"My biggest fear is that authoritarianism ultimately wins because people sort of can't be bothered to get up off the mat, and that exhaustion is so deep. And that's the thing I see and hear in people right now." @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social, joined by @weissmann.substack.com:
Well, if politicians would do their jobs, with the American citizenry front and center, and not their big corporate donors, maybe we would "get off the mat", whatever that means. Why are we the people always being blamed! Stop it!
People will not fight for a return to the status quo, the USA needs a vision for the future it has none. The US seems lost rather than tired.
I think people don't know what to do. They are waiting for a hero to show up and tell them. It's not that they can't be bothered but there is so much info out there. The dems should take advantage of this. Will they? Not so far. All they do is ask for more money.
She’s wrong.
People are focused on just keeping a roof over their heads & food on the table. That doesn’t mean they aren’t fighting for Democracy. Make protesting & dissent convenient & they will be there!
I’m exhausted, so exhausted. I feel helpless. Frightened. Sad. I think I’m leaving the country.
Sarah, and I'm not saying this to be a jerk, what are you even talking about here thinking that VOTING is what beats authoritarianism? Name a single authoritarian dictator in history who left because of a legitimate election? The fight will NOT be won at the ballot box. KNOW THE FIGHT YOU'RE IN!
Maybe if news outlets/podcasters would've pushed Bidens policies & all the good he did instead of burying him over a 90min bad debate by both men we wouldn't B here. That will B many folks dark mark when history is written in these horrific times.
I agree with you. Billionaires didn't like Biden's policies (CFPB, Lina Khan going after monopolies & rejecting mergers, future increase costs assoc. w/ Climate Change, etc) and most billionaires wanted him discredited and gone.
Fuck that…keep fighting!
Give us a Democratic party worth fighting for then.
We're fighting for ourselves, for our rights, for a livable world for our children! We the People have power. We can take actions with or without Democratic leadership. We can also change the Democratic Party ... but it will take effort, volunteering, strong candidates, & an election cycle or two.
OK but then you’re fluffing guys like Shapiro who are saying nothing.
Scary thought
Community and collective action are the only way to bolster one another. “Two are better than one”. That’s why I am riding with the Bulwark crowd. It gives me energy and courage when I read and hear from the likeminded trying to defeat fascism and promote liberal democracy.
That expression "don't let the bastards grind you down" fits. Becoming weary from it all is natural... If people have to take a break.. take one. Lick your wounds, clear your mind, then come back swinging.
My biggest fear is that authoritarianism ultimately wins because people sort of can't be bothered to break their routines, that if saving the republic requires anything more of them than voting and complaining to their friends or social media followers, they'd rather not live in a democracy.
I fear this too. So many people I know are checked out and actively avoiding the news to protect their mental state. I get it but we don’t have the luxury of checking out.
💯
www.slate.com/articles/hea...
Honestly crushing.🥺 🇺🇸re-enacts wars for 150yrs, fights wars non-stop, largest military/superpower, CIA/spec forces topple regimes &drug cartels… Just believed this would be no-brainer.Thought Führer would TRY TO occupy LA/DC/Seattle, w/b cut down immed. End of fascism.🤷♀️ Boy was I SO wrong abt 🇺🇸. 😔
????? Battles ahead so step away if you're "tired"
Are you organizing a demonstration? Need help? You can act too. We need leaders. There ya go.
NOVEMBER 5th in DC @refusefascism.bsky.social
@sarahlongwell25.bsky.social with all respect to JVL and Bill, their dark defeatism does not inspire energy and thus contribute to getting off the couch. We all must be conscious that each piece of content end with some level of action, next steps, art of possible if we act.
A fire hose to the face of insanity on a daily basis is wearing people down. We aren’t wired for this but can’t give up.
They want us exhausted, but this is America, not Hungary, we will not give up in our country. Throughout history, dictators, kings and queens have been toppled!
..And theres 400 Million guns in peoples drawers.
We can all help by: Bringing the point home: immediate personal impact. Lowering the effort required to understand what's going on and reducing stress from propaganda and sensationalism. Proposing concrete solutions. e.g. a single lie disqualifies; keep a registry of liars so people can move on.
So The serfs are too tired from toiling in the cheese mines, too alienated by their living conditions, and too distracted by their screens. For the serfs to organize together to overthrow their masters. If that's true enjoy serfdom westeners. Those of us who killed our landlord class will be fine
Remember, it only takes 3.5% of a population to overturn an authoritarian regime. This is what history tells us. Don’t give up, keep hounding your Congress people and senators. Show up and be loud.
And to a large extent this is happening. Unlike so many other countries we have had a democracy so long we have taken it for granted. And now that it is being lost, we lack the capacity and courage to fight back as hard as is necessary. Sad!
Water is boiled away. Frogs are dead. The coup is over. He just hasn’t started to fully flex his new power.
Yes, that’s how fascism wins. It exhaust everyone and then can’t be defeated before it swallows everything. The time to stop this was 2016.
Get out from behind your screens. Resolve increases when you're physically among like-minded people. You have friends everywhere; you just haven't met them yet.
The establishment Dems have reserved VIP seats on the mat. Fighters need a strong leader showing them the way off the mat and that ain't happening. #NewLeadershipNOW
Primary Purge, spring 26! Just say NO to useless incumbent Dems
People in my orbit (mostly white, mostly well-off, mostly educated professionals) don’t seem exhausted to me. They seem to believe that their privilege will protect them & that someone else will do this work for them (they believe the work has to be done, they just don’t think they’ll have to do it)
correct. And these are ppl on the left. They don’t want to give up their dinner parties, their weekends away, their quiet evenings at home. They can’t stand DT, but they think if they lay low he will just go away in 4 years like last time. They don’t want him to “ruin their peace”, so they ignore
I would agree with this.
I know who they're expecting to do it for them, and they're in for a rude awakening. This is a white problem.
No, many of us do care. I’m thankful for Newsom and Pritzker.
On TNL show this week, a lot was discussed about Newsom and Shapiro. I would wager the American people care more about a voice fighting for democracy (Newsom) than somebody who’s a governor in a swing state (Shapiro). Go with what is standing up and fighting for the people.
Also we all know people who are just content to have things this way as long as”don’t tread on me” doesn’t directly impact them
That has been the case in many countries choosing authoritarian regimes... People are so exhausted from existing system, they have no expectations or energy from a new government
"Look Back in Anger" The title of a play by John Orborne, 1956 Certainly not a concept that corresponds to the challenges of our time. In 2021, Merrick Garland had to put the traitor behind bars. He failed. History will not forgive him. But today he is insignificant. #DontLookBack #DefendDemocracy
So much for the “home of the brave” 🤷🏻♂️
Full show: Substack: www.thebulwark.com/p/grand-juri... YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=czhh... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/4Elh...
just keep building us up instead of telling us basically to give up
I don’t know that I agree. People are showing up when there’s an election which is why we’re seeing record turnout and Dems winning in all the nooks and crannies they haven’t before. We can only march and call and email so much. We need to show up to vote, and that seems to be getting through.
The 2 of you keep me going and believing. Please don't give up.
For me, it’s not that so much is recognizing that the structural challenges are still there even when Trump is gone. All the money, the Supreme Court gerrymandering the Senate rules, etc. the constitution doesn’t work.
Which is why the Dem leadership must be strong and vocal and fix the systemic crap that Reps have been chipping away at for years. Money in politics, term limits, Supreme Court expansion, voting rights, etc. That’s why we need new Dem leadership but I’m finally seeing some Dem fighters. Finally.
Beaten down and overwhelmed by the daily barrage
I hope that's not true. Look at the people of Ukraine. They're in an actual war, trying to save their country. Let's hope Americans aren't so weak that they fold when a guy like Trump comes along.
That’s my experience as well 😔
5calls.org. Defeatism hurts our chances. AMERICA will defeat Republicans. The Bulwark are Republicans. They may hate Trump, but they are still Republicans.
50501 — 50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement share.google/la5lmVTS9PHP.... I don't want to hear defeatist rhetoric. Bring your family and friends.
Be part of the solution!!!! Vote out every conservative, from every city, county, state position!
I got off the mat; I campaigned, I volunteered, and I donated. I even hold a small office. But, leadership and this goes back to Hillary misread the country. They were good candidates ( on paper) but, they were saying the wrong things. And they continue to do so- I am one blue dot in a red state.
It goes back way before Hillary though. After reading Heather Cox Richardson’s “How the South Won the Civil War” and Jane Mayer’s “Dark Money” I realize the system was being gamed for long before I was awake to it. Thank you for all your work and office-holding, too.
Pundits are not involved in the resistance it seems. Maybe I'm in this blue bubble of Massachusetts, but we're working hard here. And more people are getting on board. Yes, we're exhausted. Yes, we take time out occasionally. But I would say anecdotally doesn't match my experience.
Your biggest fear has come true..he has literally won. If George Floyd were killed today, they're wouldn't even be a protest. He's numbed down our country and there is no coming back. Leave, life is short. The world is big. It will take two generations to fix this
It’s also not helpful that Democratic Leadership sucks. We need a fighter as a speaker and senate minority leader.
Not sure people get it but Americans sort of care about democracy, but they care more about what is in their pockets. FDR did not save democracy by talking about civil rights or us losing democracy. No, he saved it by understanding that people just wanted a decent living. That is how he saved us.
Protest pressure works - the "No Kings" movement a couple of months ago was massive... not seeing that focus now. We need this every month - laser focused. "No Kings, No Dictators" "Save our democracy, save our constitution" "Get rid of Trump" No splintered messaging - stay on target.
