Forms of direct action: What makes it direct?

I have been thinking about various things that are not showing up on the list, exactly, and yet they seem related.

Mainly that's for working against capitalism, but some of the things that come up when researching direct action -- strikes, tax resistance, counter-economics -- those seem like they could be anti-capitalist.

I had read something about Greenpeace sometimes using banners to draw awareness. That is less direct than taking a boat out and disrupting whaling, but it could still count.

I had initially thought it would be something where direct action is more in your face, but then there could be organizing that was more behind the scenes. So, perhaps the banner would be direct action but sharing posts on Facebook about the same issue would be... would you call it indirect action?

The Wikipedia article calls direct action "economic or political behavior in which participants use agency -- for example economic or physical power -- to achieve their goals."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_action 

I like this definition because of my focus on goals anyway, but it also leaves the door open to a wide range of activities. 

When I started this series, it was largely due to a frustration with protests. I felt like they weren't effective, but also that people were forgetting the many options there are.

With no regrets for the ones I have written about, I like that additional potential action that is almost unlimited.

Of course, there are limits. A strike can jeopardize your income.  Tax resistance can result in fines and jail. 

It is important to think about all of those things before doing them.

Maybe that definition is the part of the formula for figuring that out:

• What is my goal?
• What is my power?
• How can I use that power toward my goal?

Although some of the protests were specifically against ICE, I feel like the overall theme was "I hate Trump being president!" (I share that sentiment.)

None of those protests did anything to move him from office. 

I think the best hope of getting him out of office is voter enfranchisement, especially in red states. As many terrible people as there are who celebrate Trump, they are the minority. With corporate support, they have nonetheless been very good at dis-enrollment, voter intimidation, gerrymandering, and probably at least a little tampering. 

Georgia, in the South, turned blue from exactly that kind of work.

It won't be enough, because all of the offices matter. Improving the Supreme Court won't be easy. People who may not be hopeless but still voted for Trump or third-party candidates will need work. 

There's a lot to do, and there are lots of ways to work toward it.

But I want to get back to those "pranks".