It's easy to not know where to start. Moral clarity is a great starting point. Then knowing your expertise and your passions should guide your responses / actions.
I asked someone with a wealth of knowledge a similar question. May the answer serve as a useful road map for anyone who could use a few suggestions.
Yes, activism. My name is out there. My face is out there. I'm vocal. I'm pushing. I'm not hiding in the shadows. All that said, I still want to know smart ways to use technology so underground communities can be built. The time to think and plan for that is now, I believe. I'm much more effective when I look down the road and anticipate vs wait until the exact moment that the need reaches critical mass.
It’s crazy but I’ve literally been educating myself on how to protect myself online and even bought “yubikeys” if my kids read this they are going to be laughing their heads off. I’ve used the same password for 20 years…. I’m not good at this ha
When people ask you 'what should we do?', they're checking to see if you can lead a movement. They are seeking our Zelensky, knowing the movement is greatly weakened by the lack of one. They want specifics, because they want someone to organize them.
I disagree - I asked that question bc I’m asking everyone who is more educated about government and where our time is best spent. Many of my friends have already “muted me” and tuned me out. But I’m desperate to fight back - this one just feels complicated bc it feels even protesting on the streets might be playing into their hands
Protesting on the streets is supporting the folks in gov't that are standing up for us and at the protest is where you will meet the people to answer all your questions about where else you can plug in.
What can I do to reflect my most authentic self is a question I wrestle with almost daily. On a personal level it’s a choice now, a decision about how to interact with long-term friends who have become, for various reasons, on the Trump train. We have always had a mostly unspoken agreement against talking politics. But now, how do I sit across the table from them as if nothing is going on? Yet, trying to discuss the political situation is upsetting, hard to articulate against their assumptions & stereotypical views of me as “the liberal.” It would be too energy draining g with little result. Do I owe them an explanation for refusing their invitations? I find myself speechless at times in the face of their easy take on reality & truth that are being relentlessly attacked. It is a very real personal & moral dilemma.
Agreed. I wrote a ton on Facebook last month before quitting. Part of the reason I was even still on there is bc I’m originally from Alabama and I wanted to at least fight the Fox News insanity with another perspective. I even have a family member who took her daughter to the inauguration. I was informed I’ve been uninvited from all future parties due to my posts. I then deleted FB and felt angry at myself fir being so dogmatic and emotional (an issue of mine) but yet am I sad to go to a party where I can’t be myself or express my utter horror at what’s happening? No. Please find and watch the play “ here there are blueberries “ it’s the most amazing play I think I’ve ever seen and it’s about the banality of evil. It captures what we are all struggling with now. My dear friend swears there is no way to scale it - that they have to be convinced one by one with sacrificial love and time. I think he’s right
Thank you for the response & the suggested play. Yes, it’s another aspect of division this kind of belligerence & hate that someone as evil as Trump sows - it divides us at a very personal level too. And, I can’t help but feel betrayed because the country was betrayed and that makes me angry. We had so much information about DJT & yet millions were willing to give him their vote. It’s terrible and I am truly afraid for our country.
I think many people are looking for an easier answer to the question, “what can I do?” than what the moment requires. This is exact same reason why magats believe trump when he claims there’s no such thing as climate change etc. Because it’s an uncomfortable reality that would necessitate change, and they prefer to go on acting like everything’s fine, carry on. What this moment requires from those of us who recognize the horrific turn of events, will be vastly uncomfortable if we are to save our government and country. We need to react as if nazi tanks are rolling into our towns and cities, and through our neighborhoods. Even though we may not see it and hope that things will hold together until trump & co can be voted out, that’s 99.95% not happening. The time is now and quickly slipping away. If you want to know how bad it can get I suggest ‘Ashes in the Snow’ movie. Think it can’t happen here? Already is. Anything trump is willing to do to immigrants and Gazans and other minorities, he will eventually do to all who refuse to bend the knee to him. Including us.
If you are thinking about how to help Ukrainians, here are some possibilities: Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian NGO that supports soldiers on the battlefield and veterans; United 24, the Ukrainian state platform for donations, with many excellent projects); RAZOM, an American NGO, tax-deductible for US citizens, which cooperates with Ukrainian NGOS to support civilians; and BlueCheck Ukraine, which aims for efficient cooperation with Ukrainian groups and is also tax-deductible. All links are below
Write letters. Participate in activist movements, both on social media and on the streets. Switch your bank accounts from the Wall Street banks to credit unions (I did it in 2016, and never looked back). Boycott companies who were major donors to this Administration's oligarchs. Buy local and from Mom's&Pop's stores as much as possible. Get Costco membership.
Yes!!! I’m in the process of doing this right now! It’s a pain in the ass though ha. I am likely going to invest in a Native American bank bc I have a friend who is heavily involved in the community (she is Native American ) and they are obviously devastated by what Trump is doing to them
I've been dusting off the anarchist literature that inspired me in my youth many decades ago, and examining my own "social capital" and innate abilities and inabilities. I'm a pacifist, and not an overt activist, so I've learned I need to find another path than the usual conflict. For me, local mutual aid is the way forward, and in-person is the right context in this all-too-digital world. I feel strongly that as things worsen, we will need more *real* social networks — ones without algorithms or corporate dependencies. Might as well form these now when the crisis is young.
I live in a rural part of a very red state (West Virginia), yet am in a lovely, peaceful community of music lovers who like to spend time together to play and listen. I was going to restart a house-concert series anyway — now I've decided I need to make it a general weekly (Sunday) open-house/potluck/show at my place. This isn't to force my anarchist-pacifist-primitivist views/practice on anyone, or even to state them explicitly, but rather to "seed" an open gathering space for learning how to survive in this weird new world.
If you don’t have a better answer to that question, then you probably shouldn’t be pretending to answer it. Teasing an answer and then using some worthless cliche like “be yourself” is worse than saying nothing at all. Here’s an idea: people should start stocking weapons and forming private militias. Either for protection or (if necessary) an insurgency. “Be yourself” sounds more like a fancy way of saying “give up.” I generally enjoy your writing, but you’ve been dancing around the “what to do” question an awful lot. And merely asking the question doesn’t suggest that a person is looking for a “risk free” option. Far from it. Right now we appear to have lots of commentators but a real absence of plans, ideas, or mobilization. And that’s a problem.
Sorry I hit reply to the wrong person so read below/ well if you feel this way then you come up with a mobilization strategy! I don’t know how to do that which is why I asked him but it isn’t his responsibility to give us answers. We have to come up with them together
Totally disagree with you on this. All we have is ourselves. And we all have different friends/gifts/struggles/etc. I want to say that personally Mike has helped me find my voice and have courage when it was pretty depleted. I’ve had amazing friends get me through I fucking horrendous few years but Mikes voice felt authentic to me which js why I started following him. I took a risk and answered vulnerably about my own life and he responded. That’s real community and that’s how we build something bigger. Because it was a genuine connection. My story is awful. Terrible divorce where my ex sued me after our son committed suicide. I was like a terrified mouse to even utter one response. I deleted it soon after out of fear my ex would see it and punish me even more financially. Yet I’m still here. I’m trying and speaking up despite my fear. It’s definitely not a cliche.
Sorry for all the typos - I make a ton when I type on my phone and my internet is out. (We are still having massive infrastructure issues from the fires)
I have read that the end point of the challenge to the rule of law that we’re seeing from Trump and his advisers is a refusal to accept a directive from the Supreme Court. With the Justice Department firmly in the hands of the Administration, there would be no one to enforce the law. The only possible response to full blown authoritarianism would be mass public protests. Trump has already signaled that demonstrations could be met with a violent response from law enforcement and even the military, under an acquiescent Secretary of Defense. Also, there are almost certainly more weapons in the hands of Trump supporters than the resistance. I am soul searching how I would respond to such an attack on our Constitution and current way of life.
Remember that protesting does not necessarily need to be public. Extended strikes and boycotts designed to shake sectors of the economy can be done from your home. If there are certain activities/protests in places where you feel you'll be safe, and you have the desire to be there, then go. But if there are certain settings that make you uneasy, then do what you need to do to protect yourself.
I have little doubt that this is all going to ramp up in numbers and noise...and when it does, the disgraceful among us will emerge, some with weapons in tow, aiming to intimidate and harm. Our goal is not to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Our goal is to see the bigger picture, not get distracted by the goons and their guns -- and let's face it, these predator-types just hanker for attention -- don't provide it for them. Take the wind out of their sails by being smart and trusting your gut, which may mean exiting to a place of safety. It's also how we end up being most effective. We have a lot of tools at our disposal, the primary one being our numbers and committment to work TOGETHER.
People need to be prepared to take some real risks. And who knows how many would follow an order to fire on American citizens. It might cause a break in the ranks. Or it could be rocket fuel for the resistance. But we CANNOT allow fear of what Trump might to do to deter us. Fear is their main weapon. They can’t subdue a country of 300 million people with an army this size unless everyone cowers.
Love these words and thoughts. We all have different skills, connections, expertises. Just start where you are! I am a precinct chair and can organize my neighbors. I can go to protests, write postcards and make calls. And importantly have fun doing it all. I can be me, be loud, and protect my rights and hopefully help save our great country for my grand daughters.
For myself, I think I have to make the survival of Canada and Ukraine my priority in public circles, that is where the conflict is being fought. In private life, we all must help people widen the frame on their subjective beliefs. People don’t easily change beliefs that have become part of how they see themselves. Bit by bit we can help open their viewpoint. It’s only once a threshold has been passed that people are open to any epiphany.
As a woman from the South, I was taught to be seen, look pretty and shut up. We cannot sit this one out. Get over yourselves and help save this Country, we won’t come back from this if we lose. U Got this, Be Courageous, Our Kids and family need us, even if they don’t know it right now. It’s time to be our own hero’s, it inspires others to have Courage too. See U in the trenches. Protests Tuesday at ALL Capitols. Get folks numbers, start a book club 🦋
It's easy to not know where to start. Moral clarity is a great starting point. Then knowing your expertise and your passions should guide your responses / actions.
I asked someone with a wealth of knowledge a similar question. May the answer serve as a useful road map for anyone who could use a few suggestions.
https://bsky.app/profile/kalachama.bsky.social/post/3ljei77jmg22c
Yes, activism. My name is out there. My face is out there. I'm vocal. I'm pushing. I'm not hiding in the shadows. All that said, I still want to know smart ways to use technology so underground communities can be built. The time to think and plan for that is now, I believe. I'm much more effective when I look down the road and anticipate vs wait until the exact moment that the need reaches critical mass.
It’s crazy but I’ve literally been educating myself on how to protect myself online and even bought “yubikeys” if my kids read this they are going to be laughing their heads off. I’ve used the same password for 20 years…. I’m not good at this ha
Move all digital comms to Signal. Turn on disappearing messages. Build local in person alliances. Read this: https://open.substack.com/pub/ladylibertie/p/so-youve-been-invaded-a-french-resistance?r=3c9x2&utm_medium=ios
Yes, I was going to suggest Signal as well. And for email, you have options, though I personally like Protonmail.
And that’s a great idea using Amazon as a search engine! I’ll switch to that (already canceled my prime)
I got proton mail too! So you make me feel like I’m on the right path ha
Awesome!
And I have been slowly extricating myself from Amazon Google and Apple (not easy)
Yeah, I now use Amazon only as a "shopping search engine".....finding what I need, noting the company that makes it, and then purchasing it elsewhere.
I've hated Google from the get-go, so I've always disabled it from being able to do anything on any of my devices.
I think you'll ultimately find all of your current efforts quite liberating!
Oh you have no idea my ire with all these tech companies- it’s quite personal for me . My exhusband was VP of engineering at Snap and I hate Snapchat
I think social media contributed to my sons suicide
Already on signal
When people ask you 'what should we do?', they're checking to see if you can lead a movement. They are seeking our Zelensky, knowing the movement is greatly weakened by the lack of one. They want specifics, because they want someone to organize them.
I disagree - I asked that question bc I’m asking everyone who is more educated about government and where our time is best spent. Many of my friends have already “muted me” and tuned me out. But I’m desperate to fight back - this one just feels complicated bc it feels even protesting on the streets might be playing into their hands
Protesting on the streets is supporting the folks in gov't that are standing up for us and at the protest is where you will meet the people to answer all your questions about where else you can plug in.
True 👍🫶
I think even us debating this question has helped me focus and figure out where I can serve
What can I do to reflect my most authentic self is a question I wrestle with almost daily. On a personal level it’s a choice now, a decision about how to interact with long-term friends who have become, for various reasons, on the Trump train. We have always had a mostly unspoken agreement against talking politics. But now, how do I sit across the table from them as if nothing is going on? Yet, trying to discuss the political situation is upsetting, hard to articulate against their assumptions & stereotypical views of me as “the liberal.” It would be too energy draining g with little result. Do I owe them an explanation for refusing their invitations? I find myself speechless at times in the face of their easy take on reality & truth that are being relentlessly attacked. It is a very real personal & moral dilemma.
Agreed. I wrote a ton on Facebook last month before quitting. Part of the reason I was even still on there is bc I’m originally from Alabama and I wanted to at least fight the Fox News insanity with another perspective. I even have a family member who took her daughter to the inauguration. I was informed I’ve been uninvited from all future parties due to my posts. I then deleted FB and felt angry at myself fir being so dogmatic and emotional (an issue of mine) but yet am I sad to go to a party where I can’t be myself or express my utter horror at what’s happening? No. Please find and watch the play “ here there are blueberries “ it’s the most amazing play I think I’ve ever seen and it’s about the banality of evil. It captures what we are all struggling with now. My dear friend swears there is no way to scale it - that they have to be convinced one by one with sacrificial love and time. I think he’s right
Thank you for the response & the suggested play. Yes, it’s another aspect of division this kind of belligerence & hate that someone as evil as Trump sows - it divides us at a very personal level too. And, I can’t help but feel betrayed because the country was betrayed and that makes me angry. We had so much information about DJT & yet millions were willing to give him their vote. It’s terrible and I am truly afraid for our country.
It’s a lot to handle :(
I think many people are looking for an easier answer to the question, “what can I do?” than what the moment requires. This is exact same reason why magats believe trump when he claims there’s no such thing as climate change etc. Because it’s an uncomfortable reality that would necessitate change, and they prefer to go on acting like everything’s fine, carry on. What this moment requires from those of us who recognize the horrific turn of events, will be vastly uncomfortable if we are to save our government and country. We need to react as if nazi tanks are rolling into our towns and cities, and through our neighborhoods. Even though we may not see it and hope that things will hold together until trump & co can be voted out, that’s 99.95% not happening. The time is now and quickly slipping away. If you want to know how bad it can get I suggest ‘Ashes in the Snow’ movie. Think it can’t happen here? Already is. Anything trump is willing to do to immigrants and Gazans and other minorities, he will eventually do to all who refuse to bend the knee to him. Including us.
If you are thinking about how to help Ukrainians, here are some possibilities: Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian NGO that supports soldiers on the battlefield and veterans; United 24, the Ukrainian state platform for donations, with many excellent projects); RAZOM, an American NGO, tax-deductible for US citizens, which cooperates with Ukrainian NGOS to support civilians; and BlueCheck Ukraine, which aims for efficient cooperation with Ukrainian groups and is also tax-deductible. All links are below
https://savelife.in.ua/en/
https://u24.gov.ua/
https://www.razomforukraine.org/
https://www.bluecheck.in/
Write letters. Participate in activist movements, both on social media and on the streets. Switch your bank accounts from the Wall Street banks to credit unions (I did it in 2016, and never looked back). Boycott companies who were major donors to this Administration's oligarchs. Buy local and from Mom's&Pop's stores as much as possible. Get Costco membership.
Yes!!! I’m in the process of doing this right now! It’s a pain in the ass though ha. I am likely going to invest in a Native American bank bc I have a friend who is heavily involved in the community (she is Native American ) and they are obviously devastated by what Trump is doing to them
Right on!
I've been dusting off the anarchist literature that inspired me in my youth many decades ago, and examining my own "social capital" and innate abilities and inabilities. I'm a pacifist, and not an overt activist, so I've learned I need to find another path than the usual conflict. For me, local mutual aid is the way forward, and in-person is the right context in this all-too-digital world. I feel strongly that as things worsen, we will need more *real* social networks — ones without algorithms or corporate dependencies. Might as well form these now when the crisis is young.
I live in a rural part of a very red state (West Virginia), yet am in a lovely, peaceful community of music lovers who like to spend time together to play and listen. I was going to restart a house-concert series anyway — now I've decided I need to make it a general weekly (Sunday) open-house/potluck/show at my place. This isn't to force my anarchist-pacifist-primitivist views/practice on anyone, or even to state them explicitly, but rather to "seed" an open gathering space for learning how to survive in this weird new world.
If you don’t have a better answer to that question, then you probably shouldn’t be pretending to answer it. Teasing an answer and then using some worthless cliche like “be yourself” is worse than saying nothing at all. Here’s an idea: people should start stocking weapons and forming private militias. Either for protection or (if necessary) an insurgency. “Be yourself” sounds more like a fancy way of saying “give up.” I generally enjoy your writing, but you’ve been dancing around the “what to do” question an awful lot. And merely asking the question doesn’t suggest that a person is looking for a “risk free” option. Far from it. Right now we appear to have lots of commentators but a real absence of plans, ideas, or mobilization. And that’s a problem.
Sorry I hit reply to the wrong person so read below/ well if you feel this way then you come up with a mobilization strategy! I don’t know how to do that which is why I asked him but it isn’t his responsibility to give us answers. We have to come up with them together
Totally disagree with you on this. All we have is ourselves. And we all have different friends/gifts/struggles/etc. I want to say that personally Mike has helped me find my voice and have courage when it was pretty depleted. I’ve had amazing friends get me through I fucking horrendous few years but Mikes voice felt authentic to me which js why I started following him. I took a risk and answered vulnerably about my own life and he responded. That’s real community and that’s how we build something bigger. Because it was a genuine connection. My story is awful. Terrible divorce where my ex sued me after our son committed suicide. I was like a terrified mouse to even utter one response. I deleted it soon after out of fear my ex would see it and punish me even more financially. Yet I’m still here. I’m trying and speaking up despite my fear. It’s definitely not a cliche.
Sorry for all the typos - I make a ton when I type on my phone and my internet is out. (We are still having massive infrastructure issues from the fires)
I have read that the end point of the challenge to the rule of law that we’re seeing from Trump and his advisers is a refusal to accept a directive from the Supreme Court. With the Justice Department firmly in the hands of the Administration, there would be no one to enforce the law. The only possible response to full blown authoritarianism would be mass public protests. Trump has already signaled that demonstrations could be met with a violent response from law enforcement and even the military, under an acquiescent Secretary of Defense. Also, there are almost certainly more weapons in the hands of Trump supporters than the resistance. I am soul searching how I would respond to such an attack on our Constitution and current way of life.
TJ,
Remember that protesting does not necessarily need to be public. Extended strikes and boycotts designed to shake sectors of the economy can be done from your home. If there are certain activities/protests in places where you feel you'll be safe, and you have the desire to be there, then go. But if there are certain settings that make you uneasy, then do what you need to do to protect yourself.
I have little doubt that this is all going to ramp up in numbers and noise...and when it does, the disgraceful among us will emerge, some with weapons in tow, aiming to intimidate and harm. Our goal is not to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Our goal is to see the bigger picture, not get distracted by the goons and their guns -- and let's face it, these predator-types just hanker for attention -- don't provide it for them. Take the wind out of their sails by being smart and trusting your gut, which may mean exiting to a place of safety. It's also how we end up being most effective. We have a lot of tools at our disposal, the primary one being our numbers and committment to work TOGETHER.
Thanks, Jamie for your thoughtful and encouraging comments. I will take your ideas on board.
People need to be prepared to take some real risks. And who knows how many would follow an order to fire on American citizens. It might cause a break in the ranks. Or it could be rocket fuel for the resistance. But we CANNOT allow fear of what Trump might to do to deter us. Fear is their main weapon. They can’t subdue a country of 300 million people with an army this size unless everyone cowers.
Agreed!
Exactly why it’s important to really think through what’s best bc I think that they are going to use the protests in their favor
Yes we are in a pickle in that sense sadly - our only option plays into the hand that sends us into autocracy. It sucks 😟
Mike is definitely not giving up - nor am I
This goes right to the heart of the matter. Authenticity and risk taking in activism. Where “the rubber meets the road”.
As an activist leader, your pieces articulate/reflect my thoughts, I’m so grateful. Am sharing “liberally”
Love these words and thoughts. We all have different skills, connections, expertises. Just start where you are! I am a precinct chair and can organize my neighbors. I can go to protests, write postcards and make calls. And importantly have fun doing it all. I can be me, be loud, and protect my rights and hopefully help save our great country for my grand daughters.
For myself, I think I have to make the survival of Canada and Ukraine my priority in public circles, that is where the conflict is being fought. In private life, we all must help people widen the frame on their subjective beliefs. People don’t easily change beliefs that have become part of how they see themselves. Bit by bit we can help open their viewpoint. It’s only once a threshold has been passed that people are open to any epiphany.
Doing what I can by thinking outside the box:
The whole tariffs thing, bad idea because it’s financially ruinous for everyone right?
What if the point is to create a financial crisis in the US that would create conditions for taking emergency powers?
Being unnecessarily tough on our allies for financial “gain” is the excuse for the set up.
Please tell me I’m delusional and paranoid.
Excellent article Mike Brock, BTW.
As a woman from the South, I was taught to be seen, look pretty and shut up. We cannot sit this one out. Get over yourselves and help save this Country, we won’t come back from this if we lose. U Got this, Be Courageous, Our Kids and family need us, even if they don’t know it right now. It’s time to be our own hero’s, it inspires others to have Courage too. See U in the trenches. Protests Tuesday at ALL Capitols. Get folks numbers, start a book club 🦋