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Articles by Tim Hjersted
We Are the Extremists
When Americans hear the word "extremist," a very specific image comes to mind. It's a brown-skinned man in a distant land, shouting in a foreign language, probably holding a weapon. It's...
Tim Hjersted ·
116 views
No, Iran Did Not Bomb Its Own School. Here Is What Actually Happened.
We've seen this pattern before.
Tim Hjersted ·
2,874 views
Endless Growth Serves the Powerful, Not the Global Poor.
A common objection to calls for demand reduction and degrowth comes from defenders of the status quo:
Tim Hjersted ·
690 views
Does Nonviolence Really "Protect the State"?
Why the popular anarchist critique gets strategic resistance backwards—and what actually threatens power
Tim Hjersted ·
217 views
Our Greatest Opponent Isn't Evil — It's the Belief That Nothing Can Change
The first battle is the battle of the spirit.
Tim Hjersted ·
774 views
Hitler Didn't Win Because Germans Chose Nonviolence—He Won Because They Chose Compliance
The problem wasn't the method of resistance. It was the near-total absence of sustained, mass-scale resistance of any kind.
Tim Hjersted ·
875 views
"This Nonviolent Stuff'll Get You Killed" and Other Objections to Strategic Nonviolence
We need to examine nonviolent resistance critically. But dismissing it based on misconceptions about how it functions, or romanticizing armed struggle while ignoring its failures, leaves...
Tim Hjersted ·
494 views
Why Nonviolent Resistance Doesn't Require Your Opponent to Have a Conscience
If nonviolence required tyrants to grow a heart, we'd be finished, because violence is exactly what they're begging for. History shows we beat them by withdrawing pillars of support...
Tim Hjersted ·
4,012 views
Masculine Strength Doesn't Need Redefining: It's True Purpose Was Always to Serve Life, Not Power
The conversation about masculinity has long been poisoned by those who mistake dominance for strength and conquest for achievement. This corruption is not new—it is the logic of tyrants...
Tim Hjersted ·
951 views
Dear Trump voters: A Quick Point of Clarification about the Left
Progressives vote for Democrats because they make better opponents, are less opposed to our goals, and do less harm than Republicans, but we also see that they are beholden to corporate...
Tim Hjersted ·
685 views
The Gospel According to ICE: How Christians Betray The Faith They Claim to Follow
There’s a profound contradiction at the heart of contemporary American Christianity: the disconnect between claimed allegiance to Jesus and actual allegiance to state power.The irony is...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,273 views
The Socialist Case for AI: Defining Our Yes
There's a pattern in left politics that's both understandable and ultimately self-defeating: we're brilliant at articulating what we oppose, but often struggle to define what we're for...
Tim Hjersted ·
973 views
Beyond Persuasion: Activism as an Invitation to Share Your Gifts with the World
Nina Turner's insight cuts to a crucial distinction in movement work: there's a difference between trying to win arguments and trying to build power. But I'd take it further—the deepest...
Tim Hjersted ·
732 views
Imperialism and Christian Nationalism Are Among History's Deadliest Forms of Collectivism
We've been trained to recognize collectivism only when it wears a hammer and sickle, but this renders today's most powerful authoritarian structures invisible.
Tim Hjersted ·
999 views
Beyond the Border Wars: A Working-Class Approach to Immigration Reform
What would a genuinely humane immigration system actually look like? The answer is simpler than most politicians want to admit.
Tim Hjersted ·
650 views
The Pathology of Power: How America Learned to Love State Violence
The comments celebrating Renee Good's death reveal a psychological pattern familiar to anyone who has studied authoritarian movements: the sadistic pleasure derived from watching power...
Tim Hjersted ·
2,124 views
Chomsky, Epstein, and Us: Far More Is at Stake Than One Man's Legacy
A comprehensive look at the evidence tell us criticism of Chomsky is absolutely warranted. This piece attempts to model what a fair and proportionate accountability process looks like.
Tim Hjersted ·
13,125 views
A Letter to Liberals: On Lesser Evils and the Courage to Demand Better
We hear it constantly: "You're too harsh on Democrats. You're helping Republicans by criticizing our side. Now is not the time—we need unity against the rising threat of fascism."
Tim Hjersted ·
628 views
A Letter to Conservatives: On Power, Principles, and the Path Forward
Our ask isn't that you become a progressive. It's for both loyal Democrats and loyal Republicans to stop defending their party uncritically and to challenge the rot in both parties...
Tim Hjersted ·
572 views
When Cheering for Murder Is Disguised as Patriotism
To revel in the image of human beings being blown apart is to confess a kind of moral numbness that civilizations acquire only in their final stages of decay.
Tim Hjersted ·
860 views
Those Cheering These Killings are Not Defending Civilization—They Are Dismantling It
The moment we allow governments to kill without trial, we step out of the rule of law and into barbarism.
Tim Hjersted ·
369 views
People Aren’t Being “Replaced” — They’re Being Distracted From Who Actually Robbed Them
“Invasion” and “replacement” narratives function as cover stories for the corporate plunder of the working class, turning justified anger away from elites and toward scapegoats.
Tim Hjersted ·
484 views
What Is Libertarian Socialism?
Libertarian socialism is a political tradition that argues real freedom requires both personal liberty and democratic control over the economic institutions that shape our lives.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,327 views
The Real Ideology Behind Reason Magazine's Anti-Socialist Crusade
Reason Magazine presents itself as a courageous outsider “pushing back against socialism,” but its real and consistent function is far more familiar: it operates as an ideological shield...
Tim Hjersted ·
410 views
What the ‘Men in Crisis’ Narrative Hides About Power, Capital, and Discontent
Steve Rose's framing of Scott Galloway as a kind of enlightened guide to “the crisis of men” is a useful illustration of how contemporary media systems manage dissent.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,970 views
A Society Built on Scapegoats Will Always Destroy Itself
If we’re serious about understanding what makes a society flourish - or disintegrate - history offers plenty of lessons. The idea that hatred, exclusion, and authoritarian nationalism...
Tim Hjersted ·
430 views
The Crisis Is Real, but the Story Is Wrong: What Scott Galloway Misses About Men, Power, and Society
Galloway describes real symptoms facing young men, but his analysis leaves the political economy that produced those symptoms out of view. To understand the crisis, we have to step...
Tim Hjersted ·
2,018 views
Public Grocery Stores Don't Lead to Monopolies — They’re a New Choice in a Rigged Market
Critics say a public grocery program would limit consumer freedom, but unlike corporate monopolies, it expands it by adding competition, giving shoppers another choice and pushing...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,196 views
The Case for a Planetary Identity in an Age of Collapse
A cosmic identity begins with the understanding that humanity is a single species — sharing not only a common biology and evolutionary history, but a shared capacity for consciousness...
Tim Hjersted ·
374 views
How Compassion Becomes a Wrench in the Machinery of Extremism
“So you’re saying we should just be nice to fascists.”
Tim Hjersted ·
307 views
Films For Action Reached 3 Million People Last Month Thanks to Our Patron Supporters
Friends, over the past month our posts on Facebook got over 10 million views and reached more than 3 million people — almost double the month before. That's all thanks to you.
Tim Hjersted ·
301 views
The 86 House Democrats Who Condemned Socialism Weren’t Defending Democracy—They Were Defending Concentrated Private Power
When 86 House Democrats—including party leader Hakeem Jeffries—join Republicans to “condemn the horrors of socialism,” you don’t need a political science degree to understand what’s...
Tim Hjersted ·
2,118 views
The Central Function of Race in America Has Been to Prevent Class Solidarity
From the very beginning of the American project, race has been the primary tool for dividing the population against itself.
Tim Hjersted ·
535 views
What Is the Opposite of Fascism?
Fascism is not merely a set of authoritarian habits or unpleasant attitudes. It is a political arrangement designed to centralize power: the fusion of state authority with corporate...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,105 views
Why Progressives Need to Be More Critical of Corporate Democrats, Not Less
A former supporter recently unfollowed Films For Action's Facebook page, which I admin, saying:
Tim Hjersted ·
707 views
How to Defeat Concentrated Private Power: A Practical Guide to Chris Hedges’ Prescription for Change
To defeat the rise of authoritarianism, Chris Hedges has called for mass movements, strikes and counter‑institutions to challenge corporate rule and revive democracy. This guide breaks...
Tim Hjersted ·
4,057 views
Films For Action Wants Your Feedback: A Note for Friends and Critics
Dear friends and critics, I care a lot about what our supporters think. I read most of the comments on our Facebook posts and I try to take in as many as I can.
Tim Hjersted ·
586 views
Mamdani's Win Is Proof That an Organized Public Can Defeat Organized Money
Zohran Mamdani’s election in New York City is not simply a local upset. It is a breach in the ideological dam that has kept American politics safely contained for generations.
Tim Hjersted ·
454 views
Beyond Privilege, Guilt and White Culture: The Politics We Actually Need
I keep hearing a similar story. Someone steps into “privilege” work hoping to grow, and instead walks away feeling shamed and under attack, as if their identity is the problem. One...
Tim Hjersted ·
493 views
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fought Crime Lords—Not Working Class People. They Would Oppose ICE.
Common-sense immigration reform points to the world the Turtles fought to build; militarized dragnet deportations point to Shredder’s vision for the world. Any kid can see that. Why...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,257 views
Debunking Gad Saad's "Suicidal Empathy" Theory
Gad Saad’s “suicidal empathy” thesis is the kind of shallow culture-war framing that sounds clever in a tweet but falls apart when you look at it seriously.
Tim Hjersted ·
7,465 views
The Stalin Card
Every time someone critiques capitalism, or suggests alternatives like public ownership, workplace democracy, or real economic self-governance, you can count on a predictable response...
Tim Hjersted ·
404 views
The Real Prison Is Traffic: Debunking The 15-minute City Conspiracy
Most American towns before the 1950s were already 15-minute cities. What changed wasn’t freedom—it was corporations dismantling transit to profit from cars and sprawl.
Tim Hjersted ·
676 views
How “Anti-Establishment” Conspiracies End Up Serving the Establishment
I’ll be honest: my favorite conspiracy theories are the ones that sound anti-establishment, rebellious, and free-thinking — but in practice, they do the establishment’s work for them...
Tim Hjersted ·
630 views
The Regenerative Revolution Is Now: 30 Documentaries About Regenerating Ecosystems, Local Economies, and Healthier, Joyful Lives
Regenerative living is a revolutionary philosophy rooted in reciprocity, creativity, and care.
Tim Hjersted ·
3,900 views
Israel's Strike on Iran Was Terrorism. No More Excuses. We Must Demand an Arms Embargo Now.
Israel's unprovoked attack on Iran Friday has killed not only high-ranking military officials, but also six Iranian scientists, including two prominent nuclear experts. Nearly 80...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,230 views
Never Forget? Never Forgive? Never Again?
Let’s talk about memory, forgiveness, and the selective outrage that props up the logic of endless war.A commentor told Films For Action on a recent post:
Tim Hjersted ·
554 views
How the Fantasy of Trump as an Anti-Establishment Rebel Protects the Status Quo
A persistent fiction continues to capture the imagination of a significant segment of the American public — the notion that Donald Trump is, or ever was, an “anti-establishment” figure...
Tim Hjersted ·
629 views
Empire With Decorum: the Complicity of Cory Booker and the Crisis of the Democratic Party
During Cory Booker's 25-hour speech, which many mistook for an act of moral courage, he never once mentioned the atrocities committed by our so-called ally, Israel. No acknowledgment of...
Tim Hjersted ·
484 views
Toward a Sacred Cosmology of Belonging: to Heal the World, We Don't Need Shame or Blame, We Need to Remember and Reconnect
In our search to understand the immense suffering caused by colonization, racism, and centuries of domination, it’s natural to feel anger, grief, even guilt. These are human responses to...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,724 views
Universal Basic Income: Answering The Common Objections
Whenever the idea of a Universal Basic Income comes up, certain objections are raised almost immediately. These concerns deserve real answers. So here’s five of the most common...
Tim Hjersted ·
816 views
Why We Need a Workers' Bill of Rights in the Age of Automation
There's a question at the heart of the coming automation revolution that too few people in power are willing to answer honestly: Who will own the gains? Will it be the hedge funds...
Tim Hjersted ·
930 views
Stop Blaming Immigrants. Start Blaming the Real Criminals.
Let's get something clear: undocumented immigrants commit less crime than U.S. citizens. This isn't speculation. It's not "just one study." It's the consistent finding of virtually every...
Tim Hjersted ·
700 views
10 Lessons for Stronger Movements
Our real opponents are the billionaires, the war profiteers, and the politicians in both parties bought by corporate money—not the few imperfect allies we have in power, and not the...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,541 views
The Deportation-Industrial Complex Is The New War on Drugs—And It's Just as Corrupt
Spending hundreds of billions on mass deportation for non-violent civil offenses or misdemeanors is the “war on drugs” rebranded. And it’s true—just like the war on drugs, mass...
Tim Hjersted ·
820 views
Yes. It's a Genocide - The Evidence Is Overwhelming
When analyzing the ongoing assault on Gaza, it is imperative to begin not with slogans or opinion, but with the clear and unequivocal framework of international law. The UN Genocide...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,288 views
The Self-Defeating Politics of the American Left
Bernie Sanders has always been more flawed than many on the left would like. His refusal to call Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide, along with several of his foreign policy votes over...
Tim Hjersted ·
2,790 views
The Real Sheepdogs of the Left
In response to Bernie Sanders and AOC's "Fight Oligarchy" tour, the same chorus of voices rings out: “Don’t be fooled by these so-called progressives! They’re just sheepdogging for the...
Tim Hjersted ·
796 views
The Right's Wokeness Problem
Paul Graham’s recent essay on “wokeness” is useful—not because it offers an entirely sound analysis, but because it provides a fascinating case study in ideological blind spots.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,319 views
The Illegality of Russia's War Does Not Justify Perpetual War
The Russian invasion of Ukraine was a clear violation of international law. It meets the definition of a war crime under the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force, barring cases...
Tim Hjersted ·
623 views
Elon Musk Is Wrong: Without Empathy, Civilization Ceases to Be Anything Worthy of the Name
Elon Musk’s attack on empathy is an old reactionary trick. First, he sets it up with a weak disclaimer:
Tim Hjersted ·
883 views
10 Ways to Fix America's Rigged Monopoly Game
Alright folks. Real talk. We’ve reached a point where the top 1% owns more than the bottom 90% combined. That’s not a bug in the system—it’s the system working exactly as designed.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,680 views
The Left Needs to Learn the Difference Between Imperfect Allies and Our True Opponents
Tearing down the few allies we have in power is a gift to the establishment. The problem isn't their imperfections. It's that there's only a few of them instead of hundreds.
Tim Hjersted ·
3,098 views
How We Win: A Movement Strategy to Unite #DemExit and #DemEnter
Whether we focus on taking over the Democratic Party or building power outside it, let's invest in the path we've chosen and learn to support allies that choose a different way.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,977 views
The Phantom Menace of “Equality of Outcome”
The right’s fixation on “equality of outcome” as a specter haunting the Western world is not merely a misunderstanding. It is a deliberate fabrication, a straw man conjured to divert...
Tim Hjersted ·
651 views
Why People Hate Socialism—and What It Actually Is
Socialism is one of the most vilified and misunderstood ideas in modern political discourse. The number one reason for this hatred? Most people have no idea what socialism actually is.
Tim Hjersted ·
3,264 views
65 Documentaries Inspiring the Transition From Empire to Earth Community
We are living in a time of profound transition, a moment when humanity must choose its path forward. The old systems—of empire, domination, and exploitation—are showing signs of...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,699 views
It's Time to Abolish Private Health Insurance
We must challenge the logic of empire and violence—both state-sanctioned and vigilante, Tim Hjersted writes, while urging a shift to collective, nonviolent action to dismantle the...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,217 views
The Real Climate Scam Is Business as Usual — Here's How We Challenge It
Capitalism thrives on profiting from crisis—it sold us lies about cigarettes, sugar, and opioids, and now it's doing the same with climate change. Fake solutions and disinformation...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,207 views
The Real Agenda Behind Mass Deportations
Trump’s mass deportation plan, though framed as a way to protect American jobs, actually helps corporations exploit workers and harms the U.S. economy. Here’s how: 🧵
Tim Hjersted ·
1,888 views
This Post-Election Take Is Going Viral for the Best Possible Reason
It's true.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,486 views
15 Principles for Courageous Living in a World That Wants You to Give Up
How do we nourish our hearts and fortify our spirits so we can resist despair when the world looks so grim? How do we face the suffering of the world without being crushed by it? The...
Tim Hjersted ·
5,479 views
Vote for Our Movements, Not Politicians: a Strategic Guide to Elections, Where Activism Matters Most
This is a guide to think less like a voter and more like an activist.
Tim Hjersted ·
713 views
Not Voting In Protest Is a Trap: Real Impact Requires Material Strategy, Not Symbolism
Strategic materialism + activism > symbolic protest at the ballot box or the couch.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,118 views
Kamala Harris: Heed the People's Call. Arms Embargo Now!
We are living through this generation's WW2 moment. What will we tell our children when war crimes, including the crime of collective punishment, was committed against the Palestinian...
Tim Hjersted ·
371 views
Trump’s Victory Won’t Push the Democrats Left — It’ll Only Weaken Our Movements
"It’s one thing to criticize neoliberalism; it’s quite another to imagine that a fascist regime will provide better conditions for our movements to flourish."
Tim Hjersted ·
1,425 views
A Strategy to Unite Green Party and Democratic Voters
A concerted campaign to vote Green in Red states and Blue in Swing-States could be the key to shaking up the political system and uniting progressives.
Tim Hjersted ·
469 views
The Myth of Far-Left Extremism: How Common-Sense Ethics Are Framed as Radical
The real extremists are the corporate and political elites who wear $5,000 suits and calmly explain why war, profit and greed are good on the evening news.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,825 views
The Tyranny of the Majority Myth: How Elites Tricked Us Into Fearing Democracy
Heard that old saying "democracy is the tyranny of the majority? It was propaganda invented by elites.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,432 views
The Tragedy of Weaponized Hurricane Conspiracy Theories
The tragedy of the theory that the U.S. government is manipulating hurricanes is that it redirects anti-establishment energy back towards support for the status quo.
Tim Hjersted ·
648 views
How "Enemy Images" Are Used to Manufacture Consent for Elite Agendas
Rising political extremism threatens to engulf us in a renewed wave of enemy images — immigrants painted as invaders, Muslims labeled as terrorists, and opponents branded as vermin...
Tim Hjersted ·
2,080 views
Should Progressives Abandon Harris? Not If Getting an Arms Embargo Is Our Goal.
Do the Democrats deserve to be abandoned for their complicity in supporting genocide? Absolutely. Is this a wise strategy, if getting a ceasefire and arms embargo is our goal? History...
Tim Hjersted ·
579 views
The Top 250 Documentaries We Can Use to Change The World
Hungry for change? These documentaries light the way by showing examples of people fighting against the status quo, creating alternatives and living a more beautiful world into being.
Tim Hjersted ·
10,178 views
What I Learned From Reading Osama Bin Laden's 2002 "Letter to America"
Pro-war Israel supporters today are invoking the same logic Bin Laden used to justify the 9/11 attacks. This theory, which justifies the war crime of collective punishment, is morally...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,726 views
To My Liberal Friends Who Support Israel's War: This Is Not What Defense Looks Like
According to a December poll, 76% of Democrats and 61% of Americans support a permanent ceasefire. That still leaves 24% of Democrats who support Israel's war on Gaza.
Tim Hjersted ·
3,850 views
Our Job Is to Speak Out Against the War Crimes of Our Own Government and Its Allies
Some people say our calls to #CeaseFireNow should be directed towards Hamas rather than Israel. But there’s a good reason for focusing on Israel, which I’ll pose with a question: which crim
Tim Hjersted ·
2,446 views
How The "15 Minute City" Conspiracy Theory Fooled People Into Fighting for The Status Quo
A bunch of "free thinkers" on the internet want you to believe walkable, healthier cities are a plot to enslave you.
Tim Hjersted ·
3,331 views
How “Inhabitants” Helps Us Remember the Knowledge That Sustains Life
Inhabitants is an inspiring documentary about the work many of our indigenous relatives are doing today to restore our world.
Tim Hjersted ·
4,610 views
The "No Illusions" Guide to Elections: Vote to Choose Your Opponent, Then Organize!
This guide is for people who are ambivalent about voting in elections. It directly addresses the objections of the "don't vote" position while finding common ground. To summarize the...
Tim Hjersted ·
2,848 views
Twenty Media Education Foundation Documentaries Are Coming to Films For Action!
Hi all. I'm thrilled to announce a new partnership with the legendary nonprofit film studio, the Media Education Foundation.
Tim Hjersted and Films For Action ·
1,466 views
What Activists Can Too Easily Forget
Activism today, call it engaged citizenship, ought to have more humility than it often does, and perhaps a bit more compassion and curiosity, too. No matter how great our understanding...
Tim Hjersted ·
2,237 views
Thich Nhat Hanh Was One of the Great Spiritual and Activist Teachers of Our Time. Rest in Love, Dear Brother!
Beloved teacher, activist, and Zen Buddhist master, Thich Nhat Hanh, has died peacefully at 95.
Tim Hjersted ·
5,484 views
Films for Patrons: Donate $5/Mo and Gain Access to These Great Documentaries
Films For Action hosts the largest collection of free films related to social change online. Started by a few friends in 2006, we're a home-grown media library dedicated to empowering...
Tim Hjersted ·
4,255 views
The War on Crime Is Really a War on the Poor – A Civilized Society Would Simply Abolish Poverty
Invest in people, not prisons.
Tim Hjersted ·
4,870 views
Planet of the Humans Is the Media Literacy Exercise of the Year
"In disputes upon moral or scientific points, let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent. So you never shall be at a loss in losing the argument, and gaining a new...
Tim Hjersted ·
3,528 views
What Would We Do If There Was No One to Blame?
Bill Mckibben, Planet of the Humans, and the power we gain when we stop seeking villains
Tim Hjersted ·
2,749 views
23 Films to Watch After (Or Instead Of) Planet of the Humans
So you just watched Planet Of The Humans, and your spirits are feeling pretty crushed.
Tim Hjersted ·
9,943 views
Voters Guide: Use Your Vote to Choose Your Opponent
This guide explains why "year-round activism + voting" is the best strategy for creating the world we want. Voting alone won't do it, but "year-round activism + not voting" needlessly...
Tim Hjersted ·
3,549 views
Thanks to Our Patreon Supporters, We Hit Our 2nd Major Funding Goal!
My friends, this is huge! Thank you so much for making this happen.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,354 views
Humans Are Not a Virus - the Virus Is a Cultural Ideology
This bears repeating: Humans are not inherently toxic, sinfl or destructive. Humanity is not a cancer.
Tim Hjersted ·
7,293 views
The New Story Revolution: Over 75 Films & Articles About the Movement With Many Names
"It’s all a question of story. We are in trouble just now because we are in between stories. The Old Story—the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it—sustained us for...
Tim Hjersted ·
18,358 views
All I Ask Is That You See My Humanity, Which Means Seeing the Humanity in All People
With this foundation, I think we can have healthy disagreements.
Tim Hjersted ·
8,468 views
Voting Is a Chess Move, Not the Whole Game
"Voting is a chess move, not a valentine. And here's the joy of being politically engaged all year round every year; you get to work with a whole lot of chess pieces and players and...
Tim Hjersted ·
3,533 views
We Did It! - 2018 Fundraising Goal Reached!
Thanks to 251 amazing people, we hit our fundraising goal for 2018!
Tim Hjersted ·
981 views
Ideological Hegemony: How Our Own Thoughts Became the Greatest Weapon of the Ruling Class
"Ideological hegemony is the process by which the exploited come to view the world through a conceptual framework provided to them by their exploiters." - Kevin A. Carson
Tim Hjersted ·
16,158 views
37 Documentaries About War That the US Government Doesn't Want You to See
These documentaries expose the ugly truth about war and the governments who wage them. The US government is focused on in this collection because I am based in the US, and it is every...
Tim Hjersted ·
81,927 views
Radical Kindness Is Liberating: A Guide to Engaging with Wisdom Online
A few years ago, Maria Popova wrote an article on how to criticize with kindness, based on the work of philosopher Daniel Dennett.
Tim Hjersted ·
22,107 views
A Surprising Strategy to Combat Hateful Ideologies: Offer Them More of What They Truly Want
Lately, I've been interested in exploring how we can apply this strategy to combatting white supremacy and other harmful, extremist and violent ideologies. Obviously, the goal would not...
Tim Hjersted ·
7,271 views
The True Purpose of Government Should Be Investing in People, Not Empire
What is the true purpose of government? Critics would rightly say it's to control and dominate because that's the nature of every government we've known. Every government since the days...
Tim Hjersted ·
13,480 views
When Our Children Become Killers, Gun Reform Isn't Enough. We Need to Redesign Our Society
What can we do to create a culture where none of our children grow up to become killers?
Tim Hjersted ·
45,769 views
Family Philosophy: a Form of Privilege or Good Fortune That We Never Talk About
Depending on where you start on this journey it can take many many years to unlearn what we are conditioned to believe by our toxic culture.
Tim Hjersted ·
9,830 views
"Whiteness" Was a Term Invented by Elites to Suppress Multi-Racial Rebellions & Divide the Working Class. It's Time to Give It Up.
Many of us have heard the arguments for discarding the faulty logic behind "white pride" but what about "whiteness" itself?
Tim Hjersted ·
10,839 views
Top 15 Documentaries That Explain Why the Occupy Wall Street Movement Was Born
Starting with the most relevant at the top, these are the best documentaries that capture the spirit and motivation of the #OWS movement.
Tim Hjersted ·
13,326 views
We All Suffer in This Love-Desert Society That We've Created - Is There an Alternative?
Presently, most of the people in our culture believe that competition, possessiveness, and jealousy are all acceptable responses when we love someone. But is this really true...
Tim Hjersted ·
12,798 views
The Anarchist Revolt Against the Ideology of Not Voting Is Finally Taking Shape
Anarchists have traditionally opposed voting for a variety of ideological reasons. For many, not voting is held as a badge of honor - a way of signaling one's commitment to anarchist...
Tim Hjersted ·
13,839 views
Is Capitalism Really the Best We Can Do? Actually, No.
We can do so much better than this.
Tim Hjersted ·
49,435 views
The Privilege of Not Caring Cannot Exist When True Love Is There
The notion of privilege exists because most people do not live in the spiritual dimension of life. We live in a culture that is based on a matrix of separation.
Tim Hjersted ·
12,245 views
Looking Forward to the Day That Nationalism Is as Reviled as Racism
Nationalism is a form of geographical racism that makes some lives matter more than others, and explicitly justifies that logic without apology. While today, not even lying corrupt...
Tim Hjersted ·
26,559 views
One "Piece of the Oppressor" That I Have Discovered Within Myself
One "piece of the oppressor" that I have found in myself during my inner activist journeys is my use of shame as a method of engaging with the world's problems. Having learned that...
Tim Hjersted ·
20,398 views
The Compassionate Activist Toolkit: The Ultimate Guide to Activism That Doesn't Reproduce The Status Quo
Compassionate activism is activism that is rooted in an underlying compassion for all beings. It is an activism that resists the strong urge we all face to dehumanize our opponents, as...
Tim Hjersted ·
45,293 views
There Is No One Right Way to Be an Activist
There is no one right way to be an activist. There is no one right way to change the world. There is no one right philosophy of leftist politics. There is no one right solution to the...
Tim Hjersted ·
21,882 views
Films For Action: What We Are Here For
It's hard to believe Films For Action has been around now for 10 years. From our early years focusing on local film screenings to our more recent years, focusing on raising awareness...
Tim Hjersted ·
10,132 views
On Ending Racism and the Need for Holding Simultaneous Realities
One of the things I've been reflecting on a lot lately is the importance of holding simultaneous realities in our hearts and awareness at the same time. When it comes to ending the...
Tim Hjersted ·
11,203 views
Is This - the Love Journey? Is This the Only One?
You meet them, you get to know them, you date them, you learn about them. You have sex with them. Finally, you love them. You live with them. You marry them. You have kids with them. You...
Tim Hjersted ·
10,182 views
What Is My Activism Really About? To Love, Serve and Remember
Focusing on media activism with Films For Action, it’s easy to get swept up in promoting a thousand different messages, leaving me sometimes feeling like I've gotten off track with my...
Tim Hjersted ·
73,589 views
My Favorite Definition of Privilege
My favorite definition of privilege is 'thinking something's not a problem because it's not a problem to you.'
Tim Hjersted ·
36,237 views
15 Films That Explain Why the Political Revolution Must Continue Past November and Beyond
No matter who we vote for or who gets elected, the revolution must continue. These films remind us why.
Tim Hjersted ·
3,246 views
15 Films Inspiring and Illuminating the 'New Story' Revolution
Charles Eisenstein is one of the first people I heard talk about the "new story," synthesizing a diverse movement that has been emerging for the last several decades. When I go back far...
Tim Hjersted ·
21,358 views
7 Solutions We Can Support Right Now to Transition to a Resource Based Economy
One of the downsides of presenting such a visionary solution to our global crisis is that it's hard to know where to begin, beyond raising awareness. The gap between where we are now...
Tim Hjersted ·
22,339 views
Did Sanders Break His Promise to Take the Nomination All the Way to the Convention?
He did promise he would, so that helps to explain some of the anger and disappointment with his endorsement.
Tim Hjersted ·
837 views
Why Did Bernie Endorse Hillary? Here's One Explanation.
He's playing the long game. If Sanders had gone third party, split the votes and then Trump got elected, it would have divided the left and set back the momentum and gains the...
Tim Hjersted ·
10,506 views
Don't Let Bernie Endorsing Hillary Distract You From What Matters
There's been quite a lot of anger, disappointment and attention on Bernie's decision to endorse Clinton the last couple weeks. But I've started to believe this attention on Bernie...
Tim Hjersted ·
97,732 views
A Few Thoughts After the #Blacklivesmatter Vigil in Lawrence, KS Tonight
After tonight's #BlackLivesMatter vigil, I don't have the words to speak to how powerful and moving this event was. It appeared there was about
Tim Hjersted ·
5,137 views
Police Terrorism Has Created a Climate so Dangerous the Police Are Being Counted Among Its Victims
This may be hard to hear but the truth isn't aided by mincing words.
Tim Hjersted ·
24,591 views
Privilege Discourse Has Noble Intentions but Perhaps It's Time to Consider Its Unintended Impacts
Privilege discourse has noble intentions but it seems that it is used far too often in practice to guilt and shame others for things they don't have control over. If education and...
Tim Hjersted ·
3,207 views
22 Documentaries That Tell the Truth About How Government Really Works
And 6 that show how people are responding.
Tim Hjersted ·
158,091 views
The Case for Strategic Voting in Elections
Vote defensively. Vote offensively. Vote when there is someone worth voting for. Vote locally where we have more agency over the outcomes. Vote to protect our movements, which is the...
Tim Hjersted ·
4,152 views
Maybe the Humans in Interstellar Wouldn't Have Wrecked Their Planet If They Had Stopped Monocropping
Did the brainiac space man played by Matthew Mcconaughey ever stop to consider the possibility that continuing to rely on massive homogeneous corn fields was driving the death of the...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,193 views
What Do You Think When You Hear People Say That 'We're All One'?
Sometimes I feel this sense of "oneness" in my body and it's hard to describe, but I say 'we're all one' as a verbal way to describe the feeling. At other times oneness is an...
Tim Hjersted ·
10,144 views
90 Inspiring, Visionary Films That Will Change How You See the World in Profound Ways
The world today is in crisis. Everybody knows that. But what is driving this crisis? It's a story, a story that is destroying the world. It's a story about our relationship to the world...
Tim Hjersted ·
323,020 views
When Anarchism Becomes a Religion
I love the core spirit of anarchism. But like most philosophies, oftentimes the spirit gets lost as it gets codified into a religion.
Tim Hjersted ·
1,210 views
Traditional Gender Norms Are Imprisoning All of Us - Let's Be Whole Human Beings
The world needs all of us to become healers. It needs us to nurture the sacred feminine and the sacred masculine that lies dormant to various degrees w
Tim Hjersted ·
28,228 views
One Example of How the Left Has Internalized the Ideology of Their Oppressors
Leftist: "If you think something will change if you vote for a different politician then you might not understand how the system works..."
Tim Hjersted ·
48,165 views
Consumerism Lies at the Heart of Our School System's Educational Purpose
A stream-of-consciousness reflection on the state of school, civilization, capitalism and the way we live our lives.
Tim Hjersted ·
2,827 views
Why I'm Supporting Bernie Sanders in the Primaries, but Am Endorsing the Movement
And why the 'vote / don't vote' debate has been one of the greatest strategic disasters of our time.
Tim Hjersted ·
12,845 views
Our Culture Is Driving the World Towards Homogenization on Every Level, but We're Not Even Aware of It
For most of human history — several thousand generations of it, what historians curiously label "pre-history" — human societies lived with a basic sense of cultural relativity. What...
Tim Hjersted ·
33,516 views
The Letters P L U R in Terrorism
I wrote this 14 years ago, when I was a senior at Free State High School, just a couple days after September 11th, 2001. Somewhat unbelievably to me now, I actually stood up in front of...
Tim Hjersted ·
1,013 views
Reflections on Privilege Theory: Why I'm Looking for a Better Way to Communicate This Idea
Does privilege theory offer an adequate lens to challenge oppression and help those it is intended to help?
Tim Hjersted ·
2,726 views
It's Hopeless, What a Relief! (A Letter for the Hopeless)
If it makes sense to feel hopeless about the future, maybe what we need right now is some 'profound nonsense.'
Tim Hjersted ·
14,573 views
The Top 100 Documentaries We Can Use to Change the World
A more beautiful, egalitarian and regenerative world is possible. Take this library and use it to inspire global change!
Tim Hjersted ·
1,660,322 views
To Vote or Not to Vote: for Anarchists, Is There Only One True Way?
People can say with conviction and confidence that voting will never make a difference - but it's still a belief, and possibly one that may be too ideological for our own good, as it can...
Tim Hjersted ·
8,390 views
What I Learned After Reading About Privilege Theory for 9 Hours
So one particular night I went on a knowledge binge and spent 9 hours reading about privilege theory. Below you'll find excerpts and links to most of the articles I read.
Tim Hjersted ·
11,698 views
If We Want to End This World's Tragic Cycles of Violence, We're Going to Have to Do Something Extremely Radical
When every cultural force beckons us to hate, to harden our hearts and vilify the other, we must have the courage to look, deeply, with an intention to understand.
Tim Hjersted ·
15,520 views
If Your Gut Response to #Blacklivesmatter Is #Alllivesmatter, Read This.
There are myriad reasons why the rallying hashtag for the movement that grew out of #Ferguson is #BlackLivesMatter and not
Tim Hjersted ·
20,894 views
To See the World With Eyes Unclouded by Hate
With every new terrorist attack we hear about in the news, whether it be by ISIS, a white supremacist or military general of a powerful nation, I think back on this piece. The thoughts I...
Tim Hjersted ·
17,432 views
The Story That's Destroying the World
Let me start by saying something that sounds controversial but actually isn't:
Tim Hjersted ·
102,414 views
When We Judge a Person Harshly With a Label or Dismissal, We Kill the Human Being Inside of Them
No person or group of people is ever one thing. Inside each of us are a thousand diverse aspects - evolving dimensions.
Tim Hjersted ·
93,277 views
Why Do so Many People Get Lost in Drugs Instead of Making a Life That You Don't Need to Escape From?
"I believe, inherently, that the structures of society are driving us mad. Though most of us believe ourselves to be fairly well-adjusted, healthy individuals, we are all patients in the...
Tim Hjersted ·
278,787 views
If Someone Doesn't Love You, It's Not Because of You. It's Because Our Society Has Taught Us Not to Love
How many of us seek out a relationship, want to find companionship with someone because we are afraid of loneliness? How many of us think that we could be with anyone we want but are, in...
Tim Hjersted ·
6,498 views
A Story to My Grandson
One night a young man and his grandfather walk down to a pond where they sit amongst trees and the swaying cattails at the foot of the water. The grandfather looks out reflectively at...
Tim Hjersted ·
4,481 views
Can We Talk About Sustainability Without Talking about Religion and Spirituality?
It would seem there are certain strands of thought within many religions that are highly unsustainable, for the health of individuals, society and the planet as a whole.
Tim Hjersted ·
3,107 views
The US Narrative on Syria Is a Lie: Now Is The Time to Use Facebook as a Microphone for Truth
The corporate media has once again become complicit in promoting the propaganda and disinformation put out by the US government. Like all good propaganda, success is defined partly by...
Tim Hjersted ·
5,302 views
The Emergent Conspiracy of Culture: How the Ruling Class Is Held Captive to a Toxic Cultural Story Like the Rest of Us
Is mass media used to manipulate the public? Yes, undoubtedly so. Numerous examples illustrate this point, with intellectuals like Noam Chomsky and Norman Solomon highlighting it, and...
Tim Hjersted ·
10,491 views
People Are Waking Up
People are waking up. They're getting involved. They're saying, "Not another day! This is where I mark the line." Their desire to change the world is turning from simple wishful thinking...
Tim Hjersted ·
23,154 views
From Education to Economics: These Are The 40 Best Social Change Documentaries You Have to See
Over the last 7 years, Films For Action has been cataloging an online library of the best social change films that can be watched free online. Opting for quality over quantity, the site...
Tim Hjersted ·
47,634 views
From Consumerism to Climate Change: 41 Outstanding Documentaries You Have to See
Over the last 7 years, Films For Action has been cataloging an online library of the best social change films that can be watched free online. Opting for quality over quantity, the site...
Tim Hjersted ·
6,199 views
New World Order or Business as Usual? -- an Open Letter to Supporters of Infowars and Alex Jones
Many of you have visited the Films For Action website and asked us why we have not posted any Alex Jones documentaries or included Infowars, Prision Planet, Natural News or other...
Tim Hjersted ·
66,012 views
The Best Social Change Documentaries of 2012
2012 was another big year for break-out films in the social change genre. With most of the bases covered for all of the major problems we're facing, more and more films this year focused...
Tim Hjersted ·
82,112 views
Top 25 Censored Stories Of 2013 and a List of Independent Alternatives to the Corporate Media
Every year Project Censored puts together a list of the top 25 stories censored and ignored by the mainstream media. The recently published Censored 2013 covers the period between 2011-2012.
Tim Hjersted ·
34,188 views
The Top 10 Documentaries About the Israel / Palestine Conflict
No issue may be more contentious or more misunderstood than the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Hatred, fear, religion, politics, propaganda, media misinformation, and decades of...
Tim Hjersted ·
362,488 views
The 15 Best Documentaries About Climate Change, Free to Watch Online
Here's a round-up of the 15 best documentaries about climate change. Click the title of each film below to watch.
Tim Hjersted ·
127,915 views
The Truth about 9/11 Isn't Black or White - It's Time our Media Reflected This
With the anniversary of September 11th, 2001 being remembered today, we can expect America and our media to look back once again on this turning point in our nation's history.
Tim Hjersted ·
6,910 views
How Films For Action Began, and Where It's Headed
This is a little window into our strategy to help catalyze a Global Paradigm Shift
Tim Hjersted ·
24,793 views
Profit Is Theft: It Sounds Absurd but Here's Why
The disparity between what the average worker earns and what CEOs take home is staggering — and it makes clear that the 99% does, in fact, need a raise. But while fighting for a $15...
Tim Hjersted ·
225,198 views
Taboo or Not, Journalists Have a Duty to Report the Full Truth about 9/11
What is the full truth of 9/11/2001? It is, quite simply, to tell all sides of the story.
Tim Hjersted ·
24,659 views
The Best Social Change Documentaries of 2011
2011 will likely be remembered in America as the year that the nation's youth finally started to wake up - all that bubbling knowledge of the world's problems, all the discontent and...
Tim Hjersted ·
41,002 views
The Top 10 Films That Explain Why the Occupy Movement Exists
One of the most entertaining yet unsurprising aspects of Occupy Wall St has been the response from traditional media. Whether intentionally playing dumb or genuinely clueless, the...
Tim Hjersted ·
134,381 views
Black Friday Is Buy Nothing Day: Here Are 10 Films to Inspire a Joyous Shopping-Free Holiday
Since 1997, the biggest shopping day of the year in North America has also been known as Buy Nothing Day - a playful protest against the cultural and commercial pressures that compel us...
Tim Hjersted ·
79,119 views
Dealing With Uncertainty: Why Reaching Out to Young People Is so Important
What does a young kid do when she realizes that the map she's been given by her parents and school teachers to navigate this world is almost entirely outdated?
Tim Hjersted ·
17,175 views
Raising Awareness: Why We Shouldn't Take It for Granted
A lot of people knock raising awareness as being too abstract. But when you consider it as a strategic first step in the larger picture, taken concurrently with other actions, I don't...
Tim Hjersted ·
43,823 views
The Root Problem Is the Root Solution: How We Can Fix Our Democracy and Create a Sustainable Future
So, I was trying to get my friend to read a recent issue of Adbusters magazine.
Tim Hjersted ·
16,913 views
Huff & Puff It Down - Towards a Vibrant Indy-Media Ecology
Arianna Huffington has betrayed us, so let's huff and puff her house down.
Micah White & Tim Hjersted ·
4,409 views
The New Website is Live!
Oo-de-lally!! After twelve months in development, the site has finally gone live!
Tim Hjersted ·
4,239 views
What's It Going to Take to Heal the Apathy in Our Society?
With a growing awareness of mounting ecological, economic and social problems, there exists many growing currents of response.
Tim Hjersted ·
14,978 views
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