So....WTF are they DOING to STOP the bastards TODAY!?!

[FirstLight]

I'm on the west coast and it is 10:35 am = 2:35 EDT

I'm scanning here and headlines....STILL no contempt charges? Still no arrests?

WTF is is going to TAKE to get this regime OUT of power?


I am beginning to think our constitution is already reduced to ashes and we are adrift in the land of LAWLESSNESS..


That's it, folks...From now on I guess I am just going to adapt, try and get ready for whatever horror awaits us in the streets, and work on my Passport application.

I have never been so hopeless or scared in my life.

This is truly a dystopian novel we are LIVING THROUGH...Right NOW!

[BlueJac]

1. Hang in there

I feel like that daily

[FirstLight]

2. what sucks is that the day-to-day drain of LIFE

is bad enough. I can't fly to DC and protest...I can barely buy groceries. And they ALL know that the majority of us are in some situation like that so we are helpless to stop this bulldozing of OUR Rights

I guess I need to take a break from it all...but that doesn't help the persistent unease that this is going to get a LOT worse, if it EVER gets better

(I am done even believing we will have an election...it's coming...)

[Hermit-The-Prog]

53. maybe they'll feel it in THEIR pockets ...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212562691

[pangaia]

54. I agree with your last sentence...

[Johnny2X2X]

3. Throw them in jail like the reps did with Susan McDougal!

You won't testify, well sit in jail until you change your mind.

Dmes need some guts.

[MyOwnPeace]

6. THAT is SO correct..............

We need to FIGHT just like they did - and we need to believe that we DO have the right reason, evidence, conviction, and courage to do what is needed to save our country!

[bdamomma]

20. Listen

we will not do this

We, the People remember that.

[StarfishSaver]

7. The House didn't jail McDougall. A judge jailed her after she refused to testify to a grand jury

Entirely different jurisdiction and process.

[ripcord]

40. I'm putting on my asbestos undies because I'm going to say something really unpopular

We opened the doors for this when Eric Holder defied a Congressional subpoena and we cheered. We said that it is OK to defy some Congressional subpoenas then we were thrilled when Eric Holder's DoJ cleared Eric Holder. You probably agree with Holder's actions as I do but the facts are there, we could have never seen this at the time but it is going to bite us in the ass. The same thing that happened to Holder is going to happen to the potential witnesses in Trump's administration and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it any more than the republican's could arrest Holder.

[TheRealNorth]

4. Channel that anger into things productive to the cause

Call your representative and let them know how you feel. Write to your local OP ed page. Get people registered to vote, etc.

If you are okay with living on the dark side, troll Republicans comments sections to get them pissed off. Just don't expect a logical debate- I really do mean "troll" them. Sealioning is encouraged. Or you could play the part and be an especially repulsive MAGAT just to make them look bad.

[FirstLight]

5. ...

not gonna help...nothing is going to do shit...we are at the mercy of the PTB

[triron]

9. Just a detail but it's only 3 hours later edt than pdt.

What is PTB? I am sometimes feeling likewise. Workouts seem to help with my emotions
but don't change the world obviously.

[Lifelong Protester]

39. PTBPowers That Be

[LanternWaste]

10. I s'pose a lot of people will simply roll over and show their bellies...

Hopefully though, even more will fight against both Trump and defeatism.

[StarfishSaver]

18. If you're not going to do anything, what's the point of complaining

Just roll over and play dead.

[ancianita]

55. PTB is The Law, on our side, the methodical adherence of which won't run down

dictatorship the way dictatorship runs down everything else. Patience is required for rule of law to win.

Maybe these threads will make you less anxious.

The first is about a Law, not a norm or House rule, and cutting off paychecks. It could be done, but it might need a SCOTUS command, since the Treasury isn't amenable to "shall" dictates of law.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=12562691

This one is about another enforcement tool of the House, Inherent Contempt. It could be done, and might take fines and calling the Capitol Police.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=12558594

[StarfishSaver]

8. What are YOU doing?

It's not enough to wait on "them" - whoever "they" are - to do anything.

[triron]

11. OK so what do you recommend to stop the runaway train?

[StarfishSaver]

14. Volunteer, register voters, organize a protest, influence your neighbors - every little bit helps

But complaining on DU about what "they" aren't doing is pointless since YOU are THEY, too.

[FirstLight]

15. ....what, you think WE or ME have any real input on this?

FWIW- I did send Schiff a letter and tried to do the Twitter.

I'm just one voice in the cacophony

[StarfishSaver]

17. Yes, I do. We have plenty of input and power

Go DO something. Organize a local protest or volunteer with an organization that is, register voters, work with your local party.

You're not powerless. DO something.

[FirstLight]

21. not anymore... it's beyond what we may have had a say in...

Don't you get it... If the Committees in charge of this don't clap back against the recent and blatant thumbing of their subpoenas...it's fucking done.

I appreciate the need for testimony and documentation, but if the DOJ WH & anyone else involved say NO and receive NO CONSEQUENCES...the Rule of Law is done for.

...and THAT has NOTHING to do with ME or anything I can do on this level. THEY are the ones in charge of this and how it plays out. And they are dropping the ball...we are screwn.

[StarfishSaver]

24. If you believe you are completely powerless

why do you think you have the knowledge or ability to tell the people on power how they're supposed to do their jobs?

If you know so much, then go figure out how the process actually works and what YOU can do to effect change. Otherwise, you're just dead weight yelling and distracting the rest of us from doing what we can do to change things.

[FirstLight]

29. gee thanks, now I feel even worse...

I wish I was able to feel superior about activism like you :eyeroll:

[Laura PourMeADrink]

43. Good one! Long time DUers will remember that there was a time

When we could actually make a difference. Before Twitter and texts, email was the main form of communications. People here would organize action and ask members to email a congressman or senator or members of press. Arriving at work and seeing 100 emails about something had impact. Actually it still might work if we knew emails.

Heard a marketing expert say the most effective way to communicate today would be a hand addressed, stamped letter. People open those.

[secondwind]

12. I think there will be a Democrat response on Friday..

[FirstLight]

16. ...so they give the ReThugs & WH 3 more days to get in FRONT of the narrative n/t

[shanti]

32. That's what chaps my ass

and why the R's are always 3 steps ahead of us.

[handmade34]

51. Democratic response...

[maxsolomon]

13. Eastern is THREE hours in front of Pacific time.

10:35am = 1:35pm

Move through hopelessness and fear and embrace fatalism. Things are going to get worse. Much worse. Particularly when this shitshow goes to the Senate.

[FirstLight]

19. agreed...fatalism is the new groove

I am done thinking that I can make any kind of difference...Letters, calling, protests, GOTV...fuck it.

This is like every Dystopian novel or Movie we've seen. We are watching the Dismantline of our Republic in real time.

[StarfishSaver]

27. This is exactly what the Republicans want and love to hear

Fortunately, all of us aren't so willing to give it to them.

[FirstLight]

30. you can stop now...I'm already in tears

[maxsolomon]

28. The die is cast.

Pelosi wouldn't have initiated this process if there was any chance Impeachment would fail.

One action that MIGHT have an effect is directly engaging GOP Senators during the trial. Not that many are open to hearing from anyone but their GOP constituents...

[bdamomma]

22. They want us to give up

by making us feel powerless gives them more power to manipulate and control of the masses.

I swear that they will meet their fate.

[StarfishSaver]

25. Yep. And it seems to be working on some people here.

[FirstLight]

38. I don't know how old you are,

and you've only been here at DU since April 2019

But maybe you could stop being hostile towards someone when they are feeling OBVIOUSLY upset...


Kicking someone while they are down isn't how I thought DU worked. I'm glad you have all this energy and hope, but berating someone who has clearly had enough isn't helping either.

Thanks

[StarfishSaver]

41. I'm sorry if you read what I m saying as hostility. It's not

I'm trying to get you to see that you're not powerless and it's not hopeless. They want us to think that so that we'll stop fighting them because they know they can't win that fight.

And you'll feel much better if you do something, even if it's small, than you ever will complaining about what someone else isn't doing.

[MineralMan]

23. Take a deep breath. None of this is going to happen overnight.

Everything that happens requires a lot of people to agree to make it happen. There's a lot of paperwork that has to be done, and procedures to follow.

You're impatient. We all are, but we're going to have to adapt to real time, rather than fantasy time, for things to happen.

[FirstLight]

26. I knoiw you are being reasonable4...but today it just feels so hopeless...

I fear that it's beyond our control...and I am just ONE person, of very little means, who is having a hard enough time just SURVIVING...I can't protest. I can volunteer, but seriously, it doesn't feel like that can help in the grand scheme of it all.

It's just a day to feel like we are all fucked, I guess...

[StarfishSaver]

31. Imagine what it felt like to be black in America in 1930.

Fortunately, they didn't give up and say "Eff it. We're screwed. One person can't make a difference. No point in fighting back."

One person can't do it alone, but one person can make a difference and it takes a while lot of one persons to make change.

Stop whining, get up and DO SOMETHING, dammit! Not only Will that make a difference, you'll probably actually feel better.

[MineralMan]

33. Things will find their own level soon enough.

If you are unable to maintain your equilibrium, try to find some other activity to occupy your time until they do.

[orangecrush]

46. Did I tell you

About my antique radio collection?









Seriously, you need something for balance if you follow events.


Well said.

[bdamomma]

35. You know MineralMan

these are not bright people in the regime, they underestimated the 2018 election results thinking that they were going to win big (that red wave shit), but we got the House, we need to stay engaged in the fight for our country. I don't want to sound corny but this is our country, we can hit hard mentally and physically if the need arises. Those impeachment numbers must keep on increasing.


Plus we need to stay true to our party, at least we have one, them on the other side don't they have a cult and we know what happens to cults.

[MineralMan]

36. Winning is not going to happen in an instant, nor is falling apart with

disappointment going to help. It's a long, tedious process. People need to pace themselves.

Congress works slowly and methodically. It can do nothing other than that, really. Frankly, I do not expect all of this to be resolved until November, 2020. Things will happen, no doubt, but there will be no real resolution until we vote Trump and many Republicans out of office. That should be the goal of all of us, especially those of us who have no footprint in Washington, DC.

[vsrazdem]

56. I agree it won't happen overnight, but I would like them to take a howitzer to this fight instead of

a steak knife. They need to start playing hardball and I haven't seen it yet.

[Kablooie]

34. Unfortunately the Democrats have to follow the law precisely.

If they don't they lose their primary defense against Trump.

And the law is limiting and slow while Trump is unrestrained and instantaneous.

It will be a difficult slog to get around all the mountains of illegal, immoral insanity that Trump throws at them every single day while they have to methodically evaluate the evidence.

I just hope the law is strong enough to withstand this onslaught but it's not a given.

[MerryBlooms]

37. I'm sorry you're having such a horrible day.

Things are very tough right now, but we will get through it.

[lpbk2713]

42. Women and children are dying because of this asshole.

And it doesn't bother him a bit. Trump MUST be stopped.

[ecstatic]

44. I was at the nail shop today and the TVs were on CNN.

I asked my nail guy if he wanted to see trump impeached. He said democrats are all talk. They keep saying they're going to do something about trump, but nothing is ever done. He clearly hates trump, called him evil, but doesn't believe anything will be done to stop him. I don't think he makes a distinction between the run up to the Mueller report and now this current run up to impeachment. He just views it as a long stretch of nothing being done to stop trump, despite a lot of talk.

[StarfishSaver]

47. I hope you explained to him what's actually happening

[ecstatic]

59. What could I say to him that would change his mind?

Give me some ideas, and I'll be sure to mention it next time.

Right now, I'm hopeful that trump will at least be impeached. Removal? Who knows. But impeachment in and of itself would be satisfying and hold me over until his ultimate defeat in Nov 2020. My nail guy, on the other hand, probably won't feel satisfaction from impeachment alone.

[StarfishSaver]

60. You can tell him what the Democrats are doing and why they're doing it

Explain the process to him and help him understand where in the process they are and what they're trying to accomplish.

I find it's really helpful to walk people through that so they understand that the Democrats aren't doing nothing and that "there's a method to their madness." When I do, I almost always am able to change their minds.

[FirstLight]

48. can't say I blame him...

Hence my Post and continued angst

[FirstLight]

49. ...I mean, you DON'T just let someone call Impeachment a "coup" Do you? ...n/t

[Wednesdays]

45. "Never despair, but if you do, work on in despair"

-- Edmund Burke

[handmade34]

52. you are correct...

we need hugs and encouragement from each other and to know that we are in this together... what is happening right now is infuriating, discouraging, vile, just plain wrong and so difficult to understand...

do not let some here give you a hard time... most of us here know what you are going through, we must prop each other up

I am completely mystified by what is happening... that the person residing in the White House is unfit, vile and dangerous and not much is being done... this is not the Country I know and love

please don't let this get the best of you

[FirstLight]

58. Thank you for understanding the frustration!

I guess that's what I am really dealing with 😣

[NRaleighLiberal]

57. I feel exactly the same way...

[GulfCoast66]

61. Stop reading the internet for a week. You are obviously getting too wound up

The answer has always been the only one since November 2016. Win in 2018. Win in 2020.

That has always been and will remain the only way to stop this.

Everything else is noise and distraction. Panic won’t help and pretending like the House of Representatives alone can do anything much more than prevent bad law is counter productive.