Protesters march with signs along Market Street during the San Francisco Youth Climate Strike. March 15, 2019. Photographer: Intothewoods7. Cropped from the original.

What provokes political movements? They can only occur because a large number of individuals decide to cooperate with one another to obtain a political outcome they mutually value. Not everyone joins the same political movements, even if they share the same circumstances. And it’s not because some people have more information than others, or some have been “brainwashed.” Often it’s because of individual differences in political orientations and value priorities.

Part I: Boy, I Hope This Doesn't Suck

I made a comment last weekend that Joe, gulfgal, and JtC asked me to turn into an essay. The gist of the comment is that arguing about whether we should be focused on electoral politics or not misses the point of where we are, politically, right now. It's been a hell of a slog trying to make it into an essay, because I'm trying to sum up where I think we are politically without writing a 6-book series and boring you all to tears! So, I hope this doesn't suck--and I beg your indulgence.