Long text post incoming!
Any popular resistance movement dies in the cradle if people feel isolated. Isolation breeds inaction. Therefore, to make people feel less isolated, word needs to go out to the general public to build solidarity and make them feel part of a greater whole. Resistors are not alone! It also has the psychological benefit of making oppressors feel surrounded (and rightfully so).
Therefore, to get those who want to resist motivated, we must advertise our cause. Thankfully, we live in a modern age where designing good looking graphics and printing them has never been easier.
The best information campaign will rely on guerilla tactics. Put posters up in heavy traffic areas outside, at work, in your neighborhood, on public bulletin boards, wherever needed to get the message out. One priority place would be inside government offices. There are plenty of federal workers who are resisting. If they put up even a few, we can psychologically terrorize the fascists, and this will force them to focus inward and divert from the rest of society.
Of course, these will be damaged or destroyed, whether intentionally or not, so we must be ready to replace posters as that happens, especially if it’s ripped down.
Design: This, I think, is paramount. To attract those who may not like the current actions but are hesitant to really resist, it is important to use American symbology. Don’t let the fascists take our flag, our symbols, our iconography. These things bind us together as Americans, and it can have an inspiring effect. We are all part of the greater whole.
Also highly important, make sure the designs are good. Marketers, graphic designers: that’s your cue. If your an amateur, get the opinion of a trusted friend on a design.
If you don’t have the time or ability to design, just take one off the internet. Therefore, I propose that we make repository of resistance posters on the web. Domains are cheap. VPSes are, too. It can also serve as a virtual poster.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you have some designs, post 'em, print 'em, and distribute 'em!
“Deport this” and some symbology.
“[We] Protect [teachers|librarians|civil servants]”
“Everyone deserves liberty”
Throw a “Join us!” on any of those.
I have rolled around in my head a good simple symbol. The uppercase Greek omega (Ω) is used in electronics to represent … wait for it … resistance. This symbol is easy for anyone to remember and reproduce.
So, I liked your idea, and I threw together something pretty quickly. I was using a stylized omega at the bottom, but it wasn’t really working (to my eye at least). Instead, I threw on the U.S. air roundel from World War II. My thinking is that it’s A. a distinctly American symbol, B. Evocative of fighting fascists, and C. Different from the current roundel (which has a red stripe), but similar enough to be recognizable comfortable.
I’d love some feedback. I’ve got another couple I’m working on, too, that can be ready to share soon.
Don’t take any of the below as criticism. You’ve done way more already than I’m able to, period. Thank you.
I like it. The roundel is great. See what it looks like with the “Join us and resist” at the bottom and the roundel in between?
Make sure that there are b&w and/or grayscale versions of anything you put together. Ink and toner isn’t necessarily cheap, and some people will have access to b&w printers but not color.
I think that making sure these print on 8.5x11 is a good idea, since that paper is readily available. Maybe doing something landscape would be extra eye-catching?
I appreciate the feedback! It’s already 8.5x11, but I didn’t think of what it would look like in greyscale. When I tried, the blue and the red looked almost the same. (Side note, the roundel being only the star and “wings” actually had an interesting look that I may play with more.)
Here’s an update. I agree that putting the roundel in the center looks better. I also made a version with a blue border and red writing. In greyscale, of course, they look virtually identical.
Okay … now I’m thinking that the USAF WW2 roundel - while it is super awesome - might suggest that people join the US Air Force.
I’ll try and think of something more “subversive.”
Oh I like that one a lot. And it’ll print in b&w just fine. “Workers” could be “labor” maybe? I’m being extra nitpicky on that.