Sticker-Project Emails pg. 2

Email #11

STICKER-PROJECT EMAILS Pg. 2

Email # 11 1/14/21

Dear fellow "Stickers for NO RICH AND NO POOR" folks

There are presently 65 of us--people who have asked for stickers (or buttons earlier) that say "Let's remove the rich from power; have real, not fake, democracy with no rich and no poor." We live in Ontario, Canada (1), Normandy, France (1), Klaudyn, Poland (1), Alabama (1), Arizona (3), California (7), Colorado (1), Florida (3), Georgia (1), Illinois (3), Indiana (2), Kentucky (1), Maine (1), Massachusetts (9), Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (1), Nevada (1), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (1), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (3), Texas (3), Virginia (2), Washington (2), Wyoming (1+a partner)

I want to share with you two recent email exchanges I've had with two of you, and a humorous personal anecdote that taught me something important about the sticker. (If you arrived only recently, be sure to read about the wonderful sticker experience in "Trump land" I was told about and reported in Email #6.)

Email exchange #1:

On 01/02/2021 2:20 PM K---- wrote (from Pasco, WA 99301):

Hello John,

I have talked with several people. Some said they liked the concept but felt powerless to do anything. Some just wanted to place blame and be cynical.

One person thought that it was a terrible idea and feels that everything is perfect the way it is. This person is wealthy and also fears that we are going to war with China soon.

Kind regards

K----

I (John Spritzler) replied:

Hi K----,

...

It's wonderful to hear from you how people responded to the sticker. I don't know how many people are in your "several people" but it seems that the handful of non-rich people you asked all "liked the concept." This is exactly what we and others need to know in order to gain the required confidence--that we're not alone--that's needed to put time and energy into building an egalitarian revolutionary movement (for these non-rich people to hear about and likely join.)

Regarding the wealthy person who "thought it was a terrible idea," here's the thing. There will likely be about 10% of the population who will be like that, who will strongly oppose an egalitarian revolution. But with about 80% or 90% of the population wanting such a revolution, including about that same proportion of people in the military rank and file as well as some in the higher ranks as well, we can prevail, as I discuss in “How We CAN Remove the Rich from Power.”

We don't need 100% of the people on our side, just most.

What do you think?

--John

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Email exchange #2:

On 01/02/2021 1:28 PM P---- wrote (from Dyersburg, TN 38024):

Hi John,

I just got my stickers on NYE, and I haven't had a chance to distribute any yet. Do you have recommendations on where to put them that catches eyes? I usually sticker up my laptop but not many people see that nowadays.

I (John Spritzler) replied:

Hi P----,

...

I'm glad to hear you received the stickers. Here's what I have discovered about people noticing the sticker.

People rarely notice the sticker, no matter where you put it. People are bombarded with advertisements trying to get their attention, and so people have developed unconscious ways of ignoring even the most blatantly obvious things that seem like some kind of commercial or political advertisement.

What this means is that if you only display the sticker and wait for somebody to tell you what they think about its message, you will very likely never hear what anybody thinks. Displaying the sticker can do some good by letting the occasional person who notices it see it and realize that somebody else in the neighborhood agrees with it. If you wear the sticker, people still will not respond to it most of the time (with an occasional exception.)

The moral of the story is this. You need to show the sticker to a person, even hand one to them so they can read it very easily, and then say to them, "Do you think what the sticker says is a good idea or a bad idea?" And then just listen to hear what they say. And if they respond by saying "It's impossible" (as many do) then say, "Well, it may or may not be possible, but if it happened would you be glad or sad?"

If you look at the video of me asking people on the street this question, you will see how I did it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95b3SmBYwfU .

I hope this helps. Please let me know how it goes.

All the best, and Happy New Year!

--John

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Here's how I learned that people usually don't read a sticker unless you actually hand it to them and ask them if they think what it says is a good idea or a bad idea.

I have the sticker's same image on the front of a baseball-style cap, so when I wear the cap the sticker's image (in a fairly large size) is right where my forehead is. One day when I was wearing the cap I ran into an acquaintance named Kevin on the street in my neighborhood and we started conversing about random stuff. As we were talking (with him standing just two feet in front of me), I began pointing to the sticker's image on my cap, right at my own forehead, hoping that Kevin would read it and say something about it.

But instead, Kevin began rubbing HIS OWN forehead in the same spot where the sticker image was on my forehead. I almost laughed out loud when I realized that Kevin interpreted my pointing at my own forehead as meaning that he had some dirt or a bug or something on HIS forehead. Kevin didn't for one moment even think of actually reading the words I was pointing at.

This is how I learned that if you want to find out what somebody thinks about the stinker's message, you have to actually ASK them what they think: "Good idea or bad idea?" :)

DETAILS, WE NEED DETAILS

I am very happy that some of you have communicated with me about your stickering experience. In order to get the most benefit from these experiences, however, we need to know more details about them:

Exactly how many people said this or that? What kind of people were they: very wealthy, not very wealthy, pro-Trump, liberal, random stranger, personal friend you knew would likely agree, etc.?

What exactly did you ask them, and what exactly did they reply?

I encourage you to ask, "Do you think what the sticker says is a good idea or a bad idea?" and if the reply is about whether it is possible or not (as is often the case) then ask, "Well, it may or may not be possible but if it happened would you be glad or sad?" The whole point of stickering is to find out how people answer the "good idea or bad idea?" question so we can know if they would be a supporter or a foe of the egalitarian revolutionary movement; we already know that most people think it is impossible because (courtesy of the mass media) they think too few other people want it to happen.

If and when you become confident that most of the people where you live would love an egalitarian revolution even if they think it is impossible, then the next step is to do things that will help your neighbors discover that it IS possible, because they are indeed part of the great majority in having that aspiration and not--as the mass media work hard to make them believe--part of a tiny and hence hopelessly weak minority. Read here one of the things I and friends in Boston did in this regard. When LOTS of people know what we are discovering with the stickers, then we will see the growth of the egalitarian revolutionary movement.

--John

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Email #12 1/23/21

Dear fellow "Stickers for NO RICH AND NO POOR" folks,

There are presently 66 of us--people who have asked for stickers (or buttons earlier) that say "Let's remove the rich from power; have real, not fake, democracy with no rich and no poor." We live in Ontario, Canada (1), Normandy, France (1), Poland (1), Alabama (1), Arizona (3), California (8), Colorado (1), Florida (3), Georgia (1), Illinois (3), Indiana (2), Kentucky (1), Maine (1), Massachusetts (9), Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (1), Nevada (1), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (1), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (3), Texas (3), Virginia (2), Washington (2), Wyoming (1+a partner)

I have no news this week from any of you to share, alas. Please see my email #11 about this problem.

John

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Email #13 1/30/21

Dear fellow "Stickers for NO RICH AND NO POOR" folks,

Here are recent email exchanges with some of you.

================================

On 01/16/2021 5:30 PM Darlene (from Tucson, Arizona) wrote:

Thank you John,

I have not received my stickers yet. I do have an adult son on life support with 24/7 skilled nursing and housekeeping in his home. When I receive them I am sure there will be very different responses from each nurse that works with Mike. I am excited to see the sticker and hear the response. I bought lots of Biden stickers and handed them out. Most of the nurses took them and displayed them in their cars. Two of them are anti maskers outside of the home and make no bones about telling me. I am not sure what happened to their stickers. Any ways, looking forward to receiving the stickers. Thanks too for letting us see some of the comments.

Thank you so much

Darlene

I replied:

Hi Darlene,

Thanks for keeping in touch this way.

Among those who want an egalitarian revolution, i.e., those who have egalitarian values, there will be sharp disagreements about facts (such as facts about the pandemic and masks, etc.), as opposed to values. The egalitarian revolutionary movement must be a place where people with shared values can respectfully debate/discuss factual questions. I think this kind of respectful debate/discussion, on the basis of shared values, will lead to greater and greater agreement about the facts. Do you think so?

--John

On 01/24/2021 11:59 AM Darlene wrote:

Sticker #1: Nurse (male) offered a sticker. He refused saying he really isn't into politics.

Sticker #2: Nurse (female) offered a sticker. She wanted it. Said: Wouldn't that be nice but I really do not see that happening.

I will continue to offer stickers in Tucson, Arizona.

Thank you

Darlene

I replied:

Darlene,

THANK YOU!

Keep up the excellent work.

--John

================================

On 01/23/2021 1:39 PM Doro, A.K.A. "Lefty" (from Coos Bay, OR ) wrote:

Hi John! I haven't been out much, since I quit my job in November. But I've got a plan. I'm thinking I'd like to look into having buttons made from those stickers, or at least some of them, so that I'll have something more durable to pin to my hat, my label, and shared with anyone else I can persuade to wear them. That's my plan anyway. Those not made into buttons can be stuck in creative places, from restroom stalls to bookshelves and lamp posts. Endless possibilities! Will keep you posted. - Doro

I replied:

Hi Lefty,

I'm glad to hear this! Please let me know how people respond when you ask them to wear it. We need to know this about how others respond.

--John

================================

If you haven't already, please see my earlier emails to stickers folks here. The purpose of the stickers project is for us to find out--by asking them directly!--how many of our neighbors think it would be a good idea (whether possible or not!) to remove the rich from power to have real, not fake, democracy with no rich and no poor. If and when we discover that most people share our egalitarian revolutionary aspiration, then--and only then!--will we and others know that it makes sense to devote time and energy towards building the egalitarian revolutionary movement. I discuss this further here.

Please write me about your experience showing the sticker to other people and asking them if they think what it says is a good idea or a bad idea (whether possible or not).

Please also subscribe to the NO RICH & NO POOR email group, by going here.

Thank you.

--John

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Email #14 2/6/21

Dear fellow "Stickers for NO RICH AND NO POOR" folks,

There are presently 67 of us--people who have asked for stickers (or buttons earlier) that say "Let's remove the rich from power; have real, not fake, democracy with no rich and no poor." We live in Ontario, Canada (1), Normandy, France (1), Poland (1), Alabama (1), Arizona (3), California (8), Colorado (1), Florida (3), Georgia (1), Illinois (3), Indiana (2), Kentucky (1), Maine (1), Massachusetts (9), Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (1), Nevada (1), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (1), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (3), Texas (3), Virginia (2), Washington (2), Wyoming (1+a partner)

This sticker project is important for removing the rich from power. Here's why: https://www.pdrboston.org/why-wear-a-pdr-button .

In my previous email #13 I reported on Darlene's (from Tucson, Arizona) sticker experience and subsequently she told me of this new experience:

On 02/02/2021 7:15 PM Darlene wrote:

Gave a couple stickers and the responses: (God I wish. There is so much corruption going on and we have no control.) (It would be nice but I don't even vote very often anymore because it makes no difference. Both sides are messed up and rich.)

Darlene

I replied:

Darlene,

Again I thank you immensely for sharing these new experiences, which I will forward to the others. What can you cay about these people, in terms of were they random strangers, friends, wealthy, not wealthy, etc.?

Clearly these people will be supportive of an egalitarian revolutionary movement.

Do you need more stickers? :)

--John

-----------------------

Is Darlene the only person who showed the sticker to somebody this past week (or told somebody what it said electronically) and asked them what they thought about what it says? Is everybody else too shy or incommunicado to do this? I'd really like to know.

--John

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Email #15 2/14/21

Dear fellow "Stickers for NO RICH AND NO POOR" folks,

There are presently 68 of us--people who have asked for stickers (or buttons earlier) that say "Let's remove the rich from power; have real, not fake, democracy with no rich and no poor." We live in Ontario, Canada (1), Normandy, France (1), Poland (1), Alabama (1), Arizona (3), California (8), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Florida (3), Georgia (1), Illinois (3), Indiana (2), Kentucky (1), Maine (1), Massachusetts (9), Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (1), Nevada (1), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (1), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (3), Texas (3), Virginia (2), Washington (2), Wyoming (1+a partner)

Since my last email (see the previous ones here), I have heard from only one of you about your experience asking somebody if they agreed with the sticker's message or not. Here is the email exchange I had with Allison in Cambria, California.

=======================

Allison wrote:

Hey John,

For those of us in CA who don't leave our houses due to COVID, it will probably be a while until I see anyone who isn't my sister, lol. But I will let you know as soon as we are no longer in quarantine!

Allison

I replied:

Hi Allison,

What does your sister think of what the sticker says? :)

--John

Allison replied:

Hey John,

Oh, she agrees. We are all hoping for vaccines soon so we can go out and about. Take care,

Allison

I replied:

I'm glad to hear your sister agrees! Thanks for letting me know, too.

--John

=======================

Is Allison really the only one of us who has asked anybody lately if they thought the message on our sticker is a good idea or a bad idea? Please let me know what your experience with the sticker is. If you haven't already, please read why this sticker project is important, here.

--John

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Email #16 2/18/21

Dear fellow "Stickers for NO RICH AND NO POOR" folks,

This morning two plumbers--white guys--came to the condominium building where I live in Boston to investigate if bubbles in the paint in part of the building were caused by steam leaking from our heating system pipes. My unit was involved and so I let them take a look inside it. One of the plumbers was the most senior plumber in the rather large plumbing company and the other was more junior. After they had done their inspection I handed each of them a sticker and asked them if they thought what it said was a good idea or a bad idea. They both said it was a good idea. The senior one emphasized that "We need to start from scratch because no matter who you vote for it does no good, and insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." The junior one just said he thought the sticker's message was a good idea too. They both happily kept the sticker I had given them, and I told them that they could read more about it at the website on the sticker.

I don't have too many opportunities to ask people about the sticker because, like many of you, I'm social distancing and not going out to shop or making any medical appointments because of the pandemic and the fact that I'm 74 and not vaccinated. But when I do have a chance to encounter someone, like with these plumbers, I take advantage of it. I hope you will too, and report what happens.

--John

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