Author: Bruce R.

Indivisible Mid-Peninsula

Be a part of the movement to restore democracy in our country
Community Organized Activism

Indivisible Mid-Peninsula is the local branch of Indivisible, encompassing the area between Menlo Park and Belmont on the San Francisco Peninsula. We welcome members from other areas as well! Our mission is to:

  • Find ways to resist and slow the MAGA agenda
  • encourage and exert pressure on our local, state, and national elected officials to promote social justice and resist Trumpism
  • Unify and support communities under threat
  • Build a powerful grassroots movement to achieve electoral victories in 2026 and beyond

Our goal is to create a community in which pro-democracy advocates find opportunities to engage and have an impact at whatever level works for them. We’re committed to taking action that will lead to a more perfect union, where “justice for all” is more than a platitude.

We meet as a community on the 4th Wednesday of the month to learn ways to be effective in supporting those targeted by Trump’s policies and determine the most impactful actions we can take in our fight for democracy. 

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Podcasts

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The 10 Biggest Myths About Our Economy

By Robert Reich

Recommended by Steve G.

The 10 Biggest Myths About Our Economy

We cannot separate what has happened to working people over the last five decades from the dangerous lure of Trumpism.

To build a path forward, we must debunk these 10 destructive …myths about our rigged economy.Show More
The 10 Biggest Myths About Our Economy
The 10 Biggest Myths About Our Economy
We cannot separate what has happened to working people over the last five decades from the dangerous lure of Trumpism. To build a path forward, we must debunk these 10 destructive myths about our rigged economy.
Myth 1: "Economics is Objective" I 10 Economic Myths Debunked
Myth 1: "Economics is Objective" I 10 Economic Myths Debunked
We are told countless lies about economics. Enough. I’m launching a new 10-week series debunking economic myths. Here’s episode one:
Myth 2: "The Free Market " I 10 Economic Myths Debunked
Myth 2: "The Free Market " I 10 Economic Myths Debunked
PSA: When the powerful say they want a “free market,“ what they actually mean is a market controlled by corporations, Wall Street, and the wealthy.
Do the Rich Work Harder than Everyone Else? I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #3
Do the Rich Work Harder than Everyone Else? I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #3
No, rich people do not work harder than everyone else. Wealth doesn’t measure a person’s work ethic or what they deserve. It measures how well our economic system has been manipulated in their favor.
How Legalized Bribery Works in America I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #4
How Legalized Bribery Works in America I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #4
“Corporate political donations are free speech.” Give me a break. Corporate political donations are legalized bribery, plain and simple. Watch more Debunking videos now: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
Why the "Free Market" Isn't Really Free I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #5
Why the "Free Market" Isn't Really Free I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #5
The rich would prefer you to believe that the free market is subject to the immutable law of supply and demand. Baloney! For years, the wealthy and powerful have manipulated the market for their own gain. There is nothing “free” about it.
The Lie That Costs Americans Their Jobs I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #6
The Lie That Costs Americans Their Jobs I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #6
My old boss Bill Clinton called globalization “the economic equivalent of a force of nature, like wind or water.” Here’s what I have to say about that. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
The Real Welfare in America I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #7
The Real Welfare in America I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #7
The Wells Fargo exec overseeing their customer account scam got a $125 million exit package. Meanwhile, most Americans who lose their jobs get only limited unemployment benefits. When I say we have socialism for the rich, harsh capitalism for the rest, this is what I mean. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
The Job Creation Hoax I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #8 | Robert Reich
The Job Creation Hoax I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #8 | Robert Reich
I’m so tired of people pretending the rich are “job creators.” Here’s who’s really creating jobs. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
You've Been Lied to About Inflation I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #9
You've Been Lied to About Inflation I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #9
Angry about airfares? Airlines merged from 12 carriers in 1980 to 4 today. Upset about grocery prices? 3 companies control 70% of grocery sales in 167 cities. Mad about drug prices? A handful of drug companies control the pharmaceutical industry. Monopolies are the problem. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
Is Economic Growth Always Good? I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #10
Is Economic Growth Always Good? I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #10
Think endless economic growth is always good? Think again. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
Why Did Some Support a Fascist for President? | 10 Economic Myths Debunked BONUS
Why Did Some Support a Fascist for President? | 10 Economic Myths Debunked BONUS
Trump isn’t the cause of all of America’s problems — he’s a symptom. He’s the product of years of stagnant wages, big money’s corruption of democracy, and a history rooted in racism. If we want to reduce the lure of authoritarianism – we need to address its root causes.

Photographic Evidence is Dead

Fake Image, Fake NEWS, Fake Trust.

By: Turtle Engineer (AKA: Bruce Rafnel)

Publisher: Medium, Slow Engineering

We have now witnessed the death of almost 200 years of photographic (and other recorded) evidence. Images, videos, and audio recordings can now be easily faked or altered in ways that cannot be detected. Digital technology has made this happen. Analog media is continuous, so subtle modifications can be noticed. However, digital media has discrete bits that are not dependent on the bits around them.

It is time to relearn what was so obvious to our ancestors: the SOURCE is more important than the content. “Do you trust or believe the source?” This can be a personal choice, but we no longer have the convenience of “socially accepted” sources.

Some technologies can “help” build trust, but they can all be compromised. We should never again put unconditional trust in any medium or technology.

Read Article

Indivisible Palo Alto Plus

Defend Democracy. Build Community. Have Fun.

Indivisible Palo Alto Plus (IPA+) is a diverse, action-oriented community that works to defend democracy across the San Francisco Peninsula and beyond. We combine grassroots activism with joy, bringing together people of varied backgrounds and perspectives to stand against authoritarianism and to protect democratic values. We are committed to making positive change—one action, and one connection, at a time.

Because tyrants hate it when we’re having fun, IPA+ meetings always incorporate playful activities that help us laugh and connect with each other. We believe that fun, joy, and laughter are essential to nourishing our spirits so that we can do the hard work of activism.

IPA+ is a recognized part of the Indivisible movement. We work with the national Indivisible organization and with other local Indivisible groups.

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Indivisible: A Practical Guide To Democracy On The Brink

If there’s one universally accepted truth in the modern age, it’s that sequels suck. And Trump 2.0 will be no exception. Trump, Vance, and their MAGA minions feel vindicated by the victory of their bigoted, fascistic clown show of a presidential campaign. Trump takes office with a plan to institute the worst parts of Project 2025. He’ll be enabled by a judiciary packed with right-wing ideologues and a congressional majority stacked with MAGA foot soldiers. And he’s assembled a bloc of corporations and billionaires eager to do his bidding in exchange for tax cuts and corrupt favors. But he has no mandate for the staggeringly harmful agenda he’s about to unleash on the country. And together, we have the power to fight back — and win.

Resource Guide – Archive

Tyranny of the Minority

Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt offer a coherent framework for understanding these volatile times. They draw on a wealth of examples—from 1930s France to present-day Thailand—to explain why and how political parties turn against democracy. They then show how our Constitution makes us uniquely vulnerable to attacks from within: It is a pernicious enabler of minority rule, allowing partisan minorities to consistently thwart and even rule over popular majorities. Most modern democracies—from Germany and Sweden to Argentina and New Zealand—have eliminated outdated institutions like elite upper chambers, indirect elections, and lifetime tenure for judges. The United States lags dangerously behind.

INTERVIEW: Levitsky and Ziblatt with journalist Tiziana Dearing at Harvard

Review

The Joy of Talking Politics With Strangers

How to save democracy one conversation at a time

by Elizabeth Chur

Publisher: Talk with Voters Publishing

Elections are decided on front porches and phone calls across the country, one voter at a time. The Joy of Talking Politics with Strangers is a comprehensive guidebook that helps volunteers connect one-on-one with voters – our most powerful tool for winning elections. These conversations can also spark unexpected moments of empathy and even kinship with our fellow Americans.
 

After 2016, volunteer Elizabeth Chur realized it’s up to ordinary citizens to protect our democracy. She started learning Spanish, began phone banking, and canvassed in California’s Central Valley, home to some of the nation’s most contested swing districts. By talking with over 1,000 people, she discovered how to forge meaningful connections with the hardest-to-reach voters, including:

  • Young people
  • Latinos
  • People who say, “I don’t vote.”

Filled with uplifting stories and practical tips, this inspiring book helps you earn people’s trust – and their votes. It demonstrates how taking positive action builds community and creates hope. Whether you’re a first-time volunteer or seasoned activist, The Joy of Talking Politics with Strangers shows you how to engage more effectively with voters and win elections.

 

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Why do we celebrate incompetent leaders?

By: Martin Gutmann

Publisher: TEDxTalks, TEDxBerlin

Recommended by: Bruce R.

“The evidence is clear that boring management matters.“–Raffaella Sadun

Leader selection mistake: People often pick leaders because they make for a good “story.” Excellent leaders have boring stories because they have avoided the conflicts that make for a good story.

We see leadership potential in people who:

  • speak more (regardless of what they say)
  • appear confident (regardless of competence)
  • are perpetually busy (regardless of what they’re doing)

“since we reward people who are good in crises (and ignore people who are such good manager that there are very few crises), [people] soon learn to seek out (or reframe situations as) crises.”–Keith Grint

Is the press trying to help elect Trump?

Trump loses again, as Biden is cleared

By: L O L G O P

Frame Lab advises responding to the special council report of Biden’s classified documents investigation by pointing out that Biden was cleared while Trump is still facing indictments. 

“The best way for the media to sell newspapers and clicks is to give Republicans what they want to hear, which drives liberals to hate reading, hate sharing, and even hate subscribing.  By rebutting them, [we] spread and strengthen them. That’s how our brains work.” 

Read Article

Always ‘Reframe’ Republican Talking Points

NEVER REPEAT LANGUAGE REPUBLICANS USE

“Consider the phrase “tax relief.” The world “relief” frames the word “tax” as an affliction or form of suffering. We generally need “relief” from things that are painful or unpleasant…Another example: Consider the phrase “forced birth.” It frames abortion bans with a negative word, “forced,” which frames abortion bans as aggressively stripping women of their freedom.”  Moral Warfare 101: Frames and Your Brain, Frame Lab, February 5, 2024 

“…when environmental issues are reframed in terms of the conservative value of purity – emphasizing the importance of keeping our forests, drinking water, and skies pure – conservatives are much more likely to support this cause.  

The power of framing: It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it

The Guardian, July 20, 2017

Climate change? Global warming?

“David Fenton, a longtime PR specialist for progressive causes…urges the climate community to speak of pollution – a word everyone gets – and to settle on the image of a ‘blanket of pollution trapping heat on Earth’. Every oil and gas emission makes that blanket thicker – and all that trapped heat helps cause floods and start fires, he says.” As heat records break, the climate movement has the right answers – but the words are all wrong The Guardian, July 14, 2023

Frame Lab explains:

“Much of politics is a struggle to define how certain key words are framed — words like ‘tax,’ ‘freedom,’ ‘rights’ and ‘truth.’ 

“If you oppose an issue, you must try to frame it in negative terms. If you support an issue, you must try to frame it positively.”

Cognitive scientist Dr. George Lakoff and journalist Gil Duran share their political messaging expertise at  

Frame Lab on Substack.

Visit Frame Lab

Latest Frame Lab Articles

  • Data Center Don: Trump’s AI Debacle is a Big Opportunity
    by L O L G O P
    AI. Crypto. Trump. All three are the same con with different wigs.
  • Truth Melt: Never Lead With the Lie
    by L O L G O P
    When the headline is all most people read, leading with a lie spreads it. The Truth Melt: lead with the truth, name the lie only to correct it.
  • “Cultural heroin.” JD Vance on Donald Trump
    by Gil Duran
    Ten years ago today, JD Vance published an essay that called Donald Trump “cultural heroin” and “an opioid of the masses”:During this election season, it appears that many Americans have reached for a new pain reliever. It too, promises a quick escape from life’
  • Wannabe Dictator Gets Scraped Off a Wall
    by Gil Duran
    Trump's name was scraped off the Kennedy Center wall by court order. Wannabe dictators put their names on things. The law said no.
  • The Nerd Reich Is Coming
    by Gil Duran
    Things have been a bit quiet here at FrameLab. That silence has a reason: I have been finishing a book.The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy will be published on August 18 by Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. You can pre-
  • MAGA Plans Fake Emergency To Rig Midterm Elections
    by Gil Duran
    Trump's MAGA movement is plotting to steal the midterm elections with a fake national emergency. Here's how to frame it—and what you can do.
  • Strongman, Weak President
    by L O L G O P
    Trump's approval hits 37% as his strongman psychology prevents him from fixing the economy he broke. The strict father model is now his trap.

Yes, Republicans really believe in starving kids

By: L O L G O P

Republican governors in 15 red states have refused to participate in this summer’s federal free lunch program, denying food to approximately 8 million kids. 

Frame Lab advises responding without mentioning welfare states or calling Republicans scrooges. Say instead,  “Tate Reeves [Republican Governor of Mississippi] doesn’t want these kids to succeed. He doesn’t want them to have the same freedom as his kids enjoy. This isn’t just about punishing poor kids for being poor. It’s about taking away their opportunities.”

Read Article

AllSides

AllSides helps you get the full picture.

AllSides is the standard for information integrity. By revealing bias and providing perspectives from all sides, we help people better understand the world — and each other.

We believe information integrity requires:

  • Revealing and combating bias to avoid information manipulation and blindspots.
  • A breadth of perspectives to combat groupthink and false narratives.
  • Effective dialogue and deliberation to make the best decisions and implement them effectively with buy-in.

Information integrity is not only needed in news, but also in AI, businesses, schools, government, and throughout our daily lives.

AllSides’ information integrity technologies and services help people and organizations get out of manipulative, one-sided, and biased information systems wherever they might be — in technology, news, companies, government, classrooms and beyond — so we can all see the full picture, think for ourselves and make the best decisions.

With the information ecosystem being rewired at a rapid pace, we dedicate ourselves to trustworthy information by using an explicitly multipartisan, diverse team and providing the systems and technology to deliver information from a variety of different sources so people can think critically and act confidently.

AllSides Media Bias Chart
ALLSIDES Home Page

A Warning About Donald Trump and 2024

by The Editorial Board (New York Times)

Summary

“Mr. Trump does not offer voters anything resembling a normal option of Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, big government or small. He confronts America with a far more fateful choice: between the continuance of the United States as a nation dedicated to “the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity” and a man who has proudly shown open disdain for the law and the protections and ideals of the Constitution.”

Publisher: The New York Times

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A Citizen’s Guide to Preserving Democracy

by PBS

With American democracy under threat, diplomat Dr. Richard Haass outlines ten habits to help citizens preserve democracy. Haass also explores real-life examples of Americans who are working towards strengthening democracy and renewing the spirit of a more informed and engaged citizenry. Premiered January 2, 2024 on PBS.

Watch the Video

HOPE

Harnessing Our Power to End (HOPE) Political Violence

Recommended by Bob B.

Here is the link to a 2024 data-driven guide for communities across the United States on how to organize to counter political violence and intimidation. Minneapolis has been using these techniques among others that were developed in 2020 in response to George Floyd’s murder to show how to build a “mutual aid culture” of caring and courage. There are lots of practical suggestions with context that Indivisible chapters and others can use.

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Harnessing Our Power to End (HOPE) Political Violence is a guide for communities across the United States to organize to counter political violence.

It’s for people who recognize the dire stakes that political violence creates, and who want to work together nonviolently to protect our communities and uphold democracy.

The vast majority of people in the US – in cities and small towns, across party lines, and from all walks of life – oppose political violence. Together, we need to push back against those who want to silence our voices, who try to deny us our rights, and who aim to bully their way into political influence through intimidation and violence.

Get the Guide

Reframing America

Changing the way the American Left engages in the public debate.
By Antonia Scatton

Recommended by Bob.

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Courier Newsroom

COURIER is a pro-democracy news network that builds a more informed, engaged, and representative America by reaching audiences where they are online with factual, values-driven news and analysis.

COURIER’s local newsrooms provide Americans with news centered on the people and policies affecting their lives. Our reporting is primarily produced for the social media platforms and online channels our audiences spend their time on, with an emphasis on video, graphics, and skimmable newsletters to inform and engage our audiences in the ways they consume information today.

Courier’s Home Page

Ad Fontes Media

simple-chart-websites-sept-26

Ad Fontes Media is a public benefit corporation based in Colorado. Being a public benefit corporation means we are a for-profit business with a stated public mission, which is to rate all the news to positively transform society.

Fundamentally, we want to help bring people together. Misleading, inaccurate, and highly polarizing media content has driven so many of us apart. This affects everything from our familial relationships to our ability to create legislative solutions to our biggest challenges. 

Ad Fontes is Latin for “to the source,” because at the heart of what Ad Fontes Media does is look at the source—analyze the very content itself—to rate it.

What We Do? We Rate the News

The information landscape is vast and noisy. We’re here to help you sort through it by rating sources for reliability and bias. Obviously, people have lots of different thoughts about how reliable and biased various news sources are, so we do everything we can to earn your trust.

INteractive Media Bias Chart

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Grand Bargain Project

Recommended by: Bob B. – “A nonprofit working to create large collaborative projects to promote consensus policies frameworks with details that could be enacted by Congress on the basis of broad acceptance within the country from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.”

In a recent YouGov poll, 83% of citizens wanted lawmakers from both parties to make our package of 39 life-enhancing reforms “a priority.”​

These reforms would significantly advance citizens’ long-thwarted aspirations for:

  1. Greater economic opportunity and growth

  2. Schools that enable kids to reach their potential

  3. Effective & affordable healthcare

  4. Curbing the national debt

  5. Reliable, clean & affordable energy

  6. Fairer, simpler tax code

  7. Congress organized to resolve our differences

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Among the reforms that voters across the spectrum support, all but two have been around for years.

Congress has enacted NONE

The reason: Lawmakers win reelection over 90% of the time by blaming the other party for our critical problems and offering sound bites as remedies.

To overcome these dysfunctions, the Grand Bargain includes three reforms that would reward lawmakers who make major progress on our long-term ills — while those who stood in the way would be likely to lose their seats.

Hear Vinay Orekondy from the Grand Bargain Project talk passionately about our project at EarthX 2025 as part of a Rotaract Club spotlight.

Go To Site

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Builders

Rise Above US vs Them. Be a Builder

Recommended by: Bob B. – “Builders Movement, was launched by Starts With Us, and supported by Kind founder, Daniel Lubetsky.”

Our mission is to overcome “us vs. them” thinking and solve problems together. We equip people to uncover hidden common ground and build on it – with lasting solutions that reflect the will of the people.

Find Common Ground and Build Real Solutions Together

If enough people adopt a Builders Mindset, we can replace our toxic “us vs. them” culture with one of curiosity, compassion, courage, and creative innovation.

It won’t be easy. The incentives in our media, social algorithms, and politics reward and amplify the conflict entrepreneurs working overtime to divide, diminish, and destroy.

Our approach is to reach and teach people at scale with powerful content, equip them with new skills and innovative tools, and mobilize the growing Builders movement with grassroots civic programs to hold political leaders accountable for being Builders.

Practicing the 4Cs Daily

The Builders mindset is rooted in the 4Cs: curiosity, compassion, courage, and creativity. By adopting these values as daily habits, we promote flexible thinking, constructive problem solving, and respecting the dignity of all people.

It’s time to take action. Join us. Be a Builder.

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News Feed

  • 7 Reasons Politics Sucks Right Now
    By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders   It’s not just in your head: Politics sucks now. But we can make it suck less. Seeing where the problems are is the first step to doing things differently. Once you see how it works, you can see how to change it. Here are seven reasons politics… The post 7 Reasons Politics Sucks Right Now appeared first on Builders.
  • 28 Quotes That Will Change How You See Disagreement
    By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders Disagreement is one of the most ordinary parts of being human, yet it’s also one of the hardest to do well. Whether it’s a heated debate at the dinner table, a tense meeting at work, or a divide that runs through an entire nation, how we handle our… The post 28 Quotes That Will Change How You See Disagreement appeared first on Builders.
  • 7 Signs Your Social Media Feed is Poisoning Your Brain
    By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders   Our social media feeds are not neutral. They are run by sophisticated algorithms, which are basically recipes that give a computer step-by-step instructions on how to solve a problem or complete a task. Social media algorithms are programmed to track our likes, comments, and the time we… The post 7 Signs Your Social Media Feed is Poisoning Your Brain appeared first on Builders.
  • What Happened When College Students Sat Down to Fix Texas Healthcare
    Builders holds Community Conversation on healthcare at University of Texas at Austin before bringing citizen-led policies to state legislature   By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders   Last Wednesday evening, Builders held a Community Conversation at the University of Texas at Austin, where young people from across the political spectrum sat in a room… The post What Happened When College Students Sat Down to Fix Texas Healthcare appeared first on Builders.
  • The One Thing You Can Do Right Now to Heal a Divided Country
    Curiosity is the most difficult and demanding virtue we’ve got. It’s also the one thing you can start practicing today to close the gap between left and right.   By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders   Curiosity gets a bad rap sometimes. In political circles, it can be seen as a weakness: if you’re… The post The One Thing You Can Do Right Now to Heal a Divided Country appeared first on Builders.
  • One Team in the Room: Young Texan Finds Hope in Bipartisan Push to Lower Health Care Costs
    When 20-year-old John Rickert walked into the third meeting of the Texas House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability on September 1, he expected the kind of political sparring he sees play out online every day. What he found instead was something rarer, and to him, far more encouraging. “For almost the entirety of the… The post One Team in the Room: Young Texan Finds Hope in Bipartisan Push to Lower Health Care Costs appeared first on Builders.
  • Dear Builders: My Husband Is MAGA, and I Don’t Like Who He Becomes When He Talks Politics
    By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders   Every week, readers write in asking how to navigate relationships strained by today’s political climate. Our “Dear Builders” series offers a little guidance for holding onto the people who matter, even when you don’t see eye to eye. This week’s email comes from a reader who loves… The post Dear Builders: My Husband Is MAGA, and I Don’t Like Who He Becomes When He Talks Politics appeared first on Builders.
  • 6 Reasons for the Texas Affordability Crisis
    By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders   Ask a Texan what’s keeping them up at night heading into November’s midterms, and you probably won’t hear much about the culture-war fight of the week. You’ll hear about the rent, property taxes, and insurance premiums that keep climbing. Affordability has taken center stage in this year’s… The post 6 Reasons for the Texas Affordability Crisis appeared first on Builders.
  • I Got My Friends Together to Talk Politics — Here’s How it Went
    By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders   I recently got some friends together for a Builders BBQ, where hosts are challenged to invite friends and family – including those who may see the world differently – to have those often-tricky political-to-politically-adjacent conversations over good food. Some of them were chomping at the bit for… The post I Got My Friends Together to Talk Politics — Here’s How it Went appeared first on Builders.
  • We’re Asking the Wrong Questions About Lindsay Clancy
    Conspiracy theories and gender war hot takes derail the conversation we should be having about postpartum care  By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders Lindsay Clancy is a Massachusetts mother who admitted to strangling her three young children to death in 2023 while in the grip of severe postpartum psychosis. As of this writing, the… The post We’re Asking the Wrong Questions About Lindsay Clancy appeared first on Builders.
  • Dolly Parton Was Someone We Could All Agree On
    By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders   Dolly Parton passed away Tuesday at the age of 80, and in a country that often seems like it can’t agree(opens in new tab) on anything, somehow we all agreed on Dolly. She was a devout Christian(opens in new tab) who became a gay-rights icon. A rhinestone… The post Dolly Parton Was Someone We Could All Agree On appeared first on Builders.
  • 8 Things to Know Before Flock Cameras Come to Your Town
    By Alex Buscemi, Editorial Manager at Builders Flock surveillance cameras were nowhere, then everywhere. Perched on high. Watching. While the majority of Americans may feel uneasy under their gaze, many feel safer. And it’s sparked a debate about where privacy ends and public safety begins. Should you allow Flock to nest in your neighborhood? Or… The post 8 Things to Know Before Flock Cameras Come to Your Town appeared first on Builders.

How to Know a Person

The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen

by David Brooks

Summary

Recommended by Bob

Driven by his trademark sense of curiosity and his determination to grow as a person, David Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and from the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection. How to Know a Person helps readers become more understanding and considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen. Along the way it offers a possible remedy for a society that is riven by fragmentation, hostility, and misperception.

Continue reading How to Know a Person

Heather Cox Richardson

Letters from an American

Historians are fond of saying that the past doesn’t repeat itself; it rhymes.

To understand the present, we have to understand how we got here.

That’s where this newsletter comes in.

I’m a professor of American history. This is a chronicle of today’s political landscape, but because you can’t get a grip on today’s politics without an outline of America’s Constitution, and laws, and the economy, and social customs, this newsletter explores what it means, and what it has meant, to be an American.

These were the same questions a famous observer asked in a book of letters he published in 1782, the year before the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War.

Hector St. John de Crevecoeur called his book “Letters from an American Farmer.”

Like I say, history doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure rhymes.

Join Newsletter

Latest Posts

  • I Can Do Whatever I Want
    To read this letter, click here:
  • October 7, 2026
    On October 7, 2016, in the run-up to the 2016 election, the Washington Post broke the story of the so-called Access Hollywood tape, a video from 2005 in which Donald Trump told television host Billy Bush about his approach to women.
  • Panic
    To read this letter, click here:
  • October 6, 2026
    Judging from his social media posts, Trump is panicking.
  • Politics Chat, October 6, 2026
    Listen on Apple Podcasts
  • Politics Chat, October 6, 2026
    Watch today's live recording here.
  • Undermining the Post-WWII Order
    To read this letter, click here:
  • October 5, 2026
    Last night, on October 4, U.S.
  • A Flood of Corruption Stories
    Listen now (13 mins) | To read this letter, click here:
  • October 4, 2026
    On Friday night, just before 11:00, Trump announced that his administration “will, immediately, begin sending ‘Checks’ of nearly $100 to over 20 MILLION wonderful Seniors to help pay for their Medicare Part B premiums, which we have already reduced by significant amounts.
  • Power to the People
    To read this letter, click here:
  • October 3, 2026
    On Saturday, October 3, the Power to the People festival, organized by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, took over the stage at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
  • A Seismic Political Change
    To read this letter, click here:
  • October 2, 2026
    Trump held a campaign rally tonight in Mobile, Alabama, the city where, as Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times recalled, his MAGA rallies really took off in August 2015, when more than 30,000 people showed up at a football stadium to hear the television personality turned presidential candidate.
  • An Immediate Calamity
    To read this letter, click here:

Prequel

An American Fight Against Fascism

By Rachel Maddow

Inspired by her research for the hit podcast Ultra, Rachel Maddow charts the rise of a wild American strain of authoritarianism that has been alive on the far-right edge of our politics for the better part of a century. Before and even after our troops had begun fighting abroad in World War II, a clandestine network flooded the country with disinformation aimed at sapping the strength of the U.S. war effort and persuading Americans that our natural alliance was with the Axis, not against it. It was a sophisticated and shockingly well-funded campaign to undermine democratic institutions, promote antisemitism, and destroy citizens’ confidence in their elected leaders, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the U.S. government and installing authoritarian rule.

Continue reading Prequel

The Divider

Trump in the White House, 2017-2021

by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser

Publisher: Vintage

The Divider brings us into the Oval Office for countless scenes both tense and comical, revealing how close we got to nuclear war with North Korea, which cabinet members had a resignation pact, whether Trump asked Japan’s prime minister to nominate him for a Nobel Prize and much more. The book also explores the moral choices confronting those around Trump—how they justified working for a man they considered unfit for office, and where they drew their lines.

INTERVIEW: Susan Glasser and Peter Baker on C-SPAN

Review

Buy

Muffle MAGA’s Megaphone

SWING LEFT PENINSULA created these engaging videos to help spread the word effectively that things are better when Democrats are in office AND to counter MAGA Republicans’ anti-democracy messages. 

To Muffle the MAGAphone:

  1. Avoid amplifying MAGA messages.
  2. Amplify pro-Democracy messages. 
  • Don’t Repeat Disinformation – What’s the best thing to do when encountering MAGA disinformation? NOTHING!
  • Ignore DogWhistles – Ever wonder why MAGA Republicans repeat certain words and phrases? Hint: Dog whistles
  • Stay United! – Why do MAGA Republicans spend so much time attacking an ever-growing list of others?
  • Frame It Our Way! – We need to avoid repeating MAGA GOP frames, even to refute them. Talk about the good stuff – what we need for all Americans to thrive.
  • Share Effectively – What makes an effective message? Lead with shared values. Identify who stands in the way of those values and why. End with your vision for a better future.

Words that Win – The 3V Messaging Framework

VALUES, VILLAINS, and VISION

Communications consultant Anat Shenker-Osorio developed the 3V messaging framework. Effective 3V messages: 

  1. lead with shared values, 
  2. name the villains and their motives for opposing those values,
  3. present your vision for a better future. 

As linguist George Lakoff says, “People vote based on values, connection, authenticity, trust and identity” – not lists of policies and facts.

BAC’s 3V Messaging Library

The Bay Area Coalition offers 3V statements on the critical issues of our time.

go to Messaging Library

Ash Center

for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Publisher: Harvard Kennedy School

Recommended by Bob B.

The Ash Center believes that diverse perspectives are paramount to better understanding and addressing real-world problems. As a global community that brings together students, faculty, staff, and fellows, with practitioners and policymakers from around the world, we focus on advancing excellence in democracy and self-government. We are committed to fostering an environment of rigor, curiosity, and integrity. As a Center, we therefore value and respect different opinions, lived experiences, and diverse research and policy areas and approaches. We continue to strive for excellence while creating an equitable and inclusive community for all.

Protest and Dissent

Ash Center YouTube

The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky

Sign up for the next session with the link after this image.

The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky

The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – September 16, 2026

Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the eighth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break …down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.

Speakers include:

Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School
Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard UniversityShow More
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky - September 16, 2026
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – September 16, 2026
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the eighth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward. Speakers include: Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller …
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky (Seventh Session)
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky (Seventh Session)
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the seventh session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward. *Please note: This session was originally labeled as Session 8, but is technically the seventh session, due to the postponement of an earlier …
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky - April 30, 2026
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – April 30, 2026
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the sixth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward. Speakers include: Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller …
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky - March 24, 2026
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – March 24, 2026
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the fifth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward. Speakers include: Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller …
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the fourth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the third session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the second session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
The Breakdown (Inaugural Session)
The Breakdown (Inaugural Session)
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the inaugural session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.

January 6th Committee Report

by Select Committee

“The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack has succeeded in bringing clarity and demonstrating with painstaking detail the fragility of our Democracy. Above all, the work of the Select Committee underscores that our democratic institutions are only as strong as the commitment of those who are entrusted with their care.

As the Select Committee concludes its work, their words must be a clarion call to all Americans: to vigilantly guard our Democracy and to give our vote only to those dutiful in their defense of our Constitution.”

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House

Read Report

Thank You for Your Servitude

Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission
By Mark Leibovich
Publisher: Penguin Press

Recommended by Cindi

“This is a really funny book.” Kara Swisher. 

Mark Leibovich’s unflinching account of the moral rout of a major American political party, tracking the transformation of Rubio, Cruz, Graham, and their ilk into the administration’s chief enablers, and the swamp’s lesser lights into frantic chasers of the grift…isn’t another view from the Oval Office: it’s the view from the Trump Hotel. 

Review
Buy

Feel Good Action

Using the power of social networks and digital media, we motivate individual and collective action to advance resilient communities, just societies, and a healthy planet.

95% of young people are on social media. 

Relationships, ideas, and images of our lives are shaped and shared on social media every day. In partnership with Feel Good Action, influencers are leading their followers to ACT.

Find out more

Democratic Messaging Project

The Democratic Messaging Project was established in 2022 to inform and educate voters about the historic achievements made by the Biden Administration and Democrats. DMP  billboards, postcards, digital and video ads have made a huge impact in battleground states. 

Find out more

Lincoln Square Media

Newsletter

Publisher: Lincoln Square

When you join Lincoln Square, you are more than a passive consumer of content – You are a critical member of the Ferocious Opposition. We’ll provide you with the truth that you need and the tools to help spread the antidote to Trump, MAGA, Musk, and what once was a legitimate major political party in our country, the Republicans.

Lincoln Square founders introduce LSM here. 

Join

Review by Steve G.

Description of Lincoln Square Media

Lincoln Square Media is a pro‑democracy, politically aligned media platform launched as a collaborative project of The Lincoln Project, a group of anti‑Trump strategists and political operatives Media Bias/Fact Check. It positions itself as part of the “ferocious opposition” — a network dedicated to countering disinformation, authoritarianism, and right‑wing extremism www.lincolnsquare.media.

Mission and Purpose

The platform’s stated mission is to expose, inspire, inform, and lead by providing expert analysis, commentary, and investigative reporting on political and social issues. It frames itself as an independent, activist‑driven voice that resists what it calls “autocrats” and “right‑wing media mouthpieces” LinkedIn. Subscribers are invited to join the “Lincoln Loyal” community, a group committed to defending democracy and holding leaders accountable www.lincolnsquare.media.

Content and Format

Lincoln Square Media produces:

  • Commentary and analysis from veteran journalists, military experts, and former political strategists.
  • Exclusive shows such as Strategy Session LIVE, Anchor Watch, and The Enemies List LinkedIn.
  • Podcasts, video series, and newsletters offering immediate, expert takes on breaking news and political developments www.lincolnsquare.media.
  • Archived publications and on‑demand content for subscribers.

Editorial Approach

Media Bias/Fact Check rates Lincoln Square as left‑biased due to its explicit alignment with Democratic and anti‑Trump activism, but also mostly factual for reporting quality, citing transparent ownership and credible sourcing Media Bias/Fact Check. The content is opinion‑driven and one‑sided, with a strong activist tone aimed at mobilizing and informing its audience Media Bias/Fact Check.

Funding and Ownership

Lincoln Square Media is independently owned but operates in partnership with The Lincoln Project. It is funded through:

  • Paid subscriptions (monthly or annual) with access to exclusive content and community features.
  • Merchandise sales via its “Lincoln Square Shop.”
  • Donations processed through ActBlue Media Bias/Fact Check.

A portion of subscription revenue supports paid advertising campaigns to combat disinformation and promote democratic values www.lincolnsquare.media.

Notable Figures

The editorial team includes prominent names such as Rick Wilson, Joe Trippi, Stuart Stevens, Edwin Eisendrath, and other political and media veterans Media Bias/Fact Check+1.

In summary: Lincoln Square Media is a politically progressive, activist‑oriented media hub that blends journalism, political commentary, and advocacy, aiming to mobilize supporters and counter mainstream narratives it views as harmful to democracy.

About

Lincoln Square is a collaborative effort with The Lincoln Project, America’s leading pro-democracy organization. It’s an ambitious effort to rethink how the media fights against autocracy, disinformation, and the flood of attacks on truth and our democracy. We don’t pull punches. We don’t cower in fear and hope Trump, Musk, and their minions don’t notice us and be spared their wrath.

We aren’t legacy media. We don’t have billionaire backers or corporate overlords directing what we can and cannot say.

Our mission is to expose, inspire, inform, lead, and connect — and give you the tools not just to fight back, but fight forward for the America we all deserve – not just the broligarchs and kleptocrats. We fight for the rights of all of us because it takes all of us for America to achieve her extraordinary potential. And we’re getting louder than ever with podcasts, live streaming, digital and social media, commentary, articles, town halls, public and virtual community gatherings, and strategy calls with people like Rick Wilson, Stuart Stevens, and Joe Trippi, who have led the biggest campaigns — and won.

Latest Articles

The Art & Science of Persuasion Playbook

A Message from Galvanize Action about a huge block of persuadable voters!

“White women are the largest voting bloc in this country and will be for decades to come. They account for 38% of the national vote share and 43% of the vote share across Galvanize Action’s priority states. Within this voting bloc, we’ve identified 44,093,812 moderate women who are not ideologically entrenched, meaning they are open to new ideas and perspectives and movable on key issues such as reproductive freedom, healthcare, gender equity, climate, and the economy.”

Galvanize Action has a fabulous interactive messaging worksheet we can all use!

Galvanize Action says, “We’ll share with you exactly how to create a message that meets people at their values and how to turn those into an effective ad. Our interactive worksheet will guide you through the process with prompts about your target audience and the issue you want to move them on. You’ll walk away with customized advice!”

Corruptible

Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us

By: Brian Klaas

Publisher: Scribner

Recommended by: Bruce R.

Does power corrupt, or are corrupt people drawn to power? Are tyrants made or born? Are entrepreneurs who embezzle and cops who kill the result of poorly designed systems or are they just bad people? If you were suddenly thrust into a position of power, would you be able to resist the temptation to line your pockets or seek revenge against your enemies?

To answer these questions, Corruptible draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world’s top leaders—from the noblest to the dirtiest—including presidents and philanthropists as well as rebels, cultists, and dictators. Some of the fascinating insights include: how facial appearance determines who we pick as leaders, why narcissists make more money, why some people don’t want power at all and others are drawn to it out of a psychopathic impulse, and why being the “beta” (second in command) may actually be the optimal place for health and well-being.

Corruptible also features a wealth of counterintuitive examples from history and social science: you’ll meet the worst bioterrorist in American history, hit the slopes with a ski instructor who once ruled Iraq, and learn why the inability of chimpanzees to play baseball is central to the development of human hierarchies.

Professor Jason Stanley outlines how fascism takes over a country

Fascism is a cult of the leader, who promises national restoration in the face of supposed humiliation by immigrants, leftists, liberals, minorities, homosexuals, women, in the face of what the fascist leader says is a takeover of the country’s media, cultural institutions, schools by these forces.

Fascist movements typically, though not invariably, rest on an urban/rural divide. The cities are where there’s decadence, where the elites congregate, where there’s immigrants, and where there’s criminality.

Each of these individuals alone is not in and of itself fascist, but you have to worry when they’re all grouped together, seeing the other as less than. Those moments are the times when societies need to worry about fascism.

Strongmen

Mussolini to the Present

by Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Ruth Ben-Ghiat is the expert on the “strongman” playbook employed by authoritarian demagogues from Mussolini to Putin—enabling her to predict with uncanny accuracy the recent experience in America and Europe. In Strongmen, she lays bare the blueprint these leaders have followed over the past 100 years, and empowers us to recognize, resist, and prevent their disastrous rule in the future.

Read Review

Strongmen, Oligarchs, & Fascists: Thinking Live with Ruth Ben-Ghiat

A recording from Timothy Snyder’s live video with Ruth Ben-Ghiat (Jun 15, 2026)

Watch the interview


Ruth Ben-Ghiat interviewed by Dean Peter Arnade at University of Hawai

How to recognize disinformation and how to stop it

Deb Lavoy explains how we fall for disinformation and how to train ourselves to avoid falling for it. (11 min.)

Deb Lavoy is on a mission to eradicate disinformation. As a former software engineer and digital marketer, she recognized the established social media marketing techniques that disinformation perpetrators appropriating to manipulate us into believing falsehoods. This talk provides tips on recognizing these tricks and how to counter them. Deb Lavoy is on a mission to eradicate disinformation. Her experience in software engineering and marketing, gave her a unique perspective on the rise of disinformation in 2016: the perpetrators were maliciously appropriating tried and tested digital marketing techniques. Deb founded the nonprofit Reality Team in response.

Reality Team drowns out the lies perpetrated over social media with simply stated truths, and arms people with tools and information to join the fight. The organization builds campaigns that change the ratio of truthful to untruthful information on social media feeds and provides tools and techniques to make it easier to tell the difference.

The Highest Common Denominator

Using Convergent Facilitation to Reach Breakthrough Collaborative Decisions

by Miki Kashtan

Miki introduces a novel decision-making process called Convergent Facilitation that builds trust from the beginning, surfaces concerns and addresses them, and turns conflicts into creative dilemmas that groups feel energized to solve together. This highly effective process has been used successfully around the world to resolve problems and teach people how to collaborate without sacrificing productivity.

Continue reading The Highest Common Denominator

Robert Reich on Substack

by Robert Reich

 

Robert Reich on Substack

Robert Reich’s is Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Blum Center. He served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration for which Time Magazine named him one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century.  He has written 18 books, including

Read Robert’s Jan. 2, 2024 article  “Why is the mainstream media failing to report accurately on the coming election? 

Latest Posts

YouTube Channel

Why Authoritarians Vilify Those Who Protest

If protesting didn’t work, would those in power be doing everything they can right now to vilify protestors and crack down on free speech?

Activist and author Annie Leonard offers an …important history lesson on why protest is so important — and why it’s needed now more than ever.Show More
Why Authoritarians Vilify Those Who Protest
Why Authoritarians Vilify Those Who Protest
If protesting didn’t work, would those in power be doing everything they can right now to vilify protestors and crack down on free speech? Activist and author Annie Leonard offers an important history lesson on why protest is so important — and why it’s needed now more than ever.
What the Gilded Age Warns Us About Monopolization
What the Gilded Age Warns Us About Monopolization
Just five giant conglomerates now control 90 percent of the media. The reason this is so dangerous might not be what you think.
Are We Really THAT Divided?
Are We Really THAT Divided?
For our new film THE WORK IN PROGRESS, we spoke with people all across the country from different walks of life. What did we find out? Even when we ask ourselves the hard questions, we’re not as divided as some would lead us to believe. Find a screening here: https://theworkinprogressfilm.com/buy-tickets
My Favorite Economic Buzzword, Explained
My Favorite Economic Buzzword, Explained
Globalization has been an economic buzzword for decades, but what does it actually mean? Here’s what I tell my students. Want to join me in class? Now you can: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/wealth-and-poverty-class-3-globalization
Dictators Do Not Want You to See This (ft. Annie Leonard)
Dictators Do Not Want You to See This (ft. Annie Leonard)
My friend, activist, and author Annie Leonard explains why protesting is so important and why we must protect this powerful tool of dissent. “History shows that nonviolent protest is one of the most powerful tools ordinary people have ever wielded, helping advance social and environmental progress while serving as a cornerstone of democracy. This is why authoritarians, both at home and abroad, are vilifying protestors, suppressing free speech, and cracking down on political dissent. But if …
The Hidden Cost of Amazon Prime Day
The Hidden Cost of Amazon Prime Day
Who’s really paying the price for those killer Amazon Prime Day deals?
How Did American Capitalism Get so Rotten?
How Did American Capitalism Get so Rotten?
We’ve seen that American capitalism is one of the harshest forms of capitalism on the planet. How did it get so bad?
What Trump Learned From Putin About Corruption
What Trump Learned From Putin About Corruption
Tim Snyder is correct: If Democrats want to regain working people, they must disavow Big Money and tackle our corrupt system. There’s no way the party can speak for or represent the working class in America if it’s beholden to corporate interests.
Pete Hegseth Isn’t a Warrior. He’s Afraid.
Pete Hegseth Isn’t a Warrior. He’s Afraid.
The subjugation of women is part of a neo-fascist, warrior culture going all the way back to the 1930s. It was on full display during Pete Hegseth’s military speech this week.
Is a Reckoning Coming? | The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich
Is a Reckoning Coming? | The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich
Another dismal jobs report. Trump’s meeting with AI billionaires. And a crisis of accountability from the top down. We unpack it all on a brand new episode of the Coffee Klatch. Our new film THE WORK IN PROGRESS is in 47 theaters across 27 states! https://theworkinprogressfilm.com/
Trump's Food Policy is a Literal Sh*tshow
Trump's Food Policy is a Literal Sh*tshow
The Trump administration was too stupid to realize that cutting food safety programs and firing thousands of public servants would have shitty consequences. Watch.
Can America be Saved?
Can America be Saved?
Why, despite everything that’s happening, am I still hopeful about America? Here’s what I told Michael Lewis.
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The Upswing

how America came together a century ago and how we can do it again

by Robert D. Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

“An eminent political scientist’s brilliant synthesis of social and political trends over the past century that shows how we have gone from an individualistic society to a more communitarian society and then back again — and how we can use that experience to overcome once again the individualism that currently weakens our country”

We can’t go back to when things were “good.” But we can learn from when things ware “bad.” In the early 1900’s the Guilded Age of the robber barons, things were really bad for most US citizens; they feared for the end of democracy and the take-over by the oligarchs.

Buy

Interview: Robert Putnam Knows Why You’re Lonely

The 2023 Ithiel de Sola Pool Lecture by Robert D. Putnam
Sep 22, 2023

Join or Die — Trailer (2023)

The Documentary “Join or Die” (2023) is currently available on Netflix (2025-08-11)

Divided We Fall

America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation

by David French

Summary

Reestablishing national unity will require the bravery to commit ourselves to embracing qualities of kindness, decency, and grace towards those we disagree with ideologically. David French calls on all of us to demonstrate true tolerance so we can heal the American divide. If we want to remain united, we must learn to stand together again.

Continue reading Divided We Fall

How Fascism Works

The Politics of Us and Them

By: Jason Stanley

Publisher: ‎ Random House Publishing Group

Recommended by: Steve G.

As a scholar of philosophy and propaganda and the child of refugees of WWII Europe, Jason Stanley has long understood that democratic societies, including the United States, can be vulnerable to fascism. In How Fascism Works, he identifies ten pillars of fascist politics—an appeal to the mythic past, propaganda, anti-intellectualism, unreality, hierarchy, victimhood, law and order, sexual anxiety, favoring “the heartland,” and a dismantling of public goods and unions—that amount to an urgent diagnosis of the tactics right-wing politicians use to break down democracies and a critical lens on the current moment.

Stanley knits together reflections on history, philosophy, sociology, and critical race theory with stories from contemporary Hungary, Poland, India, Myanmar, and the United States, among other nations, making clear the immense dangers of language and beliefs that separate people into an “us” and a “them.” By uncovering disturbing patterns that are as prevalent today as ever, Stanley reveals that the stuff of politics—rhetoric and myth—can become policy and reality all too quickly. Only by recognizing them, he argues, can we begin to resist their most harmful effects and return to democratic ideals.

Buy

How to Citizen with Baratunde

By Baratunde Thurston

Recommended by: Bob

Here are some sources of ideas from a podcast by Baratunde Thurston, which began in 2020 and has four seasons of episodes. The overall theme is encouraging thinking about “citizen” as a verb. The four
pillars for doing this are:

  • To participate, not just vote, but to show up for each other and publicly participate by discussing concerns, debating policy choices, advocating, etc.
  • To invest in relationships, by deepening our interconnections with our community, family, neighbors, etc..
  • To understand power, by learning about the fluidity of power and the various ways we the people can use it for our collective benefit.
  • To value the collective, by working towards outcomes that benefit the many, not just the few.

The four seasons of episodes (ranging from 11 to 16 episodes each season) consist of interviews with folks who are thinking about and demonstrating democracy-building activities. It’s a wonderful resource for ideas. They include international, national, statewide, and local leaders.

Podcast Link

The Lincoln Project

WE HAVE SEEN THE BEST AND WORST OF AMERICAN POLITICS.

The Lincoln Project is dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy. Since our launch in December 2019, The Lincoln Project has played a unique role in American politics. We entered the political arena with two stated objectives: first, to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box in 2020. (Done.) The second was to ensure Trumpism failed alongside him. We understand that the real fight against Trumpism is just beginning and we’re committed to seeing it through. Our democracy depends on it.

Founded by former Republican strategists who understood the grave threat of Trumpism to our nation, the Lincoln Project team has expanded to include individuals from across the political spectrum.
We are first and foremost: pro-democracy.

Our mission.

Our mission is to protect the American Republic from Donald Trump and those who identify (publicly or privately) as MAGA supporters. While we are optimistic about the future, we are not complacent. In 2020, it took an ad-hoc coalition to ensure Trump’s defeat. In 2022, we built a coalition across the political spectrum and again bought democracy some breathing room. We agree with Trump on only one thing: 2024 is a battle for America’s future.

President Abraham Lincoln led the United States through the bloodiest, most divisive, and most decisive period of our nation’s history. He fought not because he wanted to, but because he knew the dual goals of preserving the Union and the end of slavery would be achieved only through armed conflict. At Gettysburg, he implored us not to forget those who had given “their last full measure of devotion” to preserving the American experiment.

Today, we find our nation divided again – faced with a growing authoritarian movement populated by millions of radicalized voters for whom this fight is existential as well as hyper-partisanship and Ultra-MAGA movements within the government itself. Donald Trump and those who ascribe to Trumpism are a clear and present danger to the Constitution and our Republic.

This is why we fight.

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  • Lincoln Project To Celebrate America’s 250th; Contrasts Lincoln With Trump
    Lincoln Project To Celebrate America’s 250th; Contrasts Lincoln With Trump June 24, 2026 — This evening, while Trump is ranting, raving, and projectile vomiting UnAmerican and anti-democracy rhetoric on the National Mall, the Lincoln Project will release its first ad in a series of ads and podcasts that highlight the extraordinary moments of Lincoln’s life.  For the nation’s 250th… The post Lincoln Project To Celebrate America’s 250th; Contrasts Lincoln With Trump appeared first on The Lincoln Project.
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The Hidden Tribes of America

A year-long project of More in Common launched in October 2018.

by: Stephen Hawkins, Daniel Yudkin, Míriam Juan-Torres, and Tim Dixon

Publisher: More in Common US

Recommended by: Bob B.

The report was conducted by More in Common, a new international initiative to build societies and communities that are stronger, more united, and more resilient to the increasing threats of polarization and social division. We work in partnership with a wide range of civil society groups, as well as philanthropy, business, faith, education, media and government to connect people across the lines of division.

America has never felt so divided. Bitter debates that were once confined to Congressional hearings and cable TV have now found their way into every part of our lives, from our Facebook feeds to the family dinner table. But most Americans are tired of this “us-versus-them” mindset and are eager to find common ground. This is the message we’ve heard from more than 8,000 Americans in one of our country’s largest-ever studies of polarization: We hold dissimilar views on many issues. However, more than three in four Americans also believe that our differences aren’t so great that we can’t work together.

A range of major issues split the country

  • Immigration impact
  • White privilege
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Islamophobia
Read the full report

More in Common US

Recommended by: Bob B.

More in Common was established with the mission of tackling the ‘us-versus-them’ divisions that pose a generational threat to the United States. We have published over 30 reports since launching in the US in 2018, with a foundational study that helped shape the emerging field of efforts to tackle polarization in America. Hidden Tribes:  A Study of America’s Polarized Landscape showed that rather than being evenly divided, most Americans belonged to an ‘Exhausted Majority’. America’s Exhausted Majority is tired of tribalism, fed up with the country’s polarization, and more flexible and less ideological than the strident voices who dominate public debates.

We work with leaders across the ideological spectrum to strengthen American democracy, solve problems, and better navigate the dynamics of a polarized society. The common thread through our ever-increasing range of projects and partnerships is a simple truth: what we as Americans have in common is greater than our differences. Through both our research insights and on-the-ground projects, we’re building evidence-based solutions to bring this truth to life.

More in Common is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. We receive funding from foundations, organizations and individuals who share a commitment to building communities and societies that are more resilient to the forces of social fracturing and polarization. Philanthropies that support More in Common’s work fund projects across a wide range of issue areas.

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See also:

Beyond MAGA
The Hidden Tribes of America

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Galvanize Action

Galvanize Action connects with moderate women in rural, small-town, and suburban communities to build an America that works for everyone. We work at the intersection of data science, behavioral psychology, and neuroscience to find women who want progress on key issues but aren’t reliably playing a role in getting us there, connect with them on their values, and influence their civic behavior. We’re sharing our unique insights into moderate women voters and making our full creative library available to the movement.

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Central Valley Matters

Central Valley Matters is a coalition of organizations in California working to strengthen democracy and activate the electorate. We started as a group of volunteers who actively participated in the congressional elections in the Central Valley starting in 2018, and have grown into an alliance of volunteer groups focused on fundraising and supporting selected local, grassroots organizations in the Central Valley. For activism in the communities of the Central Valley to be sustained, it must be developed organically by and for the people who live there.

Central Valley Matters is dedicated to supporting locally based grassroots organizations that know their communities best and can be most responsive to their needs, and translate that into political power. Such support is a proven and crucial strategy for preserving our democracy, as was evident in Georgia and Arizona in 2020. We believe that when community voices are heard through voting, they are better represented at all levels of government. And our country is better for it.

Currently, our coalition of over 40 California volunteer groups helps to fund civic engagement in the Central Valley, supporting our carefully vetted grassroots organizations based in CA’s CD 22:
Community Water Center Action Fund, Dolores Huerta Action Fund, Poder Latinx, plus Delano Guardians, Loud for Tomorrow & Valley Voices.

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George Lakoff’s Frame Lab Messaging Guide

“Trump is a loser, a fraud, and a liar.”

Frame Lab advises calling Trump a loser, a fraud, or a betrayer of trust. A dictator creates an image of power, whereas a loser is a label no strict father/wannabe dictator will admit. 

Read FrameLab Articles

Latest Articles

  • Data Center Don: Trump’s AI Debacle is a Big Opportunity
    by L O L G O P
    AI. Crypto. Trump. All three are the same con with different wigs.
  • Truth Melt: Never Lead With the Lie
    by L O L G O P
    When the headline is all most people read, leading with a lie spreads it. The Truth Melt: lead with the truth, name the lie only to correct it.
  • “Cultural heroin.” JD Vance on Donald Trump
    by Gil Duran
    Ten years ago today, JD Vance published an essay that called Donald Trump “cultural heroin” and “an opioid of the masses”:During this election season, it appears that many Americans have reached for a new pain reliever. It too, promises a quick escape from life’
  • Wannabe Dictator Gets Scraped Off a Wall
    by Gil Duran
    Trump's name was scraped off the Kennedy Center wall by court order. Wannabe dictators put their names on things. The law said no.
  • The Nerd Reich Is Coming
    by Gil Duran
    Things have been a bit quiet here at FrameLab. That silence has a reason: I have been finishing a book.The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy will be published on August 18 by Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. You can pre-

Local Majority

Local Majority’s mission is to provide critical research to Democratic state legislative candidates. Since 2017, Local Majority has produced issue papers for state candidates in Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Arizona. Local Majority provides research that is practical and accessible to support Democratic campaigns for the state legislature.

Find out more
  • Florida Republicans Attack Public Education
    There is a Republican-led onslaught against public education in Florida. Not only has funding for successful college scholarship programs been cut, new measures are proposed to further gut public school funding by promoting charter schools in their stead. GOP measures are also proposing to remove long-standing restrictions against the use of public monies to fund private-, sectarian- and religion-based schools. …
  • Demo: 5 Reasons You Need The X Theme
    X is not your grandmother’s WordPress theme, and we want to prove it to you. Here are the top 5 reasons you need to buy X today! Stacks, Stacks, & More Stacks Instead of being stuck with one design for your next project, X is a gift that keeps on giving. Built with our custom Stacks, X is the most …
  • Demo: Affiliate Marketing 101 (Self Hosted Video)
    For those looking for a more customized solution, you can upload your own self-hosted videos using the nifty Video Post Format right from within your dashboard. Each video will be fully responsive and look great on any device! Simply create a post like you always would, select Video in the format box, then enter the destination of your video file …
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    Sometimes you’ll want to add featured images to your post. Here’s what a post would look like with a featured image. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Pellentesque pretium, nisi ut volutpat mollis, leo risus interdum arcu, eget facilisis quam felis id mauris. Ut convallis, lacus nec ornare volutpat, velit turpis scelerisque purus, quis mollis velit purus ac …

Indivisible San Mateo

Who We Are

A group of residents from San Mateo and neighboring communities who oppose Trump and his authoritarian policies. We are a peaceful people gathered for a common purpose of protecting our democracy, our Constitution, and our rule-of-law.

What We Do

Schedule and participate in actions such as protests, bannering over freeways, door-to-door canvassing, phone banking, and much more!

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Action Network

Indivisible SF

Since January 2017, more than 4,000 San Franciscans have united as Indivisible SF to march in the Women’s Marches, protest the Muslim Ban, meet regularly with our Members of Congress, and make thousands of phone calls to their offices to pressure them to do everything in their power to counter the policies and politics of Trumpism. There is much work in progress and many actions to come. 

Members of Indivisible SF are defined by our action and find solidarity in our shared opposition to Trump and Trumpism. Each of us explicitly reserves our individual stances on specific issues for other forums as we believe resisting Trump is more important than any single issue. We adhere to a Code of Conduct that welcomes and respects everybody.

Members of Indivisible SF come from all kinds of backgrounds and political persuasions. Some of us are first-time activists and others have been at this for decades. We are citizens and non-citizens. Most importantly, we are all patriots that want the best for our country and are willing to work for it. 

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Democracy Labs

Recommended by Steve.

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