To those who want to mobilize against the feds zealously

[Invisible Man]

I see a lot of positive sentiment about the storming of the Capitol here, and I sense that some would like to see more of that kind of thing.

I don't speak as one who wants that. I am committed to a nonviolent approach. But I do have some advice from the outside anyway, since I don't deny having a lot of sympathy with the goals of those who identify the state in general, and the federal government in particular, as the enemy.

Draw lessons from the events of January 6.

If you really want to focus that kind of zeal on actions that will effectively bring about ends that you want, then take note of the things that were done there that could have been done differently, and what could be learned about the government's strengths and weaknesses.

Take note of how the visibility of the actors' faces has made them identifiable after the fact, and if you ever engage in some activity where you don't want your involvement in it to be known, learn how to disguise your face.

The feds tracked every cell phone that was carried into the Capitol. If you don't want LE to know you went somewhere, don't bring your phone with you. Bring a burner, or none at all. Old fashioned walkie talkies could be a safer way to communicate with your colleagues who are in the vicinity.

Know what your actual goal is. Plan ahead. Organize. Act with that goal in mind, and not as a mindless mob. The planning ahead will have to be done carefully of course.

Know who's involved. Obviously with large numbers nobody knows everybody. But with some measure of organization, and people who can vouche for others, subgroups within the larger group, it will be easier to separate yourselves from those whose goal is to undermine your goals. Both before the fact and after the fact, being able to identify such people will lessen their ability to ruin your plans.

If you actually want to accomplish the goals, find battles that are winnable at places where accomplishing the short-term task the given action is aimed at will contribute to the long term goal, and not just give someone the middle finger, while tipping them off to what you're up to, strengthening their resolve to stop you in the future, and getting members of your cohort imprisoned.

Include management of public perception in your plan. You want to broaden the base of sympathy for yourselves and your causes, and erode it for the government. You have to carry things out in ways that allow you to be framed as the good guys and them as the bad. If you're going to get arrested on camera, for example, then make sure the images show you as an innocent and peaceful person, and the cop as an abusive one.

Don't be a hapless victim of the power the government, media, and tech companies have to propagandize. Find ways to get your side of the story out.

Find the people on your side who are charismatic, likable, eloquent, and nonthreatening, and put them out front. And the ones who aren't like that, tell them to get haircuts, cover up their tattoos, and keep their idiot mouths shut.

I'm sure there's more. This is a start for the kind of trajectory that I hope more discussions about January 6 take.

[oyarde]

just so you guys know , never did we ask invisible man to cover his tattoos.

[Invisible Man]

If a demonstration is to have chanting, consider the effect you want the chant to have on those who hear it and remember it. Avoid chanting death threats.

Likewise with visual aids. There should be some point to the use of a given visual that somehow contributes to advancement of the cause. Avoid nooses.

[wizardwatson]

Take note of how the visibility of the actors' faces has made them identifiable after the fact, and if you ever engage in some activity where you don't want your involvement in it to be known, learn how to disguise your face.

Darkness is not our friend.

People who pass off these covert ops "way of the warrior" tactical deception pearls of wisdom are not wise.

Simple logic:

If our policy of doing anything involves wearing masks, we can be infiltrated easier. Why? Because trust is eroded. Yeah, no one knows for sure who you are...INCLUDING your allies. So while you think you're deceiving your enemies, the enemy has the same leverage to deceive your allies.

Envying the victories of the enemy makes us want to adopt their tactics of darkness, but our failure is to the degree that we adopt it. Darkness destroys things. It cannot unify. Only the light can unify, and only the light can vindicate our sincerity in pursuit of peace and expose the dark deeds of the enemy.

John 3:19 -- This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

[Invisible Man]

Darkness is not our friend.

People who pass off these covert ops "way of the warrior" tactical deception pearls of wisdom are not wise.

Simple logic:

If our policy of doing anything involves wearing masks, we can be infiltrated easier. Why? Because trust is eroded. Yeah, no one knows for sure who you are...INCLUDING your allies. So while you think you're deceiving your enemies, the enemy has the same leverage to deceive your allies.

Envying the victories of the enemy makes us want to adopt their tactics of darkness, but our failure is to the degree that we adopt it. Darkness destroys things. It cannot unify. Only the light can unify, and only the light can vindicate our sincerity in pursuit of peace and expose the dark deeds of the enemy.

John 3:19 -- This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Those are good points. Admittedly, the methods I described aren't necessarily the ones I agree with in principle, they were more pragmatic points for those who want to engage in some kind of physical warfare. I advocate following the way of the Cross that Jesus showed us instead.

But even at that, the apostle Paul escaped a plot of agents of the state and its allies to kill him by being lowered from a window in a basket in the dark of night. His and Luke's recounting of that betray no indication of second-guessing the method (Acts 9:25, 2 Corinthians 11:33). And Jesus himself followed a strategy that included sometimes going about openly, and sometimes deliberately going unnoticed (John 7:1-10; 11:54), depending on what was appropriate to the task at hand in a given stage of his mission.

[wizardwatson]

Those are good points. Admittedly, the methods I described aren't necessarily the ones I agree with in principle, they were more pragmatic points for those who want to engage in some kind of physical warfare. I advocate following the way of the Cross that Jesus showed us instead.

But even at that, the apostle Paul escaped a plot of agents of the state and its allies to kill him by being lowered from a window in a basket in the dark of night. His and Luke's recounting of that betray no indication of second-guessing the method (Acts 9:25, 2 Corinthians 11:33). And Jesus himself followed a strategy that included sometimes going about openly, and sometimes deliberately going unnoticed (John 7:1-10; 11:54), depending on what was appropriate to the task at hand in a given stage of his mission.

Well, I always tell people here, I write for the general reader. I'm not attacking you, and yeah, I intentionally chopped out that one piece, didn't have much issue with the rest.

And yes, even Jesus ducked out of places secretly, both to avoid crowds, avoid stones being thrown at him, and avoid being thrown off a cliff.

In fact, Jesus disguised his appearance completely to his disciples for whatever reason after the resurrection.

Perhaps there's a time and a place, but as a general rule, we live and do our deeds in the light and must be careful that being "wise as serpents" doesn't conflict with being harmless as doves.