Copium: Recovery
Remember: Remember - this is going to be a long fight. We all need to put our own oxygen masks on before we help others. Do not give into despair. Please use these resources when you’re in need.
“I am an Enemy to Vice, and a Friend to Virtue. I am one of an extensive Charity, and a great Forgiver of private Injuries: A hearty Lover of the Clergy and all good Men, and a mortal Enemy to arbitrary Government and unlimited Power. I am naturally very jealous for the Rights and Liberties of my Country; and the least appearance of an Incroachment on those invaluable Priviledges [sic], is apt to make my Blood boil exceedingly.”
- Silence Dogood 1722
Reality Check
Trump is losing in court, losing the public, losing over and over, which ultimately means he's losing the one thing critical to the success of autocrats: Momentum
- Jessica Marsden
Opinion: What’s Happening Is Not Normal. America Needs an Uprising That Is Not Normal.
"Remember, Trump won the popular vote by only 1.5 points. By any historical measure, this was a squeaker. In the House, the Republicans’ five-seat lead is the smallest since the Great Depression. In the Senate, Republicans lost half of 2024’s competitive Senate races, including in four states Trump won.
America has deep problems, to be sure. Which is why we can’t give up on it — or give up the fights for social justice, equal political rights, equal opportunity, and the rule of law. The forces of Trumpian repression and neofascism would like nothing better than for us to give up. Then they’d win it all. We cannot allow them to.
We will never give up."
- Robert Reich
Overcoming the Noise
Authoritarianism thrives on despair. Trump aims to grind down critics by throwing so much at the media, civil society, and his political opponents that they can’t keep up. Every moment we collectively spend chasing outrages that don’t really matter makes it more likely that we lose heart or focus, and then some threat that truly matters slips through.
-Ben Raderstorf, If You Can Keep It
Don't Believe Him - Know the Game
<h3>Takeaways</h3> - Explaining Steeve Bannon’s “Flood the Zone” strategy and how overwhelming you is the point.
- This is a power play to create the illusion that Trump is the final authority through marketing and illusory tactics.
- If the public remains consumed by the next “outrage” issue then people will be paralyzed from taking action.
- Elon is using the similar tactics from Twitter to push non-conformers out of the office.
- Trump is creating an illusion of “command” and “authority” when their strategies are easily dismantled by systems.
- The cycles of outrage and fear depend on media consumers reacting.
Overcoming Cruelty
Make no mistake - the administration is using cruelty as a tactic to command control over people. In a pathetic attempt to woo younger voters - republicans have pushed memes such as the human rights violations at "Alligator Alcatraz" or jokes on the attack of Pelosi's husband to make light of their cruelty.
Sources:
Building Hope
"Research has shown that 3.5% of the population needs to participate in a resistance to bring about serious change. That’s about 12 million Americans. Every day."