Bulwark: Enough analysis. You're spot on. Trump has loaded all the governmental power leaders with his sycophants. He has wiped away most (all?) of the impediments to his unilateral dominion of this country. As many have noted, he's not smart enough to do it on his own, but he has plenty of help.
Bulwark: Enough analysis. You're spot on. Trump has loaded all the governmental power leaders with his sycophants. He has wiped away most (all?) of the impediments to his unilateral dominion of this country. As many have noted, he's not smart enough to do it on his own, but he has plenty of help.
Trump will harm people, businesses and even states, with no compunction. His ego is insatiable. He's weeks, if not days, away from securing imperial power. Even old allies are afraid of him (us). Europe has seen this shit time and again. They recognize the signs.
The Bulwark has analyzed things well (Harris? Not so much). But the analysis needs to end. It's time to stop being a political science class; stop being an emotional support group for Never Trumpers, and start being an organizer of resistance. Calling Senators won't do it.
You have our ears and our rage. What can we do to push back. All of us would like to know. Sure, Trump's cronies will wag their fingers. Let us face them too. Rather than tell us what to look at, tell us what to do! Next steps?
My sentiments exactly. We've had enough talk, talk, talk. It's time to act, act, act. Right now, people who have the know-how need to be on MAGA social media, TIK TOK, X, Fox News/Hannity, etc. getting into the heads of Trump's followers, and young people without any political affiliation, to educate them on what is going on and spur them into active rebellion against Trump and Musk. Speak to them on a level they will understand - Republicans stand by impotently while programs they depend on are decimated and friends, relatives, or they themselves are fired with no warning and no way to pay their mortgages, buy food, or pay college tuition. Also, those of us who are not tech savvy, or who live in blue states, still want to know what WE can do to fight back. The time for educating us is over, we know what is going on. Preaching to the choir is not going to save this country. Give us some marching orders!
I am first to say I don't know what to do. I would want to do something that has some impact. A few people here have mentioned some things. This is how it starts.
A leadership must be created that will be respected by the entire anti- MAGA resistance. Once that is in place, calls for a national strike, a mass protest, or other draconian actions can be organized. The Bulwark can and should play a role in elevating the folks best positioned to lead that resistance. Pritzker, Newsom..sorry, SL...Senator Chris Murphy, and,Rahm Emanuel would be four good options for that role.
The Bulwark is doing their job as they promised. It is OUR job to step up and do the hard work of cleaning house. Some ones of us are going to need to step up and take a leadership roll.
Going after sitting members of Congress will work. They want to keep their jobs. If they think folks are going to vote them out, they will do something about it.
They are reporting and opining. They call us a community (that has some very personal and organizational implications. They want us up close and personal at live shows. These things are undeniable. Now that observations can do nothing to stop the inertia of Trump (look around), it would be mighty helpful if they would offer some suggestions about next actions. Ideas are invisible and disrespected by Trump (unless they are his or mimicking his). It appears your eyes are open. Do you need more observation or suspicion about what Trump is trying to do? Do you need to be more emotionally outraged by what Trump is doing to our country? What good will that do?
I disagree -- The Bulwark is performing an important role in analyzing the news. If you want to take political action, then get involved in groups that align with your ideological and strategic sensibilities.
So far, it is an op-ed outlet. It calls us a community and calls us to join in live events. Op Ed news people don't have communities or encourage cheering sections at live events. They exhort emotional fervor. For what? For subscriptions. Dude!
There is always going to be a tension between the needs of a moment and the ability of individual groups to respond to them. That can lead a group to expand, but there is always the danger of trying to do too much.
It takes different kinds of organizational trade skills to provide news analysis than it does to engage in political organizing. That's why you don't typically see groups trying to do both. For example, even the Pod Save America folks have a separate political action committee.
I don't see anything wrong with a media outlet generating subscription revenue -- that's far preferable to relying on ad revenue.
Nothing wrong with asking for subscribers. I should have put a question mark after that. But asking for subscribers is what news outlets do. If The Bulwark wants to be a community and a change agent (which they've always postured as...) they have to start being one. These are smart people who know how gumment works. This may be THE sliver of time to do something. If not now, when?
Yesterday, Robert Kagen was sincerely worried that Trump's rollout could happen very fast and historically, these things tend to be unstoppable after a certain point. There becomes a "too little, too late" inertia. I am not a historian, but it's my understanding that the most cultured and educated country in the world went from democracy to Nazi in less than a year.
I have often said that Bannon's idea of Flooding the Zone will work. It has worked. There are too many targets to aim at now. Trump is the one target.
And Robert Kagen answered your very question, posed by Kristol. What do we do? Kagen's answer was to hound Congress. He said the press wasn't doing well, for various reasons, but principally because they did not understand the basic ideological basis for this. Anti-liberalism.
And most people don't understand. The few that do understand need to call and write representatives, and begin to protest. I agree, it doesn't sound like enough, but for now it is what we have, according to both Kagen and Kristol. In fact, a lot of commenters take this question. Tim Miller and Adam Kinzinger talked about what protest message would be best. They seemed to agree on Anti-Billionaire. Kinzinger won an uphill battle for Congress riding the Tea Party wave. He said it's time for a liberal Tea Party. Here is where the discussion is among people who know, rather than people who have an opinion.
It is going to be Flooding the Zone, as you said. And I think hit all targets. Not knowing what to do myself, I have called 2 offices of each of my 3 representatives and written a letter to the editor about Putin today.
Me? I'm fully in the game and I know everyone here is, as well.
My point is that there is a very large appetite out there for detailed coverage and analysis of what's happening as it happens. The Bulwark provides that +++++++. I want these writers amplified beyond this substack so that hunger gets fed and mobilized. I don't know how to do that -- I am encouraging Sarah, Bill, JVL, Tim, et al. to use their contacts to make that happen. Please make that happen.
My point: I think we all know what's happening by now. If we don't know every piece of minutia that is happening each day, I'm not so worried. I'm worried about the big rock that's rolling right into our laps. I don't care what kind of rock it is. I don't care exactly how fast it's moving because it's moving fast enough. I don't care what kind of sound it's going to make when it hits. I want to know how to get out of the f****** way.
People!! Who in this country has been resisting for 400 years?!? Look to indigenous, and black and brown folks. Join indivisible, moveone, working people’s party, momsrising.
Stop reinventing a Wheel that’s already been invented. Get radical.
Yes. You're right. The resistance has been going on for 400 years. We have 400 hours, maybe. The people in places of force and secret information are in place and have sworn that Trump lost the 2020 election by election theft. These are the same people who will enforce a Trump 4th term, and it could be Don Jr. I realize I sound histrionic, but crazy paranoia last week sounds plausible this week. Yeah. It's nuts.
You could pull some ideas from the Tea Party organizers. One of the things they were quite effective at doing was maximizing their visibility at congressional events. You don't need to get yourself in trouble with the IRS to do that.
Bulwark: Enough analysis. You're spot on. Trump has loaded all the governmental power leaders with his sycophants. He has wiped away most (all?) of the impediments to his unilateral dominion of this country. As many have noted, he's not smart enough to do it on his own, but he has plenty of help.
Trump will harm people, businesses and even states, with no compunction. His ego is insatiable. He's weeks, if not days, away from securing imperial power. Even old allies are afraid of him (us). Europe has seen this shit time and again. They recognize the signs.
The Bulwark has analyzed things well (Harris? Not so much). But the analysis needs to end. It's time to stop being a political science class; stop being an emotional support group for Never Trumpers, and start being an organizer of resistance. Calling Senators won't do it.
You have our ears and our rage. What can we do to push back. All of us would like to know. Sure, Trump's cronies will wag their fingers. Let us face them too. Rather than tell us what to look at, tell us what to do! Next steps?
My sentiments exactly. We've had enough talk, talk, talk. It's time to act, act, act. Right now, people who have the know-how need to be on MAGA social media, TIK TOK, X, Fox News/Hannity, etc. getting into the heads of Trump's followers, and young people without any political affiliation, to educate them on what is going on and spur them into active rebellion against Trump and Musk. Speak to them on a level they will understand - Republicans stand by impotently while programs they depend on are decimated and friends, relatives, or they themselves are fired with no warning and no way to pay their mortgages, buy food, or pay college tuition. Also, those of us who are not tech savvy, or who live in blue states, still want to know what WE can do to fight back. The time for educating us is over, we know what is going on. Preaching to the choir is not going to save this country. Give us some marching orders!
I am first to say I don't know what to do. I would want to do something that has some impact. A few people here have mentioned some things. This is how it starts.
A leadership must be created that will be respected by the entire anti- MAGA resistance. Once that is in place, calls for a national strike, a mass protest, or other draconian actions can be organized. The Bulwark can and should play a role in elevating the folks best positioned to lead that resistance. Pritzker, Newsom..sorry, SL...Senator Chris Murphy, and,Rahm Emanuel would be four good options for that role.
All four.
The Bulwark is doing their job as they promised. It is OUR job to step up and do the hard work of cleaning house. Some ones of us are going to need to step up and take a leadership roll.
Going after sitting members of Congress will work. They want to keep their jobs. If they think folks are going to vote them out, they will do something about it.
They are reporting and opining. They call us a community (that has some very personal and organizational implications. They want us up close and personal at live shows. These things are undeniable. Now that observations can do nothing to stop the inertia of Trump (look around), it would be mighty helpful if they would offer some suggestions about next actions. Ideas are invisible and disrespected by Trump (unless they are his or mimicking his). It appears your eyes are open. Do you need more observation or suspicion about what Trump is trying to do? Do you need to be more emotionally outraged by what Trump is doing to our country? What good will that do?
I disagree -- The Bulwark is performing an important role in analyzing the news. If you want to take political action, then get involved in groups that align with your ideological and strategic sensibilities.
So far, it is an op-ed outlet. It calls us a community and calls us to join in live events. Op Ed news people don't have communities or encourage cheering sections at live events. They exhort emotional fervor. For what? For subscriptions. Dude!
There is always going to be a tension between the needs of a moment and the ability of individual groups to respond to them. That can lead a group to expand, but there is always the danger of trying to do too much.
It takes different kinds of organizational trade skills to provide news analysis than it does to engage in political organizing. That's why you don't typically see groups trying to do both. For example, even the Pod Save America folks have a separate political action committee.
I don't see anything wrong with a media outlet generating subscription revenue -- that's far preferable to relying on ad revenue.
Nothing wrong with asking for subscribers. I should have put a question mark after that. But asking for subscribers is what news outlets do. If The Bulwark wants to be a community and a change agent (which they've always postured as...) they have to start being one. These are smart people who know how gumment works. This may be THE sliver of time to do something. If not now, when?
Yesterday, Robert Kagen was sincerely worried that Trump's rollout could happen very fast and historically, these things tend to be unstoppable after a certain point. There becomes a "too little, too late" inertia. I am not a historian, but it's my understanding that the most cultured and educated country in the world went from democracy to Nazi in less than a year.
I have often said that Bannon's idea of Flooding the Zone will work. It has worked. There are too many targets to aim at now. Trump is the one target.
Time is not on our side.
And Robert Kagen answered your very question, posed by Kristol. What do we do? Kagen's answer was to hound Congress. He said the press wasn't doing well, for various reasons, but principally because they did not understand the basic ideological basis for this. Anti-liberalism.
And most people don't understand. The few that do understand need to call and write representatives, and begin to protest. I agree, it doesn't sound like enough, but for now it is what we have, according to both Kagen and Kristol. In fact, a lot of commenters take this question. Tim Miller and Adam Kinzinger talked about what protest message would be best. They seemed to agree on Anti-Billionaire. Kinzinger won an uphill battle for Congress riding the Tea Party wave. He said it's time for a liberal Tea Party. Here is where the discussion is among people who know, rather than people who have an opinion.
It is going to be Flooding the Zone, as you said. And I think hit all targets. Not knowing what to do myself, I have called 2 offices of each of my 3 representatives and written a letter to the editor about Putin today.
Check out The.Ink videos and posts for action items. We may not all be in the same group, some are obviously more progressive than others, but we're all on the same (right) side.https://open.substack.com/pub/anandwrites/p/watch-be-the-skunk-at-the-garden?r=4d6wi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Keep of the analysis, but GET US IN TOUCH WITH MORE PEOPLE, PLEASE!!!
I don't know if that was your initial plan, but we're here, now . . .
The analysis has already been spray painted on the walls of Congress and Trump has handed us a roadmap in Project 2025. What more do you need?
Me? I'm fully in the game and I know everyone here is, as well.
My point is that there is a very large appetite out there for detailed coverage and analysis of what's happening as it happens. The Bulwark provides that +++++++. I want these writers amplified beyond this substack so that hunger gets fed and mobilized. I don't know how to do that -- I am encouraging Sarah, Bill, JVL, Tim, et al. to use their contacts to make that happen. Please make that happen.
My point: I think we all know what's happening by now. If we don't know every piece of minutia that is happening each day, I'm not so worried. I'm worried about the big rock that's rolling right into our laps. I don't care what kind of rock it is. I don't care exactly how fast it's moving because it's moving fast enough. I don't care what kind of sound it's going to make when it hits. I want to know how to get out of the f****** way.
I just posted something about whether conditions are ripe for a nationwide citizen tax revolt.
Are there enough citizens who care?
People!! Who in this country has been resisting for 400 years?!? Look to indigenous, and black and brown folks. Join indivisible, moveone, working people’s party, momsrising.
Stop reinventing a Wheel that’s already been invented. Get radical.
Yes. You're right. The resistance has been going on for 400 years. We have 400 hours, maybe. The people in places of force and secret information are in place and have sworn that Trump lost the 2020 election by election theft. These are the same people who will enforce a Trump 4th term, and it could be Don Jr. I realize I sound histrionic, but crazy paranoia last week sounds plausible this week. Yeah. It's nuts.
Oh, it doesn’t sound paranoid to me. I think i could be in a gulag in 2 months.
I've told people I'm toast. I won't bend the knee and I'm not one to keep my mouth shut.
You could pull some ideas from the Tea Party organizers. One of the things they were quite effective at doing was maximizing their visibility at congressional events. You don't need to get yourself in trouble with the IRS to do that.
Where?
Yup.
Hear! Hear!