Year-end gift: Drawing the future on white paper (Episode 1) - Are we "Iranian"?

We've been talking to a lot of readers these days, mostly about the protests.

With everyone's consent, we have selected some topics and organized them, and now publish them one by one.

The selection of these topics is based on:

1. They are important and practical, but so far have barely been talked about in any mainstream media or other forums;

2. They may be relevant to the coming situation, but are being largely ignored.

Eventually we'll put it all together as our end-of-year treat for the year.

And, crucially, the questions are always open and always open to more and deeper discussion and reflection.

---

这里是第1集。

Topic 1: Can a white paper protest become an uprising against tyranny like Iran?

提问：

• 为什么我会看到那么多人主张不要呼喊反政府的口号？人们为什么害怕反政府？
• 结果会是怎样呢，又是“地方办事不力，中央永远伟大及时拨乱反正” 吗？ …… 这一次能成功实现政治变革吗？
• 白纸抗议可以成为伊朗那样的反暴政起义吗？
• 我再次看到很多人抱怨“中国人怎么怎么不行”、“维稳压倒一切” 之类的老生常谈。我已经听腻了。我想知道IYP会如何解释这个问题。

iyp : The speeches in the two videos below point to the true intent of this act of resistance. The original intention of the white paper - anti-censorship, anti-oppression, and anti-tyranny.

The symbol has been misinterpreted by conservative propagandists who have taken over social media to a certain extent. Whether intentional or not.

The design of the white paper as a symbol of movement is clever, and anyone who knows anything about authoritarian countries will understand what it represents at a glance. It's not easy to misinterpret the theory.

But the reason why you will see that "many" people do not directly support its original intention to fight tyranny is because there are many reasons, and we can explain them one by one; however, one of the most basic reasons is that to a certain extent, there are enough Chinese Friends may not be ready yet. So there won’t be an uprising against tyranny like in Iran in the short term.

Since everyone is taking Iran as an example, let's compare it to explain why.

As for Iran, the whole world now knows the story - thugs from the notorious Hijab Patrol (the so-called "moral police") killed a girl named Gina Amini . But have you noticed a problem - people still don't know the name of the police officer who killed Gina?

That's the key to the whole thing . You can just imagine, if this happened in China - ordinary citizens died due to perverted policies and systems - what would the "best outcome" be like?

Is it right to find the perpetrator? -- maybe a scapegoat, you know; and/or get the department leader brought down? —— Take the opportunity to replace someone close to the central leadership, you know; or even reform the policy to "prohibit the use of lethal force by the police" —— As for what constitutes lethal force, the repressive authorities have complete interpretation rights... All of the above are possible The greatest result would be sex, not a nationwide uprising against tyranny.

Why?

Because the mainstream demands have always been for the government to "solve the problem" and "seek justice" from the country.

In other words, most people are not yet ready to live a life completely separated from this government, and lack the imagination to imagine a new life after this system is completely abolished. On the contrary, all disasters, all exposed atrocities, only trigger reformist demands for “solutions” from within the very system that is to blame.

Think about the “top five” demands circulating on the Chinese Internet? Whether it is nucleic acid, blockade , concentration camps, censorship, or media control, all of these are manifestations of domination violence; the petitioners have given the initiative to change everything to the rulers who created it. On this basis, No matter how great the pressure is, it only gives the rulers an opportunity to change their methods and continue to deceive the people.

This uprising in Iran is completely different. No one cares anymore about how to bring the perpetrators to justice, let alone any compensation, and is no longer even interested in who the perpetrators are. They no longer pray for any reform, no longer plead for any "openness", and have lost interest in a change of dynasty. , because everyone already knows, everyone is deeply convinced that the perpetrator, the culprit, is the entire system , and that no problem can be "solved" unless the system of the Islamic Republic is completely eradicated .

This is because the revolution in the mind long precedes the barricades and fireworks in the streets, and there is already enough of the public with a mature political imagination to have a clear vision of what an “Iran” without the Islamic Republic would look like. , the idea of ​​destroying the entire system has gone from being a vision to a real possibility.

In other words, if there is no revolution in the mind first, nothing else will happen.

It’s because of this radical shift in belief that the scales of fear have tipped, and you can see countless videos of protesters attacking police. Large groups of young people surrounded the police and disarmed them, and the isolated repressors fled in panic from the unarmed protesters... This was unimaginable more than a decade ago.

People are no longer afraid. No one can enslave someone who is no longer afraid .

The nonsense of reformists, speculators and loudmouths has completely lost its appeal. This is a moment of clarity that only an uprising can bring.

Like Beijing, Tehran is very good at tearing society apart, and yes, the rulers are claiming "unity" - and the unity they emphasize is to "unite" around the rulers, and all who question the rule will be ostracized.

Khamenei declared: "If your heart beats for Islam, for the (1979) revolution, and for Imam (Khomeini), you truly stand with the people in everything. If you listen to foreigners If your heart beats for them, you are an outsider” and an enemy.

This is not just authoritarian saber-rattling. In his worldview, "outsiders" are the enemy within, who must be contained and, if necessary, eliminated. This category has grown over time , as the 2019 uprising—which the government suppressed by shutting down the internet for a week, arresting thousands, and killing fifteen hundred—means that most citizens now They are all "enemies".

According to this provision, the Islamic regime manages the country not so much as a typical dictatorship or totalitarian system, but as a colonial regime: it delivers all wealth, privileges, and benefits to a very small number of "internal" elites, leaving "external" ” Most people struggle in poverty and are cruelly silenced when they express their despair.

That’s why in September 2022, a female protester stood in front of a police officer and shouted at him: “You came to my country just to fight me!” For people who don’t understand the above background, this image seems a bit Strange, because apparently both men are Iranian. But this protester, like all other protesters, emphasized that Iran belongs to the people, and the government is a group of invaders and occupying forces, and the people must drive them out.

For a long time, Iranians, like many Chinese, shouted hoarsely during rights protection activities for the Supreme Leader and the government to "listen to the people's voices" and "look at the people's plight" so that they can truly "serve the people." ", at least don't treat the people as enemies. People once really thought that expressing respect and even surrender to the Supreme Leader would not result in brutal suppression; under the influence of the reformists, many people really thought that dialogue and compromise could work; ... Facts have proved that everyone was wrong. , the reformists are the biggest laughing stock.

This time the people are no longer stupid. No more begging for mercy. Government recognition will no longer be sought. In short, there will be no further humiliation.

The determination to refuse to continue to be humiliated is the real driving force of this uprising; and especially, as mentioned above, the revolution of ideas is the basis of the revolution in the streets. Most people can already clearly imagine life after the end of the entire system. Change is by no means utopian! This is the origin of the scenes that can be seen around the world today.

In other words, without these foundations and motivations, it won't happen. When Chinese society prepares these foundations, it will happen. No one can stop the times. These preparations should be the job of opposition organizations.

We also saw in the White Paper Movement that some activists believed that “avoiding chanting anti-government slogans” was to “attract more support from the people” and claimed that “if there is no support from others, it will only be possible to rely on a few radical people like this.” , you cannot change China, you will only destroy your own future” … This may sound like a strategy, but in fact it is just misleading, because this statement avoids why it is necessary to predict that the public will not support anti-government actions. Targeted demonstrations? ——The answer lies above. It was caused by the long-term absence of the opposition and the launch of a large-scale protest action without any infrastructure.

It is already abundantly clear and unquestionable that none of what the protest movement hopes to achieve will be achieved under this regime. In other words, no matter whether you shout anti-government slogans or not, every protest action is anti-government. The slogan is the least important thing in this.

In short, if your appeal is genuine, you should know that none of this can be achieved through appeal.

 Q: I remember you said many times that "dissent" and "opposition" are different. What are the specific differences?

iyp : Right here. The only difference here is that dissent only needs to criticize the current moment - just say "I don't want nucleic acid, I don't want to be blocked", or "I don't want to continue to accept the leadership of the current ruling party, I want the highest leadership "Let people step down and let the ruling party step down"; and the opposition must give the public some completely different alternatives that can replace the current better vision of the future. In other words, dissent only needs to speak, analyze and criticize, while opposition must do it, discuss, create, practice, and demonstrate a new system to make the existing one obsolete .

This takes time. But when your seed has been buried in the soil, every minute will be bliss. The ground breaking will happen in an instant.

 Q: How can we tell whether society is ready?

iyp : The best way to judge whether a society is ready for revolution is still to observe its thinking. It’s not about observing the ratio of public opinion or opinion polls that support or oppose the current regime, but rather observing society’s longing and confidence in a life that is completely stripped of the current regime.

There will only be a revolution when symbiosis with the current regime is no longer considered viable by more people.

The better prepared the opposition is for the second option, the higher the likelihood that people will follow.

 Q: During the 20th National Congress, I remember you said, "The fate of the people is still a blank piece of paper." Does that mean there are no specific plans and preparations for the future?

iyp : Yes.

 Q: After Sitong Bridge, many people suggested various actions on the Internet to follow up, trying to awaken people around them, but in the end Xi was re-elected. Many people have advocated fishing before, but no obvious impact has been seen... What is the significance of all this? There are still too few people taking to the streets, and their professionalism is too poor. They are far behind Hong Kong people...

iyp : We feel that all these actions are of great significance. They are actually relaying and amplifying the fire.

For example, fishing is a very classic form of resistance. During World War II, fishing existed as a sabotage activity in the territories occupied by Nazi Germany and was a widely used form of resistance. Most of the population in the occupied lands of Eastern Europe was employed in industrial factories that served the needs of the German military.

"Poles, work slowly" (Polish: pracuj Polaku powoli , or p. P. p.) was a slogan of the Polish resistance movement that called for people to refuse to work efficiently in order to destroy Nazi industry . Graffiti bearing this slogan was distributed by underground groups. Sometimes a small turtle is included in the graffiti as a symbol of slow work. Other slogans included in the graffiti were: "Work slowly - you bring the end of the war closer", "That's a turtle. Move like this, work for the Germans", "Work slowly because you It’s in captivity”.

These tactics, along with absenteeism, sabotage and outright destruction, constituted workers' most powerful weapons against the occupation . In June 1943, economists reported that “…about one-third of workers work no more than four hours a day…arbitrary work stoppages have resulted in losses of up to 30% in some factories.”

In Poznan, the underground circulated a leaflet declaring that "work slowly" was the first commandment of the Poles; other commandments included: "Always feign illness," "Stay longer in the toilet," "Don't tighten screws." ”, “Steal as much as you can but don’t get caught by the labor protection department”, “Help the family of your arrested colleague” etc.

Today's fishing operation is a relay of the fire that sparked the anti-fascist movement eighty years ago.

Resistance is not that difficult, but it requires two conditions: enough people are dissatisfied with the status quo, and people are willing to unite to change everything .

Not everyone needs to take to the streets, because it is not just those who are on the streets who are needed. There are many people who choose not to take to the streets for various reasons and contribute in other ways. We call them support workers. For example, drawing road maps, providing real-time information, verifying the authenticity of information and combating fake news , exposing trolls/botnets , organizing the rescue of arrested persons , etc. are all very important tasks. Infrastructure construction that is closely integrated with frontline and logistics is more likely to be successful. Unity is the most important weapon .

Whether it’s learning about street tactics or online safety , whether it’s delivering a message or protecting friends around you, or even just engaging in communication and reflection, all of this investment of energy is meaningful and is a hands-on pedagogy for everyone . Anyone who participates, whether online or on the street, will slowly find that their eyes have changed - walking on the street will begin to involuntarily look for "exits" to avoid the eyes of riot police and re-examine the neighborhood; On the Internet, you will start to be wary of links and attachments sent by strangers . When you want to contact friends, you will first realize how safe a certain communication channel is ... When your fighting spirit and sense of rights awaken, your awareness of your surroundings will It will become completely different.

As mentioned above, revolution in the mind is the first step, followed by practical ability and tactical wisdom. Practical teaching is the best way to quickly improve professionalism. This study is of extraordinary significance to everyone.

 Q: Why was there only sadness and no resistance during the blockade in Shanghai, but now there is suddenly one?

iyp : Because there was no Tinder at that time. Now there is.

 Q: Will the crackdown extinguish the fire? What will the crackdown do?

iyp : All repression is aimed at extinguishing the fire, and rulers will use all possible means to do so.

The main means include at least the following (other means are above these):

[Updated on the channel on December 3 ]

People pay too much attention to street weapons. Although this is understandable and it is indeed important, it is by no means the most dangerous one.

First of all, you must be clear about the purpose of repression: the purpose of repression is to extinguish the fire ; beating you, invading you, arresting you, etc. are all just means, not ends. All means are to extinguish the fire.

We have previously reminded that all repressive methods have costs for the repressors, and there is no doubt that repressive authorities will prefer the least costly method, which is efficient because of its ease of use. Information warfare weapons are the lowest cost among them .

In other words, the suppressive capabilities of information warfare weapons are higher than those of street weapons and cyber weapons.

For a long time, most people had it the other way around: when judging information warfare weapons, people focused more on visibility than accessibility.

In fact, the real ability of information warfare weapons lies in its accessibility, that is, its impact on people; not its number of fans.

That is: the capabilities of online trolls, especially the multilingual trolls that have been active for a long time, far exceed those of Zhao Lijian and Hu Xijin - because these trolls are pretending to be "people" and they have deeper accessibility.

Fans of complaints have been paying attention to Zhao Lijian and Hu Xijin. As a game, this is nothing, but the real dangerous part has been missed like this.

Now the navy propagandists have begun working to seize the White Paper Movement's voice and influence internationally; if they succeed, the arrested people who speak and fight on the streets will be "quenched," distorted, and in vain.

This is a result of the movement’s infrastructural inadequacies – the movement itself needs strong independent media and spokespersons to be able to resist this weapon of repression .

Once again, this is the information age, and information can kill. If you don’t have a strong autobiography, you’re just waiting to be fabricated.

#tips #China #ZeroCovidPolicy #protest

 Q: Is that why you keep talking about “logistics”?

iyp : Yes. But in the battle against repression, everyone is on the front lines.

 Q: What are the key tasks now?

iyp : Keep the fire.

 Q; Will conservative propaganda affect the development direction of this protest?

iyp : For a centerless protest, only the actions of the activists, not the propaganda of any propagandist, can really affect the direction of development.

 Q: Why has the IYP never used the words "revolution" or "uprising" to describe Operation Blank Paper? Is it because the number of people is still too small? Can Blank Paper succeed this time?

iyp : Because it is not yet a revolution or an uprising. For now it remains a protest.

Whether they can succeed depends on the tactical wisdom of the rebels. It has little to do with the number of people on the streets.

The current situation is entering a bottleneck period. What comes next will be…

📱 Preview of the next episode’s topics:

How to judge the trend of sports? How to win? Where should the wisdom of actors be reflected?

🏴️

——To be continued——