A very serious and pragmatic approach to neutralizing the power of Trump and MAGA, David. But another method, which incorporates and exemplifies some of what you propose at even lower cost, is a massive and sustained movement of strategic nonviolent action -- everything, everywhere, all at once, likely culminating in a general strike and/or mutiny within the military -- that withdraws a sufficient quotient of popular consent to effectively disable the pillars of political, economic and yes, military upon which the psycho-fascist and evil Trump regime rests.
This approach is neatly and cogently explicated in this award-winning documentary film about the work of the late Gene Sharp, the world’s foremost expert on strategic nonviolent action as a superior substitute for violence and war, and multiple, recent historical examples of nonviolence’s successes around the globe. Everyone should watch this exigent, inspirational film and share it with others:
Perhaps you are speaking wisely. I worry, however, that we couldn't get five million people to show up to their local supermarket if they were giving food away for free. This country is so overgrown, sclerotic, divided, distracted, unpracticed, and overworked that to get people to get onto the same page at the same time is almost impossible. Perhaps Sharp would beg to differ, but from where I'm sitting it seems like pie in the sky--however laudable and "partially effective" it would be.
Jason - I agree with most of what you're saying. I've seen posts from our foreign friends who say we are doing way too little to exact change. I believe we should be protesting/marching every single day; emailing/calling our elected representatives every single day, having sit-ins at the Capitol, boycotting sponsors of Fox News, and staging nationwide strikes or walk-outs. I think you are right - if we are this lazy and uninvolved, our beloved nation will be gone soon. :(
Roger. Remember the story (probably not apocryphal either) about those long, hot Philadelphia days when the FF were drafting the Constitution, which was not open to the press or public, and Franklin was stopped by a woman who said, "Well sir, what kind of government do we have??" He replied, "A Republic, madam--if you can keep it."
I love the idea of everything, everywhere all at once. I think the protests being organized by Indivisible are way too infrequent. We should be marching/protesting every single day; calling/emailing our legislators every single day; holding sit-ins at the Capitol; boycotting sponsors of Fox News, and having nationwide walk-outs or strikes, as you say. Let's get loud!
If it was everyday it would not be news and people would not know about it.
Strikes by key infrastructure, like the 'calling in sick' by Air Traffic Controllers cause real problems demanding real news coverage. We have seen 'everyday' protests and they quickly become non-news.
Hawaii may be the only exception. Most of us - not in the Military, Haoles included- see the overthrow of the Queen and the establishment of American rule as an illegal, violent act. Hawaii should be an independent Nation. We are different on every plane from people who live on the North American Continent. End the Occupation.
No, we real Americans need to help other Americans understand the nation is getting worse. it is NOT a 'partisan' issue, it is the very fabric, nature and functionality of our nation that is being attacked, just like the early warning signals before your car stops working. Sometimes it makes a lot of noise, smoke and worse performance before it finally ends, sometimes in a crash... Until the PEOPLE as a whole (there will always be at least 20% who think we need a King, no matter how corrupt and terrible he is) rise up and no longer tolerate Trump and his agenda, we will have difficulty in doing the necessary changes to truly undo all the damage Trump is doing and to fix that which needed fixing long before Trump showed up with his lies that he would fix everything.
This is genuine question about grants. Doesn't the money for grants come out of money we pay in federal taxes? If blue states stop taking the grant money, won't it just be diverted to red states?
I’m guessing that if blue states stop contributing all the money to the federal government, there won’t be enough money for all these grants and the red states would have to solve some of their own problems.
I heard Maine was going to stop collecting Federal payroll taxes. That might be an easy way for blue states to stop supporting this regime and its wars on American cities and American people and wasteful spending on blinged out oval offices and fancy ballrooms etc. etc. etc. Maybe states can eliminate payroll and property taxes all together and just collect a larger sales tax, something along the lines of the VAT. That way the states can take care of their own needs and significantly lessen their need for support from the Federal government. Dictator-in-Chief (DIC pronounced DICK LOL) wants to fire all of the Federal government workers. So go ahead, then we can move everybody and everything to the state level and you’ll have a lot less under your control.
Sales taxes are some of the most regressive taxes you can impose. They hurt the poor a lot more than they hurt the rich. I think this is why Trump loves tariffs so much.
In California we already pay a considerable amount toward our freeways- state tax, gas tax, vehicle registration fees, bridge and road tolls, etc. And the feds under trump are very stingy and slow about emergency funding from natural disasters. I don't know the numbers for Medicare but I can't imagine that we couldn't figure out how to spend our fed taxes better on our own, especially since Californians are statistically healthier than most red state residents.
That is a very solid idea. However, since Trump is essentially quickly working his way to the top of the Worst Dictators of All Time List, he would have some vicious response. If it worked, you'd definitely have something here.
Other countries have split up - former Yugoslavia, former Soviet Union and former Czechoslovakia, all recently - so no reason why the US couldn't if there was the political will. The United States of Canada and Jesusland - make it happen!
Love this avenue! I sure hope you've sent this to Newsom and Co. He'd be the one to step up and make this happen for CA.
I agree!
Love this idea! Gives me hope! And maybe (?) the red states will learn something?
But how do we stop sending $ into the federal government? Not taking funding would seem to make the discrepancy worse
A very serious and pragmatic approach to neutralizing the power of Trump and MAGA, David. But another method, which incorporates and exemplifies some of what you propose at even lower cost, is a massive and sustained movement of strategic nonviolent action -- everything, everywhere, all at once, likely culminating in a general strike and/or mutiny within the military -- that withdraws a sufficient quotient of popular consent to effectively disable the pillars of political, economic and yes, military upon which the psycho-fascist and evil Trump regime rests.
This approach is neatly and cogently explicated in this award-winning documentary film about the work of the late Gene Sharp, the world’s foremost expert on strategic nonviolent action as a superior substitute for violence and war, and multiple, recent historical examples of nonviolence’s successes around the globe. Everyone should watch this exigent, inspirational film and share it with others:
“How to Start a Revolution”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKnoUbDIpjo
Perhaps you are speaking wisely. I worry, however, that we couldn't get five million people to show up to their local supermarket if they were giving food away for free. This country is so overgrown, sclerotic, divided, distracted, unpracticed, and overworked that to get people to get onto the same page at the same time is almost impossible. Perhaps Sharp would beg to differ, but from where I'm sitting it seems like pie in the sky--however laudable and "partially effective" it would be.
Jason - I agree with most of what you're saying. I've seen posts from our foreign friends who say we are doing way too little to exact change. I believe we should be protesting/marching every single day; emailing/calling our elected representatives every single day, having sit-ins at the Capitol, boycotting sponsors of Fox News, and staging nationwide strikes or walk-outs. I think you are right - if we are this lazy and uninvolved, our beloved nation will be gone soon. :(
Roger. Remember the story (probably not apocryphal either) about those long, hot Philadelphia days when the FF were drafting the Constitution, which was not open to the press or public, and Franklin was stopped by a woman who said, "Well sir, what kind of government do we have??" He replied, "A Republic, madam--if you can keep it."
I love the idea of everything, everywhere all at once. I think the protests being organized by Indivisible are way too infrequent. We should be marching/protesting every single day; calling/emailing our legislators every single day; holding sit-ins at the Capitol; boycotting sponsors of Fox News, and having nationwide walk-outs or strikes, as you say. Let's get loud!
If it was everyday it would not be news and people would not know about it.
Strikes by key infrastructure, like the 'calling in sick' by Air Traffic Controllers cause real problems demanding real news coverage. We have seen 'everyday' protests and they quickly become non-news.
Thanks for your comments, but I disagree.
And THAT is how democracies are supposed to work.
Thank you.
This is the BEST idea ever. I realize that the logistic are complicated. We may lose some conditions. But we'd be out of that madman's hands.
Hawaii may be the only exception. Most of us - not in the Military, Haoles included- see the overthrow of the Queen and the establishment of American rule as an illegal, violent act. Hawaii should be an independent Nation. We are different on every plane from people who live on the North American Continent. End the Occupation.
It's better than sitting around complaining. We, real Americans, just need to be told what to do
No, we real Americans need to help other Americans understand the nation is getting worse. it is NOT a 'partisan' issue, it is the very fabric, nature and functionality of our nation that is being attacked, just like the early warning signals before your car stops working. Sometimes it makes a lot of noise, smoke and worse performance before it finally ends, sometimes in a crash... Until the PEOPLE as a whole (there will always be at least 20% who think we need a King, no matter how corrupt and terrible he is) rise up and no longer tolerate Trump and his agenda, we will have difficulty in doing the necessary changes to truly undo all the damage Trump is doing and to fix that which needed fixing long before Trump showed up with his lies that he would fix everything.
This is genuine question about grants. Doesn't the money for grants come out of money we pay in federal taxes? If blue states stop taking the grant money, won't it just be diverted to red states?
I’m guessing that if blue states stop contributing all the money to the federal government, there won’t be enough money for all these grants and the red states would have to solve some of their own problems.
So we would just stop paying federal taxes? At best we would get fined and at worst we could be arrested.
They can’t catch us all. 🙂
The Blue donor states are the ones that are providing that money for grants. No grant money - no grants.
I heard Maine was going to stop collecting Federal payroll taxes. That might be an easy way for blue states to stop supporting this regime and its wars on American cities and American people and wasteful spending on blinged out oval offices and fancy ballrooms etc. etc. etc. Maybe states can eliminate payroll and property taxes all together and just collect a larger sales tax, something along the lines of the VAT. That way the states can take care of their own needs and significantly lessen their need for support from the Federal government. Dictator-in-Chief (DIC pronounced DICK LOL) wants to fire all of the Federal government workers. So go ahead, then we can move everybody and everything to the state level and you’ll have a lot less under your control.
Sales taxes are some of the most regressive taxes you can impose. They hurt the poor a lot more than they hurt the rich. I think this is why Trump loves tariffs so much.
Recall the post civil war expression “The South will rise again.”
In California we already pay a considerable amount toward our freeways- state tax, gas tax, vehicle registration fees, bridge and road tolls, etc. And the feds under trump are very stingy and slow about emergency funding from natural disasters. I don't know the numbers for Medicare but I can't imagine that we couldn't figure out how to spend our fed taxes better on our own, especially since Californians are statistically healthier than most red state residents.
David - I think this is brilliant! And perhaps the initial pain would be worth the eventual gain. Thanks for your creative thinking.
That is a very solid idea. However, since Trump is essentially quickly working his way to the top of the Worst Dictators of All Time List, he would have some vicious response. If it worked, you'd definitely have something here.
What if blue states could afford it. And allied with others to keep it going? Medicaid is only partially subsidized. But Social Security? Medicare?
Other countries have split up - former Yugoslavia, former Soviet Union and former Czechoslovakia, all recently - so no reason why the US couldn't if there was the political will. The United States of Canada and Jesusland - make it happen!
I’m all for it. Let’s get started.