What’s so sad is that people are only now giving this attack on democracy the urgency it deserves, late in the game with extremists deeply entrenched in our system.
January 20th won’t solve the fascist problem in America. Instead of chaos coming from the executive, it’ll be state GOP parties and local police harassing Democrats and marginalized people, suppressing votes, passing racist laws and ordinances, inciting violence.
Stop demanding Republicans do the right thing, or telling them what they should do. Force them. It’s the only way.
Why are Democrats so terrified of hard power? Use it.
The world won’t end if you upset your (treasonous) Republicans colleagues by forcing their hand, but it can get much bloodier if you don’t. Succession crises can spiral in all kinds of ways, expected and unexpected. Do something, don’t sit on this.
One of the biggest disconnects I’ve observed between white Americans and everyone else is the enduring belief in an inevitable happy ending. That delusion needs to be punctured, fast.
Good things don’t come to the complacent. We have to fight to preserve our rights and institutions.
There are downsides to being the most powerful country in the world - no one has the power to call you on your bullshit, and you stop questioning things. You come up with inane ideologies like American exceptionalism to justify whatever arises.
I speak from experience. Growing up w/ an abusive narcissist, I was brainwashed. I believed garbage about myself and the world, incl right wing propaganda. It was meant to terrorize me and my mom into compliance and complicity. I began deprogramming at 17 when I was kicked out.
A big part of that deprogramming was learning to get my own anger under control. Abused people are prone to become abusers, and my anger used to scare me at times. I’ve never lifted a finger, but I have his talent for cruel words when I’m in pain. That’s on me, not him.
Took a lot of trial and error, a ton of therapy, and very loving, patient friends to help me work through my PTSD triggers and learn to talk about what bothered me. Talking about issues early and often stopped rage in its tracks.