Hello voters. That feels like a bit of a futile start this week, as the chaos the country is suffering is because someone zero people voted for has been handed the keys to the castle, and, apparently, the treasury. Members of Congress — who were in fact elected to be an equal branch of government and a check on executive power — appear, at this moment, as rudderless as many feel. Feeling powerless is a bit like feeling frozen, stuck in a blizzard with no break in the forecast. (If that’s you, the video above isn’t just to illustrate today’s message, but also as a Moment of Zen.)
My day job, where I write and edit on all topics democracy, has left me short of time this week, and I also don’t want to pretend I have any brilliant insight beyond this: If you are one of those who decided to keep your head in the sand for a bit — something I sympathize with deeply — that time is over. Get in the game. I recently wrote about deciding what issues you’ll focus on, and acting accordingly. Start there, then call your state and federal representatives. The only thing that may move Congress is public opinion.
Be loud. Use specific examples. If you know someone personally suffering from actions taken without any consequences considered, mention that example. Make sure your local media knows about it, too. I think it’s best to call elected officials’ most direct number — 5calls.org lets you set your location, provides phone numbers, and has scripts for particular issues.
Here’s a round-up of content I think is worth reading/listening to/watching this week (with a little commentary on why):
— Jessica Yellin of News Not Noise has this powerful (short!!) Instagram video on why it’s important to call your elected officials, no matter their party.
— Timothy Snyder’s post Of Course It’s a Coup won’t help you sleep, but it too stresses that public pushback on this Musk overreach may be the only way to stop it.
— A trio of New York Times stories that show the breadth of sweeping, radical changes, both already happened and coming: Inside Musks’s Aggressive Incursion Into the Federal Government, Across Justice Department, Fear, Anxiety and Angry Bosses, and Architect of 2025 Confirmed to Head Office of Management and Budget (If this last one feels like the least important of the three, believe me it’s not. Learn about this man.)
— Shaniqua McClendon said this Ezra Klein podcast brought her some calm. In a quick 14 minutes, Klein discusses the chaos is the point tactic, and calls its bluff. Here’s the video, if you prefer.
If you find this helpful, feel free to share it. Don’t forget to find some joy today. My son’s birthday is tomorrow, so for us there will be cake.
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