I bet my fiancée that this picture of our cats could get 10 billion boosts on Mastodon.

She said she doesn't believe me. She said there's only 13 million accounts on Mastodon. She said there aren't even 10 billion people on Earth. She said it concerns her that I struggle so hard to comprehend large numbers.

Let's prove her wrong everyone. Boost away and show her just how awesome the Mastodon community is.

Long post

Reading From Dictatorship to Democracy by Gene Sharp has really helped clarify my thinking about our current situation. Being in a situation where the dictator hasn't completed the takeover muddies things a bit, but there are many things we should be thinking about and starting to do.

The first thing is, what is the goal of our resistance to the Trump regime? Seems simple, but I don't think there is an agreed upon goal. Are we just looking to remove Trump and go back to "normal"? That doesn't address the structural problems with our laws and Constitution that allowed us to get here. Is the goal to bring down the government and replace it with something new? That would be a hard sell for center left citizens. Having a common goal is necessary for determining what and how we resist.

A common goal is needed to answer the question I've heard a lot lately, "What next?". From the goal we can start strategic planning. Strategic planning leads to tactical planning, and actions. There is a lot of planning and actions that need to happen to set the stage for further actions.

For instance, a general strike. I'm guilty of throwing this out as a course of action without really thinking through what that would entail. Things like a strike fund for people who otherwise couldn't afford to take a day or a week off of work without pay. Mutual support and aid for food, childcare... All in a country that prizes the individual over the community.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Some things to think about: What would be your desired end state? What would you be willing to accept as an end state? This is where we start.

Me: It doesn't have a tail, so I'm pretty sure it's a hamster.

Tech support: “sigh”

Fine. Right click on your hamster...