I don’t know how this ended up in my feed, but I love it. I have been trying full time to bring down a fascist regime since May and I have failed every single day. It weighs on me because I’m not used to failure. Glad other people are feeling the same weight.
These are things that have occupied my mind for quite some time. Thank you for writing this. I am still hopeful that a critical mass of people will rise up and fight for what is right. Who knows, as desperation becomes more prevalent among more people, the conditions may ripen for a total rejection of the status quo for something more equitable for everyone.
I felt good when I provided money for food for Minneapolis children who were afraid to leave their homes. I wondered if one of them was named Anne Frank.
We can all throw sand in the gears of the empire on a daily basis. Haven’t watched TV in 8 yrs. I buy DVDs at thrift stores. Don’t travel where a hotel is required. Buy as many things I need for life from swap meets and garage sales. Only do online things I want. Don't shop for food at big box stores. Only eat at local restaurants and pay cash.
I think it is worse than just no one knowing that there is no way to change the system without risking everything you’ve got, I think more know, now more than ever, that you could sacrifice everything & still not change the system…
A. Razor, we must never forget the names of all the people executed by this filthy criminal regime. Must in the same way 9/11 victims were remembered…these people must be too.
I agree, but I will also say that I memorialize a list of names that died at the hands or by the institutional process of each regime prior that led to this one since Nixon, the folks I had to personally grieve in the moment they taken away forever & it almost happened to me more times than I can count accurately anymore, so I will never forget those who are being eliminated now, but I been burying folks who stand up to this a long time, I remember because I’ve seen what it’s like to have the world forget, I know how bad deep the pain can get over the decades, I know a lot of folks are just terrified & being hit with these feelings & asking these questions for the first time right now & it’s got a lot of folks on their back heels, I don’t fault them for that, this time I think it will not be redirected or swept under the rug so easily, idk, I hope that we are reaching a point where all these sacrifices will begin to mean more & lead to some change that is not as easily overturned as the slight changes that were made before in my lifetime, so I do see your point, I am feeling all of this right now & trying not to be overwhelmed myself, protecting myself with all the built up scar tissue from previous years & decades, I am understanding of folks who express to me how overwhelmed they are & I hold my ‘I told you so’s’ to a minimum, I try to find ways to be of service to the moment with what lil’ light I got left to give…sorry for running on…it’s been a long one & moving forward toward a real change is the most important thing, of that I am certain, many thanks for your words…
I love this piece, thanks for sharing. It's a reminder that being human is ok, but also a reminder that unless we *can* all find a way to do more then it's not going to be enough.
Pair this with the classic: "It always seems impossible until it's done". And the fact of social contagion. You cannot know which action you take (or anyone takes) will be key to propagation of great change that can completely turn the tides.
With a system like this I'm afraid that things will have to get worse and worse until there's enough people with the impression there's nothing else to lose, but who knows. That's the heartbreak of it all. The futility of the self destruction is clear. The futility of the greed. Those most closely resembling the drivers of this giant violent machine will NEVER have enough.
Forgive me, for I'm about to sin, but they are, in fact, cancer. It is common rhetorically to call ones political enemies cancer but here it is actually apt. There is a small subpopulation that has exempted themselves from the rules, and rigged the system to funnel as much of everything to them, so they simply can have more. But they will never have enough, because they don't want anything. They simply want more. They don't even "have" the things they already have, as they could spend lifetimes with their largess, but to them, it is more. The disease of more. And it can indeed kill us all. But the ideal for them, as cancer, would be to do something we cannot do in biology - teach the cells how to see they have enough, they can go right back to following the same rules all the other cells do. No need for dangerous, violent, chemotherapy, radiation and surgery that can kill the healthy just as well.
Everything you say is true. We change the world miccroscopically vto be more aware of ine another. "The greatrst pilgrimage is to solace the sorrowing soul. " Baha'i Writings. (At 87, this is my longest stay 23 days in a hospital) made joyous by the staff at Kaiser Sunset. !they are beyond fabulous. Blessings to all e
Thank you, Jessica. Powerful and poignant, as always. I think of these words by Chris Hedges very often: "I don't fight fascists because I think I will win. I fight fascists because they are fascists." To me, this quote helps me understand three things: I have to do my best in the fight for justice; my best may never be good enough to accomplish the ends I desire; and I have to keep going regarldess.
Hi Jessica, you did a post about 1-2 years ago about all that happened in the Biden admin to dismantle all things Covid. I cannot for the life of me find it in my Jessica email folder or searching in Substack for it. Can you point me to it please? It was seriously one of the pieces you've written I think about the most (in addition to Dec 2024 Cassandra piece in which my therapist also became a subscriber). I'd like to use it for some research I am doing for leading a group in our community in MN as we are mobilizing. TIA!
I don’t know how this ended up in my feed, but I love it. I have been trying full time to bring down a fascist regime since May and I have failed every single day. It weighs on me because I’m not used to failure. Glad other people are feeling the same weight.
These are things that have occupied my mind for quite some time. Thank you for writing this. I am still hopeful that a critical mass of people will rise up and fight for what is right. Who knows, as desperation becomes more prevalent among more people, the conditions may ripen for a total rejection of the status quo for something more equitable for everyone.
I felt good when I provided money for food for Minneapolis children who were afraid to leave their homes. I wondered if one of them was named Anne Frank.
I agree with the author, little things we do for individuals are greatly underestimated. ❤️
A simple “thank you”. Some days all I can do is know the truth, and keep drilling down on it. Be well, Jessica.
We can all throw sand in the gears of the empire on a daily basis. Haven’t watched TV in 8 yrs. I buy DVDs at thrift stores. Don’t travel where a hotel is required. Buy as many things I need for life from swap meets and garage sales. Only do online things I want. Don't shop for food at big box stores. Only eat at local restaurants and pay cash.
That is quite comforting, thanks!
Jessica, I admire your thinking and your putting your thoughts into words. There aren't many writers here I can consistently say that about.
Thanks for this essay.
I think it is worse than just no one knowing that there is no way to change the system without risking everything you’ve got, I think more know, now more than ever, that you could sacrifice everything & still not change the system…
A. Razor, we must never forget the names of all the people executed by this filthy criminal regime. Must in the same way 9/11 victims were remembered…these people must be too.
I agree, but I will also say that I memorialize a list of names that died at the hands or by the institutional process of each regime prior that led to this one since Nixon, the folks I had to personally grieve in the moment they taken away forever & it almost happened to me more times than I can count accurately anymore, so I will never forget those who are being eliminated now, but I been burying folks who stand up to this a long time, I remember because I’ve seen what it’s like to have the world forget, I know how bad deep the pain can get over the decades, I know a lot of folks are just terrified & being hit with these feelings & asking these questions for the first time right now & it’s got a lot of folks on their back heels, I don’t fault them for that, this time I think it will not be redirected or swept under the rug so easily, idk, I hope that we are reaching a point where all these sacrifices will begin to mean more & lead to some change that is not as easily overturned as the slight changes that were made before in my lifetime, so I do see your point, I am feeling all of this right now & trying not to be overwhelmed myself, protecting myself with all the built up scar tissue from previous years & decades, I am understanding of folks who express to me how overwhelmed they are & I hold my ‘I told you so’s’ to a minimum, I try to find ways to be of service to the moment with what lil’ light I got left to give…sorry for running on…it’s been a long one & moving forward toward a real change is the most important thing, of that I am certain, many thanks for your words…
I blocked a bot. Best I could do today.
I love this piece, thanks for sharing. It's a reminder that being human is ok, but also a reminder that unless we *can* all find a way to do more then it's not going to be enough.
Great words needed to be heard by all of us. Thank you!
Pair this with the classic: "It always seems impossible until it's done". And the fact of social contagion. You cannot know which action you take (or anyone takes) will be key to propagation of great change that can completely turn the tides.
With a system like this I'm afraid that things will have to get worse and worse until there's enough people with the impression there's nothing else to lose, but who knows. That's the heartbreak of it all. The futility of the self destruction is clear. The futility of the greed. Those most closely resembling the drivers of this giant violent machine will NEVER have enough.
Forgive me, for I'm about to sin, but they are, in fact, cancer. It is common rhetorically to call ones political enemies cancer but here it is actually apt. There is a small subpopulation that has exempted themselves from the rules, and rigged the system to funnel as much of everything to them, so they simply can have more. But they will never have enough, because they don't want anything. They simply want more. They don't even "have" the things they already have, as they could spend lifetimes with their largess, but to them, it is more. The disease of more. And it can indeed kill us all. But the ideal for them, as cancer, would be to do something we cannot do in biology - teach the cells how to see they have enough, they can go right back to following the same rules all the other cells do. No need for dangerous, violent, chemotherapy, radiation and surgery that can kill the healthy just as well.
Everything you say is true. We change the world miccroscopically vto be more aware of ine another. "The greatrst pilgrimage is to solace the sorrowing soul. " Baha'i Writings. (At 87, this is my longest stay 23 days in a hospital) made joyous by the staff at Kaiser Sunset. !they are beyond fabulous. Blessings to all e
Reminds me of a comment a teacher wrote after marking an essay of mine at school: must try harder.
Thank you, Jessica. Powerful and poignant, as always. I think of these words by Chris Hedges very often: "I don't fight fascists because I think I will win. I fight fascists because they are fascists." To me, this quote helps me understand three things: I have to do my best in the fight for justice; my best may never be good enough to accomplish the ends I desire; and I have to keep going regarldess.
Hi Jessica, you did a post about 1-2 years ago about all that happened in the Biden admin to dismantle all things Covid. I cannot for the life of me find it in my Jessica email folder or searching in Substack for it. Can you point me to it please? It was seriously one of the pieces you've written I think about the most (in addition to Dec 2024 Cassandra piece in which my therapist also became a subscriber). I'd like to use it for some research I am doing for leading a group in our community in MN as we are mobilizing. TIA!