Serena Anagbe / Photo Editor
An anarchist “A”
Conservatism can best be characterized as a socio-political ideology rooted in the belief that existing power dynamics should stay the same, with the Cambridge English Dictionary defining the ideology as “the quality of not usually liking or trusting change, especially sudden change.”
So, I will propose a simple question. Exactly what about our current social organization is worth protecting so vehemently that an appropriate course of action is to cut education spending, butcher our healthcare system as well as selling off our protected lands to the highest bidder? Here’s the short answer: absolutely nothing.
What some sensationalist personalities, such as Tucker Carlson or Alex Jones, would have you believe is that western society is under attack from anybody who isn’t traditionalist, white and worshipping Christ. What they’re careful to maintain during their cacophony of vitriolic bluster is a sense of plausible deniability that they don’t directly bring harmful disinformation to the masses in order to cultivate an obedient mass of wannabe heroes, of whom they incessantly parrot the same conspiracy-theory talking points that Tucker Carlson himself perpetuates, before committing acts of terror. It is an undeniable fact that large Conservative figureheads, such as Donald Trump, are inextricably linked to instances of violence and terrorism.
Simply put, to be a rebel is to reject the current social order as being adequate. It’s looking at the world around us and refusing to accept it as it is, demanding more than those in charge are willing to give. With rampant corruption in major industries — such as oil — which used western governments to bomb Iraq for more than 20 years to get a good deal, how could anyone with even a base level of appreciation for life and liberty not consider themselves a rebel? If you’re concerned that you won’t be able to participate to a degree that has tangible effect, I would like to assure you otherwise.
A simple matter of fact is that social resistance, no matter how small, works. Just look at the strategies McDonald’s and Starbucks are trying in response to their boycotts, with both organizations blaming their financial woes on consumers being swayed by “misinformation” and “misrepresentation” respectively.
These are the tactics of corporate entities that are deeply scared. It didn’t take large poetic speeches, violent marches or even outright condemnation of these organizations to bring them to their knees. All it took was for one person to decide they no longer wanted to get coffee or food there. Then another and another, one by one, slowly building up into a collective agreement that if you are in favour of the humane treatment of all, irrespective of ideology, past or present, that you care little for the overblown theatrics of those who don’t really care about the human toll of conflict, you would simply shop somewhere else.
As it stands, it is none too difficult to be a rebel, even if it’s just by changing where you get your coffee or afternoon snack. So, I implore you, be subversive, be rebellious and advocate your cause to the best of your ability. If that’s by signing petitions, sign petitions. If it is by changing where you shop, change where you shop. If it’s by sharing information so that those around can make informed and educated decisions, then keep doing that. Whatever it is that you do to change the world around you, keep doing it. Change has never come from the hands of the apathetic, but from a single person who decided that today was the day they were going to be brave.
