The word “ungovernable” stuck in my mind after reading a review by Frida Berrigan of activist/historian Jeremy Varon’s recent book Our Grief Is Not a 
Cry for War. The book is a history of the movement to stop the war on terror, from right after the 9-11-2001 attacks on the U.S. to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Varon covers the groups, individuals, and collective actions by the peace/antiwar movement as a whole with an emphasis on the value of the efforts even though the wars went on for more than 20 years with ongoing repercussions today.
The book and review include a quote from writer and activist Starhawk that “what finally may contain the war-mongers is the possibility that the people will be ungovernable — if the government continues to disregard its will.”
Frida added, “We were not ungovernable.”
That word, “ungovernable”, and Frida’s admonition, have stayed with me. Were we too polite in our protests to create true change? Millions turned out worldwide against the invasion of Iraq in February 2003, but the U.S. launched the attack anyway and too many went back to their daily lives. Are we at a point now where we really have to figure out how to be ungovernable and how to sustain it….at the same time we need to pay rent, buy food, raise children, take care of aging parents, deal with medical issues, etc. etc.
Trump’s election in 2016 inspired Jackson, Mississippi activist Kali Akuno and others with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement to put out a call that still resounds: “We cannot and should not legitimize the transfer of authority to a right-wing populist who has neo-fascist orientations. We shouldn’t legitimize that rule in any form or fashion. We need to build a program of being ungovernable.”
Today our focus — not to mention gratitude — is on Minneapolis and the neighbors and activists pouring into the streets with creative actions to stop “Trump’s Gestapo”, the masked ICE agents acting with impunity there and in cities and towns and rural areas around the country. “ICE Out of MN” is calling for “No Work. No School. No Shopping” on Friday, January 23, to protest ICE activities and advocate for immigrant rights.
In a similar vein, last week the Women’s March called for Walk Outs with the slogan, “In the face of fascism, we will be ungovernable.” “It’s time to rise up and refuse to comply with this injustice —our ancestors showed us time and again that we can prevail when we, the people, stand up and refuse to comply.
Growing participation may begin to unite these scattered calls toward a general strike nationwide. Strikes are an obvious element of ungovernability, which led me to look for more specifics of how to be ungovernable. Handily, Waging Nonviolence just posted an article by Rivera Sun, “10 rules of resistance for #ICEOut” with lessons from an anti-Nazi leaflet “10 Commandments for Danes.”
A 2017 graphic. Just add ICE.
Sun’s list is good, but cutting off the funding needs to be added to the list if we are to deny ICE what it needs to function. We can lobby elected officials to do this , but to be ungovernable we need to do it individually as tax resisters — making our resistance loud and public. Despite the fact that most of these wider calls do not list tax resistance, thousands are finding the NWTRCC network and at least considering this form of resistance. How fortuitous that this anarchistic and decentralized network has managed to carry on and be ready for this moment with trainings, resources, and counseling!
At the same time we work toward this ungovernability we find ourselves horrified that there are so many people, ok, mostly men, who will treat other humans as ICE is (not to forgot the horrors of war and violent oppression around the world). There are materials we can use to hand to ICE agents and military members and anyone thinking of signing up for those jobs calling on them to refuse fascist orders. @DoNotTurnOnUs has leaflets and links to other resources here: https://linktr.ee/donotturnonus
Even as I struggle with the specifics of making myself ungovernable and pondering exactly what risks I’m willing to take, people mobilizing for change both here and abroad are cause for hope and courage. If we are able to sustain and build our resistance to the current regime(s) despite the growing militarism, we might come out of this era in a better place than the world has seen in a long time.
—Post by Ruth Benn