Grandmothers, mothers and women, (GMW) The state of our country’s Power Base is slowly eroding. So, I went searching for some answers. We all know the answers to about 95% of our problems are found in our history. Divide and conquer, which as been used almost since the beginning of time, appears to be the tactic used today; It has stood the test of time, by always getting the desired result, either pro or con. The information I found was so profound and answered my questions, I didn’t want to lose any of the message by paraphrasing, so I copy and paste; giving them their credit and us some excellent information.
I found this organization to be most succinct: AORTA COOP: Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance. So I am quoting them verbatim and giving them all the credit for their excellent article on divide and conquer.
UNDERSTANDING AND RESISTING DIVIDE AND CONQUER TACTICS
The act of dividing potential allies and communities who could come together to rise up is one of the oldest and most infuriatingly effective tricks in the book. Too often social justice movements have splintered as a result of not being prepared to counter such moves. A key tool for countering such tactics is learning from the stories of how previous organizations and coalitions have avoided the pitfalls of divide and conquer.
WHAT ARE WE FACING?
• We are witnessing white supremacy re-organize in response to destabilizations in racial capitalism, and to progressive social movement wins.
• We are witnessing a surge in both right-wing populism and the power-building of an extreme right-wing elite.
• The center cannot save us.
• This is not OK, but also not new.
SUSTAIN AND EVOLVE THE RESISTANCE
• Systems of oppression that target our communities are constantly changing shape, strategy and tactic.
• Our collective capacity for understanding this systemic harm is also always changing.
• We’ve got to challenge and build our political analysis and approach in an ongoing spirit of emergence and responsiveness.
WHAT IS DIVIDE AND CONQUER?
“Divide and conquer†is a strategy used by elites (often understood as “the oppressorsâ€) to break down the relationships and unity between subjugated (often racial) groups struggling for justice, freedom, and liberation, in order to maintain the status quo.
TACTICS OF DIVIDE AND CONQUER
• Creating a narrative that blames each group for the other group’s problems. This works to foster mistrust amongst groups and to obfuscate the systematic inequalities of white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy.
• Bribing some groups with access to some resources (material and psychological). This works to align some groups with the elite over other subjugated groups.
A Moral Agenda Based On Fundamental Rights.
The poor people campaign: a national call for a Moral Revival is an American Anti-Poverty Campaign led by; Rev. William Barbara the second and Rev. Liz Theoharis. The Souls of Poor Folk: Auditing America report reveals how the evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and the war economy and militarism are persistent, pervasive, and perpetuated by a distorted moral narrative that must be challenged.
We must stop the attention violence that refuses to see these injustices and acknowledge the human and economic costs of inequality. We believe that when decent people see the faces and facts that the Souls of Poor Folk Audit presents, they will be moved deeply in their conscience to change things. When confronted with the undeniable truth of unconscionable cruelty to our fellow human beings, we must join the ranks of those who are determined not to rest until justice and equality are a reality for all. Wikipedia