As millions prepare to march, Trump shrugs, the media dozes, and democracy wonders if polite protest is still enough. The next phase may have to make ignoring us impossible.
Not gonna lie - a little bit nervous. Going to protest in Smyrna, GA tomorrow. The registered size of the group is at 1000 now. Afterwards going to a quinceañera. Hope there is less ICE there than at the NOKINGS rally. The government should not make you anxious or nervous. However, the Mayor and the police are on board to support us. Should make for an interesting day!
Time to start thinking about what happens next. A good place to start is John Duberstein's 2006 book, "A Velvet Revolution: Václav Havel and the Fall of Communism"
Yes, and it may not be velvet. I'm reminded unmistakenly of John Adams in 1775, saying that polite petition was a waste of time. Only force would work. And, as we know, he was right. We're here again.
Marching and protesting may be the only thing we have left to combat this lunatic administration and I , as an 86 yr. old Gramma, am ready with my sit-down walker, my signs that says "I am a pissed off gramma" and " I am Antifa" and a thirst to help rid our country of these menaces. No Kings Day is a beginning. Let's show this little man!
"Who cares?" Well, that is a critical question, and it's more than trump regime dismissiveness. I was speaking with a bunch of twenty somethings the other day - all professionals - not one was aware that there were protests this weekend. A few said "Again? Didn't we just have one of those?" It made me wonder whether organizers failed in effectively targeting the younger generation (I'm never on Tik Tok to know), or whether the young people's social media algorithms are screening out such material, or whether the young people simply don't care. Wouldn't be nice if the calls for the protests truly went viral? Still seems pretty under the radar to me. It would sure help to have prominent public figures making a lot of noise about it. Are there any major entertainers, actors, artists, athletes, beating the drum? They seem oblivious. Businesses? Corporations? Institutions? Universities? Crickets. Even dem leaders seem conspicuously inconspicuous. Where are the heck are they? It feels like the best promotion of the event has come from the republican leadership idiots screeching all across the media that it is somehow anti-democratic (they appear immune to irony). So we'll be there, signs aloft, pithily-sloganed t-shirts blazing, but will it all be fossils like me and my friends? Will those who will be most affected by these years of tyrannical rein by a mad king show up? Do they even know it is about to go down? Do they care??
Only comment? Armed force will ultimately be our only recourse. We need ourselves and other nations to commit to arms to confront Trump. The entire western world needs to unite under one single banner: F Trump. Period. Whatever the cost. This is a Churchill moment. We might be bloodied, or even lose, but we will not go quietly. Period. They will know they've been in a fight. And I mean a fight. A real fight. That is what will be required. Trump will shrug at everything except a literal fight. That has been his m.o. his entire life and he needs to find out now that he will face a literal fight and that he may die in the process. Literally. Violence may be our only option and we need to be prepared. And Zelensky should tell Trump he's not coming to Washington. He can't trust him any farther than he can throw him and he should give his full loyalty and inspiration to Europe, damn Trump. Damn him to hell. That's my comment.
This is exactly the scenario imagined in the 2023 film Leave the World Behind: communications down, panic spreading, no one sure what happened—and the gnawing suspicion that America’s enemies have finally coordinated and decided to act together.
BTW, the film's executive producers were Barak and Michelle Obama.
MAGA malefactors who now lead our nation couldn’t be more blatantly anti-democracy and anti-Constitution. We oppose them as defenders of both. Some matters are open to interpretation: not our broad First Amendment rights to assemble, dissent and protest.
While we are in good company in liberal areas, the mood is resolute: to add numbers to the nation’s total. My friend and I are going to the protest in Sonoma CA - knowing San Francisco will be well represented. My husband has an early morning commitment in Palo Alto so will follow by joining the No Kings march there.
It’s so important to show up and follow through with more pressure in the days, weeks and months ahead.
This line caught my attention: "Prosecutors now describe the movement as a “militant enterprise” rather than an ideology, which is bureaucratic code for we’ll arrest you for what you believe"
Just what do we think is going to happen when significant numbers of law enforcement resources are diverted from fighting the ACTUAL bad guys...
Not gonna lie - a little bit nervous. Going to protest in Smyrna, GA tomorrow. The registered size of the group is at 1000 now. Afterwards going to a quinceañera. Hope there is less ICE there than at the NOKINGS rally. The government should not make you anxious or nervous. However, the Mayor and the police are on board to support us. Should make for an interesting day!
I feel the same way here in Brunswick, Ga but we can't back down.
Excellent writing as always. Well said Mary. Stand up, fight back.
Time to start thinking about what happens next. A good place to start is John Duberstein's 2006 book, "A Velvet Revolution: Václav Havel and the Fall of Communism"
Yes, and it may not be velvet. I'm reminded unmistakenly of John Adams in 1775, saying that polite petition was a waste of time. Only force would work. And, as we know, he was right. We're here again.
I might be reading between the lines, but it might be useful to register for more than one march near you.
The ACLU has Know Your Rights and De-escalation training. Review and share: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vhlh9j9K-gawiCcpWrgymTwAv995HW7e/view?emci=66a440b6-a5aa-f011-8e61-6045bded8ba4&emdi=6ac238f2-a6aa-f011-8e61-6045bded8ba4&ceid=7723506
Marching and protesting may be the only thing we have left to combat this lunatic administration and I , as an 86 yr. old Gramma, am ready with my sit-down walker, my signs that says "I am a pissed off gramma" and " I am Antifa" and a thirst to help rid our country of these menaces. No Kings Day is a beginning. Let's show this little man!
"Who cares?" Well, that is a critical question, and it's more than trump regime dismissiveness. I was speaking with a bunch of twenty somethings the other day - all professionals - not one was aware that there were protests this weekend. A few said "Again? Didn't we just have one of those?" It made me wonder whether organizers failed in effectively targeting the younger generation (I'm never on Tik Tok to know), or whether the young people's social media algorithms are screening out such material, or whether the young people simply don't care. Wouldn't be nice if the calls for the protests truly went viral? Still seems pretty under the radar to me. It would sure help to have prominent public figures making a lot of noise about it. Are there any major entertainers, actors, artists, athletes, beating the drum? They seem oblivious. Businesses? Corporations? Institutions? Universities? Crickets. Even dem leaders seem conspicuously inconspicuous. Where are the heck are they? It feels like the best promotion of the event has come from the republican leadership idiots screeching all across the media that it is somehow anti-democratic (they appear immune to irony). So we'll be there, signs aloft, pithily-sloganed t-shirts blazing, but will it all be fossils like me and my friends? Will those who will be most affected by these years of tyrannical rein by a mad king show up? Do they even know it is about to go down? Do they care??
Only comment? Armed force will ultimately be our only recourse. We need ourselves and other nations to commit to arms to confront Trump. The entire western world needs to unite under one single banner: F Trump. Period. Whatever the cost. This is a Churchill moment. We might be bloodied, or even lose, but we will not go quietly. Period. They will know they've been in a fight. And I mean a fight. A real fight. That is what will be required. Trump will shrug at everything except a literal fight. That has been his m.o. his entire life and he needs to find out now that he will face a literal fight and that he may die in the process. Literally. Violence may be our only option and we need to be prepared. And Zelensky should tell Trump he's not coming to Washington. He can't trust him any farther than he can throw him and he should give his full loyalty and inspiration to Europe, damn Trump. Damn him to hell. That's my comment.
This is exactly the scenario imagined in the 2023 film Leave the World Behind: communications down, panic spreading, no one sure what happened—and the gnawing suspicion that America’s enemies have finally coordinated and decided to act together.
BTW, the film's executive producers were Barak and Michelle Obama.
https://open.substack.com/pub/jaywilson1/p/a-sense-of-impending-doom?r=10sd39&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Can anyone explain Ted Cruz? Lots of quips are OK, but I'm also serious. What motivates this creature?
fear and loathing
Is he desperate to keep his senate seat despite having little power and nobody likes him?
MAGA malefactors who now lead our nation couldn’t be more blatantly anti-democracy and anti-Constitution. We oppose them as defenders of both. Some matters are open to interpretation: not our broad First Amendment rights to assemble, dissent and protest.
While we are in good company in liberal areas, the mood is resolute: to add numbers to the nation’s total. My friend and I are going to the protest in Sonoma CA - knowing San Francisco will be well represented. My husband has an early morning commitment in Palo Alto so will follow by joining the No Kings march there.
It’s so important to show up and follow through with more pressure in the days, weeks and months ahead.
This line caught my attention: "Prosecutors now describe the movement as a “militant enterprise” rather than an ideology, which is bureaucratic code for we’ll arrest you for what you believe"
Just what do we think is going to happen when significant numbers of law enforcement resources are diverted from fighting the ACTUAL bad guys...
Here's MY thoughts:
https://open.substack.com/pub/jaywilson1/p/a-sense-of-impending-doom?r=10sd39&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false