Full Spectrum Resistance

A guide to direct action for those disillusioned with the posturing of liberal “activism.” The radical left is losing, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here is the radical’s guide to activist work--the manual we need at this crucial moment to organize for universal human rights, a habitable earth, and a more egalitarian society. Thoroughly exploring the achievements and failures of radical movements throughout history--from 19th-century anti-colonial rebellions in China and the environmental actions of First Nations and Native American tribes throughout the 20th century, to Black Lives Matter and the fight for Gay Liberation--the two volumes of Full Spectrum Resistance candidly advocate for direct action, not just risk-averse models of protest marches and call-ins. With in-depth histories and case studies of social justice and environmental movements, noted writer, activist, and farmer Aric McBay explains why passive resistance alone cannot work, and how we must be prepared to do whatever it takes to create substantial social change. In Volume 2: Actions and Strategies for Change , McBay uses the successful strategies of various actions, such as the Greek Resisters of the 2008 Greek Television Takeover, to articulate the best practices for inter-activist coordination and communication with mass media to effectively spread message. Covering reconnaissance methods and other forms of intelligence-gathering, Volume 2 guides the reader in smart decision-making and damage control, such as how to recover from both covert and overt adversarial attacks, such as COINTELPRO (1971). Moreover, this manual clearly articulates the best strategies and practices for the financial, logistical, and tactical organization necessary to all successful radical movements in the long term.

"Aric McBay begins his newest work Full Spectrum Resistance with the words: 'I wrote this book because we are losing,' and, indeed, he presents a long list of global losses and failures in the realm of the environment, Indigenous sovereignty, women's rights, class struggle, racism and more. However, as McBay melds together meticulous research into resistance movements past and present and a lifetime of activism of many kinds, he paints what is, more than anything, a picture of hope. He notes, near the beginning of volume one that 'we fight because it is right' and, towards the end of volume two that 'we can fight and we can win.' McBay's message of activism and community building is one that should inspire all people concerned about the future of this planet to, in his words: 'fight together for a future worth living in.'" -Pamela Cross, feminist lawyer and activist

"Full Spectrum Resistance is more than a comprehensive guide and a helpful handbook—it’s a red-hot torch capable of scorching the banal platitudes and old orthodoxies of the Left as it lights a path forward for those whose object is to win. Aric McBay draws hard-earned lessons from decades of activism and organizing, inquiry and study, building and sustaining social movements, winning and (importantly) losing campaigns and battles, and crafts a smart and passionate argument for the gathering resistance. For anyone who understands the urgency of the catastrophe we’re facing and is in search of an antidote to despair or resignation, McBay provides a lantern that will cut through the blunt blear and gritty exhaust all around, and offers this sizzling invitation to unleash your most radical imagination, to dive into the wreckage, and to risk winning a humane future." -Bill Ayers, founding member of the Weather Underground, author of Fugitive Days, Public Enemy, and *Demand the Impossible: A radical manifesto.

"Aric McBay's *Full Spectrum Resistance, Volumes One & Two are must reads for those wanting to know more about social movement theory, strategies and tactics for social change, and the history and politics of activism and community organizing. There is nothing within the realm of social justice literature that is close to the breath about modern social movements than these books. These are engaging, critical, exciting and outstanding intersectional books that respectfully speak about the pitfalls and successes for social change. They're perfect for an introduction to peace studies or intersectional social justice class and touch on everything from Black and queer liberation, to prison abolition and animal rights." -Dr. Anthony J. Nocella II, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Co-editor of Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth

"Full Spectrum Resistance is the most thorough, intelligent, and contemporary handbook on how to change everything that exists, to my knowledge. If you're just now figuring out that all that letter-writing and voting was completely pointless and you want one source that will answer all those nagging questions coherently and in lots of useful detail, read these books. If you, like me, thought you already knew everything and wouldn't have read this book except that you were asked to review it, I found a lot of analysis in here that challenged my perspective in useful ways. But what makes this book such an unexpected treasure is the wide variety of examples, from ancient history to modern times, that Aric McBay explores, that provide such insight for us into what has worked and what hasn't. A firm believer in the idea that you can't forge the future unless you understand how we got to the present, Aric gives us the backstory on so many exciting and inspiring social movements and struggles around the world that I had never heard of, and provides really important insight into some of the more familiar ones." -David Rovics, singer/songwriter and host of *This Week with David Rovics

"Every political generation thinks massive social change is around the corner, but activist movements more often collapse instead of becoming living revolutions of those changes. Activists need better understanding and comprehensive methods to dealing with complex civil society and *Full Spectrum Resistance provides those. McBay has filled these volumes with illustrious examples from across the globe of resistance. Full of meaningful, personal reflections and thoughtful analysis to avoid many pitfalls holding back modern social/political movements, Full Spectrum Resistance offers strategies and tools to carry activists forward toward deeper changes in the world." -Scott Crow, author of Black Flags and Windmills: Hope, Anarchy and the Common Ground Collective

"Aric McBay has written a remarkable book that will forever change the way you understand political resistance. We are accustomed to protests that offer a fun playbook of marches, banners, chants, and so on. But McBay is seriously committed to revolutionary transformation and he is not satisfied to examine only those protests that conform comfortably to the usual catechism of non-violence. Nor does he adopt the sociological preoccupations with the social factors that shape the collective effort. Instead, his unwavering focus is on strategies that win." -Frances Fox Piven, Author of Challenging Authority *and *Poor People's Movements

"Drawing from both years of personal experience in social movements as well as important lessons from history, Full Spectrum Resistance is chock-full of examples of resistance movements using a diversity of tactics to fight and win. Presented from an anti-capitalist and anti-colonial perspective, this book is a manual on how to organize effective resistance movements." -Gord Hill, Author and artist of The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book and The Antifa Comic Book

"**Full Spectrum Resistance is a feat…