2019 is the year I left the U.S. for Sweden, because I thought things were going the wrong way. What’s actually happened is so much worse than what I foresaw, and so much faster.
I think I will try to answer my own question. (Sorry for my rambling) I protested Vietnam in the 60’s and 70’s. We marched, we occupied buildings. We did all sorts of crap, but we did not shorten the war….we prolonged it. We got Richard Nixon elected. What stopped the war? Body bags. Plane loads of dead. That finally cut through the bullshit, turned Walter Cronkite, and allowed Henry Kissinger to cut a deal. So I guess I really don’t have a clue as to what to do.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans don’t give a damn. So a nation wide general strike is not possible in my view. Individual state actions are also tricky in all but the very bluest states. That leaves, IMO, blue cities, which unfortunately sets us up as easy targets for a Fed crack down. Trump would love to see Portland surrounding the ICE facility and shutting it down.
I believe that the best achievable approach is to reform the Democratic Party. I won’t go into detail there.
Now I will give a counter argument to what I just said. Say Portland did peacefully shut down ICE in my city. The Feds come down….hard. Nightly news is full of videos of well dressed seniors like myself being abused….would that shock the nation into caring? Don’t know.
1) We hear you, and I was also angry-crying by the end. We need you to keep writing, and to keep writing, we need you to keep existing, and to keep existing, we need whatever part of Laura keeps all the parts from spiraling out to care for the rest of you.
2) This is not the most consequential thing you have written (you haven't written that one yet).
3) You have been right all along about ending up here, from cowboy, the dispatches stage, to this tragic post-constitutional time - it's worse than being wrong, because unfortunately being right about the fascists' end game lends itself to feeling like your current darkest visions of the future will probably also come true. But this isn't the end of everything, its just end of everything predictable. I take some ironic comfort from knowing there is only chaos ahead, because in chaos, all things are possible.
I mean, if I haven't written it yet it can't be the most consequential thing I've ever written so I'm gonna stick with my past tense pronouncement
I certainly plan to keep existing and will make every effort to do so, I'm not really the self-sacrificing type. But certain activities carry certain risks, and I accept those risks
And thank you -- it's not too personal, and I appreciate your comment/support a lot
Also - I'm sorry this post is too personal and will not be upset at all if you delete it, but I would have been upset with myself if I hadn't posted it.
What do you suggest the sane residents in Democratic cities located in red states need to plan for? Or for that matter, the sane Americans living in red areas of both Blue and Red states? (Not that I'm assuming they need to do the same things, and a lot of what's most important to kmow about these areas is likely mostly known only to the folks who live there).
I don't have a fantastic answer to this one and I think you've nailed it: what's most important will change depending on where we are. I think that finding like-minded folks is essential, if at all possible. Easier said than done, I know, but people are starting to organize and if we can either tap into groups in our area or start our own, it will make a lot more possible
None of us are going to be able to stop this, but little things add up and all we can do is what we can do
It's always been kind of difficult to get my cohort motivated by anything that has a whiff of politics. And the groups that are active and seem most psyched to have me join them...just don't want much change, right? Like FTW, Fuck the global south, fuck understanding the actual history of our empire- they just want it to be their turn to bank up some of that sweet neoliberal middle class cash. Are you familiar with folks like this? I don't want to say they're racists if the same stripe as Trump and Miller, but a return to neoliberal policies only seems like a forward step because of where the current administration is trying to put us. I think we are going to have so much work to do that besides not being as egalitarian as previously described is it not our parent's belief they could benefit indefinitely from transparently bad policy exactly what got us here?
But as a middle aged white woman in the south in a tiny blue dot, I do understand that it's nothing personal if I have to wait to get involved with groups I'm closer to ideologically. I have terrible anxiety attacks especially in this kind of social situation. So it's all as awkward as possible for everyone involved with me, I'm sure.
Start by not being democrats and agents of the authoritarian party of tools of the ruling classes — unsure how "sane" enters the qualification, since "democratic cities" loath liberty as much as any.
I didn't say that I was a Democrat. It's a question about differences in the way the shit is going to hit the fan. Thanks for being kind of a condescending dick though, appreciate it.
Start by not further pushing their divisive agenda. If you think we can afford to be selective with who we get into office atm, you're clearly not a minority or a target of this current admin. thats coming from a place of privilege. because their lives depend on us being unified. -not a dem.
We can only hope so.. a country of fraud, bankruptcy, and some 37 TRILLION in debt is unsustainable — not to mention the one party statist ruling classes who reject liberty for government all up in everything
I saw the future when I was watching everything unfolding in Portland. We’re here. A general strike is desperately needed.
Start with boycotting the IRS FBI ATF and rejecting the barbarian mentality of tool like the tool Kotek and her pretend libertarian stance
2019 is the year I left the U.S. for Sweden, because I thought things were going the wrong way. What’s actually happened is so much worse than what I foresaw, and so much faster.
I think I will try to answer my own question. (Sorry for my rambling) I protested Vietnam in the 60’s and 70’s. We marched, we occupied buildings. We did all sorts of crap, but we did not shorten the war….we prolonged it. We got Richard Nixon elected. What stopped the war? Body bags. Plane loads of dead. That finally cut through the bullshit, turned Walter Cronkite, and allowed Henry Kissinger to cut a deal. So I guess I really don’t have a clue as to what to do.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans don’t give a damn. So a nation wide general strike is not possible in my view. Individual state actions are also tricky in all but the very bluest states. That leaves, IMO, blue cities, which unfortunately sets us up as easy targets for a Fed crack down. Trump would love to see Portland surrounding the ICE facility and shutting it down.
I believe that the best achievable approach is to reform the Democratic Party. I won’t go into detail there.
Now I will give a counter argument to what I just said. Say Portland did peacefully shut down ICE in my city. The Feds come down….hard. Nightly news is full of videos of well dressed seniors like myself being abused….would that shock the nation into caring? Don’t know.
It's already happening. Well-dressed seniors. Vets. Being sniped by pepper balls from rooftops and teargassing the press.
We will persist just as the horrors do.
As I've said before: we are all terrorists now, for look how terrorized THEY are.
You are the Tom Paine for our time, Laura. This is the clarion call we need.
Long-time follower here...
1) We hear you, and I was also angry-crying by the end. We need you to keep writing, and to keep writing, we need you to keep existing, and to keep existing, we need whatever part of Laura keeps all the parts from spiraling out to care for the rest of you.
2) This is not the most consequential thing you have written (you haven't written that one yet).
3) You have been right all along about ending up here, from cowboy, the dispatches stage, to this tragic post-constitutional time - it's worse than being wrong, because unfortunately being right about the fascists' end game lends itself to feeling like your current darkest visions of the future will probably also come true. But this isn't the end of everything, its just end of everything predictable. I take some ironic comfort from knowing there is only chaos ahead, because in chaos, all things are possible.
I mean, if I haven't written it yet it can't be the most consequential thing I've ever written so I'm gonna stick with my past tense pronouncement
I certainly plan to keep existing and will make every effort to do so, I'm not really the self-sacrificing type. But certain activities carry certain risks, and I accept those risks
And thank you -- it's not too personal, and I appreciate your comment/support a lot
Also - I'm sorry this post is too personal and will not be upset at all if you delete it, but I would have been upset with myself if I hadn't posted it.
What do you suggest the sane residents in Democratic cities located in red states need to plan for? Or for that matter, the sane Americans living in red areas of both Blue and Red states? (Not that I'm assuming they need to do the same things, and a lot of what's most important to kmow about these areas is likely mostly known only to the folks who live there).
I don't have a fantastic answer to this one and I think you've nailed it: what's most important will change depending on where we are. I think that finding like-minded folks is essential, if at all possible. Easier said than done, I know, but people are starting to organize and if we can either tap into groups in our area or start our own, it will make a lot more possible
None of us are going to be able to stop this, but little things add up and all we can do is what we can do
It's always been kind of difficult to get my cohort motivated by anything that has a whiff of politics. And the groups that are active and seem most psyched to have me join them...just don't want much change, right? Like FTW, Fuck the global south, fuck understanding the actual history of our empire- they just want it to be their turn to bank up some of that sweet neoliberal middle class cash. Are you familiar with folks like this? I don't want to say they're racists if the same stripe as Trump and Miller, but a return to neoliberal policies only seems like a forward step because of where the current administration is trying to put us. I think we are going to have so much work to do that besides not being as egalitarian as previously described is it not our parent's belief they could benefit indefinitely from transparently bad policy exactly what got us here?
But as a middle aged white woman in the south in a tiny blue dot, I do understand that it's nothing personal if I have to wait to get involved with groups I'm closer to ideologically. I have terrible anxiety attacks especially in this kind of social situation. So it's all as awkward as possible for everyone involved with me, I'm sure.
Start by not being democrats and agents of the authoritarian party of tools of the ruling classes — unsure how "sane" enters the qualification, since "democratic cities" loath liberty as much as any.
Try freedom
I didn't say that I was a Democrat. It's a question about differences in the way the shit is going to hit the fan. Thanks for being kind of a condescending dick though, appreciate it.
That was full condescending dick mode, imo.
♡
Start by not further pushing their divisive agenda. If you think we can afford to be selective with who we get into office atm, you're clearly not a minority or a target of this current admin. thats coming from a place of privilege. because their lives depend on us being unified. -not a dem.
https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/10/trump-called-for-troops-in-portland-heres-why-oregons-governor-was-ready.html
LOL, whatever
Apathy is the opioid of the masses
We can only hope so.. a country of fraud, bankruptcy, and some 37 TRILLION in debt is unsustainable — not to mention the one party statist ruling classes who reject liberty for government all up in everything
People who are still spewing"both sides are the same" centrist horseshit at this late date should donate their brains to science for further study
divisive BS isnt going to help. and if you think its the proper time for this sort of debate, you clearly arent a minority.
we are all minorities
lol. ok guy.
LOL, whatever
Apathy is the opioid of the masses
I too reject fraud, grift, and unsustainable debt and I love me some liberty.
I also reject easy answers to complex problems and meme garbage.
nothing easier than thinking .. or is it hate?