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Cake day: August 18th, 2023

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  • That’s some really low-effort whataboutism.

    The tactic is an old favorite of the Soviet Union, and Marxists/the far left in general; the strategy was originally used in the form of “And at your place, they hang black people.” The term ‘whataboutery’ itself, however, only dates back to 1974 with its use in The Troubles in Northern Ireland, whereas the term ‘whataboutism’ dates back to 1978 with reference to the Soviet Union.

    In recent years, whataboutism made a comeback in Russia under Vladimir Putin’s regime (since they seemingly learned all the wrong lessons from the Cold War), and has also seen a rise in usage by Donald Trump, his support base, and the rest of the far-right.


  • Announcement

    249 years ago, America chose democracy over tyranny. The U.S. was founded to be governed by the consent of all its people, not just a privileged few. That choice stands today. We refuse to allow a dictator to seize power now.

    No Kings Day was an incredible success, but now we must escalate our resistance against Trump’s authoritarian overreach. His latest actions, including his disturbing social media proclamations and executive orders consolidating power, confirm our worst fears: this is an upheaval of the rule of law and the republic established by the Constitution.

    How we respond now will define our history. Our response must be immediate and undeniable. Those who bow to authoritarianism will be remembered for their cowardice. We must demand that our elected officials take action now — silence is complicity.

    We’re calling on you to join us on our March 4th For Democracy day of action to defend democracy, reject Trump’s authoritarian overreach, and demand accountability from our government.

    Join us where and however you can. Organize a peaceful protest in your state. Call your government officials. Donate to charities that help the populations most effected by Trump’s executive orders. Volunteer with organizations that defend our civil rights. Spread the word and educate on the issues and implications of Trump’s unlawful actions. Share, amplify, and take action—this fight belongs to all of us.

    Let’s make our message clear, and let’s make it loudly: Our Democracy Will Stand. America Does Not Bow to Kings. 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement.

    To get more information, find resources, or find your protest, go to: fiftyfifty.one


    A MESSAGE FROM 50501 DC CHAPTER:

    The 50501 DC Chapter is taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of their peaceful protestors. On March 4th, instead of marching forth for democracy, the DC Chapter will focus their main efforts on a Virtual Day of Action. More details, including how to participate in the Virtual Day of Action, will be shared at https://linktr.ee/50501DC.

    And a pinned comment on that thread:

    Our March 4th For Democracy day of action is calling for an in-person protest in your home state. Please visit fiftyfifty.one to find the protest nearest you.

    CONCERNING THE MARCH 4TH DC PROTEST

    The March 4th national march in DC was never an official 50501 protest. The flyer announcing the event was created by a well-meaning individual who was not affiliated with the 50501 DC organizers, and by the time it reached us to address it, it had already reached many of you. After evaluating the safety and logistics of hosting such an event, the DC organizers did not feel they could safely plan a large, national event with their available resources and funding before March 4th. They are choosing to move forward with a livestream leading up to and during the SOTU in lieu of an in-person protest.

    The DC organizers are considering plans for a future march and strongly encourage protesters to attend protests in their area during the March 4th for Democracy day of action. Stay tuned for an announcement from DC protesters coming soon!












  • In run-up to the 1964 election, civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. were given an audience with incumbent president Lyndon Johnson, where he asked them to scale down their protest activity until after the election so he could be confident he could win. They understood correctly that by continuing to protest, they had political leverage.

    Imagine an alternative reality where LBJ had not signed the Civil Rights Act, and instead Barry Goldwater had won and increased the segregation and discrimination facing African-americans. Would you blame them for using the only electoral political leverage they had available, and laugh at their misfortune?

    The only check the worst excesses of the Trump presidency has is the potential for widespread civil unrest. The Democrats aren’t capable of that. Grassroots Palestinian-american organizations are. In building that base of resistance, we shouldn’t make the same mistakes that caused the Democrats to lose the election. In the words of Nate Silver:

    Democrats…often get angry with you when you only halfway agree with them. And I really think this difference in personality profiles tells you a little something about why Trump won: Trump was happy to take on all comers, whereas with Democrats, disagreement on any hot-button topic (say, COVID school closures or Biden’s age) will have you cast out as a heretic. That’s not a good way to build a majority, and now Democrats no longer have one.

    Abbas Alawieh is concerned for the lives of his family and friends under another Trump regime. We all are. He is one of us.