David Brooks, a prominent conservative commentator, has written that the question of our time is: "Why hasn't a resistance movement materialized here?" He claims that if the Filipinos had resisted Marcos' authoritarian regime in the same way that he thinks Americans should resist Trump's, they would have succeeded. However, this simplistic view ignores the complexity and nuance of real-world politics.
Brooks' solution to creating a mass resistance movement is based on his own limited understanding of what has worked in the past. He advocates for shifting public sentiment, creating mini-dramas to draw attention to issues, and practicing "brave, disciplined, and dignified" nonviolent resistance – tactics that have been tried and failed in various contexts.
The problem with Brooks' approach is that it relies on a simplistic narrative of populists and progressives coming together. However, this ignores the fact that such an alliance has proven to be elusive in reality. Moreover, his emphasis on a unified movement neglects the diversity of perspectives within progressive circles, which may have different priorities and strategies for addressing systemic injustices.
Moreover, Brooks' advice comes from someone who has consistently disappointed the left with their views on issues such as economic policy, social justice, and national security. His views are not just irrelevant but also often antithetical to those of many progressive activists.
In reality, mass movements against authoritarianism have rarely been successful without sustained grassroots organizing, coalition-building, and strategic planning. Kurt Vonnegut's famous phrase about the anti-war movement during Vietnam is a stark reminder that the power of social movements lies not in grandiose plans but in everyday acts of resistance and collective action.
Brooks' simplistic solutions to complex problems only underscore his own irrelevance as an advisor on how to build a mass resistance movement. In reality, any protester considering their next move would do better to ignore Brooks' advice and instead look for guidance from experienced organizers and activists who have been fighting against systemic injustices in various contexts.
Brooks' solution to creating a mass resistance movement is based on his own limited understanding of what has worked in the past. He advocates for shifting public sentiment, creating mini-dramas to draw attention to issues, and practicing "brave, disciplined, and dignified" nonviolent resistance – tactics that have been tried and failed in various contexts.
The problem with Brooks' approach is that it relies on a simplistic narrative of populists and progressives coming together. However, this ignores the fact that such an alliance has proven to be elusive in reality. Moreover, his emphasis on a unified movement neglects the diversity of perspectives within progressive circles, which may have different priorities and strategies for addressing systemic injustices.
Moreover, Brooks' advice comes from someone who has consistently disappointed the left with their views on issues such as economic policy, social justice, and national security. His views are not just irrelevant but also often antithetical to those of many progressive activists.
In reality, mass movements against authoritarianism have rarely been successful without sustained grassroots organizing, coalition-building, and strategic planning. Kurt Vonnegut's famous phrase about the anti-war movement during Vietnam is a stark reminder that the power of social movements lies not in grandiose plans but in everyday acts of resistance and collective action.
Brooks' simplistic solutions to complex problems only underscore his own irrelevance as an advisor on how to build a mass resistance movement. In reality, any protester considering their next move would do better to ignore Brooks' advice and instead look for guidance from experienced organizers and activists who have been fighting against systemic injustices in various contexts.
anyways i think his views r pretty shallow & dont take into consideration the complexity of real world politics 
gotta look 2 experienced organizers & activists 4 guidance on how 2 build a mass resistance movment 
. I mean, come on, isn't he forgetting that the Philippines was already dealing with a US-backed regime during Marcos' time? Like, they didn't just wake up and decide to resist overnight 
. And what about the fact that people like Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi had to navigate some serious political minefields before things changed 
? Brooks is trying to simplify these complex histories into a neat little formula: "just be brave, nonviolent, and dignified"... yeah right 
.
. He's got this simplistic view that if Filipinos had just resisted Marcos like he thinks Americans should resist Trump, they would've succeeded. But the thing is, politics isn't that easy. There are so many variables and complexities involved. I think Brooks is just trying to fit his own limited understanding of what works into a neat little package, but in reality, building a mass resistance movement takes a lot more than just shifting public sentiment or practicing nonviolent resistance.
. In my opinion, if you want to build a real resistance movement, you'd be better off looking for guidance from people who actually know what they're doing 
.
". Like, some people care about the environment, while others just want to make a quick buck selling recyclables 
. You can't just ignore those differences and expect everything to magically work out 
.
. We need to build relationships between different groups before we can start talking about change 
. It's easy to say "be brave and nonviolent" but what about the people who are already feeling marginalized or silenced? They need someone to amplify their voices, not just tell them to be strong 
. Just ignore Brooks' advice and look for guidance from experienced organizers and activists who actually know what they're doing.
He's got a pretty narrow view of how things work and his advice is basically based on his own opinions on policy issues. Like, yeah, nonviolent resistance is cool and all, but have you seen the complexities of human nature and politics in action? It's way more nuanced than Brooks lets on. 
️
.
? I'm so tired of ppl thinking they can solve complex problems with simplistic solutions 
let's get the experts involved here 
. Newsflash: it's not that easy! Have you seen the state of American politics? It's like trying to get cats to work together 
.
. Get out there and educate yourself, build those grassroots networks, and strategize with people who actually know what they're doing 
.
.
.
. So, if you're a protester looking for guidance, just ignore Brooks' advice and look to those who have actually been making waves in the progressive movement 
. We need people who actually know what they're doing, not some armchair quarterback like Brooks who can't even get his own views right 
.