Let's Just All Stop and Take a Deep Breath Today
I realize everything looks grim, but we can't afford to lose hope
Hello Friends,
It’s been distressing to watch the progress of the Republican murder bill. This is the bill that’s going to strip millions of Americans of access to healthcare. It’s going to close down hospitals. It’s going to take food out of the mouths of hungry children.
It’s just awful. It’s an affront to humanity.
I watched an interview with the Senator from Alaska who only voted for the bill after she carved out exceptions for herself. A reporter asked about the cruelty of the bill and she stood there staring at him for 10 seconds.
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It was the stare of rich, defiant, and entitled people who have just done something to hurt their fellow human beings and who really resent that you’d dare to call them out on it.
How dare you?
She had some long, dithering explanation for how she had a responsibility to the people of Alaska. Just once I’d like reporters to ask, “But don’t you have a responsibility to humanity? You just voted for something that’s going to inflict agony on millions of people.”
How do you sleep at night?
How do you sleep at night?
How do you sleep at night?
Sigh.
This has been the steady march of the last 10 years. The Democrats refuse to fight for us. They beg for donations so they can roll out of the way the second the conflict comes.
Call for a recount. We gave you all that money so you’d call for a recount. Fight for us! Fight for humanity!
But they don’t. Instead, they shake their heads and start begging for donations again. I’m starting to think they’re in it for the donations. They don’t care about what’s right or wrong any more than the Republicans.
Now the Republicans have built a concentration camp in Florida that’s surrounded by alligators. There are provisions in the murder bill that allocate huge sums of money to ICE.
The president can’t use the military against American citizens.
But he can use ICE.
So, the easiest thing for a fascist dictator to do is turn ICE into a gestapo unit as well-funded as the US military.
The US military is the most expensive fighting force in the world.
The US police force is the third most expensive.
What’s ICE going to be now? Do we want the complete podium?
Then we’re all worried about elections. Will there be elections? I don’t think the last one was fair. But the thing is, there have been little rays of light. Some Republicans are acting like the midterms will happen.
Narcan Leon is threatening to primary Republicans. Other Republicans are retiring rather than vote for the bill.
Every day of delay helps us. The bill still has to pass the house. From there, how long will it take for this ICE gestapo to form?
The primaries for the midterms start in March. We’ll be in election season at that point.
But look, even if there aren’t elections. None of this is practical. Take Ukraine for an example. The Russians thought they’d march in and roll over the whole country. Ukraine is still fighting.
That’s their home. That’s their home. That’s their home.
This is OUR home.
A friend asked me if my daughter wanted to play soccer this fall. I said, “No, there are ICE raids and soccer games are likely to be targets.”
He was stunned. He is a white guy so he’s not really thinking about this yet. After all, it’s not on the news. They haven’t seen it. It’s not real to them.
But soon the hospitals will be shut down. Children will be hungry. Masked men in body armor will be hauling your friends and neighbors away.
Will Americans start to protest then?
They’re already protesting now. Not enough. Not nearly enough, but millions are.
Millions.
For the last 10 years we’ve been holding our breath in the face of inadequate action as our nation made its steady march to fascism.
Fascism is here, it’s just not equally distributed yet.
It must be stopped.
We have to take a deep breath and find our resolve. Take a deep breath today. Dig in. Get ready.
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I was beyond MAD the other day when I got another email from the DNC begging for donations, complaining about how this ugly bill got passed 50-50 with 'dangerous Vance's vote. Don't be a fool, he's dangerous. Damn, even the non profits are greedy assholes. But I knew this long ago. That's why it's always good to look at their financials and learn how their money is spent before committing your hard earned dollars.
I was fiery MAD at their timing. It seriously was the timing of the email that irked me so, the bill had just been pushed through again. I had been donating to Bernie and AOC and to a few others on a regular bases since they all have actionable plans. But I've avoided all the organizations like the plague.
I Open. I Read. I Delete, sometimes not even read. This was so DIFFERENT!! I'm am so MAD at the old school democrats (and I'm old), most of them are no better than the republicans at this point. Serious corruption has taken over both sides in our top government. Out of touch, greedy corrupt ass-wipes.
We are in serious trouble. I'm sad that your kids can't do soccer, but I do understand. My gg-babies are half Hispanic and live in Texas. I am worried sick they will get caught up with the ICE Gestapo while visiting their fathers family. I also am worried as I know they depend on SNAP food supplements to stretch their budgets.
What I did with this email fuckery, my actionable plan was to unsubscribe and report them as spam. When they asked why, I also told them why without holding back. I gave them my full five cents. I told them THEY HAVE FAILED, and most of them should retire and let the younger democrats who are in touch, more progressive take the lead. For me: I WILL NOT donate to another organization. From now on our (my) $$$ will only go to people. Human beings, not organizations. People with actionable plans, people who care, because that is what matters, humanity matters, our earth matters. WTF Hugs, D~
“We also have near enemies, the cynics and defeatists among us who in theory agree with our goals but in practice are forever sabotaging them by insisting that we cannot achieve them and we are naive to try. In fact, they often dispense more scorn and hostility on those who are trying than on the actual enemies. [¶]
When you don't assume the outcome, you recognize that you may be able to participate in shaping it; perhaps more participants might have further determined the outcome, which was decided by one tie-breaking vote from the vice-president.
That is the most basic tenet of hope, that the future is being made in the present, does not yet exist, and committing to it means a shrugging off of all the false prophets who as cynics, defeatists, and even optimists pretend that the future has already been decided.
Rebecca Solnit