Brett Meiselas of Meidas Touch (the fastest growing independent news network in the world) posted a death threat he’s recently received with violent sexual content. He needs our support.
Boycott is now my favorite word! EVERYONE must stop making these billionaires richer. We do have power. Not only boycott stop using all of their poison! We do not need it. We have Substack and YouTube, we are good!
There is no Whole Foods where I live , but there was where I use to live. I read labels on cans and their 360 canned goods were made in China.
They were founded by libertarians and libertarians are interest in only one thing, themselves and that of course entail making a profit, and not just a profit but the most that they can
They are like Bill Maher, spoiled brats that never grew up.
I am with you on Amazon, but if you live where there are no brick and mortar stores, and your local market doesn't stock or can't keep on the shelf the items you want or need. You don't have a choice, and let's not hear about Ebay, Walmart both are owned by families and investors that are as right wing and self serving as Bezo's. In fact all of your big box stores from Safeway, Kroker to Home Depot and Target are MAGAts, and even Trader Joes, and wholesalers. For those in the west Publix, Piggly Wiggly are MAGAt
We are surrounded.
Somebody give me the name of one large progressive retailer.
Thanks. I have a COSTCO membership, alas the nearest CostCo is four hours and $70 away. They don't have much of an online presence and service. The products which they do carry on line are of no interest or value to me.
We have a Winco ... what is their political story? Also wonder about Stater Bros. I'm in Southern CA. No Whole Foods but have a family store called Organic Roots Grocery. I use that one a lot, but I have no idea regarding their political bend.
Most of Costco's products you have to buy at the warehouse & transport to your home yourself. Any large retailer that is still around 6 months from now will only be here because it has caved completely to Trump & MAGA. We have only 2 remedies: a second Revolution (and most Americans lack the spine for that) or leave the country. As I am 77 & a tad too old to man the ramparts, I'm opting for the latter. I'll have a nice front row seat with popcorn & beer to watch the S.S. Trumptanic slide under the economic waves it brought upon itself by an economics-educated president who doesn't even know what GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) is & yelled at a speechwriter for putting the word 'arbitrage' in his speech, saying he didn't know what it meant & couldn't pronounce it (oversimplifying, it is basically trading different currencies against each other the way you do other commodities or stocks). Economics Professor Kelley at Penn's Wharton undergraduate school (who I had the next year) never tired of saying that, in his 33 years of teaching undergrad & grad school at Wharton, "Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had." May the many gods of this world take pity & have a meteor hit the Capital during his first State of the Union speech, so we can restart the American Experiment with a clean slate.
I will only add that there are options for delivery from Costco if you need it. When you're in the warehouse (as I was yesterday) checking out they always ask if this is all one order. There are lots of people there collecting products for delivery. Costco has their own service, Instacart also delivers from there. There may be others as well.
Hi Jon, I completely agree with you and thanks for the info on Trump.
I am 85, and have deficits from cancer of which I think I am a survivor.
It has been 7 years now, and I have a PET Scan in March, I also have four kitties who I refuse to leave behind or euthanize. My wife is still thinking that she will survive the destabilization.
Unfortunately, there are too many D's and F's to make it practical unless you are an urbanite. SE OK doesn't leave you with a lot of choices beyond Walmart and Amazon.
"I am with you on Amazon, but if you live where there are no brick and mortar stores" -- (or, I'll add, you have no way to get around physically) -- "you don't have a choice" -- (again, I'll add, or your choices are extremely limited.)
KDSHERPA, we also lack nearby stores and we do not have a car but my wife is adamant - we use the internet to find the product at another site or go without. Most of the time, the cost is the same or less. We do not support Amazon!
I hate having to rely upon Amazon, but I do. I went to my local brick and mortar locally owned Market, the owner tries to keep the shelves stocked, but he can't keep up with demand. It runs out of stuff all of the time. even my brand of Kitty litter (World's best) Polygrip (yeh I have dentures), even garlic olives and ginger snaps.
And as for anything else, if it isn't in the second hand store, or the tourist shops, forget it. We do have an Ace Hardware that carries a lot, and a Home Center that basically caters to construction and home builders.
We have two real auto repair shops, and you have to make an appointment, up to a month, a lot of shade tree mechanics, but I wouldn't have them work on anything newer than a 1975 Maverick.
I couldn't even dind someone to clean out the gutters on my roof, and as far a carpenter, all of the hammer and saw guys are working for the two contractors that build homes.At least we don't have any town houses and condo's. It took three months to get an arborist to come out and trim my fruit tree. and a month to get the septic service to inspect my drainfield.
Anyway Amazon is my llfeline, I received yesterday an arthritic thumb brace which I couldn't buy local.,and an air purifier special for pets.,even oxygen concentrators, that are reasonable and don't cost thousands.
But what is the difference between buying from Amazon and a chain store owned by billionaires that support the Republican party and Trump?
For cleanup and maintenance stuff, I've gone to my local food bank and asked if there was anyone who wanted to "make money on the side". I pay them in cash at the end of every day.
That's undeclared income, I'm aware, but hey, it's a great way to help one another without going through official channels.
You won't get very specialized workers, as those are expensive, but you may get someone to clean gutters or weed the garden, water trees etc... essentially "grunge work", but they are very helpful and if they do well, I will give them a good recommendation, with which they may be able to snag a better job. I've had a number of helpers who have done work I could no longer do. I gave them a recommendation and they found gainful employment, so I feel pretty good about that. [I also had some who would stop working as soon as my back was turned too, but hey, that's life.
Oh, yes. I'm the only one who can handle my chainsaw! climb the gutter etc. And I do tell them that I have no insurance [I do, but it's better if they don't know that.]
Seven years ago I was climbing a ladder on my roof, cleaning the gutters and spreading Tide to kill and keep down the moss (you spread it along the crown and let the rain take care of the rest.
Then cancer and a craniotomy, I lost my sense of balance and can no longer even climb a ladder. I will take your advice on telling people I don't have insurance.
I have boycotted Amazon for at least 2 years. I know how the workers there are treated (unlike, say, at Walmart. Also I boycott Amazon because they are acing out all of the brick and mortar stores. We have already lost lots of them, and soon Kohl's and Macy's will be gone from here. No more Tuesday Morning, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Orchard Supply and many smaller stores. Amazon is good for homebound people or ones unable to get to a store, but as long as I can, I want to see things in person before buying them. That won't be an option if Amazon does a complete takeover. I do think that Costco is a good choice and I think that Lowes is better than Home Depot. Is that right?
Lowes is just as bad, actualy worse than Home Depot. AFIK Home Depot is not homophobic or anti immigrant, but Lowes is.
As regards Amazon, I understand your sentiments and If I had a choice I would also boycott them, but I honestly have no choice. I have no other options, and that even applies to food.
To start with, could you tell me a little bit about how German industrialists contributed to Hitler’s rise?
David de Jong
They didn’t really fall in line until after Hitler seized power on January 30, 1933. The first real collaboration happened three weeks later on February 20 when Hitler assembled two dozen of Germany’s wealthiest industrialists, financiers, and CEOs. He summoned them to this meeting in a palace in Berlin where Hermann Göring was his right-hand man.
He invited them on the notion that he was going to explain his economic policies. Most of them he had never met. But instead of talking policy, he went on a 90-minute rambling speech where he didn’t say anything about economics. It turned out the whole meeting was a disguised fundraiser. The Nazi Party was in financial dire straits and needed to raise money before what turned out to be the final Weimar election on March 5, 1933.
These men were very explicitly promised by Hitler and Göring that these would be the last elections held for the next 10-100 years. They had no qualms getting out their checkbooks and signing over German democracy. That’s really the first instance of their collaboration..."
That’s interesting that you include Trader Joe’s. I just started checking brands on the app Goods Unite Us, and they appear to donate to Dems overall. But you’re right - not a lot of good options.
I live in a Walmart town - Tehacha-pucky. I use Thrive Market, Public Goods, Thorne Labs for supplements, Sea to Table, Green Chef, Chewy, Viva Raw, Costco...not all of these companies have been vetted by "Goods Unite US" but they are small enough that I will support them until I find out differently.
That relative of mine quit using Amazon. But i have another who did not use it, hated it, then joined Amazon Prime and now uses delivery. We are captive to some extent.
Unless you are ready to grow your own veggies and raise your own chickens, and never get hurt or sick, and don't need money to pay taxes or debts, we are indeed captives.
We have Amazon prime, we pay for it, but we have so much delivered that in the end we save much more in shipping. and then there is the free video's (if you have prime) that you can watch on your TV or computer.
Still in all we do use other sources, when they have free shipment if you meet their minimum order requirement.
I just found that if you do comparison shopping for grocieries, there are some items that are cheaper locally than on Amazon., and some items are outrageously priced.
But it doesn't matter, Buy locally and you are buying from a monopoly, Kroger, Albertson, Home Depot, Walmart, Target.
For those who live in the South and Midwest Rick Cohen and his family own C&S Wholesale Grocers. Rick is the executive chairman of the company.
Explanation
Rick Cohen is an American businessman and billionaire. He is the third generation of the Cohen family to lead C&S Wholesale Grocers.
C&S Wholesale Grocers is the largess
Take Publix: Julie Fancelli. Julie Jenkins Fancelli (born 1949 or 1950) is an American heiress and conservative political donor. She is an heiress to the Publix supermarkets fortune and a member of America's thirty-ninth richest she is also one of Trump's major financiers.
Precisely, William. Where I live the choice is not between Whole Foods and the Fairy, but between WF and the other corporations. If you are on a low sodium diet, WF is better than the others.
I understand. Talking of low sodium I don't understand that.
When I was 9 I spent the summer at Camp Wisahauken, and my cabin mates gave me shit because I put salt on saltines.
I have always used a lot of salt. I am 85 and have a salt shaker by my computer. Yet my BP is normal, all my blood numbers are normal (I get a full Metabolic panel every 6 months. I don't have a problem yet. I also take an 81mg aspirin every morning as a precaution.
I don't know what I would do if I had to go low sodium. I try to keep simple carbs out of my diet and sugars as I am insulin resistant, but no sodium problem except I like salt.
Too high and mighty Diana. You don't live where I live. We have one small Marketplace, that can barely keep their shelves full, and there is a limited selection anyway. There is very little to buy locally Diana.
We have a drug store that caters to tourists. Our clothing store is a second hand store. Or tourist shops where you can buy hats, hoodies and T Shirts.
If you want anything you have to make ferry reservations, wait in line for an hour, then an hour and 15 minute ride, then an hour car ride to go shopping
And hopefully get all of your stuff in your car, and then reverse the process, Oh and the ferry cost $70.
Meanwhile you have to carefully plan your ferry reservation, because the cut off is 30 minutes before the sailing, and even then you are lucky to get in line, as the lanes often fill up early.
WOW!!! I have to apologize!!!!! Really! That is awful & I feel bad for making an assumption that you had the access that I do! MY BAD!!!! I just hate Amazon & what they stand for & I had no right to judge you because of my feelings! Best of luck to you & do what you need to do for you & your family & hang in there in this crazy, political climate!
Iabhor Amazon as well. I shy away from hate, of anyone or anything, it is a self destructive emotion. My sister hated my mom, and it killed her, depressed her immune system. I came to terms with Mom, because I knew her, her childhood, what made her and forgave her.
As regards Amazon. I do buy what I can from other sources, but regardless, these days we wind up purchasing all of our stuff from the oligarchs.
My wife buys some stuff from Walmart, and we got in an argument long ago, because Walmart abuses and exploits their workers, they don't even call them employees, they call them associates,so that why they can consider them like investors or contractors.
There are a couple of on line sources I will never use, Alibaba and Aliexpress, they are Chinese and they get your personal info and credit card.
Whole Paycheck is way overpriced. We have better alternatives here: Aldi, Jewel (Albertsons), Mariano's (Kroger), though Mariano's appears to be getting greedy.
the point: Trader Joe's owners are actively disrupting the unionization efforts. they also own ALDI. if you're gonna boycott those other companies, think about this action, too. that's all; just information to make a choice.
That was 60 years ago, limited to one city, and it took a Supreme Court decision to desegregate the buses.. Aldi/Trader Joe's is a multinational company and boycotting isn't going to put a dent into its operations. Try again.
The answer depends partly in how you define success.
“Very few boycotts have led to changes,” said Maurice Schweitzer, a professor of operations and information management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. “Most boycotts lack a sustained effort” and people lose interest or stop paying attention, he said.
“In practice, most boycotts achieve the more modest goal of attracting media attention,” Schweitzer wrote in an email. “There are, however, hundreds of calls for boycotts each year, and most accomplish very little.”
It may also depend on how you define success: Sometimes, it is just the personal satisfaction of not helping the bastards. [FYI, that's how I quit smoking. when you count the price of 1 packet of cigarettes multiplied by the number of days in a a year that I didn't smoke a pack, that adds up!] It's true, they still sell their poison, but a lot less, and not to me.
It may not change their policies or practices, but every penny you don't spend there is a penny they don't have to continue oppressing you.
As far as 'successful' boycotts, ask and you shall receive:
You obviously don't really care. I am with the people who care enough to do the right thing regardless of outcome. Every time I spend a nickel at Amazon, Whole Foods, etc, I feel like a louse. When I don't, I feel like I am living in harmony with my deep beliefs and with what I care about. Best deal in town!!
I'm old and cynical enough to know "doing the right thing" may make you feel better but it doesn't have much of an impact. I'd rather focus my energies on something substantial instead of the naive hope that Bezos will become penniless if people stop buying from Amazon.
John Mackey, the last remaining co-founder of Whole Foods Market, sold the company to Amazon for $13.7 billion on August 28, 2017. As of March 4, 2019, Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in North America and seven in the United Kingdom.
Canceled my Amazon subscription when Bezos donated $1M to the sloguration fund. Do not want 1 cent of my hard earned money trickling down to the narcissistic sociopath Dumpster. Doing just fine without Amazon. Using Fandango to watch movies.
I do not use Amazon. The time time I charged me, I left. Slavery dollars on federal minimum 7.95. "Hey buddy I pay 4.00 dollars over minimum wage already", the boss shouts out to an employee in poverty.
Amazon & Whole Foods are owned by Facebook (Zuckerberg) and are now all-in with MAGA. Besides, Amazon has become more and more a site selling primarily junk made in China, sometimes cheaply, sometimes vastly overpriced. Fewer & fewer recognizable name brands show up (still mostly made in China and much of them counterfeit). All 2 dozen "associate stores" selling the notorious red "Make America Great Again" hats are Chinese (that's the true definition of Irony). If you are anti-Trump, you have to boycott Amazon & Whole Foods as well as Google, Facebook, Instagram, What'sApp (the last 4 owned by Bezos, also a born-again Trumpie) and just about any industry that continues to thrive as Trump violates the free market capitalism to aid his "friends" and punish or destroy his "enemies." John Deere, long in Trump's headlights, just announced they are moving to Mexico (better a tariff than be destroyed completely). And, anyway, Deere will just sell to the rest of the world. The US will be at least a generation before we can build the manufacturing capacity to meet our needs for everything from hand power tools to farm equipment to raw materials processing (steel, aluminum, titanium, rare earths, chips, etc). Welcome to the preliminary stages of the Greater Depression. 1930 will look like Sunnybrook Farms in a year.
Trumpet 🎺 is a transaction guy unless he can profit directly from an activity he won’t pursue that activity…
His rhetoric is extreme .
Be aware that he has number one goal of look at me ; give me money.💰 .
I am concerned that he has re energized his army of followers ( brown shirts)oath keepers etc .
They will provide the muscle for any radical actions that will threaten our government our democracy our way of life. That the place where our eyes should be most vigilant…
I do feel like I’m getting more than crickets from MSNBC, but I imagine it varies from one show to another. I rarely watch them before late afternoon - I mainly watch the evening shows. Rachel Maddow is back to 5 nights a week for the first 100 days of tRump’s presidency.
Rachel is good as is most of the talking heads, but bear in mind that MSNBC is owned by NBC universal and it is owned by Comast, and comcast is owned by Vanguard, Blackrock, State Street and Brian L Roberts, who is also it's CEO and Chairman and it is the owners that dictate what can be covered and at what depth..
What you see forming with the pardon of Stewart Rhodes and Tarrio,is the birth of Trump's equivalent to the Sturmabeitlung and I don't see MSNBC expounding on that little feature. Then again I don't much watch it anymore, as I detect and have detected since Nov 5th an increasing drift to quiet acceptance and even rationalization as if this was nothing more than politics.
It isn't it is life and death serious, not politics, It is epipolitical.
They stood by, and then went into action on his command, but it was not out of decency that Trump pardoned them. He knows that they have millions of supporters and sympathizers in this country (and abroad). Hopefully, not all MAGAS sympathize with them, or approve of his action.
Stewart Rhodes and Enrique Tarrio are his Ernst Rohm and Heinrich Himmler, America had best be prepared for the Sturmabeitlung, GESTOAPO and SS rampaging the country.
Good point William... and we know that Hitler had Ernst Rohm and many of the Brown Shirts murdered on the night of the Long Knives only 2 years after he took office. The Oath Keepers had better keep looking over their shoulders... Just saying.... GH
Right, Trump will go for the money. This is why he is so in bed with big pharma.
And this angers his followers. To reduce his support, keep harping on the danger and inefficacy of the vaccine he is so proud of. It's easy. There are many scientific papers showing all kinds of nasty side effects, and how efficacy switches from weak to negative after a while, making recipients more likely to catch the virus, and more likely to get seriously ill.
Even better if you can show him profiting from the mRNA.
The Word tells me, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Test all spirits. Pray, first, middle, all inbetweens, all the day through, if you know the Word as friend and Savior.
Not just boycott. Divest from these companies… pension funds and endowments are what will matter. Protecting the company stock prices is why their leaders cow-towed. The cost of siding with the wrong side (they know right from wrong, except for Musk. He’s on the wrong side) must cost them where it really hurts. Everyone sees the share prices. We must also publicize and reward the good companies. A list of these is welcomed .
This is a small way to demonstrate my opposition to tRump. I've raised a black American flag to show my disdain for the present administration. The Magatts usurped the stars and stripes such that the flag no longer represents for me the original ideals and values of America. The black flag went up on 1/6 and will fly indefinitely. It is a black time in these United States!
Bezos sure doesn’t care. He just closed every Amazon warehouse in Quebec throwing 2000 out of work. These oligarchs are very much part of taking over/destroying the economy of Canada. This is frightening
Also, Bezos and Amazon had an early start here in Seattle WA. I haven't done biz with Amazon since he 'did in' the independent book sellers by taking over their inventories to sell on line. And Bezos 'fled' WA to FL because WA was going to implement a 'tax the rich' program to redesign our state tax system. I also heard that his mega yacht, traveling a river in the Netherlands, got to an old bridge, couldn't get under it and asked/demanded the city dismantle the bridge to make way for his yacht. They DECLINED ! Bezos or Bozos as I refer to him ~ is/was one of the most egregious of the lot of B's on Trumsk's dais ~
No, not difficult. Whole foods wiped out oodles of businesses specializing in organic food and , as corporation overtakes do do, created a mush market of commercialized product lines in the same packaging . When saying no to ' illionaire greed profits the opportunity to cut the glut of pollution's and land fill pollutant profit are vital acts against glutton garbage too.
sure did. The big organic food store in Boulder, Colorado, was called Alfalfa's Market before it was acquired by Amazon and rebranded as Amazon Fresh. Alfalfa's Market was known for its wide selection of organic and natural products, and it had a strong presence in the Boulder community.
The working class has spiraled into corporate handcuffs. It's hard to break out unless we have a key. I am glad to hear others are thinking about solutions instead of complaining. I belive we need to build on to a working class economy that traps money within the middle class. This means new businesses with "Shop Freedom " values. 10% of the economy is 501c non-profit. By building out new options we provide alternatives and opportunities for all of us. We build the key to escape the oligarchs with 50% of our economy bound with a working class economy...that is trillions of dollars. The working class has the power, but it must be organized to keep our money with our like minded friends who are 100 million strong.
I stopped Amazon and Whole Foods. It wasn’t that hard. Just go to Amazon, find the supplier of what you need and order from them. So far, it’s been a plus, for me, and the suppliers.
Yet somehow, before Amazon life carried on just fine. You'll be pleasantly surprised to discover how much you don't need something tomorrow, and how available stuff is from other reputable online sources.
One drop at a time takes a long time to fill a bucket - take a 2-cup measuring cup, and the bucket fills quickly - same with boycotting. It may go slowly at first, but become visible as their profits plummet, if you boycott Amazon. At that point they will notice and ask why.
He doesn’t care but it is imperative that we resist in what little way we can. Check out Goodsuniteus.com for a list of companies that donate to politicians - boycott and write to them to let them know you will no longer support a company that is invested in bringing down democracy.
I have no idea who advertises on Fox or X- any help here? Re: supporting organizations/litigation, Americans United for the Separation of Church & State is also working hard ( au.org ).
I'm all for boycotting certain corporations and I'm also in favor of a general strike- shut everything down for a day or so and let the corporations know we are united.
Realistically, you can't hurt centibillionaires with boycotts. They'll simply pink slip excess labor, then blame it on the boycott - along with radical, left-wing Democratic Socialists! That's the only way "trickle down" >has ever< been good at trickling down!
More troubling is this: that those jobs will be pink slipped is only a matter of time, since they'll all be pink slipped because they'll be replaced with AI driven automation, at which point boycotts may become marginally effective, since no blackmailed wage slaves will be left to pink slip. How, then, will the trickle be any trickle at all?
I would say a better strategy is, "Where possible, seek out other sources/suppliers. For instance, we have Natural Grocers in our area, as well as Sprouts,
Sorry, but YouTube is owned by Google (in turn owned by Alphabet). Google's Sergei Brin, once a NeverTrumper, has now made the pilgrimage down to Mar-A-Lago to get Trump's blessing & sat with Trump's party at Trumps inauguration earlier this month. Forget about YouTube - it's only a matter of time.
That is so good, we need to keep posting who owns what that we can boycott and when we do it we need to make sure they know why we are boycotting. I don,t use Amazon or Whole Foods and am closing FaceBook. And saying why and also mentioning that I am doing it in respect for the 400 people who worked to keep the site safe but lost their jobs….400 people, their must be a lot of questionable activity to keep that many people employed.
I got off Facebook and Amazon. This is what we can do to make an impact as individuals, in addition to those ten suggested ways that we, the people, can resist this current aberration.
Nailed it. I hate to say this but the right has become better at this, although I hesitate to describe what they do as boycotting. Regardless, they’ve shown to be better at mobilizing the last 5 years & it was effective. The good news is that with most of the heavy hitters acquiescing, we have options. McDonald’s, Amazon, Meta - they have their hands in it all so EVERYONE should be able to contribute something. Once one falls, they’ll start sweating.
Colin, your comment sounds like trolling. If it isn’t, it’s precisely the wrong approach. The goal is to support human rights and work build a just and welcoming country, not to demonize political opponents.
Yes that's what I meant. I think Trump, Musk and co are moral degenerates, and the right is one the side of those opposing them. Just like the Allies v Nazis in WW2. I think freedom is very important, and so it the rule of law. Trump and co oppose it.
Organisation is what they lack. In some respects they could be called a movement - this would certainly apply to some of the militias. Mostly, they seem to me a disparate group of the desperate, the disillusioned, the fanatical and the downright crazy. The one thing they share is a profound ignorance.
You are correct Russell, We need organization, but not the corrupt, effete and feckless Democratic party, look at them now, Schumer, Fetterman, Connolly kissing the ring.
This is not politics, and hasn't been, only the Democratic party, it's Strategists, analysts can't see that. When you are a hammer everthing is a nail, begone Carville, Biggs, Begala and all of the so called strategists that rush to the cameras on MSNBC> Time for new leadership like AOC.
They would have to be a radically different party. I personally do not blame them for respecting the election result and the Constitution but you're right that they are sorely in need of new leadership.
I didn't mention respecting the election result, you injected that, but since you brought it up. I do fault Kamala and the DNC for her concession at 4 pm on Nov 6th while votes were being counted and not challenging the results in Pennyslivania which shows very obvious voter interference, like throwing out 60,000 provisional ballots and there were organized efforts afoot to challenge the Pennsylvania Vote.
To make things worse, Biden was glad handing Trump the day after at the White House and treating the Trump victory like it was an ordinary transition, and at Carters Funeral there was Obama and Trump yakking it up, sharing jokes at Carters funeral never the less.
What's going on? Are we victims of a theatrical production?
Once you abandon consitutional politics all that's left is different versions of MAGA. I will give you three recent examples of the former: 1) Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court refusing to dismiss with prejudice the cases against two members of the Proud Boys for offences committed on J6; 2) Judge John Coughenour of the Seattle District Court blocking Trump's executive order curtailing the right to automatic birthright citizenship in the US, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional”; 3) Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting with Democrats against the Pete Hegseth nomination as defence secretary. By the way, this is what PolitiFact had to say about the Pennsylvania election: "Pennsylvania has multiple certified voting systems across its 67 counties. These systems produce voter-verifiable paper records and are not connected to the internet. These are tested publicly before every election. Only authorized elections personnel can access the voting systems. Trump won Pennsylvania by a margin of less than 2%. We rate the claim that these videos show Trump admitted to rigging the 2024 election False."
What are constitutional politics Russell. That is a new one on me.
Politics is street fighting, only the Dems have gone at it as if there were rules and playing nice, while the Republicans have gone for the jugular and won. They have been winning at the municipal level, the state level and now the Federal level, while the Democrats have only been interest in the Federal level.
everything else Russell is now moot, irrelevant because we are on the cusps of the 4th Reich of the rich and the racist.
So what Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, Hegseth will be approved. Joni Ernst shriveled up and died because she is afraid of Trump.
Trump is remaking the entire government from top to toe in his image with his loyalists and will do what he damn well pleases.
I am waiting to see if he honors the rulings of federal judges, like the judge in Washington State, that ruled that his birth right citizenship EO was unconstitutional, First it has to be upheld by the Supreme Court, and that is doubtful, and then it has to be obeyed by Trump, also doubtful, given that his Presidential model is Andrew Jackson, who said "Justice Marshall has ruled, now let him enforce that ruling", in response to Marshall ruling that the Indian Removal Act was unconstitutional. The Trail of Tears was Jackson's response to Marshall.
So the election was rigged, too late to do anything about it Russell, that should have been done before Jan 20th, too late now.
24 Democrat-controlled states have joined a legal action against Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship. That's constitutional politics. The last time Trump was in office he made such a mess that the Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate in the mid-terms and that's exactly where he's headed now. People didn't vote for him to release criminals from jail, annex other countries or seek retribution against all his perceived enemies. They wanted him to address the cost-of-living crisis, the housing crisis etc. He's already cut access to Medicaid and affordable health insurance and he's promised to do the same with social security. He's angered the police unions who supported him at the election (they forgot that he doesn't need their votes any more - Andy Ogles notwithstanding). There's an iron rule of populism that to be a successful populist leader you have to continue to be popular. Let's see how long he can continue with this chaotic mode of government before people start to see it isn't working for them.
You are preaching to the choir Russell, not just me but virtually all of RR's readers.
I am awaiting ruling by SCOTUS, considering their past rulings
You are correct about the iron rule of populism, but bear in mind that once he obtained power Hitler abandoned his populist guise, as did Mussolini.
Populism is just a tool for an authoritarian to gain power.
Bolshevism started out as a populist movement, the annihilation of the kulaks was populism.
Mao Tse Dung led a populist movement.
Once the power has been seized, populism is abandoned, and then you have authoritarian rule, and the only way to depose authoritarian rule is from internecine squabbling and collapse from within, and that is always at the top, not bottom up, or from assault from without.
Here is what makes internal collapse more difficult: Technology.
We life in an age where all communications are "sniffed" at the speed of light by artificial intelligence/algorithms and stored in the worlds largest server farm, the NSA data center at Bluffdlale, UT
Well Vic, you talk of patience like there will be a tomorrow. The sun will certainly come up tomorrow, but it rises on a hellscape. The era of politics is over. The Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society has seen to that, and they found the perfect tool - Trump.
The old days are gone, this is a new era, a new regime (not an administration) Dems and pundits are talking about taking it back in the mid terms, rots of ruck on that.
Inn 2017 it was Trump trying to single handedly remake the country, but the Heritage Foundation learned and has used him, very capably I might say, to remake the government, and by casting aside the constitution, and they have the help of six of their acolytes on the Supreme Court, and a subservient media, which, if it isn't motivated by ideology, is motivated by shareholder value.
Patient for what Vic. 20 years ago, on an Anomalies and Enigma forum, I had conversation with an old Florida dude, who said that the civil war was unnecessary all that was needed was patience, because eventually slavery would have become untenable as it was uneconomical.
And what about the miliions that would be born and died as slaves till then, and slavery wasn't just about economics, it was a lifestyle,it provided social status and plantation life style for planters.
BE patient. I guess all of the Jews, socialists, Slavs and queers that were rounded up and liquidated might have something to say about patience.
Patience only works if you are unaffected or marginally affected by this authoritarian regime.
Franco's Spain only unraveled after his death, and then not completely, because the real power in Spain is the Catholic Church, they even have their own army. The Spanish Legion: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QBoV9LnYxmc
Mussolini's Italy only fell apart because of the landing on Anzio.
Hitlers Germany only fell apart because of the landing on Normandy.
If you are waiting for Orban's Hungary, Erdogan's Turkey, Putin's Russia, the Mullahs Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kim's Korea to fall apart, don't stick your bare hands on your ass too long, they will grow there.
Donald Trump *speaks* like a populist but doesn't act like one and if you think he, with a "businesses uber alles" attitude is pro unions, you are sorely mistaken.
But you can’t deny the modern liberal policies that have strangely all simultaneously taken hold across the western speaking world have had a detrimental effect on the U.S., Canada, Australia and of course the U.K. The UK is on the brink of insolvency and social collapse. Over a million illegal migrants a year into a society that has seen stagnation since 2008, has 25% poverty. Since 2008 the U.K. went from having a higher per capita income than the U.S. to one that’s is lower than Mississippi. 500k British are leaving a year. The country is losing its wealthy and its professionals to countries like the U.S. and UAE. This is not because of Right leaning policy. Even past U.K. conservative PM’s are just liberal lite in their implemented ideas. The U.S. under Biden was spending $1T every 100 days. 10M migrants into the U.S. directly hurt the working poor, putting greater demand for their jobs, housing, education and healthcare. As we are learning first hand from the ICE arrests these last few days, NO ONE was turned away at the border. Biden signed an executive order to stop LNG exports from the U.S. to our EU allies and when asked why he had no idea that’s what the EO was even for. He was told it was for LNG research. Who was running our country???
Regardless of our difference in political ideals we have to at least agree that you wouldn’t want those with murder and rape convictions or known terrorist roaming freely in our country.
Where was there a benefit for our country to continue >4 years of this? How would we have been better off? Why is Canada doing so poorly after 12yrs of Trudeau liberal policies to the point the point the man resigned from office? Do you really believe the problem with the US is the U.S. needing more leftist policy? Any country, state or city that has one party Leftist rule is failing and is worst off now than it was 10 years ago.
I support Meidas. And now that 1600 criminals are loose the threats will continue. During 47’s campaign he went on and on about all the criminals coming through our borders, but the hypocrite released 1600 criminals before our very eyes into America.
Meidas Touch is an unreliable source. Most of its posts are speculation sourced in "trust me bro" and social media posts. Most of its videos have not the quality required to be a source in Wikipedia - I am a librarian, bibliographic researcher and Wikipedia editor.
"Nuf said" is not a reason. An unreliable source is an unreliable source, even more unreliable when we like what we hear and don't take the time to check whether there are facts behind the words. Don't you know Fox viewers believe that Fox is more reliable than anything else, "nuf said"? Bias is a two-lane road. Next time, *check* whether what Meiselas says is supported by other sources. Or, for example, check whether what he said happened when Gov. Newsom received Trump at the airport matched facts - like, the official statement of Newsom in the California government website. Google 'Newsom Trump airport' for more points of view. Be a researcher, not a believer.
Everyone should cross check their resources like I do all day long. I get what you’re saying but in all honesty (no pun intended) we need a pragmatic approach as well as with someone like you with all your credentials asking the questions that some of us mere mortals don’t have the ability to do. Please continue to do the good work! Peace ✌️
And, not just the big names - but folks in your community who write a letter to the editor that gets published. We're pretty much all fair game - and we pretty much all need support - because Each One Lift One (as I've been saying for decades) is the way through. Let's make that The Way #12
I hope he was reported the death threat. At a certain point, a threat crosses from speech to a criminal action. It sounds like this threat might have crossed that point.
One person posts a death threat against Trump and even the so-called mainstream media make his arrest a 10-day story. Thousands & thousands of death threats are made against anybody who speaks out against Trump, merely disagrees with him, or does their job, which interferes with Trump's every whim on a daily basis. Trump just fired all of the DoJ employees who were assigned to all federal cases against him, even though they were merely doing their jobs as assigned by their superiors. When Trump learned Biden had given Trump's own former national security advisor, John Bolton, Secret Service protection after learning that our enemy Iran was planning to assassinate him, Trump took away the Secret Service protection on Day 1. If Bolton is assassinated (or an attempt is made), Trump is an accomplice before the fact for the murder or attempted murder (though Trump's SCOTUS has already given him immunity). No doubt the Grand Ayatollah of Iran will award Trump a medal. Now that Trump has discontinued Medicaid across the board, there is no estimate of how many Americans will get sicker or die for lack of medical care. Does Trump care that he is condemning innocent people, including millions of his own MAGA people, to suffering & death? As long as Trump has medical care, he couldn't care less (pun intended).
Yesterday was a difficult day for many of us The Trump Blitzkrieg of executive orders was intended to overwhelm us and dispirit us. Do not give in to the defeatist thinking that Trump and his cohort are attempting to instill. RESIST in in all places, in all ways all of the time.
Today’s topic of “What can you do? and Ten Ways To RESIST Trump II" represents the beginning of movements that should unite us and not allow the show of fascism and power to allow us to become depressed and defeatist. Some people have accused the Democrats of “Rolling over and playing dead.” If that is the case, do not follow their example. Look for brave people and organizations and support them.
"The country’s largest police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, has spoken out against the pardons, as has the International Association of Chiefs of Police.” - Heather Cox Richardson
Who would have guessed that it is the leadership of the police unions and Association of Chiefs of Police that would take the lead in the newly forming resistance movement. This is significant as the Trump Administration is counting on the police to begin enforcing his bat sh*t crazy flurry of executive orders. I never thought I would find myself praising the leadership of the police! United Resistance can unify strange bedfellows into becoming a united force for justice and freedom.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a new protective force was created from loyalists. The new administration doesn’t want to deal with existing forces that can’t be trusted. A new law enforcement agency could be created and given powers of enforcement and never be punished for implementing “unlawful” orders. And everyone else goes to the camps.
Eventually they’ll be punished. In the aftermath of complicit behavior, “I was only following orders” doesn’t wash. And while their dear leader has immunity,they do not…and if the past is instructive he’ll leave them twisting in the wind.
Good point Mikey. Probably like the Guardia Civil when Franco was in power in Spain. When I was there in the USN in 1970-71 the Gaurdia had absolute final say over any local police decisions if they chose to do so. If there was any problem to be dealt with and they showed up everyone deferred to them. Even the local police chief.
It was said that even the Guardia Sergeant on the street was only three steps away from Franco. Him, his Captain, the District Commander and then Franco. Nobody messed with them. They always the had a sidearm, often a rifle too and sometimes one could see an Uzi style sub-machine gun hanging off their shoulder under the knee length cape they wore in the winter.
The few I met were very polite and professional young men. But remember they only worked for Franco, not the people directly. It's hard to imagine any Proud Boy filling this job with an even hand toward our citizens when they would only have to answer to DT. Just saying... GH
In 1932 Germany they were called the SS. Began as a special body guard detail for Hitler. My question is... can DT legally dismiss the Secret Service and replace them with the Proud Boys, and others like them? He has said he thinks they did a bad job protecting him and being "just" another government agency are they in the crosshairs for firing?
If this is possible then surely one of his billionaire buddies would be glad to foot the bill for their paychecks. Next question. Would the Air Force One crew be willing to let a bunch of armed anti-American terrorists actually board the plane? Just asking... GH
It has happened in the past, so why can’t this scenario be considered in the USA? I’m curious about your thinking on this scenario, instead of “troll alert” response without substance.
Thanks Nospam. I was just thinking out loud about how far DT might go with the revenge he has promised. If we are only listening to what he has to say, bad enough, and not anticipating what else he might be cooking up we will be caught with our pants down. Not a good place to be with the pervert-in-chief running the country. Sorry you missed the point Mary Ellen. All the best to everyone... GH
Appreciate your civility, Gary. I’m certainly capable of missing the point. Not a good comments navigator, so I can’t find the comment to which I responded to reconsider it. Thanks for your example of respectful discourse. ☮️
I'm glad to see the Fraternal Order of Police is speaking out against Trump's pardon of the 1500, but unfortunately they are also criticizing Biden for his pardons, especially the pardon of Leonard Peltier. I read a book on Peltier's case and he was railroaded as the FBI needed to find someone to put away for the crime. The judge in the case was highly biased.
Also the Fraternal Order of Police strongly endorsed Trump in all 3 elections. I hope this group, along with everyone else who voted for Trump, will realize how wrong they have been.
I'm glad they spoke out but they need to keep speaking up and do more or it will amount to nothing.
FOP in their statement also said, ..".we thought he had our backs." How can they be so stupid? Did he have their backs on Jan. 6? Did they have their backs when he kept saying he would pardon the 1500 when he was reelected?
Hi Wayne. I was talking with a retired policeman friend just after Biden commuted the death sentences. He was very upset and predicted he would go down in history as one of the worst presidents ever. I can hardly wait to ask him about DT actually releasing the 1600 felons and traitors back onto the streets! At least, except for a few, Biden's actions will still make them spend the rest of their lives in prison. GH
People are not acting very rationally. Well they often don't. It seems they act on what they hope to be the case based on emotional /cultural connections to someone or some things.
So the police union is surprised that a felon pardoned a lot of felons? How quaint.
It’s not like they didn’t know. Everyone knew.
For Donald, everything is transactional. Right, wrong, morally or ethically questionable? None of that matters. What matters is, “what can you do for me.”
Police are NOT inherently bad. There are generations serve and protect. The problem is NOT DEFUND the police. The problem is chronic underfunding, lax oversight, anemic recruiting, under training, under paying and militarization. Broken windows was a theory that backfired. Why isn't there an ROTC kind of service club in every high school and middle school to mentor kids to serve and protect your own neighborhood? Officer Friendly. His name was Fred.
Police are certainly not inherently bad, but then most of maga isn't either. They are just responding to right wing media lies that painting liberals as monsters and liberalism as evil.
Part of the problem is that we no longer teach civics, but I'm afraid we are soon to get a lesson.
Oh my! I wrote mentoring!!!!! Thank you for catching this horrific change my phone made! I am certain I saw it correctly before continuing my typing on this screen, and I had no idea such a horrible change was made!!!!! I am not sure how I can get that off, but thank goodness you caught it! At first I did not understand your reaction. Now that I see why, I am shocked!!!!!
Except that the Cops have been the core of MAGA, until now. The cops perceive themselves as unappreciated victims of woke libs, I am pretty sure that 99.9% of them voted for Trump and that the FOP and IACP donated to Trump.
Stewart Rhodes is founder of the Oath Keepers, and then there is the Constitutional Sheriff's and Peace Officrrs Association
, a nationwide organization of right wing cops and sheriffs.
CSPOA reported 4,500 dues-paying members, including over 200 sheriffs. In 2021, former CSPOA president Richard Mack said that 3,000 sheriffs in the United States were members of the association.
Hi William. There are 3,244 counties in the USA and 3,088 sheriffs. I don't know how many deputies. These are elected positions. The worst part of the CSPOA is they believe they don't have to enforce any law they don't like. My comment is if they don't want to enforce the laws of their county then why did they become police offices? Just asking ... GH
There have been studies, and cops become cops because they are bullies, have limited employment opportunities, good retirement programs, they believe the uniform elevates their social status. As regards Sheriffs indeed most are political positions, but deputies are civil service hires.
So why does a man become a sheriff, a variety of answers including becoming rich,protecting self interest. But I will give you one example of which I am aware.
in 1962 there was a very intense bid for sheriff of Washington county, MS (which was also the home of the Mississsippi KKK in Leland). One of the men running was killed.
The sheriff of Washington County,. MS is very lucrative. Mississippi is a dry state, but each county is responsible for it's own liquor laws, and they have what are called bootlegging licenses. Lots of "speak easies", drive into the parking lot of a local "diner" or restaurant and go through the kitchen to the back room, and you are in what you might call a bar.
The VFW and American Legion has Saturday night dances, BYOB, which you could from a "bootlegger" who has a license and you sit a table and order very expensive "set ups" Ice and cokes.
The sheriff's position was worth a million dollars in 1962.
I was in Biloxi Mississippi in 1965 and it was the same there.
They are experiencing FAFO now. These organizations still endorsed Trump, in spite of the facts that Trump told the nation he would pardon the J6 domestic terrorists. What a stupid move on their part.
We can only hope these groups do not turn around like elected officials did by the end of January 2021 when pilgrimages to kiss the ring were in display.
One thing I do to cheer myself up and snap out of it, when I get down and overwhelmed by all of this - & I'm in the UK, so this goes back over the past eight years when the Tories were still in charge, cutting vital services, 'getting Brexit done', sucking up to Trump, letting Putin run riot over London & murder his dissidents all over England, etc - is just to look at what Led by Donkeys is doing. They're an absolute inspiration to clarity at all times. Their Musk action yesterday was stellar - just look it up.
Marc, I agree. There will be busloads of legal challenges. We must stop pretending that we have no power. TOTAL-RESISTANCE to a president who is NOT legitimate is EXPECTED. DO you want to scare the shit out of these people…REFUSE TO COMPLY. Doctors should NEVER let a woman die because of Felon-trump’s Fascist desires. And when that doctor defies the felon, we must overwhelmingly and loudly step in!!!
Women's clinics and abortion is still legal in Illinois. That said, many have volunteer citizens that take turns guarding the doors during open hours. I don't think they are armed but they do provide a show of support if any trouble makers show up.
I refer to many of his signings as “The Menus” which helps me appreciate the seriousness of some of them, but also to remind myself that 99% of the time, trump doesn’t understand what he’s signing.
In a way, I hope enough get through to wake up the MAGA faithful who idolize trump. When their ox gets gored and they suffer consequences of their vote for trump, they may have to realize how idiotic their dreams of "own the libs," erase those disloyal to trump, control the media, pardon all friends of MAGA/trump/GOP including jailed 1/6/2021 insurrectionists who attacked people and broke our laws. Sometimes the only way back is to let "loose the hounds of hell." I do not see much that can stop trump/GOP now that POTUS has special legal immunity for crimes if they are part of his undefined "official acts."
I don’t even know what it will take to wake up the cult. I know someone who somehow went from being a progressive to joining the cult. She had an in between period of being a Stein supporter, but now she believes that everything against tRump is a Democratic lie. There will be a lot of blaming Democrats for the sh*t that tRump is pulling.
The only “side” I’m interested is the one the Founders envisioned in The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America. These documents define a nation based not on wealth or privilege but on the rule of law., one that recognized and sought to advance the inherent dignity of the human person. Let us continue the effort to build a more perfect union by working to uphold liberty and justice for all. 🇺🇸 🗽
Trump is old and soon he will be gone and so will his odd hold on so mandy people. That is the wonderful thing about life. At some point in time even the worst people die. I encourage Trump to keep eating McDonalds and all the fried food he can get the White House kitchen to serve.
I'm in Canada but will be following Robert's advice as much as possible. These tips are essential "boots on the ground" pointers for people of good will everywhere at this time, not just in the USA.
We also need to resist the Trump playbook in Australia, Sabina, and especially now when we have a Mussolini look-a-like (and closet fascist) as leader of this country's opposition!
Revolution against the Oligarchs is near and very REAL!
Revolutions against oligarchs are complex social phenomena driven by economic, social, and political factors. While they are not strictly caused by “mathematical triggers,” certain quantifiable thresholds or disparities often create the conditions for revolutionary movements. These include:
1. Gini Coefficient Thresholds
• Definition: The Gini coefficient measures income or wealth inequality (0 = perfect equality, 1 = perfect inequality).
• Trigger: Studies suggest that when the Gini coefficient crosses 0.4–0.45, dissatisfaction and unrest are likely to grow, as the majority feel excluded from economic benefits.
2. Wealth Concentration Ratios
• Definition: The share of wealth controlled by the top 1%, 5%, or 10% of a population.
• Trigger: When the top 1% control more than 40–50% of a nation’s wealth, it can signal oligarchic dominance, alienating the broader populace and fueling revolutionary sentiment.
3. Poverty and Real Wages
• Definition: The proportion of the population living below the poverty line and the purchasing power of wages.
• Trigger: Rising poverty rates combined with stagnant or declining real wages (adjusted for inflation) erode public trust in the system and amplify calls for radical change.
4. Unemployment and Underemployment Rates
• Definition: The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed or underemployed.
• Trigger: Unemployment above 20%, especially among youth, correlates strongly with revolutionary movements.
5. Food Price Index Spikes
• Definition: The cost of basic food staples relative to incomes.
• Trigger: Sharp increases in food prices (e.g., 30–50% within a short period) strain low-income households, often acting as a tipping point for unrest, as seen in the French Revolution and Arab Spring.
6. Social Mobility Decline
• Definition: The ability of individuals to improve their economic status relative to their parents or peers.
• Trigger: A marked decline in intergenerational social mobility (measured by metrics like income elasticity) can solidify perceptions of oligarchic entrenchment.
7. Tax Burden Inequities
• Definition: The ratio of taxes paid by different economic classes.
• Trigger: When the tax burden disproportionately affects the middle and lower classes while the wealthy avoid significant taxation, resentment builds.
8. Critical Mass of Disenfranchised Population
• Definition: The percentage of the population feeling politically or economically excluded.
• Trigger: When 50–60% of people believe the system is rigged against them, organized opposition becomes more likely.
9. Government Debt and Corruption Metrics
• Definition: Levels of public debt relative to GDP and perceptions of corruption (e.g., measured by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index).
• Trigger: High debt levels coupled with blatant corruption can erode public trust and amplify anger against oligarchs.
10. Economic Shocks
• Definition: Sudden disruptions like financial crises, hyperinflation, or severe recessions.
• Trigger: Economic shocks exacerbate existing inequalities, often serving as the immediate cause of revolutionary action.
While no single metric guarantees a revolution, the interplay of these factors creates tipping points. History shows that when economic inequality, political corruption, and social discontent align, they often ignite transformative movements.
Ya know who is warning about the pitch forks coming out? The Oligarchs. They know.
Be careful though. We need a revolution, but we need to avoid a violent revolution because it leads to chaos, a place where psychopaths like Rump thrive.
But who will be blamed? The Baltimore Banner has an article on the red wave among former Bethlehem Steelworkers. They used to be Democrats but blamed the union when Bethlehem Steel went bankrupt. They don’t realize that the union is as much of a victim as they are. They have no knowledge about corporations and the GOP undermining unions for decades.
Agree. I would add to your list total debt (private and public), this seems to follow inequality in US (as measured as % GDP). Trump has been enabled by ultra wealthy to prevent FDR style reforms. https://larakeller.substack.com/p/why-us-democracy-had-to-die
If there is anything that those of us who are looking on in horror from the other side of the world (I and my partner are in Australia) can do to help, please let us know.
Participate in the boycotts of the international companies that operate in Australia. Then support everything local that undermines their reach. This includes eating as locally as possible.
Maybe I'm wrong, but this is where I think the election was lost. Democrats cannot message themselves out of a wet paper bag, while the Right has developed a media machine that goes far beyond Fox, NewsMax or even the Heritage Foundation and CATO Institute. The master of politicking, Machiavelli, said that in politics, whoever (the prince) was willing to go the morally lowest would win. The best liar, and we know who that is, has a huge advantage. Dems are lousy liars at best and since their "prince' is the Constitution, an inherently moral document.
It's worse, the messages the Dems did choose were terrible and the only one I saw was "send us money".
I believe that the solution was and still is messaging. This was discussed on lib-talk.com ... for all the good it did. What is needed is short, pithy sayings that can be pasted into the comments sections that (1) reveal the maga lie and (2) tell the truth of the matter.
I see that the lib-talk site was taken down, so I emailed asking about it and was told it was written for before the election and so was not relevant now, but an update was being considered.
The best message shows the right wing lie and also states the truth. For example: "it's not about right vs left, it's about top vs bottom, wealthy vs working class".
The point of it was still true. For all of Right Wing Media organization, your maga in the comments section is ignorant and horrible at saying anything more than right wing talking points. Dems should be able to totally dominate the social media field using brief statements that reveal both the maga lie and the truth.
We are all about "maga folks didn't realize they were voting against their own interests". Why did they do that? Hyper organized and focused Right Wing Media. Maybe that wasn't everything, but it was more than enough to win the election. Dems need to get in the game on social media and comments sections to refute the maga lies with simple truths. IT'S EVEN FREE TO DO.
MAGA voters were voting for a promise from Trump to favor their interests against the interest of other Americans. He did this by flattering them that they are "Real Americans" and vilifying the "Others" as threats. He got way with this rubbish, because for 40+ years the message from both parties has been that there is not enough space for everyone. I think Trump voters know the lies. I doubt they realise that what counts as being a "Real American" will shrink as US democracy is dismantled, and the need for mass election apeal shrinks with it.
Indeed you are wrong: Democrats did not "lose" the election. It was stolen from under their noses. Who do you remember ever got 200,000 people to join a ZOOM calll? Even during COVID? The numbers always favored the democratic candidate. I hope Musk pays dearly for f@#%ng this several ways to Hell.
Your comment that it is not about left versus right but top versus bottom, to me, hits the nail on the head. The problem, as I see it, is the Democrats will never use that message because they’re just as beholding to the oligarchs as are the Republicans.
He said in his state of the Union Address that he wanted to go back to the Citizen's Democracy we had before Reagan changed it to Corporate Democracy. It's why the Repubs want their base fighting the culture wars so they don't see the economic wars eating their families alive. Now, with billionaires running the government it is going to be hard to miss. One pitchfork has taken a shot. Some of the rich have been predicting for years that the pitch forks would be coming out. The sad part is that it could explode into chaos. Chaos is where psychopaths thrive, nations, businesses and families, not so much. Maga folks are clearly ready to fight. If the Maga figure out the billionaires have lied to them, the country may make it as a democracy. If hey believe the right wing media and think the problem is left wing elites, Trump will be left as king of the ashes.
You should lobby the Australian government to publicly set its emissions target for 2035 right now in compliance with the Paris agreement. Neither the government nor the opposition seems keen to get into this before the election.
I've been saying for years that the entire Murdoch clan should be deported. But England or Australia wouldn't take them back. They are smarter than us I guess. Maybe there are still a few rooms available at Guantanamo. Cheers... GH
When, if, we finally win this fight, your efforts will assure you a place in the pantheon of the 2nd American Revolution.
I so much appreciate what you are doing.
38 years ago, I chose to change my country of residence, to New Zealand, the best decision I have ever made.
But, born American, I will always be American, and I will always remember the principles that we were taught, back in the day.
Bless you, Robert, you show, by every communication, your continued allegiance to those same principles.
Once upon a time, in the Vietnam era, David Crosby and CSN sang a song, "Long Time Gone."
The critical line was that "It Appears To Be A Long Time Before The Dawn."
Well, that is true, today. But...the dawn will inevitably come. And Trump and his scum will evaporate in that dawn's strong light, if we all combine to defeat his evil.
If we don't...we deserve the alternative.
Thank you again, Robert, you are one of our strongest and best.
Robert, I read this article in the Guardian. I enjoy your writing in general, but this--something genuinely actionable--in a time when I feel paralyzed. This for me was the dawn.
I’d also add something which has already been said many times, “Do not obey in advance,” such as many “mainstream” journalistic organizations are already doing. Bending over to try to please this “administration” in hopes of gaining some kind of personal advantage or stave off problems is a non-starter. I’m sure the vast majority of this column’s readers know this already but I just wanted to put it out there.
Thanks Noisemaker for that insight. I have noticed for some time now that national media seems a little "off": out of tune with the reality of our situation. And I suppose that is to be expected. I can't think of an example where A revolution started at the top.
Totally agree R. D. Why do these reporters keep interviewing him and asking questions like he is a normal person who is trying to help improve our everyday lives. They know everything he says are ignorant lies. Frustrating... GH
The task seems insurmountable, and the future holds a darkness we've never seen before. People appear transfixed upon the negativity that their lives seem to be filled with. Somehow optimism has hidden itself from our view, but the concept hasn't been altogether forgotten. Tell stories to our children of the ways things used to be and how freedom warmed the hearts of all our peoples across this great country. Kindle a want within the next generation to restore life to a level where honesty and compassion for one another supersedes anything the evils our current society seem to relish. Teach them hope is a real thing not a fool's dream lost in a political party that's controlled by morons.
Keeping the stories alive for our children and grandchildren is vitally important. I hope Robert adds this to his list. Freedom is an ideal that must be nurtured. Thank you for this brilliant suggestion.
Donald, while it may be true that most of us alive today have not seen a darkness like this repressive regime unfolding, look back to the murderous regimes of the 20th century in order to comprehend the loathsome acts of which humanity is capable. Many of our parents and ancestors faced this degree of evil close up and delivered a disabling blow to it. Most of them guided their children to show courage and to stand up for human decency. It is for us as Robert has outlined to form a plan of action to undercut the fallacies of this illicit new administration and show the courage to deliver the truth to needing people. Independent news sources like this Substack are critical alternatives to media who caved to the trump regime. Every day we need to rekindle a positive outlook and to do at least one good thing as well as to sustain our livelihoods and mental health.
We have to fight fascism, whether we succeed or not. Whether it appears surmountable or not is made irrelevant. It is not a normal task where doing something else might be a better use of energy. I would say fight it now, with urgency, while you still can. Anything short of violence.
"We will fight for you!" states the lawyer's commercial. So let's start hiring lawyers. ACLU lawyers, Earth Justice lawyers, Common Cause lawyers, Public Citizen lawyers--and these are just a few out of many.
This is what is not understood. The effect authoritarianism has on our psyches. We are/will become fearful, despondent, lacking in hope, willing to “snitch” on others for self-survival.
It took a group of powerful allies to defeat Hitler. Who can we build alliances with to defeat this modern day Hitler? I think we must look to the past for guidance on how to move forward. We can't do it alone.
Yes Em, the return to modern and civil thinking won't come by itself. Needed is "zivilcourage", as was shown yesterday in the church by "a nasty woman". How close this incident was to the actions of "die Weisse Rose" remains to be seen. These students payed for their courage with their heads.
Many Americans feel "oppressed" by the high cost of living, and they are outraged that past governments welcomed foreign multitudes into the country. Trump speaks and acts for them, and he will continue to enjoy their support for the time being. Many of them will become our allies once Trump's policies begin to hurt them.
I truly appreciate these suggestions from Robert Reich. There’s so much news and analysis on the disaster unfolding, but too little that I’ve seen on what we can do to resist. Please keep it coming. I’m ready to fight back.
Yes! Also ACLU. If we don’t stand up now, it will be harder later. They are trying to inundate and overwhelm us, we do need to find our community and organize.
Robert, thank you for this. I live in New Zealand. How can I help? I can’t donate money to American elections (besides which I’m permanently broke haha). I am sharing lots of articles (containing the truth) on my Facebook page - I’m dependent on it for keeping in contact with friends and family, so detaching from it isn’t something I feel able to do right now … I’ve deleted my Amazon accounts (including Audible and Amazon Prime), cancelled my Twitter account (ages ago, when that creature Musk bought it and ridiculously changed its name to X), stopped subscribing to the WaPo and NYT, and subscribed to a bunch of Substacks including yours. What else can I do to help?
Trying to, with my one vote and working with friends. We have a mixed member proportional parliamentary system, which requires some complex compromises - sadly have too many right wing nincompoops in charge right now who are far out of touch with what most New Zealanders want (sound familiar) but their term ends next year … I hope.
I continue to use FB and Insta for much the same reasons and to post and repost anti-Dump content. It is always much appreciated by my followers. Also I do check in on X to find out what the nutcases are into. I think that’s very important. Right now they are all, literally vast hordes of them, drooling over the prospect of public executions. This we need to know. Then I turn it off. No need to cause myself too much pain. I had an uncle who went to Paris before WW2 to further his musical career and instead became part of the Resistance. Good to think of him now.
Yesterday, a fellow poster here added this: "I believe the American people WILL turn against him within 6 months when the effects of his lies and 'policies' hit their pockets."
Yesterday -- a massive storm dumped snow along the Gulf of Mexico, along the I-10 corridor.
Florida's First District -- which comprises four counties in the panhandle -- is holding a special election on April 1 to fill the seat vacated by Matt Gaetz. I've already donated and am getting more involved in the Democratic campaign for that seat. Her name is Gay Valimont.
An important addition to any list of Trump actions to be resisted and I believe it to be critical should be; any attempt to eliminate future national elections. In a number of speeches and comments, Trump told his followers to vote him into office and they would not need to vote again. I believed him and that he will attempt to do exactly that. It is imperative to be ready to prevent any actions to deprive citizens right to vote.
Start by calling your senators and congressman or woman and keep at them until they convince you that plans have been made and are ready to be implemented if needed.
Trump plans to impose "party rule" not "rule by law" on federal government. This will be extended to state governments, who run the election process. If a president can give immunity to a militia who threaten government officials, then there are no independent judges or election officals and so on. Every step of dismantling US democracy, must be fought with the utmost vigor and urgency, short of violence. Trump controls the GOP, while the Democrats queue up to be the controlled opposition. This is a fight which will be very tough, but there is no alternative.
Trump IS the GOP for all intents and purposes. The Republican Party and what it stood for in the not so distant past is so different than what exists today that we should be calling it the Trump Party. Calling it the Republican party is so much BS.
Robert...your posts are amazing. And I truly appreciate your call at the end to remind people to look after their mental health; not allowing ourselves to be washed away by our feelings of anxiety and, in my case, absolute outrage because it can cause you to burn out. I am British, so the US is not my country, but ultimately as a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, I see myself and everyone else, as global citizens. Oppression is wrong and we should all call it out. I was thinking about your statement below (posted at the end of this message) and being aware of how terrible racism is and how it can divide people, 'other' them and cause destruction and violence in its wake, I wonder if we can create an icon or symbol that people internationally can use to show their opposition to Trump's attacks on immigrants. Truth is, Europe and Britain included, have similar forces to content with, all of whom are emboldened by the man you have the misfortune of having to call President. The idea you made and the one I am referring to is:
I recommend you order these red cards from Immigrant Legal Resources Center and make them available in and around your community: Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC. You might also find these of use: Immigration Preparedness Toolkit | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC.
Wouldn't it be amazing if we could all have these resd cards next to our names as an icon of resistance!
Brett Meiselas of Meidas Touch (the fastest growing independent news network in the world) posted a death threat he’s recently received with violent sexual content. He needs our support.
Boycott is now my favorite word! EVERYONE must stop making these billionaires richer. We do have power. Not only boycott stop using all of their poison! We do not need it. We have Substack and YouTube, we are good!
Including Amazon and Whole Foods.
I hate Amazon. We rarely shop at Whole Foods anymore. Anyway we think their quality has gone down.
There is no Whole Foods where I live , but there was where I use to live. I read labels on cans and their 360 canned goods were made in China.
They were founded by libertarians and libertarians are interest in only one thing, themselves and that of course entail making a profit, and not just a profit but the most that they can
They are like Bill Maher, spoiled brats that never grew up.
I am with you on Amazon, but if you live where there are no brick and mortar stores, and your local market doesn't stock or can't keep on the shelf the items you want or need. You don't have a choice, and let's not hear about Ebay, Walmart both are owned by families and investors that are as right wing and self serving as Bezo's. In fact all of your big box stores from Safeway, Kroker to Home Depot and Target are MAGAts, and even Trader Joes, and wholesalers. For those in the west Publix, Piggly Wiggly are MAGAt
We are surrounded.
Somebody give me the name of one large progressive retailer.
I believe Costco is a good choice. They are keeping their DEI in place.
Thanks. I have a COSTCO membership, alas the nearest CostCo is four hours and $70 away. They don't have much of an online presence and service. The products which they do carry on line are of no interest or value to me.
I wish it was different.
If you're in the Northwest there's Grocery Outlet and employee-owned Winco.
We have a Winco ... what is their political story? Also wonder about Stater Bros. I'm in Southern CA. No Whole Foods but have a family store called Organic Roots Grocery. I use that one a lot, but I have no idea regarding their political bend.
All I know about Winco is that it's employee-owned. That's good enough for me. Check Winco out. There's a pretty good one in Corvallis.
Yes I know Ben, thanks, but I they are not readily accessible to me
I posted this on another comment, but if you aren't opposed to online grocers, maybe this help a little: try searching here: https://www.buysalvagefood.com/salvage-grocer-map.html
and The Grove and Imperfect/Misfits Food
Most of Costco's products you have to buy at the warehouse & transport to your home yourself. Any large retailer that is still around 6 months from now will only be here because it has caved completely to Trump & MAGA. We have only 2 remedies: a second Revolution (and most Americans lack the spine for that) or leave the country. As I am 77 & a tad too old to man the ramparts, I'm opting for the latter. I'll have a nice front row seat with popcorn & beer to watch the S.S. Trumptanic slide under the economic waves it brought upon itself by an economics-educated president who doesn't even know what GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) is & yelled at a speechwriter for putting the word 'arbitrage' in his speech, saying he didn't know what it meant & couldn't pronounce it (oversimplifying, it is basically trading different currencies against each other the way you do other commodities or stocks). Economics Professor Kelley at Penn's Wharton undergraduate school (who I had the next year) never tired of saying that, in his 33 years of teaching undergrad & grad school at Wharton, "Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had." May the many gods of this world take pity & have a meteor hit the Capital during his first State of the Union speech, so we can restart the American Experiment with a clean slate.
I will only add that there are options for delivery from Costco if you need it. When you're in the warehouse (as I was yesterday) checking out they always ask if this is all one order. There are lots of people there collecting products for delivery. Costco has their own service, Instacart also delivers from there. There may be others as well.
Hi Jon, I completely agree with you and thanks for the info on Trump.
I am 85, and have deficits from cancer of which I think I am a survivor.
It has been 7 years now, and I have a PET Scan in March, I also have four kitties who I refuse to leave behind or euthanize. My wife is still thinking that she will survive the destabilization.
Basically living in denial.
I found this website and it may be helpful in supporting corporations that are pro-democracy.
https://www.americandemocracyscorecard.org/
How did Tesla get a B rating?
$$$$$ probably
Unfortunately, there are too many D's and F's to make it practical unless you are an urbanite. SE OK doesn't leave you with a lot of choices beyond Walmart and Amazon.
"I am with you on Amazon, but if you live where there are no brick and mortar stores" -- (or, I'll add, you have no way to get around physically) -- "you don't have a choice" -- (again, I'll add, or your choices are extremely limited.)
KDSHERPA, we also lack nearby stores and we do not have a car but my wife is adamant - we use the internet to find the product at another site or go without. Most of the time, the cost is the same or less. We do not support Amazon!
I'm always looking for other ways. I haven't taken enough advantage of googling for other online sources. It's time to start! Thanks so much.
This may be helpful.
https://www.americandemocracyscorecard.org/
This is fabulous!! Thank you so much, Kristie!
If you aren't opposed to doing the grocery thing online, try searching here: https://www.buysalvagefood.com/salvage-grocer-map.html
This is interesting, and new to me. Thank you, Nunya! (I'll need to check to see if they deliver.)
Go directly to the source. That is what I have been doing. I am staying off Amazon.
I hate having to rely upon Amazon, but I do. I went to my local brick and mortar locally owned Market, the owner tries to keep the shelves stocked, but he can't keep up with demand. It runs out of stuff all of the time. even my brand of Kitty litter (World's best) Polygrip (yeh I have dentures), even garlic olives and ginger snaps.
And as for anything else, if it isn't in the second hand store, or the tourist shops, forget it. We do have an Ace Hardware that carries a lot, and a Home Center that basically caters to construction and home builders.
We have two real auto repair shops, and you have to make an appointment, up to a month, a lot of shade tree mechanics, but I wouldn't have them work on anything newer than a 1975 Maverick.
I couldn't even dind someone to clean out the gutters on my roof, and as far a carpenter, all of the hammer and saw guys are working for the two contractors that build homes.At least we don't have any town houses and condo's. It took three months to get an arborist to come out and trim my fruit tree. and a month to get the septic service to inspect my drainfield.
Anyway Amazon is my llfeline, I received yesterday an arthritic thumb brace which I couldn't buy local.,and an air purifier special for pets.,even oxygen concentrators, that are reasonable and don't cost thousands.
But what is the difference between buying from Amazon and a chain store owned by billionaires that support the Republican party and Trump?
For cleanup and maintenance stuff, I've gone to my local food bank and asked if there was anyone who wanted to "make money on the side". I pay them in cash at the end of every day.
That's undeclared income, I'm aware, but hey, it's a great way to help one another without going through official channels.
You won't get very specialized workers, as those are expensive, but you may get someone to clean gutters or weed the garden, water trees etc... essentially "grunge work", but they are very helpful and if they do well, I will give them a good recommendation, with which they may be able to snag a better job. I've had a number of helpers who have done work I could no longer do. I gave them a recommendation and they found gainful employment, so I feel pretty good about that. [I also had some who would stop working as soon as my back was turned too, but hey, that's life.
Good idea, but I'm careful about work which could cause an injury.
For instance if I hire someone to clean my gutters and they fall off the ladder, they could sue me.
Oh, yes. I'm the only one who can handle my chainsaw! climb the gutter etc. And I do tell them that I have no insurance [I do, but it's better if they don't know that.]
Seven years ago I was climbing a ladder on my roof, cleaning the gutters and spreading Tide to kill and keep down the moss (you spread it along the crown and let the rain take care of the rest.
Then cancer and a craniotomy, I lost my sense of balance and can no longer even climb a ladder. I will take your advice on telling people I don't have insurance.
I have boycotted Amazon for at least 2 years. I know how the workers there are treated (unlike, say, at Walmart. Also I boycott Amazon because they are acing out all of the brick and mortar stores. We have already lost lots of them, and soon Kohl's and Macy's will be gone from here. No more Tuesday Morning, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Orchard Supply and many smaller stores. Amazon is good for homebound people or ones unable to get to a store, but as long as I can, I want to see things in person before buying them. That won't be an option if Amazon does a complete takeover. I do think that Costco is a good choice and I think that Lowes is better than Home Depot. Is that right?
Lowes is just as bad, actualy worse than Home Depot. AFIK Home Depot is not homophobic or anti immigrant, but Lowes is.
As regards Amazon, I understand your sentiments and If I had a choice I would also boycott them, but I honestly have no choice. I have no other options, and that even applies to food.
I do recall that HD donated significantly to Trump previously though
Serendipity. In my in box today, from Public Notice PACT WITH THE DEVIL
https://www.publicnotice.co/p/david-de-jong-nazi-interview-trump-musk
An extract of a conversation"
Thor Benson
To start with, could you tell me a little bit about how German industrialists contributed to Hitler’s rise?
David de Jong
They didn’t really fall in line until after Hitler seized power on January 30, 1933. The first real collaboration happened three weeks later on February 20 when Hitler assembled two dozen of Germany’s wealthiest industrialists, financiers, and CEOs. He summoned them to this meeting in a palace in Berlin where Hermann Göring was his right-hand man.
He invited them on the notion that he was going to explain his economic policies. Most of them he had never met. But instead of talking policy, he went on a 90-minute rambling speech where he didn’t say anything about economics. It turned out the whole meeting was a disguised fundraiser. The Nazi Party was in financial dire straits and needed to raise money before what turned out to be the final Weimar election on March 5, 1933.
These men were very explicitly promised by Hitler and Göring that these would be the last elections held for the next 10-100 years. They had no qualms getting out their checkbooks and signing over German democracy. That’s really the first instance of their collaboration..."
COSTCO will ship to your door!
YOU. JUST. MADE. MY. DAY.!!!!! This must be (relatively) new. I'm thrilled to have this information!
Maybe this can help you identify who, what, where.....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_supermarket_chains_in_the_United_States#Retailers'_cooperatives
Thanks, that's very helpful.
Thank you!
That’s interesting that you include Trader Joe’s. I just started checking brands on the app Goods Unite Us, and they appear to donate to Dems overall. But you’re right - not a lot of good options.
I live in a Walmart town - Tehacha-pucky. I use Thrive Market, Public Goods, Thorne Labs for supplements, Sea to Table, Green Chef, Chewy, Viva Raw, Costco...not all of these companies have been vetted by "Goods Unite US" but they are small enough that I will support them until I find out differently.
I have a relative who uses Amazon because she often has little choice, so one does what one reasonably can. PIggly Wiggly does not surprise.
Yep, it is either Amazon, Ebay or Walmart, all are Trump humping, employee and customer exploiters. The only way to get out of the game is to die.
Reminds me of the three laws of physics.
You can't win
You can't break even
You can't get out of the game.
That relative of mine quit using Amazon. But i have another who did not use it, hated it, then joined Amazon Prime and now uses delivery. We are captive to some extent.
Unless you are ready to grow your own veggies and raise your own chickens, and never get hurt or sick, and don't need money to pay taxes or debts, we are indeed captives.
We have Amazon prime, we pay for it, but we have so much delivered that in the end we save much more in shipping. and then there is the free video's (if you have prime) that you can watch on your TV or computer.
Still in all we do use other sources, when they have free shipment if you meet their minimum order requirement.
I just found that if you do comparison shopping for grocieries, there are some items that are cheaper locally than on Amazon., and some items are outrageously priced.
But it doesn't matter, Buy locally and you are buying from a monopoly, Kroger, Albertson, Home Depot, Walmart, Target.
For those who live in the South and Midwest Rick Cohen and his family own C&S Wholesale Grocers. Rick is the executive chairman of the company.
Explanation
Rick Cohen is an American businessman and billionaire. He is the third generation of the Cohen family to lead C&S Wholesale Grocers.
C&S Wholesale Grocers is the largess
Take Publix: Julie Fancelli. Julie Jenkins Fancelli (born 1949 or 1950) is an American heiress and conservative political donor. She is an heiress to the Publix supermarkets fortune and a member of America's thirty-ninth richest she is also one of Trump's major financiers.
There is no way to escape them Steve.
Precisely, William. Where I live the choice is not between Whole Foods and the Fairy, but between WF and the other corporations. If you are on a low sodium diet, WF is better than the others.
I understand. Talking of low sodium I don't understand that.
When I was 9 I spent the summer at Camp Wisahauken, and my cabin mates gave me shit because I put salt on saltines.
I have always used a lot of salt. I am 85 and have a salt shaker by my computer. Yet my BP is normal, all my blood numbers are normal (I get a full Metabolic panel every 6 months. I don't have a problem yet. I also take an 81mg aspirin every morning as a precaution.
I don't know what I would do if I had to go low sodium. I try to keep simple carbs out of my diet and sugars as I am insulin resistant, but no sodium problem except I like salt.
I'm with 'ya William on the salt issue...makes
a huge difference in making most things taste better!
Too high and mighty Diana. You don't live where I live. We have one small Marketplace, that can barely keep their shelves full, and there is a limited selection anyway. There is very little to buy locally Diana.
We have a drug store that caters to tourists. Our clothing store is a second hand store. Or tourist shops where you can buy hats, hoodies and T Shirts.
If you want anything you have to make ferry reservations, wait in line for an hour, then an hour and 15 minute ride, then an hour car ride to go shopping
And hopefully get all of your stuff in your car, and then reverse the process, Oh and the ferry cost $70.
Meanwhile you have to carefully plan your ferry reservation, because the cut off is 30 minutes before the sailing, and even then you are lucky to get in line, as the lanes often fill up early.
WOW!!! I have to apologize!!!!! Really! That is awful & I feel bad for making an assumption that you had the access that I do! MY BAD!!!! I just hate Amazon & what they stand for & I had no right to judge you because of my feelings! Best of luck to you & do what you need to do for you & your family & hang in there in this crazy, political climate!
Iabhor Amazon as well. I shy away from hate, of anyone or anything, it is a self destructive emotion. My sister hated my mom, and it killed her, depressed her immune system. I came to terms with Mom, because I knew her, her childhood, what made her and forgave her.
As regards Amazon. I do buy what I can from other sources, but regardless, these days we wind up purchasing all of our stuff from the oligarchs.
My wife buys some stuff from Walmart, and we got in an argument long ago, because Walmart abuses and exploits their workers, they don't even call them employees, they call them associates,so that why they can consider them like investors or contractors.
There are a couple of on line sources I will never use, Alibaba and Aliexpress, they are Chinese and they get your personal info and credit card.
I’ve used Amazon exactly 1X ever. And being from Austin I grew up along with Whole Foods on Lamar as my go to shop. No more.
Whole Paycheck is way overpriced. We have better alternatives here: Aldi, Jewel (Albertsons), Mariano's (Kroger), though Mariano's appears to be getting greedy.
ALDI is owned by the same company as Trader Joe's, which is having labor troubles.
Your point? It's still a helluva lot cheaper than Whole Foods. I shop at Aldi a lot.
the point: Trader Joe's owners are actively disrupting the unionization efforts. they also own ALDI. if you're gonna boycott those other companies, think about this action, too. that's all; just information to make a choice.
I'm not boycotting Whole Foods, I just think I'd be wasting my money there.
Tell me when boycotts have EVER accomplished anything. We all gotta eat.
well, without even thinking about it first one comes to mind is the Montgomery (AL) bus boycott.
please go away now.
That was 60 years ago, limited to one city, and it took a Supreme Court decision to desegregate the buses.. Aldi/Trader Joe's is a multinational company and boycotting isn't going to put a dent into its operations. Try again.
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/montgomery-bus-boycott
Michael Leonard
"...Are boycotts successful?
The answer depends partly in how you define success.
“Very few boycotts have led to changes,” said Maurice Schweitzer, a professor of operations and information management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. “Most boycotts lack a sustained effort” and people lose interest or stop paying attention, he said.
“In practice, most boycotts achieve the more modest goal of attracting media attention,” Schweitzer wrote in an email. “There are, however, hundreds of calls for boycotts each year, and most accomplish very little.”
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-boycotts-history-20180228-htmlstory.html
It may also depend on how you define success: Sometimes, it is just the personal satisfaction of not helping the bastards. [FYI, that's how I quit smoking. when you count the price of 1 packet of cigarettes multiplied by the number of days in a a year that I didn't smoke a pack, that adds up!] It's true, they still sell their poison, but a lot less, and not to me.
It may not change their policies or practices, but every penny you don't spend there is a penny they don't have to continue oppressing you.
As far as 'successful' boycotts, ask and you shall receive:
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/boycotts/history-successful-boycotts
My grocer isn't oppressing me.
You get what you pay for.
And I can get the same for less money at stores other than Whole Foods.
You obviously don't really care. I am with the people who care enough to do the right thing regardless of outcome. Every time I spend a nickel at Amazon, Whole Foods, etc, I feel like a louse. When I don't, I feel like I am living in harmony with my deep beliefs and with what I care about. Best deal in town!!
I'm old and cynical enough to know "doing the right thing" may make you feel better but it doesn't have much of an impact. I'd rather focus my energies on something substantial instead of the naive hope that Bezos will become penniless if people stop buying from Amazon.
Did you quit Amazon, please tell me you did. It's hard because to do but jeff is a jerk.
Last I heard , Whole Foods does not support Trump???
Is whole food owned by Amazon?
John Mackey, the last remaining co-founder of Whole Foods Market, sold the company to Amazon for $13.7 billion on August 28, 2017. As of March 4, 2019, Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in North America and seven in the United Kingdom.
Owned by Jeff Bezos-Amazon
Canceled my Amazon subscription when Bezos donated $1M to the sloguration fund. Do not want 1 cent of my hard earned money trickling down to the narcissistic sociopath Dumpster. Doing just fine without Amazon. Using Fandango to watch movies.
Except my 78;year old husband, who must still work, was just recently hired there, and he needs that job. And they treat him fairly well. What to do?
I do not use Amazon. The time time I charged me, I left. Slavery dollars on federal minimum 7.95. "Hey buddy I pay 4.00 dollars over minimum wage already", the boss shouts out to an employee in poverty.
Amazon & Whole Foods are owned by Facebook (Zuckerberg) and are now all-in with MAGA. Besides, Amazon has become more and more a site selling primarily junk made in China, sometimes cheaply, sometimes vastly overpriced. Fewer & fewer recognizable name brands show up (still mostly made in China and much of them counterfeit). All 2 dozen "associate stores" selling the notorious red "Make America Great Again" hats are Chinese (that's the true definition of Irony). If you are anti-Trump, you have to boycott Amazon & Whole Foods as well as Google, Facebook, Instagram, What'sApp (the last 4 owned by Bezos, also a born-again Trumpie) and just about any industry that continues to thrive as Trump violates the free market capitalism to aid his "friends" and punish or destroy his "enemies." John Deere, long in Trump's headlights, just announced they are moving to Mexico (better a tariff than be destroyed completely). And, anyway, Deere will just sell to the rest of the world. The US will be at least a generation before we can build the manufacturing capacity to meet our needs for everything from hand power tools to farm equipment to raw materials processing (steel, aluminum, titanium, rare earths, chips, etc). Welcome to the preliminary stages of the Greater Depression. 1930 will look like Sunnybrook Farms in a year.
Trumpet 🎺 is a transaction guy unless he can profit directly from an activity he won’t pursue that activity…
His rhetoric is extreme .
Be aware that he has number one goal of look at me ; give me money.💰 .
I am concerned that he has re energized his army of followers ( brown shirts)oath keepers etc .
They will provide the muscle for any radical actions that will threaten our government our democracy our way of life. That the place where our eyes should be most vigilant…
Stuart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, is to Trump as Ernst Rohm was to Hitler.
Trump now has the cadre of his Sturmabeitlung, 1,500 of them he released from jail and prison.
I am worried, and everyone should be, but when it comes to the media, including MSNBC, crickets.
I do feel like I’m getting more than crickets from MSNBC, but I imagine it varies from one show to another. I rarely watch them before late afternoon - I mainly watch the evening shows. Rachel Maddow is back to 5 nights a week for the first 100 days of tRump’s presidency.
Rachel is good as is most of the talking heads, but bear in mind that MSNBC is owned by NBC universal and it is owned by Comast, and comcast is owned by Vanguard, Blackrock, State Street and Brian L Roberts, who is also it's CEO and Chairman and it is the owners that dictate what can be covered and at what depth..
What you see forming with the pardon of Stewart Rhodes and Tarrio,is the birth of Trump's equivalent to the Sturmabeitlung and I don't see MSNBC expounding on that little feature. Then again I don't much watch it anymore, as I detect and have detected since Nov 5th an increasing drift to quiet acceptance and even rationalization as if this was nothing more than politics.
It isn't it is life and death serious, not politics, It is epipolitical.
Yes, it is life and death serious. I will watch what happens with their coverage.
They stood by, and then went into action on his command, but it was not out of decency that Trump pardoned them. He knows that they have millions of supporters and sympathizers in this country (and abroad). Hopefully, not all MAGAS sympathize with them, or approve of his action.
Stewart Rhodes and Enrique Tarrio are his Ernst Rohm and Heinrich Himmler, America had best be prepared for the Sturmabeitlung, GESTOAPO and SS rampaging the country.
Good point William... and we know that Hitler had Ernst Rohm and many of the Brown Shirts murdered on the night of the Long Knives only 2 years after he took office. The Oath Keepers had better keep looking over their shoulders... Just saying.... GH
I am so sick of cricket.
What do you mean by "crickets"?
Crickets is colloquialism for nothing, or the only sound crickets make is chirp, chirp
So when I said, the only thing that comes out of the media is crickets I mean .. nothing, they ignore it, at best a chirp, chirp.
when you are under attack even chirping can be dangerous.
When you are under attack, hiding in the trenches and being quiet is the way to lose your life or freedom.
It means complete silence; all you can hear is the chirping of crickets. In other words, no answer for or comment on the issue in question.
And crickets only chirp when there's silence (no predators).
Right, Trump will go for the money. This is why he is so in bed with big pharma.
And this angers his followers. To reduce his support, keep harping on the danger and inefficacy of the vaccine he is so proud of. It's easy. There are many scientific papers showing all kinds of nasty side effects, and how efficacy switches from weak to negative after a while, making recipients more likely to catch the virus, and more likely to get seriously ill.
Even better if you can show him profiting from the mRNA.
The Word tells me, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Test all spirits. Pray, first, middle, all inbetweens, all the day through, if you know the Word as friend and Savior.
Not just boycott. Divest from these companies… pension funds and endowments are what will matter. Protecting the company stock prices is why their leaders cow-towed. The cost of siding with the wrong side (they know right from wrong, except for Musk. He’s on the wrong side) must cost them where it really hurts. Everyone sees the share prices. We must also publicize and reward the good companies. A list of these is welcomed .
This is a small way to demonstrate my opposition to tRump. I've raised a black American flag to show my disdain for the present administration. The Magatts usurped the stars and stripes such that the flag no longer represents for me the original ideals and values of America. The black flag went up on 1/6 and will fly indefinitely. It is a black time in these United States!
Right. But this will be very difficult. To not use Amazon and not shop at Whole Foods. It will not register. Bezos does not care.
Bezos sure doesn’t care. He just closed every Amazon warehouse in Quebec throwing 2000 out of work. These oligarchs are very much part of taking over/destroying the economy of Canada. This is frightening
Also, Bezos and Amazon had an early start here in Seattle WA. I haven't done biz with Amazon since he 'did in' the independent book sellers by taking over their inventories to sell on line. And Bezos 'fled' WA to FL because WA was going to implement a 'tax the rich' program to redesign our state tax system. I also heard that his mega yacht, traveling a river in the Netherlands, got to an old bridge, couldn't get under it and asked/demanded the city dismantle the bridge to make way for his yacht. They DECLINED ! Bezos or Bozos as I refer to him ~ is/was one of the most egregious of the lot of B's on Trumsk's dais ~
Amazon is hard to boycott but not impossible. Even a slow change can be effective over time
No, not difficult. Whole foods wiped out oodles of businesses specializing in organic food and , as corporation overtakes do do, created a mush market of commercialized product lines in the same packaging . When saying no to ' illionaire greed profits the opportunity to cut the glut of pollution's and land fill pollutant profit are vital acts against glutton garbage too.
sure did. The big organic food store in Boulder, Colorado, was called Alfalfa's Market before it was acquired by Amazon and rebranded as Amazon Fresh. Alfalfa's Market was known for its wide selection of organic and natural products, and it had a strong presence in the Boulder community.
The working class has spiraled into corporate handcuffs. It's hard to break out unless we have a key. I am glad to hear others are thinking about solutions instead of complaining. I belive we need to build on to a working class economy that traps money within the middle class. This means new businesses with "Shop Freedom " values. 10% of the economy is 501c non-profit. By building out new options we provide alternatives and opportunities for all of us. We build the key to escape the oligarchs with 50% of our economy bound with a working class economy...that is trillions of dollars. The working class has the power, but it must be organized to keep our money with our like minded friends who are 100 million strong.
I stopped Amazon and Whole Foods. It wasn’t that hard. Just go to Amazon, find the supplier of what you need and order from them. So far, it’s been a plus, for me, and the suppliers.
Yet somehow, before Amazon life carried on just fine. You'll be pleasantly surprised to discover how much you don't need something tomorrow, and how available stuff is from other reputable online sources.
One drop at a time takes a long time to fill a bucket - take a 2-cup measuring cup, and the bucket fills quickly - same with boycotting. It may go slowly at first, but become visible as their profits plummet, if you boycott Amazon. At that point they will notice and ask why.
I deleted the Amazon app and canceled Prime. It’s not that hard. My focus is on small and local business owners. I’m done supporting the billionaires
He doesn’t care but it is imperative that we resist in what little way we can. Check out Goodsuniteus.com for a list of companies that donate to politicians - boycott and write to them to let them know you will no longer support a company that is invested in bringing down democracy.
Jusr shop atTraders Joe's and Aldi! Whole Foods is just ridiculous.
I have no idea who advertises on Fox or X- any help here? Re: supporting organizations/litigation, Americans United for the Separation of Church & State is also working hard ( au.org ).
https://dropfox.com/advertisers/
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/22/tech/elon-musk-brands-advertise-x-antisemitism/index.html
I quite agree with au.org. also with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_From_Religion_Foundation
I view as extremely dangerous the constant push to voucherize Public Education to privatize education.
This. And Bluesky.
I'm all for boycotting certain corporations and I'm also in favor of a general strike- shut everything down for a day or so and let the corporations know we are united.
Realistically, you can't hurt centibillionaires with boycotts. They'll simply pink slip excess labor, then blame it on the boycott - along with radical, left-wing Democratic Socialists! That's the only way "trickle down" >has ever< been good at trickling down!
More troubling is this: that those jobs will be pink slipped is only a matter of time, since they'll all be pink slipped because they'll be replaced with AI driven automation, at which point boycotts may become marginally effective, since no blackmailed wage slaves will be left to pink slip. How, then, will the trickle be any trickle at all?
I would say a better strategy is, "Where possible, seek out other sources/suppliers. For instance, we have Natural Grocers in our area, as well as Sprouts,
both good alternatives to Whole Foods.
Sorry, but YouTube is owned by Google (in turn owned by Alphabet). Google's Sergei Brin, once a NeverTrumper, has now made the pilgrimage down to Mar-A-Lago to get Trump's blessing & sat with Trump's party at Trumps inauguration earlier this month. Forget about YouTube - it's only a matter of time.
Absolutely. We are a big enough group to make an impact. We need more, clear direction on WHICH places to avoid.
That is so good, we need to keep posting who owns what that we can boycott and when we do it we need to make sure they know why we are boycotting. I don,t use Amazon or Whole Foods and am closing FaceBook. And saying why and also mentioning that I am doing it in respect for the 400 people who worked to keep the site safe but lost their jobs….400 people, their must be a lot of questionable activity to keep that many people employed.
You all were happy to support billionaires who endorses leftist causes.
I don’t watch Fox, so I don’t know who their advertisers are. Does anyone have a list?
I got off Facebook and Amazon. This is what we can do to make an impact as individuals, in addition to those ten suggested ways that we, the people, can resist this current aberration.
Where would you shop? I believe there are only 5 major players, correct?
Nailed it. I hate to say this but the right has become better at this, although I hesitate to describe what they do as boycotting. Regardless, they’ve shown to be better at mobilizing the last 5 years & it was effective. The good news is that with most of the heavy hitters acquiescing, we have options. McDonald’s, Amazon, Meta - they have their hands in it all so EVERYONE should be able to contribute something. Once one falls, they’ll start sweating.
Also John Fugelsang and Allison Gill podcasts are pro-democracy.
stand tall we are in the right, ty be safe
You are right MAGA is an evil organisation and right is on the side of us.
Colin, your comment sounds like trolling. If it isn’t, it’s precisely the wrong approach. The goal is to support human rights and work build a just and welcoming country, not to demonize political opponents.
I believe he meant right as in correct.
Yes that's what I meant. I think Trump, Musk and co are moral degenerates, and the right is one the side of those opposing them. Just like the Allies v Nazis in WW2. I think freedom is very important, and so it the rule of law. Trump and co oppose it.
Organisation is what they lack. In some respects they could be called a movement - this would certainly apply to some of the militias. Mostly, they seem to me a disparate group of the desperate, the disillusioned, the fanatical and the downright crazy. The one thing they share is a profound ignorance.
You are correct Russell, We need organization, but not the corrupt, effete and feckless Democratic party, look at them now, Schumer, Fetterman, Connolly kissing the ring.
This is not politics, and hasn't been, only the Democratic party, it's Strategists, analysts can't see that. When you are a hammer everthing is a nail, begone Carville, Biggs, Begala and all of the so called strategists that rush to the cameras on MSNBC> Time for new leadership like AOC.
They would have to be a radically different party. I personally do not blame them for respecting the election result and the Constitution but you're right that they are sorely in need of new leadership.
I didn't mention respecting the election result, you injected that, but since you brought it up. I do fault Kamala and the DNC for her concession at 4 pm on Nov 6th while votes were being counted and not challenging the results in Pennyslivania which shows very obvious voter interference, like throwing out 60,000 provisional ballots and there were organized efforts afoot to challenge the Pennsylvania Vote.
To make things worse, Biden was glad handing Trump the day after at the White House and treating the Trump victory like it was an ordinary transition, and at Carters Funeral there was Obama and Trump yakking it up, sharing jokes at Carters funeral never the less.
What's going on? Are we victims of a theatrical production?
Once you abandon consitutional politics all that's left is different versions of MAGA. I will give you three recent examples of the former: 1) Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court refusing to dismiss with prejudice the cases against two members of the Proud Boys for offences committed on J6; 2) Judge John Coughenour of the Seattle District Court blocking Trump's executive order curtailing the right to automatic birthright citizenship in the US, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional”; 3) Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting with Democrats against the Pete Hegseth nomination as defence secretary. By the way, this is what PolitiFact had to say about the Pennsylvania election: "Pennsylvania has multiple certified voting systems across its 67 counties. These systems produce voter-verifiable paper records and are not connected to the internet. These are tested publicly before every election. Only authorized elections personnel can access the voting systems. Trump won Pennsylvania by a margin of less than 2%. We rate the claim that these videos show Trump admitted to rigging the 2024 election False."
What are constitutional politics Russell. That is a new one on me.
Politics is street fighting, only the Dems have gone at it as if there were rules and playing nice, while the Republicans have gone for the jugular and won. They have been winning at the municipal level, the state level and now the Federal level, while the Democrats have only been interest in the Federal level.
everything else Russell is now moot, irrelevant because we are on the cusps of the 4th Reich of the rich and the racist.
So what Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, Hegseth will be approved. Joni Ernst shriveled up and died because she is afraid of Trump.
Trump is remaking the entire government from top to toe in his image with his loyalists and will do what he damn well pleases.
I am waiting to see if he honors the rulings of federal judges, like the judge in Washington State, that ruled that his birth right citizenship EO was unconstitutional, First it has to be upheld by the Supreme Court, and that is doubtful, and then it has to be obeyed by Trump, also doubtful, given that his Presidential model is Andrew Jackson, who said "Justice Marshall has ruled, now let him enforce that ruling", in response to Marshall ruling that the Indian Removal Act was unconstitutional. The Trail of Tears was Jackson's response to Marshall.
So the election was rigged, too late to do anything about it Russell, that should have been done before Jan 20th, too late now.
24 Democrat-controlled states have joined a legal action against Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship. That's constitutional politics. The last time Trump was in office he made such a mess that the Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate in the mid-terms and that's exactly where he's headed now. People didn't vote for him to release criminals from jail, annex other countries or seek retribution against all his perceived enemies. They wanted him to address the cost-of-living crisis, the housing crisis etc. He's already cut access to Medicaid and affordable health insurance and he's promised to do the same with social security. He's angered the police unions who supported him at the election (they forgot that he doesn't need their votes any more - Andy Ogles notwithstanding). There's an iron rule of populism that to be a successful populist leader you have to continue to be popular. Let's see how long he can continue with this chaotic mode of government before people start to see it isn't working for them.
You are preaching to the choir Russell, not just me but virtually all of RR's readers.
I am awaiting ruling by SCOTUS, considering their past rulings
You are correct about the iron rule of populism, but bear in mind that once he obtained power Hitler abandoned his populist guise, as did Mussolini.
Populism is just a tool for an authoritarian to gain power.
Bolshevism started out as a populist movement, the annihilation of the kulaks was populism.
Mao Tse Dung led a populist movement.
Once the power has been seized, populism is abandoned, and then you have authoritarian rule, and the only way to depose authoritarian rule is from internecine squabbling and collapse from within, and that is always at the top, not bottom up, or from assault from without.
Here is what makes internal collapse more difficult: Technology.
We life in an age where all communications are "sniffed" at the speed of light by artificial intelligence/algorithms and stored in the worlds largest server farm, the NSA data center at Bluffdlale, UT
AOC will not go far unless workers unionize. Donald Trump will make American unions great again. We have to be patient.
Well Vic, you talk of patience like there will be a tomorrow. The sun will certainly come up tomorrow, but it rises on a hellscape. The era of politics is over. The Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society has seen to that, and they found the perfect tool - Trump.
The old days are gone, this is a new era, a new regime (not an administration) Dems and pundits are talking about taking it back in the mid terms, rots of ruck on that.
Inn 2017 it was Trump trying to single handedly remake the country, but the Heritage Foundation learned and has used him, very capably I might say, to remake the government, and by casting aside the constitution, and they have the help of six of their acolytes on the Supreme Court, and a subservient media, which, if it isn't motivated by ideology, is motivated by shareholder value.
Patient for what Vic. 20 years ago, on an Anomalies and Enigma forum, I had conversation with an old Florida dude, who said that the civil war was unnecessary all that was needed was patience, because eventually slavery would have become untenable as it was uneconomical.
And what about the miliions that would be born and died as slaves till then, and slavery wasn't just about economics, it was a lifestyle,it provided social status and plantation life style for planters.
BE patient. I guess all of the Jews, socialists, Slavs and queers that were rounded up and liquidated might have something to say about patience.
Patience only works if you are unaffected or marginally affected by this authoritarian regime.
Franco's Spain only unraveled after his death, and then not completely, because the real power in Spain is the Catholic Church, they even have their own army. The Spanish Legion: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QBoV9LnYxmc
Mussolini's Italy only fell apart because of the landing on Anzio.
Hitlers Germany only fell apart because of the landing on Normandy.
If you are waiting for Orban's Hungary, Erdogan's Turkey, Putin's Russia, the Mullahs Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kim's Korea to fall apart, don't stick your bare hands on your ass too long, they will grow there.
Trump is very anti-union. Look at Bezos.
Donald Trump *speaks* like a populist but doesn't act like one and if you think he, with a "businesses uber alles" attitude is pro unions, you are sorely mistaken.
But you can’t deny the modern liberal policies that have strangely all simultaneously taken hold across the western speaking world have had a detrimental effect on the U.S., Canada, Australia and of course the U.K. The UK is on the brink of insolvency and social collapse. Over a million illegal migrants a year into a society that has seen stagnation since 2008, has 25% poverty. Since 2008 the U.K. went from having a higher per capita income than the U.S. to one that’s is lower than Mississippi. 500k British are leaving a year. The country is losing its wealthy and its professionals to countries like the U.S. and UAE. This is not because of Right leaning policy. Even past U.K. conservative PM’s are just liberal lite in their implemented ideas. The U.S. under Biden was spending $1T every 100 days. 10M migrants into the U.S. directly hurt the working poor, putting greater demand for their jobs, housing, education and healthcare. As we are learning first hand from the ICE arrests these last few days, NO ONE was turned away at the border. Biden signed an executive order to stop LNG exports from the U.S. to our EU allies and when asked why he had no idea that’s what the EO was even for. He was told it was for LNG research. Who was running our country???
Regardless of our difference in political ideals we have to at least agree that you wouldn’t want those with murder and rape convictions or known terrorist roaming freely in our country.
Where was there a benefit for our country to continue >4 years of this? How would we have been better off? Why is Canada doing so poorly after 12yrs of Trudeau liberal policies to the point the point the man resigned from office? Do you really believe the problem with the US is the U.S. needing more leftist policy? Any country, state or city that has one party Leftist rule is failing and is worst off now than it was 10 years ago.
Second that.
Join the Meidas Mighty.
I support Meidas. And now that 1600 criminals are loose the threats will continue. During 47’s campaign he went on and on about all the criminals coming through our borders, but the hypocrite released 1600 criminals before our very eyes into America.
ROBERT REICH FOR PRESIDENT - 2028!!
He's as old as donOld and Bill Clinton. Advisor? Definitely. Prez? Nope.
Agreed.
Meidas Touch is an unreliable source. Most of its posts are speculation sourced in "trust me bro" and social media posts. Most of its videos have not the quality required to be a source in Wikipedia - I am a librarian, bibliographic researcher and Wikipedia editor.
It’s 100% more reliable than Fox which won the election for Trump. Nuf said.
"Nuf said" is not a reason. An unreliable source is an unreliable source, even more unreliable when we like what we hear and don't take the time to check whether there are facts behind the words. Don't you know Fox viewers believe that Fox is more reliable than anything else, "nuf said"? Bias is a two-lane road. Next time, *check* whether what Meiselas says is supported by other sources. Or, for example, check whether what he said happened when Gov. Newsom received Trump at the airport matched facts - like, the official statement of Newsom in the California government website. Google 'Newsom Trump airport' for more points of view. Be a researcher, not a believer.
Everyone should cross check their resources like I do all day long. I get what you’re saying but in all honesty (no pun intended) we need a pragmatic approach as well as with someone like you with all your credentials asking the questions that some of us mere mortals don’t have the ability to do. Please continue to do the good work! Peace ✌️
And, not just the big names - but folks in your community who write a letter to the editor that gets published. We're pretty much all fair game - and we pretty much all need support - because Each One Lift One (as I've been saying for decades) is the way through. Let's make that The Way #12
I hope he was reported the death threat. At a certain point, a threat crosses from speech to a criminal action. It sounds like this threat might have crossed that point.
Vox and Axios
Get security. If someone turns up to do anything like that shoot them. Show no mercy.
No. Please tell us you are not serious.
Meredith, please don’t feed the trolls.
I fed a troll how?
No
whom are you hiding from.
It was likely something he sent himself to garner support.
One person posts a death threat against Trump and even the so-called mainstream media make his arrest a 10-day story. Thousands & thousands of death threats are made against anybody who speaks out against Trump, merely disagrees with him, or does their job, which interferes with Trump's every whim on a daily basis. Trump just fired all of the DoJ employees who were assigned to all federal cases against him, even though they were merely doing their jobs as assigned by their superiors. When Trump learned Biden had given Trump's own former national security advisor, John Bolton, Secret Service protection after learning that our enemy Iran was planning to assassinate him, Trump took away the Secret Service protection on Day 1. If Bolton is assassinated (or an attempt is made), Trump is an accomplice before the fact for the murder or attempted murder (though Trump's SCOTUS has already given him immunity). No doubt the Grand Ayatollah of Iran will award Trump a medal. Now that Trump has discontinued Medicaid across the board, there is no estimate of how many Americans will get sicker or die for lack of medical care. Does Trump care that he is condemning innocent people, including millions of his own MAGA people, to suffering & death? As long as Trump has medical care, he couldn't care less (pun intended).
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/23/nx-s1-5272574/trump-brent-bozell-usagm-agency-for-global-media
Yesterday was a difficult day for many of us The Trump Blitzkrieg of executive orders was intended to overwhelm us and dispirit us. Do not give in to the defeatist thinking that Trump and his cohort are attempting to instill. RESIST in in all places, in all ways all of the time.
Today’s topic of “What can you do? and Ten Ways To RESIST Trump II" represents the beginning of movements that should unite us and not allow the show of fascism and power to allow us to become depressed and defeatist. Some people have accused the Democrats of “Rolling over and playing dead.” If that is the case, do not follow their example. Look for brave people and organizations and support them.
"The country’s largest police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, has spoken out against the pardons, as has the International Association of Chiefs of Police.” - Heather Cox Richardson
Who would have guessed that it is the leadership of the police unions and Association of Chiefs of Police that would take the lead in the newly forming resistance movement. This is significant as the Trump Administration is counting on the police to begin enforcing his bat sh*t crazy flurry of executive orders. I never thought I would find myself praising the leadership of the police! United Resistance can unify strange bedfellows into becoming a united force for justice and freedom.
Quite right, cops are thinking, I'm here to uphold the law. Trump's executive orders aren't the law.
To paraphrase. The enemy of my nemesis is my friend.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a new protective force was created from loyalists. The new administration doesn’t want to deal with existing forces that can’t be trusted. A new law enforcement agency could be created and given powers of enforcement and never be punished for implementing “unlawful” orders. And everyone else goes to the camps.
Eventually they’ll be punished. In the aftermath of complicit behavior, “I was only following orders” doesn’t wash. And while their dear leader has immunity,they do not…and if the past is instructive he’ll leave them twisting in the wind.
Nah, that's the point of Patel as director of the FBI. Use the FBI as a domestic political police.
MikeyB- which it has always been. J.Edgar Hoover comes to mind.
My guess is that liberal professors such as Dr. Reich are on the list. Maybe all of us subscribers. If not yet, soon.
Isn't that the fascinating question.
Ahhh, the power of modern technology.
Still, and we aren't used to it, we have to resist.
Good point Mikey. Probably like the Guardia Civil when Franco was in power in Spain. When I was there in the USN in 1970-71 the Gaurdia had absolute final say over any local police decisions if they chose to do so. If there was any problem to be dealt with and they showed up everyone deferred to them. Even the local police chief.
It was said that even the Guardia Sergeant on the street was only three steps away from Franco. Him, his Captain, the District Commander and then Franco. Nobody messed with them. They always the had a sidearm, often a rifle too and sometimes one could see an Uzi style sub-machine gun hanging off their shoulder under the knee length cape they wore in the winter.
The few I met were very polite and professional young men. But remember they only worked for Franco, not the people directly. It's hard to imagine any Proud Boy filling this job with an even hand toward our citizens when they would only have to answer to DT. Just saying... GH
This has crossed my mind many times. 😞
In 1932 Germany they were called the SS. Began as a special body guard detail for Hitler. My question is... can DT legally dismiss the Secret Service and replace them with the Proud Boys, and others like them? He has said he thinks they did a bad job protecting him and being "just" another government agency are they in the crosshairs for firing?
If this is possible then surely one of his billionaire buddies would be glad to foot the bill for their paychecks. Next question. Would the Air Force One crew be willing to let a bunch of armed anti-American terrorists actually board the plane? Just asking... GH
Troll alert 🚨
It has happened in the past, so why can’t this scenario be considered in the USA? I’m curious about your thinking on this scenario, instead of “troll alert” response without substance.
Thanks Nospam. I was just thinking out loud about how far DT might go with the revenge he has promised. If we are only listening to what he has to say, bad enough, and not anticipating what else he might be cooking up we will be caught with our pants down. Not a good place to be with the pervert-in-chief running the country. Sorry you missed the point Mary Ellen. All the best to everyone... GH
Appreciate your civility, Gary. I’m certainly capable of missing the point. Not a good comments navigator, so I can’t find the comment to which I responded to reconsider it. Thanks for your example of respectful discourse. ☮️
I'm glad to see the Fraternal Order of Police is speaking out against Trump's pardon of the 1500, but unfortunately they are also criticizing Biden for his pardons, especially the pardon of Leonard Peltier. I read a book on Peltier's case and he was railroaded as the FBI needed to find someone to put away for the crime. The judge in the case was highly biased.
Also the Fraternal Order of Police strongly endorsed Trump in all 3 elections. I hope this group, along with everyone else who voted for Trump, will realize how wrong they have been.
I'm glad they spoke out but they need to keep speaking up and do more or it will amount to nothing.
FOP in their statement also said, ..".we thought he had our backs." How can they be so stupid? Did he have their backs on Jan. 6? Did they have their backs when he kept saying he would pardon the 1500 when he was reelected?
Hi Wayne. I was talking with a retired policeman friend just after Biden commuted the death sentences. He was very upset and predicted he would go down in history as one of the worst presidents ever. I can hardly wait to ask him about DT actually releasing the 1600 felons and traitors back onto the streets! At least, except for a few, Biden's actions will still make them spend the rest of their lives in prison. GH
People are not acting very rationally. Well they often don't. It seems they act on what they hope to be the case based on emotional /cultural connections to someone or some things.
So the police union is surprised that a felon pardoned a lot of felons? How quaint.
It’s not like they didn’t know. Everyone knew.
For Donald, everything is transactional. Right, wrong, morally or ethically questionable? None of that matters. What matters is, “what can you do for me.”
Police are NOT inherently bad. There are generations serve and protect. The problem is NOT DEFUND the police. The problem is chronic underfunding, lax oversight, anemic recruiting, under training, under paying and militarization. Broken windows was a theory that backfired. Why isn't there an ROTC kind of service club in every high school and middle school to mentor kids to serve and protect your own neighborhood? Officer Friendly. His name was Fred.
Police are certainly not inherently bad, but then most of maga isn't either. They are just responding to right wing media lies that painting liberals as monsters and liberalism as evil.
Part of the problem is that we no longer teach civics, but I'm afraid we are soon to get a lesson.
Huh?
Oh my! I wrote mentoring!!!!! Thank you for catching this horrific change my phone made! I am certain I saw it correctly before continuing my typing on this screen, and I had no idea such a horrible change was made!!!!! I am not sure how I can get that off, but thank goodness you caught it! At first I did not understand your reaction. Now that I see why, I am shocked!!!!!
Except that the Cops have been the core of MAGA, until now. The cops perceive themselves as unappreciated victims of woke libs, I am pretty sure that 99.9% of them voted for Trump and that the FOP and IACP donated to Trump.
Stewart Rhodes is founder of the Oath Keepers, and then there is the Constitutional Sheriff's and Peace Officrrs Association
, a nationwide organization of right wing cops and sheriffs.
CSPOA reported 4,500 dues-paying members, including over 200 sheriffs. In 2021, former CSPOA president Richard Mack said that 3,000 sheriffs in the United States were members of the association.
Hi William. There are 3,244 counties in the USA and 3,088 sheriffs. I don't know how many deputies. These are elected positions. The worst part of the CSPOA is they believe they don't have to enforce any law they don't like. My comment is if they don't want to enforce the laws of their county then why did they become police offices? Just asking ... GH
Why does anyone do what they do Gary?
There have been studies, and cops become cops because they are bullies, have limited employment opportunities, good retirement programs, they believe the uniform elevates their social status. As regards Sheriffs indeed most are political positions, but deputies are civil service hires.
So why does a man become a sheriff, a variety of answers including becoming rich,protecting self interest. But I will give you one example of which I am aware.
in 1962 there was a very intense bid for sheriff of Washington county, MS (which was also the home of the Mississsippi KKK in Leland). One of the men running was killed.
The sheriff of Washington County,. MS is very lucrative. Mississippi is a dry state, but each county is responsible for it's own liquor laws, and they have what are called bootlegging licenses. Lots of "speak easies", drive into the parking lot of a local "diner" or restaurant and go through the kitchen to the back room, and you are in what you might call a bar.
The VFW and American Legion has Saturday night dances, BYOB, which you could from a "bootlegger" who has a license and you sit a table and order very expensive "set ups" Ice and cokes.
The sheriff's position was worth a million dollars in 1962.
I was in Biloxi Mississippi in 1965 and it was the same there.
The FOP endorsed Trump the felon! Sick.
They are experiencing FAFO now. These organizations still endorsed Trump, in spite of the facts that Trump told the nation he would pardon the J6 domestic terrorists. What a stupid move on their part.
We can only hope these groups do not turn around like elected officials did by the end of January 2021 when pilgrimages to kiss the ring were in display.
But only after they endorsed DTs candidacy. 😡
Well that's a bit of important good news, FOP and the IA of COP.
One thing I do to cheer myself up and snap out of it, when I get down and overwhelmed by all of this - & I'm in the UK, so this goes back over the past eight years when the Tories were still in charge, cutting vital services, 'getting Brexit done', sucking up to Trump, letting Putin run riot over London & murder his dissidents all over England, etc - is just to look at what Led by Donkeys is doing. They're an absolute inspiration to clarity at all times. Their Musk action yesterday was stellar - just look it up.
We need a Lions Led by Donkey movement in the US.
Thank you! YouTube seems the best way to get their latest.
Thank you!! I'm sure our ruling Junta will generate plenty of material going forward.
Just tell us!
Oh, I figured it out🤓
Marc, I agree. There will be busloads of legal challenges. We must stop pretending that we have no power. TOTAL-RESISTANCE to a president who is NOT legitimate is EXPECTED. DO you want to scare the shit out of these people…REFUSE TO COMPLY. Doctors should NEVER let a woman die because of Felon-trump’s Fascist desires. And when that doctor defies the felon, we must overwhelmingly and loudly step in!!!
Women's clinics and abortion is still legal in Illinois. That said, many have volunteer citizens that take turns guarding the doors during open hours. I don't think they are armed but they do provide a show of support if any trouble makers show up.
All the best to everyone in 2025 and beyond... GH
I refer to many of his signings as “The Menus” which helps me appreciate the seriousness of some of them, but also to remind myself that 99% of the time, trump doesn’t understand what he’s signing.
All organized and coordinated by Project 2025
Even if he doesn't know what he is signing, there are people behind it who do know. There are many in his administration who have their own agenda.
Stick together and never forget ‘there’s strength in numbers’!!
Hoping Trump drowns in a sea of litigation.
In a way, I hope enough get through to wake up the MAGA faithful who idolize trump. When their ox gets gored and they suffer consequences of their vote for trump, they may have to realize how idiotic their dreams of "own the libs," erase those disloyal to trump, control the media, pardon all friends of MAGA/trump/GOP including jailed 1/6/2021 insurrectionists who attacked people and broke our laws. Sometimes the only way back is to let "loose the hounds of hell." I do not see much that can stop trump/GOP now that POTUS has special legal immunity for crimes if they are part of his undefined "official acts."
I don’t even know what it will take to wake up the cult. I know someone who somehow went from being a progressive to joining the cult. She had an in between period of being a Stein supporter, but now she believes that everything against tRump is a Democratic lie. There will be a lot of blaming Democrats for the sh*t that tRump is pulling.
You lost.
I think you might find, my friend, that you also have, in the long run. In ways you won't have been expecting.
The only “side” I’m interested is the one the Founders envisioned in The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America. These documents define a nation based not on wealth or privilege but on the rule of law., one that recognized and sought to advance the inherent dignity of the human person. Let us continue the effort to build a more perfect union by working to uphold liberty and justice for all. 🇺🇸 🗽
Absolutely! Citizenship starts with knowing, understanding, and defending the Constitution.
Perhaps for now, but we WILL be back
👎
Trump is old and soon he will be gone and so will his odd hold on so mandy people. That is the wonderful thing about life. At some point in time even the worst people die. I encourage Trump to keep eating McDonalds and all the fried food he can get the White House kitchen to serve.
I'm in Canada but will be following Robert's advice as much as possible. These tips are essential "boots on the ground" pointers for people of good will everywhere at this time, not just in the USA.
We also need to resist the Trump playbook in Australia, Sabina, and especially now when we have a Mussolini look-a-like (and closet fascist) as leader of this country's opposition!
Revolution against the Oligarchs is near and very REAL!
Revolutions against oligarchs are complex social phenomena driven by economic, social, and political factors. While they are not strictly caused by “mathematical triggers,” certain quantifiable thresholds or disparities often create the conditions for revolutionary movements. These include:
1. Gini Coefficient Thresholds
• Definition: The Gini coefficient measures income or wealth inequality (0 = perfect equality, 1 = perfect inequality).
• Trigger: Studies suggest that when the Gini coefficient crosses 0.4–0.45, dissatisfaction and unrest are likely to grow, as the majority feel excluded from economic benefits.
2. Wealth Concentration Ratios
• Definition: The share of wealth controlled by the top 1%, 5%, or 10% of a population.
• Trigger: When the top 1% control more than 40–50% of a nation’s wealth, it can signal oligarchic dominance, alienating the broader populace and fueling revolutionary sentiment.
3. Poverty and Real Wages
• Definition: The proportion of the population living below the poverty line and the purchasing power of wages.
• Trigger: Rising poverty rates combined with stagnant or declining real wages (adjusted for inflation) erode public trust in the system and amplify calls for radical change.
4. Unemployment and Underemployment Rates
• Definition: The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed or underemployed.
• Trigger: Unemployment above 20%, especially among youth, correlates strongly with revolutionary movements.
5. Food Price Index Spikes
• Definition: The cost of basic food staples relative to incomes.
• Trigger: Sharp increases in food prices (e.g., 30–50% within a short period) strain low-income households, often acting as a tipping point for unrest, as seen in the French Revolution and Arab Spring.
6. Social Mobility Decline
• Definition: The ability of individuals to improve their economic status relative to their parents or peers.
• Trigger: A marked decline in intergenerational social mobility (measured by metrics like income elasticity) can solidify perceptions of oligarchic entrenchment.
7. Tax Burden Inequities
• Definition: The ratio of taxes paid by different economic classes.
• Trigger: When the tax burden disproportionately affects the middle and lower classes while the wealthy avoid significant taxation, resentment builds.
8. Critical Mass of Disenfranchised Population
• Definition: The percentage of the population feeling politically or economically excluded.
• Trigger: When 50–60% of people believe the system is rigged against them, organized opposition becomes more likely.
9. Government Debt and Corruption Metrics
• Definition: Levels of public debt relative to GDP and perceptions of corruption (e.g., measured by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index).
• Trigger: High debt levels coupled with blatant corruption can erode public trust and amplify anger against oligarchs.
10. Economic Shocks
• Definition: Sudden disruptions like financial crises, hyperinflation, or severe recessions.
• Trigger: Economic shocks exacerbate existing inequalities, often serving as the immediate cause of revolutionary action.
While no single metric guarantees a revolution, the interplay of these factors creates tipping points. History shows that when economic inequality, political corruption, and social discontent align, they often ignite transformative movements.
GQ
Fazinating.
Ya know who is warning about the pitch forks coming out? The Oligarchs. They know.
Be careful though. We need a revolution, but we need to avoid a violent revolution because it leads to chaos, a place where psychopaths like Rump thrive.
But who will be blamed? The Baltimore Banner has an article on the red wave among former Bethlehem Steelworkers. They used to be Democrats but blamed the union when Bethlehem Steel went bankrupt. They don’t realize that the union is as much of a victim as they are. They have no knowledge about corporations and the GOP undermining unions for decades.
What can be done about low-information voters?
The ironic thing is that the union has only what the company gave them through negotiating. So ultimately, it's management's fault.
Agree. I would add to your list total debt (private and public), this seems to follow inequality in US (as measured as % GDP). Trump has been enabled by ultra wealthy to prevent FDR style reforms. https://larakeller.substack.com/p/why-us-democracy-had-to-die
If there is anything that those of us who are looking on in horror from the other side of the world (I and my partner are in Australia) can do to help, please let us know.
We are all citizens of the same planet, International outcry and support is very important.
Participate in the boycotts of the international companies that operate in Australia. Then support everything local that undermines their reach. This includes eating as locally as possible.
6. Spread the truth.
Maybe I'm wrong, but this is where I think the election was lost. Democrats cannot message themselves out of a wet paper bag, while the Right has developed a media machine that goes far beyond Fox, NewsMax or even the Heritage Foundation and CATO Institute. The master of politicking, Machiavelli, said that in politics, whoever (the prince) was willing to go the morally lowest would win. The best liar, and we know who that is, has a huge advantage. Dems are lousy liars at best and since their "prince' is the Constitution, an inherently moral document.
It's worse, the messages the Dems did choose were terrible and the only one I saw was "send us money".
I believe that the solution was and still is messaging. This was discussed on lib-talk.com ... for all the good it did. What is needed is short, pithy sayings that can be pasted into the comments sections that (1) reveal the maga lie and (2) tell the truth of the matter.
I see that the lib-talk site was taken down, so I emailed asking about it and was told it was written for before the election and so was not relevant now, but an update was being considered.
The best message shows the right wing lie and also states the truth. For example: "it's not about right vs left, it's about top vs bottom, wealthy vs working class".
The point of it was still true. For all of Right Wing Media organization, your maga in the comments section is ignorant and horrible at saying anything more than right wing talking points. Dems should be able to totally dominate the social media field using brief statements that reveal both the maga lie and the truth.
We are all about "maga folks didn't realize they were voting against their own interests". Why did they do that? Hyper organized and focused Right Wing Media. Maybe that wasn't everything, but it was more than enough to win the election. Dems need to get in the game on social media and comments sections to refute the maga lies with simple truths. IT'S EVEN FREE TO DO.
MAGA voters were voting for a promise from Trump to favor their interests against the interest of other Americans. He did this by flattering them that they are "Real Americans" and vilifying the "Others" as threats. He got way with this rubbish, because for 40+ years the message from both parties has been that there is not enough space for everyone. I think Trump voters know the lies. I doubt they realise that what counts as being a "Real American" will shrink as US democracy is dismantled, and the need for mass election apeal shrinks with it.
They realize it because “Real American “ means white Christian. They know the demographics that’s why voter suppression and deportation.
Indeed you are wrong: Democrats did not "lose" the election. It was stolen from under their noses. Who do you remember ever got 200,000 people to join a ZOOM calll? Even during COVID? The numbers always favored the democratic candidate. I hope Musk pays dearly for f@#%ng this several ways to Hell.
Your comment that it is not about left versus right but top versus bottom, to me, hits the nail on the head. The problem, as I see it, is the Democrats will never use that message because they’re just as beholding to the oligarchs as are the Republicans.
Biden tried.
He said in his state of the Union Address that he wanted to go back to the Citizen's Democracy we had before Reagan changed it to Corporate Democracy. It's why the Repubs want their base fighting the culture wars so they don't see the economic wars eating their families alive. Now, with billionaires running the government it is going to be hard to miss. One pitchfork has taken a shot. Some of the rich have been predicting for years that the pitch forks would be coming out. The sad part is that it could explode into chaos. Chaos is where psychopaths thrive, nations, businesses and families, not so much. Maga folks are clearly ready to fight. If the Maga figure out the billionaires have lied to them, the country may make it as a democracy. If hey believe the right wing media and think the problem is left wing elites, Trump will be left as king of the ashes.
You can also donate to the organizations mentioned above and spread the word
Thank you!!
Donate to those media and organizations that you think are important in this battle.
Starve funds going to others working for harm.
You should lobby the Australian government to publicly set its emissions target for 2035 right now in compliance with the Paris agreement. Neither the government nor the opposition seems keen to get into this before the election.
Kill coal!
Tell China and India that.
Until they stop burning coal, it will keep being mined.
Kick the Murdochs out of Australia.
I've been saying for years that the entire Murdoch clan should be deported. But England or Australia wouldn't take them back. They are smarter than us I guess. Maybe there are still a few rooms available at Guantanamo. Cheers... GH
When, if, we finally win this fight, your efforts will assure you a place in the pantheon of the 2nd American Revolution.
I so much appreciate what you are doing.
38 years ago, I chose to change my country of residence, to New Zealand, the best decision I have ever made.
But, born American, I will always be American, and I will always remember the principles that we were taught, back in the day.
Bless you, Robert, you show, by every communication, your continued allegiance to those same principles.
Once upon a time, in the Vietnam era, David Crosby and CSN sang a song, "Long Time Gone."
The critical line was that "It Appears To Be A Long Time Before The Dawn."
Well, that is true, today. But...the dawn will inevitably come. And Trump and his scum will evaporate in that dawn's strong light, if we all combine to defeat his evil.
If we don't...we deserve the alternative.
Thank you again, Robert, you are one of our strongest and best.
Cheers,
Jim
Auckland NZ
This! ❤️
Robert, I read this article in the Guardian. I enjoy your writing in general, but this--something genuinely actionable--in a time when I feel paralyzed. This for me was the dawn.
I’d also add something which has already been said many times, “Do not obey in advance,” such as many “mainstream” journalistic organizations are already doing. Bending over to try to please this “administration” in hopes of gaining some kind of personal advantage or stave off problems is a non-starter. I’m sure the vast majority of this column’s readers know this already but I just wanted to put it out there.
Thanks Noisemaker for that insight. I have noticed for some time now that national media seems a little "off": out of tune with the reality of our situation. And I suppose that is to be expected. I can't think of an example where A revolution started at the top.
Agreed. That’s why the French Revolution failed; it started at the top. That never works.
Totally agree R. D. Why do these reporters keep interviewing him and asking questions like he is a normal person who is trying to help improve our everyday lives. They know everything he says are ignorant lies. Frustrating... GH
They’re trying desperately to hold onto their jobs.
The task seems insurmountable, and the future holds a darkness we've never seen before. People appear transfixed upon the negativity that their lives seem to be filled with. Somehow optimism has hidden itself from our view, but the concept hasn't been altogether forgotten. Tell stories to our children of the ways things used to be and how freedom warmed the hearts of all our peoples across this great country. Kindle a want within the next generation to restore life to a level where honesty and compassion for one another supersedes anything the evils our current society seem to relish. Teach them hope is a real thing not a fool's dream lost in a political party that's controlled by morons.
Keeping the stories alive for our children and grandchildren is vitally important. I hope Robert adds this to his list. Freedom is an ideal that must be nurtured. Thank you for this brilliant suggestion.
Donald, while it may be true that most of us alive today have not seen a darkness like this repressive regime unfolding, look back to the murderous regimes of the 20th century in order to comprehend the loathsome acts of which humanity is capable. Many of our parents and ancestors faced this degree of evil close up and delivered a disabling blow to it. Most of them guided their children to show courage and to stand up for human decency. It is for us as Robert has outlined to form a plan of action to undercut the fallacies of this illicit new administration and show the courage to deliver the truth to needing people. Independent news sources like this Substack are critical alternatives to media who caved to the trump regime. Every day we need to rekindle a positive outlook and to do at least one good thing as well as to sustain our livelihoods and mental health.
We have to fight fascism, whether we succeed or not. Whether it appears surmountable or not is made irrelevant. It is not a normal task where doing something else might be a better use of energy. I would say fight it now, with urgency, while you still can. Anything short of violence.
"We will fight for you!" states the lawyer's commercial. So let's start hiring lawyers. ACLU lawyers, Earth Justice lawyers, Common Cause lawyers, Public Citizen lawyers--and these are just a few out of many.
Yes. Donate.
This is what is not understood. The effect authoritarianism has on our psyches. We are/will become fearful, despondent, lacking in hope, willing to “snitch” on others for self-survival.
It took a group of powerful allies to defeat Hitler. Who can we build alliances with to defeat this modern day Hitler? I think we must look to the past for guidance on how to move forward. We can't do it alone.
Yes Em, the return to modern and civil thinking won't come by itself. Needed is "zivilcourage", as was shown yesterday in the church by "a nasty woman". How close this incident was to the actions of "die Weisse Rose" remains to be seen. These students payed for their courage with their heads.
Yes, I think it's extremely important to collect a list of "allies" in this struggle.
Many Americans feel "oppressed" by the high cost of living, and they are outraged that past governments welcomed foreign multitudes into the country. Trump speaks and acts for them, and he will continue to enjoy their support for the time being. Many of them will become our allies once Trump's policies begin to hurt them.
Thank you for these suggestions, Robert. People are asking our Indivisible group what they can do. I'll link to this in our newsletter.
I truly appreciate these suggestions from Robert Reich. There’s so much news and analysis on the disaster unfolding, but too little that I’ve seen on what we can do to resist. Please keep it coming. I’m ready to fight back.
Support SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center)
Yes! Also ACLU. If we don’t stand up now, it will be harder later. They are trying to inundate and overwhelm us, we do need to find our community and organize.
Robert, thank you for this. I live in New Zealand. How can I help? I can’t donate money to American elections (besides which I’m permanently broke haha). I am sharing lots of articles (containing the truth) on my Facebook page - I’m dependent on it for keeping in contact with friends and family, so detaching from it isn’t something I feel able to do right now … I’ve deleted my Amazon accounts (including Audible and Amazon Prime), cancelled my Twitter account (ages ago, when that creature Musk bought it and ridiculously changed its name to X), stopped subscribing to the WaPo and NYT, and subscribed to a bunch of Substacks including yours. What else can I do to help?
That is all a good start Sally. International support is quite important.
I too am using Facebook to stay in touch with pro-democracy people and orgs.
I screen out bad messages.
I mostly post for "friends," not the public.
I "like" and repost good messages from people and orgs I support.
Overall, I'm spending my time working on issues and messages that are directed toward decision-makers.
Keep fascists out of you own government.
Trying to, with my one vote and working with friends. We have a mixed member proportional parliamentary system, which requires some complex compromises - sadly have too many right wing nincompoops in charge right now who are far out of touch with what most New Zealanders want (sound familiar) but their term ends next year … I hope.
I continue to use FB and Insta for much the same reasons and to post and repost anti-Dump content. It is always much appreciated by my followers. Also I do check in on X to find out what the nutcases are into. I think that’s very important. Right now they are all, literally vast hordes of them, drooling over the prospect of public executions. This we need to know. Then I turn it off. No need to cause myself too much pain. I had an uncle who went to Paris before WW2 to further his musical career and instead became part of the Resistance. Good to think of him now.
Thank you Cheryl. You must be very proud of what your uncle did.
Yes. I will be thinking of him a lot.
Subscribe to the Contrarian on substack .
Yesterday, a fellow poster here added this: "I believe the American people WILL turn against him within 6 months when the effects of his lies and 'policies' hit their pockets."
Yesterday -- a massive storm dumped snow along the Gulf of Mexico, along the I-10 corridor.
Florida's First District -- which comprises four counties in the panhandle -- is holding a special election on April 1 to fill the seat vacated by Matt Gaetz. I've already donated and am getting more involved in the Democratic campaign for that seat. Her name is Gay Valimont.
This is a great way to start the resistance and forge communities.
An important addition to any list of Trump actions to be resisted and I believe it to be critical should be; any attempt to eliminate future national elections. In a number of speeches and comments, Trump told his followers to vote him into office and they would not need to vote again. I believed him and that he will attempt to do exactly that. It is imperative to be ready to prevent any actions to deprive citizens right to vote.
Start by calling your senators and congressman or woman and keep at them until they convince you that plans have been made and are ready to be implemented if needed.
Trump plans to impose "party rule" not "rule by law" on federal government. This will be extended to state governments, who run the election process. If a president can give immunity to a militia who threaten government officials, then there are no independent judges or election officals and so on. Every step of dismantling US democracy, must be fought with the utmost vigor and urgency, short of violence. Trump controls the GOP, while the Democrats queue up to be the controlled opposition. This is a fight which will be very tough, but there is no alternative.
Trump IS the GOP for all intents and purposes. The Republican Party and what it stood for in the not so distant past is so different than what exists today that we should be calling it the Trump Party. Calling it the Republican party is so much BS.
Robert...your posts are amazing. And I truly appreciate your call at the end to remind people to look after their mental health; not allowing ourselves to be washed away by our feelings of anxiety and, in my case, absolute outrage because it can cause you to burn out. I am British, so the US is not my country, but ultimately as a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, I see myself and everyone else, as global citizens. Oppression is wrong and we should all call it out. I was thinking about your statement below (posted at the end of this message) and being aware of how terrible racism is and how it can divide people, 'other' them and cause destruction and violence in its wake, I wonder if we can create an icon or symbol that people internationally can use to show their opposition to Trump's attacks on immigrants. Truth is, Europe and Britain included, have similar forces to content with, all of whom are emboldened by the man you have the misfortune of having to call President. The idea you made and the one I am referring to is:
I recommend you order these red cards from Immigrant Legal Resources Center and make them available in and around your community: Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC. You might also find these of use: Immigration Preparedness Toolkit | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC.
Wouldn't it be amazing if we could all have these resd cards next to our names as an icon of resistance!
I like this red care idea. Where did you hear about this?