10-point summary
1. The Necessity of Full Spectrum Resistance Systemic social transformation cannot be achieved by any single standpoint, such as deep ecology or Black liberation, acting in isolation. Instead, a successful movement requires a diversity of critiques and tactics working together to mobilize different communities and drive a "battering ram" into structures of power.
2. Radical Flanking and the Overton Window Militant actions on the fringe of acceptability shift the "Overton Window," transforming ideas that were once considered unthinkable into radical, and finally into acceptable policy. By introducing extreme ideas or actions, militants make moderate positions appear more reasonable to those in power, a dynamic known as "radical flanking".
3. The Efficacy of Disruption Over Bureaucracy Analysis of poor people’s movements indicates that marginalized groups achieve material gains primarily through disruption and defiance, rather than through formal organization or lobbying. When movements shift from disruptive tactics to bureaucratic procedures, they often lose their leverage and ability to influence decision-making.
4. Strategic Property Destruction Militant groups like the Wimmin’s Fire Brigade successfully used arson to shut down a pornography chain by targeting property rather than people, capitalizing on an issue that had broad public support. Conversely, the group Direct Action engaged in high-tech bombings of industrial infrastructure; while this resulted in tactical errors and injuries, it also galvanized the broader peace movement and contributed to the cancellation of defense contracts.
5. Movements as Ecologies Rather than viewing a movement as a "house" that must be uniformly constructed, movements should be seen as "ecologies" where diverse groups and tactics coexist like different species in a landscape. A "tactical monoculture," where all participants must agree on a single method of action, often results in the lowest common denominator of effectiveness and fails to challenge the status quo.
6. The "Ratchet" Mechanism of Politics The current political system often functions like a ratchet where the right wing pushes policy forward while the liberal left acts merely as a stopper. To counter this, resistance movements must build their own ratchet where militants push for change through direct action and moderates cement those changes by institutionalizing them.
7. Solidarity Against "Divide and Conquer" The primary strategy of rulers is to divide the ruled against one another, a tactic exemplified by the FBI’s COINTELPRO operations which sought to fragment movements along lines of race and tactics. To win, movements must prioritize solidarity and refuse to let the state drive wedges between militants and moderates.
8. The Power of Intersectional Coalitions Effective resistance requires building bridges between diverse groups, such as the alliance between LGBTQ+ organizers and striking coal miners in the UK, or the "Rainbow Coalition" of the 1960s. These cross-movement alliances are particularly dangerous to the state because they overcome the isolation of marginalized groups, often provoking severe repression as a result.
9. Combatting Internal Oppression Movements cannot succeed if they replicate the oppressions of the dominant culture, such as sexism, racism, or homophobia, within their own ranks. Internal bigotry, such as the misogyny present in parts of the Black Panther Party, deprives movements of talented leadership and strategic intelligence.
10. Combined Arms and Tactical Coordination Just as effective armies use "combined arms" (integrating infantry, artillery, etc.), resistance movements should coordinate different tactics to maximize political force. This requires respecting the autonomy of different groups and using the "St. Paul Principles" to separate conflicting tactics by time and place, ensuring that militant actions do not inadvertently endanger non-combatant allies.
To visualize this approach, the source compares a diverse movement to a tug-of-war using a chain rather than a rope: each link is a different organization or group that may not agree on everything, but if they remain linked and pull in the same general direction, they can collectively topple the opposition.