Looming fascism in the US...what can I actually *DO*?
November 14, 2023 12:45 AM Subscribe
I am increasingly concerned and frightened about the political situation here in the US, but am at a loss as to what actual real-world actions I can take to help stem the tide of fascism...
From Republicans ignoring the will of the people (see recent vote in Ohio) to Project 2025, it is clear that our democracy is...not in great shape. I keep seeing posts on various sites willing citizens to "wake up" to what is happening – but I AM *awake*. I very much understand it. But what I want to know is, besides vote the exact same way I always have, what can I actually DO about it? I live in a blue state and within a fairly liberal bubble. I vote in every election. I've participated in protests. But protests feel futile, and while voting is obviously vital, it feels like it's not enough in the face of where this country may well be headed. For example, does contacting my (already Democratic and often liberal) representatives actually do anything?
I hope I am not coming off as pessimistic or cynical, because I don't find either approach very helpful when it comes to real necessary action. I hate feeling helpless and afraid for the future. I would love to hear what has kept others feeling like they are doing everything they possibly can to put a stop to this possible trajectory.
From Republicans ignoring the will of the people (see recent vote in Ohio) to Project 2025, it is clear that our democracy is...not in great shape. I keep seeing posts on various sites willing citizens to "wake up" to what is happening – but I AM *awake*. I very much understand it. But what I want to know is, besides vote the exact same way I always have, what can I actually DO about it? I live in a blue state and within a fairly liberal bubble. I vote in every election. I've participated in protests. But protests feel futile, and while voting is obviously vital, it feels like it's not enough in the face of where this country may well be headed. For example, does contacting my (already Democratic and often liberal) representatives actually do anything?
I hope I am not coming off as pessimistic or cynical, because I don't find either approach very helpful when it comes to real necessary action. I hate feeling helpless and afraid for the future. I would love to hear what has kept others feeling like they are doing everything they possibly can to put a stop to this possible trajectory.
The problem here is that the things you can do that will actually help are boring things that don't feel good, while the things you can do that feel the most like helping and that you get affirmation from don't clearly help.
Make a few political donations using a burner email you never check again. Don't worry about picking candidates. Either donate to DCCC/DSCC/DSLCC or to a broad PAC whose principles you agree with and let them worry about it. Above all else, they want to win, and picking candidates is literally their job.
It's boring as all hell, but finding someone with the right incentives and information and giving them some money is the best thing you can do.
Remember, burner email.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:43 AM on November 14, 2023 [17 favorites]
Make a few political donations using a burner email you never check again. Don't worry about picking candidates. Either donate to DCCC/DSCC/DSLCC or to a broad PAC whose principles you agree with and let them worry about it. Above all else, they want to win, and picking candidates is literally their job.
It's boring as all hell, but finding someone with the right incentives and information and giving them some money is the best thing you can do.
Remember, burner email.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:43 AM on November 14, 2023 [17 favorites]
Can you run for local office? One of the biggest stories of the most recent election was transphobes and Moms for Liberty local candidates getting pushed back -- and that only works if there are candidates running against them.
The local is also political.
posted by humbug at 7:11 AM on November 14, 2023 [10 favorites]
The local is also political.
posted by humbug at 7:11 AM on November 14, 2023 [10 favorites]
I donate to Invisible (national and local) and volunteer for them, because they are all about getting out the vote, and if you can get Americans to vote the majority are actually not pro-fascism; if you can get out the vote, you can influence a lot of other important things such as state supreme court.
Another thing to donate to is any organization that utilizes the legal system to attack gerrymandering and other voting restriction initiatives.
I participated for a couple of years in a regular demonstration outside the office of my state's Republican Senator because they were very effective and well-organized and focused on providing good informationa and being persistent. The Senator decided not to run for office again at the end of his term I don't know if it was due to our efforts, but they probably helped. His staff was SO tired of being called and written.
I also try to limit my social media use because it amplifies anxiety and makes me feel helpless, which may be the actual purpose of much of it.
posted by Peach at 7:23 AM on November 14, 2023 [11 favorites]
Another thing to donate to is any organization that utilizes the legal system to attack gerrymandering and other voting restriction initiatives.
I participated for a couple of years in a regular demonstration outside the office of my state's Republican Senator because they were very effective and well-organized and focused on providing good informationa and being persistent. The Senator decided not to run for office again at the end of his term I don't know if it was due to our efforts, but they probably helped. His staff was SO tired of being called and written.
I also try to limit my social media use because it amplifies anxiety and makes me feel helpless, which may be the actual purpose of much of it.
posted by Peach at 7:23 AM on November 14, 2023 [11 favorites]
Stopping the Republican nominee from being elected president in 2024 is really the only thing that matters.
Electing Democrats (aside from the presidency) won't help. Giving money to Democrats won't help.
If you have money? Give to organizations fighting on the ground to protect voting rights and get Democratic voters out to the polls in key states.
If you don't have money? Go volunteer at one of those orgs.
The fascists have a gameplay for how they are going to seize the federal government. The only way to stop them is to work damn hard to ensure that they don't get the chance.
posted by rhymedirective at 7:28 AM on November 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
Electing Democrats (aside from the presidency) won't help. Giving money to Democrats won't help.
If you have money? Give to organizations fighting on the ground to protect voting rights and get Democratic voters out to the polls in key states.
If you don't have money? Go volunteer at one of those orgs.
The fascists have a gameplay for how they are going to seize the federal government. The only way to stop them is to work damn hard to ensure that they don't get the chance.
posted by rhymedirective at 7:28 AM on November 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
I've had similar feelings for a while. Unfortunately, none of the answers here are satisfying even if they're accurate. I think a workers strike would be very helpful at bringing the working class together despite their political differences, but something large scale like that has continuously failed to work out.
posted by donuy at 7:57 AM on November 14, 2023
posted by donuy at 7:57 AM on November 14, 2023
Anything you can do to erode popular support for Trump and other fascist politicians is useful, but you need to think about it first because obvious leftist slogans are very likely to backfire. Loudly proclaiming "Trump is a fascist!" will probably not help because almost everyone who knows what that actually means already believes it to be true. But there are many people who think that word is just a generic insult used by the libs.
In my opinion the most useful anti-Trump tactic for this election will be to erode public trust in his "string and successful" image. He has claimed to be rich and massively successful but he is about to lose one or more trials that legally prove him to be a fraud who lies about how successful he is. So my plan for next year is to encourage the spread online of any messages (memes, articles, everything) that call Trump a weak liar who is desperate for public approval and power. The Democratic politicians are very afraid to say this for some reason, but I think versions of this message can actually convince some of his voters to not show up on election day. But do NOT mock the voters by calling them stupid for believing Trump in the first place because that will backfire and make them more likely to vote.
If we do fall to fascism next year it will be in a fairly close election, which means that anything you can do to convince people to not vote for Trump is actually very important!
posted by JZig at 8:27 AM on November 14, 2023 [4 favorites]
In my opinion the most useful anti-Trump tactic for this election will be to erode public trust in his "string and successful" image. He has claimed to be rich and massively successful but he is about to lose one or more trials that legally prove him to be a fraud who lies about how successful he is. So my plan for next year is to encourage the spread online of any messages (memes, articles, everything) that call Trump a weak liar who is desperate for public approval and power. The Democratic politicians are very afraid to say this for some reason, but I think versions of this message can actually convince some of his voters to not show up on election day. But do NOT mock the voters by calling them stupid for believing Trump in the first place because that will backfire and make them more likely to vote.
If we do fall to fascism next year it will be in a fairly close election, which means that anything you can do to convince people to not vote for Trump is actually very important!
posted by JZig at 8:27 AM on November 14, 2023 [4 favorites]
Would it make sense to register as a Republicans in a closed primary state so that one could vote against Trump in the primary election?
Would it make sense for people with the capacity to do so to move from a safely solidly blue precinct in a safely solidly blue county to a purple precinct in a purple county in a swing state? Aiming, of course, to swing the purple county over to blue?
As a singleton obviously no, but if enough people did this kind of thing, it... might make sense? Is anyone trying to organize this sort of stuff? Does the fact that I haven't heard anything about such efforts mean that the idea is wacky? But work has changed a lot since 2020--lots of people are remote, now. Couldn't a mass move to purple counties actually work?
See, because I was hoping it could happen in Florida, back when we were purple. Well, now it seems to have, just in the wrong direction.
DeSantis seems to have deliberately done this kind of demographic magic with his "Calling all asshole rich white guys! Come down here and don't pay taxes and run your rapacious company/factory/ag operation free of any reasonable environmental or employment regulations or pain-the-ass union bullshit and barely pay your people or don't pay your people and insist they work while dying and do it all to your heart's content, Florida loves you!" Do you have to be a governor to do that kind of thing and change your state's voter base, or could you be Stacey Abrams or somebody and do it?
posted by Don Pepino at 8:29 AM on November 14, 2023
Would it make sense for people with the capacity to do so to move from a safely solidly blue precinct in a safely solidly blue county to a purple precinct in a purple county in a swing state? Aiming, of course, to swing the purple county over to blue?
As a singleton obviously no, but if enough people did this kind of thing, it... might make sense? Is anyone trying to organize this sort of stuff? Does the fact that I haven't heard anything about such efforts mean that the idea is wacky? But work has changed a lot since 2020--lots of people are remote, now. Couldn't a mass move to purple counties actually work?
See, because I was hoping it could happen in Florida, back when we were purple. Well, now it seems to have, just in the wrong direction.
DeSantis seems to have deliberately done this kind of demographic magic with his "Calling all asshole rich white guys! Come down here and don't pay taxes and run your rapacious company/factory/ag operation free of any reasonable environmental or employment regulations or pain-the-ass union bullshit and barely pay your people or don't pay your people and insist they work while dying and do it all to your heart's content, Florida loves you!" Do you have to be a governor to do that kind of thing and change your state's voter base, or could you be Stacey Abrams or somebody and do it?
posted by Don Pepino at 8:29 AM on November 14, 2023
I also live in a blue state (Illinois) and in a now-pretty-safely blue district. Here's what I do:
1. Donations:
-I donate monthly to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin because it's a neighbor, the Republicans there have been just awful (on par with NC in terms of anti-democratic actions), and the party chairman (Ben Wikler) is notably quite good.
-I also donate small amounts ($5 or $10) to any congressperson or senator who says or does something that I think is bold and effective. It's only a little money, but if other people are doing the same, the recipient of the money bomb thinks "gee, I should do more of this sort of thing" and perhaps s/he will serve as a role model for others.
-Finally, I donate to organizations that work toward causes I endorse, like fighting gerrymandering, increasing voter turnout, etc.
2. Actions:
-It took me a long time to realize that demonstrations *are* actually effective, because they show how many people are fired up enough about an issue to show up and demonstrate, and they get on the news which is reassuring and encouraging to other people who feel the same way but didn't get out to demonstrate. Plus, demonstrations energize the attendees and give them an opportunity to connect/partner with one another.
-I (along with a small group I lead) write letters and postcards to voters in swing states to increase voter turnout. Vote Forward is an excellent, research-based organization that spearheads letter campaigns. Postcards to Swing States and the Blue Wave Postcard Movement cover the postcard side of things, and are both admirably research-based. (In 2020, Vote Forward letters were shown to have turned out ~126K voters who otherwise would have stayed home. It doesn't seem like a lot of voters, until you think about how narrow the margins were in states like AZ, WI, and GA.)
posted by DrGail at 9:16 AM on November 14, 2023 [7 favorites]
1. Donations:
-I donate monthly to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin because it's a neighbor, the Republicans there have been just awful (on par with NC in terms of anti-democratic actions), and the party chairman (Ben Wikler) is notably quite good.
-I also donate small amounts ($5 or $10) to any congressperson or senator who says or does something that I think is bold and effective. It's only a little money, but if other people are doing the same, the recipient of the money bomb thinks "gee, I should do more of this sort of thing" and perhaps s/he will serve as a role model for others.
-Finally, I donate to organizations that work toward causes I endorse, like fighting gerrymandering, increasing voter turnout, etc.
2. Actions:
-It took me a long time to realize that demonstrations *are* actually effective, because they show how many people are fired up enough about an issue to show up and demonstrate, and they get on the news which is reassuring and encouraging to other people who feel the same way but didn't get out to demonstrate. Plus, demonstrations energize the attendees and give them an opportunity to connect/partner with one another.
-I (along with a small group I lead) write letters and postcards to voters in swing states to increase voter turnout. Vote Forward is an excellent, research-based organization that spearheads letter campaigns. Postcards to Swing States and the Blue Wave Postcard Movement cover the postcard side of things, and are both admirably research-based. (In 2020, Vote Forward letters were shown to have turned out ~126K voters who otherwise would have stayed home. It doesn't seem like a lot of voters, until you think about how narrow the margins were in states like AZ, WI, and GA.)
posted by DrGail at 9:16 AM on November 14, 2023 [7 favorites]
Go out there and make everyone you encounter feel like the world is safe and that their neighbors are not scary. Nod, smile, be pleasant and courteous, don't spread anxiety provoking news, especially ones that are based on straw men. Don't argue with them; find things that they will agree with you about. Chat gently and approvingly with people of all types on line and in person.
The root trigger for Fascism is the fear and hatred of the Other, usually exacerbated by a scarcity mindset. You can do lots of specific things like voting for the right person and donating money to the right cause, but it is all too easy for that to encourage Fascism if your voting and donating is done adversarially and out of fear.
We are now having far, far, far fewer in person interactions with other people and our social skills and empathy are eroding. We are surrounded by other people, but not having positive interactions with them. The lack of positive interactions is what makes us start to view all those strangers as a monolithic threat. We are not enjoying other people and seeking them out in person and making contacts in our neighborhood that makes us value each other, or respect each other, let alone making us see how much we have in common.
Obviously there are people who hate you and everyone like you. I'm not suggesting you go make approving noises at Nazis. But until you know for sure that someone is a threat to you, treating them like it is your privilege to be around them and that they are valuable and interesting and in need of protecting and supporting will help people on your own side of the political divide feel safe, and will help make people who have not already picked sides feel like your side is the good one.
More positive interactions with a wider range of people will also make you feel less frightened and concerned.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:28 AM on November 14, 2023 [20 favorites]
The root trigger for Fascism is the fear and hatred of the Other, usually exacerbated by a scarcity mindset. You can do lots of specific things like voting for the right person and donating money to the right cause, but it is all too easy for that to encourage Fascism if your voting and donating is done adversarially and out of fear.
We are now having far, far, far fewer in person interactions with other people and our social skills and empathy are eroding. We are surrounded by other people, but not having positive interactions with them. The lack of positive interactions is what makes us start to view all those strangers as a monolithic threat. We are not enjoying other people and seeking them out in person and making contacts in our neighborhood that makes us value each other, or respect each other, let alone making us see how much we have in common.
Obviously there are people who hate you and everyone like you. I'm not suggesting you go make approving noises at Nazis. But until you know for sure that someone is a threat to you, treating them like it is your privilege to be around them and that they are valuable and interesting and in need of protecting and supporting will help people on your own side of the political divide feel safe, and will help make people who have not already picked sides feel like your side is the good one.
More positive interactions with a wider range of people will also make you feel less frightened and concerned.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:28 AM on November 14, 2023 [20 favorites]
I don't have anything real to add at the moment, but I do want to correct what I believe to be a typo in Peach's answer above, lest you go looking for some political organization called "Invisible" and can't find it: I believe Peach meant Indivisible.
posted by Flunkie at 9:37 AM on November 14, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by Flunkie at 9:37 AM on November 14, 2023 [6 favorites]
Act local. Find the local Democratic Committee for your county, write postcards and canvas for local candidates, if there's a local Democratic club not affiliated with the national party, work with them. THey have the flexibility to GOTV for candidates outside the district and outside the state. The local Democratic club I'm affiliated with wrote postcards to GOTV in Ohio for example. These are the things that kept me sane during the horrific Trump years and these things are going to keep me afloat during what is going to be a horrific Trump campaign 2024. An added bonus is that you will likely find people who know a lot more about local and state politics than you do and you can learn a lot while helping AND get to know people who are like minded.
posted by bluesky43 at 10:59 AM on November 14, 2023
posted by bluesky43 at 10:59 AM on November 14, 2023
What have people done in the past when they are concerned about something? They organize and protest. If you can't find people to join, make it happen yourself.
1. find likeminded people via friends, posters, internet, whatever.
2. get them together in the same room.
3. decide what your shared goals are. maybe come up with a simple name (The [Location] Anti-Fascists?)
4. agree on your first direct action and plan it out. Classic examples: hold a protest. distribute posters. Make leaflets and hand them out. Disrupt something. chain yourself to a railing.
5. meet up afterwards to debrief and plan your next action.
6. repeat steps 4 and 5 until your goals are met and/or your group splinters into several factions who spend most of their time fighting each other (joke).
For inspiration, I recommend the Hating Peter Tatchell documentary I watched on Netflix last night.
posted by EllaEm at 11:15 AM on November 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
1. find likeminded people via friends, posters, internet, whatever.
2. get them together in the same room.
3. decide what your shared goals are. maybe come up with a simple name (The [Location] Anti-Fascists?)
4. agree on your first direct action and plan it out. Classic examples: hold a protest. distribute posters. Make leaflets and hand them out. Disrupt something. chain yourself to a railing.
5. meet up afterwards to debrief and plan your next action.
6. repeat steps 4 and 5 until your goals are met and/or your group splinters into several factions who spend most of their time fighting each other (joke).
For inspiration, I recommend the Hating Peter Tatchell documentary I watched on Netflix last night.
posted by EllaEm at 11:15 AM on November 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
Among other things, I donate to Run For Something.
posted by gudrun at 11:25 AM on November 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by gudrun at 11:25 AM on November 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
Electing Democrats (aside from the presidency) won't help. Giving money to Democrats won't help.
Hard disagree. It's also very important to elect Democrats to Congress, and at the state and local levels.
One reason is that officials at all these levels have some influence over ensuring that voting is conducted and counted fairly and honestly.
But there are numerous other reasons too. We obsesses over the federal government, and the presidency in particular, but other levels and branches of government have a great deal of control over our lives as well.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 11:57 AM on November 14, 2023 [18 favorites]
Hard disagree. It's also very important to elect Democrats to Congress, and at the state and local levels.
One reason is that officials at all these levels have some influence over ensuring that voting is conducted and counted fairly and honestly.
But there are numerous other reasons too. We obsesses over the federal government, and the presidency in particular, but other levels and branches of government have a great deal of control over our lives as well.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 11:57 AM on November 14, 2023 [18 favorites]
Agree on the hard disagree on both counts. Local and state elections are crucial - these are where MAGA republicans have made inroads and tried to alter state law (see Ohio on election day and the subsequent proclamations of MAGA republicans to deny the democratic vote to codify abortion rights into the state constitution).
posted by bluesky43 at 12:24 PM on November 14, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by bluesky43 at 12:24 PM on November 14, 2023 [11 favorites]
It's much easier for fascism to take root when people are alienated from one another. Things like getting to know your neighbors or participating in local community stuff can help a lot.
posted by panic at 12:56 PM on November 14, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by panic at 12:56 PM on November 14, 2023 [8 favorites]
Well I'm just one data point and but I live in a city in a state that is controlled by democrats at every level from the governor to the state house to the mayor to the city council. And our police budget continues to goes up every year at the expense of other social services. Our governor tried (and thankfully failed!) to appoint a conservative as a chief judge to the court of appeals. All of it is not especially promising in the face of looming fascism!
That doesn't mean the fight to get democrats elected over republicans is necessarily *pointless*, but the idea that "fighting fascism" starts and ends with "making sure to elect democrats instead of republicans" is just a severely limited framework in my view.
To me, the literal opposite of every aspect of fascism is democratic socialism. Every feature of fascism - a concentration of power at the top, corporatism, anti-communism/anti-socialism, militarism and police-state expansion - are endorsed by the republican party as well as a vast majority of liberals within the democratic party. However, all of these features of fascism are explicitly countered and wholly rejected by democratic socialism.
There are currently only eight democrats in congress who either are, or were at one point, endorsed by The Democratic Socialists of America. Many large cities might have a few in their state house and city council - but the fact is, there is not nearly enough. I think a powerful tool in fighting fascism involves getting more people like this elected so that there are more progressive democrats that must be negotiated with both within party itself and outside of it, who actually embody the fight against fascism as a whole, rather than those who make trade-offs and concessions to the right wing at the will of their corporate donors.
So in conclusion, sure, make sure that democrats win. But also, donating to or volunteering for not just "The Democrats", but for democrats that are actually fighting fascism without making any concessions is super vital. This means getting heavily involved in your state and local primaries - which if you're in a blue city and state like mine, is where the real battleground is taking place amidst left-wing democrats vs. right-wing democrats. And I personally find a lot of hope in seeing that specific movement grow and seeing them win more over the years.
posted by windbox at 1:20 PM on November 14, 2023 [6 favorites]
That doesn't mean the fight to get democrats elected over republicans is necessarily *pointless*, but the idea that "fighting fascism" starts and ends with "making sure to elect democrats instead of republicans" is just a severely limited framework in my view.
To me, the literal opposite of every aspect of fascism is democratic socialism. Every feature of fascism - a concentration of power at the top, corporatism, anti-communism/anti-socialism, militarism and police-state expansion - are endorsed by the republican party as well as a vast majority of liberals within the democratic party. However, all of these features of fascism are explicitly countered and wholly rejected by democratic socialism.
There are currently only eight democrats in congress who either are, or were at one point, endorsed by The Democratic Socialists of America. Many large cities might have a few in their state house and city council - but the fact is, there is not nearly enough. I think a powerful tool in fighting fascism involves getting more people like this elected so that there are more progressive democrats that must be negotiated with both within party itself and outside of it, who actually embody the fight against fascism as a whole, rather than those who make trade-offs and concessions to the right wing at the will of their corporate donors.
So in conclusion, sure, make sure that democrats win. But also, donating to or volunteering for not just "The Democrats", but for democrats that are actually fighting fascism without making any concessions is super vital. This means getting heavily involved in your state and local primaries - which if you're in a blue city and state like mine, is where the real battleground is taking place amidst left-wing democrats vs. right-wing democrats. And I personally find a lot of hope in seeing that specific movement grow and seeing them win more over the years.
posted by windbox at 1:20 PM on November 14, 2023 [6 favorites]
Seconding Democratic Socialism.
I'm a member of our local DSA chapter, and we do everything from electoral politics to supporting strike campaigns to supporting militant anti-fascism in the streets. If you have an idea, want to help on a project, or just want to feel less alone? You can probably find a place in the DSA to plug into.
posted by spinifex23 at 2:06 PM on November 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'm a member of our local DSA chapter, and we do everything from electoral politics to supporting strike campaigns to supporting militant anti-fascism in the streets. If you have an idea, want to help on a project, or just want to feel less alone? You can probably find a place in the DSA to plug into.
posted by spinifex23 at 2:06 PM on November 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
Faced with similar feelings when PM Harper was running for reelection with a “barbaric cultural practices” hotline, I learned about myself that for me, it’s about matching my skills and energy to amplifying and supporting hood things in my community. I’m just sharing this cause you asked:
At the time I looked around me and saw places that I believed were making a difference- not politically, overtly, but walking the walk of inclusion and respect. I ended up working for one. It happened to focus on youth and I also had a chance to help clean up some work practices and get people started on careers. Although I’ve switched back to my old field, I’m still working for empowering young people (and research and teaching.) Being a part of something right in my community, watching people take flight, and helping them take off feels like my personal way of multiplying my efforts. It also means when I go to the gym, there’s someone I have their first job even though they lacked in interview skills. When I go to the grocery store kids from my after school program come running up to check my basket because I insisted on fruit in their snacks.
That’s community for me. I do believe through that, good things will come.
But you are possibly different - that’s good! Find your corner to make better, in the way that works for you.
posted by warriorqueen at 4:18 PM on November 14, 2023 [4 favorites]
At the time I looked around me and saw places that I believed were making a difference- not politically, overtly, but walking the walk of inclusion and respect. I ended up working for one. It happened to focus on youth and I also had a chance to help clean up some work practices and get people started on careers. Although I’ve switched back to my old field, I’m still working for empowering young people (and research and teaching.) Being a part of something right in my community, watching people take flight, and helping them take off feels like my personal way of multiplying my efforts. It also means when I go to the gym, there’s someone I have their first job even though they lacked in interview skills. When I go to the grocery store kids from my after school program come running up to check my basket because I insisted on fruit in their snacks.
That’s community for me. I do believe through that, good things will come.
But you are possibly different - that’s good! Find your corner to make better, in the way that works for you.
posted by warriorqueen at 4:18 PM on November 14, 2023 [4 favorites]
I just read a very heartening take on this issue. It seems the Dems have (finally!) taken a page from the R’s book. Back in the Before Times, when George Bush ran against John Kerry, one of the things that galvanized the R vote and turnout was local initiatives against gay marriage.
This time around, it’s local initiatives ensuring a woman’s to choose. It worked in Ohio, Wisconsin, and other states. So if there’s a local group you can support - do it! This issue will turn out voters, and turn many of them into voting for the D.
posted by dbmcd at 8:59 PM on November 14, 2023
This time around, it’s local initiatives ensuring a woman’s to choose. It worked in Ohio, Wisconsin, and other states. So if there’s a local group you can support - do it! This issue will turn out voters, and turn many of them into voting for the D.
posted by dbmcd at 8:59 PM on November 14, 2023
Definitely start volunteering now for 2024! In addition to postcarding and letter writing, which are both very satisfying, you can also text voters from home on your computer (you don't use your own phone number or anything) with organizations like Movement Labs or Black Voters Matter.
(I also would consider moving to a swing state if I didn't have a child, I don't think it's that crazy really. And it wouldn't take that many people to turn Wyoming into a blue state with two senators....)
posted by Threeve at 12:51 PM on November 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
(I also would consider moving to a swing state if I didn't have a child, I don't think it's that crazy really. And it wouldn't take that many people to turn Wyoming into a blue state with two senators....)
posted by Threeve at 12:51 PM on November 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
I would definitely echo everyone encouraging you to get involved with local initiatives and community work: I have found it helpful to think of ways to build the communities we need to survive now and the communities we'll need to survive in the future, if disaster strikes. Fortunately, to my mind, a lot of these things are one and the same.
Additionally, if you are feeling powerless (as I do frequently these days), you might find Rebecca Solnit's A Paradise Built in Hell to be a helpful read: obviously, there's a lot we can do right now to shore up democracy and community right now (as well we should, and there's so many great suggestions in this thread!), but I have found Solnit's work in Paradise to be so helpful in answering the voice at the back of my head that keeps asking, "But what if the worst happens?" with resolve and solidarity, rather than with my own usual go-tos of terror, forced optimism, cynicism or apathy.
posted by lavenderhaze at 1:12 PM on November 15, 2023
Additionally, if you are feeling powerless (as I do frequently these days), you might find Rebecca Solnit's A Paradise Built in Hell to be a helpful read: obviously, there's a lot we can do right now to shore up democracy and community right now (as well we should, and there's so many great suggestions in this thread!), but I have found Solnit's work in Paradise to be so helpful in answering the voice at the back of my head that keeps asking, "But what if the worst happens?" with resolve and solidarity, rather than with my own usual go-tos of terror, forced optimism, cynicism or apathy.
posted by lavenderhaze at 1:12 PM on November 15, 2023
And it wouldn't take that many people to turn Wyoming into a blue state with two senators....
I think about this quite a lot. Specifically, I think about the proposals to connect Cheyenne to Denver via commuter rail. And I've heard that some tech companies have already opened offices in Cheyenne. Given a booming decade or two, developments like this could tip the entire state into the purple column.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 9:00 AM on November 17, 2023
I think about this quite a lot. Specifically, I think about the proposals to connect Cheyenne to Denver via commuter rail. And I've heard that some tech companies have already opened offices in Cheyenne. Given a booming decade or two, developments like this could tip the entire state into the purple column.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 9:00 AM on November 17, 2023
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posted by sigmagalator at 2:02 AM on November 14, 2023 [8 favorites]