I’ve been reading about the development of resistance movements in WWII, and I noticed something that got me thinking.

Resistance in a unified front (i.e. among groups that disagree politically), seems to require some form of shared identity.

  • The fighting front in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (groups including Zionists and Bundists) shared the common identity of being Jewish.

  • The united front in the French resistance (nationalists and communists) shared the common identity of being French1.

I think we can all agree that identifying with American patriotism is entirely reactionary – as a settler colony, there’s basically nothing redeemable there.

Is there an effective shared identity for people in the U$ to resist from?

I feel like the 2020 BLM protests had a shared identity of anti-racism, but it feels like that energy has dissipated.

1: not an identity without controversy, but not as directly reactionary as a full settler colonial national identity.

  • 201dberg@lemmygrad.ml
    8·
    5 days ago

    This is very on the noze. People really do not realize how big and different the US is. There’s a lot of differences of people by state and even sections of state. The only “homogeneous” culture it has is the rampant nationalism and leader worship that’s been installed by over a century of capitalist propaganda. What I like to call the “sportsball mentality” is the majority of their politics. That being "out team good, their team bad, and no thought beyond that.

    If anyone wants to see real, actual “culture” you have to gouch smaller and deeper into things. Even then though, it’s very shallow. I mean, the country is what? Not even 300 years old since all 50 states existed? There are like, sourdough bread cultures in Europe that are twice the age of the US. There’s tea tree farms in China that are probably more than 5 times that age.

    So as far as what OP is looking for. I agree, there’s really nothing here.