The Vulture Industry, an introduction :: resistance

For this inaugural post, we 1) share the concept of The Vulture Industry, and 2) discuss the elusive concept of resistance, as those seeking absolute power succeed in upending culture, society, and institutions in the Americas.

• The Vulture Industry advances the argument that the combined effects of late-stage capitalism and neoliberalism have been instrumental in the parasitic hollowing out of governments and communities across the Global North. The features of 21st century state-level, post-democratic authoritarianism – best exemplified by the wide support and success of elected and appointed oligarchs, tolerance of techno-fascists, and the rise of Christian Nationalists, and white supremacists into office, primarily in Europe and the Americas – are to be highlighted and explored as central themes. As the US directly assists in an indisputable genocide by way of funding and armaments, other nations participate through their perceptible tolerance of it, or their skirting of condemnation. With this new reality comes changes in global society and regional culture, such that we can only guess as to the severity of impact it will have on a pre-defeated working class whose subservience is involuntary – foisted upon us by technology and those who facilitate its reckless, dizzying expansion.
• We abandon traditional newsletter practice for what might be considered a non-journal. That is, a journal slipping from expectations of form. Through written entries, essays, and interviews, this space is devoted to locale-as-ephemera, art and cultural criticism, and working through fascism by thinking with current and past theorists, poets, and artists. It is in this view of a communal space that these conversations are situated.

What does resistance look like?

On Feb. 7th, an excellent opinion piece written by journalist and author Katherine Stewart was shared with us that in many ways defines the moment. A researcher of Christian fundamentalism and nationalism, Stewart calls the ongoing actions by the rogue Trump administration part of a greater “anti-democratic movement”.

It’s an excellent synopsis of the metamorphosis of a hopelessly fragile democratic (a democracy in name only, we might argue) system that is currently underway. The piece also calls out numerous actors and variables pushing forward these changes with excruciating speed. The lack of pushback on the efforts is alarming, even if the sum of the parts of the efforts lacks objective efficiency.

It's an article worth reading. We note that Stewart's opinion piece also functions as a veiled advertisement for her new book, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy, which will be on shelves on Feb. 18th, courtesy of the large publishing house, Bloomsbury.

The merits of the article in mind, it lacks much beyond illustrating a nascent fascist movement in the US as it now takes shape within government itself. So what is to be done? The NYT piece offers no answers or recommendations, thus presuming a period of waiting around to see what happens. Stewart does not offer immediate ideas for interdicting or complicating the affairs of the oligarchs and their ilk – and perhaps the biggest failure for a piece published for such a wide audience is its failure to acknowledge what it is to live among and in close proximity to a far right that is practiced at refuting discussions and arguments based in reality. Indeed, a casual study of big-brand opinion pieces often reveals a bubble from which sociological analysis takes place in relative isolation from those living outside of metropolitan areas.

Perhaps Stewart's book goes into further depth, and attempts to arm readers with ideas for action and resistance. It's recommended on premise alone, and for further familiarizing, Stewart's recent interview with Background Briefing's Ian Masters is worth a listen for its clarity and lucidity on the moment.

So, as we like to ask, "What does resistance look like in such an environment?" As we begin to live through 21st century fascism, we must resist it however necessary, outright disrupting and disempowering it wherever and however we can. Acknowledging that the outcomes and aftermaths of the current conditions will be waded through for years to come, we would like to offer some approaches and tools to think on in the current moment.

There are plenty of opportunities and methods to get busy using constitutionally-protected processes and actions. As you read, use caution and understand that there are risks to be considered in environments such as these. Consider:

• Being involved in and closely following local/regional measures and political efforts is among the most accessible, safe, and rational efforts one can undertake. Attending or assisting in the facilitation of public school board meetings, applying for seats on city initiatives, organizing to work for housing-for-all, or meeting in groups to tear down neo-nazi and extremist flyers and propaganda that are on the rise again are all important, productive, and desperately needed in communities. Get knowledgeable about the sustained and growing tension over public lands in your area. Or research the growing militia movement in the US.
• Acquire additional tech savvy and become licensed as an amateur HAM radio user. The threat of casual extremists progressing into violent agitators continues to grow, particularly in the context of constitutionally-protected protests. Domestic terrorists regularly utilize UHF/VHF radio frequencies to disrupt and coordinate harm in counter-protests. The ability to interpret, localize, and report instances of extremists collaborating with law enforcement is paramount as institutions under threat continue to hold.
• Setting boundaries and refusing to collaborate. More than a matter of principal, refusing and setting limits to collaboration is meaningful, practical resistance, and can for many function as the first step to greater praxis. This act of refusal has the power to start and sustain discussions on impetuses to the current conditions. Common refusals range from social media account deletion to unsubscribing from questionable newsletters to student and labor strikes.
• Learn to search local, county, state, or federal court records and collect findings into secure databases. Uncomfortable with documented insurrectionists and seditious conspirators being released back into your neighborhood? Meet with others for a research party and learn how to use PACER to scrape past and current cases involving extremists. Use those documents to learn about named collaborators to aid communities in mitigating potential threats. Westlaw Edge has its own search engine structure to pull info from PACER, also requiring a fee. There are free options available, too, such as Plainsite. If your group believes the data in aggregate to be of serious concern, consider tipping local journalists.
• At the local and community level, transparency is integral to forward movement on initiatives and conflict resolution. Even when proceedings and initiatives become uncomfortable and adversarial in local political meetings, honesty and transparency should be sought, demonstrated, and expected among participants. Curious about who is funding an extremist candidate, and who are their apologists? Use available, searchable online resources to see where the money is coming from, and where it's going. Amplifying info can be made available at meetings and can restore transparency or resolve impasses.
• Any action that has been recommended here is going to be integral to diluting the onset and effects of authoritarianism in the US. Importantly, and to re-emphasize, these same actions involve using openly available resources, and are protected by the US Constitution. *Do take note that some of these activities are inherently dangerous, and while hiding identity from online lurkers can be complex, it is often highly necessary. And in dangerous environments and political landscapes, we emphasize that safety to self and others is the priority when wading into resistance actions.
• What else can be done? For anyone resource-limited or hesitant toward risk, literally anything helps. From volunteer work to art to direct action, individual and group efforts can be infectious, and the shared experience starts and sustains conversations about goals.
• Finally, the success of any popular movement — make no mistake, the presently only-theoretical one must be massive to succeed — will require solidarity and cohesion from its onset. Driven less by ideology and identity than toward fundamental concepts of justice. The Vulture Industry encourages movement toward the dismantling of corrupt, galvanized power structures, through a unifying sense of class consciousness, however basic or advanced.