In the first days of December, as it became clear that the ICE invasion was a real thing that was really happening to us, as groups of us gathered swapping rumors about the kidnappings and clearly inadequate tips about phone security, we had no idea what to expect, no idea what would happen, no idea what we were going to do. As much as we’d planned, heard from other cities, tried to be ready, we had no idea.

Only one thing was crystal clear: nobody, absolutely nobody, was coming to save us.

2/

It was clarifying. We knew, with complete certainty, that nobody was coming to save us.

If we don’t stand in their way when they come to kidnap our neighbors, nobody will stand in their way.

If we don’t try to help people who need to hide, nobody will help them hide.

If we don’t try to feed people who can’t work, can’t even go outside to get food, nobody will feed them.

It put things into focus really fast.

3/

I wish I could tell you that all our preparations meant we were ready, that we never despaired, that we knew we would endure. I don’t think any of that is true. I spent much of December and January considering, seriously and vividly considering, that this was the arrival of an authoritarian police state that could outlive me. But I didn’t spend too much •time• considering that — because there was work to be done, work right here, in my lap, and nobody was coming to save us.

4/

I never quite understood what Carolyn Forché meant when she said “the choice is ourselves or nothing.”

I think maybe I do now.

5/

You don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know what to do. You feel powerless. Nothing you can do seems like it could possibly be enough.

And then the work is there, on your doorstep, in your hands, and you •just do it• because that is what you do.

Nobody is coming to save you. The choice is ourselves or nothing. The moment you believe that, that you •know• it in your bones, is the moment the work truly begins.

6/

@inthehands First things first: THANK YOU for your service!

What you describe is how it always is in war. We are at war against a fascist, racist theocracy. Either we win this war or much of the world descends into a slave pit of misery.

And we are winning it! Crimethinc's analysis shows deportation flights from Minneapolis plunged after that Jan 14 neighborhood uprising.

Now Trump is in a war with Iran that he sought just after it became clear he had no path to victory in Minneapolis. He's losing there too.

Notice there have been no futher large scale, widely reported urban invasions intended to sow fear.

The deportation machine grinds on, one of the main threats now seems to be 287 (g) in shithole states like Florida which are much harder to fight. This however isn't flashy stuff that energizes the GOP base.

As I said elsewhere, a defeat for Trump in Minneapolis followed by a defeat for him in Iran could trigger a blowout defeat for the GOP in November even over ICE agents at polls etc. If THAT happens, Trump loses much of his influence, cannot rule by decree, cannot push bills through an opposing Congress-and loses his path to an illegal 3ed term or otherwise staying in office past Jan 20 2029. Sweeping him out will leave the Dems owing huge debts to our street fighters and a torrent of public rage will be unleashed against the GOP. Hopefully we can then throw down everything Trump stands for and smash it to bits, burn it to ashes.

If Trump goes for an auto-coup after defeats in Minneapolis and Iran, expect it to blow up in his face. In that scenario, we may be able to get him out immediately. Every Federal official will have to choose between obeying Trump and obeying the courts, and they will mostly be trying to cover their own asses.

Worst comes to worst we fight an open-ended guerilla war, and Trump's successors are never able to pacify the continent. Eventually their regime burns out, exhausted from the war.

@LukefromDC @inthehands

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-oil-industry-donations

I have one suggestion, go after the money of the billionaires funding MAGA.

Here's a list to be Investigated for RICO & sedition.

Bradley, Koch, Coors, Scaife, Mellon, Seid, Uihlein.

https://www.desmog.com/2024/08/14/project-2025-billionaire-donor-heritage-foundation-donald-trump-jd-vance-charles-koch-peter-coors/

https://www.desmog.com/2025/01/21/mapped-donald-trump-transatlantic-anti-green-network/

https://www.desmog.com/2026/04/01/the-vested-interests-lobbying-for-north-sea-oil-and-gas-expansion/

The fossil fuel industry funds fascism globally.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/20/us/politics/koch-network-2024-election-trump.html

Tech is co-opted

https://www.axios.com/2017/12/14/koch-tries-its-hand-at-venture-capital-1513277500

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-06/google-thiel-stand-out-in-saudi-prince-s-silicon-valley-tour

https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-crown-prince-visits-apple-google-2018-4

1/

2/

63 billionaires funded Jan 6.

https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/12/trumps-billionaire-enablers-63-billionaires-worth-243-billion-who-bankrolled

Mueller never investigated the recipients of Putin's election meddling.

Why not?
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/06/the-nra-spent-dollar30-million-to-elect-trump-was-it-russian-money

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/20/larry-ellison-oracle-trump-election-challenges/

This isn’t simply campaign finance, it's vast public corruption on an international scale.