A lot of reasons have been offered what caused Mar-a-Lago having 'issues' with Rep. Mike Turner. There is one that hasn't been mentioned at all, probably because it seems so outlandish, so petty – but it isn't. It certainly reflects the vengeful mobster mentality of the President-elect. The lie about Springfield, OH being taken over by Haitian immigrants who were eating the residents pets was central during the campaign, being repeated ad nauseam by the candidate and his sidekick.
Springfield is in the congressional district of Mike Turner and he called the allegations harmful and untrue. Calling out preposterous, outlandish allegations should be nothing special in normal times, but we don't live in normal times. I thought 'wow, this guy must have balls. Nice to know, that there still exist Republicans with a spine.'
For the Don it was an unforgivable sign of disloyalty.
Turner was also openly and rightfully critical of Agent Orange's "perfect phone call" to Ukraine's new president, Zelenskyy--in which AO was criminally trying to withhold and strongarm US foreign aid to Ukraine to obtain "dirt" on the Bidens. Kudos to Turner for upholding his Oath to the Constitution. I hope that AO's and Johnson's shameful duplicity causes Turner to vote with the Dems on key votes to deny MAGA's shameful agenda!
Oh how I wish Mike Turner, and any others like him, would decide to join the Democratic Party right now! That would be a fitting response to the abuse of power and “free speech” that the MAGAS have exacted on him. Remember free speech? Trump and his lying friends have ranted about that forever. But “free” speech for them only means if you say things that he likes, and nothing that is critical of him. It is scary and sickening. I hope Hakeem will reach out to Mike Turner.
I wonder if any here can name the "any others like" Turner. Who would be on a target list to break that slim majority number and perhaps make Johnson less cocky about throwing everything and the kitchen sink into a reconciliation bill? Especially during those important weeks after a few members leave to serve in the administration and are not yet replaced.
Anybody who resisted Trump and then got primary resigned or got voted out. So it would take a brave person to do this, and I wonder if there are any left in the Republican Party. I hear noises about Murkowski (not Collins, we know she’s a coward) and some others in the Senate maybe not putting up with Trump’s nonsense, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
I would appreciate a list of possible Republicans with enough courage to vote for the good of the country. I have emailed and called John Thune because he is the majority leader.
Thune was elected by secret ballot in direct defiance of Trump's pick of Rick Scott. So I assumed he was not in T's pocket (or somewhere else). Besides Lisa, who might be on a short list?
I have basically migrated to Bluesky, but cannot abandon FB completely. I need My water bathing canning group, knitting group and embroidery group. Far flung friends. I also share HCR letters every day. Over the last couple of years I am beginning to see "likes" from unlikely friends who I never thought would read the Letters. Maybe It worked like advertising, after seeing something daily for 2-3 years curiosity got the better of them. Resistance comes in many forms.
I hear what Robert is saying, but for admittedly selfish reasons, I remain on FB and use Amazon Prime.
My oldest son and his family live in Japan, and we use FB Messenger for weekly videochats with our other son and his family. I also have some dear friends and family that I keep in touch with on FB. I avoid clickbait, and generally avoid political arguments.
I use Amazon, but only after determining that it's the best choice from a cost and availability standpoint. If I can do almost as well otherwise, especially locally, I choose the alternative. Unfortunately, Amazon wins often. I have, however, consciously tried to order things separately, which drives their shipping cost up and I assume helps the USPO and other shippers, as well as their own delivery folks.
What I think I'll do is have a one week boycott of both FB and Amazon (except for my family call), starting January 20. If we all did that much, it might do three things: 1) get their attention; 2) tie it to the inaugeration [sic]; and 3) show us that we can find alternatives. Who's with me?
p.s. I may be a coward, but at least I'm not disengaged.
p.p.s. "inaugeration: the beginning of a period of intense helical shafting (screwing) of the entire population"
Even when I order together, I often get multiple deliveries depending on who the actual vendors are. Drives me nuts. I am also trying out Target's TargetCircle360. They had a half-price introductory rate. If I use it enough, perhaps it will be worth the full price next year. You get free shipping without having to meet minimums, and a lot is available online that you don't see in stores. Also you can get delivery, which is done via Shipt. (I'm a little unclear on the expectation to add a tip. It's an automatic option, but does everyone really inflate their grocery costs by 20%?) And you can get Shipt deliveries from some other stores. But we got into Prime in the days when you could add five "friends and family," so our two adult children and our son-in-law use the account. My husband technically owns the account, not me. It feels complicated for ME unilaterally to say I'm pulling it.
I quit Facebook in August of 2020 right before the previous election because my feed was full of crap. I do miss keeping in touch with far flung friends but I have found other ways to stay in touch with those who are really important to me. I cancelled my subscription to WaPo, but quitting Amazon is harder for me. I use it a lot. I'll look into replacing it with Target 360.
I have decided to leave Amazon. As much as It will be bothersome, I have found that you need to really pay attention to prices. Most times the prices are higher or equal to other sources. It's just nice to be able to go to one source, but I am so disgusted with Bezos and Zuckerberg it's worth a few extra dollars. I quit Facebook several years ago.
I just can't see myself contributing to their attitudes and lack of compassion and stupidity.
Living in rural locations made Amazon Prime a tremendous convenience for us, (except of course for the steady flow of packaging waste), until the inconvenient truth of the Bezos fascist factor emerged like a long festering cancer. Recently, I've canceled all my subscriptions, medical and otherwise, and am now using Amazon for basic price checks and their reviews only, and buying direct from the manufacturers when possible and more reputable suppliers. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that there is hardly a "free" movie worth watching on Prime Video anymore, and that when there is, it is laced with incessant outlandish and loud commercials? Or that almost the day after Bezos withdrew his editorial support from Kamala, the Post Most removed the Democracy Dies in Darkness header on its daily missive and replaced it with cheesy ads that appear before you're forced to scroll down to see any news at all as skewed as it may be. Fortunately, my subscription which I was loathe to let go of will lapse on its own shortly. Good riddance to anything this dude is selling for one week ... or forever.
Michal, I am also sharing HCR, Robert, and the Borowitz Report on FB. I don't get a lot of responses, but that's ok. Interestingly, what I have found is that if I copy a salient paragraph or 2, and start my post with that, more people pay attention.
Like you I connect with family, old friends, and colleagues around the world, as well as craft groups through FB. Through it I have reconnected with people I hadn't seen in almost 60 years. I want to keep that. I don't follow political content (except HCR) there, nor make purchases, nor have more than three "friends" out of hundreds, who support maga. I've never used Twitter, give up Wapo some months ago, and now veering away from Amazon. I'm enjoying Bluesky for news and opinion content. So far this is where I am.
Maybe it's me, but I find Bluesky needlessly hard to navigate. If it worked easily and well, I'd be on it every day. That said, I haven't been a major user of FB lately, but when I do use it I can find my friends immediately, and they seem to be able to find me easily.
The only social media I use is Substack, BlueSky and Reddit. And no platform for more than 30min a day. I have timers on all my apps. I feel so much happier.
After Robert’s Substack Live this Monday, MLKJr Day, Civic Sundays will have a briefing on what we all need to keep doing for the next 4 years: lobbing truth bombs against the onslaught of lies.
Have completed The Small and The Mighty by Sharon McMahon and recommend it. We have some incredibly brave and persistent unknowns in our history, mostly women and/or people of color, who turned this country around and on the right path.
Someone else recommended it after 11/5 and I bought a copy for my favorite cousin from my favorite local independent bookstore and another for myself from my favorite independent used bookseller. https://www.biblio.com/
"When the Montgomery and Greensboro protests began, there was no certainty that they would achieve impact or scale".
I am a transplant to NC from MD (just outside of the beltway around DC). I moved there in the early 80s and the remnants of Jim Crow were still evident, much to my shock and disgust. In some ways, I feel like we have regressed back to those days since 2016.
Early in my career I met a fellow employee, Franklin McCain, who was quiet, studious, and about as far away from my image of a civil rights activist as you could get. Yet it turns out he was one of the "Greensboro Four" who staged the famous sit-in at the Woolworth's lunch counter. The lesson I took away from learning his history was that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
Don't let a"I'm just one person; what can I do?" framework stop you from resisting Trump's authoritarian impulses.
Each of us can do "The Next Needed Thing" -(from "The Small and the Mighty", by Sharon McMahon) That understanding is what propelled Virginia Randolph ahead again and again. I am taking it as one of my mottos.
The sacking of Mike Turner by the bully in chief with the knife wielded by Mike Johnson is a sad, sad, depressing action that serves as a storm warning flag for the next 4 years of capitulation. We all need to remember that 2026 provides an opportunity to get the House back on a track where decency and the welfare of the average American are once again important. Seeing the holier-than-thou Mike Johnson take the shiv to Mike Turner is revolting and serves to confirm his rampant and abiding hypocrisy.
They all pretend they are alpha males and have values, but they sure have no backbone and will do anything to appease Trump it's absolutely disgusting.
That's a lot of hemming and hawing about Facebook and social media platforms. You need to read The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Harvard B School Prof emeritus Shoshana Zuboff to understand the danger they present: the deprivation of human agency. There is no good reason to be on Facebook or any other social media platform. The modern Rbbber Barrons are stealing our data to get rich and ultimately to control our government, which they are accomplishing right now, and indeed our civilization as we know it today. Anybody who thinks otherwise is naive. Sadly, too many people think there is good to be accomplished with the private unregulated ownership and use for profit of the peoples' data.
Zuboff's book is very good as popular summary, though other academics who have previously covered the topic note she is not the first to analyze these data / recent history, and she takes a more market-centrist perspective. E.G., it does proceed from a notion that markets can be rectified, appropriate for faculty associated with Harvard Business School.
More recently and broadly, I've heard tech / cultural critics like -- I believe -- Cory Doctorow express some skepticism about the book's popular reception, though the data surveillance aspects clearly remain relevant. Another current argument against the wisdom of market agency, in a broad sense, is the recent United Health CEO murder case, which lays bare some ripe sentiments about just how we as a society ought to approach class and hyper inequality in America. Class, as a topic, has remained a stubborn discursive taboo for generations stateside.
The private for profit unregulated ownership and use of the peoples' data is the foundation on which our oligarchs rest have built their fortune and the oil that lubricates our plutocracy. This is very simple. And don't forget that Trump is not just an enabler. The greatest part of his fortune is Truth Social. He and his camaraderie are all birds of a feather.
Not sure it helps, but I always opt out of data sharing on all websites I visit. Plus I use the Goods Unite Us app when shopping and follow up with letters to corporations telling them why I no longer buy their products. If we all did something it could make a difference.
Beautiful photos. I don't do boycotts anymore but I have rethought how I consume their products. Bezos makes more money from Google (he was an early investor) than from Amazon. I left X as I won't hang out with nazis,
racists and maga. I use Instagram for many art community connections; Facebook only to connect with a few lifelong friends. I also do 'throw sand in their gears' when I can by posting info there as appropriate. They are mere shadows of their former selves. Connections especially now are vital.
This has gone under the radar because of the confirmation hearings, but the senate at 10:00 am ET will be voting for a horrible, unconstitutional bill that would unfairly affect immigrants. Democrats will be voting for this bill in particular Gallego, Fetterman (who are cosponsoring it), Slotkin, Peters, Klobuchar, Rosen and more Dems. The bill is the Laken Riley ActI
This bill, if enacted, would undermine our nation’s core principles of justice, fairness, and equality. It is a direct assault on due process, fundamental rights, and the integrity of our legal and immigration systems.
First and foremost, this bill is a blatant threat to due process. It mandates the detention of any undocumented immigrant charged with a theft-related offense—including minor misdemeanors—without the opportunity for a bond or bail hearing. This applies even to individuals who have not been convicted, including minors, DACA recipients, and those awaiting green cards. Under this law, a mother charged with shoplifting diapers could be detained for the entirety of her deportation proceedings, unable to request a bond hearing. This is a draconian policy that punishes individuals without proving guilt, violating a cornerstone of American justice: the presumption of innocence.
Moreover, the bill would wreak havoc on our courts by giving any state the blanket authority to sue the federal government over an expansive range of immigration actions, regardless of legitimate interest. This provision would inundate federal courts with frivolous lawsuits, creating a chaotic backlog that obstructs justice and discourages meaningful immigration reform. By disincentivizing federal administrations from crafting innovative policies to address our immigration challenges, this bill threatens to paralyze progress for years to come.
In practice, the Laken Riley Act would sow fear across our communities, exacerbating racial profiling and marginalization. Black and Brown individuals, who are disproportionately arrested and charged in our justice system, would face the greatest harm. Meanwhile, private prison executives would stand to profit from the increased detention of individuals who pose no threat to public safety. This is not justice—it is exploitation.
Finally, the bill is a flagrant violation of fundamental rights. Prolonged detention without access to individualized bond hearings is an extreme measure that goes against the core principles of our legal system. While nearly all individuals in criminal courts are afforded bond hearings, this bill denies that right to immigrants based solely on an arrest or charge. Such a policy invites the prolonged detention of innocent people, compounding racial disparities in law enforcement and eroding public trust in our government.
The Laken Riley Act is not a solution to our immigration challenges; it is an unjust and destructive policy that undermines American values. I urge you to reject this harmful legislation and to instead champion reforms that respect due process, protect fundamental rights, and address immigration challenges in a humane and effective way.
Please call your senators and demand they vote NO! 202-224-3121 Thank you!
You likely have to copy and paste the link and I really I hope you are all able to access it. The article was prescient at the and even more powerful now.
As well, to Robert’s list of resistances that began in small ways to eventuate in mass movements that changed the face of America I would add (as a child of the 60’s) the anti-Vietnam war movement that began on a very few campuses by some ‘idealistic hippies’ and a bunch of others. We did change the face of America.
I've lived my life on college campuses. I am surprised at the lack of activity and organization in response to Trump and the right. I know very well the work that the Far Right has been doing through Turning Point USA, which mostly has enriched Charlie Kirk, Don Jr.'s fellow tourist to Greenland, but continues to have a chilling effect on colleges and universities. I follow Inside Higher Education and the Chronicle of Higher Education, but if any academic or political fellow traveler has helpful sites or readings to pass along, I would welcome them.
I am shocked too at the lack of enthusiasm and resistance on college campuses! I kept waiting for it. I was at university during the 60s and early 70s, we were plenty active as many you probably were too. And thereafter in my community. I don’t know what to do to get these young people to see the problems they will be the ones living with for the rest of their lives.
After I had seen Zuckerberg announcing his plans to build the greatest open AI and cuddling up to Trump and Co, I decided to leave Facebook on January 1st. I staid on WhatsApp because we use it to connect to our international expat family and messages are coded. Until they should change that, I stay on that. Back to email, cards, letters and phone. I gave all my FB friends who wanted my email and phone. It is amazing how good it works.
The argument over whether to leave Facebook or not is surfacing but not as vehemently as one would image, due mostly to the fact that my short list of only 600-plus friends are primarlly there to absorb friend's posts, some news (viable) and catching up with each other - a godsend during the Pandemic.
I put it out there that I was not leaving and the response was mixed, some quoting news articles about the credibility of FB in the future, etc. Many saying they were not leaving, probably for some of the reasons you stated today.
However, I have to say that my page, and others, are a mixed bag of social, informational and amusing posts with a constant peppering of important political commentary from valid news sources and substacks such as yours...I post yours and HCR's almost every day, adding my two cents, for what it's worth.
I also write my own commentary for my page, often making it "public" so more than my friends list can read it. I guess what's important to me is that folks maintain their voices and raise them often, when needed...on Facebook, in letters to the editor, in meetings (school boards, town planning, etc.). Our range of effectiveness is much smaller than yours or a columnist from The Free Press or the Contrarian, but subscribing to them and myriad others means I can post and re-post effectively...I consider that my own small resistance. Educating ourselves is crucial to the next four years.
I might have heard of you and the many substacks I subscribe to, but mostly it was the media that informed me, some of it from Facebook itself.
Consequently I will stay on FB. I will fight and endure the coming four years, despite the fact that it's frightening - being a 77 year old plump Jewish lady means it takes a lot to make me retreat - I will continue to read (I know the difference between what's true and not) and realize and act upon my reponsibility to be vigilant in my corner of the world (HCR lives down the road a bit and is an incredible role model for resistance in writing.)
Your commentary means so much to many of us out here on Facebook and online - no longer marching in the streets (my last march was in January 2017) we resist and fight by reading, writing and sharing to inspire everyone around us and to say we can get through the next four years...history tells us we are not the first to confront adversity. And Facebook "belongs" to us as much as anyone else.
I am not sure if the billionaires supporting Trump are doing it to be inside the tent , think they can prevent horrible things from happening or to make more money. When Bezos refused to endorse Harris 250,000 people discontinued their subscriptions and if Bezos was not rich it would have been a major financial blow but we will see what happens. The problem with these guys ( yes all guys. ) is they believe the MAGA demographics are more important to them than we are and after all they elected Trump. I believe we should protest especially to House members not in gerrymandered areas and we should make it personal. We should callout by name those legislators who have voted for legislation that harms voters. Democrats have to be more aggressive and hard hitting something the Harris campaign started and they need an infrastructure and platform to be heard.
Great column today, Robert. These words particularly stood out to me:
"if you choose to give up Facebook as an act of resistance, do so not because it might change Mark Zuckerberg but because it will change you. And in the process, you may change history"
Thank you so much for doing what you do for all of us.
A lot of reasons have been offered what caused Mar-a-Lago having 'issues' with Rep. Mike Turner. There is one that hasn't been mentioned at all, probably because it seems so outlandish, so petty – but it isn't. It certainly reflects the vengeful mobster mentality of the President-elect. The lie about Springfield, OH being taken over by Haitian immigrants who were eating the residents pets was central during the campaign, being repeated ad nauseam by the candidate and his sidekick.
Springfield is in the congressional district of Mike Turner and he called the allegations harmful and untrue. Calling out preposterous, outlandish allegations should be nothing special in normal times, but we don't live in normal times. I thought 'wow, this guy must have balls. Nice to know, that there still exist Republicans with a spine.'
For the Don it was an unforgivable sign of disloyalty.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4890148-mike-turner-denounces-false-claims-springfield-ohio/
Turner was also openly and rightfully critical of Agent Orange's "perfect phone call" to Ukraine's new president, Zelenskyy--in which AO was criminally trying to withhold and strongarm US foreign aid to Ukraine to obtain "dirt" on the Bidens. Kudos to Turner for upholding his Oath to the Constitution. I hope that AO's and Johnson's shameful duplicity causes Turner to vote with the Dems on key votes to deny MAGA's shameful agenda!
Kenneth, if Turner does vote with Dems, that would be amazing. And SO helpful!
Oh how I wish Mike Turner, and any others like him, would decide to join the Democratic Party right now! That would be a fitting response to the abuse of power and “free speech” that the MAGAS have exacted on him. Remember free speech? Trump and his lying friends have ranted about that forever. But “free” speech for them only means if you say things that he likes, and nothing that is critical of him. It is scary and sickening. I hope Hakeem will reach out to Mike Turner.
I wonder if any here can name the "any others like" Turner. Who would be on a target list to break that slim majority number and perhaps make Johnson less cocky about throwing everything and the kitchen sink into a reconciliation bill? Especially during those important weeks after a few members leave to serve in the administration and are not yet replaced.
Anybody who resisted Trump and then got primary resigned or got voted out. So it would take a brave person to do this, and I wonder if there are any left in the Republican Party. I hear noises about Murkowski (not Collins, we know she’s a coward) and some others in the Senate maybe not putting up with Trump’s nonsense, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
I would appreciate a list of possible Republicans with enough courage to vote for the good of the country. I have emailed and called John Thune because he is the majority leader.
That would be quite a short list. And John Tune would not be on it.
Thune was elected by secret ballot in direct defiance of Trump's pick of Rick Scott. So I assumed he was not in T's pocket (or somewhere else). Besides Lisa, who might be on a short list?
Turner is probably looking at being primaried from the right. So becoming a Democrat would be an excellent seque and a middle finger to the GOP.
But who knows what his thinking is.
The corrupt, hypocritical, fake Christian Mike Johnson is the GOP House LEADER, which tells you all you need to know about the rest of them.
I forgot about this thanks for reminding us.
I have basically migrated to Bluesky, but cannot abandon FB completely. I need My water bathing canning group, knitting group and embroidery group. Far flung friends. I also share HCR letters every day. Over the last couple of years I am beginning to see "likes" from unlikely friends who I never thought would read the Letters. Maybe It worked like advertising, after seeing something daily for 2-3 years curiosity got the better of them. Resistance comes in many forms.
I hear what Robert is saying, but for admittedly selfish reasons, I remain on FB and use Amazon Prime.
My oldest son and his family live in Japan, and we use FB Messenger for weekly videochats with our other son and his family. I also have some dear friends and family that I keep in touch with on FB. I avoid clickbait, and generally avoid political arguments.
I use Amazon, but only after determining that it's the best choice from a cost and availability standpoint. If I can do almost as well otherwise, especially locally, I choose the alternative. Unfortunately, Amazon wins often. I have, however, consciously tried to order things separately, which drives their shipping cost up and I assume helps the USPO and other shippers, as well as their own delivery folks.
What I think I'll do is have a one week boycott of both FB and Amazon (except for my family call), starting January 20. If we all did that much, it might do three things: 1) get their attention; 2) tie it to the inaugeration [sic]; and 3) show us that we can find alternatives. Who's with me?
p.s. I may be a coward, but at least I'm not disengaged.
p.p.s. "inaugeration: the beginning of a period of intense helical shafting (screwing) of the entire population"
Ordering things separately on Amazon to drive their shipping costs up hurts all of us. Multiple deliveries cause more strain on our environment.
True. Unintended consequences abound! May need to rethink.
Even when I order together, I often get multiple deliveries depending on who the actual vendors are. Drives me nuts. I am also trying out Target's TargetCircle360. They had a half-price introductory rate. If I use it enough, perhaps it will be worth the full price next year. You get free shipping without having to meet minimums, and a lot is available online that you don't see in stores. Also you can get delivery, which is done via Shipt. (I'm a little unclear on the expectation to add a tip. It's an automatic option, but does everyone really inflate their grocery costs by 20%?) And you can get Shipt deliveries from some other stores. But we got into Prime in the days when you could add five "friends and family," so our two adult children and our son-in-law use the account. My husband technically owns the account, not me. It feels complicated for ME unilaterally to say I'm pulling it.
I could do a 1-week boycott, but we must have a lot of others for it to be noticeable. Are others in?
Also, as I keep telling my FB friends, if you have an ad blocker on your computer, as I do, you don't see the ads.
People can download and use (for free) F.B. Purity. It gets rid of ads just on Facebook.
I may be alone, but it'll make me feel better, and if the 2024 election taught us nothing else, "It's all about ME!"
I have no Facebook account and never have had. I have no interest in going on Facebook now.
I quit Facebook in August of 2020 right before the previous election because my feed was full of crap. I do miss keeping in touch with far flung friends but I have found other ways to stay in touch with those who are really important to me. I cancelled my subscription to WaPo, but quitting Amazon is harder for me. I use it a lot. I'll look into replacing it with Target 360.
I’ve been calling it “Insurrection Part 2.”
I have decided to leave Amazon. As much as It will be bothersome, I have found that you need to really pay attention to prices. Most times the prices are higher or equal to other sources. It's just nice to be able to go to one source, but I am so disgusted with Bezos and Zuckerberg it's worth a few extra dollars. I quit Facebook several years ago.
I just can't see myself contributing to their attitudes and lack of compassion and stupidity.
We all make our own choices. I use Amazon very, very infrequently, preferring to buy from online businesses.
Living in rural locations made Amazon Prime a tremendous convenience for us, (except of course for the steady flow of packaging waste), until the inconvenient truth of the Bezos fascist factor emerged like a long festering cancer. Recently, I've canceled all my subscriptions, medical and otherwise, and am now using Amazon for basic price checks and their reviews only, and buying direct from the manufacturers when possible and more reputable suppliers. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that there is hardly a "free" movie worth watching on Prime Video anymore, and that when there is, it is laced with incessant outlandish and loud commercials? Or that almost the day after Bezos withdrew his editorial support from Kamala, the Post Most removed the Democracy Dies in Darkness header on its daily missive and replaced it with cheesy ads that appear before you're forced to scroll down to see any news at all as skewed as it may be. Fortunately, my subscription which I was loathe to let go of will lapse on its own shortly. Good riddance to anything this dude is selling for one week ... or forever.
It doesn’t augur well, this “in-auger-ation,” does it?
It certainly doesn't, Carol!
I use Amazon because it saves time. That said, I do not buy a lot of stuff.
Michal, I am also sharing HCR, Robert, and the Borowitz Report on FB. I don't get a lot of responses, but that's ok. Interestingly, what I have found is that if I copy a salient paragraph or 2, and start my post with that, more people pay attention.
Viva la resistance
Like you I connect with family, old friends, and colleagues around the world, as well as craft groups through FB. Through it I have reconnected with people I hadn't seen in almost 60 years. I want to keep that. I don't follow political content (except HCR) there, nor make purchases, nor have more than three "friends" out of hundreds, who support maga. I've never used Twitter, give up Wapo some months ago, and now veering away from Amazon. I'm enjoying Bluesky for news and opinion content. So far this is where I am.
Maybe it's me, but I find Bluesky needlessly hard to navigate. If it worked easily and well, I'd be on it every day. That said, I haven't been a major user of FB lately, but when I do use it I can find my friends immediately, and they seem to be able to find me easily.
The only social media I use is Substack, BlueSky and Reddit. And no platform for more than 30min a day. I have timers on all my apps. I feel so much happier.
After Robert’s Substack Live this Monday, MLKJr Day, Civic Sundays will have a briefing on what we all need to keep doing for the next 4 years: lobbing truth bombs against the onslaught of lies.
https://www.mobilize.us/civicsundays/event/750117/
Thanks! That sounds interesting.
Have completed The Small and The Mighty by Sharon McMahon and recommend it. We have some incredibly brave and persistent unknowns in our history, mostly women and/or people of color, who turned this country around and on the right path.
Someone else recommended it after 11/5 and I bought a copy for my favorite cousin from my favorite local independent bookstore and another for myself from my favorite independent used bookseller. https://www.biblio.com/
Thanks for the recommendation. I just put in a request and am waitlisted for a copy at my local library.
Just did the same, it’s a 10 week wait! I have the feeling it will definitely be worth it!
Reading it now, Karen. Helping me to hold fast in standing for justice as these mostly woman did!
"When the Montgomery and Greensboro protests began, there was no certainty that they would achieve impact or scale".
I am a transplant to NC from MD (just outside of the beltway around DC). I moved there in the early 80s and the remnants of Jim Crow were still evident, much to my shock and disgust. In some ways, I feel like we have regressed back to those days since 2016.
Early in my career I met a fellow employee, Franklin McCain, who was quiet, studious, and about as far away from my image of a civil rights activist as you could get. Yet it turns out he was one of the "Greensboro Four" who staged the famous sit-in at the Woolworth's lunch counter. The lesson I took away from learning his history was that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
Don't let a"I'm just one person; what can I do?" framework stop you from resisting Trump's authoritarian impulses.
Thanks for another great column, Robert.
Each of us can do "The Next Needed Thing" -(from "The Small and the Mighty", by Sharon McMahon) That understanding is what propelled Virginia Randolph ahead again and again. I am taking it as one of my mottos.
You, Cheryl, are a perfect example of just one person making a difference. Thank you. Your friend from Durham. 🗽
The sacking of Mike Turner by the bully in chief with the knife wielded by Mike Johnson is a sad, sad, depressing action that serves as a storm warning flag for the next 4 years of capitulation. We all need to remember that 2026 provides an opportunity to get the House back on a track where decency and the welfare of the average American are once again important. Seeing the holier-than-thou Mike Johnson take the shiv to Mike Turner is revolting and serves to confirm his rampant and abiding hypocrisy.
Mike Johnson is certainly an example of an extreme hypocrite.
I am generally not a violent woman, but I would love to smack the smirk from his dweeb face once and for all. Just saying.
I comfort myself with the certainty that he who wields the shiv will also die by the shiv. (with apologies to the KJV of the Bible)
Get use to it.
They all pretend they are alpha males and have values, but they sure have no backbone and will do anything to appease Trump it's absolutely disgusting.
That's a lot of hemming and hawing about Facebook and social media platforms. You need to read The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Harvard B School Prof emeritus Shoshana Zuboff to understand the danger they present: the deprivation of human agency. There is no good reason to be on Facebook or any other social media platform. The modern Rbbber Barrons are stealing our data to get rich and ultimately to control our government, which they are accomplishing right now, and indeed our civilization as we know it today. Anybody who thinks otherwise is naive. Sadly, too many people think there is good to be accomplished with the private unregulated ownership and use for profit of the peoples' data.
always appreciate recommended readings/resources.
listening to audiobook now
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff
Zuboff's book is very good as popular summary, though other academics who have previously covered the topic note she is not the first to analyze these data / recent history, and she takes a more market-centrist perspective. E.G., it does proceed from a notion that markets can be rectified, appropriate for faculty associated with Harvard Business School.
Here is an extended critique from earlier for context: https://blaynehaggart.com/2019/02/15/evaluating-scholarship-or-why-i-wont-be-teaching-shoshana-zuboffs-the-age-of-surveillance-capitalism/
More recently and broadly, I've heard tech / cultural critics like -- I believe -- Cory Doctorow express some skepticism about the book's popular reception, though the data surveillance aspects clearly remain relevant. Another current argument against the wisdom of market agency, in a broad sense, is the recent United Health CEO murder case, which lays bare some ripe sentiments about just how we as a society ought to approach class and hyper inequality in America. Class, as a topic, has remained a stubborn discursive taboo for generations stateside.
I also reserved a copy at the library.
Good recommendation for reading. I requested the audiobook from the library and will post about it on FB.
The private for profit unregulated ownership and use of the peoples' data is the foundation on which our oligarchs rest have built their fortune and the oil that lubricates our plutocracy. This is very simple. And don't forget that Trump is not just an enabler. The greatest part of his fortune is Truth Social. He and his camaraderie are all birds of a feather.
Not sure it helps, but I always opt out of data sharing on all websites I visit. Plus I use the Goods Unite Us app when shopping and follow up with letters to corporations telling them why I no longer buy their products. If we all did something it could make a difference.
I am unsubscribed from publications I used to support. I like in Substack that we can choose which voices we want to support.
I am in an indivisible circle and from it I draw strength right now as we work on our plans for resistance. Part of that has been informing ourselves.
Beautiful photos. I don't do boycotts anymore but I have rethought how I consume their products. Bezos makes more money from Google (he was an early investor) than from Amazon. I left X as I won't hang out with nazis,
racists and maga. I use Instagram for many art community connections; Facebook only to connect with a few lifelong friends. I also do 'throw sand in their gears' when I can by posting info there as appropriate. They are mere shadows of their former selves. Connections especially now are vital.
This has gone under the radar because of the confirmation hearings, but the senate at 10:00 am ET will be voting for a horrible, unconstitutional bill that would unfairly affect immigrants. Democrats will be voting for this bill in particular Gallego, Fetterman (who are cosponsoring it), Slotkin, Peters, Klobuchar, Rosen and more Dems. The bill is the Laken Riley ActI
This bill, if enacted, would undermine our nation’s core principles of justice, fairness, and equality. It is a direct assault on due process, fundamental rights, and the integrity of our legal and immigration systems.
First and foremost, this bill is a blatant threat to due process. It mandates the detention of any undocumented immigrant charged with a theft-related offense—including minor misdemeanors—without the opportunity for a bond or bail hearing. This applies even to individuals who have not been convicted, including minors, DACA recipients, and those awaiting green cards. Under this law, a mother charged with shoplifting diapers could be detained for the entirety of her deportation proceedings, unable to request a bond hearing. This is a draconian policy that punishes individuals without proving guilt, violating a cornerstone of American justice: the presumption of innocence.
Moreover, the bill would wreak havoc on our courts by giving any state the blanket authority to sue the federal government over an expansive range of immigration actions, regardless of legitimate interest. This provision would inundate federal courts with frivolous lawsuits, creating a chaotic backlog that obstructs justice and discourages meaningful immigration reform. By disincentivizing federal administrations from crafting innovative policies to address our immigration challenges, this bill threatens to paralyze progress for years to come.
In practice, the Laken Riley Act would sow fear across our communities, exacerbating racial profiling and marginalization. Black and Brown individuals, who are disproportionately arrested and charged in our justice system, would face the greatest harm. Meanwhile, private prison executives would stand to profit from the increased detention of individuals who pose no threat to public safety. This is not justice—it is exploitation.
Finally, the bill is a flagrant violation of fundamental rights. Prolonged detention without access to individualized bond hearings is an extreme measure that goes against the core principles of our legal system. While nearly all individuals in criminal courts are afforded bond hearings, this bill denies that right to immigrants based solely on an arrest or charge. Such a policy invites the prolonged detention of innocent people, compounding racial disparities in law enforcement and eroding public trust in our government.
The Laken Riley Act is not a solution to our immigration challenges; it is an unjust and destructive policy that undermines American values. I urge you to reject this harmful legislation and to instead champion reforms that respect due process, protect fundamental rights, and address immigration challenges in a humane and effective way.
Please call your senators and demand they vote NO! 202-224-3121 Thank you!
This article, entitled “Facebook is a Doomsday Machine” written in 2020 prompted me to leave FB. The link to get you there is:
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/12/facebook-doomsday-machine/617384/?gift=Qj6_YwiVlG-tphCjdMj2Mr5yoDJnVUDFK3Y60z-boqE&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share.
You likely have to copy and paste the link and I really I hope you are all able to access it. The article was prescient at the and even more powerful now.
As well, to Robert’s list of resistances that began in small ways to eventuate in mass movements that changed the face of America I would add (as a child of the 60’s) the anti-Vietnam war movement that began on a very few campuses by some ‘idealistic hippies’ and a bunch of others. We did change the face of America.
I've lived my life on college campuses. I am surprised at the lack of activity and organization in response to Trump and the right. I know very well the work that the Far Right has been doing through Turning Point USA, which mostly has enriched Charlie Kirk, Don Jr.'s fellow tourist to Greenland, but continues to have a chilling effect on colleges and universities. I follow Inside Higher Education and the Chronicle of Higher Education, but if any academic or political fellow traveler has helpful sites or readings to pass along, I would welcome them.
I am shocked too at the lack of enthusiasm and resistance on college campuses! I kept waiting for it. I was at university during the 60s and early 70s, we were plenty active as many you probably were too. And thereafter in my community. I don’t know what to do to get these young people to see the problems they will be the ones living with for the rest of their lives.
Not even a whimper regarding the corrupt SCOTUS. Shocking.
Yes, and I am sad to say, I was in law school one year behind John Cornyn, what a disappointment he is.
50,000 people closed down the 1-5 Seattle Freeway in 1970 in protest.
Thank you. A lot of food for thought in that one article.
After I had seen Zuckerberg announcing his plans to build the greatest open AI and cuddling up to Trump and Co, I decided to leave Facebook on January 1st. I staid on WhatsApp because we use it to connect to our international expat family and messages are coded. Until they should change that, I stay on that. Back to email, cards, letters and phone. I gave all my FB friends who wanted my email and phone. It is amazing how good it works.
Robert, that photo is amazing! Thanks so much!
The argument over whether to leave Facebook or not is surfacing but not as vehemently as one would image, due mostly to the fact that my short list of only 600-plus friends are primarlly there to absorb friend's posts, some news (viable) and catching up with each other - a godsend during the Pandemic.
I put it out there that I was not leaving and the response was mixed, some quoting news articles about the credibility of FB in the future, etc. Many saying they were not leaving, probably for some of the reasons you stated today.
However, I have to say that my page, and others, are a mixed bag of social, informational and amusing posts with a constant peppering of important political commentary from valid news sources and substacks such as yours...I post yours and HCR's almost every day, adding my two cents, for what it's worth.
I also write my own commentary for my page, often making it "public" so more than my friends list can read it. I guess what's important to me is that folks maintain their voices and raise them often, when needed...on Facebook, in letters to the editor, in meetings (school boards, town planning, etc.). Our range of effectiveness is much smaller than yours or a columnist from The Free Press or the Contrarian, but subscribing to them and myriad others means I can post and re-post effectively...I consider that my own small resistance. Educating ourselves is crucial to the next four years.
I might have heard of you and the many substacks I subscribe to, but mostly it was the media that informed me, some of it from Facebook itself.
Consequently I will stay on FB. I will fight and endure the coming four years, despite the fact that it's frightening - being a 77 year old plump Jewish lady means it takes a lot to make me retreat - I will continue to read (I know the difference between what's true and not) and realize and act upon my reponsibility to be vigilant in my corner of the world (HCR lives down the road a bit and is an incredible role model for resistance in writing.)
Your commentary means so much to many of us out here on Facebook and online - no longer marching in the streets (my last march was in January 2017) we resist and fight by reading, writing and sharing to inspire everyone around us and to say we can get through the next four years...history tells us we are not the first to confront adversity. And Facebook "belongs" to us as much as anyone else.
Same
I am not sure if the billionaires supporting Trump are doing it to be inside the tent , think they can prevent horrible things from happening or to make more money. When Bezos refused to endorse Harris 250,000 people discontinued their subscriptions and if Bezos was not rich it would have been a major financial blow but we will see what happens. The problem with these guys ( yes all guys. ) is they believe the MAGA demographics are more important to them than we are and after all they elected Trump. I believe we should protest especially to House members not in gerrymandered areas and we should make it personal. We should callout by name those legislators who have voted for legislation that harms voters. Democrats have to be more aggressive and hard hitting something the Harris campaign started and they need an infrastructure and platform to be heard.
Great column today, Robert. These words particularly stood out to me:
"if you choose to give up Facebook as an act of resistance, do so not because it might change Mark Zuckerberg but because it will change you. And in the process, you may change history"
Thank you so much for doing what you do for all of us.