I don't see a way out except civil war.

Me too.

A blood clot about 5.56 mm in diameter?

boiled frogs

Voting, fair elections, now appear to be gone. Vote gone, kaboom. What’s left?

You are not alone in this thought. :(

About 3 days more range time for practice than the last guy.

A crash unlike anything we've ever experienced. Extreme hardship for those who voted for Donald Trump. Because a lot of them will be thrown under the bus. Full publication of Epstein files. Changing the narrative about him dominating social media ecosystem to Gov. Newsom & others trolling him out.

Genuinely surprised we haven't seen a single high profile resignation or firing over the domestic deployments of the Guard. I was hopeful there would be a fire wall among the officers.

A myocardial infarction

👍🏼

A MASSIVE turnout in 26’ We need to overwhelm polling places Adolph Orange and his cult WILL rig the next 2 elections

Right? I keep asking what is the line that he will cross that will enrage every last one of us. Mine was when he mocked the disabled reporter

It is going to take a horrible tragedy. I don't know when or where but one of these sick fuck ice GESTAPO are going pull another KENT STATE....then people are going to pour out into the streets and destroy REPUBLICANS. Americans are reaching a boiling point.

That’s exactly where we are headed. I hate Trump and what he has brought out in his miserable, feeble-minded cult. I know there will be a reckoning but blood will be shed unnecessarily. I want him gone

WE ARE KINDRED SPIRITS. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Thank you for your kind words. I’m here for you too!

💙💙

It’s going to take every single person in America who understands how utterly unacceptable it is to stop talking like we are accepting it.

Short version. Violence. That’s what they want.

Strange because he is doing the things we all hate about Trump, but Newsom's press office is making me feel like it is hitting home every damned day like nothing else has since Jan 20th.

Idk man. Some investigative journalists doing work on press corruption could be useful.

We need enough people willing to stop working, stop buying and stop patronizing so that Corporate America starts to lose money. The donor class putting the screws to Trump and the GOP is the only thing that will end this.

Cmon america You can do better

#TrumpEpsteinFiles

Finally someone refers to the files by their proper name!

I don't know, I was sure covid was going to take him.

Fingers 🤞

This, and also "is it time to leave yet?"

An uprising

The sad truth is that we’ve reverted to the mean. Those of us who thought we were better than this were so, so wrong.

I was wrong. I had turned a rosy colored eye to the racism and greed in this country. I am awake now. I still believe we can make this “a more perfect union.” It’s just now I know we need to start by throwing out all these fascist bigots. It’s going to be harder than I thought but it’s past time.

Oh, oh! I got this! What if he crashed the stock market and ruined all our trading relationships? No? Okay. What if he held a live infomercial for his biggest campaign donor on the White House lawn? No? Okay. What if he tried to end Constitutionally guaranteed birthright citizenship? No? Okay. 1/

What if he ignored posse comitatus and turned the US military loose in LA and DC? No? How about NY and Chicago? Still no? Okay. How about this? What if he went on a fifteen minute rant about Arnold Palmer's wang? No? Alright. 2/

What if he raped kids and then used his DOJ to cover it up? No? Weird, but let's see what else... What if he paid his crooked buddies half a billion dollars to build a concentration camp in the middle of the Florida swamp, and then filled it exclusively with brown people? Still no? Goddamn. 3/

OK, picture this: He walks into the rose garden, drops trou and takes a steaming shit on a stack of holy books, the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and a poster of Paul Rudd. How about that? Would that finally be enough? Or would it just get him another season of Celebrity Apprentice? 4/4

Hey! Wait a minute! NOT Paul Rudd!!!

You and me both

the answer is You and many others.. ( Please click on the frames to expand to read).. Time the Diddler got diddled.. bsky.app/profile/ogre...

For ppl to realise that the emperor has no cloths on?

Live the question.

❝❞ Culture wars are not background noise... Meaning is never fixed. The stories we tell, the symbols we elevate, and the rituals we practice will decide whether culture becomes a weapon of division or the foundation of shared democratic life. jamesbgreenberg.substack.com/p/culture-wa...

We ALL need to do what Newsome’s doing. We need to altogether laugh about and at Trump. And we need to ALL do that here, today and every day. We need a millions voice chorus laughing at the emperor with gold clothes.

🫤 open.substack.com/pub/noelkeit...

Yes. He’s a laughable, ridiculous nobody fool. Dangerous because he’s insane, but a clown nonetheless.

Lots of things happening all at once. Lots of conversations and confrontations with people we love that we would rather not have. Lots of education. Lots of being brave. Also lots of mockery (making good progress on that one!)

A 20k Dow drop. Nothing happens until The Street recognizes that fascism is bad.

Yes, if we are lucky. It's going to take something pretty cataclysmic, and this is probably the lower threshold.

We can't wait that long.

we see risk and despair, they see opportunities.

SCOTUS to eat a little humble pie and reverse their immunity decision as a patently bad idea

You and me both, Kai. Let's just hope it's not a World War this time.

It’s definitely going to take a whole lot more people to wake up and take notice of the Republican Party’s chokehold on liberty and democracy.

Tax. Wealth. First. Everything else will follow. Spread the word.

I’ve been wondering what level of defending the constitution against its enemies is warranted.

Do we have to ask the supreme court?

Foreign intervention

Billionaires who care more about democracy/rule of law than making another dollar. Why does RW have heavily funded Heritage, etc and the pro-democracy folks have ? Alternatively, it will take a collapsed economy, e.g., worldwide Great Depression that justifies/enables real structural change.

I had to stop asking. Same with climate change or endangered species.

A Tax the Rich campaign so we can have UBI, universal health care, and a growing economy. Yes, this is really possible. There is so much wealth just sitting in billionaires’ portfolios that can be put to better use by the bottom 50%. Just get those 50% behind you.

Everyone who disapproves of the job he's doing getting out and voting, despite whatever roadblocks the Republicans throw up.

We tried the easy way. No deal. In the past, Americans had different solutions. Results ranged from refusal of the Dutch to fight the invading English for their governor, the Declaration of Independence (too radical for some) and the Civil War. The GOP has the most to fear from their own people.

We all know, but can not say in public. Gather in private and make plans. This is the way Star Wars generation. We watched. We were taught. We need to act. Stupidity you say? Give me another idea to remove this steaming pile of 💩. Protest, vote, call, write. Done it all. Nothing changed.

“Protest, vote, call, write. Done it all. Nothing changed.” In fact, I begin to wonder whether we’ve made it all worse.

No. I think we delayed him. Los Angeles was a test. He knows there will now be backlash. L A was getting ready and he knew he could not control it. Tension was felt everywhere. Now, it has eased a bit. There will be only one way. Be prepared.

Upper-middle class white people no longer being able to buy the things they are used to buying - at any price. Whether that is health care, travel, dining experiences, or fine foods, but especially impossibly cheap high quality clothing like we get at Costco.

A three year crushing bear market, falling home prices, massive job losses, extreme price increases, will turn anyone into a Democrat. It worked in the 30’s.

Would like to find other solutions. Also this ignores the global issue: massive climate change and migration.

Those are not solutions, they could be the end result if our government continues on this path. And that could end wealthy MAGA. Lowest income would lose jobs. Not dismissing climate change but that is off topic. 🤷‍♀️

Sure, or that.

It's embarrassing that somehow the Biden admin orchestrated the only economic soft landing in memory and the general population believes the few months of inflation we experienced was some kind of catastrophe. Like, yo, do you have any idea how close we came to a covid-driven economic collapse?

Omg right?? 🙄🙄🙄

They honestly don't care, and when trump crashes the economy they will still blame Biden.

Democrats saving the day to their own detriment. Let Trump’s policies ride all the way to shore…

Happens every time. "I'll bring us through this. As always. I'll carry you - kicking and screaming - and in the end you'll thank me."

They never thank us for saving their stupid asses, though! They say, “See? It wasn’t what the liberals said it would be.” 🤦🏻‍♀️

This. What Biden did was bonkers. It was somehow masterful. And yet people were convinced it was the absolute worst economic policy and situation they’d ever experienced.

And the economic structure he built has been so strong it has survived an axe being taken to it for 6 months. Not sure for how much longer though.

Give it a few, we're seven months into this rolling shit show, I figure reality is going to smack a lot of people in the face right around Christmas.

I think it’s because of the billionaire owned propaganda machine we call news.

That’s true. But I still get so frustrated with people who just accepted that narrative so completely

I agree. They are experiencing reality while living in an alternate one built on lies. How can you not see what is happening to you and who is responsible regardless of what is said? We are being ruled by abusers who gaslight us daily and they can’t see it.

and this is why I’m worried that when Dems come back to power after Trump trashes the economy, within two years, 75% of America will be blaming the left and in 2032 elect another dangerous fascist.

It’s a cycle, except the fascist elected gets worse and worse.

Key word “believes”. The propaganda is so thick they don’t KNOW anything, they are operating on beliefs. We need to figure out how to make them distrust who they’ve been listening to.The Epstein Report is a good start.Maybe Warren Buffett stating the economy is a mess because of Republican policies.

Frightening. But an excellent point.

A little more than 10 percent of the population, roughly. But corporations and retail investors can keep this nonsense going probably for years if we're being honest

More money for education and less money for guys with guns.

Oddly enough, during President Reagan's two terms, he signed four tax increases (1982, 1983, 1984, 1987) and the Department of Education budget tripled. Delaying the Republican Party takeover of the US. Getting less education increases the probability of being a Republican.

Trump criminally mishandled the Covid pandemic. Our death rate was DOUBLE that of Canada's. Mass graves, Doctors and nurses dying without protective gear. And Biden BARELY won in 2020. Until the media stops normalizing/boosting/protecting Trump -nothing will happen. We're screwed.

it will take Death ...being a little shameful

People with power & money to purchase some courage and a soul. Or dissolution of the union.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojoC...

💯

Principles or fear.

I may not live to see what it takes. I think about that every damn day.

A pulmonary embolism in either Murdoch or Trump. Those are your two tent poles.

The centuries-long indoctrination of Christianity makes revolution impossible in this country. Too many stupid, uninformed people in every sector of society.

GOP delenda est.

It’s going to take people feeling real financial pain like to really feel it

I am still waiting for that overly disgruntled person with no future and a mission and to end him.

We have six state’s national guards occupying the capitol, Kai. What is it going to take, indeed

Many, many Boomer funerals. (Sorry, Boomers.)

For us to demand good for all of us? Because that's going to take some time and we don't have it.

Based on history and anectodally (from Indiana), it's going to have to get a lot worse before it gets better. Trump's supporters have to feel real financial pain that they have no excuse to blame anyone except Trump.

I’m more cynical. I think it will take many innocent martyrs (white ones, in this country, because bigotry) before the tide turns.

I agree, and so does history.

Well the Nazis marching in downtown Indianapolis this weekend shouting White Power and flying swastika flags doesn't bode well. www.wthr.com/article/news...

I mean, Democrats also have to give them a reason to finally start voting for them. Even now, the party leadership seems to be more focused on tamping down the energy brought by people like Mamdani, who are running on the issues people actually care about.

Well then it's never going to happen. Trump blames Biden, Hillary or Obama and they'll buy it like they always do.

I've been saying for a long time it's gonna take a DC Stephenson level event. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._C._S...

Nowadays, DC Stephenson would have been acquitted at trial. Sadly.

Don't think that will do anything. MAGA already knows Trump was an Epstein client.

Yes, the real pain hasn’t started yet. But it inevitable will. But what concerns me are the gerrymandering schemes, mid-decade census, obtaining voter data, restricting mail in ballots…

And democrats have to stop sticking their finger in the hole of the dam to protect everyone from the true repercussions of his shitty, shitty policies. Otherwise MAGA are reassured that really, he didn’t make any mistakes. Let his mistakes ride out for a few months. Then they’ll taste reality.

The problem is the mass of them are poor and it won’t really change their horrible situations. The red states have been starving and abusing their citizens for decades, and they keep voting red bc the GOP blames it on minorities and Democrats.

They’ll just blame democrats more, have that reinforced by the conservative propaganda machine, and then use it as an excuse to ratchet up the extreme actions killing democracy. The “it gets worse before it gets better” could last decades or centuries.

They’ll STILL blame everybody else except Trump.

Yeah probably many still would give him a pass, but just need to whittle down his support.

That's what I keep coming back to. The right wing propaganda in this country is so strong that I'm not sure that 40% of this country will ever change its mind.

National divorce

When they lose their job, car, and health insurance and become destitute, we can only hope that they think 🤔 😕. There will always be the hard core magas, but the percentage should shrink because of the more moderate ones.

His followers are in a cult. They will suffer any indignities and pain as long as he’s around.

Nope. Even then they'll blame the "libtards" for "keeping Trump from doing blah blah blah."

Yes the hardcore maga people who dominate Twitter and the NYT profiles of the dumbest people in all of west Virginia will still blame the libtards, sure. This person already said that

Yup

They won't. It's not even worth trying. In 10 years it's changed 2 Republicans minds... Cheney and Kinzinger. Everyone else has their head so far up Trump's ass it's pathetic.

Including us- strangers

Me too. We need to be persistent, creative, and fierce. Lots to like about Free DC's response. (freedcproject.org)

It's going to take all of us, reminding tRUMP of the #EpsteinFiiles AND countering his false narrative at every turn. You are doing a good job.

A general strike. This country needs to shut down. Stop acting like this is acceptable.

Every day for as long as it takes.

Damn skippy! open.substack.com/pub/noelkeit...

I would love to see the game theory on this. Not whether or not it should happen (it should, many times over by now) or even will happen (we’ve got 3-ish more years, so yeah I think it will), but the specific dominos that need to fall for to spur it. Is it unions? Unemployment? Military walkouts?

Whatever it is, it probably isn't all of us talking to each other on Bluesky, which is why these calls frustrate me. I always feel like saying, "Go organize a successful block party and then get back to me."

Precisely backwards imo, respectfully. Ideas like this have *always* germinated among smallish nexuses of like minded opposition before making it to the next stages. By your logic, *any* plan for resistance through direct action is sort of doomed

Sorry, didn't mean that at all. I just notice for myself how tempting it is to be on-line when I don't think that's really the place will change will happen, particularly if most of the people following me agree with me on most points.

In some ways we do have modern guideposts. One of them being the Arab Spring, which interestingly was in fact spurred by people talking on Twitter. It isn't one thing that causes it, but I've a hunch that talking on spaces like this is part of it.

Part of it, yes, but we are preaching to the choir. We need to talk to the people in our lives. (Thinking of myself here too).

That’s no so easy when your healthcare is tied to your work.

Calling for a work stoppage of days, maybe one designated day per week initially -- not for anyone to up and quit their job.

I think the question is what is it going to take to activate enough Americans to even consider trying something like a general strike.

Will only happen if we’re in a Great Depression.

I wish.

💯

I don’t think in a country this large with a poor population the size it is, afraid of being fired etc that we can pull off a general strike…

...

That's a "collective action problem" and likely won't ever happen.

I think one day someone will solve this problem. Humans are pretty easy to manipulate. I don't see why, on paper, it should be that much more difficult to reliably make useful calls to action go viral like a meme. It's been done before for nonsense "challenges"; planking, Tide pods, and so on.

I think the only thing that *might* cause a general strike is canceling elections or overturning their result.

Doesn’t need to be everyone- the blue cities & the largely blue professional classes are the engine of the flows of capital. Shut that shit down for a day or a week & at least get to watch ol Dumpy’s coalition of oligarchs get *very* unsure of their current course of action

With a slowing economy, rising costs, and the looming threat of AI, that class of workers is the most risk-averse it's been in decades. People will not gamble with the ability to feed and house their families for political principle, not in any great numbers anyway.

The sad thing is, if things get bad enough, there will be nothing to lose. Russian Revolution started as a bread strike. French Revolution more complicated than cake, but, still. I don't know that it will get that bad, but I wouldn't be surprised at a complete misreading of the situation by Rs

It took losing a world war vs the greatest coalition of military force in human history, a continent in ruins, & some 50m deaths (abt 300m relative to current pop) to end the Third Reich.

😟

Yeah I love and have repeatedly listened to Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcast, and while there are some common threads, they really do come in all shapes and sizes. As disgusting and depressing as this all is, though, I think we're pretty far from the threshold of intolerable.

I think our situation has two likely outcomes, either this all goes away with the next presidential election and it's just another "trail of tears" that we all forget about, or we become a Russia style kleptocracy

Don’t look now but we *are* a Russian style kleptocracy just not socially acceptable to say so

tens of millions in the streets like other countries have done. overthrow.

Considering the administration is hell-bent on stealing the election one way or another, I'd not be too confident in that as our bastion of hope.

I have very little hope man we are fucking cooked I’m just saying what would need to happen to get us somewhat less so

Not to mention healthcare.

We couldn't get people to mask and vaccinate during a global pandemic. I don't have high hopes for our general electorate to recognize the immediate, ongoing threat to democracy.

We don’t need 100% of the population. Just enough.

Most people DID mask and vaccinate. You don’t need 100% for this to be effective. Just need a tipping point of people participating.

But most people did mask. It was a small percentage that didn’t.

Unless it negatively affects them directly, they will believe/parrot it’s a hoax. No matter the circumstances.

The MAGA supporters are few compared to supporters of democracy. They are just more vocal.

We only need 10% to participate to shut things down.

More focus by the rest of us Consistent, daily reminders of each bad Trump item (this NEVER happens) The economy to go into a ditch - and everyone not budging an inch to blame him for it Have to use his tactics against him Midterms are big

There will never be something that’s enough for some. For the others, it’s going to take it being too late to come back from before they realize what we’ve lost.

WWIII. I think.

His obituary.

Tired, so tired, of waiting for that. One way or other, he won't stay in power.

Thats the only thing that's going to start the pendulum swinging back. The other maga's don't have his gravitas

Agreed

Please god

And Stephen Miller's.

Amen

And Vought's. And Thomas's. And ...

Yeah, he could drop dead tomorrow but there is already enough Project 2025 agenda in place to do more damage. Actually, Project 2025 people probably secretly wish he would be gone.

Trump is a singular individual. Without him, this whole enterprise falls apart. His base and cronies will eat themselves trying to replace him.

To be fair, Trump's personality cult is the main vehicle.

Pretty sure tech oligarchs are trying to replace him with Vance, and at that I just laugh. I loathe them both, but imagining Vance being relatable to the base is funny.

Vance’s usefulness to the fascist state is in giving a veneer of intellectual legitimacy for those who need an excuse to enable or at least not actively oppose the regime. I don’t think he has it in him to sustain the personality cult. Others may arise who do.

He definitely does not. He's their version of Harris. If he were to get elected even the Republicans would have to admit it's rigged lol.

If Vance gets elected we will have definitive proof that voting has been completely over taken. Trump is deranged but the dude can sell. I don't get it myself but he strikes a chord with a lot of people. Vance doesn't have what it takes to promise wildly unpopular policies and still get votes.

When I think of Vance, I think of Veruca Salt from Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (movie).

😂

I disagree. For some reason I still cannot grasp, it is really just Trump that the GOP is afraid of. I really doubt that any of these people will remain in power after Trump dies. NOBODY likes Vance. Nobody. People like Voight and Miller lack any human-like skills. Nobody will listen to them.

People don’t understand. Nobody runs a cult like Trump.

It's that 25% of people who love him no matter what he does. They, too, declared BR, cheat on tests & taxes, harass/rape women, get fired, get socially ostracized, are made fun of, and don't understand basic news or math. They love that a crass, ignorant, offensive ass like them is now in charge.

Right!

A general strike

I wish the sterile dem leaders asked the same question to themselves.

I wish the sterile dem leaders asked the same question to themselves.

👍♾

Death

First step: Democratic politicians naming the names of their Republican colleagues who have privately expressed their reservations about the senile sack of salmonella in a suit. Second step: Those Republican colleagues find their spine and balls.

As a student of history, unfortunately I think it will take something pretty cataclysmic.

The first Democrat to "fall" out of a window ought to do it.

When is enough going to finally be enough

same... and I fear that, when we have to pay the price, too many will see it as too high.

Me too

you could start with npr news not being fucking shitty

Cholesterol

We're way past democratic norms.

The end of the 24/7 right wing disinformation industry?

Seriously, what is taking the Big Macs and Diet Coke so long to do their jobs!

It’s clear Dems don’t think anything will happen until midterms but that’s a pretty long wait at this point. I’ve been thinking there’s a way to use the resources at our disposal and force a resignation through escalating degrees of withholding and reorganizing within a blue state pact.

And like the republicans are doing, there has to be an emphasis on legality so there’s no real pretext for crackdown. It’ll happen regardless but the more Trump gambles with his power the more he might lose elements of his coalition.

Interesting ideas. I smiled at the "two weeks" reference.

Another 20-30 years of this escalating, then either a failed war ending in occupation by another power, or else a bloody revolution; seems to be the historical precedent

It's going to take average people becoming uncomfortable enough that they don't care about the consequences, and are willing to take action no matter what. That usually doesn't happen in fascist countries through, because it's only *some* people being hurt.

I do too. What if he actually has a political naysayer jailed or killed, what happens then? I mean, there was one kidnapped yesterday and crickets.

Boston Massacre. That's what it's going to take.

Opposition. REAL opposition. Organized opposition. Would be helpful if the leaders of (purportedly) the opposition party weren’t still cozying up to all the moneyed interests that have brought us directly to this moment.

Tramp transitioning for starters.

A coup. The military is already in DC. They just need to be principled and brave enough to switch sides with the people.

Not when the occupying troops are imported white supremacists from SC, WV, OH. Didn’t we already hear one say that liberals have ruined this country?

He'd have to make out with Ivanka on the White House lawn, and even then I'm not sure

Real and sustained financial distress affecting Trump voters — beyond what can be blamed on Biden/Obama/whomever. We’re on the down slope and the bottom isn’t in sight.

This is impossible. It would take a reboot of this country.

Nukes. The end of it all.

Luigi

Americans to realise they hold more power than they can possibly imagine when unified.

A serious economic meltdown should do it. Which is inevitable.

(Thinks what everyone else is thinking but won’t put in writing)

Same. Trump is at peak narcissistic fever. I keep hoping he does or says something so egregious that his base and cronies say that is enough. Maybe then the pendulum can begin to swing back.

Since 2015, for me. Lows keep getting lower.

Many of us do Kai

Same

General strikes for sure. States saying no more subsidizing regressive states. Leaders who rise to the moment.

Heart failure or uremia😂👍👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

How many more Big Macs is it going to take?

Me. Too.

Find myself thinking about this often. Maddening.

I think it’s going to take a group of maga people realizing they’ve been duped the last ten years and they decide to use their 2A rights to fight the tyrannical govt they’ve been itching to fight for the last 20 years.

It’s going to take a realization among our highly-compensated elites in business and corporate media that they were given positions of great power and prestige and need to start looking out for the general well-being of the country, not just their shareholders amass boards members.

When a national publication features a self-important motto like “Democracy dies in darkness,” at least walk the walk, for chrissakes.

What will it take? More pain, unfortunately. Some people are very stubborn to learn. Even if its learning to be a fellow human

Nothing will cause most Republicans to accept facts, science, the lessons of history or to do the right, lawful things to protect our democracy and the institutions that uphold it. That’s the real problem.

Same

Someone with clout calling for a general strike - and then actually organizing multiple labor unions to get it started People want direction from someone trustworthy - both are in short supply currently

Actually right now, a combination of AOC, Newsom, Bernie & Crockett could lead a serious strike movement.

Yes, but we need more than the left. "Someone with clout" that the non-political people listen to. Oprah? Kim Kardashian? Bad Bunny? Some big country music star? I'm not plugged in enough to identify who could do it, but there's only so much influence "our" people have on the general populace.

Sorry I'm not following Kim Kardashian into that good night🤣

Can you see it? We will all be marching with our Skims face mask bullshit on, but at least we will be together 🤣🤣

Taylor Swift, Samuel L. Jackson, Lady Gaga, Stephen Colbert, Miley Cyrus, Bruce Springsteen, Taraji P. Henson, Jimmy Kimmel, Oprah, John Legend, Cher, Robert DeNiro, Octavia Spencer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lin-Manuel Miranda, George Clooney, Christy Teigen, Seth Myers, America Ferrera, George Lopez...

...and many more. The list of folks in the entertainment industry who've openly condemned and/or criticized him is quite long. This may be true (to a lesser degree?) of the world of sports celebrities. I'm just not convinced (a) that this will go any farther toward persuading his supporters...

...or those not tuned in to politics (everything is seen through tribal lenses now [remember Covid & masks & vaccines?], so any singer or actor or jock endorsing the ShutDown or General Strike would just automatically be seen by those people as in the anti-Trump faction) or (b) that we need more...

...than just us -- as long as "us" includes the broader coalition of folks offended by, angry at, and ready to combat Trump 2.0's dismantling of our Constitutional democracy. That's a broad coalition. And how many millions would have to call in sick & foreswear shopping on, say, every Wednesday...

...for it to have a truly disruptive effect on the economy? And then, at that point, R elected officials are reevaluating... END

My point was that hoping Bernie and AOC will lead us out of ignores the fact that many aren’t necessarily moved by them. They think of them as leftist, socialist, whatever. To reach those people, we need the help of famous people they already like. I don't want to exclude help from any quarter.

I share your interest in avoiding the excluding of help from any quarter. That said, I still believe that even if only that cohort of the American population which likes Bernie & AOC* were to undertake a unified general shut-down (no work, no commerce), that would be tremendously effective.

No, we don’t. I don’t know why we’re obsessed with the idea of doing some movement led by celebrities when all it takes is all Democrats, everywhere, to stop talking like DC consultant-programmed robots and stop cozying up to billionaires. People fucking hate being lectured by celebrities.

No one said lecture. "Call for." Democrats make up only about 30% of the country, and a lot of people think all politicians are the same. Being a celebrity means people pay attention to you, so the right people can direct that attention to good causes. Don't slap the hand that could help you.

Ok, use whatever phrasing you want…it’s not a winning strategy. The ppl the Democrats need to get off the sidelines and win back trust with, they’re particularly unmoved by appeals from elites and luminaries. That’s just playing into what people already don’t like about Democrats.

Taylor Swift? Trump hates her and she can mobilize millions with just one post.

See? That's why I'm not the one who should be organizing things. If I'd thought about it for a couple of days, I would have gotten to Taylor Swift.

Syndicalism time!

It will take more than most Americans are willing to sacrifice, that's for sure.

They don’t even want to talk about it. It’s creepy! And why I’m unhealthily glued to BlueSky lately.

That’s what I would ask John Roberts

Me, too. I honestly don’t know. I think it’s going to take much much longer than I hope.

Combat.

Economic recession

I leave my phone downstairs at night. Every morning walking down the stairs I silently wish …

It doesn’t require everyone, just enough people who are willing to say no. Read Gene Sharp’s work on non-violent resistance. My biggest concern is the Genius act legislation which seems aimed at creating a shadow bank in private hands www.unftr.com/trump-stable... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Sh...

A blue state coalition, selective compliance, secession, or civil war Kai. That’s what it’s going to take. medium.com/@carmitage/i...

Same.

Same. And for the first time yesterday it occurred to me that the US as we know it is done. The mid terms will be manipulated, it’s starting now with redistricting, as will the presidential elections with vote by mail and voting machines. It will be one party rule from now on I’m very sad to say.

Democrats have failed. We are leaderless. Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer are worthless. We have potential saviors in Pritzker, Buttigieg and others but I’m afraid it’s just too late. I hate to be so negative - it’s not my typical view. I will still fight and hope to be proven wrong.

It isn't done until we give up and I'm not giving up. I'm also not comfortable with the "Democrats have failed" thing because is an overstatement and a distraction.

I’m not giving up either. But give me 3 things Democrats have done to turn this around.

That's what I mean by a distraction. W/o research there's the Texas Dems this week, lawsuit after lawsuit by state Dem AGs, protests that lead to arrests, etc.etc. Now name three things you're going to do today.

Texas will redistrict anyway, California will follow and it will be a race to the bottom - ultimately there will be more red districts; Lawsuits are working until they get to the Trump Supreme Court; Protests are great but we need 5 million people in the streets to make a dent. Not happening.

Touche. These are definitely valid. For me: 1. Try again to get my Congressman’s (Quigley) office to call me back - they won’t :-( 2. Small business outreach on ICE education 3. Donate $$$ to Congressman Sean Casten who is fighting the good fight

What about you? And what are Martin, Schumer and Jeffries doing? Seems like not much.

I'm part of a resistance choir & will go practice w that. I'm working on long painful letter to an acquaintance who is an attorney & a Trump supporter. I'm going to go out & hold up signs at a regularly scheduled Weds event. What others are doing or not doing isn't really my problem.

Keep up the good fight Rosanna! It's the best we can do.

Applicable to so many things right now- markets, democracy etc.

maybe a national work stoppage, but working people can’t afford to not have a job.

We seemed to be gaining some protest momentum in June/July, but it's all very unfocused now. We need ONE day and ONE location (in DC) to express all frustrations. From the Supreme Court to the Capitol to the White House.

Aren’t we all?

Something has to break through the Fox/Newsmax bubble. "Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with." ~ Albert Szent-Gyorgyi I wish someone would.

Bond sales. Or lack thereof. Because the "full faith and credit of the United States" will be called into question as data from the feds grows increasingly incongruous with that of the private sector.

It’s going to take release of the #TrumpEpsteinFiles

Death. Because there clearly is no bottom. No shame.

There have been dozens of things I was sure would end it for him. I've been wrong every damn time. How does he keep getting away with shitting on the Constitution every single day??

If you’re referring to the @democrats.org waking up to the genuine concerns of everyday Americans, I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. If transgenderism is such a minor issue, why are the Democrats pushing it? Americans want our federal government to enforce our laws. Trump’s doing that.

Stock market crash, that is the only thing. Until the rich and wealthy are hurt by Trump they will remain ten toes deep. As long as capitalism is working for the upper tiers bottom lines they will be able stomach and support unimaginable levels of fascism.

One honest election.

Hard same, Kai. Hard same.

tens of millions in the streets like other countries have done. overthrow.

"We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings." - Ursula K. Le Guin

You, and me, and everyone I know. There seems to be no bottom to this pit.

Americans don't want an America...

They say evil doesn’t die..I hope they’re wrong…

Economic collapse. Total economic collapse.

I need someone with a large platform to tell me what date to begin the strike. I’m willing to endure financial hardship but I need to believe it’ll have an effect

Stock market/crypto needs to fall considerably to have a chance. Otherwise, average American won't do anything--they're getting rich by doing nothing.

Most of the day, every damn day.

Sadly, I know exactly what you're saying here.

People won't act until the fires are at their doorstep. Luckily, we can be the fires by being impossible to ignore.

All of us.

Often my first thought every single day

Nothing sticks. I don’t get it. I feel like I am in a parallel universe.

The answer to that really stresses me out. It's going to get very very bad before the spell breaks. If it ever does.

What is what going to take? Be specific.

Balls and mass strikes

I keep telling my family that it may take 10-15 yrs for our country to have normal elections and Rs getting back to where they were. That's a whole generation and Gen Zers are unhappy with that.

A 9/11-style organized attack. “We fight. We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not gonna have a country anymore”. - Donald Trump

Organization.

GASSING PEOPLE TO DEATH?

Alliances among vast organizations including states, cities, academic institutions, unions, etc leading to a general strike and the creation of alternative institutions.

It will take death and suffering in red states from lack of medical funding, lack of vaccines, loss of jobs because of tariffs and the collapse of the social safety net in those states.

10 million marching on DC. That’d a lot less sacrifice than our Forefathers.

Same.

Y'all in the media speaking truth

Same. Every. Damn. Day

Me too. 😔

Trump is the sock puppet of The Heritage Foundation.

We need to take to the streets in a wave of spontaneous rage and stay there! Yeah, they will swing batons and throw tear gas. TOUGH. We stay. They need to go. Buy a gas mask.

Have you listened to Tad Stoermer? If not, I highly suggest doing so. He’s precisely what I’ve been waiting for, with the strategic knowledge as a historian.

What’s it going to take? Something most of us don't have.

Me too.

Well nothing will happen until the media is willing to openly call Trump a corrupt authoritarian and question his intelligence, and loyalty to the US.

“Some people love the lash” Tsarina referencing why the Russian serfs hadn’t risen up and crashed the monarchy earlier.

Traumatized people choosing more trauma at the hands of a mad king (tsar)

FTR, I’m not into it. In fact, I’m actively anti-lash. Life is hard enough without some asshole hitting you over back for their entertainment. No kink shaming.

A General Strike. Coast to coast, top to bottom. Three days, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. All else we need is a list of grievances and a list of demands.

I'm not even American and wonder that too. Trump's world seems to get worse and worse everyday. I see these people like Bondi talking like Nazis and it sickens me. I hope more Republicans come to their senses and see that Trump's world is not their idea of a good world, in fact a bad and evil one. 🥵

The end of the Lion King. That’s what it’s going to take.

Boycott, strike, non-compliance and undermining. And less posting and more doing.

Me too. We are in a living hell. I have thought this tho—if the media TOTALLY ignored Trump, maybe he would lose his oxygen and die sooner. Thoughts from my husband & me

Oh how I wish the media could just ignore him. He's already accomplished enough media capture-this toon is missing NewsMax & Breitbart-to keep half of us in a semi-permanent stupor.

I wake up every morning hoping for two things, a Republican coup AGAINST him, and him not breathing anymore.

At least one of those things will eventually happen.