Now it looks like the #COINTELPRO isn't limited to attacks on #HandsOff. I just saw (and boosted) a very sensible post about the dangers of #USA border #checkpoints even to US citizens. That post got accused of "virtue signaling" by a skeezy-looking account that appeared to exist for the sole purpose of sniping at leftists with the hope of demoralizing them. I not only blocked that sniping account, I reported it.
Trump’s going to own this recession he’s dragging the country into—no one else to blame. And the GOP’s going to have to answer for the damage they’ve done to our alliances and the hit to America’s global reputation. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump tries to start a war just to distract from all the shady stuff he’s been up to and the economic mess we’re heading for. People are already fired up, and I guarantee the protests are only going to get bigger and louder. #uspol #50501movement #handsoff
It’s difficult to write an in-depth analysis of the impact of tweaking this or that policy while they’re burning *everything* to the ground. So for now I’ve mostly retreated into generating these pie charts for folks to share online & print out to use at town halls & #HandsOff protests.
The general drift of the apparent #COINTELPRO against #HandsOff is that protests are ONLY useful if they directly confront police; that this behavior matters more than the number of protesters; and that anyone placing primary emphasis on getting the largest protest crowds possible is naive and insufficiently leftist. This is contradicted by research on the downfall of #dictatorships, and is straight out of the #AgentProvocateur / #COINTELPRO playbook. Be very suspicious of ANYONE giving this kind of strategic advice. For me, this is #instablock material.
The silence of corporations in response to Trump's ruinous tariffs is evidence that the country is sliding toward autocracy. There is a widespread belief that government power will be used to punish critics. And there is skepticism that the laws restraining such abuses of power, including the Constitution, will be enforced.
Maga republicans are in it to get rich off the back of the working class. They keep the rest of the base occupied by constantly feeding into their hatred/racism/misogyny, and in return they keep their vote which keeps them in power. This smokescreen is all to protect the grift.
I'm starting to see disparaging statements about the #HandsOff protests, suggestive of #COINTELPRO: that they were "permitted", that they had "little effect", that "hundreds of thousands" showed up (actually millions), that we should try to find "other, more effective" approaches — rather than attend #April19th.
That means #HandsOff is working.
Keep it up.
Feeling energized by the #HandsOff protests? Looking for some way to take action? There's over TWO DOZEN Special Elections coming up THIS YEAR!
NEXT UP:
4/15/25: MS SD-18: TBD
4/22/25: CT HD-113: Michael Duncan
4/29/25: MN SD-06: TBD
4/29/25: IA HD-078: TBD
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Editors at Jeff Bezos’s
@washingtonpost were even more dismissive of the #handsoff pro-democracy movement on 4/6.
More than 1 million Americans expressing their concerns got a tiny box.
The next day, WaPo editors chose to devote half the #FrontPage to a personal achievement - a new hockey scoring leader.
A Putin-supporter who plays in the NHL.
3/5
Local outlets did *much* better than "Big Journalism" covering the #handsoff pro-democracy demonstrations.
Newsroom leaders need to defend democracy from autocracy.
See examples of good (and bad) coverage in our latest blog post.
https://mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/local-news-outlets-show-the-new-york
1/5
Feeling energized by the #HandsOff protests? Looking for a way to take action?
Help #NorthCarolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs stop Republicans from stealing her seat RIGHT NOW!
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