On Tyranny - Lesson 13: Practice Corporeal Politics

Keeping it rolling - lesson 13 of 20 from the 20th Century On Tyranny: practice corporeal politics

A+ for you if you already know what corporeal means; I looked it up before reading the chapter. It means with your body or material objects. So practice politics with your body in a material way. 

Snyder discusses the Solidarity labor movement in Poland in the 80's and its role in the fall of communism in Poland. The authoritarian government in Poland had suppressed student protests and worker strikes over the past couple of decades, but in 1980 when workers moved to strike again they were joined by lawyers, scholars, and massive swaths of the workforce. Millions of people joined this free labor union and for a long time the government couldn't shut it down. People of all creeds gathered to discuss new ideas and form new bonds. After more than a year, the Polish government struck the movement down with martial law, but eight years later when the government needed negotiating partners due to a rising number of strikes and protests throughout the country, it turned to the Solidarity union which was able to successfully demand elections. Those elections went in favor of the union and so began the fall of authoritarian communism in Poland.

The suggestion in this lesson is that online gathering and community is not as strong as it is in person. It makes me think of the difference between attending a march or protest and sharing a petition online. A protest can connect you with people you wouldn't have otherwise encountered, but so can the internet. The difference, I think, is maybe the connection to the cause. A march with a ton of people can be an almost out of body experience. It is so moving to see a crowd coming together for a common cause, and to be a part of that crowd. While sharing a petition or informative article online is a relatively hands-off way to share your views or push for change. I think there is value in both, and I think there is more value than some may think in online community. But if you're going to choose one over the other, I think in-person engagement is a stronger base to build on.

When you're coming together to participate in politics in real-life, you're committing in a way that curating your online persona can't match. You're focusing with others on the "doing" of making a difference while online you may be more focused in a more passive way; it's not spilling over into other areas of your life like it might if you were engaging in person with others. It's also easier to ignore online efforts versus in person. Blacking out profile photos en masse doesn't force any action or attention from people in power, while showing up in person with others to municipal meetings and events forces focus onto the issue at hand. 

I wouldn't say don't engage in politics online. The internet is a versatile tool and can be used in a ton of different ways to affect change from seeking information, to organizing, to crowdfunding. But don't let it stop there. Don't fight for justice or equality online and not in real life. It's not enough to share an article or make a status. Those things can be helpful in certain contexts, but they won't create such a sense of community to channel strength almost a decade later like the Solidarity union. Come together. Get out into the world. Build lasting relationships and fight alongside people you know and trust. That's where the real strength lies.