The morning of Nov 9, 2016 was a gut-punch. We got up, dusted ourselves off and started to fight.
AG Bill Barr delivers another gut-punch in March of 2019, spinning and twisting the Mueller Report beyond all recognition, and shutting down the investigation. Again, we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and continued to fight.
Despite the conclusion we all fully expected, listening to the excruciatingly drawn-out spectacle of the GOP’s treasonous conduct throughout the 2019/20 impeachment process was yet another gut-punch.
The impeachment horror show is immediately followed by a flurry of body blows evidencing the degree to which our government is being fully weaponized to keep this regime in power.
Despite this, I see many of us re-committing themselves to this fight! 👍
Many of us are confident that the election this November will start to turn us away from tyranny.
But I think it is important to remember, as @NateSilver538 explained in the context of the 2016 election, that a 20% probability that the fascists will prevail is not the same as a ZERO probability!
“Consider what a blue wave in November can do, and you'll understand why the right wing opposition will fight tooth and nail to prevent it.” - @Teri_Kanefield
Everyone saw what was happening...academics...journalists...
all knew the dictatorship was expanding...(re Venezuela) - @anneapplebaum
all knew the dictatorship was expanding...(re Venezuela) - @anneapplebaum
“The DOJ is changing its sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone, according to a Senior DOJ official.” - @JakeBGibson
“Donald Trump has pulled the mask off of a lot of public disregard for things that I did not know were held in public disregard. In a weird way that is a service.” - @benjaminwittes
“According to @maddow Barr sent out a memo today stating that only he can approve or disapprove an investigation into the President and VP.” - @olgaNYC1211
The Democratic Establishment is terrible at picking candidates - they always try to pick one they think the other party’s voters will vote for, something that will never happen. - @RachelBitecofer
My point is that the forces arrayed against us are formidable and firmly infiltrated into all three branches of our government. Our leadership is fractious and weak. Our victory is not assured in any time frame we can identify.
But others have faced tyranny and prevailed, but not quickly and not without an often bloody fight. Ukraine and Chile are two examples, and the ascendancy of democracy and rule-of-law is still not assured in either case.
Our commitment to our nation, our democracy, the rule of law, our history of economic liberalism and our belief in human rights may very well be tested for many years - possibly decades - to come.
That commitment requires that we learn to pace ourselves, to give as much time and treasure as possible to sustain the fight...
...but still nurture our spirit, our energy, our optimism, our health and to seek sustenance from our families, our friends, our faith and our work. Expect more gut-punches, probably much worse than those we have already endured.
Whatever happens in November, the die is cast, the genie is not going back in the bottle. The path forward is unknown but that it is long cannot be in doubt. Stay strong. Keep your spirit. Know we’re in this together.
Fuck the fascists.
#Resist
Fuck the fascists.
#Resist
