Hi Karin, I loved your excellent article and only recently realized a truth about the Ne tasks study -/ that the knowledgeable are not in panic nor do they vs those that are interested and engaged but not as knowledgeable (like me at times) can easily get overwhelmed, triggered, panicked. Knowledge and power is so much more appealing. :D
On another note, I’m curious to know all the positive things that are being accomplished.
Have you seen this video clip? From the J6’er with the horns (at least I think that’s him) but the research he discusses (and misuses or misinterprets for his own ends) is just as hopeful for our cause Re: the small % of the population needed to “break the bubble” of a larger mass of people who’ve been consumed by propaganda. It’s a short clip.
Hi Karin. Just read this via a Freddie DeBoer link. I agree. Before the election happened, I told myself that if Trump wins again, I'm taking a more stoic approach than last time.
So far, it's working! I pay enough attention to generally understand what's going on, but I seriously limit the breathless panicky commentary. Good Lord does that stuff ever have an effect on me.
I also took Facebook off my phone. That will be desktop-computer-only for the foreseeable future.
Thanks for writing! And linking the "Panic Benefits Trump" article, too. These are the things I want to say, too. I'm hoping to use my blog to take this approach, but in a way the self-described "centrists" and "moderates" (and even those who might've voted for Trump) can read and digest, too. I'm grateful for blogs like yours that are doing the work from all these other directions, all our voices are needed. <3
Aw, thank you!! I'm so so new on here. :) But at the same time, I feel like my whole life has been preparing me for this moment and these thoughts have been in my brain for YEARS! So excited to put them down and see where they go. <3 (And couldn't think of a better time to take a big, scary, risky action if it could at all move the needle)
Thank you. As a psychic I saw this crap coming for a mile, but nobody seemed to care or would listen - "I don't want anybody to give away my money to someone else 💰💰💰... and the cost of eggs!..." As an empath it's equally painful to feel the collective angst and distress of people that have been fired as well as those that have had services cut off. All because a million or so people decided to vote for that abomination in the White House. The right thing to do would be to arrest scrooge, his billionaire sidekick, and congrssional reps, for violating the oath of office and existing laws, but clearly that's not happening either. 😓
IMHO he is accomplishing great things that no one before him has been able to do. Taking positive things and spinning them into negative things isn’t a skill. It’s a shame.
Hi Liberty Wire, thanks for your comment. You’re right. There’s no benefit to spinning positive things into negative ones. It seems as long as Trump accomplishes things you approve of, you support his actions, is that right?
He has built up a lot of credit with me over many years. I read a couple of his first books. They helped me to see some things in the world I didn’t know. So if he screws up, I’ll give him a pardon.
Democracy works best when we can trust our leaders to do the right things. If you feel Trump has a history of making good decisions, it makes sense for you to trust him going forward. Along those lines, out of curiosity, how much do you trust him to do the right thing? 80%? 90%? 100%?
Ironically I did most of the things outlined in your post here Karin to cope as I observed Obamacare and Common Core transfigure healthcare and education.
I must confess to feeling completely defeated, especially in 2013 when Obama was elected a second time.
I believe our Republic will be stronger, healthier, and more vibrant after these next four years of President Trumps policies.
As a scientist whose research is being cut and terminated because I focus on inclusion and improving the lives of children with disabilities and as a mother of a trans teenager, I cannot see any way this will be better for my family. I hope you are right that our country will be better, but I’m afraid your “better” will be at the expensive of a lot of good people’s lives.
Hi Anne, I’m so sorry to hear about the cut to your research funding and the negative impact the administration is having on your family. I think it’s important to be specific when we talk about what’s happening. Can you tell us more about your research and how the loss of funding will affect the project? Thank you.
I study health inequalities for children with rare neurogenetic conditions and I work for an NGO that supports USAID efforts. The elimination of projects that have anything to do with diversity will seriously compromise my work and the company is losing hundreds of brilliant scientists and staff because of this.
Hi Anne, thanks for the additional information. Can you tell us more about the specific children who will be harmed by these cuts? What kinds of neurogenetic conditions do you study? Again, I think it’s really important to let the public know that there are real people who will suffer because of what the administration is doing.
I work with individuals who have rare genetic conditions that cause significant cognitive and behavioral disabilities as well as multiple medical issues. There are promising genetic treatments on the horizon that have the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for these individuals. But there are inequalities in knowledge and access to genetic diagnostic services (e.g Black, Spanish-speaking, rural families have less access). My work is trying to close that gap, but it is also now considered a DEI initiative and is at risk of losing funding.
The kids I work with also rely on IEPs or 504 plans to help them learn and gain important life skills—these are being threatened by the dismantling of the department of education. These individuals also rely on Medicaid to help them with the many medical and support services they need to maintain a reasonable quality of life. That is also now at risk from this administration.
The organization I work for is a non profit institute that focuses on improving life for people around the world by bringing scientific findings to the people who can most benefit. But hundreds of scientists were just laid off because of the termination of projects funded by USAID and the threat to cut indirect costs for federal grants will force us to massively reduce the work we do even more.
On a more personal level, my beautiful 15 year old just came out of the hospital after being suicidal as a result of the horrible rhetoric around and complete erasure of trans people. She came out in the last year and was final starting to find her voice, but now feels terrified.
So I’m sorry that I cannot see how any of this will lead to a better world for the people most important to me.
Hi Jenny, thanks for sharing your experience. The skills Smart Politics teaches are universal so it makes sense that you’ve found them helpful too. I’m glad you are successfully balancing your mental wellbeing with your political activism. Hopefully more Americans across the political spectrum will do the same.
"Authoritarian leaders thrive on chaos and fear because when people feel overwhelmed, they are less likely to organize, resist, and fight back effectively. When we refuse to be emotionally hijacked, we deny them that power." Love this. And also everything else you said. Thank you.
Hi Erin, thanks for your comment. I’m guessing you replied without reading the article. That’s okay, I get why it would be triggering if you think I’m minimizing the threat posed by the administration. As soon as I saw your profile, though, I knew we’d be on the same page. Four decades as a critical care R.N.?!! Amazing! You know more than anyone the importance of not panicking in moments of crisis. When we panic, mistakes get made and people get unnecessarily hurt. It’s the same with politics. We have to keep our wits about us so we act as strategically and effectively as possible to stop these authoritarian wannabes from destroying our nation. Peace.
Hi Karin, I loved your excellent article and only recently realized a truth about the Ne tasks study -/ that the knowledgeable are not in panic nor do they vs those that are interested and engaged but not as knowledgeable (like me at times) can easily get overwhelmed, triggered, panicked. Knowledge and power is so much more appealing. :D
On another note, I’m curious to know all the positive things that are being accomplished.
https://open.substack.com/pub/eko/p/kill-switch?r=p6qrn&utm_medium=ios
Have you seen this video clip? From the J6’er with the horns (at least I think that’s him) but the research he discusses (and misuses or misinterprets for his own ends) is just as hopeful for our cause Re: the small % of the population needed to “break the bubble” of a larger mass of people who’ve been consumed by propaganda. It’s a short clip.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AGfMyM2Pn/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Hi Louise, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t watch it because I no longer have a Facebook account. Do you have an alternative link?
No. But it appears it was on TikTok. He’s talking about “Neurolinguistic programming” and “mass formation psychosis.”
Google searching I came up with an article crediting Joe Rogan first (?) discussing it.
Also this:
https://www.nepsy.com/articles/leading-stories/what-is-mass-formation-psychosis-is-it-like-mass-hysteria-or-mass-delusion/
Hi Karin. Just read this via a Freddie DeBoer link. I agree. Before the election happened, I told myself that if Trump wins again, I'm taking a more stoic approach than last time.
So far, it's working! I pay enough attention to generally understand what's going on, but I seriously limit the breathless panicky commentary. Good Lord does that stuff ever have an effect on me.
I also took Facebook off my phone. That will be desktop-computer-only for the foreseeable future.
Hi KW, that’s great to hear. I hope more people follow your example.💙
Thanks for writing! And linking the "Panic Benefits Trump" article, too. These are the things I want to say, too. I'm hoping to use my blog to take this approach, but in a way the self-described "centrists" and "moderates" (and even those who might've voted for Trump) can read and digest, too. I'm grateful for blogs like yours that are doing the work from all these other directions, all our voices are needed. <3
That’s terrific! I couldn’t agree more. Subscribing now.
Aw, thank you!! I'm so so new on here. :) But at the same time, I feel like my whole life has been preparing me for this moment and these thoughts have been in my brain for YEARS! So excited to put them down and see where they go. <3 (And couldn't think of a better time to take a big, scary, risky action if it could at all move the needle)
Thank you. As a psychic I saw this crap coming for a mile, but nobody seemed to care or would listen - "I don't want anybody to give away my money to someone else 💰💰💰... and the cost of eggs!..." As an empath it's equally painful to feel the collective angst and distress of people that have been fired as well as those that have had services cut off. All because a million or so people decided to vote for that abomination in the White House. The right thing to do would be to arrest scrooge, his billionaire sidekick, and congrssional reps, for violating the oath of office and existing laws, but clearly that's not happening either. 😓
IMHO he is accomplishing great things that no one before him has been able to do. Taking positive things and spinning them into negative things isn’t a skill. It’s a shame.
Hi Liberty Wire, thanks for your comment. You’re right. There’s no benefit to spinning positive things into negative ones. It seems as long as Trump accomplishes things you approve of, you support his actions, is that right?
He has built up a lot of credit with me over many years. I read a couple of his first books. They helped me to see some things in the world I didn’t know. So if he screws up, I’ll give him a pardon.
Democracy works best when we can trust our leaders to do the right things. If you feel Trump has a history of making good decisions, it makes sense for you to trust him going forward. Along those lines, out of curiosity, how much do you trust him to do the right thing? 80%? 90%? 100%?
When President Obama came into power in 2009 I was deeply concerned about his plans to fundamentally change America.
I was one of the founding mothers of the Tea Party movement and gave the opening speech at the first Denver Tea Party.
https://healthyfamilies.substack.com/p/i-gave-the-opening-speech-at-the?utm_source=publication-search
Ironically I did most of the things outlined in your post here Karin to cope as I observed Obamacare and Common Core transfigure healthcare and education.
I must confess to feeling completely defeated, especially in 2013 when Obama was elected a second time.
I believe our Republic will be stronger, healthier, and more vibrant after these next four years of President Trumps policies.
As a scientist whose research is being cut and terminated because I focus on inclusion and improving the lives of children with disabilities and as a mother of a trans teenager, I cannot see any way this will be better for my family. I hope you are right that our country will be better, but I’m afraid your “better” will be at the expensive of a lot of good people’s lives.
Hi Anne, I’m so sorry to hear about the cut to your research funding and the negative impact the administration is having on your family. I think it’s important to be specific when we talk about what’s happening. Can you tell us more about your research and how the loss of funding will affect the project? Thank you.
I study health inequalities for children with rare neurogenetic conditions and I work for an NGO that supports USAID efforts. The elimination of projects that have anything to do with diversity will seriously compromise my work and the company is losing hundreds of brilliant scientists and staff because of this.
Hi Anne, thanks for the additional information. Can you tell us more about the specific children who will be harmed by these cuts? What kinds of neurogenetic conditions do you study? Again, I think it’s really important to let the public know that there are real people who will suffer because of what the administration is doing.
I work with individuals who have rare genetic conditions that cause significant cognitive and behavioral disabilities as well as multiple medical issues. There are promising genetic treatments on the horizon that have the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for these individuals. But there are inequalities in knowledge and access to genetic diagnostic services (e.g Black, Spanish-speaking, rural families have less access). My work is trying to close that gap, but it is also now considered a DEI initiative and is at risk of losing funding.
The kids I work with also rely on IEPs or 504 plans to help them learn and gain important life skills—these are being threatened by the dismantling of the department of education. These individuals also rely on Medicaid to help them with the many medical and support services they need to maintain a reasonable quality of life. That is also now at risk from this administration.
The organization I work for is a non profit institute that focuses on improving life for people around the world by bringing scientific findings to the people who can most benefit. But hundreds of scientists were just laid off because of the termination of projects funded by USAID and the threat to cut indirect costs for federal grants will force us to massively reduce the work we do even more.
On a more personal level, my beautiful 15 year old just came out of the hospital after being suicidal as a result of the horrible rhetoric around and complete erasure of trans people. She came out in the last year and was final starting to find her voice, but now feels terrified.
So I’m sorry that I cannot see how any of this will lead to a better world for the people most important to me.
Hi Jenny, thanks for sharing your experience. The skills Smart Politics teaches are universal so it makes sense that you’ve found them helpful too. I’m glad you are successfully balancing your mental wellbeing with your political activism. Hopefully more Americans across the political spectrum will do the same.
orce One to last red hat rally in Red Square?? No invitation??
They know their king is dead. They know Don is gone.
When both the Presiden& VP are done
JD tried to kill the Pope, Jesus
A roll call vote is held to select an officer to stop the motherf&)$ing one way cargo planes to Russia and hold new elections.
Please don't tell people they shouldn't be panicking . Smart people are panicking about Trump, obviously. And we are taking action
"Authoritarian leaders thrive on chaos and fear because when people feel overwhelmed, they are less likely to organize, resist, and fight back effectively. When we refuse to be emotionally hijacked, we deny them that power." Love this. And also everything else you said. Thank you.
No we should be revolting and throw the trash out.
Hi Erin, thanks for your comment. I’m guessing you replied without reading the article. That’s okay, I get why it would be triggering if you think I’m minimizing the threat posed by the administration. As soon as I saw your profile, though, I knew we’d be on the same page. Four decades as a critical care R.N.?!! Amazing! You know more than anyone the importance of not panicking in moments of crisis. When we panic, mistakes get made and people get unnecessarily hurt. It’s the same with politics. We have to keep our wits about us so we act as strategically and effectively as possible to stop these authoritarian wannabes from destroying our nation. Peace.
I read it
I’m a doer and a critical thinker