“The most effective answer is the most deceptively simple: do not buy in. We are warring for control of reality.”
Saw that on Twitter today. Some thoughts:
We are stuck in a vacuum of lies and propaganda by a system determined to prove that we are not, as a nation, smart enough or determined enough to fight back for what we believe in and value.
The question is what will this resistance look like.
I for one do not think it will be through social media awareness and activism. It will not come by writing letters and calling our representatives, because they are part of the system that allowed us to be in the predicament we are in. They know our anger and frustration. They saw it in our push for Bernie. They saw us suck up our pride and begrudgingly say that we are with her. They can even count the 2.5 million votes that echoed our voices. So I do not think that they need our letters or signed petitions.
Because even if they wanted to help, and I believe there are a few who do, they may, at this point, be powerless to stop what is coming. And what is coming is a tidal wave of crony craziness the likes of which our country has never seen. A massive money grab by the greediest, liars and thieves, who have stacked the system in their favor for generations and now they want to see what the system they built can really do:
Empower corporations beyond their already bloated status. Deregulate all public services that they have made sure are on the brink of failing after year of obstructionist temper tantrums. Give the pigs at the trough the keys to slop and let them fill their own bellies. Privatize the systems, so they can wring out the last of the remaining wealth all for themselves.
Expand the military. Create a police state. Debunk the media and the free press and promote anti-intellectualism. Create a monster and call it “the others” and simplify the complexity of a nation into chants and rallies and reality show demagogues. Rally around the flag and burn and loot and crash the whole shit show down.
Dark? Grim? Cynical? We have seen this in our fiction for years. We saw this in the thirties in Germany. The formula is not new. It is just happening in our back yards now. On our network channels. Within our own families. How do we fight back?
At this time I am not sure. I do know that things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better and this is the battle of our lifetime.
Readers of history know that it takes generations to get to where we are now, and it will take generations to get us back out. We will fight the good fight where and when we can, but it will be a long tough journey, so we need to pace ourselves. This is a marathon.
We fought Nixon and Jim Crow. We fought Reagan and the Bushes. Hell America was built by its fight with the forces of imperialism and greed. This is not a new enemy. We were just lulled into a false sense of comfort as the beast hypnotized us with a fake post-racial America. And now we are ready to face it full on again. The American left is not some fictional beast. It knows the score. Look to its leaders for guidance. We need to build movements that are fighting long term battles for peace and justice, not against one candidate and his one term.
There is no reason to lose hope or become confused. We need to take stock. Focus. Find our allies. Educate ourselves on the movements that have been fighting for generations against the system that has now taken this neo-facist form.
Find where you are passionate and fight that battle in concert with the rest of the movement. Women's rights? Race? Social Justice? Environment? Poverty? We cannot take it all on at once. Find your focus and fight. Fight long and hard. It's the only choice we have.
….
In other real life news…today was a good healing day for me. Weird how one can feel such dread and fear, but then smile and love life ten minutes later. I had my first visitors today. Was great to see Ian and Paula. I also went out to dinner with the family and had a glass of wine. I felt like a normal person for those last few hours and that is good.
I got tickets to see PJ Harvey and I got some work done. The ankle still hurts and I had some strange dreams in the morning, but everyday I am riding the wave I am sent and hoping for a few good rides. The political stuff is heavy, but I am trying to balance it with the levity of my own life.
Sure we are headed to a neo-fascist America, but the sky was blue, I smiled more today and I am feeling like I am ready to crawl out of this cave. Such is life.
I am blessed and grateful. I could be in the rubble of Allepo or in North Dakota in the freezing cold. Instead, I am in my comfortable home tending to a foolish injury, silently ashamed of my meaningless tirades against the corporate machine that is devouring the world.
Saw that on Twitter today. Some thoughts:
We are stuck in a vacuum of lies and propaganda by a system determined to prove that we are not, as a nation, smart enough or determined enough to fight back for what we believe in and value.
The question is what will this resistance look like.
I for one do not think it will be through social media awareness and activism. It will not come by writing letters and calling our representatives, because they are part of the system that allowed us to be in the predicament we are in. They know our anger and frustration. They saw it in our push for Bernie. They saw us suck up our pride and begrudgingly say that we are with her. They can even count the 2.5 million votes that echoed our voices. So I do not think that they need our letters or signed petitions.
Because even if they wanted to help, and I believe there are a few who do, they may, at this point, be powerless to stop what is coming. And what is coming is a tidal wave of crony craziness the likes of which our country has never seen. A massive money grab by the greediest, liars and thieves, who have stacked the system in their favor for generations and now they want to see what the system they built can really do:
Empower corporations beyond their already bloated status. Deregulate all public services that they have made sure are on the brink of failing after year of obstructionist temper tantrums. Give the pigs at the trough the keys to slop and let them fill their own bellies. Privatize the systems, so they can wring out the last of the remaining wealth all for themselves.
Expand the military. Create a police state. Debunk the media and the free press and promote anti-intellectualism. Create a monster and call it “the others” and simplify the complexity of a nation into chants and rallies and reality show demagogues. Rally around the flag and burn and loot and crash the whole shit show down.
Dark? Grim? Cynical? We have seen this in our fiction for years. We saw this in the thirties in Germany. The formula is not new. It is just happening in our back yards now. On our network channels. Within our own families. How do we fight back?
At this time I am not sure. I do know that things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better and this is the battle of our lifetime.
Readers of history know that it takes generations to get to where we are now, and it will take generations to get us back out. We will fight the good fight where and when we can, but it will be a long tough journey, so we need to pace ourselves. This is a marathon.
We fought Nixon and Jim Crow. We fought Reagan and the Bushes. Hell America was built by its fight with the forces of imperialism and greed. This is not a new enemy. We were just lulled into a false sense of comfort as the beast hypnotized us with a fake post-racial America. And now we are ready to face it full on again. The American left is not some fictional beast. It knows the score. Look to its leaders for guidance. We need to build movements that are fighting long term battles for peace and justice, not against one candidate and his one term.
There is no reason to lose hope or become confused. We need to take stock. Focus. Find our allies. Educate ourselves on the movements that have been fighting for generations against the system that has now taken this neo-facist form.
Find where you are passionate and fight that battle in concert with the rest of the movement. Women's rights? Race? Social Justice? Environment? Poverty? We cannot take it all on at once. Find your focus and fight. Fight long and hard. It's the only choice we have.
….
In other real life news…today was a good healing day for me. Weird how one can feel such dread and fear, but then smile and love life ten minutes later. I had my first visitors today. Was great to see Ian and Paula. I also went out to dinner with the family and had a glass of wine. I felt like a normal person for those last few hours and that is good.
I got tickets to see PJ Harvey and I got some work done. The ankle still hurts and I had some strange dreams in the morning, but everyday I am riding the wave I am sent and hoping for a few good rides. The political stuff is heavy, but I am trying to balance it with the levity of my own life.
Sure we are headed to a neo-fascist America, but the sky was blue, I smiled more today and I am feeling like I am ready to crawl out of this cave. Such is life.
I am blessed and grateful. I could be in the rubble of Allepo or in North Dakota in the freezing cold. Instead, I am in my comfortable home tending to a foolish injury, silently ashamed of my meaningless tirades against the corporate machine that is devouring the world.
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