I swear I wasn't being passive-aggressive in purchasing @doriskgoodwin.bsky.social's book Team of Rivals as a Christmas gift for my 82 year old father in law, who loves Civil War history, and is also a staunchly republican voter. Ok, maybe just the tiniest bit, but it's also a great read.

This isn't a sudden realization; They know. They are miserable and hate themselves for their weakness. They knowingly offer themselves and their children up to groomers, abusers, and pedophiles. They want everyone to be trapped as they are because they can't save themselves from systems of control.

Yes, it has become institutionalized. The entire system needs to be rebuilt.

We're seeing it writ large. When we get to begin again, I hope we never forget this.

And this is how it will go. Every time the dems use their limited power, then cave for much less than what they are asking for, the thin ice beneath them cracks further. We know how this ends. We no longer have government representation.

"Criminals posing as ICE" AKA ICE.

Marjorie Taylor Greene headed to The View during a government shutdown which makes sense. Because for five years, she’s been playing the same character: the loudest person in the room who never solves a thing.

Even if this were true, which it isn't, it doesn't make any sense.

You're describing a watershed moment that may never arrive. Because if it comes too late, it either gets too hard to do, or costs many, many lives... I pray Americans wake up soon.

It's really difficult to take the stream of lies in general, but especially coming from the human equivalent of that nasty, runny, lukewarm lime jello salad served at every fundie tent revival potluck ever.

This is spot on. We can't pick up the slack. Even if we care, even if everyone gives what we can, which of COURSE we will. And we shouldn't have to.

1/5 Here is why the "normal" people in your life who support the cruelty, hate, violence, theft, lawlessness, genocide, eugenics, abuse, rape, and murder are so entrenched and so deep down miserable. They are living with massive amounts of cognitive dissonance.

I manage an online support group for people in menopause. We understand HRT is gender affirming care and may likely be restricted or unavailable soon. We are understand HRT is collateral damage to what is happening to trans people. These MAGA women don't give a fuck about anyone but themselves.

Bailing out Bessent’s billionaire friends on Wall Street from their bad investments is much more important.

Just a reminder that authoritarians use the vulnerabilities of liberal democracy against itself, including concepts of "free speech" and the "healthy exchange of ideas." They do not value these things. They are not sincerely held principles. They're cudgels and they will erase them once in power.

Donald Trump’s America is taxpayers paying farmers to grow crops only to let them rot unsold while grocery store prices are through the roof as he tells us everything is cheaper than ever despite the fact that he has never been shopping in a grocery store in his entire life.

Yes, all of this. All of the hateful, greedy, racist, misogynistic, murderous behavior is also meant to keep us off balance mentally and emotionally in its enormity and chaos, so we are weaker and easier to control.

White Christian Nationalists and fundamentalists really just hate women.

Marjorie Taylor Greene hopes you never learn my name. I’m Shawn Harris. I’m a Democrat, husband, father, Retired Brigadier General, and farmer. I’m running to replace her in Congress. If you’re ready for leadership that works for you, not for TV ratings, please share this. LEADERSHIP MATTERS!

I have a creeping sense of unease more and more each day as people tell me the ways they're using AI. Today I saw a post in which someone used Chat GPT to tell them why they didn't like a well received television series, rather than taking a few minutes to articulate that for themself.

I grew up in extreme Christian fundamentalism in the 70s and 80s. My community had political figures as speakers, fundraised for them externally and passed a plate for fundraising when they were there. They distributed marked ballot flyers telling people how to vote. Five decades of this at least.

This would be amazing.

A corollary to this is that if you want people to be able to sit with this realization, it’s important to make them feel understood, not stupid. Providing an empathetic off-ramp (“that sucks that you were lied to”) is better than lecturing or shaming (“duh! how did you not see that?”) 2/

This is how I want to proceed. People are exhausted right now. We're full of grief and rage and compassion that has nowhere to go. Not talking about it means we can't brainstorm solutions big and small. If you know me, you know I want to talk about it. Because if we do nothing, nothing changes.

And I want to send my love and appreciation specifically to survivors. I have heard and felt your encouragement throughout this battle Our names are not obscenities. They are powerful and they are going to help change the world for the better. My love to you ✊✊✊

It's a disturbing indicator that Dems spend 2/3 of their public facing time explaining why all these horrific things are unconstitutional, or against the law, or just plain bad. Hearing over and over how bleak things are without solutions results in nothing but despair, anger, and tuning out.

The biggest threat isn’t Iran. It’s a president launching airstrikes without intel, Congress, and a damn plan. Enemies, foreign and domestic, notice. Watch @katiephang.bsky.social break it down. Then share this and talk about it with your squad. We can spread facts further than their lies.

It’s Time to End Trumpism! #daniellemoodie #foryou #politics #foryourpage #democracy #maga youtube.com/shorts/lwA1x...

On top of everything else they're tacitly supporting... It's surreal. This can't wait any longer.

Thanks @daniellemoodie.bsky.social, @wajali.bsky.social I just listened to the latest Democracy-ish, my first ever. It felt like talking to friends. I grew up in extreme Christian fundamentalism. 10 years of trying to make people see what I see. Thank you for the validation, and hope.

just so we’re all clear: the reason they keep using dolls as their example is because they’re trying to frame caring about material stuff as feminine and thus inherently shameful

Yes, this.

Amazing.

Was just thinking this as we rewatch The Walking Dead. For real, I don't have enough time to learn survival skills if I'm still working.

Yes. This whole thread.

I don't think most people are really paying attention to this.

If it's not fully setting in how ominous this is, try reading it this way:

This is Winston Churchill visiting the White House during World War II. Funny how he isn’t wearing a suit either. Almost like he was a wartime leader defending his country from being slaughtered and wiped out by an authoritarian aggressor.

This news truly breaks my heart. We are calling on HHS to take immediate action. Secretary Kennedy needs to bring back weekly measles tracking from the CDC, rehire the health experts, and roll out a serious vaccine campaign. Our kids' safety is on the line! abcnews.go.com/Health/1st-m...

When you're walking your large dog with leash in one hand, but you want to be friendly, so you wave your full poop bag at the mail person. Or am I the only one who waves amicable dog shit at their neighbors?

I've been getting news from @maddow.msnbc.com since the Keith Olbermann days. At an Obama rally in 2008, I saw her exiting press tent on my way to the bathroom and I yelled across the lawn like a fan girl to tell her she's an amazing journalist. 17 years later, I'm yelling across the lawn again.

I'm going to be writing a lot about resilience. This week has been a lot, and I've been avoiding the bulk of the news, but I know that's not sustainable long term, so I'm trying to stay connected in ways that really count. Taking care of ourselves is essential. Here's one small thing. 1/3

I hope there are a lot of really epic Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations at 12pm on January 20th, 2025. Huge.

The hardest thing about recovery from complex trauma is the more I learn, the more difficult it becomes to be in healthy relationships in the short term. Learning about the deep effects of trauma makes me feel more broken and unable to be in relationship and to explain my trauma response to others.

Our Airbnb in Philadelphia has an amazing view of downtown, but is also directly behind the Magic Gardens, so you get a sort of Above and Below effect. Reminds me of Neverwhere. @neilhimself.neilgaiman.com @PhillyMagicGardens

We did a Flash Gordon group cosplay several years ago. I save cosplay pieces out of sentimentality. This one seems particularly appropriate this year, and may be our tree topper in perpetuity. (Sam Jones and Melody Anderson asked US for a photo. It was very cool.)

Only my recommenders and my family know this. At 53 years old, I'm starting a MS Clinical Mental Health counseling degree in January. The work I've done with complex trauma survivors has been life changing and will be more important than ever now. It's never too late to find your passion.

No matter what the media does going forward, ALL of what is happening now was foreseeable. Many have been predicting these things for a while. None of this is shocking or surprising. Let's move on from performative reaction. It's a waste of time and energy. Time to focus on how we fight back.

Forcing myself to do the things that bring me peace and joy. Scene from Saturday night, new local music venue, music from dear friends, children playing and dancing in front of the stage. This is what we all need.