Passing into Mirkwood

How we can make it though the Interesting Times™

So, it happened. The big bad thing. Last week, Americans across the United States voted (for possibly the final time, but we’ll get there), and chose Donald Trump. You’ve probably heard of him, but just in case you haven’t, here’s a short list of fun facts:

• He was the 45th President of the United States, and is set to become the 47th.
• He once suggested that COVID could be cured by injecting bleach.
• He incited a mob to attack the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021, in an attempt to remain in power.
• He stole and illicitly retained classified government documents upon leaving office.
• He has been convicted of 34 Felony election interference charges.
• He has been found liable for sexual abuse, and currently owes his victim over $90 Million.
• He is the Inspiration for Back to the Future villain Biff Tannen

And yes, there is far more, but it will take someone with far more patience than myself to catalog everything (side note, here’s a great resource on that). And at any rate, I’ve wasted enough time on the moral bankruptcy of America’s soon-to-be Dear Leader. The simple fact is this: Despite expert opinions on the disastrous fallout of his proposed policies, dire warnings from scholars of fascist movements, and the openly detailed plans for authoritarian takeover of the US, a slim majority of voters in geographically-important areas chose to put the guy in power.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent a lot of time in the past week asking such insightful questions as ‘What the fuck?’, and frantically googling ‘How to move to New Zealand’, or something like that. Which to be honest, is a perfectly reasonable thing to google. To contrast, a large number of (presumeably) his supporters have been googling things like ‘What is a Tariff’, apparently only now realizing that they voted to put a man who managed to bankrupt several casinos in charge of the economy (a top priority, according to these voters).

A lot of people with much more patience and insight than myself have proposed a number of reasons for why this happened, with blame cast around in the (unfortunately familiar) circular firing squad. Nerves are raw; social media has been flooded with messages of anger and grief, anecdotes of marginalized people disowning their Trump-supporting relatives, and now that we’re heading into the dark woods without a flashlight, what to do next.

That’s the part I want to focus on. I can’t promise my advice is correct, or universally applicable. I’m just one guy with opinions and a laptop, and I’ve become increasingly (but slowly and imperfectly) aware of the priveleges I enjoy in a society that has always put those that look like me atop its unequal hierarchy. As a wise man once said:

‘Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past
From the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts,
and recycling it for more than it’s worth.’

With all that out of the way, here’s a few things you can do to kick some sand in the gears of the incoming fascist regime:

Use your voice

Regardless of where you stand on the social totem pole, you’ve got a voice, and ways to use it. The goal of fascism is to silence opposition, so it can spread like a tumor unchecked. Don’t let it. Make a statement wherever, whenever, and however you can do so safely. Make posts, write letters, march, tell your racist uncle to STFU — whatever you’re able to.

Importantly, I want to emphasize the ‘safely’ part of this — not everyone is in a position to make an overt stand against fascism: some of us are at immediate risk for violence and abuse, and if you’re in that kind of situation, the priority is safety, and staying alive. For the rest of us, we need to speak out for those who cannot.

Remember, this is a war of attrition. It’s a numbers game, and humans are inherently social creatures who learn by example. When one of us stays quiet in the face of unacceptable behavior, that encourages bad actors to keep acting badly. When one of us calls that behavior out, however, it sends the signal that a line has been crossed. When a lot of people call out the same behavior, the message is received in big flashing lights.

So, when you hear things like “your body, my choice”, don’t stay silent. A simple “that’s messed up man, why would you say that?” goes a long way.

Support local organizations

One thing that has become more and more clear to me since the election is the fragility of our systems at scale. National political organizations and government entities are simply too far away (in every way) to us as individuals. America is a vast land; the United States covers more area and has more people than ever could have been conceived by the founders who wrote our aging constitution. Messaging, particularly by the Democratic Party, in this election simply didn’t resonate with enough people. By tacking to the center and right-of, many of those whose civil rights and lives are at stake were alienated in favor of a hypothetical undecided voter. By the same token, those most likely to be swayed from Trumpism were often on the receiving end of messages like “no, the economy is actually GOOD, stop complaining!”, and “Please give us $20.24 to save democracy!” It’s little wonder that a person struggling to afford a living in a red, purple, or even reliably blue state would feel disconnected from national Democrats.

But curiously, a LOT of voters, even those who swung for Trump, voted for progressive policies on the ballot. On the state and local level, measures were approved on reproductive rights, climate and nature conservation and others. Counterintuitive though it may be, this means that voters at least DO understand measures closer to home, and that it is easier to break through on those issues at a lower level. After all, one thing that can be learned from the gradual rise of the alt-right and other fascist movements that have congealed into MAGA over the last decade is their initial focus and success on a local level. By getting sympathizers on local entities such as school boards and county offices, they have been able to creep upward with their agenda.

That’s a great place to start putting in effort to repair society. If you’ve got the time, the resources, and the spoons, find a way to get involved. It doesn’t matter what level: perhaps you’re motivated enough to run for a local elected office, or maybe you’d just prefer to help canvass for someone else in your spare time. If you’re not able to do that, take what time you can to learn more about how your city, county, and state government works. Identify what seems to be working for your community and what isn’t, and see if you can find a way to contribute to solving those problems. No matter where you start or how much or little you give, getting involved is a great way to fight both fascism and the apathy it encourages.

Create genuine joy for yourself (and others)

If you do nothing else, this is the big one. Do you ever notice that the most eager and vocal supporters of Trump’s depravities also seem to be the most angry and pitiful? Unlike the few power-mad dictators and 1%-ers ( hey Elon) directly propping him up, the vast majority of Trump’s base are notable for not having much in the way of passions, interests, or hobbies outside of being obnoxious to everyone around them.

While I cannot claim to know what thoughts, morals, or lack thereof live in the hearts and minds of others, I suspect this is because of a lack of genuine joy in their lives. They ‘give far too many fucks’, to paraphrase modern Philosopher Mark Manson. It’s not a logical position, and not one that anyone can fix but themselves. So instead of trying to change their minds, let’s focus on ourselves and those we love, and create joy in any way we can.

Okay, that sounds all well and good in a high-minded way, but what the heck does it mean in practice?? Simply put, whatever brings you joy, DO IT!

If you’re a creative person, maybe that means painting on a canvas, or playing music, or writing a story or article. It could be as simple as reading a book, playing a video game, or listening to your favorite music. It can be something you do alone, or with others. Start a pickup game of basketball or baseball. Volunteer at your local library. Strike up friendly conversations with strangers, if you’re feeling bold. Join a class of some kind. Do something that makes you happy, or engages your attention, or allows you to express yourself in a healthy way.

Joy is a foreign concept to people that’ve been consumed by hate. They want others to be as miserable as they are — so let’s resist by creating and sharing our joy as much as possible.

So that’s my proposal. This list is far from complete, and not everyone is in a position to do the things I’ve reccomended. But if we all of us take a moment, a deep breath every now and then, and spare a bit of time to ask the questions:

How do I fight back? How do I make a difference? What can I do?

We’ll find that we have agency. We don’t have to stand by, and watch those we care about be hurt. We can, little by little, start to shape the world into a better place for all. The future might be full of darkness and danger, but we can go into it together, with eyes open and hope to carry us through to the other side. Will you join me on this adventure?