless: Never giving up, no matter what. A Satyagrahi knows no defeat, only setbacks. As Gandhi constantly reiterated, “Truth is indestructible.”
So in short, here is the way to practice Satyagraha: resolutely refuse to do harm or to cooperate with anyone who is acting with cruelty or harmful intent, no matter how much power they have over you (Ahimsa); boldly but patiently speak truth to power (Satya); and cultivate community and solidarity with those you can trust, while learning, teaching, healing, and creating, so that we collaborate in gradually emancipating ourselves from dependence on the Oligarchy as much as possible. (Swaraj).
— and do it all mindfully, strategically, and relentlessly!
Try repeating these six words, in different combinations:
mindful nonviolent resistance, truth-speaking, community building;
strategic community building, nonviolent resistance, truth-speaking
relentless truth-speaking, community building, nonviolent resistance.
Here’s one way to start: reach out to a handful of trusted friends (6–10, max) and form a Satyagraha Study Group. Encourage them to do likewise with a handful of their trusted friends, as well. Make it go viral! Meet periodically, either in person or online (e.g. on Zoom) to read and discuss good books on the nature of tyranny, and on nonviolent resistance — and strategize! Here are the three I am using:
1. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder; a small, easily readable overview of the nature of tyranny, and of ways to resist it. Create a PowerPoint presentation of the 20 “lessons,” each with the brief summary that Snyder provides, so participants have no need to read the book before attending the meeting. Let them fill in their own examples from what the Trump regime is doing now! Each lesson and summary can easily fit on a PowerPoint slide.
2. Gandhi on Nonviolence edited and curated by Thomas Merton; a collection of short Gandhi quotes on the theory and practice of nonviolent resistance, or Satyagraha.
3. From Dictatorship to Democracy by Gene Sharp; a detailed case-study of the strategies, successes, and failures of nonviolent resistance movements against tyranny throughout the world, in the latter part of the Twentieth Century.
Form your groups, set a date, and go forth!