Why We Can't Succumb to a Self-Defeating Mindset if We're to Oppose Fascism
There are some things that you have to put out of your mind so you don't erode your own motivation
We have to regroup.
The reports are already coming in of raids where immigrants, including children, are targeted. Naturally, the mainstream media isn't going to say anything about this. But we have people accused of sexual misconduct entrenched in many prominent positions of our government. I frankly don’t trust them to separate children from their parents.
What do you think is going to happen?
The media doesn’t fairly represent the extent to which men with ties to sex trafficking are allowed to retain positions of power. It’s disgraceful (there’s a reason the Epstein evidence isn’t getting released). I think people are inclined to put their heads in the sand and pretend none of this is happening, but that's not going to save anyone.
We'll have to rely on platforms like Substack and Bluesky to stay informed. The platforms of the past that used to spread videos of police attacking drivers during routine traffic stops are no longer reliable. Just today I reflected on how valuable it is to have the live stream feature on Substack. If nefarious forces knock down your door, hit the stream button. That's about the only chance that the world might know what's truly going on in this point of history.
Yeah, it sucks, but here we are. Don’t let the fascists erase you.
Some part of me holds on to hope that this technology will prevent the atrocities from achieving historical levels. I still think that when prices start to rise instead of fall (as was promised) and we see interruptions in the supply chain (the result of incompetent leadership) we might actually find members of our community awaken to the fact that they were duped.
But it is still early.
These last reports on the various attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion are extremely troubling. At this point, I wish the current administration would just come out and admit they are a white supremacist organization. I think, their official policy is to deny this. But if you refuse to hire anyone who isn't a white male, then what else are you?
One thing that bothers me is that social media is still behaving like social media from before the world changed on November 5th. People are still posting their “I told you so” memes.
Frankly, I don't think that does any good. The time for snark has passed. We have to change our tactics.
One of the main things we have to do is put pressure on any Democrat that shows a willingness to work with the Republicans. That's compliance. That's a blatant surrender. We have to entice the Republicans to be part of the resistance, not the other way around.
Compliance is not why we elected those people. Our votes still matter.
The Democrats need to be the voice of the resistance, and we need to pressure them to take up this responsibility. The time for reaching across the aisle is over. The other side is ripping up the Constitution as we speak, or trying to. You can't find common ground with that. You have to speak loudly and often and denounce this behavior. The more you comply, the more power you give them. The more you legitimize this regime, the more danger you put yourself in.
At this point, there's no safety in trying to comply. Look at Mitch McConnell. He spent his entire political career working for this moment, and today he is as reviled among the right as he is among the left. If they despise Mitch McConnel, do you really think they're going to “forgive and forget” any Democrat that even once voiced an objection to one of their policies?
Wake up and recognize what we're up against!
The other thing I'm coming to accept is that we have to put the results of the 2024 election behind us. I'm as guilty as anyone of clinging to hope that there was an investigation going on behind the scenes, or that Executive Order 13848 would come into play, or the insurrectionist clause in the Constitution would be obeyed. When you sit there and type it all out, there were a lot of guardrails that were pushed aside for this to happen, weren't there?
But we can't think about that. That's a waste of our collective mental energy and there are more pressing issues now that government forces are showing up at schools.
We can’t afford to descend into a self-defeating mentality. I’ve seen this come up in a number of ways. Sure, there’s evidence that we’re up against an impossible task. But it frankly doesn’t do us any good to dwell on that. Instead, we must purge self-defeating thoughts from our minds, and focus on tactics that actually give us some hope.
Here are some thoughts that I think we can no longer afford to indulge:
Can’t blame the voters
Can’t blame misogyny
Can’t blame racism
Can’t assume that there will be no more elections
We can’t allow ourselves to remain perpetually frustrated and angry. Therefore, we can’t blame the voters. If we scream at voters we’ll drive them away. Anger helps the others side. Instead, we have to appeal to them to join us.
wrote a wonderful article about Republican efforts to invalidate ballots. They do it every year. If we’d passed the John Lewis Act back when the Democrats had control of congress, this wouldn’t have happened. Let’s take comfort in the fact that more of us likely voted against what’s happening than voted for it. Focus on that. Focus on the reality that the other side cheats, and we have to take appropriate action. Don’t succumb to helplessness. Yes, it’s unfair, but we can still win.Don’t blame misogyny and racism. There’s evidence to suggest that our side did win in 2024, so the hypothesis that America will “never” elect a black woman is unfounded. It’s dangerous to have that idea in your mind, because it prevents you from voting your heart in the primaries. Seriously, we get into these problems by not voting for the candidates we really want. Stop outsmarting yourself. Take action for who you want. Speak out on the things that are truly important to you.
Don’t assume there will be no more elections. That’s defeating yourself in advance. That’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Speak as if they are as inevitable as death. There will be more elections. Act appropriately. Make it clear that you will accept no other reality than this.
We all must speak honestly and often about what's going on. You can't sugar coat it for the sake of diplomacy. The current administration is hurting people. They're hurting kids.
When you are out talking with people in your community and they start complaining about “illegal immigrants,” remind them that they're talking about children. They're talking about people. Remind them that there are many people who are law-abiding US citizens who get caught up in the hate that's returned as such a fundamental element of our national identity.
Remind them that members of the LGBTQ+ community are also human beings. Nobody deserves to be hated for who they are.
This has been the core of the Republican movement since 2016. They just hate. They drive around in their pickup trucks with profanities emblazoned on gigantic banners. Call them out for that! It's not a secret. Make it part of every conversation.
Let's treat each other with a bit of respect and human dignity. Why can't we do that? Why can't we find that common ground?
At some point, when you've gotten done beating on some innocent little kid, don't you look down at the blood on your hands and feel ashamed? Why are our religious leaders completely silent on this? I appreciate the words of Bishop Mariann Budde, but it also feels like too little too late. If every preacher in every church throughout our nation had spoken up in time, we'd already have universal healthcare.
They've been preaching for the opposite, and they've manifested it.
Ultimately, I think it's really important that we try new things. To be honest, I don't have any idea what's going to work. It might even be that nothing will work. Maybe we're screwed. Maybe the mess is so big that it will never be fixed.
But if that's the case, then there's no point even thinking about it. Instead, let's focus on things that might have a chance, and that means doing something different than what we've done up until now. Those are the behaviors that got us here. They didn't work. We have to do something different!
Share your little wins. Say the things you've conditioned yourself not to say. Tell your neighbors about the innocent kids that are being tormented out there. Let them know that your neighbors are not your enemies, immigrants are not your enemies, BILLIONAIRES are your enemies.
Have we done such a completely ineffective job on educating the public on the dangers of fascism? How many times have the Nazis been the bad guys in films and television shows? Apparently not enough because lurking in the shadows is a large group of frustrated young men who seem fascinated with that ideology.
How did we not convey that it leads only to misery and suffering? There's nothing glorious about it. It's just pain and death and agony for all those involved. It doesn't work!
Do something different. Don't doom scroll. Don't share the same old memes. Don't smirk. Instead, brainstorm new tactics and try them. If you stumble upon a success, share it here so we can all implement it within our communities.
Decent people have to organize. We have to support each other. We can't fall into the trap of thinking this is going to be okay. It's not going to be okay. We have to act. We have to reset. Look at history. We have to write a better future than what can be found in the horror stories of our present and our past.
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Chuck Schumer is giving strongly worded speechs in front of an empty Senate chamber. You may want to talk to the Democratic leader about self defeat.
Walter, I believe you are spot on! We can’t act like we are defeated, we must continue to organize and share information. The orange man and his henchman are depending on pushing us into a hole and hiding. I refuse to hide, I refuse to be silent. I believe by exposing the BS, we will at some point, get this turned around. This isn’t about party, it’s about defeating the greedy billionaires, corporate leaders and the bought and paid for politicians. They reside in both parties!