No Stupid Questions

Just cross check souces before acting.

And write down who said what. Then you can check later and eliminate the bad sources.

Pay attention, but take it with a grain of salt. If you're in a bottom tax bracket, no one in power in govt cares about you. And that's with both major parties and the minor parties

I think that you can and should tune it out when it feels overwhelming. You terrifying yourself about things you can't change isn't helpful. What's helpful is that, whether you've watched the news today or not, possessing a willingness to do small bits of good in your immediate neighborhood.

Be willing to hold a door open for someone, or push a car out of an icy parking space, or shovel someone's sidewalk for free, etc. etc. etc.

Ignore it! Especially when a Disaster hits your Area and FEMA doesnt Exist!

"it's gotten very political" says someone who had to be sentient through the covid pandemic. i just can't anymore y'all.

You do you. Just keep up the fight for the good. I'd say it's also fine to plant a few sunflowers next to the local playground and clean up the litter, or make your community a better place for the people. In turn you'd ignore national level politics and world news. I don't think everyone needs to do that kind of politics. Just do something nice, something you're good at and it'll be alright and be of use to someone.

If you "don't do politics", politics will do you. You don't need to be the one to single-handedly fix everything, but please do what you can. We need everyone.

Worth noting that iirc the lorax doesn't actually do anything except speak up for those who needed help and protection. He didn't win immediately but his efforts weren't in vain. The lorax (or at least the movie?) shows you many ways you can be a part of changing the world. You dont have to be Ted, you don't have to be the Lorax, you don't have to be granny norma, or Ted's love interest, or the people who spoke up first when Ted planted the tree. All of these people made the world better with their own contribution. You should consider it, though.

If you don't turn on to policies, politics will turn on you. - Ralph Nader

Your mental health comes first but always remember that pretending it doesn’t exist is different from protecting your sanity. It’s a tougher needle to thread than you think!

Part of it is a war on information and memory, so it is important to stay aware. With the American Civil War, almost immediately after it was over they began rewriting history (the Lost Cause).

There’s a historical debate about the extent of which German civilians were aware of the Holocaust. I found Hitler’s Willing Executioners convincing myself. I think people knew what was happening in the camps, but allowed themselves an out - plausible deniability. (And again, the war on memory - that the deaths were all typhus, or the numbers were exaggerated)

I’ve already been living as an oppressed minority in a state that had already started implementing Project 2025 before Trump was even elected. The one thing that’s hardest to deal with is the gaslighting. I’ve just wanted to be seen.

I don’t think they’ll put trans people in death camps, but I believe they are planning on weaponizing the mental health system against trans people. Forcible institutionalization for most AFAB at least. Trans women they might declare sex criminals and use the increased powers of capital punishment on - we’ve seen moves towards this in Florida. I think it’d be like Nazi’s and the original eugenics program - some trans people do have families who might protest if a bunch of us disappear.

I do believe they will start killing immigrants. Texas has volunteered land for this purpose, and if they are already placing barbed wire along the Rio Grande, they are willing to kill.

So how does this knowledge help? What is the point of keeping up with the fear and terror?

Perhaps to try to help the lesson stick this time. To keep screaming that this is not normal. To ensure that when it is all over, there won’t be “it was all about states rights!” That we saw this coming, that we kept saying it was coming, but America was too scared of a black woman in power and too obsessed with trans women’s penises to say “no” to Stupid Hitler.

You can stay aware to know where small places of action are - can you print out cards with information on what to do when ICE arrives and leave them in places? You can stock up on mifepristone or estrogen if you have friends who might need it. Find local mutual aid networks and pitch in. Provide emotional support to your queer/immigrant/woman friends. Tell children that this is not normal, this is not the America we grew up in.

Action is how to combat trauma. It’s the feeling of helplessness that “causes” PTSD - a situation where you know that nothing you do has an impact on the outcome. Mental health under fascism is learning what you can do, and focusing on that.

If you don't plan to help at all then yes, might as well stick your head in the sand. It doesn't matter if you pay attention or not if you don't offer any form of resistance. Indifference is the default response for a significant portion of Americans and it's a huge part of the problem.

The deck is stacked against us, no doubt. But we can look to historical examples of what happens if you don't fight Nazis coming into power, and I refuse to be one of those examples.

There really are only two pragmatic options at this point. Fight or leave. Anything else is a waste.

Tune it out. I went all in last time. It’s not worth it for your mental health

I’m genuinely worried it’s yet another deliberate denial of service against our ability to detect evil. I work extra hard to only pay attention to what is actually done that seems like it could stick.

Mostly I trust that good people in positions of trust (e.g. ACLU or EFF) will call out when there’s an opportunity for mass mobilization to make a real difference.

Personally, I'm tunning it out. The only time I dive into it is around elections so I can make an informed vote. But, after that it seems like I'm utterly powerless to change anything.

I used to think being informed would come in handy to change people's minds, but that never happens. People have to change their own minds.

See also: https://lemmy.today/post/22524765

Depends. Are you a rich, white, straight male? You will be fine and can ignore everything. But if you are any shade of brown, an immigrant or belong to any minority group or are female or have loved ones belonging to anyone of these groups, then you should pay attention as they might genuinely be in danger.