They are the same people who complain, why protest x and not y, while doing nothing. So many people protest multiple things and work on multiple fronts.
As someone who has fought many battles, learning how to choose my battles came with time and was IMO a sign that I was gaining a bit of wisdom. There were many places where my energy certainly wasn't being used to its best advantage.
The 'pick your battles' crowd never picks a battle. They waste time huffing their own faux superiority because they've deluded themselves into thinking they're pragmatists waiting for their "big moment."
If fascist want the country, they're going to have to fight us for every inch of it.
We need to fight on all fronts. That’s how you defeat a bully. I’m so tired of this “we don’t swing at every pitch discourse” that really means they swing at none.
There is a major rally day set for Monday, which is a national holiday
I think once the mass gov layoffs have had a week or two to reverberate around various states like Kansas and West Virginia you will start to see a robust protest movement
1. Those laid off fed workers will be available to ->
2. We need Trumpers to start to see the impacts of what they voted for. That is why so far I have personally not advocated for mass protests. I did go to the 50501 protest in my capital but it was small. The passion isn't yet ripe in the country.
In theory in reality they probably do have to devote some time to job searching. That's how it goes losing a job. But I do hope they join the, for lack of a better word, resistance.
Yes or how about, "You should focus on the things you can control instead." Don't psycho-placate me. I'm going to be mad, and if I get fired over it, because I refuse to pretend that things aren't weird and awful then so be it. That's what I'm preparing for.
Dr. King identified this 62 yrs ago: People who have "..a mythical concept of time" and who say "wait for a 'more convenient season.' Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will." Letter from Birmingham Jail
I read his letter from jail every MLK day. Not only is it beautifully written, it's loaded with wisdom and helps me focus on what I should be doing in the fight for racial equity and now in the fight against fascism.
Same. I'm always struck by the difference between Dr. King's real words and the way his work gets presented by white commentators on MLK day. They like to forget how real the struggle was and that they weren't part of it.
Right, fight for whatever gives you a sense of purpose and that aligns with your values. Other people can do the same... but the most important thing is to fight about something you care about!
My favorite are the ones who want to scapegoat bigotry, misogyny, and racism.
Like, sure it exists, but you didn’t uncover some secret political weapon by insisting it’s wholly responsible for our predicament. That’s the same as saying we can only run cishet White dudes nationally. I don’t buy it.
"Is this the hill you want to die on?" I've assumed it refers to prioritization of battles, so I imagine it's a question of redirection of focus... but idk? Right now, an organized response to anything feels like a naive dream in the chaos and sheer number of aggressions 😩
This literally never works in reverse. It’s a stupid fight, I didn’t start it but I’m getting a finger nag. I didn’t wake up some day and decide to rename some geography to be an asshole, but I guess I need to give ground out of what, grace?
Sure, when those people write for a mass audience.
On the other hand, it's necessary in discussions among allies, to discuss what provocations are a trap & which are a good opportunity. To win a battle, there needs to be some discipline, no?
I've been at it since the 1960s. If it's about injustice of any kind, it's the right fight to pick.
My early fights were for civil rights, ERA, anti Vietnam War & later, participating in civil disobedience in my neighborhood with kids in tow due to lack of childcare. I'm still at it in my 70s.
Yeah buddy. Me and so patient hubby the other day, the reason I’m fighting is I’ve had to fight all my life. Sexual assault as a child, sexual harassment in every job I held in govt for 35 yrs. I’m ready to fight.
That's fucking crazy to me when you say Nazis deserve the gallows and you'll have a shit load of accounts say "even towards Nazis, violence is wrong". It's a fucking Nazi that would erase you the moment they have a chance.
Just like the -Lie about -The Meek inheriting the Earth- what a ridiculous lie. It is force fed to us along with Money doesn’t buy happiness…. These are propaganda tools to keep us under control, to keep us from wanting too much, to keep us from rising up and demanding what is rightfully ours!
Establishment types: To tell others not to fight is pathological projection and control. Said people likely lack clear and healthy boundaries, leading them into codependence with existing authoritarian power structures and act as agents of said structures, whether they admit it or not.
People often choose the wrong time to pick their battles, and it ends up worse than before. Our last election cycle and current situation are glaring proof of that.
We are very much at war. This isn't like going back to school or teaching yourself a new trade. We need to be strategic with our actions and focus on what's beyond the trees in front of us. Being spontaneous is great when having fun, not when fighting fascists.
You do you, I will do me. Isn't that part of what we are fighting for the right to do? You need to be strategic, then do it. I won't get in your way. I need to do what I can, where I can. Do not try and stop me and others like me, or you will lose us.
I'm literally not trying to stop anyone from standing up, Cynthia. My comment was in regards to the white progressive non voters who crucified our marginalized because they thought they'd save Palestinians. They acted out of ignorance and haste and damned everyone.
The Democrats need to fight on every front and never give an inch. Make any Republican victories as difficult and time consuming as possible. That's what McConnell did and it worked well for the Republicans. The voters reward obstruction..
Fight anyway you can! At my age, that meant going downtown & walking the route. I didn't carry a sign, I doubt I could have held one for long. I simply followed the route, wearing all blue, shuffling along in my house slippers (also blue), attached to the end of the march, to show I had their back.
Exactly right. These publications have a platform to make ludicrous pronouncements that give permission to their ‘business class’ readers that they’re off the hook.
What is happening right now needs to be fought on EACH AND EVERY FRONT. No one is off the hook.
It’s incredibly difficult for most people to fight when they see no one else fighting, and none can fight and win alone. So take up the fight, any fight, and give space and confidence for others to take up theirs. You’ll need them down the road.
This right here! This is so important. If we just start somewhere others will join us. Somebody's gotta be brave enough to be the 1st person standing out there with a sign.
Honestly agree. I will not fight violently, but I will fight. Probably pessimistically, as I have no real power and many, many other problems in my life, but hey, it’s better than nothing.
Yeah, in this case the old "pick your battles" doesn't apply. Every day is a battle worth fighting & we should fight every single goddamned one of them.
Yes. I do want to say that I do believe it’s not right to go seeking a fight with our fellow citizens, because it is doing the enemy’s work for them in distraction and further division. We need to look up instead of next to us. But otherwise, yea absolutely
My genuine fear right now is that we’ll only fight for a few things when EVERYTHING they’re doing is wrong.
We need to be fighting for all of it.
People can pick and choose which issues they have the most energy for, but at the end of the day, it all matters.
far too often i see "this isn't the right way to go about change" and it really irks me. any way to resist oppression and secure human rights is 'the right way' enough. any strategy that succesfully affects policy to reflect the value of lives is a good one. #resist #organize #directaction
As someone who has said that very thing, and realized how wrong I was, I would like to agree with this message. Heck, sometimes a fight might be one I choose to sit out but that's no reason for me to think it's wrong for others to engage in it.
We have enough good people to fight all of the good fights unilaterally and simultaneously. Everybody pick a lane, and let's help each other. Any differences we may have are tiny compared to the greater goals we all agree on. 💙☮️🦋
I’m totally guilty of doing a “now is not the time, too late” recently, but I also understand that all of these fights are cumulative. We can’t all fight all the fights, but we all fight a few of them each. Pick the fights you can rise to, and we’ll all rise together.
Yes, and also, if you personally have to pick your battle and it's not the right time - that's fine. The problem is discouraging Other ppl from fighting when they see a battle they need to fight right now.
Yep. It’s actually all the same fight. How many times are we going to make the mistake of thinking Trump is too ridiculous to take seriously? He’s ridiculous, but we better take him seriously.
Is that not the exact strategy we pursued in the pacific theater during WW2 (aka "island hopping). Last I checked, we did fight that war and won it too.
But I also think it's impossible to fight every battle effectively, so we have to choose the most pressing, harmful battles first. That's what I mean when I argue that some things are superficial distractions rather than our first priority. With that said, I'll take the criticism.
I can't always physically do the fights that are pressing. I will continue to do the ones I can, when I can, and how I can. What would be nice is people not standing in my way with their choices of what they think I should do.
Peeps - red and blue - VISIT your reps! Call them if you can’t visit!! BE LOUD. 💪
The app at 5calls.org makes it really easy. If you are nervous you can use the help of a script.
ALSO follow Indivisible for more info on national civic ACTION! 🇺🇸
Are people saying that about Tesla protests? My 2 cents is if you don’t like that fight, pursue another. A million fronts. But I have also encountered people who see an opportunity to purge coalitions & consolidate their personal power.
I happen to think that’s worth fighting over, but either way to say it isn’t is a waste of time that could be spent fighting for whatever the Atlantic author believes is most urgent.
The argument isn't over renaming the Gulf. It's about every media organization falling in line, lest they be expelled from the White House, like the AP.
If they won't push back against something as trivial as that, they sure as hell won't hold him accountable for his crimes.
The Gulf hasn't been renamed anyway. 'Renaming' it is purely a Trump vanity EO that's not recognized outside of the US.
It's all about seeing how far people will go to do his bidding - just like the armed Michigan Capitol 'protest' was.
Unfortunately, far too much of the US MSM is falling in line.
The Gulf of Mexico: It’s about the dominance and coercion, not the specific detail: “We’re going to make absurd, arbitrary demands. You will do what we say.” You don’t wait until the arbitrary demands get “serious”; you reject the whole fucking premise and relationship immediately.
If that’s what you want to do, fine. I loathe some Atlantic writers. Others (including, on one occasion, myself) are long in the fight. There are so many fronts right now where can fight real fascism. That’s what my energy is for. And solidarity with all who resist, even if we disagree on how.
Yeah I think we're on the same page - I just said "afraid to find out" - I know it's not all bad but I also think that publication has earned some side eye. My solidarity and popular fronting does not preclude some cynicism and snark.
It's not a "hill to die on" but it's not something to just silently accept either.
I think a lot of people just feel trapped by it. What am I going to do, practically, when it's ALL of the tech companies that I rely on? Okay so I ditch both Google Maps AND apple maps. Go back to paper? RandMcNally?
There are 200 million people who dislike what Trump's doing,
and Trump's doing at least 200 awful things at once,
and if you're one of the million people assigned to thing 123,
but would rather fight over thing 45,
there's still plenty of people to fight on thing 123.
Ignore all commentary that questions protests and attempts to undermine them. This is an organized effort to keep Americans from taking to the streets.
Same crew only really ever fights for a false moral panics. One Nazi got uninvited from a speaking gig in the 2010s and they unleashed the dogs of war.
Exactly. That's how they win. This fight requires maximum resistance on every front. It will be exhausting. But they must be denied every inch they try to take.
Absolutely. If they ever fought for anything, they'd know every fight won't be fought by every person. They'd know that doesn't make the fight any less worthy.
Fight them with something they have none of-creativity. We need a parade schedule. Krews started nationwide to participate. Art, science, health, music, climate and nature, feed tyrants to the soil, whatever kind of creative floats people working together can come up with to draw in msm.
They’ve given us infinite possibilities for floats that would showcase their atrocities and get points across. Also SO many other ways to be involved individually and as sponsors in a parade setting. The more outrageous and creative the more chance for msm attention.
It’s become so clear to me that the most wealthy, who ARE the problem includes all the stars we “love.” Ppl do not like hearing this and so the fuck what?!? Fuck Bob Dylan and the rest. It’s so gross.
Libs who are middle class and up are prone to say shit like "don't block the road, that's annoying" and "vandalism is wrong, that person will have to pay a lot to get their cybertruck fixed." I know we should all be working together, that ship's annoying af tho.
Anyone who has more than $10,000,000 is the problem. I thinks it’s as simple as that. Working together is hard. How else are the most wealthy untouchable?
Agreed the very wealthy are definitely a problem and we should all unite against them. The people who are comfortable enough to be mostly insulated from the worst of what fascism will do are also a problem. They're discouraging people from fighting in meaningful ways.
If they say "this is the wrong fight to pick" they really mean "I'm a spineless weak human being who doesn't have the capability to stand for anything".
Resisting fascism on every front, on every single thing they try to do is very important. It has to be frustrating and demoralizing to be mocked and receive huge and loud pushback on every thing they try to do.
It’s also a symptom of people thinking real life is like chess and everyone is moving pieces around according to some savvy strategy, when it’s obviously much closer to craps.
Comments
If fascist want the country, they're going to have to fight us for every inch of it.
I think once the mass gov layoffs have had a week or two to reverberate around various states like Kansas and West Virginia you will start to see a robust protest movement
1. Those laid off fed workers will be available to ->
2. We need Trumpers to start to see the impacts of what they voted for. That is why so far I have personally not advocated for mass protests. I did go to the 50501 protest in my capital but it was small. The passion isn't yet ripe in the country.
Moving goalposts ftl.
It was kept so dry that it wasn’t until Bush had presided over Katrina and a calamitous war of choice that Dems began working up the courage to resist
And killed a few million
Like, sure it exists, but you didn’t uncover some secret political weapon by insisting it’s wholly responsible for our predicament. That’s the same as saying we can only run cishet White dudes nationally. I don’t buy it.
Now I will throw hands.
If the socially anxious introvert is ready to kick in some teeth, you should start to contemplate if you are right with staying silent. Just sayin…
Sorry that you think that human rights that don't involve you are distracting, Becky.
Just do something.
On the other hand, it's necessary in discussions among allies, to discuss what provocations are a trap & which are a good opportunity. To win a battle, there needs to be some discipline, no?
My early fights were for civil rights, ERA, anti Vietnam War & later, participating in civil disobedience in my neighborhood with kids in tow due to lack of childcare. I'm still at it in my 70s.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/report-reveals-over-130-organizations-103005052.html
People have lost their minds.
Not anymore now I believe “fight every battle “
This is self Defense‼️
I hear you. And in general I agree.
Although I must add that this is also said by people who have been in many fights.
Rope a dope.
Win every fight you're in.
What is happening right now needs to be fought on EACH AND EVERY FRONT. No one is off the hook.
I get this email at least once a month from someone I have never heard of before then.
Finish every fight.
We didn't pick a fight.
Those forcing a fascism did that.
We just need a central place with a list. Because I can’t keep track.
https://omaha.com/news/local/government-politics/bernie-sanders-to-visit-omaha-in-first-stop-of-fighting-oligarchy-tour/article_0d5611b4-ea4b-11ef-81f7-9ffcdcadaa58.html
DOGE expert-chumps clowned
https://www.rawstory.com/elon-musk-doge-2671156654/
Department of People Who Work for a Living
https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-launches-department-people-who-work-living
But some fights are more important than others.
Take out Tesla and you take out Musk, and the threat of primaries to whip House, Senate members.
The stuff that effects lives, safety, health, wellbeing, etc. always the right fight to pick
Not the western, kind.
We need to be fighting for all of it.
People can pick and choose which issues they have the most energy for, but at the end of the day, it all matters.
Another unhelpful response.
I don't respond to incivility.
I block.
https://bsky.app/profile/fireflows.bsky.social/post/3lia3xjopdk2w
Or "We're in a war, so we shouldn't have to police our words" 😑
Okay. They've picked all of them. So shall we.
The app at 5calls.org makes it really easy. If you are nervous you can use the help of a script.
ALSO follow Indivisible for more info on national civic ACTION! 🇺🇸
If they won't push back against something as trivial as that, they sure as hell won't hold him accountable for his crimes.
It's all about seeing how far people will go to do his bidding - just like the armed Michigan Capitol 'protest' was.
Unfortunately, far too much of the US MSM is falling in line.
I think a lot of people just feel trapped by it. What am I going to do, practically, when it's ALL of the tech companies that I rely on? Okay so I ditch both Google Maps AND apple maps. Go back to paper? RandMcNally?
every single thing these idiots are trying to do is worth opposing
and Trump's doing at least 200 awful things at once,
and if you're one of the million people assigned to thing 123,
but would rather fight over thing 45,
there's still plenty of people to fight on thing 123.
It will soon be irreparable damage, and that’s their plan.
https://bsky.app/profile/annmlipton.bsky.social/post/3licclanm2c2v
Their powder is so dry right now it’s going to be able to start a wildfire in a rainforest.
you can pick all the fights and make new ones
just need some class solidarity