Our entire society has been built by the deeds of oppression. Therefore, in order to dismantle oppression, we would be dismantling our entire society. In order to avoid the chaos that would ensue, we would need to create a whole new society to take its place. To be frank, the easiest method of dismantling oppression is to create a new system of local communities and global communication, letting the old one crumble on its own.
Below, I have created a list in which I will expand upon as time moves on:
HOW TO DISMANTLE OPPRESSION
I. Enlighten yourself about oppressive structures that construct our society
II. Vigorously share this knowledge with every human being you know. Be patient as you will at times be faced with defensiveness and ignorance. Understand that these are all byproducts of oppression
III. Withdraw from major financial institutions and deposit your money into local credit unions instead. If you take away their money, you take away their power.
IV. Shop locally rather than at corporate institutions. You can shop local for food at farmer’s markets and at small businesses for all of your other needs.
V. Get involved in community-based grassroots organizations. These organizations can work to provide basic needs that your government may not provide.
VI. Invest in equal, co-op education for young children and encourage them to seek apprenticeships as they grow older and more specialty-based.
VII. Advocate for legal drugs and treat addiction as a mental/emotional health disorder.
VIII. Treat healthcare as a right, not a privilege. Do away with insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. Replace our healthcare system with holistic, nature-based care.
IV. Invest in renewable energy such as solar and wind. Decrease your dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
X. Stop purchasing mass-produced items and instead invest in local, small-scale creators.
XI. Transform the prison industry from punishment to therapy. Take away the bail system where the wealthy pay their way out of crime.
Unfortunately, we cannot snap our fingers and transition immediately into this kind of society. We will have growing pains.
THE PROBLEMS OF DISMANTLING OPPRESSION
Job Loss – in order to dismantle the oppressive structures we live within, many will need to quit their jobs and possibly enter a new field. We collectively will need to change our habits. If we decide to create a new system that is not based upon oppression, then this will require less office workers, bankers, financiers, and data entry to be replaced with more psychologists, therapists, holistic doctors, etc. Police officers will a role more closely comparable to a therapist than a soldier. Many terms that we have defined will need to be redefined within the collective psyche.
In short, dismantling may take centuries to do… it requires that we as a species dismantle the quest for power. Dismantling the quest for power is a task that only an individual can choose to do for themselves. Dismantling power requires humility and the understanding that no human being is better nor worse than another.
An essential aspect of power is manipulation. If we were able to embark upon the path of dismantling power, one would have to restrain from manipulating others and cease to be manipulated. This requires extensive self-reflection and a commitment to tearing down inner walls of resistance. We must face The Shadow.
What do you think about oppression?