Continuing Michael Brooks' Project

 Since Michael Brooks' untimely death much discussion has taken place regarding his legacy and his project. Most of Michael's supporters and fans have bantered about how best to keep his memory alive and move the project forward.

The Michael Brooks Show (TMBS) producers, Matt Lech and David Griscom, along with his sister, Lisha Brooks have vowed to continue the show and do so in its original format. They have stated a few times within the last 10 days or so that TMBS will be back to airing on Patreon and YouTube within the next couple of weeks.

Without question Matt, David and Lisha will pick up torch and be our leaders. It should go without saying their efforts will be buttressed by Progressive and Leftist voices like Ana Kasparian, Nando Vila, Nomiki Konst, Wosny Lambre (Big Wos), Ben Burgis, Alyona Minkovski, Brandon Sutton, Milton Allimadi Joshua Kahn Russell and so many more. But, where does that leave the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Michael's patrons, subscribers, listeners and viewers? What is our role?

Well, as TMBS community member, Jay Whitcher put it "We are Michael's project."

Michael's project is multifaceted but at its core is the people. Perhaps more specifically it is those of us on the Left who believe in what Mike believed in.

Of course, he believed in the staple Progressive/Democratic Socialist policies such as Medicare For All, universal housing, a living wage, criminal justice reform, food security, a broad social safety net, and an economic system that works for each and every person instead of a select few. But, he believed these things must not only come to fruition for Americans but everyone across the globe. Michael was a true left internationalist.

The Michael Brooks project goal is to see solidarity among the American Left and for that solidarity to extend universally across the world from Brazil to the UK to India to South Africa to Australia. He believed for the Left to be truly strong their must be solidarity among the many movements across the globe and for those movements to unite into a cohesive coalition. Now, that doesn't mean we become a monolith because he understood there will be disagreements and each country's politics has nuances. However, we should all have common goals and an end game of seeing a Democratic Socialist economic and foreign policy structure put in motion that sees a multiracial multiethnic multi-faith multinational working class that is placed as the priority. Mike believed in a system that featured equality of opportunity whose foundation was bolstered by a broad social safety net that eliminated poverty and a working poor.

Brooks understood for this project to succeed it must center around regular working class people and not systems built to coddle and protect the top 1%, white supremacy and an elite class who is always looking to imisserate and disenfranchise.

So, where do we fit in? The answer is where we have always fit in. Doing our part to better this world. Looking out for each other. As Michael said, "Be ruthless with systems. But, be kind to people."

We have to be involved. Be informed. Be cognizant of our world. We have to support left independent media. That doesn't mean all left media because, frankly, some of it is woefully lacking and some of it is just reactionary rudderless hot garbage. I said what I said.

Support those we know have our back and our guiding us in good faith. Obviously, continue supporting TMBS giving Matt, Griscom and Lisha all the support we can and then some. Support people like Ana, Nomi, Wos, Krystal Ball, The Majority Report with Sam Seder, Kyle Kulinski, The Humanist Report, The Young Turks, The Damage Report, The Antifada, Useful Idiots with Matt Taibbi and Katie Halper, Milton Allimadi and the numerous other of good informative insightful left commentators. Please continue to obtain the wisdom of folks like Cornell West, Harvey Kaye, Daniel Bessner, Ben Burgis, Abby Martin, Richard Wolfe, and Dave Rubin. Joking about Rubin, of course.

Something I heard Michael, as well as Sam Seder, say often is politics is local.  So, pay attention to not only the presidency, the Senate and the House but your city and state politics. This is something I definitely need to infinitely get better at myself. If you are someone who feels the calling to run for office, do it. Canvas, phone bank and knock on doors for any Progressive or DSA or Justice Democrat in your area. For those people abroad do the same for any leftist candidates in your local and regional area elected offices.

  One of the reasons the rightwing has seemingly so much control is they focused on city councils, mayors offices, local judgeships and state houses. They obtained power locally and it filtered up. They have a project and for all their reactionary ways they are strategic and implement that strategy.

Mike often talked about the Left obtaining power and being strategic. Every week on TMBS and "Michael Thursdays" on The Majority Report he would emphatically stress the Left's need for gaining power and the importance of having a strategy and a broad view of the bigger picture. He would celebrate the victories but always kept in perspective that we have ahead of us substantially so much more hard work.

We must acquire and keep up that same laser focus and energy. Yes, naturally, celebrate victories like Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, AOC, Ayanna Pressley, Jamal Bowman and Mondaire Jones but understand we must press forward to ensure Ilhan Omar and Kara Eastman win. We have to increase our numbers. And, then continue to push Progressive candidates to continue to seek progressive policies that will materially affect positively the lives of working class and poor people and policies that will better our foreign policy.

Also, support our brothers and sisters to the north and the south and those abroad so their lives are bettered and lifted out of poverty. We all must become internationalists.

Because, the reality is we are all in this struggle together. We will only achieve victory and see the project through when we become selfless and pull for the person next to us and behind us. As Bernie Sanders said, "Not me. Us."

The Michael Brooks project is multiracial, multiethnic, multinational and spiritual. That includes those who aren't spiritual or who are atheist. Regardless of our faith or lack thereof or are identity we are in a global class struggle and our very existence is at stake. We don't have time or capacity for petty differences or disingenuous people. It is time we pull together and see the entire forest.

If we want to honor Mike's memory and legacy, we need...we MUST come together in solidarity. Further his project. Support each other. I recently heard the Queen, Ana Kasparian, say,"On the left it is like a family. Sometimes you feel so alone. It seems we are so isolated. It is why we have to pull together and become stronger." As often is the case, she is right. We are family.

The Left is a place of diverse opinion and nuance thought. Contrary to the vacuous narrative Conservatives and the rightwing frequently propagate the Left can be quite eclectic. Because of this we tend to have some nonsensical petty as fuck in-fighting.

But, we can no longer afford that. Michael said this often. We are fighting not only the onset of global clown fascism but wide ranging neoliberalism and corporatism. We are battling shitty corporate media narratives and an ever increasing cynicism and apathy among the citizenry that creates vacuums where shameless fake populist grifters like Trump, Bolsonaro and Johnson slide into power bringing austerity, crypto-racism and low rent authoritarianism with them. These menaces must be defeated.

This can be done with a broad internationalist sincere left agenda being pushed.

Let's get the fuckin shit done! For Michael! For Matt, David, and Lisha! For our other left and Democratic Socialist leaders and influencers. For each other!

LEFT IS BEST HERE AS IT IS EVERYWHERE!

SOLIDARITY! ✊