Oppressors think of oppression as opposition. That which opposes their power. They do not address the power dynamics or the actual oppression itself because to the oppressor, oppression itself must remain intact.
Us vs them. Winner vs loser. Civilized vs savages. Hostages vs prisoners.
For the oppressor, the fight is to keep oppression from flipping.
For the oppressor, their greatest fear is becoming the oppressed. They believe so because the framework of oppression only permits the dynamic of power OVER.
The oppressed, however, are not trying to flip power, we are trying to distribute it. Power WITH, power WITHIN. We are not trying to keep the framework of oppression, we aim to dismantle it entirely.
The oppressed speak of oppression as a community. It is that my struggle is bound to yours, that we are not free until everyone is free. The aim is not to keep oppression but to dismantle it.
Our organizing is not about power over. It is power with and power within.
For the oppressed, the fight is so that oppression itself no longer exists.
The oppressor needs the oppressed to exist. But the oppressed do not need the oppressor.
Oppressors seek opposition. The oppressed seek community.
This is how I know we will get to liberation. Because power with is always stronger than power over.
All Empires will fall.
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