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Citizens for Good Grievances

Let’s say you have a government that doesn’t serve your personal agenda. You have a grievance. You’d like to make some changes to better serve your interests. What do you do?

One popular local strategy undermines. Rather than helping officials leverage their power to serve your interests or taking their power for yourself, this approach diffuses their power by defaming it. No need to painstakingly work through issues or risk personal injury.

This scenario is a seductive alternative for anyone feeling disenfranchised. But it requires some skill, lest the slinger end up with more mud on themselves than on their target. 

First, create yourself a “special interest group.” 

Next, claim to speak for the community.  Name it something like “Citizens for Good Grievances.” (Stay anonymous! Termites work invisibly!)

Next, assume the worst. Firmly believe their perspective isn’t just different, but evil. 


Then, start peppering them with double binds. If you simply ask answerable questions, you’ll make no headway at all. The questions must elicit guilty responses. Not “How do you care for your dog,” but “When will you stop beating your dog?” See the difference?

If they respond that they’re not beating their dog, it’s evidence of a deeper denial than even you could have imagined (or so your next letter to the editor will say.) If they respond that they’ve already stopped, they indict themselves for having beaten. If they do not respond, their silence will become your gold! However they respond, they’re guilty as you’ve charged! 

You’re best advised to keep them focused on fixing the past. Lawsuits can help here. No one can actually fix the past, but keeping government focused upon fixing the past helps demonstrate their incompetence and prevents you from having to propose anything.

Keep your distance as you sling. Do not get to know those people as fellow humans, for this will surely undermine your efforts. Remember, you can sling forever if you insist that their opinions are evil, not just different.

Properly done, you’ll create a pit where government cannot make a move without clogging its cleats with your anonymous mud. You might not get what you want, but you’ll disable their ability to do anything. Decent payback for such a small investment.

The result won’t be good government, but great grievances.

Is this good enough for us?

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