FOD 11 (2 Anhänge  - Good Articles)
Dear friends of democracy,
Since August, I have been keeping still. Not out of complacency, but rather from being overwhelmed by the avalanche of dystopian news that keeps raining upon us. I simply felt helpless since August to say anything that could make a difference. I assumed everyone else was seeing what I was, and struggling themselves to find their own orientation among the chaos. 

August: deployment of the National Guard to Washington DC, the Chicago events, L.A. and Portland, and despite the Supreme Court forbidding the Gov from doing that, they openly defied any legal or legislative oversight whatsoever. / Sept.: Charlie Kirk. / Oct.: Government shut-down. West Wing demolition to build a golden ballroom. A cease fire between Israel and Palestine, that wasn't one. Our government's contribution was a plan to deport all Palestinians and turn the Gaza Strip into a real estate deal for DJT and his family. / November brought the "Big Ugly Bill" -- a massively misguided piece of legislation that will effectively lead to the biggest upward transference of wealth and decline of public services since the Reagan era. / Dec.: the escalation of aggression against Venezuela leading to the capture of Maduro, killing dozens of his personal guard in January. / Then came Greenland...

We may have dodged the bullet on Greenland, but it is impossible to overlook how the whole blustering affair (even if it was just a maneuvering tactic) has seriously harmed our standing in the world and destroyed the international trust and respect we have built since WW-2. And still, what is happening at home is much worse. 

1) I am including a very good article from the New York Times on State Tyranny, which describes how it works and what it feels like. The contention of the author is, that we do have domestic terrorism in the US. It's coming from the state, and not from the victims, who get falsely shamed as perpetrators while the aggressors institutionalize random violence cloaked in purposeful deceit as tools of creating fear. 

2) The second attachment I am including is a Mother Jones article on the bravery of Minnesotans who are standing up to the threats of ICE with resistance, civil courage and solidarity. That is an example to be emulated. To stop an authoritarian regime, social scientists tell us, you need to reach a threshold of 3,5% of the population resisting. We nearly had that nation-wide with no-kings-day and Minneapolis is reaching that within its city population. This could get even uglier. Appeasement doesn't work. Americans need to stand up now and protest. They need to do it in masses, intelligently, and if possible safely. 

---------------

 Our staying connected is very important to me. My hope is, that by providing some useful  information and concrete factual arguments about our political process, constructive discussions and purposeful action with be aided.

    I don't want to pester anyone.
    If you want to un-subscribe, just write back a simple "No, thanks"

All the best,
Paul