Things are getting bad to the point that ordinary people are not able to tune it out anymore, and the pundit class’ answer of 
is looking less and less compelling. Regular people are looking for explanations and guidance. Talk to them. They want to know what has worked in the past, and what can work now. They’re open to new ways of understanding the world, and we have that. Be accessible if you can.
70 something year old dude who came into my office immediately after Trump’s win happily saying, “bye bye illegals. bye bye”, was talking to me yesterday about how he was going to be very upset if his coworkers get deported. Apparently somebody official looking was in the parking lot recently writing down / taking pictures of license plates at his work.
My face during the conversation.
how do you have such cognitive dissonance?
I’ll punch this guy in the face for you so you have plausible deniability
Starting to see this myself. Everything is being speedrun so fast that people are becoming politically activated like little lightbulbs going off.
At work an old farmer guy wanted to discuss the egg prices but surprised me by instantly blaming corporations and profit seeking. State and corporate power have very publically wed and now are rapidly disassembling the entire system. It’s going to be hard for people to either tune it out or create elaborate fantasies. We’re entering the start of the “material conditions” stage.
The general liberal talking point, which was also repeated by our good friend Bobby Fedvans, is telling everyone to be passive because if they do anything the military will instantly wipe them out. Or that Trump is goading everyone to declare martial law. Meanwhile other (online) shitlibs are just going FAFO or that “everyone must feel pain so they can run back to our infallible democratic party, who did no wrong and were failed by the foolish voter.”
People don’t like hearing that shit.
My only real advice when they come asking, because I suck at theory, is just don’t be a Lib.
My mostly non-political friend texted me a few hours ago and asked “how fucked are we”
Edit: he just said he’s scared :(
Yeah. One of the coworkers who talked to me has a son who is trans, which is what sparked that conversation. People are (correctly) both scared and angry.
A high priority needs to be prying people away from the Democratic party. Not sure how but that needs to be up there.
Yes! Too many people are clinging to the false hope that the Dem party is able/willing to save us. It is getting harder and harder, and we will see some people radicalize left, and we will see some go farther right, and some will sink further into total denial.
That’s a good sign. People in my workplace still won’t acknowledge there is a problem, let alone what do we do about
If you happen to live in the so-called “Pacific Northwest” region of the United States, you can have them DM this account for answers.
I don’t, but one of them did mention having family in Oregon. Happy to pass the info along as a resource.
Denver area. I do know of several local organizations.
It’s like 65% a bit so don’t bother ;)
For us on the west coast we can appropriate “calexit” or “Cascadia” as progressive propaganda, but I can’t speak for socialists elsewhere in the United States. Different material (geographic) conditions may make the “balkanize the US” tactic unpalatable.
Ooh that’s a good idea. Push balkanization of the US.
What about the counterpoint that it leaves marginalized people in the red states vulnerable?
Its difficult because there are many people who are transplants in our major cities cause they don’t want to live in chudsville or wherever. They still have family in those places. The short answer is that as much as I would love to solve Ohio and Alabama’s problems, I would also like to solve the problems of my Kenyan and Indian and Honduran comrades. I have no effective political or economic power on these places. I do have a smidge of influence in my local community so that’s what I’m able to look out for.
I could go on but I’ll pause here.
L/Acc
Believe me, it was on my mind.
I would, but the people in my life are still convinced the Dems can be pushed left and not working within the system will alienate people
If the system brought you to this point then what good was the system?
Convinced its like an abusive relationship
Working within the system alienated so many people that they Dems lost the popular vote
