I don’t think he was a scapegoat, in that he legitimately felt like the government shouldn’t have a role in helping the public during the depression and that in general government intervention was not a great idea. And then he called the army on the Bonus army marchers when they came to DC to demand their pensions early.
I do know he had been popular in part due to his work organizing famine relief in Soviet Union… Americans saw him as a smart, kind person. But that changed when all he really did when the depression started was to ask business leaders not to fire people and to help organize relief efforts. Which, they didn’t do that, because it wasn’t in their business interests. I don’t think his lack of action was out of cruelty or not caring about the public, but out of an ideology that understood these sorts of crashes as “natural forces” that needed to play out… That’s BS, of course, but it was pretty mainstream thinking among business elites.
I’m not surprised he was asked for help on the Marshall plan, as it seems like organizing big projects was totally in his wheel house…
It’s a little like this very forum, isn’t it? You and I were living the lifestyle for years, and now all of a sudden here are a whole bunch of people who’ve just discovered this option and are eagerly joining the group!
Are they agents provocateurs? Who knows? Instagram is so full of fake accounts.
I just want to remind people to be careful of what they write and what they out there on the wider internet. Trump has vowed revenge against “enemies from within,” and social media has proven itself to be a great way to collect information on people.
I remember a family friend who was politically active during the late sixties who said something like “If anyone suggested violence, we just assumed they were FBI.”
If they are genuine people expressing that belief, they’re pretty oblivious to the situation we’re in. Trump going away won’t magically make half of America no longer fascists. It’s very likely Trump’s end will happen due to natural causes any day, yet there’s no reassurance to be found there. Maybe if the right-wing assassin that winged him had been successful it would have changed the outcome of the election, but considering how eager America seems to have been to abandon all reason and decency, maybe even Vance would have been victorious.
I think the 4B movement is a great idea, but I’m not fond of the disgusting amount of transphobia in the original South Korean 4B movement. The western version needs to cut that part out.
What I desperately need right now is an emotional/mental survival strategy. I’m already falling apart - I fear the stress might end me before Trump even takes office, even before things turn really bad. I developed all sorts of stress-related ailments the first time, and this is not only so much worse, all my old coping mechanisms don’t work. So much of it was based on hope, such that the more awful Trump was, the more hopeful I was - that he’d be impeached, that people (outside this core supporters, anyways) would be forced to see how horrible he is and reject him, that his incompetence would thwart his intentions, and towards the end, that he’d be voted out. Even doomscrolling on Twitter helped, because it created the illusion that all these things were true. Obviously, now absolutely none of that works. I’m at a loss - my temporary strategy is just to avoid the news and find something to keep me from thinking about it, pretending it’s not happening. That can’t last, and isn’t particularly constructive.
Same for me. Had my bloodwork rechecked to compare to 6 months ago, and a few things are noticeably up. The only change has been the steadily increasing stress of living in almost constant freeze-fight-flight mode, both from the election lead-up/results and shit in my personal life. I don’t know how to step out of this. I really feel for you; we’re in the same reality.
If I may make a couple suggestions in this area, I have made a conscious decision to help people I can help, with what I have and where I am. I am currently plotting out my garden and orchard for next spring with a focus on our local food bank. We are trying very hard with our youngest, who has sunk into despair over this, and working to turn her sadness to anger. Do not give them what they want. They want folks like us (and especially her) to vanish. I will not, and we are working with her to make as sure as we can that she does not either. I view just being and continuing as a fist in the face of the fascists. Anyone I can help just makes it all that much better. I am still dealing with the grief, but I feel more anger than sadness now. I can use anger. I can use my privilege to help those who have less. And there is a ton I cannot do, I recognize this. But I will choose to focus on what I can do. And hope that there are many other folks who are also doing what they can where they are. It adds up. I have to believe that. Because the other choice is despair. I went there during covid, I won’t go back there.
I would never consider being anti-queer/trans. My only nibling is nonbinary and their damned mother (my bro’s ex-wife) supports trump. because her damned 2d husband does.
They live near fowlervillte, google it, it will infuriate and comfort you. trust me on that.
Surviving is enough. If you can do more, great. But all you need to do is survive.
I’ve been a avoiding a lot of the news. Trying hard to check only here and Wonkette and Jezebel. It’s really hard, I’ve been online and news crawling way too much.
I’ve been doing yoga, even just 15 minutes of breathing and stretching.
I’ve been reaching out to people I love. Purposefully not discussing the news. Talking about books or my kid or our cats.
I’ve been filling the time I was using to look at news doing chores, reading books, watching anime, playing with the cats, crafting.
I’ve been discussing small discreet changes we can make to our household to save money with my spouse.
I’ve been eating more veggies and fruit.
There is so much more I feel I need to do. But I don’t have the spoons and I keep telling myself it’s ok. Because it is ok.
If I ever have the bandwidth for more, I’ll do more. Right now tho, it’s about survival and refusing to give these fucking assholes my misery.
excellent work and advice.
i am struggling, but finding myself disengaging with online newsfeeds, but for the ones you mention, and a couple more that lean hard progressive.
crafting lets me expend some pent-up anger and emotion, too. it seems that, in trying to maintain my neutral storytelling of Conch history, i have painted myself into a corner that prohibits me from taking more of a stand, politically.
i would not jeopardize my recipients by making the rage i feel an open resource that could make their lives somehow more dangerous.
yet i continue to make the “nice” cards, and i hope they can be a friendly distraction in the meantime.
getting stoned and loving cats.
right now, that’s all i got. that is getting me further along in dealing than being in public. at least they [kittehs] listen to my whinging without trying to explain it away.
My pen pal - and I mean actual pen and paper - died last March. I had known her since 4th grade (1974), and we reconnected on FB. I miss her; we’d just gotten back in touch maybe 9 months before she died.
Presently, I interact with more people online than I do IRL. This both disturbs and soothes me. How important is it to keep in touch with others outside one’s “territory” when both of ya are tryin’ to just make it day by day?
I only know of one of “us” in close proximity to me, but if I can be a resource for us, sing out. I am willing to help in whatever way I can. Belle has some very good points, and doing something is both a way to feel better about our own future and gently (or not) extend the appropriate digit to the assholes who think they have won.
out there on the wider internet. Trump has vowed revenge against “enemies from within,” and social media has proven itself to be a great way to collect information on people.
