Thanks again, Robert, for providing some clarity in the jumble of news. I've been thinking a lot of the best way to get the powers that he attention, and I've landed on a national strike by consumers. I have to wonder if the majority of people didn't buy anything for a couple of days might get the attention of Wall Street, the big banks, credit card companies, commerce sites, package goods companies, etc. , perhaps to get this craziness to correct. I'm interested in whether anyone thinks this is a good idea.
Yes. Buy-nothing days in addition to a general strike. See https://generalstrikeus.com/ for starters. It'll take a lot of organization, but it would be a very powerful move.
I'm also encouraging boycotts. Pick your favorite targets and organize your own; Amazon would be one most of us could agree on pretty readily. Target would be another. Again, focus and organization are key.
I discovered a site yesterday, goodsuniteus.com that "runs political backgrounds on thousands of brands and companies so you can put your money where your mouth is."
Thank you Sara for sharing this link! I've had a list of companies on my refrigerator since the first administration to boycott, but this site has more details. I'm happy to say that my regional grocery store, while privately owned, was rated at the website.
Great discussion here! And thanks for posting that link -- I wasn't aware of it. Here's another site with boycott suggestions, mostly, it seems, focusing on human rights violations: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/.
Uline, the shipping/packing supplies company, is also at the top of my boycott list. It's owned by the election-denying, billionaire, MAGA megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein.
Companies hostile to organized labor, DEI, and LGBTQ+ people are also good boycott targets.
On the flip side, here are some companies with whom we might choose to spend our money: https://popular.info/p/10-corporations-that-kept-their-promises. Costco isn't on the list but could well be. Notably, it and the Teamsters agreed on a three-year contract (although not without some pushing and shoving back and forth).
There was post about it a week or so ago in the comments of one of my Substacks (IIRC - it also might have been from a chat on a Zoom), but it is hard for everyone to read all the comments lately because the volume is so overwhelming. FYI, I downloaded it and shared with friends and family. Everybody gave it a 👍
If you email Robert (rbhubbell@gmail.com) I bet he would feature it in one of the newsletters so more people could see it.
Spot on. Check Bezos on Whole Foods right now, and Amazon. Starbucks has been nasty of late. I am galled by internet utilities and other monopolies, but they are harder to sever from.
As a proactive measure for routine spending, some people have been migrating towards Costco due to their inclusive DEI support. Of course the new regime is targeting corporations that support DEI. But conscious consumer spending might take the wind out of those spurious orders.
Starbucks has been nasty of late? They have always been so. Remember when that moron CEO of Starbucks ran for president a few years ago? He's one of them and I have boycotted Starbucks ever since. They have a bad reputation here in Philly after mistreating some Black businessmen and ejected other people of color who simply came into their store to work on their laptops.
I know that. They were actually banned in my city. I mean there has been increased activity and resistance as of late. I didn't have time to expand. They are atrocious from top down, but if anybody here had an urge to patronize them, it's an easy boycott. His anti-union hearings were beyond the pale.
Do we have any indication if independents and uninvolved Democrats (those who stayed home and don’t vote) are waking up and informed about the unfolding horror?
Added Target to my list stores I won't shop at any more. I shopped at Target all the time for things like Almond milk as their price was below any other store. Hated to walk away but walk away I did the day they dropped their DEI support. I was struck by how lucky I am to be able to walk away when so many simply can't do that. Never been in a Walmart or shopped at Amazon. But, again, not everyone can do this.
I have stayed on FB as much as I dislike because I have some friends and relatives who voted for Trump, and it gives me the opportunity to constantly drip on them with facts. I've broken through to a couple. The other thing is has allowed me to do is keep track of those Repubs that start liking my comments, which to me indicates a shift or heightened awareness.
And Rachel Maddow opened with a segment on Tesla sales plummeting in Europe, I believe. Targeted boycotts and strikes work. Hard to say what a national strike would look like in such a huge demographic, but sharply organized, targeted efforts often can pay off.
I think there IS value in a national strike - one where we buy NOTHING for a day. And perhaps follow it with buying NOTHING for three days. Escalate until Wall Street notices.
But when we select a specific big company to boycott because their owner is despicable, the owner is never hurt. They have billions of dollars to insulate themselves with. They can sit on their yachts with their trophy girl friends sipping umbrella drinks - while making calls to lay off their workers because sales dropped.
A recently deceased founder of Home Depot supported Trump. People called for a boycott of the Home Depot. That founder hadn't been involved in the operation of the company for 20 years. There is a direct correlation between sales and staffing. So when we hurt the sales of a company like this, staffing is reduced immediately. We hurt the workers. The founder is unaffected. BTW, the co-founder of the Home Depot has been a solid Democrat.
If we strike, it should be a universal shut down of the nation. Stop everything. Bring things to a halt so stockholders and money managers and cowardly bankers like Jamie Dimon get scared.
It requires a sign-in -- I don't have a Bluesky account thus can't see what the post says. But I've been told the call is for any purchases to be made from independent local retailers only, nothing from corporate America.
Karen Williams -- Yes. A general strike needs to happen. Soon. This has been suggested previously, and yesterday Jessica Craven made it part of her calling scripts.
I haven’t been buying anything other than necessities like my new eye glasses and I also had to get my car’s turn signal “clock spring gear mechanism” replaced - unfortunately that was a pretty penny. (My next grocery trip will be at Costco.) It’s amazing what you really need (don’t need) to survive. I’m a fan of simple living and the “buy nothing” trends.
I had the same thought - in addition to marches and protests, it will take work stoppages and consumer activism to demonstrate the power of the People. As a small example, 50% of the 75M people who voted for Kamala Harris were to not purchase any products through Amazon for 1 single day, the financial impact on sales would likely well surpass the $1M Amazon donated to Trumps inauguration. The question is who and how to organize such protests. During the Trump I administration, I wrote Ezra Levin and Leah Goldberg, founders of Indivisible, several times with ideas to get out the vote, such as working w/other Pro-Democracy organizations to organize Woodstock-like events, only to receive absolutely no response. Hell, I'd go to Wash DC and donate my time working on this for them! But the problem is these groups become insular and unwelcoming to thoughtful ideas (whether my idea was thoughtful or not but a simple response would have been appropriate).
Get in touch with your local Indivisible group & bring it up. Leah & Ezra were on the nationwide Zoom call last Sunday. They seemed very receptive to ideas. Give them another try, it's a good organization.
When there are important court filings and victories, it does no one any good to chime in with, “Yeah, but too late” or “They won’t abide by the court order anyway.”
There are at least three big problems with this response.
First, you are capitulating in advance. The first rule in fighting authoritarianism is not to give an inch. Saying we will lose or that it doesn’t matter is contributing to this cynicism.
Second, they are actually counting on your cynicism to win. If the left believes it cannot win, then it will not win. Don’t give them that victory so easily. Fight the urge to give voice to your darkest fears. As I like to remind folks, “Would you walk up to a paramedic trying to save a life and say, ‘Just give up, they’re going to die anyway’?” No. Then please don’t say that to the lawyers and the acitivists who are on the front lines in the court battles against the fascists.
Third, there is no evidence that this administration wants to expend political capital defying court orders. That is a quick ticket to losing a lot more later, as it gives the judicary reason to come down even harder. The goal of the ‘flood the zone’ technique is not to defy the orders in the cases they lose but to throw enough crap around that someone gets nailed with it or they draw a sympathetic judge. And remember, even this Supreme Court has some limits on what it will do for Trump, and it absolutely cannot hear every case. Not even close.
So when I or others post wins, please amplify them, and check yourself if you’re inclined to pee in the Cheerios in the comments. If you’re feeling that way, remind yourself that this is EXACTLY what Trump and Musk want you to feel, then resist it with all you have.
Thank you, Bern. You have the correct attitude. If we become discouraged, they win another battle for our brains. I think we all get depressed and discouraged. But we need to applaud the wins and believe that in the long run, the pendulum WILL swing back to sanity and democracy.
Unfortunately, there will be a lot of pain and suffering before we get there. Chaos and disinformation will reign.
But let's keep in mind that Red States are the larger recipients of Federal Aid.
When Mom's nursing home in Arkansas has to close for lack of funding (Medicaid) and lack of workers (deportations and/or the threat of such) someone is going to ask why. "Why? I didn't vote for this!"
When Johnny doesn't get the "special needs" care that Mom and Dad have come to depend on...the NEW DEEP STATE will be to blame. Musk is now the Deep State.
Every day the lunatics are in control is another day deeper into OWNERSHIP of everything that goes wrong. $Trump now owns the economy. If the stock market falters, it is his fault. If the price of eggs goes up (no matter the cause!) it is $Trumps fault. He promised to fix everything. He's in charge now. He owns all of it.
Bill, I hope you're on to something. When the red states start losing benefits, I'll be watching for a response of rage from the MAGA base waking up to discover he cared nothing for them and they were used. Maybe then, the feeling of unity many of us grew up knowing, will feel familiar again, and the momentum to end Trump's power will flourish.
Yes. Dismantling the Education Dept. will hit the red southern states hard. It's up to us to make them understand that this is being done by Musk/Trump.
Absolutely do not give in to cynicism and defeatism. I confess I have been guilty of this and fight it every day. If you can take an action but fear it will have no effect, do it anyway.
While it's ok to hold that experiencing cynicism and defeatism is bad and those experiences are something to feel guilty about, I think it's more powerful to recognize and accept those feelings as part of what it means to be a human being. They are part of our humanity.
Creating space for these feelings is critical if we are to own them rather than being owned by them. The parts of ourselves that we reject and deny don't go away, they go underground where they can influence our experience and actions without us even being aware of them.
Like you, I have to bring daily practices to what I find myself feeling and thinking that I wake up into. It takes regular practice for me to get up on the horse and not let it simply drag me around for the day.
I absolutely agree with Jay. Robert, Jay, and Heather are my holy trinity. "...they are actually counting on your cynicism to win. If the left believes it cannot win, then it will not win. Don’t give them that victory so easily."
78 - that’s how I feel. But I’m willing to become a martyr. They think we’re nothing Trump & Musk and the treasonous brats. But we have voices, multiplied. But I do wish I saw more young people involved in this in a big way.
Framing the onslaught like this helps to feel less isolated and discouraged. An excellent guide to processing the barrage. And yes, despite the considerable progress -- Rachel Maddow did a particularly effective job tonight of describing different modes of pushback -- the acceleration of mind-numbing destruction can feel like a suffocating wet blanket. Thank you, Robert.
Visual of the day: there was a photo in Jay Kuo's post re: manufactured crises today, of Susie Wiles reacting to Trump as he announced his genocidal Gaza plan. She was utterly aghast! The thrust of this is that the internal strife and batsh*t chaos inside the new regime is real. It may indicate a genuine path of self-destruction. Imagine his own chief of staff nearly having a heart attack in the oval office, upon an improvised "big announcement." Trigger warning: photo of Trump. Use value: future opportunity. If Kuo is also featuring it, there is some merit to be had.
New subscriber. Delighted to be here. I think like a scientist based on truth and logic, but I'm simply a retired mechanical engineer with very modest credentials, a creative mind and a newly discovered way to express myself. I'll try not to be a pest. Please don't hesitate to tell me when I'm out of line if the situation demands such. Ed Weldon
Hi Ed. I'm new here too so I'm not most qualified to say "Welcome," but I will say I'm proud to be part of this community with you, and encouraged to see so many smart and committed people looking for ways to unite and find effective ways to disrupt all this bull**** And it seems to me that whatever that approach turns out to be it will require all of us all to be out of line at times, and to feel like pests. But there are so many people who need pestering. I mean, my senator is John Fetterman...
Before the election I discovered Fetterman and said to myself this is someone I can admire. Someone who stands up for real people. I even sent him contributions and watched hopefully as the votes were counted.
I got two lessons out of what has happened since those days. First, this guy us a snake in the grass. Second is that I'm not as good a judge of people as I thought I was.
Oh yeah; and the internet is a great field of grass for snakes to hide in.
I have a political Facebook page, where information is shared with my political friends, leaving my main page for friendly posts. I'm now selectively putting political posts on my main page. At the moment, mostly about what is happening to USAID, and the repercussions of closing it down. I'm expecting to be unfriended by some family members, but I'm hoping that enough others might be curious to read at least some, and be open to hearing another side from what they are getting from Fox and the like. I want to offer them a peak into the truth, and just maybe they will begin to question their diet of lies. I want to find a way to reach those that are reachable. That doesn't replace all of the other things I'm doing, but it just seems like it is worth a try.
I live in NY and have one D and one R state legislator. They don't, in fact, fully agree with me on policy improvements. But NYS has plenty of legislative ideas for improving matters.
So, I have picked one policy area to get more competent on (Election Law). And I've joined several groups who research which bills to promote (and who actually work to get new ideas introduced).
I feel that state law (and administration) is one area where I can make a difference. For example, it turns out that someone, anyone, can challenge a voter while they are voting, and the voter has to prove their right to vote, but the challenger doesn't have to prove who they are. This can be fixed through legislation. This is just one of the Priority Legislation issues promoted by Let NY Vote (https://letnyvote.org):
So, pick a policy area to get good at, find an active group in your state and join it. Try several groups. Don't overburden yourself, but there's strength in numbers and it's great to find Things To Do rather than fret.
I am NYS also. You have an effective idea there. I've more recently become involved in issues surrounding tenant law, and consumer fraud. I am also grateful for international forums like these, where we can share and connect even (and especially) while under duress.
We in NY are also fortunate to have an outstanding AG, who has just initiated another coordinated group state suit yesterday. The interactions I've had with their regional field offices were also very good and supportive.
Great approach. The states control much of what is important to us: voting laws, reproductive law, education, environment, etc. Our group is also trying to pivot to more state level work considering no progress will be made on the federal front currently (except defensive work, of course!).
We are also fundraising for state races with the States Project. Your money goes much farther than for a federal race.
I have only one page and until now have been reluctant to put political posts on it. Recently, however, I have posted some of the most serious issues. I have been dismayed to see one former classmate spout all the MAGA nonsense. But I have been even more disappointed in the “crickets” from those I thought I could reach.
Robert Reich:According to the best source I’ve found on this (Nathan Tankus’s Crises Notes), Musk and his rats have now gained unrestricted access to your Social Security number, your confidential bank information, your confidential medical information, and much more.
“When you combine this with the previous reporting, understanding that “insert only” only applies to data and the dishonest reading of the court order that seems to be available it seems like “read only” is just a total sham and Marko Elez still has read and write code access even if he “only” has “read only” access to data.”
This seems like a good idea. I had to reopen my FB account to make Resist-Bot work for me on Messenger.
I have to say though, I am disappointed to see that no options for sharing include Bluesky; all of the social media options are either Meta or Musk, neither of which I want to support. Will be happy to see that change at some point...I hope!
We need to pop the Fox News bubble. People who follow right-wing media are either not getting these stories at all or are being lied to about them. Example: "Musk is a brilliant patriot who is weeding out waste in government. He should be applauded and more private citizens should be doing this."
Kate, I don’t know anything about posting on FB, but I applaud anyone like you who is doing the hard work of trying to break through to t***p voters.
If you haven’t seen this 3.5-minute YouTube by Robert Reich, I highly recommend it. It explains an engaging, compelling case about what Elon is really doing.
Thank you for posting what is happening at USAID. I too am trying to educate people on what USAID's mission actually is and how it benefits us here in the U.S. It is personal for me. I have a family member working there.
I am most upset about the dismantling of USAID and the irreversible harm to ongoing drug trials, etc. The funds were all authorized by Congress. I hope the lawsuit is successful by employees. Rubio and Musk comments were shameful.
Can't read because of the paywall, but I agree with what I could see. The truth is they don't really want to fix the problems, they want to destroy USAID.
Robert, thank you for this. It does help to have the news topics with links for those who wish to know the details, and for the rest of us to decide whether we have the mental bandwidth (aka "spoons") to process the details.
"To help ease the cognitive load, I will reduce my commentary in this newsletter and categorize today’s news into comprehensible themes. I hope this helps!"
Thank you for this format Robert, it's perfect! Exactly what I've been looking for. Short and with links in case I have the bandwidth to look further. I like Meidas Touch and The Contrarian but most of the time I don't have the "spoons" to pull the needed facts out of long dissertations. With things changing so fast, I've found checking once a day cuts down on the chaos in the news, as you described. Please take care of yourself as well. praying for clear skies in LA.
Thank you, this is just what I needed. I, too, was feeling overwhelmed after reading three of the excellent commentators whom many of us here rely on. I always read yours last because it gives perspective and a little relief. Heartfelt thanks!
I would like to call attention to the part she lists below about Christian Nationalism. I gave a speech at a Get out the Democrats Abroad Vote Rally in Hamburg Germany in the fall, on Project 2025 and how it was a blue print for turning the US into a Christian Nationalist Theocracy. Here is what Olga says about that.
Trump Establishes Task Force to Enforce Christian Nationalism
What Happened: Trump signed an executive order creating a task force to eliminate "anti-Christian bias," framing it as a defense of religious freedom. The move mirrors Russia’s state-backed Orthodox nationalism, where the government weaponizes religion to consolidate power and suppress dissent.
Why It Matters: This is a clear step toward state-enforced Christian nationalism, using federal power to privilege one religion while marginalizing others. Like Putin’s use of the Russian Orthodox Church to justify authoritarian control, Trump is leveraging Christianity to undermine secular governance and erode the separation of church and state.
Source: CNN
I just feel like this is a dystopian novel I am living in, only it is not. I have to keep reminding myself of that as I see Musk getting away in place of Trump with things he should not. In fact, it works to Trump's advantage to have people focus their enmity on Musk and not on him.
Speaking of Christian Nationalsim,there is an Ohio-based organization called LifeWise Academy that is taking public school students OFF school property DURING THE SCHOOL DAY to provide Bible education.
LifeWise successfully pressured Ohio Legislators to pass a law requiring all Ohio public school districts to write a Release Time for Religious Instruction (RTRI) policy that went into effect just after the 1st of the year. LifeWise is spreading across the country quickly. There's a map & more information at https://respectpublicschools.com/. You can click on the map to see what is happening in your area. This is a very organized movement and they are focusing on the “unchurched”.
It's a terrible precedent, and contrary to the beliefs of a large majority of Americans. It also immediately creates a rift with the pro-Netanyahu / AIPAC crowd.
But the thing that strikes me about this disturbing order -- like many orders T signed off on resembling a catatonic zombie -- is that it seems more aligned with zealous, nationalist architects like Stephen Miller and Russ Vought. If anything consistent defines the increasingly unhinged Trump now, it is crude power consolidation, money grabs, and retribution. This is the guy who couldn't place his hand on the bible while being sworn in.
So happy to read that the fundaments of the Democratic fort are still standing. Good judges, unions and constituents defending it with all means. Of course we cannot oversee the damage T and Co will leave behind, but I claim that if they are playing nazi in Germany in their maga dreams, they will wake up in the United States of America, a democracy that went through more crisis and saved its union. A different kettle of fish all together. With much love from a Germany that is also in political turmoil. We also had many demos against the far right.
I'm encouraging solidarity between our traditional allies, particularly when malicious actors like Musk et al are simultaneously trying to infiltrate and disrupt our respective governments. If the illiberal regimes can group together to tarnish our democracies, pro-democratic forces ought to empower each other. They want nothing more than to isolate and weaken us. Herzliche Gruesse aus den USA.
I had an interesting conversation yesterday with the man that owns the kennel I take my dog to. I knew he voted for Trump so i asked what he thought about Trump’s first couple of weeks. He said he didn’t have time to read the paper other than to check the markets’ news because business was down at the kennel.
So I connected the dots for him; many of his clients are older. DOGE just hacked the US Treasury. And are in the midst of hacking into Medicare. And Trump is stupidly pushing tariffs which have already increased prices on goods we purchase. His clients live on fixed incomes. Trump’s policies are raising prices and causing deep insecurity about the future of SS and Medicare. Some of his customers may feel they can’t afford to kennel their pups to run errands anymore.
The “deer in the headlights” look on this man’s face was worth its weight in gold. He then asked what days next week I was bringing my dog in (I still work even though I’m 70). I cut back from four days to two.
Message delivered. And in addition to working in my studio, I will spend some time everyday working to protect this Democracy. Paul is not a stupid man but boy oh boy is it ever hard to crack through the denial MAGAS live in.
Also calling the MN Attorney General’s office today to thank them for suing DOGE and the federal government on my behalf.
Yes, it's important to thank and encourage people doing the good work. Rather than be buried among the gazillion phone calls and emails, I mail postcards.
Sheila, this is absolutely the best thing we can do. There are a lot of uninformed people out there who need their eyes opened by a person in their orbit. Thank you!
This is the great incremental work that is needed. Changing hearts and minds. And MN is a very interesting state to do it in. I wonder if there may be a bit of 'MN nice' that allows an entree, where deep red Trump areas may stonewall. I'm sure it was not easy, but every person counts.
Yesterday, the Bexar County Democratic Party sponsored the rally to Sen. Cornyn's office yesterday in San Antonio! We were loud and proud. Of course, he was not there nor were our leaders admitted to the offices. If this snarky response was his in response to our rally, it proves how this experienced public servant has devolved into an ugly MAGA cult member.
It helps to read a sorted out description of what’s happening. My head stopped spinning and sure enough, I could hold both thing one and thing two. It’s hard for me to act constructively when my head is spinning.
Author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe on perseverance:
"When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn't hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that's just the place and time that the tide'll turn."
Source: Oldtown Folks (1869)
Author and poet Maya Angelou on persistence:
"My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness. The effect you have on others’ lives is the highest expression of your own."
Source: Letter to My Daughter
“A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” – Richard M. Nixon.
“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” - George S. Patton
“Courage is holding on a minute longer.” - George S. Patton.
“It’s always too soon to quit.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“Courage is what it takes to stand up & speak; Courage is also what it takes to sit down & listen.” - Winston Churchill.
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie
Thanks again, Robert, for providing some clarity in the jumble of news. I've been thinking a lot of the best way to get the powers that he attention, and I've landed on a national strike by consumers. I have to wonder if the majority of people didn't buy anything for a couple of days might get the attention of Wall Street, the big banks, credit card companies, commerce sites, package goods companies, etc. , perhaps to get this craziness to correct. I'm interested in whether anyone thinks this is a good idea.
Yes. Buy-nothing days in addition to a general strike. See https://generalstrikeus.com/ for starters. It'll take a lot of organization, but it would be a very powerful move.
I'm also encouraging boycotts. Pick your favorite targets and organize your own; Amazon would be one most of us could agree on pretty readily. Target would be another. Again, focus and organization are key.
I discovered a site yesterday, goodsuniteus.com that "runs political backgrounds on thousands of brands and companies so you can put your money where your mouth is."
Thank you Sara for sharing this link! I've had a list of companies on my refrigerator since the first administration to boycott, but this site has more details. I'm happy to say that my regional grocery store, while privately owned, was rated at the website.
This is great; just added to my Bookmarks for ease of access when shopping.
Great discussion here! And thanks for posting that link -- I wasn't aware of it. Here's another site with boycott suggestions, mostly, it seems, focusing on human rights violations: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/.
Uline, the shipping/packing supplies company, is also at the top of my boycott list. It's owned by the election-denying, billionaire, MAGA megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein.
Companies hostile to organized labor, DEI, and LGBTQ+ people are also good boycott targets.
On the flip side, here are some companies with whom we might choose to spend our money: https://popular.info/p/10-corporations-that-kept-their-promises. Costco isn't on the list but could well be. Notably, it and the Teamsters agreed on a three-year contract (although not without some pushing and shoving back and forth).
There was post about it a week or so ago in the comments of one of my Substacks (IIRC - it also might have been from a chat on a Zoom), but it is hard for everyone to read all the comments lately because the volume is so overwhelming. FYI, I downloaded it and shared with friends and family. Everybody gave it a 👍
If you email Robert (rbhubbell@gmail.com) I bet he would feature it in one of the newsletters so more people could see it.
I’ve been using it for months. And you can suggest companies for them to add.
Spot on. Check Bezos on Whole Foods right now, and Amazon. Starbucks has been nasty of late. I am galled by internet utilities and other monopolies, but they are harder to sever from.
As a proactive measure for routine spending, some people have been migrating towards Costco due to their inclusive DEI support. Of course the new regime is targeting corporations that support DEI. But conscious consumer spending might take the wind out of those spurious orders.
Starbucks has been nasty of late? They have always been so. Remember when that moron CEO of Starbucks ran for president a few years ago? He's one of them and I have boycotted Starbucks ever since. They have a bad reputation here in Philly after mistreating some Black businessmen and ejected other people of color who simply came into their store to work on their laptops.
He’s also ANTI-Union!
I know that. They were actually banned in my city. I mean there has been increased activity and resistance as of late. I didn't have time to expand. They are atrocious from top down, but if anybody here had an urge to patronize them, it's an easy boycott. His anti-union hearings were beyond the pale.
Kroger is a good alternative to Walmart and Target groceries.
Good to hear - they bought out Harris Teeter which has a huge footprint in Charlotte, NC. I'm pretty sure they originated here.
https://www.harristeeter.com/i/diversity-is-the-result-of-inclusion
I'm fortunate in that we have a family owned small chain that I switched to 20+ years ago when the chains had union strikes.
Do we have any indication if independents and uninvolved Democrats (those who stayed home and don’t vote) are waking up and informed about the unfolding horror?
Great question! And those third-party voters too - are they beginning to understand what their principled vote wrought?
Added Target to my list stores I won't shop at any more. I shopped at Target all the time for things like Almond milk as their price was below any other store. Hated to walk away but walk away I did the day they dropped their DEI support. I was struck by how lucky I am to be able to walk away when so many simply can't do that. Never been in a Walmart or shopped at Amazon. But, again, not everyone can do this.
Thank you for "But, again, not everyone can do this."
Some of us live in small markets with little choice.
Bezos owns Amazon and Whole Foods, boycott them. Musk owns Tesla and Starlink, boycott them. Zuckerberg owns Facebook and Instagram, boycott those.
I have stayed on FB as much as I dislike because I have some friends and relatives who voted for Trump, and it gives me the opportunity to constantly drip on them with facts. I've broken through to a couple. The other thing is has allowed me to do is keep track of those Repubs that start liking my comments, which to me indicates a shift or heightened awareness.
It's a good idea to boycott Whole Foods right now. Word on the street is Bezos is brazenly undermining labor law and union rights. I saw the writing on the wall re: NLRB after Nov. 5th. https://www.salon.com/2025/02/04/tries-to-block-whole-foods-workers-from-forming-a-union-after-losing-nlrb/
And Rachel Maddow opened with a segment on Tesla sales plummeting in Europe, I believe. Targeted boycotts and strikes work. Hard to say what a national strike would look like in such a huge demographic, but sharply organized, targeted efforts often can pay off.
Karen,
I think there IS value in a national strike - one where we buy NOTHING for a day. And perhaps follow it with buying NOTHING for three days. Escalate until Wall Street notices.
But when we select a specific big company to boycott because their owner is despicable, the owner is never hurt. They have billions of dollars to insulate themselves with. They can sit on their yachts with their trophy girl friends sipping umbrella drinks - while making calls to lay off their workers because sales dropped.
A recently deceased founder of Home Depot supported Trump. People called for a boycott of the Home Depot. That founder hadn't been involved in the operation of the company for 20 years. There is a direct correlation between sales and staffing. So when we hurt the sales of a company like this, staffing is reduced immediately. We hurt the workers. The founder is unaffected. BTW, the co-founder of the Home Depot has been a solid Democrat.
If we strike, it should be a universal shut down of the nation. Stop everything. Bring things to a halt so stockholders and money managers and cowardly bankers like Jamie Dimon get scared.
That was my thought, thinking airlines, rental cars, hotels, etc as well as consumer goods.
There is already one planned for Feb 28th. I posted the link yesterday. It’s called the “blackout”. I’ll see if I can find the link again
Please post when you find this. It's important. thank you!!!!
Here's one link: https://bsky.app/profile/bluedaisyrose.bsky.social/post/3lhj4gdnwes2q
It requires a sign-in -- I don't have a Bluesky account thus can't see what the post says. But I've been told the call is for any purchases to be made from independent local retailers only, nothing from corporate America.
Thanks, Annette. Maybe Robert can connect us to one as well
Karen Williams -- Yes. A general strike needs to happen. Soon. This has been suggested previously, and yesterday Jessica Craven made it part of her calling scripts.
Thanks, Dan
I do! A general strike was the way many regime-change actions began in other countries, right?
I haven’t been buying anything other than necessities like my new eye glasses and I also had to get my car’s turn signal “clock spring gear mechanism” replaced - unfortunately that was a pretty penny. (My next grocery trip will be at Costco.) It’s amazing what you really need (don’t need) to survive. I’m a fan of simple living and the “buy nothing” trends.
I had the same thought - in addition to marches and protests, it will take work stoppages and consumer activism to demonstrate the power of the People. As a small example, 50% of the 75M people who voted for Kamala Harris were to not purchase any products through Amazon for 1 single day, the financial impact on sales would likely well surpass the $1M Amazon donated to Trumps inauguration. The question is who and how to organize such protests. During the Trump I administration, I wrote Ezra Levin and Leah Goldberg, founders of Indivisible, several times with ideas to get out the vote, such as working w/other Pro-Democracy organizations to organize Woodstock-like events, only to receive absolutely no response. Hell, I'd go to Wash DC and donate my time working on this for them! But the problem is these groups become insular and unwelcoming to thoughtful ideas (whether my idea was thoughtful or not but a simple response would have been appropriate).
Get in touch with your local Indivisible group & bring it up. Leah & Ezra were on the nationwide Zoom call last Sunday. They seemed very receptive to ideas. Give them another try, it's a good organization.
Yes Karen! It would be great if unions would band together and shut down their work places.
I do, Karen.
I'm reposting here a Note from SubStack author Jay Kuo:
https://open.substack.com/pub/statuskuo?r=lw3j2&utm_medium=ios
Folks, a gentle reminder.
When there are important court filings and victories, it does no one any good to chime in with, “Yeah, but too late” or “They won’t abide by the court order anyway.”
There are at least three big problems with this response.
First, you are capitulating in advance. The first rule in fighting authoritarianism is not to give an inch. Saying we will lose or that it doesn’t matter is contributing to this cynicism.
Second, they are actually counting on your cynicism to win. If the left believes it cannot win, then it will not win. Don’t give them that victory so easily. Fight the urge to give voice to your darkest fears. As I like to remind folks, “Would you walk up to a paramedic trying to save a life and say, ‘Just give up, they’re going to die anyway’?” No. Then please don’t say that to the lawyers and the acitivists who are on the front lines in the court battles against the fascists.
Third, there is no evidence that this administration wants to expend political capital defying court orders. That is a quick ticket to losing a lot more later, as it gives the judicary reason to come down even harder. The goal of the ‘flood the zone’ technique is not to defy the orders in the cases they lose but to throw enough crap around that someone gets nailed with it or they draw a sympathetic judge. And remember, even this Supreme Court has some limits on what it will do for Trump, and it absolutely cannot hear every case. Not even close.
So when I or others post wins, please amplify them, and check yourself if you’re inclined to pee in the Cheerios in the comments. If you’re feeling that way, remind yourself that this is EXACTLY what Trump and Musk want you to feel, then resist it with all you have.
As you were.
Thank you, Bern. You have the correct attitude. If we become discouraged, they win another battle for our brains. I think we all get depressed and discouraged. But we need to applaud the wins and believe that in the long run, the pendulum WILL swing back to sanity and democracy.
Unfortunately, there will be a lot of pain and suffering before we get there. Chaos and disinformation will reign.
But let's keep in mind that Red States are the larger recipients of Federal Aid.
When Mom's nursing home in Arkansas has to close for lack of funding (Medicaid) and lack of workers (deportations and/or the threat of such) someone is going to ask why. "Why? I didn't vote for this!"
When Johnny doesn't get the "special needs" care that Mom and Dad have come to depend on...the NEW DEEP STATE will be to blame. Musk is now the Deep State.
Every day the lunatics are in control is another day deeper into OWNERSHIP of everything that goes wrong. $Trump now owns the economy. If the stock market falters, it is his fault. If the price of eggs goes up (no matter the cause!) it is $Trumps fault. He promised to fix everything. He's in charge now. He owns all of it.
Bill, I hope you're on to something. When the red states start losing benefits, I'll be watching for a response of rage from the MAGA base waking up to discover he cared nothing for them and they were used. Maybe then, the feeling of unity many of us grew up knowing, will feel familiar again, and the momentum to end Trump's power will flourish.
Yes. Dismantling the Education Dept. will hit the red southern states hard. It's up to us to make them understand that this is being done by Musk/Trump.
Absolutely do not give in to cynicism and defeatism. I confess I have been guilty of this and fight it every day. If you can take an action but fear it will have no effect, do it anyway.
While it's ok to hold that experiencing cynicism and defeatism is bad and those experiences are something to feel guilty about, I think it's more powerful to recognize and accept those feelings as part of what it means to be a human being. They are part of our humanity.
Creating space for these feelings is critical if we are to own them rather than being owned by them. The parts of ourselves that we reject and deny don't go away, they go underground where they can influence our experience and actions without us even being aware of them.
Like you, I have to bring daily practices to what I find myself feeling and thinking that I wake up into. It takes regular practice for me to get up on the horse and not let it simply drag me around for the day.
Absolutely right!
Okay, definitely no more "peeing in the Cheerios!" Thanks for this excellent Kuo repost, a much needed reminder.
I absolutely agree with Jay. Robert, Jay, and Heather are my holy trinity. "...they are actually counting on your cynicism to win. If the left believes it cannot win, then it will not win. Don’t give them that victory so easily."
I am so glad I subscribed -- I feel like your thoughts/writings frequently save me from despair. Especially tonight!
I am old so I may not live long enough to see the US recover (and hopefully improve to be a more true democracy in that future).
But just reading your rational works gives me hope that whether I see it or not, there IS a chance that younger people will. Thank you for all you do.
78 - that’s how I feel. But I’m willing to become a martyr. They think we’re nothing Trump & Musk and the treasonous brats. But we have voices, multiplied. But I do wish I saw more young people involved in this in a big way.
I had hoped something like banning tik tok got the attention of younger folks.
Framing the onslaught like this helps to feel less isolated and discouraged. An excellent guide to processing the barrage. And yes, despite the considerable progress -- Rachel Maddow did a particularly effective job tonight of describing different modes of pushback -- the acceleration of mind-numbing destruction can feel like a suffocating wet blanket. Thank you, Robert.
Visual of the day: there was a photo in Jay Kuo's post re: manufactured crises today, of Susie Wiles reacting to Trump as he announced his genocidal Gaza plan. She was utterly aghast! The thrust of this is that the internal strife and batsh*t chaos inside the new regime is real. It may indicate a genuine path of self-destruction. Imagine his own chief of staff nearly having a heart attack in the oval office, upon an improvised "big announcement." Trigger warning: photo of Trump. Use value: future opportunity. If Kuo is also featuring it, there is some merit to be had.
Also, yesterday something that did not rise to the top of the news cycle: the felon’s new executive order “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias”. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/
Wow. I couldn’t read it all, but it sure needs fact checking.
New subscriber. Delighted to be here. I think like a scientist based on truth and logic, but I'm simply a retired mechanical engineer with very modest credentials, a creative mind and a newly discovered way to express myself. I'll try not to be a pest. Please don't hesitate to tell me when I'm out of line if the situation demands such. Ed Weldon
We need more informed people and more voices. Welcome.
Hi Ed. I'm new here too so I'm not most qualified to say "Welcome," but I will say I'm proud to be part of this community with you, and encouraged to see so many smart and committed people looking for ways to unite and find effective ways to disrupt all this bull**** And it seems to me that whatever that approach turns out to be it will require all of us all to be out of line at times, and to feel like pests. But there are so many people who need pestering. I mean, my senator is John Fetterman...
So what is going on with Fetterman??
Before the election I discovered Fetterman and said to myself this is someone I can admire. Someone who stands up for real people. I even sent him contributions and watched hopefully as the votes were counted.
I got two lessons out of what has happened since those days. First, this guy us a snake in the grass. Second is that I'm not as good a judge of people as I thought I was.
Oh yeah; and the internet is a great field of grass for snakes to hide in.
I have a political Facebook page, where information is shared with my political friends, leaving my main page for friendly posts. I'm now selectively putting political posts on my main page. At the moment, mostly about what is happening to USAID, and the repercussions of closing it down. I'm expecting to be unfriended by some family members, but I'm hoping that enough others might be curious to read at least some, and be open to hearing another side from what they are getting from Fox and the like. I want to offer them a peak into the truth, and just maybe they will begin to question their diet of lies. I want to find a way to reach those that are reachable. That doesn't replace all of the other things I'm doing, but it just seems like it is worth a try.
I live in NY and have one D and one R state legislator. They don't, in fact, fully agree with me on policy improvements. But NYS has plenty of legislative ideas for improving matters.
So, I have picked one policy area to get more competent on (Election Law). And I've joined several groups who research which bills to promote (and who actually work to get new ideas introduced).
I feel that state law (and administration) is one area where I can make a difference. For example, it turns out that someone, anyone, can challenge a voter while they are voting, and the voter has to prove their right to vote, but the challenger doesn't have to prove who they are. This can be fixed through legislation. This is just one of the Priority Legislation issues promoted by Let NY Vote (https://letnyvote.org):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XsHgNZey0QWyD2eoDGj0duYoaTvvqBJxvJKc61zUUsQ/edit?tab=t.0
So, pick a policy area to get good at, find an active group in your state and join it. Try several groups. Don't overburden yourself, but there's strength in numbers and it's great to find Things To Do rather than fret.
I am NYS also. You have an effective idea there. I've more recently become involved in issues surrounding tenant law, and consumer fraud. I am also grateful for international forums like these, where we can share and connect even (and especially) while under duress.
We in NY are also fortunate to have an outstanding AG, who has just initiated another coordinated group state suit yesterday. The interactions I've had with their regional field offices were also very good and supportive.
That's the ticket!
Great approach. The states control much of what is important to us: voting laws, reproductive law, education, environment, etc. Our group is also trying to pivot to more state level work considering no progress will be made on the federal front currently (except defensive work, of course!).
We are also fundraising for state races with the States Project. Your money goes much farther than for a federal race.
Excellent
I have only one page and until now have been reluctant to put political posts on it. Recently, however, I have posted some of the most serious issues. I have been dismayed to see one former classmate spout all the MAGA nonsense. But I have been even more disappointed in the “crickets” from those I thought I could reach.
Annette,Maybe this will get their attention!
Robert Reich:According to the best source I’ve found on this (Nathan Tankus’s Crises Notes), Musk and his rats have now gained unrestricted access to your Social Security number, your confidential bank information, your confidential medical information, and much more.
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/doge-poop?
“When you combine this with the previous reporting, understanding that “insert only” only applies to data and the dishonest reading of the court order that seems to be available it seems like “read only” is just a total sham and Marko Elez still has read and write code access even if he “only” has “read only” access to data.”
https://www.crisesnotes.com/treasury-secretary-bessents-lawlessness-sorry-readers-read-and-write-code-still-seems-in-play/
This seems like a good idea. I had to reopen my FB account to make Resist-Bot work for me on Messenger.
I have to say though, I am disappointed to see that no options for sharing include Bluesky; all of the social media options are either Meta or Musk, neither of which I want to support. Will be happy to see that change at some point...I hope!
Me, too.
We need to pop the Fox News bubble. People who follow right-wing media are either not getting these stories at all or are being lied to about them. Example: "Musk is a brilliant patriot who is weeding out waste in government. He should be applauded and more private citizens should be doing this."
Kate, I don’t know anything about posting on FB, but I applaud anyone like you who is doing the hard work of trying to break through to t***p voters.
If you haven’t seen this 3.5-minute YouTube by Robert Reich, I highly recommend it. It explains an engaging, compelling case about what Elon is really doing.
https://youtu.be/2hVMghqarHY?si=ktukZ2lYzeVGF7KX
Thank you for posting what is happening at USAID. I too am trying to educate people on what USAID's mission actually is and how it benefits us here in the U.S. It is personal for me. I have a family member working there.
I am most upset about the dismantling of USAID and the irreversible harm to ongoing drug trials, etc. The funds were all authorized by Congress. I hope the lawsuit is successful by employees. Rubio and Musk comments were shameful.
This is an excellent piece from Nicholas Kristof:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/opinion/usaid-spending-trump-musk.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
I posted it on Facebook with the comment, "You can't fix things with a sledgehammer."
Can't read because of the paywall, but I agree with what I could see. The truth is they don't really want to fix the problems, they want to destroy USAID.
Robert, thank you for this. It does help to have the news topics with links for those who wish to know the details, and for the rest of us to decide whether we have the mental bandwidth (aka "spoons") to process the details.
"To help ease the cognitive load, I will reduce my commentary in this newsletter and categorize today’s news into comprehensible themes. I hope this helps!"
Thank you for this format Robert, it's perfect! Exactly what I've been looking for. Short and with links in case I have the bandwidth to look further. I like Meidas Touch and The Contrarian but most of the time I don't have the "spoons" to pull the needed facts out of long dissertations. With things changing so fast, I've found checking once a day cuts down on the chaos in the news, as you described. Please take care of yourself as well. praying for clear skies in LA.
Agree. Thank you, Robert.
Thank you, this is just what I needed. I, too, was feeling overwhelmed after reading three of the excellent commentators whom many of us here rely on. I always read yours last because it gives perspective and a little relief. Heartfelt thanks!
What Carla said !
Again, your list is a good compliment to Olga Lautman's list of what is happening in Day 18 of her Trump Tyranny Tracker.
https://open.substack.com/pub/trumptyrannytracker/p/trump-tyranny-tracker-day-18?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
I would like to call attention to the part she lists below about Christian Nationalism. I gave a speech at a Get out the Democrats Abroad Vote Rally in Hamburg Germany in the fall, on Project 2025 and how it was a blue print for turning the US into a Christian Nationalist Theocracy. Here is what Olga says about that.
Trump Establishes Task Force to Enforce Christian Nationalism
What Happened: Trump signed an executive order creating a task force to eliminate "anti-Christian bias," framing it as a defense of religious freedom. The move mirrors Russia’s state-backed Orthodox nationalism, where the government weaponizes religion to consolidate power and suppress dissent.
Why It Matters: This is a clear step toward state-enforced Christian nationalism, using federal power to privilege one religion while marginalizing others. Like Putin’s use of the Russian Orthodox Church to justify authoritarian control, Trump is leveraging Christianity to undermine secular governance and erode the separation of church and state.
Source: CNN
I just feel like this is a dystopian novel I am living in, only it is not. I have to keep reminding myself of that as I see Musk getting away in place of Trump with things he should not. In fact, it works to Trump's advantage to have people focus their enmity on Musk and not on him.
Speaking of Christian Nationalsim,there is an Ohio-based organization called LifeWise Academy that is taking public school students OFF school property DURING THE SCHOOL DAY to provide Bible education.
LifeWise successfully pressured Ohio Legislators to pass a law requiring all Ohio public school districts to write a Release Time for Religious Instruction (RTRI) policy that went into effect just after the 1st of the year. LifeWise is spreading across the country quickly. There's a map & more information at https://respectpublicschools.com/. You can click on the map to see what is happening in your area. This is a very organized movement and they are focusing on the “unchurched”.
How awful! What Soviet style indoctrination.
That is terrible. Also, sounds illegal!
This has been a fixed element in Utah's education system for as long as I remember
It's a terrible precedent, and contrary to the beliefs of a large majority of Americans. It also immediately creates a rift with the pro-Netanyahu / AIPAC crowd.
But the thing that strikes me about this disturbing order -- like many orders T signed off on resembling a catatonic zombie -- is that it seems more aligned with zealous, nationalist architects like Stephen Miller and Russ Vought. If anything consistent defines the increasingly unhinged Trump now, it is crude power consolidation, money grabs, and retribution. This is the guy who couldn't place his hand on the bible while being sworn in.
So happy to read that the fundaments of the Democratic fort are still standing. Good judges, unions and constituents defending it with all means. Of course we cannot oversee the damage T and Co will leave behind, but I claim that if they are playing nazi in Germany in their maga dreams, they will wake up in the United States of America, a democracy that went through more crisis and saved its union. A different kettle of fish all together. With much love from a Germany that is also in political turmoil. We also had many demos against the far right.
I'm encouraging solidarity between our traditional allies, particularly when malicious actors like Musk et al are simultaneously trying to infiltrate and disrupt our respective governments. If the illiberal regimes can group together to tarnish our democracies, pro-democratic forces ought to empower each other. They want nothing more than to isolate and weaken us. Herzliche Gruesse aus den USA.
I had an interesting conversation yesterday with the man that owns the kennel I take my dog to. I knew he voted for Trump so i asked what he thought about Trump’s first couple of weeks. He said he didn’t have time to read the paper other than to check the markets’ news because business was down at the kennel.
So I connected the dots for him; many of his clients are older. DOGE just hacked the US Treasury. And are in the midst of hacking into Medicare. And Trump is stupidly pushing tariffs which have already increased prices on goods we purchase. His clients live on fixed incomes. Trump’s policies are raising prices and causing deep insecurity about the future of SS and Medicare. Some of his customers may feel they can’t afford to kennel their pups to run errands anymore.
The “deer in the headlights” look on this man’s face was worth its weight in gold. He then asked what days next week I was bringing my dog in (I still work even though I’m 70). I cut back from four days to two.
Message delivered. And in addition to working in my studio, I will spend some time everyday working to protect this Democracy. Paul is not a stupid man but boy oh boy is it ever hard to crack through the denial MAGAS live in.
Also calling the MN Attorney General’s office today to thank them for suing DOGE and the federal government on my behalf.
So Grateful for this community!
Also calling Ellison today--I called and asked him to do this, so the least I can do is call and thank him!
Yes, it's important to thank and encourage people doing the good work. Rather than be buried among the gazillion phone calls and emails, I mail postcards.
I send postcards to anyone whose district I don't live in and to cabinet members.
Great idea! Gonna start doing this too.
Sheila, this is absolutely the best thing we can do. There are a lot of uninformed people out there who need their eyes opened by a person in their orbit. Thank you!
This is the great incremental work that is needed. Changing hearts and minds. And MN is a very interesting state to do it in. I wonder if there may be a bit of 'MN nice' that allows an entree, where deep red Trump areas may stonewall. I'm sure it was not easy, but every person counts.
Yesterday, the Bexar County Democratic Party sponsored the rally to Sen. Cornyn's office yesterday in San Antonio! We were loud and proud. Of course, he was not there nor were our leaders admitted to the offices. If this snarky response was his in response to our rally, it proves how this experienced public servant has devolved into an ugly MAGA cult member.
We are his constituents after all!
It helps to read a sorted out description of what’s happening. My head stopped spinning and sure enough, I could hold both thing one and thing two. It’s hard for me to act constructively when my head is spinning.
Dear Robert, I’m glad you’re on our side! Thank you.
Some wind for your sails:
Author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe on perseverance:
"When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn't hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that's just the place and time that the tide'll turn."
Source: Oldtown Folks (1869)
Author and poet Maya Angelou on persistence:
"My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness. The effect you have on others’ lives is the highest expression of your own."
Source: Letter to My Daughter
“A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” – Richard M. Nixon.
“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” - George S. Patton
“Courage is holding on a minute longer.” - George S. Patton.
“It’s always too soon to quit.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“Courage is what it takes to stand up & speak; Courage is also what it takes to sit down & listen.” - Winston Churchill.
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie