How are you feeling? The information cycle seems like a twister that’s sweeping us all up. However listed below are two issues I’m holding entrance of thoughts about what’s occurring within the U.S. proper now (and please share your ideas within the feedback)…
1. Keep regular, keep centered. The Trump administration created a selected plan for kicking off his second time period: shock and awe. They figured they’d flood the media and overwhelm the general public, in order that we’d get so muddled we wouldn’t know what to do after which simply…freeze.
“Should you overwhelm the media — for those who give it too many locations it must look, suddenly, for those who hold it transferring from one factor to the subsequent — no coherent opposition can emerge,” defined Ezra Klein on his podcast final Sunday.
However don’t consider what Trump says, Klein urges. Trump makes wild, horrifying proclamations, however, as a lot as he could need to, the President can not rewrite the Structure, and lots of of his proposals are being stopped out of the gate. “Inside days, the birthright citizenship order was frozen by a decide,” writes Klein. “A decide froze the spending freeze earlier than it was even scheduled to enter impact, and shortly thereafter, the Trump administration rescinded the order, partially to keep away from the courtroom case.”
This isn’t to say that issues should not dangerous — they’re. I don’t need to decrease the wreckage. Individuals are dwelling in immense concern, and lots of are being harmed, together with trans people, immigrants, federal employees, the listing goes on. Even the threats Trump makes and the language he makes use of make individuals much less protected by selling racism, sexism and “us vs. them” pondering.
As an alternative of freezing in shock, nevertheless, we will act collectively. “The tempo and frequency of those offenses is supposed to flood the zone with shit, as Steve Bannon put it; to confuse, bamboozle, and immobilize us,” writes Jay Michaelson, a rabbi, activist, and former professor, in his publication Each/And. “They promised that they’d do ‘Shock and Awe’ and that’s what they’ve carried out. Nothing right here must be stunning. Don’t lose your composure.” We’ll stand agency.
2. Get the 5 Calls app, which makes it very simple to name your reps. You may make 5 calls in 5 minutes; they provide the cellphone numbers and inform you precisely what to say about main points (like defending the Division of Training or preventing towards Elon Musk’s authorities takeover or opposing RFK Jr. for Secretary of Well being and Human Companies). It’s easy and simple, and these calls make a distinction.
Additionally, contemplate studying Indivisible: A Sensible Information to Democracy on the Brink, which provides crystal clear methods for preventing again over the subsequent 4 years. Written by two very good, humorous individuals, this information felt bolstering to learn.
Please share your ideas under — these are extraordinarily troublesome occasions, however we now have quite a lot of good individuals on this nation and quite a lot of power and bandwidth. Sending large hugs and solidarity.
P.S. Poetry, for those who want some proper now.
(Picture by Jess Woodhouse/Stocksy.)