Anger is turned outward at others and is energizing and motivating. Depression is denial or anger turned inward and makes you sad and helpless. I would get on some Prozac and read inspirational books/articles about people who have fought for causes - maybe find a counselor. I’m retired for a few years but I’m trying to bone up on my counseling skills again to try to help people who are going to need my help.

I actually try to feel sort of privileged instead of unfortunate that I am witnessing a huge event in world history at 70 - it’s fascinating. It does help being towards the ending decades of my life and only having to put up with this for a while. We were fortunate to see JFK become president and LBJ and Obama kicking ass. I figured I lived a good life.

I am so angry I could scream, so angry that there better not be any magats near me. I have to pretend to calm so that I do not upset my kitty any more than he already is with all the bad energies today.

But. . I am one stubborn witch/bitch and my goal is to outlast as many of the bastards as I can, for pure spite.

for pure spite." Same here, niyad. I'm not giving them the satisfaction of depression.

There are no better words than: “… stubborn witch/bitch and my goal is to outlast as many of the bastards as I can.”



🦋 wordstroken

I post several articles on Facebook every day - public and to 3 large groups. I am one of the most annoying people on Facebook. I’ve only had one person ask to to un-friend them. I’ve had a few people I went to high school with thank me. We grew up in a very Republican area but they’ve mostly turned liberal - due to most going away to college.

and in such a short period of time. It is almost unbelievable. The next 3 1/2 years are gonna be challenging. It disappoints me that so many Americans actually support this - is this who we have become? Are young people OK with this?

I have always said....never underestimate nasty white people and it is true.

Wish I could help you feel better but not sure if it would be reality.

Iran has issued his death warrant.... and his health is obviously declining anyway.


Meanwhile, a majority of the country polls against this big bastard bill abomination,
so NO, this is NOT "what we have become"---

This is what a minority of the country has become,
who unfortunately at the moment, happen to control the majority of the government---

but that will not last.

The problem is all the monied interests that wants this destruction of our beloved country.

It is the minority’s actions right now. But I truly believe that it will not last.

🦋 wordstroken

The ACLU is looking for volunteers.

I’m really encouraged to see all this good stuff that the ACLU is doing. It actually reminds me of, and reinforces, what the Indivisible movement is doing. Our group here in suburban Portland, OR is small but active, and I really need the encouragement it offers every week.

But also, THIS little group in this thread, AND DU in general, is helpful to buoy us up. And I need to remember that. Cuz sometimes it can be SO DAMN DISCOURAGING to soldier through these days that are so damn dominated by the donald. I swear, sometimes he’s like a walking, talking infectious disease (no, make that ALL THE TIME! NOT just “sometimes”!). And he’s so damned all-over-the-place that it’s hard to escape him.

I just have to focus on what’s helpful and reaffirming. Like this thread and everybody’s contributions to it! Color me grateful for YOU ALL!!

I found it very comforting. No whitewashing but emphasis on what we can do.And there is a lot of community there. Community and action are the two things i have found helpful. Doesn't fix it but makes it better.

Do you know about this? https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220456347

?auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&h=494.24083769633506&w=944

Not tomorrow, though - we’re taking the 4th of July off. However, we’ve got some real diehards in our extended group. I remember last Friday, one of the friendly farewells as we were all heading to our cars (after the end of the last one), somebody hollered out that “we’re taking next Friday off, but hey - you can certainly show up again, then, anyway!”

I may actually drive by there and check it out, tomorrow. If there actually are a few people there anyway, I might just be tempted to join ‘em.

It’s cheering to see folks organizing. Each rally I go to helps. Indivisible is doing great work.

This is excellent.

Thank you for posting.

My post a bit after midnight a couple of days ago:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220450985

The civil rights era, women getting the ability to gain economic freedom, same sex marriage going from being deeply unpopular to very popular, the ACA, maritial rape being made illegal, HIV isn't a death sentence, etc. Progress isn't linear. Sometimes hard won gains slip. All you can do is get up and fight for it again.

…in many directions. I remember thinking: this country is finally maturing into adulthood.

We thought we could keep it going, and we had NO IDEA of the sheer magnitude of the malign forces arrayed against us — ready to burst like a hideous boil and spread infection everywhere. Ready to metastasize like cancer.

I thought I knew — I’m sure all us ”woke” Dems thought the same. The destruction hurts so much,

I have always understood that progress is a two steps forward and one step back process, but this is five or six steps back! We are reeling in shock. I do not understand how people can be so proud to be so ignorant and cruel. Yes. It hurts.

Been active since '68 and felt our progress was a forward moving accomplishment. Now our grandchildren will be facing an even more dangerous threat, A new version of the old threat, I should say.

It's been less than six months and we're looking at the end of this country as a decent place to live.

At least we know now that there are more evil people than not. That's the real kick in the head, that we live among more hate-filled assholes than decent, kind people.

I am writing here to try to get some of it out so I can think clearly but it Is not helping.

We are from the same age group and I feel I am lucky to have met you in Texas.

We will all suffer this together.

But in the belief that you teach best what you most need to know I'll share my thoughts.

One of the fascism experts, I'm sorry I forgot who, said something like, you're still the same person you were yesterday. We may have lost our country but we're still here and we need to do what is important to us. Maybe give a little more in donations to causes that matter to you. Maybe volunteer a bit, or a bit more. Maybe meditate, or pray, or talk with loved ones, or reach out to friends or neighbors, or call your reps, or join a resistance group or a protest. Our country and our lives have changed and we have to adapt, but we can only put one foot in front of the other and keep going, and working.

Take care of yourself. Make time to connect with other people and try to help them, and let them help you. Stay hydrated, eat well, take your vitamins, exercise, sleep, look after your mental health, do something creative or fun or whatever. Take breaks when you need them. Together we'll keep working....

I’ll probably take even more refugee in my Indivisible group. If it’s Thursday (and it IS!), that means (for me) that it’s time to start writing and assembling the new Call to Action email that my group issues every Tuesday morning. That will at least give me something else to focus my worried mind upon. We’re at four asks per week now. We’ll be moving up to a full five asks in January, for the 2026 election!

I heartily recommend the Indivisible movement because I joined the one up here (Indivisible Clackamas) soon after we moved to Oregon awhile ago. That’s where I found my new local friends. And Thank God for each and all of them!

republicans from the consequences of it.

Of course, the American voters are going to have to be convinced that this time they have crossed the line in voting against their self-interest and owning the libs.

they were a united bloc voting “NO” in both the Senate and the House. They just don’t have the numbers and I am hoping enough people get sick of feeling the pain from Trump’s shitty policies and the Repugs cowardly inaction to flip the House and Senate in 2026.

nt

I have this small statement on my phone, written on my desktop, and just bring it out when I think I need to remember just who I am….

It is credited to JFK… and as I am a Kennedy Liberal, it is my mantra .

“If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people-their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties-someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a Liberal.”

Hope it helps.

But I certainly can be wrong. Maybe he was quoting JFK when he said it.

“We are not educated well enough to perform the necessary act of intelligently selecting our leaders.”
― Walter Cronkite

At least not enough of us.

I’m gonna lift the whole thing for one of our “Quote of the Week” offerings. We always start off each week’s “Call to Action” email with a good quote.

This one’s one of the all-time GREATS.

you likely have better and more grounded answers than most of us.
But maybe just turn off the news and avoid this place for a while. There is so much negativity and hyperbole that it could drive someone into a depression if not kept in check. We always feel the most comfortable inside of our own home, but when annoying uncle Bob is camping at your house for a week, there is a need to go outside for fresh air and a mental reset. You can't stay in there forever and not expect to be negatively affected by the environment that is perpetually focused on the negative, specifically the outrageous predictions and twisting of reality.
Hope you get to feeling a little more sunny.

providing health care to people living rough -- even if you can't actively do the work, even tiny amounts of cash can help.

Trying to help someone else out always makes it better

thing I can think of is that we're in beautiful company. 💙

And, telling myself that I have to be Strong for myself and my family.. even though it hurts really bad right now.

Except for I'm now entering my late 70's (WTF? When did that happen?)

I think because of how long and hard we fought in our younger days to right some of the wrongs, we are taking this a lot harder than some. Also, younger people may have the attitude that there are lots of years left to right this ship whereas we know we've reached the end of our average life span. We (at least I have) hear about friends, family, ex-coworkers, neighbors who have die that are the same or close to the same age as we are and our mortality is staring us right in the face.

Personally, I've decided that I have done all I could and if the majority of voters wanted this, then let them suffer the consequences. I feel sorry for those who didn't vote for IT who will be affected and I definitely feel very sorry for all those immigrants who don't deserve this treatement, but it's every man for himself now. That's the country we now live in and I am well set. Of course I'll still vote in all elections and straight Democratic ticket, but that's about it. I have no assurances that my vote will count. I do think it's all been rigged.

I know this isn't an upbeat post, but I'm a realist and I am going to turn the fight over to anyone younger than 70 while I enjoy my remaining years.

& i am right there with you, sister Mary. Not much wisdom in me
today to share, except that i'm trying to take care of myself (no
matter if it feels selfish or silly or meaningless) so that when
it's time to do whatever is next for me to do i will be ready
and willing and able, and i'm sure that time will come again
and again in the coming days. When i'm down, like we all
are today, that's the thing i want to know foremost---that
i'm not alone. You're sure not alone, Mary.

Now, I’m confident but being married to a naturalized citizen…I’m scared for his brown skin and his life. I’m distraught.

on DU, myself included. I don't think the fight is over until the next election. I want to help people now. I want to make everything as difficult as we possibly can, to make this Nazi fucking take over as hard as we can possibly make it. I want to protect the people who can't wait for the next election. I want to be a bee in the Ice boys camo pants from Walmart. 🤬☄️🐝🐝🐝☢️✊🏼

No need to dwell. Plan more mapping out new strategies for coping. Set time limits for that activity. Stop reading or listening to the news or little while.
When times were what we now consider great..we went about our lives without cheering all the time. Now when times were what are bad we must go about our regular life, just more mindfully without grumbling. Hard to do but with patience and practice
This is not giving up…no never. It just pragmatic.

but I'm just not seeing it. I'm so tired.

As old as I am, I really never anticipated that there would be so much evil in the world.

I just keep asking myself what can I do right now to help and then try. Most of the time it’s nothing but it does make me feel better when I do something! I also keep reminding myself that Trump and MAGA gain enjoyment when I feel sad, worried, fearful, etc. The cruelty is the point for many so I try to live my life and enjoy life and not let the evil among us take that away

Feel the same way. Or worse.

Not sure I can see a silver lining.

One Satan will take the Orange idiot home

Absolutely magical!

I still think we will prevail. I just wasn't ready for the level of pain we are going to have to experience to get to the other side.
I spend some time visualizing the euphoria, the teambuilding, the evolution of us as a people by the time Trump finally falls and his enablers find themselves on trial in the Hague.

Your second paragraph will help me preserve my sanity! That “reaching out” business is really valuable stuff. If one can’t perk oneself up, maybe one can help somebody else perk up. Hopefully, doing that can return a contact high.

organize. I am grateful for that, I need to not feel helpless.

I recall hearing a Civil Rights icon talking about how the Freedom Riders were CERTAIN they would succeed. A bold concept considering what they were up against. But I believe that kind of optimism is powerful.
We are energy. I've been getting trained in energy healing work that can affect someone on the other side of the country. Things I would have thought not possible if I didn't experience it myself. So when a group of people believes, is dedicated, is inspired to do the work, I really believe there is energy behind that.
That doesn't mean we ignore logic, or fail to take practical measures. But if I thought Trump's transactional world was all there is, I'd be hopeless right now.
He is a lost, empty soul looking for love he will never find. It looks like he is in a place of power, but he is reacting from a place of pain he isn't even aware of. The difference in energy that comes from that: from greed, from a bottomless pit of need, versus the energy from an enlightened public dedicated to freedom, helping others, compassion, and love--is incalculable.

I don't know the mechanism by which we will win. But I plan to be in the trenches to make it happen, ready to capitalize on help from unforeseen forces.

ditto

For a long time, our nation has reminded me of a spoiled, petulant adolescent who has no appreciation what they don't know. We have taken our freedom and democracy for granted because we've never been without it. As hard as this is going to be on us all, maybe what's coming will be the kind of lived experience that will get through to the arrogant little punks who take it all for granted and are so certain they know what's best they want to burn it all down and force their ideas on us all. Maybe the lessons we learn as a nation will ensure this can't happen again. Maybe will can move beyond adolescence to the next stage of development as a nation. I can only hope and do my part, however insignificant it may seem.

and everyone else like us............

When Cheney/Rumsfeld were in control, I asked a noted psychiatrist friend of mine if he thought I needed anti-depressants.
He laughed and said: "anyone who just looks around will probably be thinking that they need them............The ones that aren't depressed are the ones we really need to worry about".............

The most depressing thing for me is how completely oblivious most Americans are to what's happening around them. Some days I feel like a character in 'The Walking Dead,' surrounded by hordes of zombies only concerned with satisfying their bloodlust.

Somebody on this board, and I don't know who, was really onto something when they said given the timing when these cuts, they are designed to happen after the midterms or after the 2028 election. Apparently, the GOP timed these thinking they would not win majorities in 2026 or the presidency in 2028. There would be this big mess, the Democrats would of course clean it up, but they would be blamed by the GOP for causing the mess in 2028, 2030, or 2032. They count on the ignorant public to vote them in again to do the same thing all over again.

I think that is exactly what is going on.

Last edited Thu Jul 3, 2025, 08:16 PM - Edit history (1)

and as we do it their corporate media and rethugs sickeningly yell and scream that we're not doing it fast enough, smart enough. That we have a "messaging problem" when it's corporate media refusal to explain what and why we're doing what we do WHILE we clean up their mess.

It was that way with Obama and then Biden, even though Biden's teams hit the ground running and Pelosi's majority passed four major bills into laws that were and still to this day, benefitting most if not all Americans --

1. Historic stimulus bill passed: - Created nearly 8 million jobs, 200 million Americans fully vaccinated, and unemployment claims are the lowest on average since 1969. 85% of households received stimulus payments. It re-opened 99% of schools and sparked the fastest economic growth in decades

2. Passed largest infrastructure improvement bill in U.S. history into law

3. THE PACT ACT
Ensures high-quality health care screenings and services to veterans exposed to potential toxic exposure
Extends period of time veterans have to enroll in VA health care from 5 to 10 years post discharge
Codifies VA's new process for evaluating and determining exposure and service connection for various chronic conditions
Removes need for certain veterans and their survivors to prove service connection if diagnosed with one of 23 specific conditions
Requires VA to conduct new studies of veterans health trends
Provides critical resources to VA to ensure delivery of
Invests in VA health care facilities by authorizing 31 major medical health clinics and research facilities in 19 states

4. THE CHIPS AND SCIENCE ACT
Provides $52.7 billion to secure domestic supply of American made semi-conductor chips, create tens of thousands of good-paying, union construction jobs and thousands more high-skilled manufacturing jobs, and catalyze hundreds of billions more in private
$39 billion in manufacturing incentives
$2 billion for the legacy chips used in automobiles and defense systems
$13.2 billion in R&D and workforce development
$500 million to provide international information communications technology security and semiconductor supply chain activities
Provides a 25 percent investment tax credit for capital expenses for manufacturing of semiconductors and related equipment

5. BEYOND BIDENOMICS:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016356222

1. FOUR STRONGEST YEARS OF JOB GROWTH IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
2. 40 MILLION BORROWERS BENEFIT FROM DEBT RELIEF INSTIGATED BY BANKSTERS
3. 12+ MILLION JOBS CREATED SINCE 2021
4. 100 ACTIONS TO LOWER HOUSEHOLD ENERGY COSTS BY $100 PER YEAR
5. GAS PRICES DOWN BY OVER $1.60 SINCE ITS PEAK IN 2022
6. SIGNED THE MOST IMPACTFUL GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION LEGISLATION IN 30 YEARS
7. INCREASED THE VALUE OF PELL GRANT SCHOLARSHIP BY $900
8. 3.5% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THE LOWERT IN 50 YEARS
9. 750,000 NEW MANUFACTURING JOBS
10. RECORD LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR HISPANICS
11. NEAR RECORD LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS
12. RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
13. MILLIONS OF AMERICANS SAVING $800 PER YEAR ON HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE
14. $15 MINIMUM WAGE FOR FEDERAL WORKERS AND CONTRACTORS
15. FULLY VACCINATED 79% OF AMERICAN ADULTS AGAINST COVID-19
16. LED THE WORLD IN AN HISTORIC RELEASE OF STRATEGIC RESERVES
17. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN ALL 50 STATES, TERRITORIES AND TRIBAL NATIONS
18. OVER 16 MILLION MORE HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING LOWER COST OR FREE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM
19. S. 2991, the “Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2021,” which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking, which coordinates the Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking and the importation of goods produced with forced labor
20. Signed the American Rescue Plan https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/
— Increases poorest 20% of Americans' income by 20% permanentl
— 85% of households receiving stimulus payment
— Four provisions which lower Americans’ 2021 tax bills by an average of $3,3660
— Re duces backlog of Veterans compensation and pension claims by more than half
21. Signed largest infrastructure improvement bill in American history — the Build Back Better Act

$11 billion in transportation safety programs
$7.5 billion for electric vehicles and EV charging
$2.5 billion in zero-emission buses

$2.5 billion in low-emission buses and
$2.5 billion for ferries
$21 billion in environmental remediation

$47 billion for flooding & coastal resiliency and "climate resiliency," including protections against fires
$39 billion to modernize transit, largest federal investment in public transit in history
$25 billion for airports

$17 billion in port infrastructure
$11 billion in transportation safety programs
$110 billion for roads, bridges and other much-needed infrastructure

$40 billion for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation
$17.5 billion is for other major projects
$73 billion for electric grid and power structures

$66 billion for rail services
$65 billion for broadband

According to data compiled by Bloomberg, no one comes close to matching
Biden's combination of No. 1 and No. 2 rankings for nine economic measures:

Gross domestic product (1)
Profit growth (1)
S&P 500 performance (2)
Consumer credit (1)
Non-farm payrolls (2)
Manufacturing jobs (2)
Business productivity (2)
Dollar appreciation (2)
S&P 500 relative performance (2)

Restores access to healthcare.gov

-- Student Loan Forgiveness:
Round One: Cancels $1 Billion in student Loan Debt
Round Two: Cancels another $1.3 billion in student loan debt
Round Three: Cancels another $500 Million In Student Loan Debt (6/16/21)
Round Four: Erases student debt for students with disabilities - ($5.8 Billion)
Round Five: $1.1 billion in student debt for 115,000 ITT students

Just solid gold statistics and facts, facts, and more facts, all listed in one place (this single post of yours)!

Dayum! It’s a masterpiece! Holy Cannoli! I’m gonna make a copy of it for myself, AND to shove in the faces of any and all idiots who claim Biden didn’t do anything.

HUNDREDS of thanks!!!

Last edited Mon Jul 7, 2025, 03:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Here's more.

JOE BIDEN’S MASTER LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
President Biden and Vice President Harris delivered results for the American people in their first year in office. The President and Vice President made history growing our economy, addressing the climate crisis, and building a judiciary and government that represents America. Despite unprecedented challenges, 2021 was a year of record progress for working families.

YEAR ONE
Jobs: President Biden's first year was the greatest year of job creation in American history, with more than 8 million jobs created.
Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate dropped from 6.2% when Biden took office to 3.9%, the biggest single year drop in American history.
Unemployment Claims: The average number of Americans filing for unemployment has been near its lowest level since 1969. When the President took office, over 18 million were receiving unemployment benefits, today only 2 million are--also the biggest single year drop in history.
Economic Legislation Passed: Most significant by economic impact of any first-year president.
Economy growth is faster than China's for first time in 20 years - Strongest economic growth since 1984
Child Poverty: Experts estimate the lowest child poverty rate ever in 2021.
Expanded Access to Health Care: Nearly 5 million Americans have newly gained health insurance coverage.
Reduced Hunger: The number of households reporting that they sometimes or often did not have enough food to eat dropped by 32%.
Judges Confirmed: More judges confirmed to lower federal courts than any president since President Kennedy.
Judges That Reflect Our Nation: More Black women appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals than any president - even over 8 years - in history.
Cabinet: First majority non-white Cabinet in history, with most women in the Cabinet, including first woman Treasury Secretary, first LGBTQ+ and Native American Cabinet officials, and first woman Director of National Intelligence.
Climate Investments: Largest investments ever in the power grid, electric vehicle chargers, and climate resilience.
Clean Water: Largest investment and national, bipartisan plan to get safe and clean drinking water to all Americans.
Cleaner Cars: Strongest vehicle emissions standards ever to save drivers money at the pump and reduce pollution.
Wind: First-ever approvals of large-scale offshore wind projects.
Personnel: Most diverse Administration in history - most women, people of color, disability, LGBTQ+, first generation American, and first-generation college graduates
Drone airstrikes fell 54% compared to Trump
Worker's Rights: 70% of first year executive orders protect worker's rights
Bankruptcy Filings: Plunged to Lowest Number Since 1985
Agricultural Exports Shattered Records in 2021
Global approval of US up 15 points during Biden's first year
5.4 million new small business applications: 20 percent higher than any previous year on record
Tripled installation of of offshore wind turbines
-----------------------------------
YEAR TWO
Makes sexual harassment in the military a crime
Economy grows faster than China's for 1st time in 20 years - Strongest economic growth since 1984
Limits the release of mercury from coal-burning power plants
Kills ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi
$5 billion for electric vehicle chargers
Gives $7 billion in frozen Afghanistan funds to compensate 9/11 victims and provide humanitarian aid
Posts $119 billion budget surplus in January; first in over 2 years
Unites world against Russia aggression
Imposes stiff sanctions to stifle Russian economy
Led the Western world in defending Ukraine against Russia's invasion
Ends forced arbitration in sexual assault cases in the workplace
Reinstates California authority to set pollution standards for cars
Ends asylum restrictions for children traveling alone
Clarifies the role of podiatric medicine for Veterans
Reauthorizes and strengthens the Violence Against Women Act
Creates Amache National Historic Site as America's newest national park
Makes lynching a federal crime
Initiates "use it, or lose it" policy on drilling on public lands to force oil companies to increase production
Releases one million barrels of oil a day for 6 months from strategic reserves to ease gas prices
Rescinds Trump-era policy allowing rapid expulsion of migrants at border and blocks them from seeking asylum
Expunges student loan defaults
Overhauled the US Postal Service's finances to allow the agency to modernize its service
Requires federal dollars spent on infrastructure to use materials made in America
Restores environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects
Launches $6 billion effort to save distressed nuclear plants
Provides $385 million to help families and individuals with home energy costs through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. This is in addition to $4.5 billion provided in the American Rescue Plan.
Establishes national registry of police officers who are fired for misconduct
Lifts sanctions on the Rojava and other opposition-held territory in Syria
Tightens restrictions on chokeholds, no-knock warrants, and transfer of military equipment to police departments
Requires all federal Law enforcement officers to wear body cameras
$265 million for South Florida reservoir, key component of Everglades restoration
Major wind farm project off West coast to provide electricity for 1.5 million homes
Continues Obama administration's practice of posting log records of visitors to White House
Devotes $2.1 billion to strengthen US food supply chain
Round 6 student loan debt cancelation: $5.8 billion - This is in addition to $20.7 billion previously cancelled
Invokes Defense Production Act to rapidly expand domestic production of critical clean energy technologies
Enacts two-year pause of anti-circumvention tariffs on solar
Allocates funds to federal agencies to counter 300-plus anti-LGBTQ laws by state lawmakers this year alone
Round 7 of student loan cancellation: $6 billion to 200,000 defrauded borrowers - Bringing total to $31 billion
Relaunches cancer 'moonshot' initiative to help cut death rate
Expands access to emergency contraception and long-acting reversible contraception
Prevents states from banning Mifepristone -- a medication used to end early pregnancy that has FDA approval
Steps to ensure the safety of those seeking and providing abortion care, including by protecting mobile clinics
Protecting privacy, safety and security of patients, providers and clinics
21 executive actions to reduce gun violence
Climate Smart Buildings Initiative: Creates public-private partnerships to modernize Federal buildings to meet agencies' missions, create good-paying jobs, and cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - Paying for today's needed renovations with tomorrow's energy savings without requiring upfront taxpayer funding
Safeguards access to health care, including the right to choose and contraception
Oversees effort to admit Finland and Sweden to NATO
Ends Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy
Operation Fly-Formula bringing needed baby formula - (19 missions to date)
Executive order protecting travel for abortion
Kills Al Qaeda leader and 9/11 architect Al-Zawahiri with no civilian casualties
Invested more in crime control and prevention than any president in history
As of August 2022, unemployment at 3.5% (50 year low)
Gas Prices drop below $4 a gallon
Provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors who are killed or injured in the line of duty
Round 8 of student loan cancellation: $3.4 Billion dollars of defrauded IT student loans have been cancelled
Reunites 400 migrant families separated under Trump
$1.66 billion in grants to transit agencies, territories, and states to invest in 150 bus fleets and facilities
Brokers joint US/Mexico infrastructure project - Mexico to pay $1.5 billion for US border security and processing source says
Blocked 4 hospital mergers that would've driven up prices and is poised to thwart more anti-competition consolidation attempts
Gets $1.5 billion in new border control security at the border and got Mexico to pay for it
Historic Police Reform
FIRST MAJOR GUN LEGISLATION IN 30 YEARS
$750 million to implement and run crisis intervention programs
Ended boyfriend loophole - Previously only married people convicted of domestic abuse were banned from owning firearms. The new law extends it to people who are dating
Requires gun sellers to register as Federally Licensed Firearm Dealers
More thorough reviews of people ages 18-21 who want to buy guns
New statutes against gun trafficking and straw trafficking
Increases funding for mental health programs and school security
THE PACT ACT
Ensures high-quality health care screenings and services to veterans exposed to potential toxic exposure
Extends period of time veterans have to enroll in VA health care from 5 to 10 years post discharge
Codifies VA's new process for evaluating and determining exposure and service connection for various chronic conditions
Removes need for certain veterans and their survivors to prove service connection if diagnosed with one of 23 specific conditions
Requires VA to conduct new studies of veterans health trends
Provides critical resources to VA to ensure delivery of
Invests in VA health care facilities by authorizing 31 major medical health clinics and research facilities in 19 states
THE CHIPS ACT
Provides $52.7 billion to secure domestic supply of American made semi-conductor chips, create tens of thousands of good-paying, union construction jobs and thousands more high-skilled manufacturing jobs, and catalyze hundreds of billions more in private
$39 billion in manufacturing incentives
$2 billion for the legacy chips used in automobiles and defense systems
$13.2 billion in R&D and workforce development
$500 million to provide international information communications technology security and semiconductor supply chain activities
Provides a 25 percent investment tax credit for capital expenses for manufacturing of semiconductors and related equipment
THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022
Climate:
Largest climate investment in history - Will reduce 40% amount of carbon released into atmosphere by 2030
Defines greenhouse gases as a pollutant making them subjected to pollution laws
$370 billion for U.S. energy security and fighting climate change
Tax incentives for switching to electricity to power homes and vehicles
$60 billion invested creating millions of new domestic clean manufacturing jobs and 550,000 new clean energy jobs
Will quadruple the number of solar panels over the next 8 years
Cuts energy bills by $500 to $1,000 per year
Doubles battery storage on the grid
Invests in disadvantaged communities
Health:
$62 billion to extend subsidies for health insurance under the ACA
Provides free vaccines (2023), $35/month insulin for Medicare patients, (2023) and caps out-of-pocket drug costs to an estimated $4,000 or less in 2024 and settling at $2,000 in 2025
Lowers health care costs of the average enrollee $800/year in the ACA marketplace
Allows Medicare to negotiate 100 drugs over the next decade, and requires drug companies to rebate price increases higher than inflation
Inflation Reduction:
Significantly Lowers energy and health care costs for families
Reduces Deficit by $313,000,000,000
Closes tax loopholes used by wealthy: a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% fee on stock buybacks and enhanced IRS enforcement
Protects families and small business making under $400,000 a year
The Cost $485 billion of new costs would be offset with $790 billion of additional revenue and savings over a decade.
Total Revenue Raised: $737 billion
15% Minimum tax on corporations with profits exceeding $1 billion
Prescription Drug Pricing Reform: $265 billion
IRS Tax Enforcement: $124 billion
1% Stock Buybacks Fee: $74 billion
Loss Limitation extension: $ 52 billion
Deficit Reduction:
$313 billion dollars
STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS (Round 8 and by far the largest)
$20,000 for everyone with Pell Grants
$10,000 for everyone else making less than $125,000 for individuals & $250,000 married couples
Payments again paused until the end of 2022
Payments for undergrad loans capped at 5% of your income (previously was 10%)
This is addition to the 8 previous rounds of debt cancellation totally $35 billion
20-40 million people will benefit
Codifies DACA into law - Allows dreamers (children of immigrants born in US) ability to work and stay in US
Declares Moonshot Style Effort to Cure Cancer
Hires Dr. Renee Wegrzyn as the inaugural Director of ARPA-H, a new agency to drive biomedical innovation
Launches National Biotechnology and Manufacturing Initiative
Cancer Cabinet's progress towards delivering cancer detection tech and support for researchers across US
Infrastructure Projects in Individual States Created by Infrastructure Bill
All-Time Low Uninsured rate
10 million jobs--more than ever created before at this point of a presidency
3.5% unemployment rate--a near record low in the history of this country
Best Economic growth in over two decades (yes that has been adjusted for inflation)
More than 220 million Americans were vaccinated
Record small business creation
Round nine of student loan forgiveness - $1.5 Billion for defrauded college borrowers
Biden created DOJ task force dismantles human smuggling organization near Texas-American border
Intervened to prevent nation-wide rail strike which would have caused national economic disaster
Blocks Chinese investments in US tech
Eliminates statute of limitations for civil suits for people who were sexually abused as minors
Pardons thousands for simple possession of marijuana
Reevaluating how cannabis is classified. Currently it is schedule I like heroin - Meth & coke are schedule II
Reunited over 500 families separated at the border by Trump policies
Puts new limits on drone strikes including requiring the presidential approval
Brokered deal between Israel and Lebanon ending maritime boundary dispute and establish a permanent maritime boundary between them
PAWS Act: Requires zoos, commercial animal dealers, and research facilities to have contingency plans in place to evacuate and care for animals in an emergency or disaster situation
Increases veterans'' life insurance benefit coverage to $500,000. First increase in 17 years
Ensures US is not funding or participating in human trafficking of 3rd world-country workers through our contracts overseas
Enacts aggressive steps to improve quality of nursing homes
Codifies Gay Marriage into law - Protects Same-Sex and Interracial Marriage
Prohibits private possession of big cats and prohibits exhibitors from allowing direct contact with cubs
Electrifies US Postal trucks by 2026
Stops the forcing out of pregnant workers, or denying reasonable accommodations
Extended health care funding for the 9/11 first-responders and survivors
Streamlined Veterans home loans, provided way to transfer GI Bill benefits to new school, and provided support for survivors of military sexual trauma.
Year Two Accomplishments:
4.5 million jobs added in year two - Over 11 million jobs added in first two years
Unemployment rate at 50 year low
Cuts budget deficit in half - $1.4 trillion deficit reduction is the largest single-year reduction in US history
Greatest year in history for new small business applications - (over 10 million new businesses created)
Record number of Americans having health insurance
This Senate has confirmed 97 federal judges
Limit China's technological development breaking decades of federal policy and represents most aggressive American action yet to curtail Beijing's economic and military rise
Appointed more black women to the court than any president in history
Brokers deal with 13 Indo-Pacific countries to coordinate supply chains to reduce dependence on China
---------------------------------------------------------
YEAR THREE
Got republicans to publicly take Social Security and Medicare cuts off the table
Reduced unemployment from 18 million when he took office, down to less than 2 million now
Banned Tik Tok on government sites
Vaccines for tetanus, whooping cough, and shingles (costing up to $200) are now free for seniors on Medicare
Requires utilities to remove perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) from drinking water
Makes $450 million available for solar farms and other clean energy projects at current or former coal mines
732-mile high-voltage transmission line across the Western U.S. that will help transport renewable energy
Directs federal agencies to find ways to make child care cheaper and more accessible
IRS answered 2.4 million more taxpayer calls for assistance due to new funding
$197 million for 100 communities across our nation to invest in wildfire resilience
Safeguard mature and old-growth forests on federal lands, in a science-based approach to reduce wildfire risk
Strengthen reforestation partnerships to support local economies and retain forest ecosystems and sustainable supplies of forest products for years to come
Combat global deforestation to deliver on key COP26 commitments
Comprehensive efforts to deploy nature-based solutions that reduce emissions and build resilience
Added threat of detention and kidnapping to risk factors of travel warnings
Increased consequences to terrorists who engage in the practice of kidnapping
Rail companies grant paid sick days after administration pressure in win for unions
$4 billion effort to electrify U.S. ports and cut emissions
Average job creation almost double any recent president
To date has forgiven $42 billion of student loan debt to borrowers of public service
Record 10.5 million new business applications were filed in first two years of Biden administration
Invests $11 billion for renewable energy in rural areas
US is now building factories at a wildly fast rate
Construction spending by US manufacturers more than doubled from last year
Offered billions of dollars in subsidies in the electric vehicles, semiconductor, and solar panels industries
Added 800,000 jobs in manufacturing in last two years to compete with countries such as China
Got Ticketmaster and Seat Geek to dump junk fees
The Inflation Reduction Act will provide one million solar and wind jobs by 2035
Doubled previous all-time high of new manufacturing construction
Continues negotiations and gets paid sick days for rail workers
Executive order to guarantee women access to contraception - (more will need to be done to make it permanent)
Eliminates US stockpile of chemical weapons
Largest offshore wind project in the US
Round 10 of student loan cancellation: $39 billion for over 800,00 borrowers
Gets big tech commitments to voluntary follow AI guidelines (Including Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon)
Stock Market gains in 2023 are the best in decades
Creates Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument - One million acres
Construction of manufacturing facilities in real terms (adjusted for inflation) has more than doubled since 2021
Launches "Saving on a Valuable Education" (SAVE): An income-driven repayment plan cutting borrowers' payments in half, and some with no monthly bill
Creates bilateral collaboration helping Vietnam develop high tech in semiconductor production and artificial intelligence, countering Chinese efforts to do the same in the region
$800 Million to Strengthen Rural Infrastructure and Create Jobs
Round 11 of student debt forgiveness: 12,000 Wisconsinite Student Loans Forgiven
Siemens Kenosha factory to produce solar using tax incentives and will create a half million clean energy jobs
Suspends Trump-era authorization to ship natural gas by rail
Cancels oil and gas leases in Alaskan wildlife refuge that were allowed by Trump administration
Restores power of states and tribes to review projects to protect waterways
Creates 9-state offshore wind supply chain pact while funding $72m towards manufacturing
American Climate Corps launched
DOD to review DADT discharges
At-home COVID tests return
EPA announces $4.6B climate grants
TPS redesignated for Venezuela, protecting additional 450k migrants
$37M University of Phoenix debt forgiven
EO for East Palestine recovery
Prohibits Americans from investing in some Chinese companies
Directs Agencies to Account for Climate Change in Budgets
Creates new office of gun violence prevention
Commits $200 million to reintroduce salmon in Columbia River
$230 million for suicide prevention and behavioral are programs for at risk communities
Cuts funding to college programs leaving grads with unaffordable loans and/or low pay
All schools must provide prospective students with a framework outlining actual costs to get a degree and financial outcomes students can expect
Today's announcement brings the total approved debt cancellation by the Biden-Harris Administration to $127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans.
Round 12 of student loan forgiveness of $5.2 billion bring total to $127 billion
Updated federal prevailing wage for first time in decades, raising wages by thousands of dollars
During very tense times, visits Israel and gets them allow humanitarian aid to Gaza
Creates the largest ever offshore windfarm of Virginia's coast
Supports UAW strike resulting in a 30% increase of wages
October economics report shows stunning improvement
34th consecutive month of job growth (150,000 jobs in October)
Longest stretch of unemployment below 4% since the 1960s
GDP surged this past quarter 5% (seasonally adjusted)
Federal Reserve announces interest rates are holding steady
---Auto Strike over! Workers get substantial pay raises (30%)
Eliminates co-payments, enrollment fees and monthly premiums for WWII veterans
Climate Corps sees 42,000 sign-ups since inception
Establishes White House Initiative on Women's Health Research
Reestablishes open and direct communication with China
Brokers deal with Israel & Hamas for release of hostages
Brokers deal to allow Humanitarian aid into Gaza
Child poverty rates fall from 12.6% to 5.8% due to Biden's Expanded Child Tax Credits
2.9 million kids escape poverty
Another 813,000 people have their student loan debt wiped out
Supply chain backlogs are now at the lowest levels in 25 years.
Inflation is at the lowest rate since Biden took office early 2021
New small business applications continue at record rates:
Delivered largest economic recovery plan since Roosevelt
Delivered the largest infrastructure plan since Eisenhower
Confirmed the most judges since Kennedy
Delivered with Obama the second-largest healthcare bill since Johnson
Delivered the largest climate change bill in history
Dow Jones hits 37k for the first time in US history
Authorizes biggest pay raise for troops in more than two decades, despite objections from many conservatives
Brokers ceasefire between Congo and Rwanda, averting major humanitarian crisis
5.2% pay raise for military and federal workers - largest since carter administration
Pardons thousands who were convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands
Provides $1 billion for low-emission school buses
$623m in funding to boost electric vehicle charging points
Provides summer grocery money to 21 million kids
Rescinds much of Trump 'conscience' rule for health workers
Reached Conservation Records in 2023 - Safeguarding public lands at a record rate
$1B in awards for clean school buses
Boots Uganda from trade deal over their "Kill the Gays" law
Awards $162M to expand computer chip factories in Colorado and Oregon
Round 13 of student loan forgiveness: Borrowers receiving less than $12,000 in federal loans and have been paying off balances will get remaining student debt cancelled immediately
Round 14 of student debt forgiveness: Another 74,00 have their student loans forgiven
Third year accomplishments:
World's best post-pandemic recovery by far: Doubles all nations except Japan
Job creation at 40 times the rate of the last 3 republican presidents - More than double Clinton and Obama
Longest period of under 4% unemployment since 1969
Created 14 million jobs since he took office - More than any president in history did in four years
16 million applications filed to start small businesses
3.7% unemployment - numbers we have not seen since 1960's
Wages are up more than inflation
Economy grew by 5% in the last quarter
Lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world
Oil production reaches its largest volume in recorded history
Majority of Biden's appointed judges are women, racial or ethnic minorities - a first for any president
Growth shatters expectations: GDP expands 3.1% - a year beginning with heavy odds of a recession
Black unemployment rate lower under Biden than any other administration (4.7%) - Compared to black unemployment under Trump was 2nd worst number in history, reaching over 16%
Added a record-setting 32.4 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in 2023
Largest one year decline in homicides in 50 years
Energy production exceeds consumption at levels not seen in 70 years
--------------------------------------------------------------
YEAR FOUR
Growth shatters expectations: GDP expands 3.1% - a year beginning with heavy odds of a recession
Job creation 40 times rate of last 3 republican presidents - More than double Clinton and Obama
Black unemployment rate lower under Biden than any other administration (4.7%) - Compared to black unemployment under Trump was 2nd worst number in history, reaching over 16%
$1 Billion to replace the Blatnik Bridge connecting WI - MN
$600 million to replace the I-5 Bridge between Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, with an earthquake-resistant, multimodal bridge.
$427 million to establish the first offshore wind terminal on the West Coast, off California.
$372 million to replace Cape Cod's nearly 90-year-old Sagamore Bridge.
$300 million for a new container terminal for the Port of New Orleans.
$95 million to widen a 10-mile section of I-10 through the Gila River in Arizona.
$142 million to fix the I-376 corridor in Pittsburgh, including an area infamously known as "the bathtub" due to its regular flooding.
$150 million to reconnect communities divided by the Cross Bronx Expressway in New York built in the mid-1900s.
Modernizes American port infrastructure
$3B investment for high speed internet for rural communities
$623 million to build EV charging network
Awards nearly $163 billion in federal contracts to small businesses
$426 million for Northern California offshore wind farm
Post-pandemics recovery is by far the most successful in the world
US oil production hits all-time high
Rescinds Trump-era "Denial of Care" rule that allowed health care workers to deny medical care to patients because of their personal religious or moral belief
Launches $11 billion on semiconductor-related research and development including $5 billion National Semiconductor Technology Center
US Trade Deficit With China Narrows to Lowest Since 2010
$250 million to modernize airports in 37 states
$4.4 million to upgrade Maine's power grid
Violent crime drop significantly since 2020
$5.8 billion to clean up nation's drinking water and upgrade infrastructure
Round 15 of student loan forgiveness: $1.2 billion of federal student loans
Orders cybersecurity regulations for port operators similar to standardized safety regulations preventing injury and damage to people and infrastructure
$500 million to combat wildfire and improve resilience
$1 billion deal with Oregon, Washington, and 4 Columbia River tribes to revive Northwest salmon population
$1.7 billion package to fund initiatives aimed at ending hunger across the United States by 2030
$1 billion toward cleaning up 110 contaminated sites
$28 billion towards substance abuse treatment
$366 million to accelerate clean energy deployment in rural and remote areas
Implemented new rule that cuts credit card late fees $32 to $8
Allows student loan borrowers to repay based on income providing affordable payments and eventual student loan forgiveness
Directs DOJ to issue regulations giving clear protections of sensitive data from access by countries of concern
Bans asbestos
Funds program to fund coast-to-coast bicycle path without hitting a road
Commits $6B to cut emissions from high-carbon industries
Lends $1.5B to restart Michigan nuclear power plant
Allocates $750 million for hydrogen research and development
Restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump
Blocks mining on more than 221,000 acres of federal land in Colorado
First National standard ever for reducing harmful chemicals in drinking water
"Last resort" program keeps tens of thousands of American veterans who were in danger of losing their homes
America's economy growing at double the rate of all other G7 countries
Adds Title IX protections for LGBT students, forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
Shields millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness from drilling and mining
$7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households
Extends rule requiring overtime pay to workers making under $58,000 annually
Requires airlines to give cash refunds for canceled and significantly delayed flights
Establishes standards to eliminate emissions from new federal buildings by 2030
Lays out conditions for national goal to cut emissions from freight shipping down to zero
Bans most noncompete employment agreements preventing workers from joining competing businesses or launching ones of their own
Reinstates net neutrality
Prohibits federally funded health providers & insurers from discriminating on basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
Canadian Solar, one of the largest solar manufacturing companies in the world coming back to the US, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act
Round 16 of student debt forgiveness: Clears $6 billion in debt for closed art school's students
In 2021 only three states supplied 12 months of post partum care - Three years later 46 states now do
Online platforms and social media companies required to report child sex trafficking and online enticement to NCMEC's tip line
Bans Russian uranium imports
$16 billion investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Round 17 of student debt forgiveness: $7.7 billion for over 160,000 borrowers
Free online tax filing program piloted this year made permanent and scope will be expanded
Executive action ordering the closure of border cutting asylum claims in half (according to FOX News)
Prohibits medical debt from being reported on credit reports
Pardons US Service Members convicted because they were gay
Enacts plan to end Parkinson's disease
Codifies same-sex and interracial marriage
Bolsters nation's nuclear power by speeding timeline for licensing new nuclear reactors and cut fees that companies have to pay to do so
Negotiates the largest and most complicated prisoner exchange since the cold war, which took two years to develop
Negotiates $6 billion savings on 10 most used drugs paid for by Medicare
Protects another 28 million acres in Alaska
$3 billion for rural electric co-ops
$3 billion for port infrastructure, creating good paying union jobs and cleaner air

BADASS BIDEN'S TOTAL RESULTS:
In four years added 16 million new jobs - 7 million more than pre-covid levels
Biggest surge of wealth since the end of 2019 went to the bottom 50% - Their wealth nearly doubled
COVID-19 vaccination program saved $732 billion, averting illness and related costs during the Delta and Omicron variant waves, with a return of nearly $90 for every dollar spent

Black unemployment at 4.7% - The lowest in US history
Stock market at record highs - Above 40,000 for the first time in history
13.2 million jobs added
Record number of states with unemployment rates at or below 3%
National unemployment rate below 4% for the longest stretch in more than 50 years

First Quarter Crime Statistics
Violent crime at 50 year low
Murder: Down 26.4%
Rape down: Down 25.7%
Robbery down: Down 17.8%
Aggravated Assault: Down 12.5%
Property Crime: Down 15.1%

Domestic manufacturing up 279% since Biden took office
Average hourly earnings up 22.28% since February 2020, surpassing the rate of inflation
In two years, Inflation Reduction Act has created more than 334,000 clean energy jobs

Deaths from street drugs are down 10.6% - First decline in decades
Petitions for union representation doubled, first increase since 1970s
$175 billion in student loan forgiveness for nearly 5 million people

calimary?
Just remember, my friend... 1) this situation is temporary, and
2) when times are bad, our party's badasses go hard -- if it ain't rainin', we ain't trainin' and
3) we ain't goin' down without a fight.

to representing us and accomplishing what we (lib progs) stand for.

Thanks for the list. keep fighting

they ignore the FACT that Medicaid is basically a LOAN that in most states HAS to be repaid upon one's death, and by federal law MUST be repaid for nursing home expenses if there are any assets left to collect.

In other words, the feds get a lot of money BACK from these loans, but these assholes like Mike Johnson, the most despicable piece of shit of all these fascistic Republicans, want to still play the "welfare queen" card or the "lazy bum" card. They are full of shit, and they know it.

They pull this shit against poor people while giving money to these sociopaths at the economic top because they think the poor won't do anything. Didn't these idiots learn a damned thing about the United Health Care CEO murder?

He famously said, when it seemed the Nazis would invade, "You can always take one with you." I am turning 78 next month.

What a great quote! What a great THOUGHT! Sure got a smile outta me, rzemanfl!

I’m really glad to have launched this thread. There are some really wonderful gems in here! I’m gonna keep this thread as a remedy for any time when adverse circumstances give me the blues.

The are probably millions who feel the same way.

I understand how you feel. For myself, I will never waver from my values and continue to speak out against this immoral regime. I do not hesitate to call out the uneducated vocal support spewed from the local MAGAts. I use their own ignorance against them. Don’t be afraid to stand up and be heard, the truth will win out….that’s where I put my faith.
Peace ☮️

Don't obsess over the situation. Focus on the everyday. If you must watch news videos, hold it down to no more than two at a time. Then watch something silly or entertaining. Watch a Grateful Dead set or an old movie ( one that comes with good memories). 60s and 70s nostalgia videos are good too. Don't get me wrong here. I'm mad as hell about this blatant stupidity. I also know that unnecessarily maintaining a high level of adrenalin is very unhealthy. The cats have learned to ignore my vent/rant yelling at the TV. They know the value of chill.

Also remember, there is strength in numbers. You are one of 300 plus million other people that are going to go through this together. You are not alone!

I'm 76 and can remember when Nixon was elected I was in college, and there were girls in my sorority who were more depressed than I had ever seen anyone. We were all sure there could never be a worse president. Then when the second Bush came in, I thought he would turn out to be the worst president ever. As bad as Trump was the first time around, I took consolation in the fact that the people in this country could not possibly be so stupid as to elect him a second time. And not just him, but majorities in both the Senate and the House. It has been extremely depressing.

I’m in my late 60s, but I’ve been politically active since the late 60s. I remember Kent State, Jackson State, People’s Park,… As it was then, it is the same now. For those of us who are capable of fighting, we have to start fighting back. For those of us who are incapable of fighting there is still organizing work to do, we need to share the knowledge and wisdom from past fights to help the new fight.

Im not that old, but I have terminal diseases. I’m weary, my conscience tells me to fight to the end. Not everyone can do that. Sometimes it’s too tiring, sometimes the psychological toll from the fascists running the country is overwhelming, but if your tank is empty, you can still contribute.

Despite the evil that permeates our nation, we can still reverse its direction, but we need everybody l, including you.

I recall when American cars were the most dominant in the market, and the idea of purchasing a car from another country was not even on the radar. Then the American car manufacturers got lazy and complacent. They stopped caring about quality, figuring they had cornered the market and didn't need to worry. That's when Japanese manufacturers like Toyota were able to enter the market and started eating up market share; what started as a trickle became a flood. The American car industry had to scramble to keep from getting completely destroyed. They recovered, a bit, but will never be as dominant again. All self-imposed.

The reason Trump happened is that a lot of the voting public has become lazy and complacent. Many have never lived through the Civil Rights era, or the Vietnam War with the draft. They don't have any concept of not having those rights they now enjoy.

Well, they are about to find out.

Today, 85 years later, they are considerably better off, I think.

Best thing I can think to do is turn away from Trump to looking toward our state elections and 2026-
Dems have to unite- We have to somehow get mass media to pay attention to anyone else!

I still have hope that after things get truly, truly bad, we will enact laws to prevent this from happening again, and we will finally have things like Universal Health Care. If you look back through history, some of the biggest leaps forward have happened after things got really bad.

I know many people don't believe the 2024 election was stolen, partly because Trump said this (and still says it) about 2020. There is some evidence that Trump was "supposed" to win 2020, but they didn't steal enough votes.

One of the most respected election integrity experts in the world, Dr. Walter Mebane of the University of Michigan, has found evidence of vote manipulation in both Pennsylvania and North Carolina in the 2024 election, evidence that agrees with the findings of ElectionTruthAlliance.org.

The numbers indicate vote manipulation throughout many states.

I completely agree with you about the election.......I mean all of the swing states?!

Since 45 and Musk are in a fight, this would be a great time for Musk to prove that there was malfeasance. My understanding is that he's very pissed because of the EV credits being effected in a negative way.

I'm not holding my breath but I find that when I have a little hope in various scenarios it just makes me feel a little better.

Thanks for your post.

surrounded by trumpsters. So I stay totally to myself. Try music, artwork -- anything to distract you. This board community is a lifeline for me. Don't even mind when people disagree -- just to have that contact with other humans really helps.

imagine what that’s like, but I will right now stop my pity party because I’m fortunate to live in a very liberal community where it’s nearly impossible to throw a rock and hit a Trumpster vs you on the flip side.

Very sorry

I am not hopeful. This won't end before I am pushing up daisies and I am 67.

I'm gay, have Asperger's, and my family struggled to stay in the working class and in our home.

In Texas I never thought that the state government would help people like me. As for local government, I was raised to avoid the police and any government officials at all cost. The federal government was certainly infinitely more supportive, but it was so far away and had very little positive impact locally.

Almost all of my Mom's family had moved to California by my teens (we had zero contact with my Dad's family), so I knew a better life was possible, even if extremely expensive.

My Grandmother (whose Grandparents were from the "famine" times) told me that everything that people make, governments, churches, workhouses, kings and queens, come and go. So never put all your hope in them and never completely despair because of them. She said to spend time every day observing nature because, although it fails sometimes, it always will return to its cycles throughout the ages of ages.

I absolutely believe that, for most people in the whole of the US, things have never been as dire as they are now. But it still helps me everyday to get out in my garden and take some porterweed cuttings to make more plants for the hummingbirds, to check my mango trees for ripe fruit, or just to smell the jasmine and pick a few flowers for my tea.
I hope that you find your peace.

This whole paragraph:

“My Grandmother (whose Grandparents were from the "famine" times) told me that everything that people make, governments, churches, workhouses, kings and queens, come and go. So never put all your hope in them and never completely despair because of them. She said to spend time every day observing nature because, although it fails sometimes, it always will return to its cycles throughout the ages of ages.“

WOW!!! Just … WOW!!!

Those are some absolutely amazing observations! I’m SOOOOOO glad you shared them here! This part, too:

“So never put all your hope in them and never completely despair because of them.”

DAYUM!!! Thanks!!! Just Totally and Completely STELLAR!!!

I cried today .

months of pent up grief just exploded out of me .

I'm still in the resistence win lose or draw , I am comforted
knowing I'm not alone and niether are you .

whom I chat online with fairly often, on a non-political Discord group...


I hope he is right.

Volunteer if you can, if only for a couple of hours a week. Because helping others does help you to feel better. Human connection.

Please take care of yourself. It's a bad time now. A very bad time. Reach out to those of us on DU and to those around you in real life.

I've two ears and two shoulders when you need them.

I’ve enjoyed your work for a long time! You’re one of many here (AND on this thread) who are very dear to me.

It’s folks like you
Who get me through.

Go outside. Go to the beach. Play with pets. Read a novel. Listen to "Playing for Change", etc.

Just after Trump's inauguration, Stevie Wonder was asked to comment and said “Guess what? I don’t follow politics anymore”. Everyone needs a mental health break now and then; just not on election day.

Ditto.

Our generation has been on quite a roller coaster ride, trying to improve our country by moving away from hundreds of years of a slave culture mentality. Top that off with "We're the best. We are the shining light for others," while we engage in war after meaningless war for "self-protection" only to be attacked by a handful of countries with no air force, leading to more war based on lie after lie.

Now we have fascism.

It makes you hope for a heaven. Based on the days baby boomers have remaining on this planet, we have to try to create our own idea of shangrila, which, to be true to our generation, would include peace, kindness, and conscience while helping others in need as best we can manage.

That said, I've self-deported to a country that lives up to my idea of how Jesus wants me to live, and that doesn't involve being immersed in the abject evil that's at the forefront of US politics today.

We all need strategies to cope!
Special thanks to Ancianita for posts 58 and 69 listing the accomplishments of President Biden and the Democrats

As tough as it is to find the strength to fight back some days, we have to. The thugs that have ruined our country must meet tough, unified resistance.

Sending a hug~

Anger puts you in control. Fear is what they want.

but then i think of all of those poor people
who have it much worse than me- and i get
more depressed. time for a walk~

Zohran Mamdani
Kat Abughazaleh
Jasmine Crockett
And others like them. They are the future of the Democratic Party who will return it to its working class, FDR, roots. Support them anyway you can. But realize that we are in a long term fight and for now the advantage is with the Republicans. Good luck.

And DEFINITELY the support of and appreciation for the working class. They are the bedrock of our country. They deserve all our admiration, ESPECIALLY those special souls who do the important and much-needed work that many of us wouldn’t (or couldn’t because we don’t have the strength or experience needed).

Along with the good, even great suggestions already tendered. I would add: Get as much exercise as you can. For me it has always been a type of therapy.

We all know it is good for us. I believe it is great for us, even therapeutic.

As always, seek medial advise prior to starting any exercise plan.

Helps me, at 65 even though I have had my heath scares in the past and even currently.

Good luck calimary, my thoughts are with you and us all.

The schism in American society at the time was far deeper than anything we are experiencing today. While the Civil War still reverberates through society today, we are not nearly as divided along political, economic, and philosophical lines as we were in the mid 1800s.

We only know that era through the written word and some early photography. We are so far removed from it that it does not even feel like the same nation we live in today--but it was. Trying to imagine what it was like for 11 of the 34 existing states to actually secede from the Union and form their own government to preserve a tradition of inflicting horror on their fellow man is almost unfathomable to our modern minds--but it did happen.

Trying to imagine how a mother felt when her sons went off to fight on different sides of a war that would take the lives of around 3/4 of a million people in the next four years is horrifying.

Yes, the Big BS Bill will inflict damage to people in this country. It is a horrible piece of legislation, but it is only that. The effects of it can be undone. Yes, the orange abomination wants to be a dictator, but that outcome has been by no means written yet.

Just like the Civil War, we will overcome this period; we will find our way through it. Only through losing hope do we lose the fight.

🙂🩷🌼🌸🌷🩷😊🌻🐾🌸🩷🙂

I’m a tired out Boomer that knows there is a POINT when crossed by Trumpism when tens of millions are going to say “ENOUGH.”