I feel like I live in an alternate universe where all day while working nothing horrible is happening, no one talks about it, then bam, at 5pm, it all comes crashing in.
The counter-balance, I'm thinking, seems like a shadow government that speaks up daily, reliably, speaking to the day's events voicing what an Administration has done and bills that could pass and programs protected - that this is what an administration does who thinks government can be good and we have an amazing opportunity, though, fleeting, to continue to build a strong middle class, here.
Jared I have heard the sadness and despair in your voice worsening in the past couple of Substacks, if there is anything we can do as your listeners please reach out. It could be $$$, an ear or just a break but whatever you need it is ok, you are so important to our community and democracy
I can’t sleep more than 2-3 hours so I read or listen. I am doing all of these things. I didn’t before because I was scared. I’m still scared but I won’t be silent anymore. Your voice is soothing. Maybe I can sleep now. Take care.
This morning, in desperation to figure out the WHY to explain this barrage of seemingly random acts of madness Jared warns us we must prepare for continuing and intensifying, I found and read this post, tinyurl.com/bde5ej5m . And, gasp, there it was – the why of it and the where this is headed next – the manifesto and overarching plan (though not all of it) as conceived and written by the puppet master of the current VP. Spare yourself some brain cells and skip down to the section entitled “The bareback...” and stop at “On myths...” Warning: You will not be the least bit consoled at knowing this, quite the contrary. But maybe, just maybe having this piece of context and knowing its intended consequences and the steps they have in mind to effectuate them, which we are watching with numbifying horror being executed, this information could potentially serve as a clarifying mechanism for awakening us from our completely justified collective out-of-body reaction to this onslaught and move us toward how we might indeed be able to unify and mobilize behind a strategically targeted, proactive, and tangible counteroffensive of “a walkout, a strike, protests, something” that Jared so achingly spoke of. And, oh boy, he's so right, we gotta act fast. More coffee, I'm gonna need much more coffee.
I felt the panic Jared, I reached out in a vulnerable way. Many people in my community responded in a frightening manner, and when it all comes down they are going to be fully on board with the camps. The good news is several people are also scared and I have made some new contacts to build upon. I’m retired, so while appreciate you speaking about what to do in the work place please don’t forget about us.
From a paid subscriber- I’m interested in your thoughts but I’ll tell you I am very low dosage on political audio right now so if you are able to post a transcript that would be a huge help. Otherwise, I continue to appreciate the written posts, thank you.
Dear Jared. something that helps me-because I tend to ruminate when I'm out walking- is to notice even One thing in nature: a weird kind of moss, the way a particular tree grows, a patch of mist in a hollow. This id just small but it helps.
In thinking about how to prepare especially in light of very recent events and to stop suffering from a failure of imagination, I just scared myself. Cuz, not really all that hypothetically, what could a rising authoritarian, bent on bringing the entire citizenry to heel and punishing those who resist, do with: 1) gutted and refitted with loyalists FBI surveillance capabilities; 2) all our other data from social media of everything we click, interact with, post, at the ready compliments of the tech broligarchy inner circle; 3) the keys to the Treasury it is intent on controlling including its payment system that Leon made a grab for yesterday which disperses among other things stuff to ordinary folks like Social Security, tax refunds, you get the idea; and 4) that same tech broligarchy's world's best AI capabilities to analyze and generate lists connecting the data of our lives including our loyalty or not to said authoritarian, our gender identification, sexual orientation, allyships, religious beliefs, etc. to any of our upcoming federal disbursements in the payment system? Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
"This afternoon, Wyden posted that he has been told that Bessent has given the Department of Government Efficiency full access to the [payment] system. 'Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, payments to government contractors, including those that compete directly with Musk's own companies. All of it.'
Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo posted: 'This is more or less like taking the gold from Fort Knox and putting it in Elons basement. Anyone who gets a check from soc[ial] sec[urity] or anything else[,] he can cut it off or see all y[ou]r personal and financial data.' Pundit Stuart Stevens called it 'the most significant data leak in cyber history.'”
And Musk also has at his immediate disposal nearly two decades worth of user data from Twitter/X plus he runs his own AI company, xAI, that includes Grok which trains on data, including live data, directly from users' tweets. This is bad, so very very bad. What time do we hit the streets????????
Yeah, I agree that our own insurrectionist is itching to take away all of our civil rights for any excuse or for none and is chipping away at them now. As for specifically using the military against us, I do cringe every time he uses the word "invasion" when talking about immigration or "the enemy from within" because I don't think he's using it by accident and is referencing the laws that cite that specific term as one justification for invoking martial law. I think he's priming the public for when he does it for bogus reasons. So absolutely the threat is always there and is probably inevitable to be honest since now that he's gotten a taste of calling the military to the border as his way of telling us that yeah he'll use them, I don't think that will be the last time he'll do it. Which is why I think our power is in our numbers, in mass demonstrations, mass strikes, mass actions that would overwhelm anything he'd try to do and the sooner the better before he guts the military leadership and rank and file of members who would not carry out his orders against the citizenry, which he's doing right now. Looking to South Koreans certainly is a cautionary tale for sure, but I think they also provide inspiration for our own actions. They got everyone out into the streets immediately after the proclamation and successfully stopped the police from blocking their representatives from convening to overturn the decree and now that president is an ex-president and sits in jail awaiting trial on insurrectionism charges. Fingers crossed we will do the same when it happens or, better yet, before and that we get the same outcome.
Thank you Jared. I too am extremely anxious, angry and depressed. My hardest challenge is not spiraling out imagining the worst case scenarios of the dismantling of our federal government and the fascist takeover.
I need to take more time to disengage, meditate and exercise. That this is happening in the short, dark and cold days of winter makes it tougher for me. In the Spring, Summer and Fall I'd be out in the forests or kayaking; which is a huge spiritual solace for me.
For actions I've called my Democratic Senators (New Hampshire) and wrote a flyer I sent to friends and people on my lists, asking them to forward on.
Best to you and everyone reading these comments. We're not alone.
I can’t grasp much more than to repeatedly impeach Trump and plan a tax revolt for 2026. Humanistic governing isn’t the goal, cruelty is. Trump doesn’t want disabled people to live, hungry children to be fed. He and his enablers want neglect, abuse, and death. “Mother Nature” is the only “war” man should fight. This is about mere survival. I’m sorry to be so stark. I do appreciate all the ideas and strategies. I have a community-of-like-minds meeting today. Love❤️ and peace ☮️ to all.
I have been forcing myself to go for runs. I know my mile 2-3 I will start to enjoy it. I am trying to spend time with friends. All of us are grieving and scared. The suspension of Grants hurt so many of my friend’s livelihood. Every one I know is looking for work because Trump is destabilizing their jobs. My own job waited until the day after Inauguration Day to announce another restructuring and layoff. This is our second in less than 6 months. I am the union rep for my workers. The amplified cruelty towards the workforce struggling to keep it together paired with the corporate delight that Trump policies will help them is one most disturbing and disgusting things I have ever witnessed. I may not have a job in 2-4 months. We have severe austerity as it is all to please the shareholders. They tell us this constantly. I am glad to hear you have a dog. You sound like you are suffering at times. I am glad you are not alone. All the best, Jared. Hugs.
I feel like I live in an alternate universe where all day while working nothing horrible is happening, no one talks about it, then bam, at 5pm, it all comes crashing in.
The counter-balance, I'm thinking, seems like a shadow government that speaks up daily, reliably, speaking to the day's events voicing what an Administration has done and bills that could pass and programs protected - that this is what an administration does who thinks government can be good and we have an amazing opportunity, though, fleeting, to continue to build a strong middle class, here.
Jared I have heard the sadness and despair in your voice worsening in the past couple of Substacks, if there is anything we can do as your listeners please reach out. It could be $$$, an ear or just a break but whatever you need it is ok, you are so important to our community and democracy
I can’t sleep more than 2-3 hours so I read or listen. I am doing all of these things. I didn’t before because I was scared. I’m still scared but I won’t be silent anymore. Your voice is soothing. Maybe I can sleep now. Take care.
This morning, in desperation to figure out the WHY to explain this barrage of seemingly random acts of madness Jared warns us we must prepare for continuing and intensifying, I found and read this post, tinyurl.com/bde5ej5m . And, gasp, there it was – the why of it and the where this is headed next – the manifesto and overarching plan (though not all of it) as conceived and written by the puppet master of the current VP. Spare yourself some brain cells and skip down to the section entitled “The bareback...” and stop at “On myths...” Warning: You will not be the least bit consoled at knowing this, quite the contrary. But maybe, just maybe having this piece of context and knowing its intended consequences and the steps they have in mind to effectuate them, which we are watching with numbifying horror being executed, this information could potentially serve as a clarifying mechanism for awakening us from our completely justified collective out-of-body reaction to this onslaught and move us toward how we might indeed be able to unify and mobilize behind a strategically targeted, proactive, and tangible counteroffensive of “a walkout, a strike, protests, something” that Jared so achingly spoke of. And, oh boy, he's so right, we gotta act fast. More coffee, I'm gonna need much more coffee.
I felt the panic Jared, I reached out in a vulnerable way. Many people in my community responded in a frightening manner, and when it all comes down they are going to be fully on board with the camps. The good news is several people are also scared and I have made some new contacts to build upon. I’m retired, so while appreciate you speaking about what to do in the work place please don’t forget about us.
Hang in there, friend. You are necessary to the cause. Take care of yourself. Go to a meeting, call a friend. Do not try to do it alone.
From a paid subscriber- I’m interested in your thoughts but I’ll tell you I am very low dosage on political audio right now so if you are able to post a transcript that would be a huge help. Otherwise, I continue to appreciate the written posts, thank you.
I find the midwestern dialect comforting for some reason but hear you. I’m down to only a couple of podcasters I listen to now.
Dear Jared. something that helps me-because I tend to ruminate when I'm out walking- is to notice even One thing in nature: a weird kind of moss, the way a particular tree grows, a patch of mist in a hollow. This id just small but it helps.
In thinking about how to prepare especially in light of very recent events and to stop suffering from a failure of imagination, I just scared myself. Cuz, not really all that hypothetically, what could a rising authoritarian, bent on bringing the entire citizenry to heel and punishing those who resist, do with: 1) gutted and refitted with loyalists FBI surveillance capabilities; 2) all our other data from social media of everything we click, interact with, post, at the ready compliments of the tech broligarchy inner circle; 3) the keys to the Treasury it is intent on controlling including its payment system that Leon made a grab for yesterday which disperses among other things stuff to ordinary folks like Social Security, tax refunds, you get the idea; and 4) that same tech broligarchy's world's best AI capabilities to analyze and generate lists connecting the data of our lives including our loyalty or not to said authoritarian, our gender identification, sexual orientation, allyships, religious beliefs, etc. to any of our upcoming federal disbursements in the payment system? Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Very scary post, yet outcomes we must avoid.
An update. Things are even worse than I thought. From https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-1-2025
"This afternoon, Wyden posted that he has been told that Bessent has given the Department of Government Efficiency full access to the [payment] system. 'Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, payments to government contractors, including those that compete directly with Musk's own companies. All of it.'
Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo posted: 'This is more or less like taking the gold from Fort Knox and putting it in Elons basement. Anyone who gets a check from soc[ial] sec[urity] or anything else[,] he can cut it off or see all y[ou]r personal and financial data.' Pundit Stuart Stevens called it 'the most significant data leak in cyber history.'”
And Musk also has at his immediate disposal nearly two decades worth of user data from Twitter/X plus he runs his own AI company, xAI, that includes Grok which trains on data, including live data, directly from users' tweets. This is bad, so very very bad. What time do we hit the streets????????
We hit the streets, how long before he calls martial law? Are we going to be like South Korea?
Yeah, I agree that our own insurrectionist is itching to take away all of our civil rights for any excuse or for none and is chipping away at them now. As for specifically using the military against us, I do cringe every time he uses the word "invasion" when talking about immigration or "the enemy from within" because I don't think he's using it by accident and is referencing the laws that cite that specific term as one justification for invoking martial law. I think he's priming the public for when he does it for bogus reasons. So absolutely the threat is always there and is probably inevitable to be honest since now that he's gotten a taste of calling the military to the border as his way of telling us that yeah he'll use them, I don't think that will be the last time he'll do it. Which is why I think our power is in our numbers, in mass demonstrations, mass strikes, mass actions that would overwhelm anything he'd try to do and the sooner the better before he guts the military leadership and rank and file of members who would not carry out his orders against the citizenry, which he's doing right now. Looking to South Koreans certainly is a cautionary tale for sure, but I think they also provide inspiration for our own actions. They got everyone out into the streets immediately after the proclamation and successfully stopped the police from blocking their representatives from convening to overturn the decree and now that president is an ex-president and sits in jail awaiting trial on insurrectionism charges. Fingers crossed we will do the same when it happens or, better yet, before and that we get the same outcome.
I hope you’re right. I’m just not 100% sure we have representation. And I hope I’m wrong.
Thank you Jared. I too am extremely anxious, angry and depressed. My hardest challenge is not spiraling out imagining the worst case scenarios of the dismantling of our federal government and the fascist takeover.
I need to take more time to disengage, meditate and exercise. That this is happening in the short, dark and cold days of winter makes it tougher for me. In the Spring, Summer and Fall I'd be out in the forests or kayaking; which is a huge spiritual solace for me.
For actions I've called my Democratic Senators (New Hampshire) and wrote a flyer I sent to friends and people on my lists, asking them to forward on.
Best to you and everyone reading these comments. We're not alone.
Try to exercise however you can. Winter is the hardest but it really helps. Even in short spurts.
I can’t grasp much more than to repeatedly impeach Trump and plan a tax revolt for 2026. Humanistic governing isn’t the goal, cruelty is. Trump doesn’t want disabled people to live, hungry children to be fed. He and his enablers want neglect, abuse, and death. “Mother Nature” is the only “war” man should fight. This is about mere survival. I’m sorry to be so stark. I do appreciate all the ideas and strategies. I have a community-of-like-minds meeting today. Love❤️ and peace ☮️ to all.
so thankful for you Jared. We need you so much. I know it takes a lot out of you but you are making a huge difference. <3
I have been forcing myself to go for runs. I know my mile 2-3 I will start to enjoy it. I am trying to spend time with friends. All of us are grieving and scared. The suspension of Grants hurt so many of my friend’s livelihood. Every one I know is looking for work because Trump is destabilizing their jobs. My own job waited until the day after Inauguration Day to announce another restructuring and layoff. This is our second in less than 6 months. I am the union rep for my workers. The amplified cruelty towards the workforce struggling to keep it together paired with the corporate delight that Trump policies will help them is one most disturbing and disgusting things I have ever witnessed. I may not have a job in 2-4 months. We have severe austerity as it is all to please the shareholders. They tell us this constantly. I am glad to hear you have a dog. You sound like you are suffering at times. I am glad you are not alone. All the best, Jared. Hugs.
https://substack.com/@rbdgeologist1/note/c-89646006
https://substack.com/@rbdgeologist1/note/c-88701781