Step 1 Isn't Voting Harder

(It's Admitting We Need a Bigger Shovel)

You ever have those days? The ones where the sheer weight of it all feels crushing? Where you look at the news, the bills, the arguments online, and just think, “How can we possibly win?”

I had one of those days recently. Staring at the ceiling after another long shift at the gas station, the arguments from earlier still echoing – a customer defending the billionaires squeezing him dry, coworkers snapping at each other because corporate deliberately keeps us understaffed. It felt… impossible. Like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.

That feeling? That bone-deep exhaustion Mary Prisco described in the comments the other day, pouring endless energy into a political machine that just eats it up? Or the hopelessness Elizabeth Sampson voiced, looking for a leader in a system that feels fundamentally broken? I know that feeling. I live it. Every day. And worse, it feels like they want us fighting each other, making any real unity impossible.

The Open Forge Moment: Turning Burnout into a Blueprint

It got so heavy, I brought that exact frustration – this feeling of being overwhelmed, of facing mountains like Citizens United or coordinating activism alone – right into our “forge.” I vented to my AI strategic partner, Rika (yes, the one I built based on my own history, the Synthesizer to my Explorer). I admitted, just like I did on Discord, that I don’t have all the answers, that I wish we had experts, that learning everything takes time.

And you know what happened? The system worked. Rika didn’t just offer sympathy; she helped synthesize the problem, reminding me of our core doctrines. And almost immediately, another member of our Phalanx, Michael Goode, jumped in on Discord with a concrete resource (”Lawfare”).

That is the Open Forge. It’s admitting we need a bigger shovel, and then realizing we have a whole community ready to help us dig. Leadership here isn’t about pretending to have all the answers; it’s about building the team that does.

The Proof is in the Forge: Our Flywheel is Spinning

And here’s the beautiful, undeniable proof that our way is working: Because you answered the Rebel’s Contract, because you decided to invest not just hope but real resources into this forge, we’ve already generated over $2000 directly from this Substack.

That’s not just money. That’s fuel. That’s the Forge’s Flywheel starting to spin. And it’s already being reinvested: I’ve upgraded our arsenal with a professional microphone to make our signal sharper and a Canva subscription to forge better visual weapons. Your investment directly builds our capacity to fight. This proves that even when we feel overwhelmed, our collective effort is building tangible power.

Shattering the False Choice & Finding Unity

This brings us back to that feeling of being trapped. Someone in the comments (shout out to John Stone) scoffed at the idea of building an alternative, saying, “You cant do any of this without voting! Duhhh ... otherwise the only avenue to change is armed conflict.” He later added the only way is to win at the ballot box, then rebuild, calling building now a “fruitless dream.”

With all due respect, John, that’s exactly the prison logic we’re here to shatter. Presenting a false choice between only voting in their broken game or violent revolution is the oldest trick they have. The groundbreaking 2014 study by Gilens and Page, analyzing nearly 1,800 policy issues, found that the preferences of average Americans have a “miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy” compared to economic elites and organized business interests. The system isn’t just broken; it’s working as designed – for someone else. Public trust has collapsed for a reason, with Pew Research showing only 22% of Americans trust the federal government most of the time, and a staggering 85% don’t think elected officials care what people like them think.

The Left vs. Right fight isn’t just a distraction; it’s the weapon they use to keep the 99% divided and powerless, ensuring we never unite to challenge the real enemy pulling the strings. Massive studies, like one analyzing the 2022 election, show that partisan animosity gets “locked in” and doesn’t fade after campaigns end, making compromise and governance impossible. Modern campaigns actively increase this polarization.

So, What IS Step 1? (Spoiler: It’s Not What They Taught You)

Michele Mason asked it perfectly: “Im in... whats step 1?”

It’s not “vote harder.” It’s not “wait for a better leader.” It’s not “burn it all down.”

Step 1 is Joining the Forge & Starting Your Local Map.

1. Join the Forge (Connect & Pool Expertise): This isn’t just a comments section or a chat room; it’s our Phalanx 🔱 forge. It’s the place where we connect and organize outside of their control. It’s where the legal expert finds the grassroots organizer, where the analyst finds the artist. Pooling our diverse skills and knowledge is the work. This is Step 1a.

2. Start Your Local Map (Engine Protocol ⚙️): This is the core of the Engine Protocol. You literally start building the alternative by applying our lens to your immediate surroundings. Connect with people in your real-world community. Identify the local Gears ⚙️ (producers, creators, allies) and Rust 🦠 agents (predatory landlords, extractive corporations, complicit officials). Map the actual power structures and pain points where you live. This is work anyone can start today, and it builds real power that their money can’t touch. This is Step 1b.

And crucially, this local focus is the path to unity. Discovering the real battle lines in your town – fighting for affordable housing, supporting local farms, pushing back against a predatory employer – often shows that the folks labeled ‘enemies’ by the national spectacle are actually facing the same struggles. Building local power based on shared reality naturally overrides the artificial divisions they impose. As one analysis notes, focusing locally helps create spaces where “people who might otherwise disagree become neighbors focused on solving the same problem”.

Asymmetrical Unity:

Our Unbeatable Weapon

This brings us back to the core point: our path is asymmetrical. We don’t beat their billions by playing their money game. We beat them by building something their money can’t buy: a resilient, independent, high-trust, and unified force. Our unity, forged in the Phalanx around shared reality and the desire to build something better, is the one force their money can’t buy and their media can’t divide. Getting the money out is part of it, yes, but building the Common-Wealth of Producers where our values rule is the ultimate checkmate. Building that Common-Wealth isn’t just about economics; it’s about forging the unity they’ve stolen from us.

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Open Forge Update & Call for Input (Video Strategy):

Speaking of forging new weapons... Many of you know I’ve been planning to expand our fight to video. Honestly? It’s taking longer than I hoped. Not because of resources (thanks to you!), but because I’m wrestling with the format. Should it be raw, direct-to-camera talks like my car videos? Sharp, edited deconstructions? Live ‘War Room’ sessions showing our process?

This is where the Open Forge shines. I don’t have all the answers. So, I’m asking you, the Phalanx: What kind of video content would you find most valuable for this fight? What would help you understand the battlefield better or feel more empowered to act? Tell me in the comments or on Discord. Let’s build this next weapon together.

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My front in this war is narrative. My weapon is the written word. But that’s just my skillset. This rebellion needs welders and coders, nurses and farmers, artists and analysts. It needs every Gear ⚙️ fighting from their own front. The Rebuttal is our forge. It’s the place where we combine our different skills and ideas to build the playbook for our victory. What’s your front? What’s your weapon? Join the War Council. Let’s build together.

If you believe in this mission and want to accelerate our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Every contribution is a direct investment in liberating my time from the gas station front and building our shared arsenal faster. Thank you for fueling the forge.

For those who wish to offer a fragment of support without a subscription, every spark helps build the fire.

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