Maddow's show last night was excellent. She did something that others have not in a way that it sticks. She showed how to hold the R party accountable for their failings and their depravity in hoisting the trump nightmare on the country. Make the R word toxic, I say (I hope people/media start talking about the party and not just trump) and vote D everywhere at least for the next few election cycles to prevent trumpies getting into the system.
If this exit polling below from CNN about OH Issue 1 is to be believed, white women with and w/o degree count for just 32% of Yes votes and white men with and w/o degree for 36% of Yes votes. I think Rs' strategy has been on any issue is to ignore everything non-white constituents (and their white supporters) vote for. I noticed something similar about SCOTUS that if the decision does not include Alito and Thomas in the majority, just minimize it as if it is not valid. They think they can illegitimate anything that is driven by the non-white crowd (and their white supporters). Maddow was talking about how minorities are diminished in status to make autocracy possible (and women even though big in numbers are treated as 'minorities' which is why the Rs think they can get away with overturning Roe and putting women through misery). That is what is happening here. I feel like there is a lot of analysis about what is happening from people in power (media, politicians) but less of a solution to prevent the inevitable if corrections are not made. We need to move from analysis to prevention stage. Sound the alarm, people (and media) and VOTE for Democrats, at every level. And, I hope Democrats are smart and put up quality candidates everywhere.
You are so very right about moving to the next stage! We’ve been reacting (pretty successfully) to awful things, and I want to move on to more proactive strategies. Voting the GOP out is a good start, but we’re going to have to do something about the Electoral College, expanding the Supreme Court and teaching civics again. Mike Johnson thinks his bible is more important than the Constitution. That’s unacceptable in a Speaker.
Now that Roe is overturned, they've become drunk on their fervor to subjugate us. It is the GOP's unifying governing philosophy and they don't care that the majority disagrees. I'm not surprised that this is happening now in Ohio post vote. It'll never stop unless our rights are codified and also in the Constitution. It's either that or the deconstruction of the democracy in pursuit of a theocratic state.
Yes, the clinic bombings, harassing crazies outside the clinics and threats to the school boards say that. The "proud boys" picketed a school board official in the town next to mine, the funny thing is it was one of their theological creeps. They got the wrong member! No one ever called them the "Bright Boys". They often meet the description of Stochastic Terorist.
stochastic terrorism
[ stuh-kas-tik ter-uh-riz-uhm ]SHOW IPA
noun
the public demonization of a person or group resulting in the incitement of a violent act, which is statistically probable but whose specifics cannot be predicted:
The lone-wolf attack was apparently influenced by the rhetoric of stochastic terrorism.
This is essentially its own coup. They set the precedent in January 2021 to fully embrace election denial; this is just going to be their mode going forward. Absolutely depressing and exhausting.
We had a Veteran's Day event in our town, which voted for Trump 2-1. The speakers invited? An unabashed election denier "radio personality" who floated a run for governor, and a racist homophobic "pastor" from out of state who intimidates school board members to spread his hate. I guess in their minds these are the things our veterans fought for - election denial, the non-peaceful transfer of power... Needless to say, we did not attend.
Yeah. I talk it out a lot, here and elsewhere, so that if anyone sees something else they can tell me what I'm missing, but, how do we get out of this situation without violence? If Democrats win the election, how are there not outbreaks of violence, considering what happened last time? And if Republicans win the election, they'll become very unpopular soon enough, and why would they allow themselves to ever lose power again? They would have to suppress dissent, and at the very least that means lots of arrests and policies backed by the use or threat of force.
I’ve just read the wording of the Ohio amendment and wonder why if the constitutional amendment says it is "self executing", why would all the old laws have to be repealed?
The problem is some such as "Gym Jordan" are, we can't until we un-gerrymander his district. Have you ever seen it? it is shaped like a swimming duck (I kid you not).
Yes, it always has to start by winning statewide elections, whatever the state and whatever the office, because those aren't affected by districting. Once you hold some of those offices, you eventually get influence over the maps.
I've always thought their goal was total control authoritarianism, and they use issues [abortion, lgbtq, identity, etc] to wedge so they can divide and conquer. Their chief weapons are fear.. surprise..etc except not funny at all.
1. I have been coming here, for months, and talking about these people in terms of their not giving a fuck. They are fully radicalized. I mean, I first heard I might have to pick up a gun and kill people for Jesus when I was in elementary school. That was the 1970s. So many of those people never left those pews. They have listened to this for 50 fucking years. Willingly. And others coopted their tactics to make propaganda machines like Fox News and similar. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE LAW OR THE RULE OF LAW. PERIOD. This should surprise absolutely no one here. We should be ahead of this shit. But we're just always reacting.
2. This is not solely about fascist theocrats, but fascist theocrats started this. My brother-in-law hasn't darkened the door of a church in forever and ever, but he was at the insurrection. They are serving the same kool-aid, and they're using whoever they have to use to get to their end goal: a fascist theocracy. People like my BIL may not like that once it happens, but it's too late then.
3. These people believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God. Period. If the Bible says abortion is a sin (to them), then that's the end of it. Abortion is a sin, and they are commanded to do whatever they must do to stop it. Including ignoring laws that contradict their interpretation of the Bible, attacking people who perform abortions and clinics as "their enemies," and dying if necessary. And if we don't stop pussyfooting around and call this shit out JUST LIKE THIS...like, "Hey, America. Is THIS who you want to be in charge?" Then they are going to win. This is about something bigger for them than destroying democracy. It is about forcing their faith on everyone. Yes, even the faithless yahoos who are just racist and whatnot, and they joined the same team thinking they could control the outcome. Virtually nobody is talking about it. Many of these people are radicalized enough to die for this. I know I sound screechy and hysterical, and I should just find a way to make funny videos to explain this stuff and put them up in the algorithm casino of the fucking internet for the house to always win, but this is too serious to me. I can't be funny or cute about it.
I don't want to be doomy-gloomy, but I am tired. I was putting something together to explain this to people, but I got my final heartbreaking rejection last week and I'm not processing very well.
If I'm guessing from what you've written lately, you wrote something about this and publishers rejected it, and the reasons given were particularly troubling. Forgive me but you've alluded to it on multiple occasions, and I'm guessing you either don't want to or can't share more about it than that, and that's okay, but we're all here for you at least. You don't sound the least bit screechy or hysterical or doomy gloomy, by the way. You've known these people all your life. They've traumatized you, and you were family, so you know what they'd do to the rest of us. You're trying to warn everyone who'll listen, because you don't want everybody to suffer the way you have and then some. And it seems like the monsters who terrorized you as a child, who you thought and hoped you'd escaped from as an adult, are coming back to get you and everyone else. You say you're not processing well, but nonetheless you're making perfect sense to me and probably the rest of us here too.
It isn’t professional to publicly air this stuff. I shouldn’t have said what I have, but when the publishing industry is in jail for all the “pornography” they publish, I hope a few of them remember they said my story was “too niche.” I’m already setting up something else to write about it, and it won’t mean plumbing my copious childhood trauma. So, silver linings. Maybe 5 people will support it or whatever. But that’s still mad Andra talking, and I need to put her away.
They always tell women the stories they want to tell are 'too niche'. Write about universal characters! (i.e. men) 'Not professional' is another good one; it's code for "was sexually harassed or assaulted and spoke up about it". My frame of reference is the filmed entertainment industry, but women are treated the same everywhere. You'll know what to do, and more than five people will support it.
Keep writing and keep going. You make total sense. This is exactly what's going on. I see it. Take heart in the election results Tuesday. We won victories, and also Moms for Liberty lost a lot of races. That made me happy. Unfortunately I still have them on our Board of Education and they're still trying to ban stuff and have the schools "reflect the values of our majority Christian town" (their words -- I fought them on that in person at a meet and greet, in front of a whole crowd. said public school is SECULAR). I love to read what you write.
They are radicalized. It’s easy to read that as “insane,” but completely sane people become radicalized every day. With every loss, they feel more desperate. I know what that looks and sounds like, and I’m sorry you’re dealing with it in your town.
One of the things I always stress to these people is that I endorse their right to believe what speaks to them. I don’t make fun of their faith. I try very hard to sincerely communicate respect for their right to their own beliefs, even if I disagree with them. I acknowledge that the left hasn’t always given them that, and that’s on us. One-on-one or in small groups, that goes a long way to calming them down. You’re never, ever going to change their minds, but a lot of the emotion comes from the very real place of not feeling seen, of feeling mocked and looked down upon. I have more productive interactions with them when I approach them this way. If that helps you and your allies at all. Keep fighting. You don’t want to live in a world of their making.
Rant incoming: This is honestly such an ominous portent of next year. They know they are unpopular, so they are willing to blow up the framework of this country to get their way. I wish they would all fuck off to Hungary, because it’s clear they want to emulate Orban’s dictatorship. I’m so fucking angry and anxious all the time. Never in a thousand years did I think this could happen. I seriously want to beat the shit out of any mf who voted for Trump and I abhor violence. I’m just irate that we have people who seem to possess the intellect of a 5th grade dropout steering from behind.
Agreed. And they want violence. Every authoritarian movement wants violence, to use as a justification for curbing human rights, civil rights, the rule of law, and democracy. That's why they always try to spin protests as 'mobs' of 'thugs'. One way or another, I expect them to instigate violence sooner or later.
Maddow's show last night was excellent. She did something that others have not in a way that it sticks. She showed how to hold the R party accountable for their failings and their depravity in hoisting the trump nightmare on the country. Make the R word toxic, I say (I hope people/media start talking about the party and not just trump) and vote D everywhere at least for the next few election cycles to prevent trumpies getting into the system.
If this exit polling below from CNN about OH Issue 1 is to be believed, white women with and w/o degree count for just 32% of Yes votes and white men with and w/o degree for 36% of Yes votes. I think Rs' strategy has been on any issue is to ignore everything non-white constituents (and their white supporters) vote for. I noticed something similar about SCOTUS that if the decision does not include Alito and Thomas in the majority, just minimize it as if it is not valid. They think they can illegitimate anything that is driven by the non-white crowd (and their white supporters). Maddow was talking about how minorities are diminished in status to make autocracy possible (and women even though big in numbers are treated as 'minorities' which is why the Rs think they can get away with overturning Roe and putting women through misery). That is what is happening here. I feel like there is a lot of analysis about what is happening from people in power (media, politicians) but less of a solution to prevent the inevitable if corrections are not made. We need to move from analysis to prevention stage. Sound the alarm, people (and media) and VOTE for Democrats, at every level. And, I hope Democrats are smart and put up quality candidates everywhere.
https://twitter.com/ryanstruyk/status/1722068347515289895
You are so very right about moving to the next stage! We’ve been reacting (pretty successfully) to awful things, and I want to move on to more proactive strategies. Voting the GOP out is a good start, but we’re going to have to do something about the Electoral College, expanding the Supreme Court and teaching civics again. Mike Johnson thinks his bible is more important than the Constitution. That’s unacceptable in a Speaker.
Now that Roe is overturned, they've become drunk on their fervor to subjugate us. It is the GOP's unifying governing philosophy and they don't care that the majority disagrees. I'm not surprised that this is happening now in Ohio post vote. It'll never stop unless our rights are codified and also in the Constitution. It's either that or the deconstruction of the democracy in pursuit of a theocratic state.
Yes, the clinic bombings, harassing crazies outside the clinics and threats to the school boards say that. The "proud boys" picketed a school board official in the town next to mine, the funny thing is it was one of their theological creeps. They got the wrong member! No one ever called them the "Bright Boys". They often meet the description of Stochastic Terorist.
stochastic terrorism
[ stuh-kas-tik ter-uh-riz-uhm ]SHOW IPA
noun
the public demonization of a person or group resulting in the incitement of a violent act, which is statistically probable but whose specifics cannot be predicted:
The lone-wolf attack was apparently influenced by the rhetoric of stochastic terrorism.
Doesn’t this also apply to DJT’S incitement of the insurrection?
Very much so, yes.
This is essentially its own coup. They set the precedent in January 2021 to fully embrace election denial; this is just going to be their mode going forward. Absolutely depressing and exhausting.
We had a Veteran's Day event in our town, which voted for Trump 2-1. The speakers invited? An unabashed election denier "radio personality" who floated a run for governor, and a racist homophobic "pastor" from out of state who intimidates school board members to spread his hate. I guess in their minds these are the things our veterans fought for - election denial, the non-peaceful transfer of power... Needless to say, we did not attend.
To them I say...🤢🤮
That’s a very nice reply. I’d be very likely to send or make a rude gesture….
Projectile vomiting on them is also a rude gesture.
Yeah. I talk it out a lot, here and elsewhere, so that if anyone sees something else they can tell me what I'm missing, but, how do we get out of this situation without violence? If Democrats win the election, how are there not outbreaks of violence, considering what happened last time? And if Republicans win the election, they'll become very unpopular soon enough, and why would they allow themselves to ever lose power again? They would have to suppress dissent, and at the very least that means lots of arrests and policies backed by the use or threat of force.
Having read DJT’S plan for after he is elected, I must totally agree with you. If he wins we will end up losing our democracy.
Maybe we'll have better luck as a resistance movement than as participants in a democracy.
Maybe we’d better be ready to be a resistance movement if we want to retain our democracy.
The comparison of the "explanation" on the OHIO ballot vs the actual initiative is pretty amazing too.
I’ve just read the wording of the Ohio amendment and wonder why if the constitutional amendment says it is "self executing", why would all the old laws have to be repealed?
And this is a great example of why people were so pissed about Roe: because we now have to muck through this BS for years? decades?
We should be proud of Ohio voters. This is another step toward broadcasting to all that voters don’t want these bans. This is not the People’s will.
Yes, Jessica has made the point that when people realize how pro-choice other people are, they become more confident in their own beliefs.
So what will it take to vote these bastards out? In how many election cycles? What is the plan, in every state...
The problem is some such as "Gym Jordan" are, we can't until we un-gerrymander his district. Have you ever seen it? it is shaped like a swimming duck (I kid you not).
Yes, it always has to start by winning statewide elections, whatever the state and whatever the office, because those aren't affected by districting. Once you hold some of those offices, you eventually get influence over the maps.
Good plan!
Idk whether it's a good plan but it's the only one available under our system of government. 🤷
expected, still disappointing. Thanks for rounding up all this information so we can share and give folks a heads up. Stay strong!
I've always thought their goal was total control authoritarianism, and they use issues [abortion, lgbtq, identity, etc] to wedge so they can divide and conquer. Their chief weapons are fear.. surprise..etc except not funny at all.
🎯Bullseye! That is exactly it. Unless more people wake up to realize that, "it could happen here."
I feel like we're in a zombie apocalypse movie. They won't go away. These people are scary.
https://newrepublic.com/post/176876/ohio-republicans-plan-sabotage-abortion-election-results
Jessica got a shout-out at the New Republic!
I am going to say some hard things right now.
1. I have been coming here, for months, and talking about these people in terms of their not giving a fuck. They are fully radicalized. I mean, I first heard I might have to pick up a gun and kill people for Jesus when I was in elementary school. That was the 1970s. So many of those people never left those pews. They have listened to this for 50 fucking years. Willingly. And others coopted their tactics to make propaganda machines like Fox News and similar. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE LAW OR THE RULE OF LAW. PERIOD. This should surprise absolutely no one here. We should be ahead of this shit. But we're just always reacting.
2. This is not solely about fascist theocrats, but fascist theocrats started this. My brother-in-law hasn't darkened the door of a church in forever and ever, but he was at the insurrection. They are serving the same kool-aid, and they're using whoever they have to use to get to their end goal: a fascist theocracy. People like my BIL may not like that once it happens, but it's too late then.
3. These people believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God. Period. If the Bible says abortion is a sin (to them), then that's the end of it. Abortion is a sin, and they are commanded to do whatever they must do to stop it. Including ignoring laws that contradict their interpretation of the Bible, attacking people who perform abortions and clinics as "their enemies," and dying if necessary. And if we don't stop pussyfooting around and call this shit out JUST LIKE THIS...like, "Hey, America. Is THIS who you want to be in charge?" Then they are going to win. This is about something bigger for them than destroying democracy. It is about forcing their faith on everyone. Yes, even the faithless yahoos who are just racist and whatnot, and they joined the same team thinking they could control the outcome. Virtually nobody is talking about it. Many of these people are radicalized enough to die for this. I know I sound screechy and hysterical, and I should just find a way to make funny videos to explain this stuff and put them up in the algorithm casino of the fucking internet for the house to always win, but this is too serious to me. I can't be funny or cute about it.
I don't want to be doomy-gloomy, but I am tired. I was putting something together to explain this to people, but I got my final heartbreaking rejection last week and I'm not processing very well.
If I'm guessing from what you've written lately, you wrote something about this and publishers rejected it, and the reasons given were particularly troubling. Forgive me but you've alluded to it on multiple occasions, and I'm guessing you either don't want to or can't share more about it than that, and that's okay, but we're all here for you at least. You don't sound the least bit screechy or hysterical or doomy gloomy, by the way. You've known these people all your life. They've traumatized you, and you were family, so you know what they'd do to the rest of us. You're trying to warn everyone who'll listen, because you don't want everybody to suffer the way you have and then some. And it seems like the monsters who terrorized you as a child, who you thought and hoped you'd escaped from as an adult, are coming back to get you and everyone else. You say you're not processing well, but nonetheless you're making perfect sense to me and probably the rest of us here too.
It isn’t professional to publicly air this stuff. I shouldn’t have said what I have, but when the publishing industry is in jail for all the “pornography” they publish, I hope a few of them remember they said my story was “too niche.” I’m already setting up something else to write about it, and it won’t mean plumbing my copious childhood trauma. So, silver linings. Maybe 5 people will support it or whatever. But that’s still mad Andra talking, and I need to put her away.
If that's healthy, I guess. I think anger usually comes from a sense of injustice, so the question always becomes, what do we do about injustice. Last week you said something about specific business sectors that I thought was ominous, or I wouldn't have brought it up. https://jessica.substack.com/p/abortion-every-day-11223-72f/comment/42979349?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=l0fb9
They always tell women the stories they want to tell are 'too niche'. Write about universal characters! (i.e. men) 'Not professional' is another good one; it's code for "was sexually harassed or assaulted and spoke up about it". My frame of reference is the filmed entertainment industry, but women are treated the same everywhere. You'll know what to do, and more than five people will support it.
You said it perfectly, the biggest threat to democracy, are these domestic terrorists-in-waiting.
Are they really in waiting? DJT = prime example!
I meant "waiting for the marching orders", I said it poorly, thanks for pointing that out!
They are already domestic terrorists. They don’t have to strap bombs to themselves and blow up innocents to wreak havoc. This OH shit is an example.
Yes Andra, your sharing of lived experience is very valuable, to those of us who did not grow up in that environment. Thank you!
Anyone who knows me will tell you I always get up and keep going. But thank you for this. I needed to hear it.
Keep writing and keep going. You make total sense. This is exactly what's going on. I see it. Take heart in the election results Tuesday. We won victories, and also Moms for Liberty lost a lot of races. That made me happy. Unfortunately I still have them on our Board of Education and they're still trying to ban stuff and have the schools "reflect the values of our majority Christian town" (their words -- I fought them on that in person at a meet and greet, in front of a whole crowd. said public school is SECULAR). I love to read what you write.
They are radicalized. It’s easy to read that as “insane,” but completely sane people become radicalized every day. With every loss, they feel more desperate. I know what that looks and sounds like, and I’m sorry you’re dealing with it in your town.
One of the things I always stress to these people is that I endorse their right to believe what speaks to them. I don’t make fun of their faith. I try very hard to sincerely communicate respect for their right to their own beliefs, even if I disagree with them. I acknowledge that the left hasn’t always given them that, and that’s on us. One-on-one or in small groups, that goes a long way to calming them down. You’re never, ever going to change their minds, but a lot of the emotion comes from the very real place of not feeling seen, of feeling mocked and looked down upon. I have more productive interactions with them when I approach them this way. If that helps you and your allies at all. Keep fighting. You don’t want to live in a world of their making.
Abortion is always top of my mind but what they're trying to do to the schools comes right behind.
They've lost their minds.
I wish. But you can't lose something you never had. And that is exactly the problem.
Oh I just effing HATE THEM and their anti-democratic BULLSHIT.
Rant incoming: This is honestly such an ominous portent of next year. They know they are unpopular, so they are willing to blow up the framework of this country to get their way. I wish they would all fuck off to Hungary, because it’s clear they want to emulate Orban’s dictatorship. I’m so fucking angry and anxious all the time. Never in a thousand years did I think this could happen. I seriously want to beat the shit out of any mf who voted for Trump and I abhor violence. I’m just irate that we have people who seem to possess the intellect of a 5th grade dropout steering from behind.
Agreed. And they want violence. Every authoritarian movement wants violence, to use as a justification for curbing human rights, civil rights, the rule of law, and democracy. That's why they always try to spin protests as 'mobs' of 'thugs'. One way or another, I expect them to instigate violence sooner or later.
So they can step in and "save the day" and people will be fearful enough to accept marital law
It's a tried and true playbook, unfortunately.
Yes, frightened sheep need a shepherd. What they don't get is why sheep are cultivated the shepherd wants to fleece, or eat them.
Haven't heard that one before; it's a good one!
It is a more polite paraphrase of a Christopher Hitchens post. Here is a link to the whole quote.
https://ifunny.co/picture/an-early-objection-i-had-with-christianity-at-school-was-5WH15Mfq8
That third option is less common. I hope.