I am 71 and retired. I never thought that my days in retirement would be spent calling my representatives every day and being hyper-vigilant about what’s going on in Washington.
Whatever form the resistance takes, it must include a reckoning with our allowing Rupert Murdoch to, over 30 years, develop a media system that is so right-wing that it has brought us to this dystopian place where nearly half the country is fed propaganda, 24/7.
My retirement is also turning out to be a lot of political work both here in Germany as an American and as a German. There is so much going on from demonstrations to joining working committees on many issues. My daughter has been here for a week, and that has been a lovely partial break. I am keeping up with things but not doing much.
Anand, could you include in your emails notifications of NATIONAL actions? Like today 50501 is organizing protests in all 50 state capitals on noon -- "Not My President's Day" Also February 28 is a national 24 Hour Economic Blackout, where no one is to buy ANYTHING. I think people feel much less hopeless when they have some ideas of what ACTIONS they can take. Thank you!
Yes. Right now JOB 1, JOB 2 and JOB 3 is to stop Trump and Musk. So we're off to the No Kings rally at the Federal Building in Pittsburgh this President's Day. I hope all of your readers think to join the rally at whichever place is holding it today. It's nationwide.
There are glimmers of a true opposition beginning to show to what is clearly a hostile takeover of our government. The Trump administration, the DOJ, and the drastic acts of the intolerable Musk are all perpetrators of a coup as you say. It has really always been up to us, the people, to engender opposition with belief, passion, and agency. While millions of Americans have been duped by people willing to destroy the country to obtain and hold power, there are millions of us that resist that notion and are willing to fight for our democracy.
Amen! But time to save our democracy is slipping away rapidly! There are protests going on all around the nation today (Monday, 2/17). Google it and join one, before it's too late! Indivisible is organizing many of these. https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/ .
If we tolerate this behavior by DOJ we are sheep, and we deserve the shearing that we'll soon be getting under fascist rule. If we don't stand up now, then when will we ever stand up? Protests are going on all around the nation today (Monday, 2/17). Find one near you (google it!) and join it! Our time to fight this amazingly rapid slide into fascism is slipping away!
Join your local Indivisible group, look on Mobilize for actions. Download 5calls.org and start calling your reps! The app makes it super easy, gives you scripts and phone numbers. Increase the resistance and let them know what you want; by law members of congress must tally calls. Watch AOC on IG—she says DO IT. Also, I would encourage folks to call Dem leaders Jeffries: (202) 225-5936 and (718) 237-2211 and Schumer (202) 224-6542. Tell them you want there to be no bipartisanship until the crime spree ends. There should be no business as usual when they are tearing everything down.
A script:
My name is ____ and I’m calling from zip code -------
I’m calling with a very simple ask for the Representative, : that he/she give no help to the Republicans on the budget or the debt ceiling until the lawbreaking stops. Period.
What Trump and Musk are doing now is not only brazenly illegal but an overt and undeniable violation of the federal constitution. When that stops then Democrats can consider helping on the budget and the debt ceiling. Nothing until the lawbreaking stops. I mean it. Hold firm. Thank you.
Alas... this incident is not registering the tremors I expected it would... it never made the front page of our regional newspaper, appearing on page A7... if you watch Fox the seven resignations were mentioned in passing... Trump's fire hose approach IS working... there are so many five-alarm fires lit that I fear the mainstream and small town press is missing the most important stories--- especially when a snowstorm is expected, State and local governments have their own controversies, and there are only so many column inches and so much bandwidth...
Our foreign policy lacks adult leadership. The world is dumbfounded by our dummies going abroad. At least our leaders are not yet shooting our citizens, but they will crack skulls and shoot us. We need to be ready for that fork in the road. https://bit.ly/4b5wkL4
"This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
What are actions individuals can take? Airline safety seems the target of the week-every action designed to remove our freedom of movement and financial independence
The SC will permit the firing of independent leaders of any and all agencies that are supposed to be protected from political interference. Thanks to Mitch, who should rot in hell for what he has given us, i.e., tRump and the SC.
I am 71 and retired. I never thought that my days in retirement would be spent calling my representatives every day and being hyper-vigilant about what’s going on in Washington.
Whatever form the resistance takes, it must include a reckoning with our allowing Rupert Murdoch to, over 30 years, develop a media system that is so right-wing that it has brought us to this dystopian place where nearly half the country is fed propaganda, 24/7.
My retirement is also turning out to be a lot of political work both here in Germany as an American and as a German. There is so much going on from demonstrations to joining working committees on many issues. My daughter has been here for a week, and that has been a lovely partial break. I am keeping up with things but not doing much.
Anand, could you include in your emails notifications of NATIONAL actions? Like today 50501 is organizing protests in all 50 state capitals on noon -- "Not My President's Day" Also February 28 is a national 24 Hour Economic Blackout, where no one is to buy ANYTHING. I think people feel much less hopeless when they have some ideas of what ACTIONS they can take. Thank you!
Yes. Right now JOB 1, JOB 2 and JOB 3 is to stop Trump and Musk. So we're off to the No Kings rally at the Federal Building in Pittsburgh this President's Day. I hope all of your readers think to join the rally at whichever place is holding it today. It's nationwide.
There is some comfort in reading about these lawyers who have shown integrity and courage. May they be an inspiration to us all.
There are glimmers of a true opposition beginning to show to what is clearly a hostile takeover of our government. The Trump administration, the DOJ, and the drastic acts of the intolerable Musk are all perpetrators of a coup as you say. It has really always been up to us, the people, to engender opposition with belief, passion, and agency. While millions of Americans have been duped by people willing to destroy the country to obtain and hold power, there are millions of us that resist that notion and are willing to fight for our democracy.
Amen! But time to save our democracy is slipping away rapidly! There are protests going on all around the nation today (Monday, 2/17). Google it and join one, before it's too late! Indivisible is organizing many of these. https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/ .
Let’s change the word “resistance” to Defiance …
Crystal clear…Americans must step up.
If we tolerate this behavior by DOJ we are sheep, and we deserve the shearing that we'll soon be getting under fascist rule. If we don't stand up now, then when will we ever stand up? Protests are going on all around the nation today (Monday, 2/17). Find one near you (google it!) and join it! Our time to fight this amazingly rapid slide into fascism is slipping away!
Join your local Indivisible group, look on Mobilize for actions. Download 5calls.org and start calling your reps! The app makes it super easy, gives you scripts and phone numbers. Increase the resistance and let them know what you want; by law members of congress must tally calls. Watch AOC on IG—she says DO IT. Also, I would encourage folks to call Dem leaders Jeffries: (202) 225-5936 and (718) 237-2211 and Schumer (202) 224-6542. Tell them you want there to be no bipartisanship until the crime spree ends. There should be no business as usual when they are tearing everything down.
A script:
My name is ____ and I’m calling from zip code -------
I’m calling with a very simple ask for the Representative, : that he/she give no help to the Republicans on the budget or the debt ceiling until the lawbreaking stops. Period.
What Trump and Musk are doing now is not only brazenly illegal but an overt and undeniable violation of the federal constitution. When that stops then Democrats can consider helping on the budget and the debt ceiling. Nothing until the lawbreaking stops. I mean it. Hold firm. Thank you.
Alas... this incident is not registering the tremors I expected it would... it never made the front page of our regional newspaper, appearing on page A7... if you watch Fox the seven resignations were mentioned in passing... Trump's fire hose approach IS working... there are so many five-alarm fires lit that I fear the mainstream and small town press is missing the most important stories--- especially when a snowstorm is expected, State and local governments have their own controversies, and there are only so many column inches and so much bandwidth...
Our foreign policy lacks adult leadership. The world is dumbfounded by our dummies going abroad. At least our leaders are not yet shooting our citizens, but they will crack skulls and shoot us. We need to be ready for that fork in the road. https://bit.ly/4b5wkL4
"This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
— Frederick Douglass, August 3, 1857
I never would have thought to experience this twice in my life.
What exactly have Democratic politicians done to be called feckless?
What are actions individuals can take? Airline safety seems the target of the week-every action designed to remove our freedom of movement and financial independence
"That a coup has already happened, understand that neither the courts nor Congress will step up — and start acting accordingly:"
Well first of all, I'm not ready to give up on the courts just yet, and second, what does start acting accordingly really look like?
Today there will be protests as part of the 50501 movement. But I think if we are serious, there needs to be some economic boycotting. Money talks.
What other actions can people engage in to "act accordingly"?
The SC will permit the firing of independent leaders of any and all agencies that are supposed to be protected from political interference. Thanks to Mitch, who should rot in hell for what he has given us, i.e., tRump and the SC.