How to Fight Fascism From a Position of Strength

By George Lakey, originally published by Waging Nonviolence
February 22, 2019

The growth of white supremacy and fascism has been noticeable in a number of countries lately, prompting the question: What can we learn from each other? Each country might find “best practices” elsewhere that could be applied at home, in addition to learning from its own past successes.

Americans might be especially drawn to the Swiss example because what has been working for that country addresses not only our current immigration crisis but also the need among progressive U.S. movements to re-learn how to go on the offensive.

According to Flavia Kleiner, a young leader in the movement Operation Libero, the right wing grew steadily for two decades in Switzerland using the issue of immigration. The right-wingers cleverly introduced a series of modest anti-immigrant initiatives — each of which contained some common-sense logic — and used their successes to become the largest political force in Switzerland.

My impression is that the Swiss right-wing’s strategy was like the movement against reproductive choice in the United States — a series of steps designed to chip away at a woman’s right to choose. Switzerland’s established parties reacted to this offensive in the way the Democrats do in the United States: by going on the defensive and trying to hold on to previously-won gains. In both countries, the largest parties operate contrary to the folk wisdom that “the best defense is a good offense.”

Much more at
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2019-02-22/how-to-fight-fascism-from-a-position-of-strength/


This may have been posted on DU in the past, but the information remains timely. Some of us are feeling an increased sense of concern over the escalating presence of armed white supremacists. I decided to do a bit of research into whether there were effective ways of dealing with them. - Wicked Blue

'Hunting season': Violence erupts in Arizona as Nazi-saluting 'blue line' supporters confront prote

Source: Raw Story

Raw Story
August 27, 2020
By Sky Palma

Tension between pro-police rally goers and Black Lives Matter protesters in Gilbert, Arizona, has evolved into fistfights, The Arizona Republic reports. Now, another rally is planned for this Thursday.

“Videos posted to social media and shared with The Arizona Republic show pro-police protesters waved flags and yelled about the threat of ‘antifa,’ referencing a loosely organized antifascist ideology that has no clear organization or membership but is often criticized by President Donald Trump,” AZCentral reports. “Several people were also caught on video threatening and punching counterprotesters gathered across the street with little police intervention. Some were heard making homophobic and racist remarks and Nazi salutes during and following the brawl.”

According to counter-protesters, police were favoring the pro-cop demonstrators, who they say largely instigated the violence.

“They’re propagating this antifa boogeyman,” said BLM protester Emily Hansen. “It’s terrifying.”


Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/hunting-season-violence-erupts-in-arizona-as-nazi-saluting-blue-line-supporters-confront-protesters/

How many MAGAts does it take to change a lightbulb?

Dearest Goddess

please protect the people and animals who may be in the path of the hurricane about to strike Louisiana. Keep them safe!
Thank you, and so mote it be.

The 50 Craziest Things That Have Happened In Florida In 2020 So Far

Poison control begs Texans to quit drinking bleach: 'Stop -- it won't cure COVID-19'

Raw Story
August 25, 2020
By Travis Gettys

Nearly 50 north Texans have ingested bleach this month, and the region’s poison control center is begging residents to stop.

The North Texas Poison Center issued a warning this week after 46 cases of bleach ingestions were called in prompted by “misleading and inaccurate information circulating online” about preventing the spread of the coronavirus, reported KTVT-TV.

President Donald Trump suggested in April that an “injection inside” the body with disinfectants such as bleach or isopropyl alcohol may help fight the coronavirus, and medical experts and manufacturers alike quickly urged the public not to follow that advice.

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/poison-control-begs-texans-to-quit-drinking-bleach-stop-it-wont-cure-19/


No doubt they were toasting the start of their convention of assclowns

National Zoo's female giant panda has a new 'miracle' cub

Source: Washington Post

By Michael E. Ruane
August 21, 2020 at 6:58 p.m. EDT

Mei Xiang, the National Zoo’s female giant panda, delivered a “miracle” cub Friday — becoming at 22 the oldest giant panda to give birth in the United States and giving Washington its first giant panda cub in five years, the zoo said.

The cub was born about 6:30 p.m., after Mei Xiang had been in labor for about 3½ hours. It could be heard on the zoo’s panda cam, as its mother licked it.

The pregnancy had been “a miracle” because at her age Mei Xiang had a less than 1 percent chance of having another cub, the zoo said.



Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/zoo-panda-gives-birth/2020/08/21/c5b1f7b2-df30-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html?

CAR PARADES FOR BIDEN

I just read a post about a golf cart parade for Biden at The Villages in Florida, of all places.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213946029#post3

What a great way to celebrate Joe Biden and draw attention to his campaign!

This is something many of us at DU could do in our communities between now and the election. And on Election Day.

I'm going to do this. Just get a half dozen or more fellow Democrats to hang signs on their cars, drive in a row and honk. No parade permits needed. People do this for birthdays and graduations in my neighborhood.

Spread the word.

That was breathtaking!

The speech, the sounds, the faces, the flags, the flashing headlights, the fireworks!

I have tears in my eyes, a smile on my face, and hope in my heart.

A potential new weapon in the fight against COVID-19: Food coloring

August 20, 2020
By The Conversation
Raw Story

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

Our biomedical engineering lab has developed a way to potentially neutralize viruses lingering in the air using aerosols of FDA-approved food coloring dyes. Aerosols are tiny bits of solid or liquid matter suspended in air.

Our idea was inspired by photodynamic therapy, which is a medical treatment, including for certain types of cancer. Photodynamic therapy uses a photosensitizer, a chemical that reacts with oxygen in the presence of light, to produce oxygen free radicals. These radicals are highly reactive, meaning they trigger other chemical reactions, including ones that kill harmful pathogens.

Instead of using expensive medical photosensitizers, we have identified several FDA-approved food coloring dyes that can be used to generate free radicals in visible light. We use ultrasound to generate small aerosols containing the food coloring so that the dyes can float and linger in the air. The aerosols are barely visible, and their small size and short lifespan in light means they don’t stain surfaces.

We used this technique to produce a device, Photodynamic Airborne Cleaner, that disinfects pathogens floating in the air. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first-of-its-kind photodynamic therapy aerosol generator for airborne disinfection.

More at link

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/a-potential-new-weapon-in-the-fight-against-19-food-coloring/


"It doesn't stain"... I get the feeling we could all soon be covered in tiny red, green and purple spots.