We’ve been expecting this for 20 years. More than forty years of anti-abortion legislation, escalating every year and every decade, then Trump, then finally, the leaked draft. So I thought I was prepared — mentally, emotionally. Hell, for more than 15 years I’ve been saying that Roe is irrelevant for millions of
Continue readingTag: fascist shift
wmtc: this should have been the biggest landslide in u.s. history. instead we are holding our breath.
To quote a headline I saw tonight, what should have been a landslide has turned into a nail-biter. No matter what the outcome of this election, we can clearly see that about half of all American voters have asked for another term of DJT. It is stunning, bizarre, baffling, and
Continue readingwmtc: all eyes on the united states: election day and beyond: the dark side laid bare
Election day in the U.S. tomorrow. My American family and friends are all quietly freaking out. The whole world is quietly freaking out. The massive turnout through mail-in voting and advance polling are very good signs. Thousands who didn’t vote in 2016 have already voted in 2020. Personally, I think
Continue readingwmtc: "fine. biden. but this is bullshit."
I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: Donald Trump is the single greatest gift the Democratic Party could ever hope to receive. The Democrats have finally achieved their most sought-after position: every thinking person must now vote Democrat, no matter what. They can now run whoever they want
Continue readingwmtc: 11 (more) things on my mind about the protests in the u.s.
In April, I wrote a post called “11 things on my mind about the anti-police-violence and anti-racism protests“. For reasons unknown to me, it’s one of the most widely-read posts I’ve written in a long time. So here’s an updated list. 1. When governments respond to protests with violence and
Continue readingwmtc: 11 things on my mind about the anti-police-violence and anti-racism protests
1. Most violence is not being committed by protesters. What percentage of protesters are violent? Filter for police provocateurs, filter for white nationalists, filter for random thieves hiding under cover of mayhem. All of those exist at mass protests and have been proven to exist countless times. What percentage of
Continue readingwmtc: concentration camp resistance scrapbook
Resistance to the migrant concentration camps in the US seems to be growing. Or maybe I’m just seizing on anything that looks like hope. I wanted to collect all the examples I’ve seen so far, then I’ll post more in real time. June 2018: No Kids In Cages marches July
Continue readingwmtc: abortion without apology: the war on women, the slippery slope, and how you can fight back
Tl;dr? Learn about the National Network of Abortion Funds, and give generously. * * * * Right-thinking Americans and Canadians are reeling at extreme anti-abortion laws sweeping through at least a dozen states: Alabama, Missouri, and Georgia, are the worst offenders, but Ohio, North Dakota, Kentucky, Mississippi, Iowa, and others
Continue readingwmtc: something you can do with your shock and outrage: support military resistance to u.s. concentration camps
As the outrages pour out of the US daily, or seemingly hourly, good people’s shock and horror are often accompanied by feelings of frustration and helplessness. Far too many well-intentioned organizations are lining up around the midterm elections, as if the answer lies only at the ballot box. Many people
Continue readingwmtc: from the archives: for millions of american women, roe is already history
With the resignation of US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, it is very likely that Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, will be overturned. I’m getting frustrated by the spate of stories about how abortion will now be illegal — with no mention of how Roe has
Continue readingwmtc: how to help families separated at the u.s. border
As we all sit helplessly agog at the latest spectacle going on in the US, here are some organizations to which you can donate (or volunteer) to help. How To Help Migrant Parents & Children Who Are Separated At The Border It’s the least we can do. And for most
Continue readingwmtc: required reading for revolutionaries: jane mcalevey and micah white
I’ve wanted to write about these two books for a long time, but adequately summarizing them is a daunting task. I just want to say to every activist and organizer: READ THESE BOOKS. I don’t want to represent the authors’ ideas, I want you to read them yourself. No Shortcuts:
Continue readingwmtc: join the ndp and vote for niki ashton: deadline aug 17
The deadline to join the NDP and vote for Niki Ashton is August 17. Last night I saw something that shocked me, and today I did something I’ve never done before: I joined a political party. And I did it so I can cast my vote for Niki Ashton for
Continue readingwmtc: president trump: what didn’t just happen
Since I’m making an effort to put more of my thoughts here, I’m gathering up a bunch of my Facebook posts and responses. If we know each other on Facebook, apologies for the repetition. I find much of the analysis and commentary I’ve seen about the recent US election to
Continue readingwmtc: a dark and frightening day
I’ve spent the past several months reassuring my co-workers and baldly stating on Facebook that Donald Trump would not become President of the United States. The lesson for me and for many of us: never underestimate what angry, alienated people can be led to do. The racism, hatred, and violence
Continue readingwmtc: thank you, colin kaepernick!
Another awesome athlete protest that I have no time to write about. I can only thank Colin Kaepernick for his courage.Joy of Sox speaks for me: To Mookie Betts (And Others): The Right To Protest Has Nothing To Do With The Military.
Continue readingwmtc: fascist shift: donald trump in context
Many years back, I used to blog about a phenomenon called fascist shift. I borrowed the term from Naomi Wolf’s essential The End of America, but the concept was something I had been thinking about for many years. In brief, fascist shift asks, What…
Continue readingwmtc: votepopup: voter education at the library
On the long list of anti-democratic policies the majority Harper Government has enacted, the Orwellian-named Fair Elections Act ranks near the top. More properly called a voter suppression law, the Act effectively disenfranchise tens of thousands of Canadians. The Council of Canadians has taken the issue to court, including an
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: wild by cheryl strayed, zeitoun by dave eggers
I’ve just finished two truly excellent works of nonfiction: Wild and Zeitoun. Both books read like fiction, with clean, clear writing and page-turning suspense. Both document almost unbelievable, out-sized events, in one case likely unique, in the other – horribly – anything but. I highly recommend both books. I didn’t expect
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