劉子賢的雜記 Liu’s random notes

[jujube]

[jujube]

#Berkeley

[jujube]

#BananasofBerkeley #🍌

[jujube]

Craigslist Sticky Missed Connection #50

Ispa - m4m (irvine)

You are a young asian guy 20 s at Ispa around 5pm-7pm today .I am a young asian too and I am shy to talk with you but we look at each other.hit me up and hope we can meet up there again next time.

[jujube]

The petitions, the phone messages clogging representatives’ voice mails, the open letters, the Twitter hashtag campaigns, the consumer boycotts, the Facebook groups, the hope placed in Electors going disloyal, the frantic resharing of "Another Outrageous Thing He Did", the desperate search for evidence of voting miscount in WI, MI, PA. The hoping that Bernie or Warren or even some Republican will say the right thing. The idea that the 2018 midterms will "rebalance" things. The wish that there was a Third Party to lead us out of this disaster. The desperate grasping for a liberal solution i.e. looking to others to save this Republic that was never a Republic. But all indicators so far show, while these may postpone the inevitable (promising equal suffering in the end), we will not be saved by any of these. If we are saved, it will have been because we looked at ourselves and each other with compassion, love and solidarity, and made a collective effort to move forward into the future together holding these principles tight. #ChooseJustice #NormalizeResistance

[jujube]

Not him but us

The question is not what will he do next, the question is what will we do next. We won't save ourselves by stopping him, but by refusing to assent and by building collective resistance into our daily lives. We have to build moral courage in ourselves and through our own example support others to do the same. #NormalizeResistance

[jujube]

Political Vertigo

Political vertigo. Is this a white nationalist regime in the making or just a few bad years until the Dems rebalance congress? Is this the Neo-Nazi takeover or does Tulsi's visit mean we're all hyperventilating? Why am I freaking out but my co-workers seem ok? Or maybe I won't think it will be quite as bad and my friends are overeacting? This is exactly how fascism creeps in, by sowing the seeds of doubt / mistrust and making it difficult for folks to get on the same page and act collectively. Think think think before you post that next horrible news story w/o offering a specific action people can take IN SOLIDARITY WITH OTHERS to oppose it. Whatever degree of bad you think this is going to get, we need to move forward collectively with purpose if we're going to get through this.

[jujube]

Don’t feed the normalization through your Facebook Posts

Yes all his appointments are atrocious, and that 'Alt-Right' conference in DC was frightening, but think about this, in our social mediatized world, every time you post another story of another ridiculous step his admin or other politicians have taken without a call to action, you are helping to normalize the situation. When people read this stuff but look out the window and the world seems the same or go back to their normal routine, the normalization creeps in. What is needed now is action, not just outrage. Let's not do his work for him -- always post a call to action and a vision of a just future we can fight for.

[jujube]

To #NormalizeResistance we must do more than name and denounce. We have to share our vision of a just future and speak solidarity towards building this future through our actions. Praxis.

[jujube]

Paradoxical truths of an isolationist empire

"It has never been easier to ignore ideas and create new truths in their place."

This is such an important read right now.

[jujube]

Resources of hope, trust, critical thinking, imagination, moral courage, solidarity, love. That is what we must fight for and fight with. That is what will remain when all else falls away.

[jujube]

#DontFeedtheTrolls

Friendly message to anyone that works in progressive comms or organizers organizing actions. Immediately take his name OUT of all your communications: press releases, talking points, Facebook posts, tweets, website etc. You can say "the coming administration' or ''the next administration" but never say his name alone and never critique him personally. Focus all your messaging on linking proposed policies and actions to affected communities and the damaging impact on our nation and economy. I cannot emphasize more how important this is. They are purposely trying to get everyone caught up in an endless argument over his character, an argument progressives CANNOT WIN. We cannot afford to take the bait. #DontFeedtheTrolls.

[jujube]

There is no oxygen in the air Men and women have lost their hair Ashen faces legs that stand Ghosts and goblins walk in this land When tomorrow becomes yesterday And tomorrow becomes eternity When the soul with the soul goes away beyond When life is taken and there are no more babies born And there is no one and there is everyone When there is no one and there is everyone

Tomorrow will be the 22nd century Tomorrow will be the 22nd century Tomorrow will be the 22nd century It will be, it will be, it will be ahh

21st century was here and gone And the 20th century was the dawn The begining of the end was the 21st When the 20th century was at an end

1990 was the year when the plagues struck the earth 1988 was the year when men and women Struck out for freedom And bloodletting was the thing that was

People said there was no god And there was no reason And there was no cause

1972 was right all the way Drums and bugles blasting all though the day Right wing left wing middle of the road Side winder backswinger backlash whiplash Race stockings red stockings Liberation of women liberation of men Everybody carrying a heavy load

Tomorrow will be the 22nd century Tomorrow will be the 22nd century Tomorrow will be the 22nd century It will be, it will be, it will be It will be ahh

-Nina Simone “22nd Century”

[jujube]

#NormalizeResistance

For many of us the next four years may be the longest of our lives. How will we protect ourselves and our communities? How do we resist creeping normalization of fascism, racism, xenophobia, jingoism, misogyny, and the even greater merger of corporate and state power? We must #normalizeresistance. We must build it into our daily practice. Here are some ideas I had and will add to, but would love to hear suggestions from others.

- Be reflective, not reactive. The current rush into right authoritarianism relies on pushing people into a reactive mode (especially through digital channels); we cannot give in to this.

- Commit to doing at least one thing a day to challenge what is happening all around us. Donate, call your elected representative, attend an event, have a conversation with a colleague, family member or friend to build trust or encourage action.

- Don’t feed the trolls. If you see an outrageous post online or hear someone say something ridiculous, think carefully about whether and how to respond. Articulating your own values and vision of a just future is more important than correcting the falsehoods and half-truths of those who have been blinded by a certain ideology that has been around in this country since its foundation and won’t be uprooted through a Twitter exchange, Facebook chat, or conversation between strangers on the street.

- Always frame your arguments in terms of values and principles, and the impact on affected communities, not against evil actors.

- Remember that combating inaction / passivity in ourselves and others will be a more important battle than convincing those who have already aligned themselves with the new regime.

- Rather than suppress or avoid fear or anger, think about ways to transform these emotions into purpose and action.

- The coming period will be a test for whether horizontal relationships of solidarity can overcome vertical relationships of hierarchy. EVERY institution (from nonprofits to unions to faith organizations to media and education and beyond) will be under INTENSE pressure to fall in line and normalize the situation; our ability to hold them accountable will depend on how much we cherish and build horizontal relationships, rather than get caught up in a battle for power at the top.

- Take to time each day build trust (ideally face-to-face) with those already in your community. Engage in active listening and pushing to strengthen your relationships. Take time to express love and appreciation for those in your life.

- Get sleep. We'll need well-rested minds to defeat nationalist authoritarianism. Understand that sleep is part of the work and part of moving forward.

- Unplug. If you can't get off Facebook or Twitter, at least delete the apps your phone. We must stay informed, but consuming an endless diet of bad news and think pieces promotes passivity, not action. Take time to read books that give a longer perspective on the current period. We'll lose if we cannot keep in our sights the longer horizon out there. Also, build community OFF LINE.

- Keep some room for joy. Take time to savor the company of others, a walk in nature, art, music, poetry or a great novel. Imagination will become so important in the coming period.

- Never forget that for all the fears you have there are others out there who are going to be even more vulnerable in the coming period. Use this knowledge to strengthen your solidarity practice.

- Turn your one-time donations to local and national organizations fighting for justice and defending rights into monthly ones.

- The fear/dread/sadness/anger you’re feeling? Think of it as a gift that can imbue all your actions with intention. That is what it means to be truly alive.

[jujube]

Happy Birthday to these worldchangers! 

[jujube]

Hollywood and “Speaking Out” on China

I can't with this, sorry. While I understand the desire to see other narratives beyond the "China miracle" represented on screen and in other media, especially from those who have been paying the price: rural peasants, the working class, ethnic minorities, women and political dissidents, the demand that Hollywood "critique" China is ultimately misguided....and ends up producing such gems like "The Red Corner" starring Richard Gere that reinforce sinophobic/racist tropes, flattened perceptions of societies outside the US, and ultimately place the only possibility of change in China with the exercise of US imperial power, and NOT with Chinese people themselves and others under the reach of the Chinese state, who are in fact resisting and struggling to make the space for new possibilities every single day. This quote, "The fashion industry is a strong supporter of gay rights, while fashion bloggers call out fat-shaming and probe the roots of the Bangladesh Rana Plaza tragedy. Western musical icons have embraced feminism and the ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬ movement." is SO RICH with misreading of the significance that should be attributed when celebrity puts its voice behind social movements/causes. Hollywood can stay dressing up in ridiculous costumes, prancing down the red carpet and making romantic comedies. Let's focus on developing and acting on our own critiques of China (and other governments, including the US) rather than looking to corporate spectacle makers for a watered down version of speaking truth to power. http://qz.com/…/the-met-gala-gave-western-celebrities-yet-…/ ‪

[jujube]

#jenesuispas

Enough with the hashtags that begin #Iam or #JeSuis or #Soy... FACT: Nobody is anybody but themselves! Let’s not reduce solidarity to the neoliberal logic of individual (mis)identification. REAL solidarity is standing with others EVEN as you recognize the differences between you and them AND acknowledge the power/privilege you may have that they do not.