Where is the fight these days? Am I missing something?
Are Democrats on a time-out?
MAGA Republicans, insurrectionists, hate groups, fascists, far-right extremists, religious nationalists, and all of their operations don’t appear to be taking a time-out.
Why are Democrats and their allies?
I did hear that the Women’s March is having or did have an event around the anniversary of the first one; maybe in Wisconsin or Michigan. I heard it in one tiny report on the news, but I’ve not seen activity plastered all over social media about it. There are other groups taking action where they can like with school boards… but it’s hit and miss.
I see a few elected Democrats doing news interviews here and there. They’re not super fired up, or leading major charges to do… something. As per usual, they’re pretty low-key. Lots of faith that things will work out, and that the highest, best good will somehow win out.
But how will it if we’re just waiting for that to happen?
Are we going to cede the territory?
“Which territory?” you might ask.
This territory:
Teaching real, actual history in schools.
Actually having public schools, instead of vouchers.
Public health, vaccines, and so on… including funding for vaccines and the anti-viral Paxlovid, etc. for the foreseeable future.
The spectacular preponderance of firearms and corresponding mass shootings in the US.
Pushing back against incredible and persistently rising hate activities, hate crimes, legalized intolerance, and harassment of really anyone who isn’t a straight, white man including Jewish people, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people.
The decreasing separation of church and state in state and local laws all over.
The defunding and erosion of government and its institutions.
Hyperactive voter suppression activities.
Treating humans with respect and kindness instead of meanness, bullying, and “othering.”
Investing in Americans.
Investing in US small businesses, innovation, and entrepreneurialism.
Investing in US communities.
Reasonably addressing immigration across the Southern US Border with humanity instead of intolerance, hate, and ignorance.
Doing anything at all whatsoever to make a real difference in either mitigating damage from climate change, or keeping it from getting worse.
Re-weaving the torn and frayed social fabric with options other than cults and conspiracy theories.
The lists go on, but that’s a good start.
People are tired and worn out. Tired of fighting. Things seem stable now, you know, kind of. The most visible demagogue has faded into the shadows. Why fight?
^^ And that’s the trouble. The hyperactive, energized authoritarian movement in the US is not worn out. They’re fired up. They’re making huge territory gains in policy, funding, elected officials, the US House, the US Supreme Court, and so on.
Are we just going to watch, then?
Part of how countries lose to authoritarians is they don’t fight. They give in to the overwhelm, the shock, and the awe.
We’re seriously running that risk.
For the many-eth year in a row, Democrats are not running a nationally coordinated campaign pushing back against the authoritarian movement. We have had movements in spurts… and a few big waves. But then it goes back to quiet. No national leadership getting folks fired up. No coherent strategy to push back. We’re running campaigns mostly the same, too…. even though the game has long since changed.
MAGA Republicans And Friends are — I am not kidding you — winning the moral fight up in this country… because Democrats are sitting back and watching right now in this moment.
What is it going to take to get us fired up? What’s the number of mass shootings? How many different groups have to get re-targeted and re-marginalized? How much history has to get erased — again? How many women have to have tragedies from abortion now being illegal in state after state?
When do the leaders get LOUD?????? When do we get fresh leaders??????
The Overton window up in this country has gone so far to the right that everything’s starting to have a red hue to it. Are we seriously going to watch that hold?
I’m not. You?
Anyway, we here at Shift the Country have set ourselves up to help Democrats and their allies nationwide actually fight the fight differently, more loudly, and in a more coordinated way. It’s a recipe for fighting authoritarianism. Consider it a cheerleading plan.
It’s building connection and the social fabric (Thing 1); taking coalitions and community to all kinds of new levels (Thing 2); pressuring businesses and partnering with them for the country and economy we want to build (Thing 3); championing vision, values, and moral courage (Thing 4); and raising holy heck about all of that and driving the public narrative at every level (Thing 5).
That’s the stuff.
We’re intending to help Democrats and their coalition of allies to take everything that’s been done so far to new levels. To make it bigger and better and louder and more noticeable. To give confidence and solidarity and courage to people fighting for what’s right, anywhere and everywhere in this country.
We’re brand new as an organization. We’ve got events set up for now to start conversations, but what we really need to do is to get a pool of volunteers to help us build this work with on what’s already done and in place — or just to join us to help us make up this new stuff. We’re also kicking off fundraising, finally — on ActBlue and on our website. Can’t grow an impact on air alone.
You can also help us get this going by recruiting people — by sharing this post, by getting folks to volunteer, or by helping us get a wider audience with more subscribers.
This new org is in a bit of a reckoning. We need to find enough interest and support to start doing some activities in the next few weeks to really get things going — or we run the risk of folding. That would suck big time as I’m not convinced any other group in the US is actively trying to run a big strategy to counter authoritarianism. So there’s that.
In any case, we need cheerleaders. We need to get fired up. We need some coaching. We need energizers. We need to shake people awake and get their attention wherever they are. This 5-Thing formula can help us do that. The specifics about how are what we’ll start putting together with volunteers in online gatherings we create together.
I’m not willing to cede any territory… but we can’t win what we’re not fighting for. And we are not collectively in a whole lot of the fights right now. We could be in more, and we could bring more people with us.
Join us to get into it. Bring your brain.
Bring your energy, too, and your faith in this country. It can be so much more — so let’s get it closer to the dream of what it could be.
Onward.
Well...where to start?! This feeds directly into my long-term criticism of the Democratic Party: focus on the election that is directly in front of us (often at the last minute), pray for the outcome, rejoice if it's positive and moan if it's not, and then shake your hands and say, "We're good until the next election." This is precisely how and why the outcomes aren't always what we want--even though there are lots more Ds than Rs. The Rs focus, rile their base, and ensure voter turnout--and then they keep that base riled until the next election, rinse, repeat. Not that there aren't people like Stacey Abrams who have figured out that ORGANIZING (and driving turnout) is what wins elections (sadly, even if she isn't successful herself); and organizing is an ongoing process. You can't do it at the last minute or walk away from what you accomplished. So, yah. Where are the Democrats who should be screaming at the top of their lungs that the Republicans are out to topple our democracy?! In my opinion, Schumer is useless and I don't know enough about Jeffries to know whether he will (and can) step up. Biden is "just Joe"; unfortunately, I don't expect him to take this on in any but the most timid "aw shucks" of ways. It's "not him." He wants to be the Great Compromiser and find "common ground" with the Rs. Sorry, Joe--it ain't happening. Also not looking for Kamala to step forward on this issue. There are a few voices on the Left who are sounding the alarm (Robert Reich and Thom Hartmann come to mind)--but they are not mobilizing people. Sigh. So, here we are. I guess it's up to us, the people. That's why what you are trying to accomplish with Shift the Country is so important!