Collective resistance is incredibly difficult, often failing because of the collective action problem: individuals have conflicting interests, fear of repression, and a tendency to “free ride,” assuming others will act. Large groups are fragmented by power imbalances, distrust, and competing identities, making unified action rare.
People are too busy fighting each other is a core reason why these movements struggle. Overcoming this requires building social trust and civic institutions that can create a shared vision and provide a structure for cooperation, which is a massive, long-term challenge when people are divided and suffering. So what do we do?
It all depends on the scale of the action. I believe firmly in agitate, educate, mobilize.
Agitation is more than just getting people pissed off, effective agitation also directs people toward the shared goal.
Once the people are sufficiently pissed, they want solutions. This is where you teach the core concepts like class consciousness, labor theory of value, etc. You also want to educate people on the risks and how we combat them. By clearly outlining and addressing fears, people feel like they can trust the movement to be honest.
Finally, you mobilize. This is hard. Very hard. But it clearly can be done, otherwise we’d be laboring 100hrs/wk for company scrip. Through agitation and education, you’ve communicated the vision your movement is fighting for, now you need to get these folks engaged. This can take many forms, and varies depending on what and where you are in planning. You should start with simple things, like signing a petition, and expanding from there. I never try to mobilize someone on more than 3 actions at a time.
