And I Looked Up, And It Was Winter
Trump's election feels catastrophic and monumental. It ripples
outwards, and all the projects I had in mind feel stupid and shallow now. I'll
still probably write about hype week. I still wrote a little paper for my 17th
century philosophy class, and I'll continue doing what I need to do to
graduate. But I feel like I should be writing invectives and polemics. I don't
know if those would do anything either.
I've been describing the state of mind I'm in as "simultaneously anxious
and activated". My mood's been pretty wild and up and down. When I see all
the infighting as to what the cause of this was, I feel a sense of despair. I'm
a part of that fighting, of course, I have my own opinions as to who is to
blame. And assigning blame is - like it or not - important; to fight Trump we
need to know what worked and what didn't. A program needs to be built. At the
same time, I have this sense that we are conducting an autopsy on a patient who
is bleeding and dying on the table.
I'm not even American, but obviously this is a worldwide concern. Canada's
avoided a lot of this in the past, but we've got a candidate named Kelly Leitch
who's obsessed with "Canadian Values". That shit makes me want to
vomit.
For my own part, I'm trying to organize, trying to become part of movements,
trying to learn and prepare. I don't know what to expect. In my view, we are
either set for another Bush-esque situation. If you recall, the last one of
those left - at bare minimum - 3 million dead. So this is not an optimistic
possibility. However it is obviously better than the worst case scenario.
To me, the worst case scenario is that America has finally found its fascism.
This is an uncredited and relevant quote from 1928 New York Times.
"When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled
‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be
called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'”
There's a bunch of different, differently attributed versions of quotes
similar to that one. The point is, Trump is exactly the kind of fascism you
would expect to come out of America. Umberto Eco's Ur-Fascist is
another valuable text. As is Marx's 18th Brumaire,
which discusses a charlatan dictator who the political class tries and fails to
control while fighting amongst eachother. To me that's a pretty astute historical
connection, but I might be overthinking it.
Regardless, if he really is going to become a dictator, what do we do then? As
of now, I'm just trying to act in ways which protect his guaranteed victims,
people overseas, women in america, civil liberties etc. But I'm also sort of
preparing. He hasn't even been sworn in yet, there's a (in my opinion,
misguided, message to me if you want to talk about it) measure to have the
Electoral College stop him from getting in, and people are in the streets. I
feel like I've just got to get the few things that are necessary for my own
bourgeoisie success story out of the way so I can join them. I feel a need to
get fit, keep my mind sharp and prepare for the worst, but I'm not exactly
building a bunker.
If any of you have thoughts, wish to argue with me, discuss things with me,
have ideas for organizing, have fears you want to share or think I've been
remiss on something, please, let's talk. May as well use this little connection
for all that it's worth.
More as it happens.
In solidarity,Ace
Trump's election feels catastrophic and monumental. It ripples
outwards, and all the projects I had in mind feel stupid and shallow now. I'll
still probably write about hype week. I still wrote a little paper for my 17th
century philosophy class, and I'll continue doing what I need to do to
graduate. But I feel like I should be writing invectives and polemics. I don't
know if those would do anything either.
I've been describing the state of mind I'm in as "simultaneously anxious
and activated". My mood's been pretty wild and up and down. When I see all
the infighting as to what the cause of this was, I feel a sense of despair. I'm
a part of that fighting, of course, I have my own opinions as to who is to
blame. And assigning blame is - like it or not - important; to fight Trump we
need to know what worked and what didn't. A program needs to be built. At the
same time, I have this sense that we are conducting an autopsy on a patient who
is bleeding and dying on the table.
I'm not even American, but obviously this is a worldwide concern. Canada's
avoided a lot of this in the past, but we've got a candidate named Kelly Leitch
who's obsessed with "Canadian Values". That shit makes me want to
vomit.
For my own part, I'm trying to organize, trying to become part of movements,
trying to learn and prepare. I don't know what to expect. In my view, we are
either set for another Bush-esque situation. If you recall, the last one of
those left - at bare minimum - 3 million dead. So this is not an optimistic
possibility. However it is obviously better than the worst case scenario.
To me, the worst case scenario is that America has finally found its fascism.
This is an uncredited and relevant quote from 1928 New York Times.
"When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled ‘made in
Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called
fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'”
There's a bunch of different, differently attributed versions of quotes
similar to that one. The point is, Trump is exactly the kind of fascism you
would expect to come out of America. Umberto Eco's Ur-Fascist is
another valuable text. As is Marx's 18th Brumaire,
which discusses a charlatan dictator who the political class tries and fails to
control while fighting amongst eachother. To me that's a pretty astute
historical connection, but I might be overthinking it.
Regardless, if he really is going to become a dictator, what do we do then? As
of now, I'm just trying to act in ways which protect his guaranteed victims,
people overseas, women in america, civil liberties etc. But I'm also sort of
preparing. He hasn't even been sworn in yet, there's a (in my opinion,
misguided, message to me if you want to talk about it) measure to have the
Electoral College stop him from getting in, and people are in the streets. I
feel like I've just got to get the few things that are necessary for my own
bourgeoisie success story out of the way so I can join them. I feel a need to
get fit, keep my mind sharp and prepare for the worst, but I'm not exactly
building a bunker.
If any of you have thoughts, wish to argue with me, discuss things with me,
have ideas for organizing, have fears you want to share or think I've been
remiss on something, please, let's talk. May as well use this little connection
for all that it's worth.
More as it happens.
In solidarity,
Ace
I've been describing the state of mind I'm in as "simultaneously anxious and activated". My mood's been pretty wild and up and down. When I see all the infighting as to what the cause of this was, I feel a sense of despair. I'm a part of that fighting, of course, I have my own opinions as to who is to blame. And assigning blame is - like it or not - important; to fight Trump we need to know what worked and what didn't. A program needs to be built. At the same time, I have this sense that we are conducting an autopsy on a patient who is bleeding and dying on the table.
I'm not even American, but obviously this is a worldwide concern. Canada's avoided a lot of this in the past, but we've got a candidate named Kelly Leitch who's obsessed with "Canadian Values". That shit makes me want to vomit.
For my own part, I'm trying to organize, trying to become part of movements, trying to learn and prepare. I don't know what to expect. In my view, we are either set for another Bush-esque situation. If you recall, the last one of those left - at bare minimum - 3 million dead. So this is not an optimistic possibility. However it is obviously better than the worst case scenario.
To me, the worst case scenario is that America has finally found its fascism. This is an uncredited and relevant quote from 1928 New York Times.
"When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled ‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'”
There's a bunch of different, differently attributed versions of quotes similar to that one. The point is, Trump is exactly the kind of fascism you would expect to come out of America. Umberto Eco's Ur-Fascist is another valuable text. As is Marx's 18th Brumaire, which discusses a charlatan dictator who the political class tries and fails to control while fighting amongst eachother. To me that's a pretty astute historical connection, but I might be overthinking it.
Regardless, if he really is going to become a dictator, what do we do then? As of now, I'm just trying to act in ways which protect his guaranteed victims, people overseas, women in america, civil liberties etc. But I'm also sort of preparing. He hasn't even been sworn in yet, there's a (in my opinion, misguided, message to me if you want to talk about it) measure to have the Electoral College stop him from getting in, and people are in the streets. I feel like I've just got to get the few things that are necessary for my own bourgeoisie success story out of the way so I can join them. I feel a need to get fit, keep my mind sharp and prepare for the worst, but I'm not exactly building a bunker.
If any of you have thoughts, wish to argue with me, discuss things with me, have ideas for organizing, have fears you want to share or think I've been remiss on something, please, let's talk. May as well use this little connection for all that it's worth.
More as it happens.
In solidarity,Ace
I've been describing the state of mind I'm in as "simultaneously anxious and activated". My mood's been pretty wild and up and down. When I see all the infighting as to what the cause of this was, I feel a sense of despair. I'm a part of that fighting, of course, I have my own opinions as to who is to blame. And assigning blame is - like it or not - important; to fight Trump we need to know what worked and what didn't. A program needs to be built. At the same time, I have this sense that we are conducting an autopsy on a patient who is bleeding and dying on the table.
I'm not even American, but obviously this is a worldwide concern. Canada's avoided a lot of this in the past, but we've got a candidate named Kelly Leitch who's obsessed with "Canadian Values". That shit makes me want to vomit.
For my own part, I'm trying to organize, trying to become part of movements, trying to learn and prepare. I don't know what to expect. In my view, we are either set for another Bush-esque situation. If you recall, the last one of those left - at bare minimum - 3 million dead. So this is not an optimistic possibility. However it is obviously better than the worst case scenario.
To me, the worst case scenario is that America has finally found its fascism. This is an uncredited and relevant quote from 1928 New York Times.
"When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled ‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'”
There's a bunch of different, differently attributed versions of quotes similar to that one. The point is, Trump is exactly the kind of fascism you would expect to come out of America. Umberto Eco's Ur-Fascist is another valuable text. As is Marx's 18th Brumaire, which discusses a charlatan dictator who the political class tries and fails to control while fighting amongst eachother. To me that's a pretty astute historical connection, but I might be overthinking it.
Regardless, if he really is going to become a dictator, what do we do then? As of now, I'm just trying to act in ways which protect his guaranteed victims, people overseas, women in america, civil liberties etc. But I'm also sort of preparing. He hasn't even been sworn in yet, there's a (in my opinion, misguided, message to me if you want to talk about it) measure to have the Electoral College stop him from getting in, and people are in the streets. I feel like I've just got to get the few things that are necessary for my own bourgeoisie success story out of the way so I can join them. I feel a need to get fit, keep my mind sharp and prepare for the worst, but I'm not exactly building a bunker.
If any of you have thoughts, wish to argue with me, discuss things with me, have ideas for organizing, have fears you want to share or think I've been remiss on something, please, let's talk. May as well use this little connection for all that it's worth.
More as it happens.
In solidarity,
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