by Joe Courter
Welcome to a coup whose goal seems to be the dismantling of the social order based on empathy. The practices that allowed a flawed but vibrant democracy to succeed are being cast aside by a zealous gang of uber-wealthy oligarchs and their ideological acolytes. They have come in hard and fast, overwhelming us with everything all at once. These are stunning, historical times as we witness the crass and cavalier shattering of accepted norms of governing.
From this little platform in the Iguana we’d pointed out the dangers, alerting people to Project 2025, repeatedly said “Democracy is fragile,” and we expressed our discomfort at a Democratic Party more willing to compromise than fight the attacks from the Right. Back in September I wrote about the potential problem of non-voters and folks disillusioned with the system. I had no crystal ball, but a gut feeling that the onslaught of attacks from the Right and poor messaging from the Democrats were having an effect.
So what’s to be done? Number one for everyone is to not give up hope, because we will need help in turning this (hopefully) unsustainable attack on our way of life around, and then later beginning a recovery. Each of us are going to be impacted at varied levels, and those of us less threatened by the coming changes need to be there for the others who are impacted more. Try not to be all doomy, as bad as things seem.
By all means curate your news and information sources. Limit your corporate news intake with its repetitive minute-by-minute bytes of distractions and attention-grabbing outrages. There is massive normalization of the coup as it is being covered by major outlets. Seek news coverage of the varied ways people are fighting back and find inspiration there. Did you see where the National Parks Service people hung a U.S. flag upside down at the top of El Capitan as a symbol of the country’s distressed state? Or the thousands of immigration supporters who lined the bridges over the highway in Texas? Or the big Presidents’ Day demonstrations in cities all over the country? (See a glimpse of ours on page 13.)
Pay attention to our elected people like AOC, Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy, Melanie Stansbury, and Jasmine Crockett, or labor unions, student organizations, and national organizations trying to make an impact like 50501, or locally Women for Democracy. Try to find and use current event analysis from places like we list on page 21. Use your own keyboard to share relevant information to others. But then TURN IT OFF! Get outside and recreate, leave the house to find others for either friendship, socializing, or organizing. Support your local farmer’s markets, go to museums, bookstores, libraries, get out for live music at any number of venues we have in town.
If you have time and inclination you can join and/or support local organizations like Alachua County Labor Coalition, National Women’s Liberation, League of Women Voters, the Alachua County Democratic Party, UF Young Democratic Socialists, the Pride Center, or whoever appeals to you. Even become a bit more political with whoever you may be affiliated with, from churches to bowling leagues, your co-workers or your neighbors. Be more informed. Be positive in your outlook, and you may be the voice that helps others feel better about the mess these folks are making of our country, and in that way build resistance and eventual recovery.
Trump was the tool used to make this happen, a self-promoting celebrity for whom truth does not matter. This coup has been long in the making, way longer than most of us realize. Briefly: when Franklin Roosevelt pushed through the New Deal in the ’30s, the wealthy and the racist found common cause in opposing it. That simmered below the surface under the guise of anti-communism through the ’50s and ’60s. But the coup really got its start in the ’80s under Reagan: the attacks on labor unions and the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, from which grew Rush Limbaugh and Right Wing talk radio, followed in the ’90s with Fox News and harshly adversarial politics promoted by Newt Gingrich. Corporations grew mightily, aided by banking laws that facilitated their unchecked growth, and corporate news media became driven by profits over truth and public service. The culmination, though, was the Supreme Court swinging hard Right after Trump won in 2016. With Project 2025 they had their plan, and winning in 2024 gave them the keys. So, as I said, here we are …