On the latest discourse...
"Don't comply in advance" includes "don't freak out more than is useful."
The word "prestige" used to mean "illusion." Human power enforcement has always been largely about illusion. Make yourself look bigger than you are. Paint the naked warriors blue. Wear a huge powdered wig. Project wealth through conspicuous consumption. Make each oppressed individual and group believe they're alone.
My experience of moving to rural Idaho has taught me so much, when I was terrified of everyone because of the huge Trump sign coming into town and the big trucks with threatening bumper stickers. That kept me freaked out and terrified and shy and unwilling to OWN WHO I AM and connect with people authentically and confidently.
Now that I'm getting to know folks, I'm finding that those bullies are in the minority. While yes, there's an echo chamber here for sure, plenty of people are willing to jump to say things like, "I never really was a big fan of Trump." There is a thriving human rights group here, too, and the turnout at No Kings was surprisingly huge given that I didn't even think there would be one in this town.
The illusion that everyone here was going to shoot me if they could was doing the work that they don't have the actual resources to do. It's a huge country and there are hundreds of millions of people. Even with each bit of power they grab, even with the full force of US military and legal might, it's not enough to take everyone, all at once, totally.
And it never will be.
But their victims thinking that they've already got it sewn up? That actually might be enough to lock it all down.
So stop doing that work for them. Don't give up.
And see if you can find joy somehow. And confidence in yourself. It's energizing.
And it's defiant.
