Tag: politics

Fighting fascism — Day Twenty-Four — fighting through your pocketbook

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Sorry I missed a blog date. I am currently on the road, having decided to visit some friends in West Africa for about a week. It will be interesting to see what they might have to say about what is going on in the US right now. I’ll report back soon.

Today’s blog is about fighting fascism through economic means. One way to express one’s disgust/disagreement/outrage regarding the current political trends is to stop consuming so much, stop consuming certain products, or stop buying from certain suppliers. I suggest three ways that you could express your resistance to the current slide towards fascism in our consumer society.

First, as we know, the administration has called government agencies and the private sector to end Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. The cynicism and downright meanness of this move is only surpassed by the willingness of many private companies to (quite quickly) close or weaken their relevant programs and policies. Doing this during Black History Month only adds insult to injury. You can respond by staying away from certain companies and also demonstrate that you appreciate those that have held firm despite pressure from the administration. Below are a list of companies that fit into each category.

Companies that have pared back or ended their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs include Google, Amazon, Meta, McDonald’s, Target, Walmart, Ford, John Deere, Craftsman, Harley Davidson, Coors, Lowes, Toyota, Caterpillar, Jack Daniels, Nissan, GM, Intel, Paypal, Chipotle, and Comcast.

Companies that have maintained their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives include Microsoft, Apple, Costco, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Salesforce, Pinterest, NASDAQ, E.L.F. Beauty, Logitech, Visa, Coca Cola, and Wegmans.

I may have some mistakes: please let me know and I will revise. My sources for the above are Forbes, Yahoo News, NPR, Google, and Reddit.

The second action is to go specifically after the elephants in the room: Amazon; Meta; and X (there are others so please share suggestions). Each is associated with billionaires who have taken the craven attitude of aligning themselves with the administration in very vocal and active ways. If it is possible to obtain products from other sources than Amazon, I suggest that you should try very hard. Closing Facebook accounts is a tricky move, but I know people have done so. Many are concerned with the implications of becoming isolated. Personally, I have not yet because I still this idea that we can subvert it to our ends – but I might be rationalizing. WhatsApp may be replaced by Signal and X by Bluesky (I’ve done both). I’m not sure what to do about Google, since I have had the same gmail address for a couple of decades now and it would be hard for me to change email accounts, but I’ll consider it. These are tough choices and what happens when there are monopolies.

The last is to participate in an event that I found out about from Democrats Abroad: An economic “blackout” that is supposed to take place on February 28. The following sections describe this action in some detail (copied from Democrats Abroad). I have to do more research on this idea.

The 24 HOUR ECONOMIC BLACKOUT

“As our first initial act, we turn it off. For one day we show them who really holds the power.

WHEN: Friday February 28th from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM

WHAT NOT TO DO:

  • Do not make any purchases
  • Do not shop online, or in-store
  • No Amazon, No Walmart, No Best Buy
  • Nowhere!
  • Do not spend money on:
    • Fast Food
    • Gas
    • Major Retailers
    • Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

  • Only buy essentials that are absolutely necessary (Food, Medicine, Emergency Supplies)
  • If you must spend, ONLY support small, local businesses.

SPREAD THE MESSAGE

Talk about it, post about it, and document your actions that day!

WHY THIS MATTERS!

  • Corporations and banks only care about their bottom line.
  • If we disrupt the economy for just ONE day, it sends a powerful message.
  • If they don’t listen (they won’t) we make the next blackout longer (We will)

This is our first action. This is how we make history.

The meme for this event is here.”

As a final point, last night, Democratics Abroad brought Malcolm Nance to talk to Americans living outside the US. Malcolm is a former military and intelligence officer with tremendous experience all around the world. He is also an analyst, contributor to major media outlets and a writer. He has about a dozen books on the subjects of terrorism, ideology, democracy. He was quite eloquent and believes that there is a national resistance movement that is forming. He had messages in line with what has been proposed in these blog (“Do something for America every day”). One of the more inspiring points he made was that we should adopt a “resistance posture”.  Taking actions such as the ones discussed above are manifestations of that. For those living abroad, he also suggested that we should be the ambassadors of the True America, the one that continues to be dedicated to democracy, the rule of law, freedom of speech and thought, and equality.

There is a national resistance movement that is forming.

Fighting fascism – Day Twenty – keep counting

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

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.   

Fighting fascism – Day Eighteen – Fighting racism is fighting fascism

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Considering the din from the administration’s efforts to dismantle the government of our democratic republic and establish a fascist regime, we may have forgotten that this is Black History month. This might seem a jarring non sequitar considering all that is going on, but it is striking that it seems to be barely found in the news. [I just came across a news clip from NBC News saying that several federal agencies have cancelled Black History Month activities] [On the other hand, the President had signed a memo declaring February to indeed be Black History Month and where he deemed Clarence Thomas to be a great Black American hero].

The government’s “Black History Month” website is still in place. I guess that this particular bit of Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness was too much for the administration to handle right now. In some ways, I’m a bit surprised because rewriting history is a tried and true fascist tactic. And there is nothing more “woke” in the original sense of the term than fighting racism.

But, you would think that those combatting fascism would make more of the fact that this is the month where we are particularly vocal and reflective of one of the most important aspects of the historical development of democracy in the US: the fight against racism.

The NAACP has engaged to fight Project 2025, putting forward its own “Our 2025”. They have an “ACTION” button on their site. However, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Black Lives Matter, and the National Urban League have not updated their sites, and thus not mentioned the current events or specified actions in response to the administration’s antics. I’m not sure what they are waiting for. If you are aware of organizations whose mandate is to fight racism and are calling for action during these trying times, please let me know so I can reference them.

On USAID, a friend had a great idea, For anyone who lives in a country where USAID and USAID implementing partners have had to curtail activities, they can take video of the services that are being shut down, health clinics that are empty, etc.  If they can do this soonest, they can forward the videos to me and I will forward to my friend who can in turn make them available to persons on the Hill. 

A final point: where are the unions in all this?  The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is very active, which is reassuring. They have quite a bit going on to protest the multi-prong onslaught on civic servants. However, the AFL-CIO, for example, seems to be ignoring what is happening altogether.

A final final point: I suggest that you look at 5calls.org when you have a chance, which has a host of new initiatives:  State AGs: Prosecute DOGE for Illegal Data Breach ; Oppose The SAVE Act (H.R. 22 / S.128) – A Voter Suppression Bill; Condemn a US Takeover of Gaza; Protect Medicaid Funding; Fight Against Elon Musk’s Government Takeover ; and Protect the Department of Education.

Fighting fascism — Day Sixteen – the importance of international aid

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

The brutal manner in which the administration is shutting down USAID is telling of the kind of strategies they will implement going forward. They are relying on a non-governmental entity to do their bidding; they are destroying an institution that is a key part of our government so that they can ensure total loyalty and control; they are acting in extra-legal manner to see if they can get away with it.

Full disclosure. I am a big fan of USAID. They have made a tremendous contribution to improving the lives of people all over the world, particularly of those who were most vulnerable. It has established and maintained a strong network of dedicated professionals who have acquired unequaled experience and commitment in the area of international development, and have conducted essential research on how to make things in developing countries work better – all of which now may be lost. US foreign aid is not only essential for improving the world for others, it represents a reflection of what is good about the US – generosity, compassion, and helpfulness. Here’s a website that has surprisingly not been taken down that provides some notions of what is good about USAID.

Now, another full disclosure. Presently retired, I worked in the field of international development all my professional life. I specifically focussed on helping education systems in development countries – in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. I worked for more than twenty years for the World Bank, which is an international organization and before that, as an independent consultant and as a member of a independent non-profit organization, where I worked on many projects and initiatives that were financed by USAID, always in the education sector. As a result of our work, millions more children go to school (that’s right, millions), hundreds of thousands of teachers teach better, millions of textbooks and other teaching aids ended up in children’s hands, universities have been established, vocational and technical training oppportunities have been created to ready youth for the world of work, and millions more have become literate.

Of course, development assistance could be done more effectively, efficiently, with greater success, with a more sustainable impact, etc.  – but who can say otherwise about any field? However, I would never say that such aid should end or that the institutions that have supported it should be dismantled. Many vulnerable people living in many developing countries will be terribly impacted by this freeze. What would be destroyed outweighs by far what would be created. And what exactly would be created? That is the 40 billion dollar question.

What can be done to stop this? What anti-fascist action should be taken in this regard? This is tricky because USAID is not an issue-bound concern and not often a top priority for many. There was a rally in Washington yesterday in support of USAID where senators and Representatives of the House, as well as others came out strongly against the administration’s war on this agency. You may want to call your senator or Representative to voice your own concern. But there must be more we can do.

I am not very happy with the Democratic National Committee in general these days and on this issue in particular. I feel that they should react more fiercely to what the administration is doing, particularly with regards to the dismantling of government institutions, such as USAID. When I go to their site, it seems to only be focused on fund raising and elections rather than organizing resistance now. I guess I’m in a grumbling mood today.

In any case, along other lines, here are a couple of places where you might be able to undertaken your “daily anti-fascist act”.  I’m sorry they are not something specific on USAID.

One is Indivisible, which has organized a number of actions in Senator offices around the countries to demand a stop to the dismantling of government. They have virtual events as well. I’m planning to attend one to see what it’s all about.

There is also an organization called Earth Justice: “(which) is the premier nonprofit public interest environmental law organization. (It) wield(s) the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change.” They have a great slogan: “We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.” Politicsgirl speaks highly of this organization.

Fighting fascism – Day Fourteen – fighting the takeover of our government

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

For those of us who have worked or currently work for government, international organizations, or NGOs that receive government funding, you have probably heard from friends and colleagues or are personally experiencing what is going on now and know how scary it is. It is destructive — both in terms of the lives of people currently working for the government and government-financed institutions (who may lose their jobs or be forced to radically change the way they conduct their jobs), as well as what it means for the American people. The administration is attempting to transform government into a party machine, and in such cases, loyalty is much more important than competence or patriotism. The witch hunt is on. The administration is essentially trying to put in place mechanisms of control and centralization that can ensure a “smoother” implementation of its agenda – an agenda, as you well know by now, that I depict as establishing fascism in America.

Someone who works in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shared the following: “… there’s a hostile takeover of the federal civil service…. The [OPM is the] very backbone of American Government, the HR of all HR in the U.S. Government has been taken over by outside politicals. In just five days, they managed to push aside dozens of non-political, career civil servants who were there specifically to prevent the civil service from becoming the President’s henchmen…. they’ve sent numerous requests to all the agencies to collect information on gov’t employees that they see as a threat to their agenda. Instructions say to send these lists to (A.S.). But (she) is not actually an OPM employee, she works for Elon Musk… The non-political civil servants here at OPM are watching helplessly as our government is being systematically dismantled bit by bit. Even the IGs are being fired to prevent them from investigating the numerous whistleblower complaints we’ve filed.”

How do we communicate our furor over this? And confront it? It is a bit trickier than protesting specific executive orders regarding tariffs, immigration, LGBTQ+, or other issues and may be harder to get people to organize around. However, I think that it is important that we voice our concern about this as well as the more front line issues that are under attack.

There is a link at 5calls.org that addresses this. Also, they have the following template for voicing concerns that anyone could use to call their congressperson or senator. As discussed in yesterday’s blog, phone calls may be the best way to express our concern to our representatives in government.

  • Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
  • I’m calling to express my outrage over Elon Musk’s unlawful and undemocratic takeover of the federal government, and I ask that [REP/SEN NAME]…
  • [Choose 1-3 reasons:]
  • — Forcefully speak out against an unelected billionaire having undue influence on and control over our government’s data, personnel, and payment systems;
  • — Refuse to cooperate with Musk’s private enterprise masking as a government agency;
  • — Support any legal challenges or investigations into Musk and his organization’s activity;
  • — Halt all work in Congress until the unconstitutional power grabs stop.
  • Thank you for your time and consideration.

A friend shared this website, Civil Service Strong, that provides advice to American civil servants who are under a lot of unnecessary pressure these days.

Also, here is a list of phone numbers of senators, sent to me by a friend.

Fighting fascism – Day Twelve – call your representatives!!

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Fighting fascism – Day Twelve

A good friend has indicated that we need to really focus on communicating with our legislators. This friend has some very good advice about how to do this. I’m going to be a little bit lazy here and just cut and paste what she provided to me. I think that what she proposes demands more of our time than what I have suggested, but she makes some pretty good arguments about why we should pursue this strategy:

PICK UP THE PHONE!!!! PICK UP THE PHONE!!! There are two things that all sane Americans should be doing all the time right now, and they’re by far the most important things. [If you want to share this, please copy and paste so it goes beyond our mutual friends.] –>

You should NOT be bothering with online petitions or emailing (not sure I agree, but let’s follow this idea through).

1. The best thing you can do to be heard and get your congressperson to pay attention is to have face-to-face time – if they have townhalls, go to them. Go to their local offices. If you’re in DC, try to find a way to go to an event of theirs. Go to the “mobile offices” that their staff hold periodically (all these times are located on each congressperson’s website). When you go, ask questions. A lot of them. And push for answers. The louder and more vocal and present you can be at those the better.

2. But, those in-person events don’t happen every day. So, the absolute most important thing that people should be doing every day is calling. You should make 6 calls a day (I am less demanding, I admit): 2 each (DC office and your local office) to your 2 Senators & your 1 Representative. The staffer was very clear that any sort of online contact basically gets immediately ignored, and letters pretty much get thrown in the trash (unless you have a particularly strong emotional story – but even then it’s not worth the time it took you to craft that letter).

Calls are what all the congresspeople pay attention to. Every single day, the Senior Staff and the Senator get a report of the 3 most-called-about topics for that day at each of their offices (in DC and local offices), and exactly how many people said what about each of those topics. They’re also sorted by zip code and area code. She said that Republican callers generally outnumber Democrat callers 4-1, and when it’s a particular issue that single-issue-voters pay attention to (like gun control, or planned parenthood funding, etc…), it’s often closer to 11-1, and that’s recently pushed Republican congressmen on the fence to vote with the Republicans. In the last 8 years, Republicans have called, and Democrats haven’t.

So, when you call:

A) When calling the DC office, ask for the Staff member in charge of whatever you’re calling about (“Hi, I’d like to speak with the staffer in charge of Healthcare, please”) – local offices won’t always have specific ones, but they might. If you get transferred to that person, awesome. If you don’t, that’s ok – ask for their name, and then just keep talking to whoever answered the phone. Don’t leave a message (unless the office doesn’t pick up at all – then you can…but it’s better to talk to the staffer who first answered than leave a message for the specific staffer in charge of your topic).

B) Give them your zip code. They won’t always ask for it, but make sure you give it to them, so they can mark it down. Extra points if you live in a zip code that traditionally votes for them, since they’ll want to make sure they get/keep your vote.

C) If you can make it personal, make it personal. “I voted for you in the last election and I’m worried/happy/whatever” or “I’m a teacher, and I am appalled by Betsy DeVos,” or “as a single mother” or “as a white, middle class woman,” or whatever.

D) Pick 1-2 specific things per day to focus on. Don’t go down a whole list – they’re figuring out what 1-2 topics to mark you down for on their lists. So, focus on 1-2 per day. Ideally something that will be voted on/taken up in the next few days, but it doesn’t really matter – even if there’s not a vote coming up in the next week, call anyway. It’s important that they just keep getting calls.

E) Be clear on what you want – “I’m disappointed that the Senator…” or “I want to thank the Senator for their vote on…” or “I want the Senator to know that voting in _____ way is the wrong decision for our state because…” Don’t leave any ambiguity.

F) They may get to know your voice/get sick of you – it doesn’t matter. The people answering the phones generally turn over every 6 weeks anyway, so even if they’re really sick of you, they’ll be gone in 6 weeks. From experience since the election: If you hate being on the phone & feel awkward (which is a lot of people) don’t worry about it – there are a bunch of scripts (Indivisible has some (I had shared 5calls.org in previous posts), there are lots of others floating around these day). After a few days of calling, it starts to feel a lot more natural. Put the 6 numbers in your phone (all under P – Politician. An example is McCaskill MO, Politician McCaskill DC, Politician Blunt MO, etc…) which makes it really easy to click down the list each day.

Fighting fascism – Day Eleven – my immigrant heritage

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

As I mentioned before, I had dedicated Thursdays (I know, it’s Friday) to identifying acts that defend our immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Yesterday (a Thursday) was a particularly special day for me since my father, who was a refugee, would have turned 100 (he passed away ten years ago).

His story started when he was a boy in a small Polish village that was on the border between the German and Soviet occupation at the beginning of World War II. He and some members of his family were staying on the “Soviet side” of town and were suddenly put on freight trains and, without their consent or previous knowledge, sent to Siberia (they thought they were being transported to a camp a few miles upstream of the river San). He lived in Siberia under horrendous conditions for most of the war – he was ironically lucky because family members who remained behind in Poland were all murdered by the Nazis. After Siberia, he ended up in Kazakhstan (working on a farm), Germany (in a refugee camp), Switzerland (where he went to university), and Tunisia (where he taught) before marrying my mother and moving to New York. He had no nationality at that point, but possessed UN refugee status. Would he have been allowed to immigrate to the US today? The stories of those seeking asylum and a new start today are no less heartbreaking or interesting than my father’s.

I want to talk about Sanctuary, which is a religious and political movement that started in the 1980s to provide safe haven for Central American refugees fleeing civil conflict. The movement was a response to federal immigration policies that made obtaining asylum difficult for Central Americans.

The New Sanctuary Movement is “a growing movement of faith and immigrant communities doing what Congress and the Administration refuse to do: protect and stand with immigrants facing deportation. Members pledge to protect immigrant families who face workplace discrimination or unjust deportation. Unitarian Universalists are joining the many religious leaders, congregations, and faith-based organizations of all denominations who are part of the Movement (from the website of Unitarian Universalist Association).” 

Most of my posts have been about doing something at the national level. The Sanctuary Movement is a local action that takes place in your community. It is based in local places of worship: congregations can decide to be part of the Sanctuary Movement, which means that they pledge to protect immigrant families. The Unitarian Universalist Association has played a key role in today’s movement. The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism supports the Sanctuary Movement, as does the Church World Service.

There is also the Sanctuary School and Safe Zone movement, where schools can pledge to protect immigrants. I’m not exactly sure how this works and will do some more research. If you are familiar with this effort, please let me know.

As an act of anti-fascism, talk with an immigrant, asylum seeker or refugee and ask how they are doing, whether they need any help, and share a joke or story. It goes a long way.

I have a final question. Can/will universities make information available to the administration regarding who participated in demonstrations? The ACLU has a petition that you can sign that will go to Senators to tell them not to vote for HR9495, which punishes protesters who are not citizens.

Fighting Fascism — Day Nine – staying in the mood

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Fighting fascism – Day Nine

Considering that the “flood the zone” strategy is under implementation, it is easy to lose focus and feel overwhelmed. This is when a list of guidelines or attitudes to adopt might be useful. Although they aren’t completely in line with what I have been promoting (take action), they provide good analysis and advice.

A good friend forwarded this very interesting list of things to keep in mind, cut from an article by Mark Elias entitled 10 Ways to Protect Democracy.

“1. Stay engaged: When all the news is about Trump and pardons and lies, it is easy to want to retreat and stop paying attention. Don’t. It is precisely when things are hard that we must all lean into remaining vigilant and informed.

2. Help Democrats: The success of any opposition movement rests on the opposing party taking power. This is not a minor detail; in our system of government, it is the essential goal. Next time you want to attack a Democrat for being too much of this or too little of that, realize that you are only helping the GOP. Instead, find a Democrat you support and volunteer or contribute to their campaign.

3. Don’t do (the administration’s) work: This is more than simply resisting (the administration’s) actions; it is refusing to accept his false assumptions. When he says he wants to abolish birthright citizenship, do not accept the premise that he has the power to do so. Stay grounded in the truth: The U.S. Constitution is clear, Trump is powerless and the courts will reject his efforts. (Not too sure about this: I think we will have to fight this on many levels).

4. Don’t grade on a curve: This goes both ways. Do not hold Republicans to a lower standard and do not hold Democrats to a higher one. When a Republican does something normal, recognize it is normal not exceptional. When a Democrat does something normal, recognize it is normal and not terrible.

5. Believe in the courts: Republicans control all three elected branches of the federal government. They do not control the courts. Yes, the U.S. Supreme Court has a solidly conservative majority, but the high court only hears a few dozen cases a year. And in some of those, the Court has sided with democracy. Most importantly, remember that Joe Biden confirmed a record number of new federal judges. And, of course, there are state courts. For better or worse, we are dependent on the courts to help protect democracy. Rather than assume they will not, insist they do.

6. Beware of false attacks: Pam Bondi is an election denier. Kash Patel has an enemies list of political opponents. (The administration) has promised retribution. When you hear that () foe (of the adminisrtration) is under investigation, be skeptical. When you read about anonymous leaks against pro-democracy leaders, consider that it may be part of an effort to discredit their work.

7. Support independent media: The legacy media is failing our democracy. Every day brings more news of another billionaire owner or corporate overlord bowing down to (the administration). The solution is found in independent news outlets that have no incentive to make nice with the Republican Party. Some of these are broad-based news operations, some are issue specific. Pick a few and subscribe for free. Find one or two that you pay to support. It will go a long way to ensure a vibrant media ecosystem willing to stand up for democracy.

8. Use your town square: Every one of us has a town square. It may include our social media accounts, our local book club or dinner table. Use your town square to speak out in favor of democracy and against what Republicans are doing. Do not shy away from difficult conversations; seek them out. Engage the curious. Educate those who seek information. We all have a role to play, so don’t assume your voice is too faint or your platform too small.

9. Prepare for a long fight: In 2017, we hoped that Trumpism was a fluke and would pass. We now know it will not. We are in for a long fight and must build and commit to an opposition movement that will stand the test of time. We will have victories and setbacks, good days and bad. We must understand that this will not be over in one election or with the defeat of any one candidate. This is the fight of our generation, and it will take time.

10. Don’t give up hope: Our best political movements were hopeful. John Kennedy insisted that “we should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.” Bill Clinton was the man from Hope. Barack Obama ran a campaign based on hope and change. Donald Trump and the Republicans want you to give up hope. Despair and cynicism fuel their movement. We must always, in the words of Jesse Jackson, “keep hope alive.””

_____________________

The same friend shared the following article that I found very inspiring: Advice for heading into Week Two

_____________________

The daughter of MLK and Coretta Scott King also has a ten-item list of advice for these times.

  1. Don’t use his name, EVER (I always refer to the “administration”)
  2. Remember this is a regime and that he is not acting alone
  3. Don’t argue with with those who support him – it doesn’t work (I don’t agree)
  4. Focus on his POLICIES not his orange-ness and his mental state
  5. Keep your message positive; they want the country to be angry and fearful because this is the soil from which their darkest policies will grow
  6. No more helpless/hopeless talk
  7. Support artists and the arts
  8. Be careful not to spread fake news. Check it’
  9. Take care of yourselves; And
  10. Resist!

Nice announcement on Common Cause to put us in a better mood: Trump Reverses Aid Cuts After Outcry: President Trump reverses aid cuts after public outcry, marking a major win for Americans defending critical programs like Medicaid and food assistance.

New 5calls.org items to check out (I like this site, but they are not always quick enough).

Might want to make a trip to COSTCO, since they decided to keep their DEI program. Might want to skip Target, though, which didn’t…

Fighting fascism — Day Eight – LGBTQ+ me

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Fighting fascism – Day Eight

Today, I would like to talk about the administration’s efforts to tag specific groups of Americans as the enemy. I will further discuss the administration’s ongoing war on immigrants, asylum seekers and refuges in this Thursday’s blog. Today, I focus on the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community generally and transgender and nonbinry people in particular.

I need to start, however, with a full disclosure. One of my children is trans and the other is queer. One, born male, now uses female pronouns. The other born female uses “they” pronouns. We are very proud of our children and are completely supportive of their transitions and their lifestyles. They are successful, creative, generous and fully engaged people and we love them quite a lot.

We are also worried out of our minds about what is going to happen to them as we slip towards a fascist state.

The administration’s decision to remove transgender people from the military is essentially a case of designating certain people — because of their identity – not eligible to serve their country. Not because of what transgender persons may have done or even of what they think, but because of who they are. This is one step away from dehumanizing them completely. Next, they may be denied certain support, services and rights that are the entitlement of every American (Medicare? Medicaid? Social Security? Presumption of innocence?). They already have difficulty getting passports and visas based on their gender identity.

The administration has zeroed in on transgender people because they are few in number and thus they are a “test case” for the future designation of specific groups of people as unhuman (a favorite term these days of fascists, it seems). Going after transgender people is bad enough but if successful the administration opens the door to treating other groups in the same way. Down the line, we may expect McCarthy type campaigns against those fighting fascism! But that will come much later. In the meantime, there will be incremental steps – other members of the LGBTQ+ community, persons of color.

Many of you have seen this before. I think that it is particularly relevant to our times. I copied it from an article written by Jamil Salmi (definitely worth a read in its own right, by the way: a passionate discussion on the decline of academic freedom in higher education).

“ This is why I am always humbled when I think of Martin Niemöller, the German priest who, after initially embracing the racist ideology of the Nazi party when Hitler came to power in 1933, realised his errors and became the leader of a group of German clergymen opposed to the Nazis.

He was arrested in 1937 and spent eight years in the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps. After the war, he wrote the following poem to express his belated regrets (as reported by the British Holocaust Memorial Day Trust):

First, they came for the Communists,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me,
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.”

Here are some organizations that work very actively to defend the rights of transgender and nonbinary individuals, as well as other members of the LGBTQ+ community.

  Advocates for Trans Equality: Formerly known as the National Center for Transgender Equality, this organization focuses on policy advocacy and public education to advance transgender equality. Their website is here and they have an ACTION button.

  Transgender Law Center: As the largest national trans-led organization, it advocates for self-determination and justice for all people. Their website is here. Although they don’t have an ACTION button, they definitely do a lot to defend transgender rights and individuals.

  GLAAD: This organization works to promote positive representation of transgender people in media and culture. Their website is here.

  The Trevor Project: Offers crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth, including transgender youth. Their website is here. They have a government and advocacy page: they lead the fight against conversion therapy.

  Human Rights Campaign (HRC): Works to educate the public about the transgender community and provides resources for transgender and non-binary people to live their fullest lives. There website is here and they have a take . They have a petition dedicated to the issue of banning transgender persons from military service.

The ACLU has a petition on protecting trans freedoms.

You might want to consider buying girl scout cookies from a trans girl scout! It would count as an anti-fascist act, in my book. Check out this post by Erin in the Morning.

Fighting Fascism – Day Five – talk to people

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

One friend had a very interesting suggestion: stop people in the street and talk to them! I am a bit ambivalent about that strategy – social norms and all (not polite to talk about politics or religion with strangers). However, that said, it is true that most of the suggestions I’ve shared to date are lonely ones – signing petitions, calling the offices of representatives, and writing letters. Women in Black is more of a social experience, which is one of the reasons I included it.

I would probably prefer striking up a chat with someone sitting next to me on a bus or at the next table in a café than stopping someone in the street. In our paranoid and angry time, these might be safer contexts.

It doesn’t have to be complete strangers. You can talk about your concerns regarding the rise of fascism in your book club, after services, or during a neighborhood gathering. But, what to say when you want to strike up a conversation about fascism? Using the word “fascism” as a opener probbably isn’t always a good idea. I did a little research and questions like: “What are your thoughts on the direction the neighborhood/city/country is moving in?” might work. “Do you think that the administration is making the right decisions presently?” could be another chat starter. “How did you come to that conclusion?” might be a way to deepen the conversation. At issue isn’t even whether you agree with the other person. It is to have an exchange with another human being. If it gets unpleasant, one can always politely stop the discussion. If you have suggestions about how to talk to strangers about regime change, please share them!

There seems to be a lot of organizations out there that are interested in dialogue and creating opportunities for exchanges across political borders. I found the Listen First Project as one example, although it appears that a lot of big companies are financing it (Facebook, Target, MacDonalds, etc.), so I’m not sure that they are truly non-partisan. If you have any information on this group, let me know. But, they do have links to a lot of organizations and seem to have some good tips. If you are aware of others that are creating fora for dialogue and ideas about how to go about talking to people face-to-face again, please share.

In terms of an action that you might want to take today, I would recommend that you voice your concerns about the nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. The Senate Finance Committee will meet on Jan. 29 to discuss the confirmation of RFK Jr., whose stances on vaccines and abortion have raised questions from Democrats and Republicans alike. So, time is of the essence. A good friend suggested this link. 5calls.org has a link providing info on how to call your senator to protest this abominable nomination.

As is probably obvious, I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to all of this. If you would rather than I include you in the bcc: list rather than the to: list, please let me know. I understand that I might have made a faux pas here. Apologies.