I really have lost my former tolerance for "we're doomed/fucked/it's all over/they've won" takes at this point, in that they're the most dangerous attitudes one could possibly have when confronted with a truly existential political threat (which we still DO have levers to address).
We're in the most dangerous moment not because we're doomed, but because we're at the razor's edge of a tipping point between the future we could have and the past that a bunch of losers are desperately holding on to, and just, like, the tiniest fucking thing could push it one way or the other.
not only does doomerism eventually (or quickly) turn selfish and self-indulgent, but you also get the sense that its adherents are unaware that people have often faced existential threats throughout history and that we'd all be worse off now if doomerism had always won out
this is a very good point i suggest this lovely essay/book by the internets favorite War Dad. does a great job of saying shit has always sucked, will continue to and always will
The ignorance of even American history from some distresses me. Oh, SCOTUS made shit worse for you? It made it more difficult to organize and protest and fight authoritarianism?
If only an escaped enslaved person or an anti-war protestor could know what that was like.
Intolerance of uncertainty is part of my autism profile. It’s actually very difficult to fight. And I try to be open to helping people if they are open to being reasoned out of it. But they so seldom are.
Yes! My posts this morning have a doomer-y vibe because I am very distressed by all this, but the implication should always be that we should take drastic action now. The abyss is right there but we have time to avoid it.
All in on this. But how? Voting for Biden isnt enough. Same SCTOUS is there. Voting down ballot is great. Winning seats is great. SCOTUS is still there.
What exactly IS the process to get a member of SCOTUS removed from office?
They aren’t elected. And they serve for life. And they get to decide what parts of the Constitution they want to enforce. Kinda seems like they hold more power than they should.
And Dick Durbin, whose responsibility it would be to start that process, doesn't have the spine to even write a sternly worded letter. He called Thomas to Congress to maybe explain his shit, and Thomas was like "lol no" and Durbin just let it go
technically u can impeach which has happened a few times but not a single judge in us history has been removed by conviction basically the way we hold judges accountable hasnt been updated since the magna carta "good behavior" model
Answering that would get me put on a list, but if you want a hint, a bunch of (soon to be ex) fans of Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" dressed up as her simple goth ass for Halloween and conventions...
None of this is actually in any sane reading of the constitution, but SCOTUS appears to have just said that presidents can't be prosecuted for corruptly misusing their official powers.
People have recommended reading books on how people resisted previous fascist regimes and most importantly to build community networks. But I definitely need guidance at this point
The short ones are Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny & the last few pages of the OSS Simple Sabotage Manual. The first 20 pages are fine, but they’re focused on a technological world that doesn’t exist now, so only partly applicable, but the last part is social hacking still in use. About 150 pages total
You’re welcome!
If, after those, you want a longer piece, try Bob Altemeyer’s The Authoritarians. It’s now more than a decade old, but it’s also well written and it’s based in strong social psych methods, and it’s accessible without being jargony.
Resist in any possible way you can. If that means finding happiness in a sea of cynicism. Do it. If it’s making art or music. Do it. If it’s being an activist DO IT. At the end of the day we have only ourselves to take a stand against these ghouls.
Contribute $ and/or ⏰ to voter registration and Get Out the Vote efforts, especially among minority voters in swing states. Contact your local Democratic party to see how you can help with phone calls, driving people to polls, etc. Encourage people you know to make a voting plan and tell 3 people.
Contribute $ and/or ⏰ to voter registration and Get Out the Vote efforts, especially among minority voters in swing states. Contact your local Democratic party to see how you can help with phone calls, driving people to polls, etc. Choose one centrist relative to talk to about the stakes.
Support the effort of community groups (minority churches, community organizers) to GOTV and get people registered and to the polls. Encourage people to sign up for mail-in ballots if your state allows for it. Do text organizing one afternoon a week. Donate $5 a week to a candidate if you can.
