Resistance techniques

Table of contents

1 Background
2 Assessment
3 Steps in detail

Background

The entire basis of extreme resistance is the successful endurance of one's hopeless cause against a usually stronger foe. A resistance, by definition, goes against the grain of the norm. Because of this, a resistance is a minority in the smooth flow of a designated system. It is only by increasing resistance, or by decreasing the opposer's power that a resistance can be successful in its attempts.

Resistance groups are defined by the willingness of their members to accomplish the highly improbable, but not impossible.

The following information is based upon the experiences of Matthew Creekmore and is merely anecdotal. However, due to limited resources on the subject, this page is constructed in a how-to format where the information stands on its own reputation for functionality and neutrality.

Assessment

Assuming one has a resistance group, assessing one's opponent may be a logical first step in designing a plan.

The following are some factors for success in a resistance. Following this are expansions on these factors.

Determine the issues at hand and form a list of objectives based upon those issues. Keep in mind the internal strengths and weaknesses of both sides and their dependencies between each other.
Develop a realistic strategy bases upon one's objectives. Above all, use intellect when deciding this, not personal feelings. Charisma and personality may be malignant factors when deciding such steps, therefore it is wise to obscure these traits from objective duties.
Build the strength of one's group by focusing its action on the weaknesses of one's opponent. Keep in mind the dependence of the opponent on one's own group. Social structure between these groups is important to consider.
Aggravate preexisting weaknesses in the opposing group. Bringing uprise may be easier than the opposer would have one believe.
Maintain the ability to carry out planned objectives despite any resistance that may ensue. Conclusively, this shall not be a deterrent for a successful resistance.
Understand that resistance will both succeed and fail, and predict how these outcomes may come to rise. It is the continual force which drives the success of a resistance.

Over time, the enemy may weaken, its members may lose morale, and the resistance techniques may have a dividing effect among the opponent's own people. It is usually the integrity of the resistance which will keep it alive and allow itself to contend with one's foe.

Steps in detail

=Objectives and Strategy=

In order to make demands and assert one's position, one must develop a strategy to weaken the existing power; it is not as simple as demanding change. Identify the foe's sources of power. These sources of power may include: authority, human resources skills, knowledge, tangible factors, economic and material resources and sanctions like police and troops.

From these sources of power, one then needs to identify those institutions which directly correlate. These institutions are called pillars of support. Once enough pillars are removed, then the table of power may collapse, and therefore so can one's enemy.

It is then necessary to determine if one has the strength and the numbers to complete these tasks. If not, which is usually so, instead of focusing on one's resistance techniques, one should be focusing on gathering people. Keep in mind most resistances are small and only few are really needed to accomplish one's goals. Do not become overwhelmed at the odds against oneself. At first, the odds are always against one in a resistance, by nature.

Once a resistance is formed, one must set goals for his resistance. It is important to win the leadership and morale of one's resistance, so it is also important to have one's resistance feel it is on the winning side, not that of the losing side. Therefore it is a good idea to form very small, even non confrontational goals at the beginning of one's resistance.

=Choosing a Leader=

One's leader stands to direct a resistance toward its goal. A Charismatic leader may draw the media, and a dull leader may be safer for one's goals as a resistance. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a charismatic man who led the black minority in American History; he was also murdered. One could speculate that if Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were not in the public eye, his death may not have been premature. However, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also received attention because he was in the public eye, and in some cases, it is the direct opinions of the masses that a resistance is attempting to change. For this purpose Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. may have been a correct choice. However, for other causes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. may have been the wrong choice.

=Determining the Achilles heel=

Once one's resistance is well underway, it is important to guide one's further instruction by a central theme for the resistance. Usually at this step, an Achilles heel of one's enemy is sought for.

The best way to find this Achilles heel is to study the group one is working against.

The following are key factors in discovering weakness in a group

Over Asserting: A group, for example, that pledges strong moral authority or that it is very strong indeed may instead be covering up for what it lacks. Some groups do this to eliminate the perception of weakness.
Unassertive Statements: Groups that tend to follow a philosophy or teach things in a drilling fashion should be suspected in spreading lies. Some groups such as this may not expand on their statements because they may have little or no evidence to back their claims and may be spreading mere propaganda. Be weary of what one learns. Always question even the most obvious truths in which one may have already taken for granted.

=Determining one's own strength=

One's own strength could be determined by the mere power and influence one has for his cause. However, if one's opponent were to have a handicap, or were to be vulnerable in some way, the virtual strength of one's resistance would ultimately be raised to a more equal stance with his opponent. It is this continual process of handicapping that small groups of resistance usually rely on. Because resistances usually lack funding, money, influence, and numbers, they must therefore use techniques such as virtual handicapping to allow themselves to play closer to par, as it were, with their foe.

=When the going gets tough...=

Normally, society follows a trend where as one must continually work to function in society. This workload is determined by both the individual in society and the external stimuli for which the individual collaborates with. Normally, for society, the workload and predictability of work content is somewhat uniform. However, for a successful resistance the workload may be much higher. And the type of work and its predictability may be erratic. This erratic load of work could be attributed to the nature of a resistance itself. Hypothetically, if a resistance acts erratic, they would be acting against the natural predictability of society, and therefore the resistance would gain the upper hand in that respect, ultimately increased the opponents virtual handicap. However, this extra work load on the members of a resistance can be draining. It is therefore important for the leader of a resistance to ensure that the work being done is not being wasted, otherwise, one's resistance members may choose to work without such ethic or possibly give up altogether.

=Morale=

Nothing can compare to the feeling of success, but it is failure, no matter how often, which strikes the morale of a group the hardest. It is therefore the duty of the resistance leader to show strength for his people. The leader must define the respect, attitude, and trust for the resistance his people believe in. This facade, whether genuine or not, must be shown throughout the life of the resistance if the members should be expected to do the same. If successful, the resistance may become triumphant and their cause may become a reality. That is the goal of most resistances.

=Links=

Non-violent resistance. Here there are examples of actual resistances and methods they have used to accomplish their goals.