Fighting fascism – Day Twenty – keep counting

You may have wondered why I keep numbering my blogs. Today is Day 20 since the inauguration. I was inspired by an article in the Atlantic Monthly that described how Adolf Hitler had dismantled the German democracy in only 53 days after he became chancellor on January 30, 1933. He did this through constitutional means and was able to shut out and oppress opposition in such a way that he could take over all the levers of government in a very short period of time. Sounds familiar? In any case, I plan to continue counting the days until I reach the famous “53”. Will the administration have beat this number? Have we been able to stop them from achieving their aims? We’ll have to evaluate that when we get to that sinister number.

Just as a reminder, these blogs aim to encourage you to take action every day. I know that it must seem difficult at times and the present context can feel very disheartening. However, the idea behind this modest call to action is that we must stay engaged, regardless of wins and losses. Many, if not most, citizens are appalled by what is going on. By acting, we are transformed from being a group to being part of a network, and eventually part of a movement.

Right now a lot is happening in the courts, which I find inspiring. We don’t seem to be able to count on Congress to do much to slow down or stop the administration (although we need to continue to pester them many times a day to do so). A friend shared with me this very interesting list of all the legal challenges against the administration from Just Security. They count 41 separate cases.

I understand from an article in the New York Times that phone banks at Congress are overwhelmed. It is difficult to get numbers but the article claim that some senators are getting 1,600 calls a minute. Don’t know how many are for or against, of course, but supposedly a healthy proportion is in protest to what is happening. So, do keep calling or writing or go visit their office!

Indivisible comes up again and again as a premier organization mobilizing protests and actions. A friend shared the following which is a summary of one of their virtual meetings and a list of useful resources. Please take a look at the points I highlighted in green, in particular. Everything on this resource list is useful, though.

And I’m sorry if I am not keeping up with all the great ideas you have had or the comments that you have made. I promise to catch up soonest. Here is one that I promised to mention. a piece written by JVL about what the Democrats need to do now – How to Win the USAID Fight.  And it isn’t to follow Chuck Schumer.  Some very good stuff here.

All the best,

Michel

[FROM INDIVISIBLE] There was so much AMAZING energy on this week’s Q&A chat with Leah and Ezra! We are glad you were here if you were one of the 3,000 who joined us. If you missed it, don’t worry, we are including everything you need to know to get caught up on the call where we laid out “The Plan” for moving forward.   Indivisible group member, Chris J., shared a wonderful quote: “The antidote to anxiety is ACTION”  We will not succumb to anxiety and are ready to take action.    We are trying to learn from you, the leaders of this movement. One specific topic that has come up is people wanting a list of alternative news sources other than mainstream media.  Please take a moment to respond to this quick survey and we will compile and share a list of where you’re getting your news.  Resources from yesterday’s call:   Find a recording of yesterday’s discussion here “What’s the Plan”  If you prefer to read the transcript, you can find it here.   Join us on February 13th for the next What’s the Plan? Q&A with Leah and Ezra: Register here Have you seen the new Indivisible guide yet? Here’s our guide to resisting Trump 2.0 If you live in a blue state, check out our Indivisible Blue State Guide  Start or get connected with your local Indivisible Group   Trump’s nominees aren’t just bad picks – they’ are a threat to democracy. Fight back! Nix Trump’s Most Dangerous Nominees Don’t miss a thing! Bookmark this page to keep track of all weekly actions:  Hold your elected officials accountable! Show up at their offices and demand to be heard.  Start here with our Meeting with Office Holders Toolkit  Check out our resource on how to stay prepared and secured during a second Trump administration.   Follow us on Bluesky  Find your local Indivisible group: https://indivisible.org/groups  Join our mailing list  If you want to organize locally against ICE raids on schools, see this google doc with a toolkit on how to push your own school boards to fight back.