65: Radical Demands in a Polycrisis
Power Concedes Nothing Without a Demand.
Power Concedes Nothing Without a Demand.
So spoke Frederick Douglass in 1857, a clarion call that echoes across centuries. Recently, Douglass’s wisdom found its way into our inbox. Responding to issue 62, which explored the rise of Memetic Nationalism, Douglass writes:
"Hashtags may catch the eye, but do they ignite the flame? Power knows no emoji; it only answers to action."
This pithy critique challenges us to look beyond the symbolic gestures of our digital age and focus on the substance of change. In the face of today’s polycrisis—an overlapping cascade of social, economic, ecological, and technological upheavals—Douglass’s words serve as a stark reminder. As he so famously stated:
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."
What kind of demands are we making? And are those demands radical enough to meet the challenges of our age?
The Anatomy of Radical Demands
Radical demands are not mere requests; they are declarations of what is necessary to reimagine the systems that oppress, exploit, and fail us. In an age defined by artificial intelligence, climate emergency, economic precarity, and rising authoritarianism, the time for polite appeals has long passed. Douglass understood that power resists until compelled by organized and unyielding action. Today, we must learn from this lesson.
But what should these demands look like? Here are three guiding principles:
Specificity: Demands must articulate not just what needs to change, but how. Broad calls for “fairness” or “accountability” often dilute into platitudes. Instead, ask for tangible policies: universal basic income funded by wealth taxes, carbon-negative industry mandates, or public ownership of AI infrastructure.
Structural Focus: Radical demands aim to alter the systems that perpetuate harm, not just address symptoms. For example, demanding algorithmic transparency in AI models is necessary, but insufficient without broader demands to democratize their development and use.
Solidarity-Centered: Radical demands should unify, not fracture. In a polycrisis, intersectionality isn’t optional—it's essential. Climate justice, for instance, isn’t just about carbon emissions; it’s about land sovereignty, labor rights, and racial equity.
Demands for the Age of AI
The rise of artificial intelligence compounds every aspect of our polycrisis. Its potential to concentrate power in the hands of the few is enormous, and yet, its tools could also dismantle hierarchies if wielded collectively. The question is one of direction: who controls the systems, and to what end?
Here are some demands worth considering:
Public AI Ownership: AI systems should not be the exclusive property of private corporations. We need demands for publicly owned AI infrastructures that serve the collective good—developed transparently, accessible to all, and governed democratically.
AI-Enhanced Democracy: Demand that AI tools be used to empower participatory governance—enabling citizens to co-create budgets, policies, and environmental solutions.
Economic Redistribution: As AI automates industries, radical demands for wealth redistribution must grow louder. Whether through universal basic income, shortened workweeks, or robust labor protections, we cannot let automation deepen inequality.
Demands for Climate Justice
The climate emergency is not a future threat; it is a present reality. From devastating wildfires to rising seas, the climate crisis magnifies existing inequalities and imperils billions. Addressing it requires demands that are as bold as the crisis is urgent.
A Just Transition: Demand a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy that prioritizes workers and communities most affected by the transition. This includes job retraining programs, investments in green infrastructure, and guarantees for living wages.
Decentralized Energy Systems: Push for community-owned and operated renewable energy systems to break the monopolies of large energy corporations and empower local decision-making.
Global Climate Mobilization: Treat the climate crisis as the emergency it is. Demand governments redirect military budgets and subsidies for fossil fuels toward massive global efforts to decarbonize, restore ecosystems, and build climate-resilient infrastructure.
The H5N1 Pandemic: Listening to Disabled Voices
As we approach an H5N1 pandemic, we carry lessons from COVID-19: the last pandemic was not just a health crisis but a mass disabling event. Long COVID and other chronic conditions are reshaping the lives of millions. If we are to navigate the next pandemic, we must center the demands of disabled people and disability activists, who have long been at the forefront of advocating for accessible and equitable solutions.
Here are some key demands:
Universal Access to Healthcare: Ensure healthcare systems are prepared to accommodate all, including those with pre-existing conditions. This includes free or low-cost treatment for all, regardless of employment or insurance status.
Remote Work as a Right: The pandemic showed that remote work is viable across many industries. Disabled activists demand the normalization of remote work as an accommodation, ensuring that those with chronic illnesses or mobility challenges can remain in the workforce.
Mutual Aid Networks: Support and fund community-led initiatives that address gaps in state response, such as delivering food, medicine, and care to disabled individuals during lockdowns.
Pandemic Preparedness with Disability Input: Policy planning must include disabled experts and activists. This means designing accessible public health messaging, ensuring medical rationing policies do not discriminate, and creating inclusive emergency response systems.
By amplifying these demands, we not only prepare for the next pandemic but also build a society that values all its members equally.
Power Answers to Action
If Douglass were alive today, he might not be a fan of social media spats, but he would see the potential of our interconnected world. He would challenge us to wield our tools to make demands that are impossible to ignore. In the age of polycrisis, radical demands are not just necessary; they are existential.
Let’s not waste time waiting for power to concede. Let’s force it to answer. Frederick’s pen is now in our hands.