KatK
KatK's Journalsociologist Jennifer Walter on what's happening in the US and what to do about it
This is pretty good!
From sociologist Jennifer Walter about what is happening in this country right now and what to do about it:
"As a sociologist, I need to tell you:
Your overwhelm is the goal.
1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.
2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.
3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.
The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.
What now?
1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.
2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.
3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.
4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context.
5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.
Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance."
Drop AARP now - they are a shill for UnitedHealthcare
One easy action: Drop your AARP membership and let them know why on their Facebook page (leave comment on a post), Instagram, or (if you still use it) X,
Why?
"UnitedHealthcare has the worst record among all large insurers in denying necessary medical care to its subscribers.The data confirm what far too many patients experience. In 2023, UnitedHealth’s denial rate of claims was 32 percent, compared to an industry average of 16 percent. Nonprofits had a far better record than for-profits.
...
Why on earth would consumers buy such a flawed insurance product? It helps if they are captive customers, steered to UnitedHealth by a trusted source.
That would be AARP.
AARP has just under 38 million members. But AARP is basically an insurance marketing scheme masquerading as an advocacy group for the elderly.
For 27 years, UnitedHealth has been the co-branded choice of AARP. If you are looking for a supplemental policy to conventional Medicare, or a Medicare Advantage product, or a Medicare drug insurance policy, AARP will steer you to UnitedHealth. And only to UnitedHealth."
Read Robert Kuttner's Dec 11 article How AARP Shills for UnitedHealthcare
Alternet: The decades of deceit behind the 'Big Lie'
"Since the 2020 presidential election, the phrase "The Big Lie" has been deployed to describe the former president's undermining of American democracy. This phrase has its roots in authoritarian propaganda, most notably in Adolf Hitler's assertion that if you tell a lie often enough, it will become truth in the minds of your audience.
Trump's own "Big Lie" began with a refusal to concede electoral defeat. This deceit was then formalized in frivolous lawsuits and it ultimately inspired an insurrection on January 6, 2021. Since then, members of the GOP have either explicitly endorsed Trump's "The Big Lie" or tacitly allowed it to flourish in the consciousness of their voters, such that 60 percent of Republicans now believe the 2020 election was stolen.
However, Trump's own "Big Lie" is not actually a singular falsehood; rather, it is the culmination of a long attack on our shared reality. The undermining of the democratic process itself is only possible due to the decades of disinformation that preceded it.
Where did the Republican lies begin? The assault on Medicare is a good starting point...
[snip]
The Republican Party followed Reagan's lead. It didn't take long before all government programs were called "socialism" and were framed as inherent threats to freedom...
[snip]
After the 1960s, the GOP's attack on truth began to encompass not just antipathy towards government, but a broader rejection of institutions. Consider the issue of climate change...
[snip]
The "Big Lie" is, in fact, the "Long Lie": the generational priming of minds to reject all evidence and view any authority—from the government to scientists—with hostility and distrust. From lies about Medicare to lies about Obama's birthplace, this project has been long in the making. The entire GOP is responsible."
~ by Magdi Semrau https://www.alternet.org/2021/05/the-big-lie/
I don't know if I "snipped" correctly. 
Ms. Semrau's article does an excellent job of laying out the broad strokes of the story of the Republican attack on consensual reality.
Bodycam shows Michigan cops punching Black man in the face after stop for littering
Source: Raw Story
Bodycam footage was released after a violent arrest in Grand Rapids, Michigan in which a Black man was punched several times by police after the car he was in was stopped for littering, TMZ reported, citing police Chief Eric Payne. The incident happened March 26, but the video was just released showing Diabate Hood, who was pulled over with two other men in the car. Hood refused to step out of the car.
Hood reportedly jumped into the passenger seat, which police took as an attempt to flee. The video shows Hood being held down by three police officers, and one punches him several times in the face. Hood can be heard screaming as officers shouted "stop resisting." Officers then held him down and Hood can be heard yelling, "I can't breathe."
...
"This is the police work that I expect from my personnel," said Chief Payne. The department then claimed that they searched the car and found four weapons, which they're using to charge Hood with felonies. Hood has also been charged with attempting to disarm a police officer, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest.
Lawyer Tyrone Bynum is representing the men in the car. In a statement, he said, "What I saw in the video was another George Floyd." He noted that the alarming part came from officers who can be heard saying that Hood was "lucky he's not dead."
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/grand-rapids-police-abuse-littering/
Amplifying that officer at the March 26 scene said 'He's lucky he's not dead'. No words.
Police fatally shoot Black father after he 'started to drive away' - his family says he never carrie
Source: Raw Story
A North Carolina man was shot and killed by police this Wednesday after deputies executed a search warrant, 8News reports.
Andrew Brown, 40, was reportedly shot and killed by police when he got in his car and tried to drive away. According to neighbors, they heard anywhere from six to eight shots.
Brown, who is Black, is the father of 10 children. His family says he never carried a gun.
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/cop-fatally-shoots-black-father/
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