ICYMI: There's a Theme
This post is a roundup of ten pieces other people wrote that have inspired me lately.
Here’s what I’ve been reading lately that I recommend you check out if you’re looking for some actions items, hope for the future, different angles of thought, and inspiration to persevere in spite of it all. Instead of recapping the individual piece in entirety for you, I’m just pulling out some quotes that will hopefully tantalize you to click the link to read more at the original source.
Some of these publications I subscribe to and others this is the only thing of theirs that I’ve read. I may not agree with every single word (though some I do, wholeheartedly!), but there is value in the essence of the message. Sometimes the bold words are my emphasis and other times it was the author’s.
A Brutal Beginning: Orienting Ourselves Amid the Shock and Awe (Organizing My Thoughts)
“In our current moment, it’s important to remind ourselves that we are not helping or saving anyone by falling into patterns of shock and reaction. Absorbing each blow head-on and then performing our disapproval online is not “resistance,” which is something we all should have learned during Trump’s first term. Trump is a performer. Becoming a full-time viewer and critic of the Trump Show does not create safety or justice for anyone. It merely drives us mad.”
“Witnessing and disapproving will not save us. We must be willing to act and refuse to act on the basis of what we know is right. We must build a rebellious culture of care in defiance of a death-making culture of greed. We must reject the disposal of our fellow human beings. Rather than allowing this fascist oligarchy to invisibilize its violence by cloaking its harms in criminalization, we must be willing to become criminals. To be orderly and cooperative in a fascist state is not a virtue. We must be prepared to live and act defiantly, deriving no legitimacy from the illegitimate brutes who would govern us.”
What Can We Do? (What Can We Do?)
“The idea that we’re all alone, and that we have to fight to survive, seems to have become commonplace. People don’t join unions anymore because they think that the only way they’ll win a higher wages is through competing with those around them. People accept growing inequality because they believe that, if they compete hard enough, they might just end up on the top of the pile. People have stopped resisting government policies that harm their interests, because they can’t imagine what it would be like to take part in a movement that could challenge decisions made by the powerful.”
“I started to realize that I’d been looking at everything all wrong. Socialist transformation wasn’t going to come from people ‘toughening up’, shutting others out, and trying to solve the world’s problems on their own. It was only going to come from people trusting each other, supporting each other, and learning to work together.”
What We're Not Gonna Do... (Counterstory Media)
“I’m going to go over a comprehensive list of what each of us needs to be doing, but I’m also going to provide you a list of other pieces here on Substack that are covering vital topics that you need to read.
Because here’s the thing: I’m already seeing a lot of duplicitous energy that is clogging up our feeds and repeating some information while drowning out others. So I thought I would compile direct links to people who are already doing it, and doing it well. Follow them, subscribe as you are able, and let’s keep the information going.”
Twenty Lessons On Tyranny (Thinking about...)
“1. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”
“8. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.”
…It’s Never Been More Important for Nice White Liberals to Step Up (Drilled)
“Fisher said she has been surprised in recent months by what seems to be a rapidly increasing comfort in the U.S. with the idea that things might get violent before they get better. She started to see that shift in the wake of the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Last time around, she said, the “resistance” was political and led largely by Congressional staffers. “This time, what I'm seeing that's really different is that the conversation is no longer about focusing on redirecting and reinvigorating the left for the next election. It's about defending democracy,” she said. “And there's a lot of language that is highly charged with violent undertones. And then you add to that the killing of the UHC CEO and the [alleged] perpetrator, Luigi Mangione, becoming this folk hero for folks on the left…”
And the MLK quote within the piece is also spot on.
“The white liberal must rid himself of the notion that there can be a tensionless transition from the old order of injustice to the new order of justice. Nonviolent coercion always brings tension to the surface. This tension, however, must not be seen as destructive. There is a kind of tension that is both healthy and necessary for growth. Society needs nonviolent gadflies to bring its tensions into the open and force its citizens to confront the ugliness of their prejudices and the tragedy of their racism. It is important for the liberal to see that the oppressed person who agitates for his rights is not the creator of tension. He merely brings out the hidden tension that is already alive.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE IN YOUR INSTA FEED (The Progressivists)
“Look at how it works: A horrific policy drops. Protests are organized. Permits obtained. Routes approved. Politicians tweet support. Media covers the *peaceful demonstration*. Maybe there’s a celebrity speech. Everyone feels good about showing up. Instagram stories flourish. And then . . . nothing changes. The policy stays. But people feel like they *did something*.
Time for a $9 matcha latte to celebrate our activism!
Meanwhile, real change happens in the shadows. It happens when communities quietly organize food distribution networks without government oversight. When neighbors silently agree to watch each other’s kids so parents can work. When clinic workers forget to ask for documentation. When teachers don’t notice hungry kids taking extra food home.”
Here's What You Can Do to Keep Democracy Alive During Trump's Second Term (Zeteo)
“1. Be Brave
Avoid helpless/hopeless talk. Authoritarians want you to feel powerless because it makes their work easier. Courage, faith, and optimism are essential. Fascism feeds on cynicism and pessimism. Starve it. No regime lasts forever. Resolve to do your part to ensure the survival of democracy. Choose to believe that we will find a way to come out stronger.”
“6. Avoid Brain Rot and Lies
Social media is overrun with clickbait traps that profit from outrage and misdirection. Block these and seek out legitimate information sources grounded in truth and reality. Subscribe to trusted media outlets so journalism survives – we’ll need it more than ever. Always do a basic fact-check before sharing memes, texts, or stories. Never spread false stories or conspiracy theories, even if you wish they were true, even if you think they’re funny…
“15. Take Care of Yourself
This will be a challenging era. Saving democracy will take lots of energy, passion, and stamina. Take care of your health. Get plenty of sleep. Drink lots of water. Exercise. We’re all in this together – for the long haul.”
Stop calling yourself a leftist. (Grace Fell's Ascent Into Revolutionary Madness)
“There’s an abundance of “discussions” and “talks” and “book clubs,” and not a lot of realizations about how our likelihood of survival is directly dependent on our relationships to the people in our immediate vicinity. There’s a little too much “This is what y’all get for voting for Trump!” and not enough “Who do I know that could feed me tonight if I really needed them to?”
“…the label that kick-started this entire process was “liberationist,” which is what I proudly claimed for myself after realizing that there are communists who don’t consider liberation a priority. It was after journeying as far “left” as I could go that I realized that there actually was, indeed, more radicalization and decolonization to be done. Because, of course, the path that will lead us to victory has never been traveled before. It needs to be carved out by whoever is brave enough to go first.”
How To Prepare For Trump's Tariff-Fueled Economic Crash (The Opinionated Ogre)
“Take care of your shit now
Have you been putting off a surgery? Stop doing that. Does your back hurt and you’ve been ignoring it? Stop doing that. Skipped the dentist for the last decade? Stop. Doing. That.
This is not just about keeping you and your family healthy (although that’s a happy side effect). This is about taking care of shit now while you have the resources to do it. Ask anyone with a medical condition and no coverage what it’s like to not have access to healthcare when you need it.”
I would die for you, knowing you'd risk nothing for me (420blazeit69)
“I won’t dance around this anymore and try to cater to people’s sensibilities. You’re grown-ups. I’ve spent hours of my life—that I’ll never get back—trying to baby-talk (white) liberals and leftists alike through the realization that change takes personal sacrifice and I’ve written again and again and again about how even well-meaning white people’s complete unwillingness to risk any measure of personal safety is at best failing to help anyone and at worst actively killing us.”
Hopefully these ten pieces will not only give you more to think about but will motivate you to act. There’s a variety of ways we can move forward with a diversity of tactics. Let’s each remember how to care for ourselves while not forgetting that we also need to care for each other. (Especially those “othered” in our communities.) For those who are unable to do some of the suggested activities, there is still space for you. You just have to find out what you’re willing (& able) to do in the myriad of options available.
I’ve written some lists on what I plan to work on moving forward, and one of my To-Do list items is to uplift others’ who are speaking truth to power, sharing their personal experiences & advice, and taking action in our common goal of liberation. This won’t be the last roundup you see from me as we move forward. I’ll save my energy for different ideas to write about when other writers have already written what I wanted to say.
~The Overstimulated
