So... I want to try to articulate some thoughts that have been forming in my head the past few days. They're still coming together (which I know is risky #onhere) but I feel like I want to "talk" through them.... (1/)
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Naima: You make excellent points. I think the frustration people (myself included) have with the Dems is that even though they don't have the votes, they have their voices and their influence and they're not speaking out enough. 1/3
2/3 We'd like them to speak out more as a Party, to identify for many who may not know that we're in a constitutional crisis, and we need to act. I want to see them on TV, radio, podcasts, social media and even rooftops screaming that all of us need to take to the
3/3 streets. And we need to do it now before it's too late. They're not doing any of these things, except for a few. There's no sense of urgency from them, again, except for a few. Where are the rest? They need to get loud and they need to do it now. This is a 5 Alarm Fire - act like it!
So let’s say they don’t have the sense of urgency some of us think they should have. Does that stop the citizens from stepping into the fray and signaling to the larger system “absolutely not, this chaos you are implementing will be the downfall of Democracy, we the citizens will stop this”.
So far there have been at least 3 nation-wide pro-Democracy demonstrations, and they are happening in DC almost daily. The only thing stopping citizens from stepping into the fray is the citizens themselves. Many of us are already out there. Maybe the rest of country should consider joining us.
We agree. Someone made a comment in this thread about stopping thinking your phone is reality. I felt very convicted by that. I will be getting outside and to local events.
Here's the thing though: they are.
And they also SAID this was going to happen.
They're on news shows, on their profiles, doing press conferences. And people keep saying they're not saying anything.
I'm listening and I'm just not hearing it or seeing it. Jeffries said last week-end on a talk show when asked what he objects to about Trump, he said the fact that he hasn't lowered prices. Really??? That's all he's got? Not happy with it. Sorry.
... because they said over and over and over and over during the election that 47 was a threat to democracy. They went over project 2025, they warned about foreign interests. WE SAW HIM INCITE AN INSURRECTION. Like, what are Dems supposed to do, exactly?
They are supposed to use their outdoor voices and tell people how urgent the situation is. They need to help rally people and get them out in the streets. That's what they're supposed to do and they're not doing it.
No, no, no. This is my point. Congress does not drive people to the streets. People TAKE TO THE STREETS. This is exactly what I'm talking about. It isn't their job to get us angry. You are living daily, seeing stories of ppl impacted and then asking why Dems aren't talking about stories you just saw
It all sounds very "we have no agency and don't know any better" and I just refuse to believe that. People decided it was hyperbole and unfortunately only going through this will convince some folks how real it can get
I can't stress this enough, peaceful protest work. 53% of all dictator attempts were stopped with peaceful protest. only 6% through violence. The more we take to the streets, the weaker Trump regime looks.
Peaceful protest also required leaders and law enforcement who won't escalate. Protests have remained peaceful so far in this admin bc Black people aren't organizing and leading them
"Protests have ??remained peaceful?? so far in this admin bc Black people aren't organizing and leading them" implied that once black people organize and lead the protests, they will become violent. Sorry :D I wasn't sure if that's what you're trying to say or not.
I was saying that once Black ppl organize and lead them law enforcement and 47 will immediately escalate peaceful protests to violence. Yes. There were protests allllll over the country on president's day. No news coverage, you know why?
The 5 years since 2020, pandemic and everything else has not contributed to folks feeling calm or secure. Now this chaos. Welp, you are still correct. Phones are not reality. Reality is getting outside and involved.
The two most common frustrations/complaints/etc I've been hearing/seeing lately are 1. What is Dem leadership doing &
2. Why are Dems still trying to play by the rules
Both are understandable and valid complaints... I also think they overlook two very big realities (2/)
There are 2 fights happening: order (constitutional democracy) & justice (civil and human rights). They're connected, but not the same.
Elected officials are sworn to uphold order. If one side abandons the rule of law, & the other side does the same to fight them, we end up in *greater* chaos (3/)
This point is really important. As a rule we elect these people to make and build and support things, meaning they're supposed to have productive stuff to do. Different skillset than being elected to smash enemies. We don't want them to turn into only smashy we want them not to BE smashed.
People are protesting outside of Dem electeds offices and events to push them to take the kind of actions that will probably in short order be federal offenses. That energy could go toward actual acts and demonstrations of resistance. (I done forgot about the post count... oh well)
Congress is not saving us. 47 has declared himself sole arbiter of the law, and his AG is with him on that. Lawsuits and orders are popping up left and right to push against him & Leon. They've said they don't care.
Someone else brought up the fact that if Dems take a more aggressive civil disobedience approach it can result in Marshall law. Which many are unprepared.
This is not about me defending the dems, this is me saying I'm tired of citizens abandoning their role in democracy - in their own existence - and complaining abut what other ppl aren't doing.
That's not how any fight against systems, regimes and oppression has ever worked.
I’m with you. Keep spitting out ideas! I’m listening. I have some too.
Mostly, I want to figure out how to starve them. They need our money—how do we keep it from them? How can we strategically organize “digital strikes”?
Lotta very good brains on our side. Their side not so much.
They will lose. ✊
I'm a quadriplegic on SSI & disability and Medicare...indirectly, they're trying to kill me. I don't want to resist anymore. I feel extremely violent and I want that administration to hurt too.
Thanks for this. As someone who protested outside of a Dem office I want to say that we were not pushing them to take illegal action. We want them to use the tools they have. After our protest Dems did start to use those tools so I considered the protest to be effective.
I get that. What I'm saying is our concept of what's illegal and the president's are no longer the same. Authoritarians don't operate that way, and I fully expect some members of Congress and/or judges and state prosecutors to end up in jail before we hit summer at this rate.
Sure but there are loads of things they could be doing within the constitution and the parliamentary rules that they’re not even trying to at least impede things
When Mitch was in the minority he magically could stop almost anything but yeah the Ds need a 2/3rds supermajority in both houses and the presidency to accomplish anything at all
Game theory of a sort. Bully theory of a sort. If you don't show up, you're not on the board at all. If you commit a crime, you give them a reason to remove you from the board. If you fight back, you have to do so within the rules while they do not. But this is only true if you play the game a
That fits part of what I'm saying, but it wasn't my actual point. My point was that we - regular ass folks - need to understand where we can look to the people in office vs where we will have to step in ourselves (risks and all) to fight.
I think a lot of us are surprised to get as little perceived value out of people in office right now. I'm struggling with "can I avoid this fight?" "can I offer anything of value to this fight?" .. basically where do I fit in? Particularly with the absence of leaders. We're all dealing with too much
We have been calling and emailing Democrats for DECADES begging them to do the bare minimum within the rules. They let Trump go unprosecuted. They left DeJoy in charge of USPS. They failed to pass voting rights and justice reform. It’s not that they won’t break rules, they don’t fight at ALL
You’re forgetting that there were YEARS involved, that Biden chose the AG who wouldn’t prosecute, that people stepped down from USPS boards, the timing of that SCOTUS case etc etc etc
Biden can only appoint, and that's what he did. They chose not to remove DeJoy. That's not on him.
I'll give you that Garland was a screw-up. That said, it was always going to end up with the white christofascists fedsoc majority SCOTUS & they were always going to let him walk.
We can go back and forth all day on things that coulda shoulda woulda been handled differently. But end of the day, they haven’t gotten things done. One has to wonder if they wanted them done.
I’ve been thinking about this. What are Dems and we expected to do? Storm the Capitol like they did? Abandoned the rule of law? Or just wait until it’s time to vote again, if we get that vote. What are the military leaders going to do? He was elected to uphold the constitution, what happens now?
This is a shit show for both of the reasons that you mentioned. In my observation Democrats have functioned primarily as a status quo protecting party not as a champion of the people party. They r simply doing what they always tend to do.
Also i think the American people need to see themselves AS DEMOCRATS….you have to see yourself as them, not as something separate…join with them and BE them..it is the only way, and that’s if its not already too late
To be a cult there must be and can only be one leader. We have many, they have one. We aren’t a cult, they are. The infighting we have keeps us from being able to be manipulated into a cult like state. Just my opinion, could be wrong though. I often am wrong.
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And they also SAID this was going to happen.
They're on news shows, on their profiles, doing press conferences. And people keep saying they're not saying anything.
I'd argue that people aren't listening ...
I literally saw a tweet from Schumer about this being a constitutional crises and ppl were just like "ok, so what are you going to do?"
https://bsky.app/profile/henleyparker.bsky.social/post/3lip3feuaa226
Even if he had to manufacture the violence, there would have been violence.
But it will take some doing to get us a.) out of freeze and into action and b.) to stop thinking our phones are reality. I’m guilty of both.
But apparently it isn’t! And now realizing how much we’re also manipulated thru social media: convos in real life are better for understanding.
2. Why are Dems still trying to play by the rules
Both are understandable and valid complaints... I also think they overlook two very big realities (2/)
Elected officials are sworn to uphold order. If one side abandons the rule of law, & the other side does the same to fight them, we end up in *greater* chaos (3/)
Now, let's talk about justice..
Justice is the PEOPLE'S fight.
Look to history - uprisings, revolutions, oustings... driven by the PEOPLE. Not the electeds. (4/)
This is on the PEOPLE.
That's not how any fight against systems, regimes and oppression has ever worked.
Mostly, I want to figure out how to starve them. They need our money—how do we keep it from them? How can we strategically organize “digital strikes”?
Lotta very good brains on our side. Their side not so much.
They will lose. ✊
https://bsky.app/profile/janarchy.bsky.social/post/3liowc6dkvk25
Also, it's very hard to impede when you don't carry either branch of congress. You can stall at best, but they can mostly go around you
They’re laughing at you here.
Elected officials can't prosecute. When charges *were* brought, the GOP-led SCOTUS said Trump couldn't be touched.
The Postmaster General can't be removed by the executive branch.
I'll give you that Garland was a screw-up. That said, it was always going to end up with the white christofascists fedsoc majority SCOTUS & they were always going to let him walk.
Thx Naima.
Deep, deep thoughts. Love it 😀
Read it all the way down
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