The cognitive dissonance of getting up every morning and making coffee and walking the dog and going to meetings and answering emails and wondering what to make for dinner while there is a real live actual coup d’etat happening is BONKERS
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Yes. The babies need feeding, the crops need watering, our bodies need sleep and food and care. Even in the midst of war we must attend to the daily tasks of life that are necessary.
We need to see patriots mobilize against fascism. Please bring the nation's attention to the attack on the very mechanics of our government. Our tax money and our Constitution need to be safeguarded.
I reckon its probably too late already. I don't pretend to understand how these things work, but they'll have made copies/changed codes whatever already, wouldn't have taken long.
This boggles my mind. Like how is everyone not glued to the news every day right now? I am constantly checking different sources all day long every time I get a moment.
I'm not normally a political junkie. I tend to pay attention to local measures and vote nationally every four years. I never get to vote for who I want to so I just bite the bullet and vote democrat. But I am paying attention now because a fascist coup is kind of important. Ugh, people bug me.
Most news is also really not covering well at all. Reading the (North American) headlines about Musk's salute made me feel like I was in a Twilight Zone. Like, "an odd gesture"??? Have an ounce of courage, ffs.
US news sources are mostly bought and paid for. I'm trying to follow international sources but who knows when communication with them will get watched and intercepted? Dark times.
Our best hope (other than our elected progressives and moderate conservatives actually showing some fangs and muscles) is for these criminals and carpetbaggers to collude against each other in their individual quests to gain favor and power. There's scant room around the cannibals' pot.
We need some lucky breaks. It’s unreal how many breaks Trump has gotten in order to avoid consequences of horrible behaviors. Impeachment. Twice. Criminal activity with Epstein. Trump university scam. Scam of his charitable foundation. The list goes on.
We need groups of 1 million Amercians to show up at all the State capitol and Washington DC to protest. We need more like 69,000,000 Americans to go to protest in their states and state capitols. The Republicans are responsible. Don’t blame trump. Blame Republicans as they are sitting on their hands
Project 2025 was a blueprint for this fiasco. Take over the justice system, the intelligence community, ALL the departments. I assume Democrats know what their resonse is. They've had over a year to figure it out.
We need groups of 1 million Amercians to show up at all the State capitol and Washington DC to protest. We need more like 69,000,000 Americans to go to protest in their states and state capitols. The Republicans are responsible. Don’t blame trump. Blame Republicans as they are sitting on their hands
Not sitting on hands. Actively supporting him, even knowing he is wrong. They obviously think working people are inferior to them due to wealth and class differences.
We need groups of 1 million Amercians to show up at all the State capitol and Washington DC to protest. We need more like 69,000,000 Americans to go to protest in their states and state capitols. The Republicans are responsible. Don’t blame trump. Blame Republicans as they are sitting on their hands
That is not cognitive dissonance. You are describing being a politically aware human. It is the price we pay for acknowledging reality. I call it rage anxiety. Don't let it control you. Shit shouldn't live in your head rent free. Hard to do, but it's true.
Please step away from the news and doom scrolling. It’s hard at first, but after three days you will feel better and stronger.
Taking care of yourself is patriotic too.
Bullshit. We have AOC, Swalwell, Jasmine Crockett, etc…. Lots of fabulous reps. You’re just pissed that they can’t do much because the Republicans hold ALL the levers of power.
A shitload of Republicans are just as old. Shit...one was recently located in a nursing home when she hadn't been showing up since July. It was a non story since it was a Republican.
Dems need to get into the spotlight, on air, on microphones, in unison with aggressive simple language.
Ol' Mitch had a couple (2) spells of "the vapors" today and ended up in a wheelchair...
Then like Feinstein, they carted his ass around like everything was normal.
Also kind of looks like his left hand is turning purple again!
there really should be an upper age limit for politicians because wtf do you mean these dudes have one foot in the grave and get to decide how the rest of us have to live for the next 50 years?! just ridiculous.
I'm with you on the sentiment. I've always felt a resistance to the idea that we should get rid of people who have so much experience. In policy and politics it seems beneficial to have people on your side who've been through it. But maybe those entrenched fossils are the ones who've gotten us here.
experience is one thing but these old white dudes' 19th century views have no business dictating lives in 2025. they're standing in the way of progress that isn't even going to affect them. they're just voting against it out of spite.
How exactly does age enter into this? Musk and his teenage hackers are the ones destroying our country. Dems are the MINORITY party - age has nothing to do with their powerlessness right now.
age is relevant bc their 19th century views are not reflecting today's society & they're standing in the way of progress. a lot of them are too senile to even know what's going on. they shouldn't be allowed to decide on our fate when they're days away from expiring.
and I'm not just talking about the US and the current problems there, this is a problem in a lot of countries, and has been for ages. it makes no sense that someone who won't have to live with the consequences has the power to decide how others are allowed to live their lives.
Yes!!!
Exactly!!
100%
They shouldn't be allowed to vote on issues they won't be alive to suffer through!
Also congress members pay should be tied to the same indices as minimum wage, let them " do more with less", and they shouldn't have "socialized" medicine until we all do!
honestly, most of them are senile too - they shouldn't even be in charge of the TV remote, let alone the nuclear codes. and their ancient views don't reflect most of society today so they're standing in the way of progress. it's so fucking frustrating.
I know!
When they blocked AOC, I knew we were screwed!
If I didn't know better I'd swear they are cool w/ what Trump is doing, but they have to go through the motions & pretend they're upset so the fundraising dollars don't stop pouring in!
Tons of paperwork will get shuffled & nothing done.
I’m doing something mundane and then read about musk closing another agency or trump wanting to own Gaza and my stomach clenches into a knot of anxiety
I had this same discussion in a staff meeting this morning. I am planning musical events for the next season and we have no idea that any of them will happen.
I mean, continuing to act as if life is normal is akin to accepting your outcome. I know, people have responsibilities and duties etc, however, at this rate though, will you be able to continue this life much longer if you don't do something proactive? Problems don't go away by avoiding them
Take the high road, Tom Joad. That shouldn't be hard hefting that name around with you 😉.
And if there're a half dozen fascists at your job, how many anti-fascists do you have behind you there? Unless those 6 or so are all your superiors, I'd say the good guys can take 'em.
Hard to say how many fascists are there because the overlap of Christian Nationalism drags in some of the Hispanics. One thing I've discovered over the years is, my inability to not say shit has encouraged a lot of people to tell me thank you in private. Another benefit of White Privilege.
It’s akin to the dissonance at play with most of society pretending that we aren’t still feeling the neg affects of Covid. 1000 people dying each week in us. Millions disabled already & costing billions of dollars in lost productivity & health care.
"......the entire government gone like that. How did they get in, how did it happen? That was when they suspended the Constitution. ... There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction....."
Keep an eye on Trump! In the back room, college kids and their mentor have illegal access to our private info and will stir up even more sh#t if they are not stopped! This is how governments are taken over… while the people are distractedly looking elsewhere! Keep your eye on the ball!
"......the entire government gone like that. How did they get in, how did it happen? That was when they suspended the Constitution. ... There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction....."
Right??? I'm at a work conference and we're all sitting in a ballroom watching PowerPoints about marketing while our country is seized and I just feel like I'm losing my mind
100%. I'm grocery shopping, looking around like, "how are you so calmly and casually sniffing that canteloupe to determine its ripeness, you clearly have no clue WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE"
NBC local news today (big blue city) had a couple of lines on musk (non of which sounded any serious alarms) followed by more coverage of Super Bowl snack recipes 🫤
Hugs! My inbox is always open. I’ve been doing that too. My poor fiancé is just as scared, but I’ve been the one with the strongest outward reactions. Thankfully he’s been rolling with it but damn lol. And we are only 3 weeks into this nightmare
Something I've learned from extreme sports. When you are afraid, you have a margin of safety (maybe a very thin), but when you don't have that margin, u just do what you need to do with extreme focus.Right now, we aren't in immediate danger yet, so prep & work on strength u might need to summon.
I have a coworker who’s young. Sweet as can be talking about vacationing in Florida with her income tax refund. Another coworker said “girl where you been? You may not get a refund ever” she looked so confused. 😕
That's about the level of the people I am surrounded by. They have no idea what's going on, and don't really want to know. So caught up just trying to live day to day, when their SNAP benefits are cut off they will wonder how it happened.
I'd love to support it but there's not enough information. Who are the organizers? Who is paying for it? What other known and trusted civic entities have endorsed it?
I feel that, I'm currently stuck in a nursing home and everyone around me is completely oblivious to what's going on, and the news brushes over things like Musk's illegal meddling with federal computers like it's a perfectly normal to have happening.
Find myself scanning rooms more and concluding MOST are completely unplugged from reality exactly as they were conditioned for years. >>> Which is HOW we got here
That Only makes me feel more like an alien than the last 8 years
It’s our responsibility to raise the alarm then. Start building communities. The time to be idle is behind us. Don’t obey in advance, raise hell by put pressure on our elected representatives, and keep an eye out for special elections. And we really need to mobilize for the mid terms.
We are being consolidated here @ bsky, if it's too effective, we'll be broken up just like twit. We need multiple platforms so we can move around as they break.
I work for a European company, and absolutely nobody is talking about it there either. People have to know. It's almost creepy. I've even caught myself reflexively cutting small talk in meetings and getting right down to business. Because I'm afraid I'll get in trouble if the convo goes there.
Is it that people don't know? Or is it that they're afraid to speak publicly because politics have become such a conversational taboo in American culture, particularly at the workplace? And/or they're scared because no one's really sure who they can trust?
This part. You honestly have no idea who to trust. It’s the craziest feeling to need so much to connect, while trusting very few. This isn’t something we can ignore but people are spiraling at an alarming rate. We need an outlet for the anxiety that grows daily and organizing may help with that.
I’m feeling this keenly because of the similarities in our countries 🇨🇦🇺🇦
Also, 🍊 isn’t saying a peep about Russia. No sanctions. If they work together quickly and Elon knocks out our communications we’re fucked
And then seeing major media outlets frontpaging an awards ceremony and nobody around you has the slightest idea that anything is going to be different.
Yes! How do I grade essays in this environment? What's the point? I have a dentist appt today...it feels weird to go. How the hell am I supposed to make art and try to beg people to buy it when the country is falling to fascists???
Please do not give up.
Art is one of the most important aspects of life and an incredibly valuable form of expression. We need our artists now more than ever!
Yesterday, I was in a ZOOM meeting at work. A trainer commented, she doesn’t listen to news nor engages in social media because she wishes to live stress free. I nearly disrupted the meeting. We work from home so, I’ll have to find a way to “reach her.” 😖 🥊
That is one of the hardest things to accept, just like I kept hoping they were gonna say the election was rigged and stop it, I keep hoping there’s some major plan going on right now to stop him, stop musk but I don’t think there is
I was also very hopeful that they were going to do something about this clearly stolen election. It’s obvious now that there is no Calvary coming to our rescue. We are it.
No there wasn’t.
The Democratic Party did this to themselves. They alone lost the election.
They literally went up against an idiot and still lost.
If the left continues dig their head further in the ground, they’ll never win another election or they’ll cease to exist.
But how??? Last time he actually asked why he couldn’t shoot the Black Lives Matter protesters in the legs like they did in Tiananmen Square! Writing letters and calling are like thoughts and prayers, useless!
This is why one makes calls sends emails and texts and acts reacts and interacts with fellow citizens in person and/or online on a daily basis. We've all got to work together toward a common goal to combat this chaos. Do what you can to help cuz it will pick your spirits up and theirs as well. #LFG
This is why I hang out on Bluesky way too much. Gives me a sense of community. Lets me know I’m not crazy. We have common goals and need to work together.
If this was a smaller country then it would have been people protesting like a week ago or more to the extent the entire streets would be flooded with people .... But just Google how big the US really is and you'll understand why ..... Yeah.
On my lunch break today from my govt. contracting job, I went to a protest against the people who are responsible for this crap. If I could bottle the rush I felt, I would, and I'd bathe in it daily.
It reminds me of the movie The Matrix. Becoming aware of the truth and reality of the state of things, while having to exist and engage among people who are walking in ignorance (willful or not).
It's part of their strategy. I found myself staring into the abyss and feeling very desensitized. Take a break. Don't let it crush you. It's a marathon, not a race. Can't let these goons exhaust you this early into the fight.
I know right. I just had a conversation with my daughter about her inhalers and how I have been using less of mine so I could stockpile them just in case. Then said what do you want for dinner.
You are so kind. My daughter has asthma. She is 36. I have allergies I’m 70 so they prescribe but I don’t always need them I am stock piling just in case So the need is just perceived not immediate. But you have truly warmed my heart. Thank you.
Maybe - but everyone's survival instincts better kick in real fvcking fast or breakfast won't matter - at least not for the others. The dissonance is coming from your brain trying to figure out whether you can avoid being an "other" or not.
I'm with you. It is disgusting what the republicans are doing. Why would the richest man do such a thing. He wants to rule the world like his side kick trump
OMG I’m glad I’m not the only person who has become almost incapable of peak functioning and focus. This crap is draining, and I have to remind myself that exhaustion is exactly what they are trying to achieve.
Gotta pay bills, my dogs need their walks, and I watch as the trans genocide marches in my direction with no idea of what else I can or should be doing
Hoping all day long that democracy will still be alive when we turn off the lights and go to sleep. In the meantime, we do whatever little things we can to keep it alive: write letters, give to the ACLU, check on our friends' well-being...then try to sleep in peace.
You have many friends and allies globally. Many of us knew in the U.K. in June 2016 that Trump saying prior to U.S. election he felt 'emboldened' by the result of the E.U. referendum (known to have been heavily influenced by Russian interference/misinformation) that it was all part the dismal plan.
I've been answering "just trying to get through it all." Because no one is fine. I'm pretending to be functional, but I'm not gonna tell people that I'm fine. We're not.
My response lately has been "taking it day by day". If it's someone I don't really know, it's also a way to find out how they're feeling about what's going on. I'm slowly building my community of neighbors.
A German friend of mine says in a tiny corner of every German's brain there is tiny bit of fuck you at Americans for the decades of the "Good German" insult.
Then I told him to go fuck himself, we laughed, and then talked about Germany's current nazi problem.
A Good German was on the spectrum of complicity a German citizen who was just able to grasp and function with that dissonance & not do anything against Hitler & go with the flow.
Seriously. It’s like an episode of Twilight zone and our political polarization makes office like a landmine because you know coworkers voted for this BS
It's become a Nazi country where everyone has to carry ID papers!
I hope my 🇨🇦 Indigenous friends (& in normal circumstances I would not have added the descriptors) avoid traveling to the USA for their usual winter vacations & if they do, that they keep their 🇨🇦 passports with them at all times.
THIS. I have a text group with two other coworkers, so I now that at least they are also feeling this way, but it still feels genuinely maddening to keep acting like this is all normal
Start migrating your digital life away from fascist services. Proton Mail is a better mail service than Gmail. Delete all of your Meta accounts. Cancel your Prime membership.
Meta accounts have been gone since beg of Covid. It’s the others I have to work on. But getting totally away from working with Amazon/Google products is tough because, work. So many companies rely on them. I can only move away in my personal life.
They weren't standing on the podium on inauguration day. Also saying reasonable things related to anti-trust is not fascist. I am more comfortable with a Swiss-hosted end-to-end encrypted mail service that only has access to email headers than I am with Google.
And I’m so tired of everybody saying well we’re just gonna have to wait and see what happens. … How do you wait and see your whole world unravel? your children’s futures up in smoke in the blink of an eye.
It’s maddening
It’s amazing that I see rich, entitled kids (anyone under 50 is a kid) on their way to their latest Tik-Tok-ed restaurant or jabbering about their room-mate or boss, completely self-absorbed in their politics-free cocoons. Maybe this *is* the matrix. 🤷🏻♂️
I was at work on 9/11 and we all watched the towers fall. Then boss made us get back to work. I was LIVID. I couldn’t just pretend everything was normal. It was so weird.
You're definetly not. I think almost everyone is doing their best just to keep their shit together right now and putting on a very convincing mask. Anyone with a human heart and brain is not okay right now. 🫂
My husband just keeps saying shit like “you can’t get so wound up over politics” I just asked him when he is going to start getting wound up, this isn’t just “politics” it’s OUR COUNTRY. I don’t think some people are grasping the gravity of the situation
Please tell your husband not to say “don’t get so wound up over birth camps” when you are led off by armed guards to pump out babies for the state like a broodmare.
Fortunately, I’m no longer of child bearing age but I get what you’re saying. Just wondering where his red line is and how far he is willing to go for this country.
Might I suggest putting up pictures of resistance fighters in your bedroom and masturbating to them. If he thinks this is foreplay and tries to get into bed with you, turn him away by reciting Lt. Aldo Raine’s “Nazi scalps” speech in Inglourious Basterds. If he doesn’t catch on, you gotta cut loose!
Yaaazzzzz. I watch everyone! When I'm in the store, at my work... like is Noone else worried. Am I the only one buying extra water? Extra canned goods. No one seems worried. I don't get it.
You are not! I told my boss straight up, I didn’t have the capacity to come in and behave as if there’s not a thing happening! My patience are NONE! I’m ready to shake random strangers in the grocery store!!
This. And everybody crying "it's over already" is doing that. There is something we can be doing every day. I'm making my calls. Looking ahead to the next important elections (hello WI Supreme Court!), donating to those, etc. I'm contacting banks and colleges asking them to use their megaphones...
Yes I am writing letters and calling my elected’s. Signed up for Indivisible as well. The Democrats need to fight a thoroughly nasty fight equal to the carnage being executed.
Bum rush the offices where they are working, unplug everything and break all their sh*t; skull-drag them outside, and give those miserable brats a spanking. It's literally self-defense.
I am writing letters and calling my elected’s. Signed up for Indivisible as well. The Democrats need to fight a thoroughly nasty fight equal to the carnage being executed.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness. You aren't hearing voices or having hallucinations, so kindly stop misusing that word. I live with the horror of that disease ravaging a loved in my family. Would you use the word "retarded" too?
I’m not complying in advance. Calling my senators and representative. Caring for folks in ways that I’m able. Eating right, getting strong, and not being quiet.
Yes to this!
The phrase "cognitive dissonance" is the term of the decade. There is no "Roaring 20s" sad to say. However, the 21st century seems to be using the 20th century's playbook.
How can we change our future?
It's crazy. I'm wondering if I'm part of the banality of evil by not- I don't know- tearing my hair out and throwing myself in front of a train or something. Seriously. I don't know what to do other than writing letters, making phone calls and freaking out.
I came on Bluesky to find you because someone shared this particular post on LinkedIn and I’m like I so relate. She posted what I’m thinking everyday for the last two weeks.
YEA YES 100% YEA YES!!!!! I feel like i have to shut off my brain and disassociate in order to have a conversation about anything other the politics. Like I am faking living normal.
A friend told me today that she's waking up in the night and can't resist doomscrolling. We all talked about what we do to get away from the news and the thoughts that follow. Crafts, mindless TV, acrostic puzzles and lots of music.
And yet, we still have to live. At least we know what’s going on and can do something about it, if only to call our Congressional representatives daily to ask them to Stand up to these criminals. Millions have no idea what is happening. We can help them by spreading the truth.
We’re still laboring for and paying into a system being dismantled to our detriment more and more every day. I just want to move to the woods like the unabomber but without the bomb-making domestic terrorist part.
He won the popular vote by the smallest margin of anyone since Nixon.
Either way, it was made clear before the election what the consequences would be: autocracy, oligarchy, for a 'dictator' president immune from prosecution, for the end of democratic checks, for fascism, and the people said 'yes'.
He won the popular vote by a plurality. That is all I'm saying. More people voted against him -- not for Harris, but against Trump -- than voted for him.
Only because close to 30% of Americans were idiots who didn't vote. Of course we can't know who they'd have voted for if they did vote... But fewer than 50% of the total population actually voted for him.
I had trouble sleeping last night thinking about it. One of Trump's ardent supporters, prior to the election, described Trump's potential election to office as a "bloodless coup".
If this keeps up I am not as sure about the potential of the first part of that quote.
I am with you. What is going on in our government is hanging over everything we do in our lives these days. I am retired and have never seen such chaos in our government!
Yeah, excellent description of what we’re going through, too. Hang in there, raise hell when you can, and know that there’s a whole lot of us out here trying to look out for each other.
Life is hard to deal with for me right now. As someone who is kind of a Control Freak, I am lost in the horrors of the past 16 days. I have no direction and it is driving me crazy 😳
I have several friends who I talk to on a regular basis. One of them has encouraged me to go to my Congressman’s office and sit in, Hope that will feel better just taking some action.
I felt that way yesterday. I finally had to tune out the news and listen to some good, upbeat music. That usually helps me, also doing something good for yourself like go for walk, get outside in the sun. Hang out w your dogs or favorite people. Hugs
It really is a comfort to know we aren’t in this boat alone. It freaking sucks though that we have to fight this fight AGAIN! I am pissed, anxious and depressed about it. But I try my best to not let it dominate my entire day- as I have been known to fixate all day on this shit.
I punished myself by listening to today’s White House Press Conference just to check on the lies and fast talking BS by Karoline L. Wow, gotta give her props for she gets an A in bull shit! So much gaslighting, won’t do that again!
They are trying to "flood the zone" with too much of their BS for us to fight back. The best advice that I've seen is, pick one cause that you care a lot about and fight for that. You can still lend your support to other causes but trying to fight it all at once will drown you.
Also, finding a local group that is fighting for things that you agree with is really helpful. (I'd suggest looking at indivisible)
Just remember that we don't have to agree with everyone in our local group about everything. (Basically, we can debate the nuances of politics after the crisis.)
I'm much older but staying involved in something you care about is important. Maybe volunteering at a food bank, Humane Society, local Dem office or yes a sit in at your Congressmans office. Something that will give you pleasure and soothing for a few hours a day is very important. We feel it too
Well. I talked to many Trump voters that said there were no foreign wars and the economy was better. And trump didn't know anything about project 2025, even though there was video. So motivation is key. Most folks that analyzed the data said it was inflation and incumbent world-wide lost due to this
I tried to activate my local neighborhood and I got I have a doctor's appointment, you shouldn't post political stuff here, Trump/Musk. I mentioned all the things he's doing and the MAGAS literally didn't believe me. They are so unaware or stupid.
I'm not giving up. They are going to get sick of me. But I'm not backing down. Eventually, something will happen to them or someone close to them, and they will realize they are not bulletproof.
You can say a lot about Tesla, but SpaceX is doing solid work. Mars colonization is a joke, and there's plenty about Starship that's a bit "off" but not *everything* musk touches turns to shit.
That's why the first thing President Musk did was shut down all the people at organizations who wanted to investigate that last rocket that blew up and nearly killed a bunch of people other planes.
I look around at everyone carrying on and laughing and I’m left to wonder what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I be carefree? Why isn’t everyone else as angry and worried as me? Are the asleep? Am I crazy? It makes me feel crazy on top of everything.
Looks like we are reading the same book. Cognitive Dissonance, attribution error, confirmation bias are all psychological tools to keep people dependent and obedient.
Steven Hassan described his personality in 2019. A Malignant Narcissist.
Kind of how I felt on Jan 6, 2021. I was in the middle of a work-from-home telecon and my wife told me about what she was seeing on TV in another room.
I know, right? I keep wondering if the German people did the same in the beginning days of Hitler's Third Reich? Did they make lunch for their kids as their Jewish neighbors were rounded up for the 'camps'? When did Germany stop the charade that it was all normal?
I’ve always wondered this and found a book that gives first hand accounts from women’s pov. I haven’t cracked it open yet. I can tell it’s going to be one to brace for.
My largest client contract ended in Dec after many years owing to changes at the co (I knew it was happening). And while I can't necessarily stand to lose the money, I have given myself the space the last five weeks emotionally. It was the right decision.
That dissonance of "while good people stand by & do nothing" has always tried to sneak into life. We have to make our lives, yet, we are the fabric of our communities & country. We make this world every day be our many small acts. Hopefully, enough making small acts that help restore our stability.
I feel this…many have families too and are waiting for someone to help organize them to action. I really believe if someone said, Saturday protest here or occupy here for 2 hrs- folks would show up but for now they are like horrified and trying to hold their seat at the table.
Same! Every day I’m like, “What to have for dinner?” And, my mind goes totally blank because I don’t know what goes with national catastrophe. Does white or red go with collapse of democracy? 🍷🏢🏴☠️🛩️💥🔥🕵🏽♂️🫣😱
With the exception of a couple of family members and a couple of friends who actually pay attention, I can't tell if the rest are just in shock and numb or if they are clueless and have no idea how bad this is
I do think that some people genuinely care but after 10 years of chaos which included Covid, George Floyd, Jan 6. Roe v Wade overturning, being let down by Garland, SCOTUS And the cowardice of our elected officials, etc. It's more numbness and despair for some than apathy.
I think there are some that are horrified but just feel helpless like, "What can we do?" and there are others that don't grasp not only the global impact but the personal impact. Hardcore MAGA are still delusional and still think owning the libs is amazing and have no clue what's coming
And seeing in your social media feeds that a) people are either completely oblivious, b) don’t care because “politics doesn’t affect them”, c) are gleefully celebrating the end of the U.S. as a democracy bc they’re too stupid to know what’s really going on or d) are just as horrified as you
As institutions set up over hundreds of years by democratically elected governments are torn down by tech boys in diapers who have wet dreams about their unelected South African wet dream fantasy master, the truly brilliant cry, “how is this the end of democracy”. 😂
The problem for so many is the content they’re consuming which is lies & disinformation, and its delivery is credible to them. To so many, right wing media outlets are still just the news.
It's not ignoring it, it's self-care. If we are to dismiss our mental health in the pursuit of defeating them, we aren't benefiting anybody. We can win without such a cost.
Those who are actually tapped in & aware of what’s happening right now are not ignoring anything, but taking breaks for our mental health. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
We may want to believe this, but is it true? Trump & Republicans are running full speed towards destroying our democracy & Dems are still in the locker rooms getting pep talks from Chuck Schumer & Elizabeth Warren. This ain't the time for these folks.
Flood the zone. While Schumer is cringe to most of us, his posts actually inform some who don't understand the jeopardy of Trump and Musk's decisions and behaviour.
For others, it's galvanising those already on board, arming them with useful information and means of resistance.
We need more younger Dems like AOC, Jasmine, Maxwell Frost, etc. who have been more vocal in the last few days to continue to get the message out to reach beyond their bases and voters who didn’t turn out for Kamala.
I sincerely hope you are right, but I fear that we have weeks or maybe even just days to stop this. Filing lawsuits and writing to Congress is very in-the-box. But there is no more box. They shredded it and set it on fire.
The more we can slow things down, the less chance they have of succeeding. Please listen to AOC’s explanation of what’s happening and why and what is being done and what we can do.
I think we went through something similar in the UK after Brexit. To know my country had committed economic & political suicide, run by a blond-haired gibbering self-serving liar supported by shouty far-right nutters was almost impossible to deal with.
Shouting random swear words seemed to help.
I'm into Roman glass. I think the fish was free-blown, unlike these dinky glass dates from Pompeii, which were mold-blown to get the shape and texture. So real :)
Somewhere on my bookshelves I have a very old copy of National Geographic with an article all about Roman glass and how we have no idea how some of the glass that has been found was created. It's something that has stayed with me for decades.
The skill needed to make some of those pieces is mind-boggling. Amazing how so many incredibly fragile examples survive to this day. See: cage cups 🤯
I feel a post coming on..!
I will always recall that awful day in June 2016 when the result of the E.U. Referendum (now known to be heavily influenced by Russian interference & misinformation) was announced and Trump saying he was 'emboldened' by this prior to the U.S. election that year. It was all part of the bloody plan.
I was explaining the cognitive dissonance and what helped me cope.
The EU has a citizens charter and rights for every EU citizen. They were removed for UK citizens. We had a govt out of control.
Good luck, stay safe, and check your passport is in date. You never know when you might need it.
There were many others who told us it’d be fine, or at least not as bad as we fear. There’s a special place in hell for those folks. It’s right next to the red hatted mouth breathing second hand jacuzzi dealers who all they cared about was their possible tax cut and white supremacy.
I just made fresh chocolate chip cookies to go with my shot of single malt whisky, which pretty much sums up me trying to hold on to the wonderful things in this world while reading up on how they defeated the Nazis in WWII since that is something we need to know.
I’ve been reading books about the French Resistance during Nazi occupation in WWII. Are we there now? The resistance R Us? I think so. Oh, and what kind of flowers should I plant this spring? I’m feeling disoriented.
Canadian here, but in our daily standup when our boss asked how we're all doing I told them I guess I have a whole month to decide on what assets we'll sell to stay afloat
But who will buy them? All day long I was thinking about whether or not we have time to pull money out of the 401k to pay off the mortgage before Musk takes it all. Or will the paperwork take too long?
You can transfer from stock funds to cash funds in a single day without any tax impact. When that is done, you can do a 401k loan to put the money to work on the mortgage.
I agree. I’m a news junkie and thought getting away on a cruise may help my mental health. But I scroll on my phone while I look around watching the world burn while the other cruisers are like Nero fiddling.
Daddy Trumps crackdown on drugs at the border has Junior squirming and sliming around for his next drug deal. Poor little coke addict. I'd start checking his luggage on the return trip from those private charter hunting trips.
I had a similar experience this morning. People going about their routines ... going to work, school, appointments, etc. while the country is burning down. Surreal moment.
Comments
https://www.reddit.com/r/ShermanPosting/
Earth IS Dante’s vision. All 9 levels are here.
Don’t abandon hope. We’ll get by.
They know the pumpkin won, that he's divisive, and that's about the extent of it.
It was then that I started paying close attention and have been ever since.
I knew when the 🟠💩 won the first time that we were headed for a disaster.
Taking care of yourself is patriotic too.
And Trump's weirdo cabinet members haven't even begun to carry out their evil plans.
Remember when Watergate was a major story in the 20th century? Worse is now happening every day.
The last time they "got in good trouble" it was the 1960's....
The best they have are platitudes because their hips won't hold out for much more than that!!!
I am usually not this ageist, but enough is enough!
Especially when they actively block new blood!
Look what they recently did to AOC when she tried to get on that committee.
We have some greats but until recently they've been muzzled.
Don't forget Fetterman, the new Manchin.
They have shamed her, and bullied her because in past she has spoken out when they all remained silent.
Most recently they passed her up for a committee position in favor of...wait for it...an old white guy!
Dems need to get into the spotlight, on air, on microphones, in unison with aggressive simple language.
Then like Feinstein, they carted his ass around like everything was normal.
Also kind of looks like his left hand is turning purple again!
Trump, like always has some goon doing it for him, who he can later throw under a bus.
DEMs need goons!
LOL
age is relevant bc their 19th century views are not reflecting today's society & they're standing in the way of progress. a lot of them are too senile to even know what's going on. they shouldn't be allowed to decide on our fate when they're days away from expiring.
Exactly!!
100%
They shouldn't be allowed to vote on issues they won't be alive to suffer through!
Also congress members pay should be tied to the same indices as minimum wage, let them " do more with less", and they shouldn't have "socialized" medicine until we all do!
When they blocked AOC, I knew we were screwed!
If I didn't know better I'd swear they are cool w/ what Trump is doing, but they have to go through the motions & pretend they're upset so the fundraising dollars don't stop pouring in!
Tons of paperwork will get shuffled & nothing done.
https://gen.medium.com/i-lived-through-collapse-america-is-already-there-ba1e4b54c5fc
Maintaining my composure with a half dozen fascists at work is creating a lot of inner turmoil.
And if there're a half dozen fascists at your job, how many anti-fascists do you have behind you there? Unless those 6 or so are all your superiors, I'd say the good guys can take 'em.
From "The Handmaid's Tale"
From "The Handmaid's Tale"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RujOFCHsxo
There are no rules
When I’m in public, I realize people all around me have no idea what’s happening, and it completely freaks me out.
Great timing.
Truly hilarious.
That Only makes me feel more like an alien than the last 8 years
Also, 🍊 isn’t saying a peep about Russia. No sanctions. If they work together quickly and Elon knocks out our communications we’re fucked
Art is one of the most important aspects of life and an incredibly valuable form of expression. We need our artists now more than ever!
Ummmm…
The left’s refusal to see their major flaws is actually the very reason Trump won.
Are there idiots and racists etc that voted for him? Of course.
But I don’t think you all realize how much the left pissed so many people off. That’s why you don’t see people doing “anything”.
The Democratic Party did this to themselves. They alone lost the election.
They literally went up against an idiot and still lost.
If the left continues dig their head further in the ground, they’ll never win another election or they’ll cease to exist.
Grab some actual police. Call up some law enforcement and ENFORCE THE LAW! Make entry and get those criminals out!
Yet people on the right will scream until they're dead that they HATE reality and would rather live in the program. Make it make sense.
https://generalstrikeus.com/
I don’t want to let it happen, but I’m fucking exhausted.
And a really good poker face.
And acting not in shock for the kids
Then I told him to go fuck himself, we laughed, and then talked about Germany's current nazi problem.
Normal and wondering am I the only one who feels like screaming
I hope my 🇨🇦 Indigenous friends (& in normal circumstances I would not have added the descriptors) avoid traveling to the USA for their usual winter vacations & if they do, that they keep their 🇨🇦 passports with them at all times.
https://theintercept.com/2025/01/28/proton-mail-andy-yen-trump-republicans/
It’s maddening
😬😬😬😬😬
We are trying to come up with ways to stop them.
If you know any, please share with the rest of the class!!!
It's not the same as accusing Democrats of just letting F47 do whatever he wants.
The system is broken. We must create brand new systems of opposition. From scratch.
We need everyone to help, instead of standing on the sidelines complaining that it is taking too long.
Do not obey in advance.
Bum rush the offices where they are working, unplug everything and break all their sh*t; skull-drag them outside, and give those miserable brats a spanking. It's literally self-defense.
But what if tRUmp WANTS violence so he can have an excuse to get violent in return?
Arresting a bunch of Democratic members of Congress would be political porn for magafolk.
But rank & file Republicons are terrified to put even one toe out of line.
I'm not sure whether Rs are being bribed or threatened or both. They KNOW all this is wrong, and yet they cower as if they feared for their lives.
How are they "letting them"?
What are folks doing or not going to inspire you to say "they are letting this happen"
Thinking about the many, without condemning the few.
I'm undecided. Maybe a rainbow flag with gadsen snake, DSA rose, and "Jesus was a socialist"
On the other hand, as an LGBTQ person, I feel like they are about to tread on me.
https://youtu.be/5RpPTRcz1no?si=4CqRIrAZ0JBpdt1j
The phrase "cognitive dissonance" is the term of the decade. There is no "Roaring 20s" sad to say. However, the 21st century seems to be using the 20th century's playbook.
How can we change our future?
I point this out only to try and encourage that you're not alone?
It's cliché as hell, but we need to remember to put on our own oxygen masks.
If we all burn out, who's left to resist?
I'm working on better picking my causes (battles?) and knowing when it's best to give myself space.
2 weeks to flatten fascism!
Either way, it was made clear before the election what the consequences would be: autocracy, oligarchy, for a 'dictator' president immune from prosecution, for the end of democratic checks, for fascism, and the people said 'yes'.
So yeah. It's a coup.
Painful but axiomatic.
If this keeps up I am not as sure about the potential of the first part of that quote.
https://youtu.be/KNVdfiAfiIs?si=xr7CP6n9qnQc6Qqz
Just remember that we don't have to agree with everyone in our local group about everything. (Basically, we can debate the nuances of politics after the crisis.)
Steven Hassan described his personality in 2019. A Malignant Narcissist.
Week 3. Just starting…
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2r2aTg8/
I thought I was the only one feeling this way.
Shower, Work, chores, pay bills, fight back to stop the steal of our Democratic Republic.
Twilight Zone.
I'm mad at myself for being ordinary
Before a coup, make coffee.
During a coup, make coffee.
After the revolution, make coffee.
We tend to the mundane to live.
We'll resist.
There’s absolutely no reason with a cellphone in their hands all day not to be more informed.
The lessons needed to wipe our apathy will be harsh.
Go to work.
Go to the gym.
Play with the cat.
Cook the good food.
Can't save the country singlehandedly. Or in a day. staying too plugged in just means getting burned out and worn down.
There are those of us who also have to maintain our sanity for our dependents as well as ourselves.
For others, it's galvanising those already on board, arming them with useful information and means of resistance.
I think.
The same thing.
Shouting random swear words seemed to help.
I feel a post coming on..!
The EU has a citizens charter and rights for every EU citizen. They were removed for UK citizens. We had a govt out of control.
Good luck, stay safe, and check your passport is in date. You never know when you might need it.
the emails need replies
meetings need to happen
we still need to eat
They warned us that the it was the end of democracy if we re-elected the former guy.
they weren't kidding
The world was nuts in the 80's Nukes
The world was nuts in the mid 90's. I watched it and survived it. $
The 00's things went really nuts, I warned as many elected officials in DC as I could on my multiple DC Union work - foreshadowing
This is BS