About Last Tuesday

 

11/10/24

And So It Begins

About last Tuesday…

You done bawling yet?

Good. That’s better.

Interestingly, I’ve had the same reaction I did in 2016.

We have just managed to elect a life-long white-collar criminal to the only job in the country where our not-too-Supreme Court has recently ruled it’s next to impossible for him to be charged with any crimes.  As this is his only detectable job skill, I would quite sensibly expect lots of crimes.

So, for a couple nights, I lay awake worrying about what the incoming band of shitheels is going to do to me, my friends, and my family. For the last couple nights however, I’ve been lying awake thinking about what I’m going to do to them. It is not in my nature to curl up and bawl. I’m less surly than I used to be (thank God), but I’m still plenty combative.

I’m going to quit worrying about the assholes. They need to worry about me.

Now this is a marathon, not a sprint, so I’m not spilling my guts at the moment, but let me put the first few markers and bits of advice out there now. I’ll return to them in some detail in later installments. It seems to me that the topical outline includes at least the following:

-         Make common cause with like-minded people. Join. Share the work and the resources. This includes many nonprofits, informal community organizations, issue specific organizations, and yes, political parties. Trust me, half the people in this country didn’t vote for fascists, and you’re not alone.

-         Take care of yourself and your people first. Again, a marathon, not a sprint. Nobody can or should do everything, but everybody can do something.

-         The exit polls from last week are a gold mine of data about the demographics and economics of who voted for who and who didn’t. Take the time to understand the data.

-         All successful political movements start at the municipal level. School Board, municipal, and county elections are next year. The Tea Party and MAGA movements started at the municipal and school board level, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

-         This is a real fight with real consequences. The people who win fights respect and understand their opponents’ strengths and advantages, steal their good ideas, and ruthlessly exploit their weaknesses.

-         There is a big difference between low-information people who were struggling financially and voted their pocketbooks last week, and real true believers. The former group can change their minds, the latter cannot. Save your anger for the red hat crowd, don’t piss off potential allies.

-         Early analyses of last week’s cluster are all over the place and mostly overheated, but they all agree that while economics, culture war issues (and basic old-fashioned bigotry/misogyny) were real drivers for certain blocks of voters, propaganda, messaging, and education were central to the results. The less factual information people absorbed, the more likely they were to vote for a criminal. When your opponent does something dumb, mean, or shitty, or you do something good, smart, and positive, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HEAR ABOUT IT!

-         The way to convert people to your way of thinking is to be kind to them first, before you ask them for anything. In the words of someone dear to me: “Life is so much easier when you’re not an asshole”

-         Money counts, not as much as messaging, education, and outreach, but it counts. Help raise money where it’s needed. Do what you can to choke off money from businesses and organizations that support or promote fascists.

-         Make sure your legislators hear from you! The only thing they’re afraid of are voters. Letters and emails do get read. So do letters to the editor.

-         Defend the press (even if they piss you off) and the ballot box at all costs. I assure you, the fascists will be attacking every semblance of independent expression they can and also going after the franchise. It’s a common historical tactic of all wannabe authoritarian regimes. Buy subscriptions, donate to PBS, raise hell, make a scene. We have a pretty trustworthy election system, and an active press (that needs to get better). The value of these assets is demonstrated by the hatred MAGA nation has for them. Without both, we’re lost for a long time.

-         Litigation also counts. Support the ACLU and other legal defense nonprofits. Given that the federal judiciary gets more fascist all the time, you can expect to lose most cases, but cases take time, and time is your friend.

All for now, I’ll have more to say about these topics over the coming weeks.

In the interim, don’t lie down, punch back.