At the end of each year, many of us take a look at how the year went, where things could have gone better and what we hope to see change in the year to come. What seems odd on this first day of 2012 is that nothing feels reset. There is no feeling of completion or timely reflection, quite a bit just feels unfinished from 2011.

After a year of high stakes politicking from congress, desperate budget cuts from the legislature and revolutions world-wide, the business of 2011 is hardly concluded. With so much still at play, is it possible to really garner any lessons from such a turbulent year? I think its possible. With that in mind, here are three lessons-in-progress we would be wise to work on as we begin 2012.

1. Small victories mean the most
   • It isn’t that the Arab Spring and American Fall didn’t usher in some pretty massive victories (Arab Spring especially) but these were all built off progressive momentum. When the occupations began it was a relatively small group. Yet, once it started, each successive day was a larger victory than the day before. Even in the face of eviction, the occupy movement has continued and only grown in size and focus. 
   • This did a lot to show that people do best when they are reminded that they can win, even if it’s just a small victory like getting a friend to come down and check out the local occupation. These moments build our confidence and become the lifeblood of populist movements.
2. Congress deserves our cynicism
   • If Americans take away anything from the 2011 Congress it should be that for once, our collective disgust and outrage over federal dysfunction is not only correct but useful. Congress ended the year with an approval rating in the single digits (approval which we can only assume came from within the Capitol building itself), and after a year of bickering while getting nowhere, it is safe to say that to depend on congress is to invite disappointment and anger. 
   • However, don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of hope that we can begin to change the culture of politics in this country from extremist saber rattling to some semblance of cooperative statesmanship. Ultimately, it will be a healthy dose of skepticism combined with political engagement that will drive this disillusioned millenial generation to effectively begin wielding influence in America.
3. Social media is a way to support, not replace live activism
   • This last year confirmed that how many followers or “friends” you have online means nothing without real action tied to your efforts. Since the boom of social media, electoral campaigns and corporations have mostly treated this new media as just another way to “get the message out”, but it is so much more.
   • My greatest memories of the Arab Spring won’t be the coverage from CNN or other news networks, it will be the live twitter feed from activists on the ground in Tahrir Square giving me a minute by minute view of their revolution. I saw pictures and videos from these citizen journalists that would never have made it onto my TV screen. This is the true power of social media. We have an opportunity to reach out to share our struggles and collaborate in our efforts on a scale that humanity has never held before. 2011 was only the beginning.

That’s all I have for today. Tune in throughout the rest of this first week as I’m likely going to tackle the Iowa caucus (and what I can only hope is a surge in Google searches for the name ‘Santorum’) as well as a breakdown of the impact that Washington’s new district maps will have on elections this year.


Thanks for taking the time.


-Xandre