How to Talk About Degrowth
This page is dedicated to empowering individuals to communicate the concept of degrowth effectively. We aim to equip you with the knowledge, strategies, and confidence needed to engage in meaningful…
This article shows us how to defeat the empire. Not with old tactics but by challenging the control powerful folks have over what we think. It's a rallying cry for us to use what we're good at – whether that's art, humour, writing, or just having honest conversations – to chip away at the influence these institutions have over public opinion. Think of it as a mini-guide for making a difference by doing your thing, spreading the truth, and encouraging others to think for themselves. Short and sweet: it's about using your voice for change.
This article was initially written by Caitlin Johnstone and Tim Foley. It has been condensed and reworded to increase its accessibility.
A big challenge in my life has been finding ways to communicate solutions to our problems in a way that really makes people listen. I frequently talk about these solutions, and while some people understand, when others see me going on and on about a grassroots revolution against the establishment narrative control machine, they often ask, "Okay, but what do we do?" or "You talk about problems but never offer any solutions!"
The issue partly lies in not discussing traditional solutions that people are conditioned to expect, such as supporting specific politicians, forming new political parties, advocating for violent revolutions, or relying on the notion that political systems and processes can solve our biggest issues by themselves.
I constantly advocate for a decentralised approach to challenge the powerful institutions that shape public opinion. I emphasise the importance of fighting against narrative control because propaganda is at the root of all our problems. Actual change is unlikely as long as media controlled by the elite can shape public consent. People will never challenge a system they're convinced to support. It will never, ever happen.
Many seeking significant changes overlook the power and sophistication of establishment propaganda and the fact that it's continually getting more and more sophisticated. They continue pushing for political movements or policies or even a full-fledged revolution without ever fully addressing the elephant in the room. None of these things will ever happen as long as establishment propaganda keeps most people disinterested in seeking change.
This situation is akin to trying to start a fire in the rain. It's clear we need a fire, but it's futile if the rain keeps everything too wet to ignite. The first step should be to shield our efforts from the overwhelming downpour of mainstream propaganda.
A decentralised guerrilla psywar against the propaganda machine is the best solution to this problem.
By psywar, I mean a grassroots psychological war against the establishment propaganda machine to weaken public trust in pro-empire narratives. Right now, trust in the mass media is at an all-time low, while our ability to network and share information is at an all-time high. We need to use our unprecedented ability to circulate information to continue to kill public trust in the mass media, not with lies and propaganda, but with truth. If we can expose journalistic malpractice and the glaring plot holes in establishment narratives (think Julian Assange, Growthism, China = bad & US = good), we will make the mass media look less trustworthy.
By decentralised, I mean that everyone should contribute in their own way, making it harder for the establishment to counteract. Suppose we're each watching for opportunities to weaken public trust in the official narrative makers of our time and in our unique way using videos, blogs, tweets, art, paper literature, conversations and demonstrations. In that case, we'll be far more effective.
By guerrilla, I mean constantly attacking different fronts and continuously changing tactics. This way, we can prevent the establishment from crafting effective counter-narratives. If they build solid armour around one area, put it aside and expose their lies on an entirely different front. The only consistency should be attacking the propaganda machine as visibly as possible.
We'll be right back after this quick anti-commercial break!
As far as how to go about that attack, my best answer is that I'm leading by example here. I use my skills and knowledge to challenge narrative control where I see vulnerabilities. I encourage others to do the same, recognising that everyone has unique strengths and ways to contribute: some of us are funny, some are artistic, some are really good at putting together information and presenting it in a particular format, some are good at finding and boosting other people's high-quality attacks. Everyone brings something to the table. The goal is to draw public attention to our efforts, using whatever means best resonate with people in your context. Don't shy away from speaking loudly and shining brightly.
Having a complete narrative of everything happening in the world is unnecessary. The key is to awaken people to the fact that they are being manipulated and lied to. Each person who becomes aware contributes to the overall effort, which is energy well spent.
Once we've significantly undermined trust in the establishment's propaganda machine, the landscape will already begin to change, and the next steps will become apparent. Until then, the attack on the establishment's information control should be our foremost priority.
This article was initially written by Caitlin Johnstone and Tim Foley. It has been condensed and reworded to increase its accessibility. Caitlin is a highly inspiring woman who produces daily content on narratives, propaganda, and psychological warfare and never fails to call out global injustices when she sees them. You should 100 % follow her.
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