Resistance without a clear vision just becomes another form of exhaustion. That's the line that got me.
Anyone else tired of being told what to hate, and would rather know what a country that actually works for ordinary people looks like? Paid leave. Housing that doesn't bankrupt you. Healthcare that doesn't either. A system that stops treating citizens like spectators instead of stakeholders.
I've been chewing on the same gap from a different angle. It's not just that we're missing a vision, it's that the current system is built to keep us fighting each other so the structural changes that vision needs never get demanded in the first place.
Wrote it out here if you want to see where I take it:
Wow is right I can't believe he covered every single problem in the country today without mentioning Donald Trump's name in a way that both parties can't argue with.
How did you write something that brilliant and comprehensive and make it take only 7 minutes to listen to front to back? No wonder your communities growing so quick, Mr. Smith.
Yeah I was just being silly because i don't know how to answer the question how do I write? Lol… I don't know how to accept compliments like that so I default to sarcasm
I actually talk about this a lot in my publication. I'm still pretty new to Substack, with about 2,000 subscribers, but one point I keep coming back to is that, for most of our history, America elected presidents with military experience. That wasn't an accident. It was the norm well into the 20th century. Today, if you look across the political spectrum, very few elected officials have served in the military.
I just recorded a podcast with Ty Pinkins, who's running as an independent for the U.S. Senate in Mississippi. He's a military veteran who later earned his law degree. It really reinforced something I've been thinking: military service instills a sense of duty and honor that's often missing in politics. People who have spent years serving their country tend to be less motivated by personal gain and more focused on the mission.
Ty also made a point I'd never heard before. If enough independent Senate candidates win in 2026, neither party would hold a majority. That would force Republicans and Democrats to work with independents who aren't loyal to either party. It's a fascinating strategy, and interestingly, four of the six independent candidates pursuing it have military backgrounds.
Just thought you'd find that interesting. If you're into this kind of structural political analysis, you'd probably enjoy my publication: @RxanSmith.
I couldn't agree more.. I love it when somebody articulates what I'm feeling for me because I'm not quite that great with my words. By the way I read your post and you're only the 3rd publication I've become a paid subscriber to. That was so inspiring
If all you do is watch the news, scroll social media, and argue online, it's easy to think the other side is evil. But when you actually travel or spend time where the other party is the majority, you realize we have far more in common than the media and partisan debates suggest.
I wrote a piece called Winning Arguments, Losing America about how Americans agree on many of the biggest issues, yet we still can't pass laws because we're too busy fighting each other.
When we lose our shared humanity, we stop holding our own side accountable. That's when politicians stop having to earn our votes. Most people decide they'll never vote for the other party before they even know the candidate. Trump is an outlier in many ways, but this problem existed long before him.
I've often wondered what would happen if, for just one election, Americans voted only for independents who rejected corporate money and large donors. With today's technology, candidates don't necessarily need that money anymore.
I honestly think one election like that would force both parties to realize they have to start representing the people again instead of relying on tribal loyalty.
We frame economic power as a contest between capital and labor, but the real star of the American economy is consumer spending, which accounts for 68% of GDP. The Great Recession saw a 3.4% drop in consumer spending — at the time, the most severe year-over-year decline since World War II. The U.S. economy registered a 9.8% drop in consumer spending during the second quarter of 2020, when Covid shut down the world as we knew it. In both instances the U.S. government responded aggressively, spending hundreds of billions, primarily on bailouts, to pull us out of the Great Recession, and trillions, primarily in direct aid, to get us through the pandemic. The lesson? When consumers stop spending, American leaders start listening. As Geo Hussar explained to his YouTube followers at the end of September, “this is not seizing the means of production, but seizing the means of consumption,” adding that if every American dropped their consumption, on average, by 2%, “that would be the most loud and potent form of protest.”
From The Peaceful Solution:
Please: Resist. Stop cooperating. Stop spending. Stop the fascist takeover.
Thank you for restacking, and sharing, to help Spread the Word!
The top 20% of earners account for 63% of consumer spending. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of the U.S. economy. Those top earners lean Democratic by 53% to 46% Republican. Those Democrats and disaffected Republicans are the ones who need to stop spending in order to stop and reverse the fascist takeover of America.
Hope you have family, friends and neighbors to help you if necessary. We must all help those in need if we are able.
Thanks for another awesome show ladies. I think Trump, Hegseth and CENTCOM have been lying about the number of dead, wounded and what damage has been done in the war since day one. I don't think the US can win this war because they have no idea how to get out of it.
I'm glad that you said this Mary Anne. I think the biggest mistake that people make when talking about immigration is somehow getting confused with treating people the right way and supporting diversity with open borders allow everyone in and ignore the fact that no other country does that… I just wrote a post on my publication the other day that shocked me because I found out that Obama deported more people than Trump per year so far… it seems like this immigration discussion in general, is something that is used as a campaign tool in the way to make people argue.. If both parties are doing the same thing and just either talking about it more or less.. Then what the heck are people even fighting about?
The key to defeating Trump? Mass non-cooperation | Mark Engler and Paul Engler
The following are excerpts from this article.
“The extraordinary level of grassroots solidarity and creative resistance in anti-ICE protests in Minnesota has given people a new appreciation for the power that mass non-cooperation can have in resisting the Trump administration’s drive toward authoritarianism. And it has created an awareness of why such action is clearly needed.
Early in Trump’s second term, an array of mainstream critics expressed skepticism about the value of continued protests in the streets. They invested their faith in institutions such as Congress and the courts. But as these institutions – along with law firms, universities and the business community – have each caved in to the administration’s demands and proven themselves unwilling to catalyze an ardent defense of democracy, it has been left to the people themselves to do this essential work.
Mainstream political thinking in the US sees power as “monolithic,” resting in the hands of senators, generals, billionaires, presidents and CEOs. From that vantage point, the options for opposing a rogue administration seem desperately thin: wait for elections, file a lawsuit, hope for some unforeseen maneuver by elites. This worldview breeds despair. One prominent Democratic party consultant even advised that the best course for progressives is simply to “roll over and play dead”.
Those immersed in social movements look at the process of change in a different way than political insiders do. Instead of subscribing to the monolithic view of power, they hold a social view of power, which understands that those in positions of authority are dependent upon the cooperation and support of the governed.
Now, as then, the list of methods is best seen as an invitation to creativity, reminding organizers they have many tools in their collective toolbox – each with distinctive properties and powers. The potential of civil resistance is not just in holding large demonstrations. It is in drawing from a vast array of strikes, boycotts, noncooperation tactics and artistic protest. And it is in coming up with innovative forms of creative resistance that may never have been seen before.”
From The Peaceful Solution:
Please: Resist. Stop cooperating. Stop spending. Stop the fascist takeover.
Thank you for restacking, and sharing, to help Spread the Word!
Resistance may be all we have until the midterms, but let’s not underestimate the power of resistance to prevent MAGA from achieving their objectives. Not sure that all the lies and vitriol are galvanizing the far right, but the non-MAGA electorate seems to be paying closer attention.
Excellent article and I believe viewpoints held by 70+% of Americans. I too grew tired of fighting against versus for something. One thing I find consistent however, is the same as most political writers, commentators, and even political scientists is the fundamental reform necessary for solving most of the issues described. Congress needs to repeal 'The Anti-Representation Act of 1929' that has directly led to the income inequality, lack of fiscal and government oversight, the influence of Big Money, budget by reconciliation, dilution of the power of our House and the sense of never hearing our voices heard.
Appropriate Representation is the single, bedrock foundation of a healthy and robust Democracy. When Congress passed the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929, it froze the size of the House at 435, the level set in 1911 following the 1910 census. Since then our population has tripled from 92 to 349 million, almost 4X the size. Our federal budget has gone from $700 million to $7.8 trillion with a deficit of $1.9 trillion. How can just 435 Representatives oversee spending?
There were about 90 thousand federal employees in 1911. Today about 2.7 million. Still just 435.
The GAO in there annual reports implore Congress to claw back the $500 billion they identify as waste or fraud. Still just 435.
A clear vision is expanding OUR House of Representatives to restore fair Representation and the Voice of the People to OUR governance again. It's why I currently volunteer with ProjectNoCap.com, whose sole mission is to the repeal the 1929 Act as a Constitutional amendment is not necessary. Project No Cap is a fresh, non-partisan national movement that is gaining attention. Please check into us. For more info you can also go to my informational website Project1305.org which advocates tripling the size.
In voicing his opposition to the Act,Representative William Bankhead of Alabama understood what Congress was doing as he warned that Congress was committing:
"The abdication and surrender of the vital fundamental powers vested in the Congress of the United States by the Constitution itself."
Nearly a century later, his warning is remarkably prophetic. And We the People are the collateral damage
As a Canadian I say keep up the good work. We have been neighbors and good friends ever since we burnt down the White House. Just kidding but it is true.
in my mind the total amount of deaths is19. We have to include not only the 18 service members but also the truth needs to be included. The nonstop lies from Trump and Hegseth are another important casualty. We can not rely on the DOJ or on the FBI, Homeland Security's ICE, Border Patrol, the Federal Marshalls or even the Secret Service. This administration has been a complete failure. It feels like we are on our own.
The solution is all of us uniting to demand change and to act on those demands. President Dwight Eisenhower's last speech to the American citizens warned us to keep in control of the Military Industrial Complex. Their greed along with the greed of the ultra wealthy are collapsing our democracy.
We now see the mega Internet corporations having to retire people because AI has no soul to do what is right for people. For me this was totally foreseeable..
You ladies laid out the problems in the United States very well. Reuniting the nation is going to take us all. You have laid out the situation very well and have laid out simple common sense solutions. Thank you ladies.
Such a pleasure to listen to your goodness and grounded optimism. I’m a little teary as a non-crier. We so appreciate your accomplishments and continued service to America ..
Well written and timely.Anytime see I see anyone talking about leadership I recommend this book. "Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family"
Resistance without a clear vision just becomes another form of exhaustion. That's the line that got me.
Anyone else tired of being told what to hate, and would rather know what a country that actually works for ordinary people looks like? Paid leave. Housing that doesn't bankrupt you. Healthcare that doesn't either. A system that stops treating citizens like spectators instead of stakeholders.
I've been chewing on the same gap from a different angle. It's not just that we're missing a vision, it's that the current system is built to keep us fighting each other so the structural changes that vision needs never get demanded in the first place.
Wrote it out here if you want to see where I take it:
https://uncomfortable.rxansmithmedia.com/p/the-common-republic-declaration-of
What would you actually put in it?
👆
🤩 🤩 Wow!!!! That brought a tear to my eye brother
Wow is right I can't believe he covered every single problem in the country today without mentioning Donald Trump's name in a way that both parties can't argue with.
Come on did you make me blush… I swear I've seen you somewhere before… aren't you on my $5 bill?
How did you write something that brilliant and comprehensive and make it take only 7 minutes to listen to front to back? No wonder your communities growing so quick, Mr. Smith.
I just ask Chat GPT to write me a brilliant and comprehensive article.. And I get lucky all of the time 🤣😜
But you back every word yourself, of course.
Yeah I was just being silly because i don't know how to answer the question how do I write? Lol… I don't know how to accept compliments like that so I default to sarcasm
It’s so nice to hear from former military personnel that left with knowledge but not the attitude.
Couldn't agree more.
I actually talk about this a lot in my publication. I'm still pretty new to Substack, with about 2,000 subscribers, but one point I keep coming back to is that, for most of our history, America elected presidents with military experience. That wasn't an accident. It was the norm well into the 20th century. Today, if you look across the political spectrum, very few elected officials have served in the military.
I just recorded a podcast with Ty Pinkins, who's running as an independent for the U.S. Senate in Mississippi. He's a military veteran who later earned his law degree. It really reinforced something I've been thinking: military service instills a sense of duty and honor that's often missing in politics. People who have spent years serving their country tend to be less motivated by personal gain and more focused on the mission.
Ty also made a point I'd never heard before. If enough independent Senate candidates win in 2026, neither party would hold a majority. That would force Republicans and Democrats to work with independents who aren't loyal to either party. It's a fascinating strategy, and interestingly, four of the six independent candidates pursuing it have military backgrounds.
Just thought you'd find that interesting. If you're into this kind of structural political analysis, you'd probably enjoy my publication: @RxanSmith.
🤣🤣 perfect 👌
Thanks brother
I couldn't agree more.. I love it when somebody articulates what I'm feeling for me because I'm not quite that great with my words. By the way I read your post and you're only the 3rd publication I've become a paid subscriber to. That was so inspiring
All right all right… what do you want to comp subscription for me or something? LOL
I like that you acknowledge all of humanity, meaning we share this little Planet, and we can work together.
I really believe this.
If all you do is watch the news, scroll social media, and argue online, it's easy to think the other side is evil. But when you actually travel or spend time where the other party is the majority, you realize we have far more in common than the media and partisan debates suggest.
I wrote a piece called Winning Arguments, Losing America about how Americans agree on many of the biggest issues, yet we still can't pass laws because we're too busy fighting each other.
When we lose our shared humanity, we stop holding our own side accountable. That's when politicians stop having to earn our votes. Most people decide they'll never vote for the other party before they even know the candidate. Trump is an outlier in many ways, but this problem existed long before him.
I've often wondered what would happen if, for just one election, Americans voted only for independents who rejected corporate money and large donors. With today's technology, candidates don't necessarily need that money anymore.
I honestly think one election like that would force both parties to realize they have to start representing the people again instead of relying on tribal loyalty.
From No mercy/No malice
By Professor Scott Galloway
We frame economic power as a contest between capital and labor, but the real star of the American economy is consumer spending, which accounts for 68% of GDP. The Great Recession saw a 3.4% drop in consumer spending — at the time, the most severe year-over-year decline since World War II. The U.S. economy registered a 9.8% drop in consumer spending during the second quarter of 2020, when Covid shut down the world as we knew it. In both instances the U.S. government responded aggressively, spending hundreds of billions, primarily on bailouts, to pull us out of the Great Recession, and trillions, primarily in direct aid, to get us through the pandemic. The lesson? When consumers stop spending, American leaders start listening. As Geo Hussar explained to his YouTube followers at the end of September, “this is not seizing the means of production, but seizing the means of consumption,” adding that if every American dropped their consumption, on average, by 2%, “that would be the most loud and potent form of protest.”
From The Peaceful Solution:
Please: Resist. Stop cooperating. Stop spending. Stop the fascist takeover.
Thank you for restacking, and sharing, to help Spread the Word!
Many of us can’t even spend, so it’s self-fulfilling.
The top 20% of earners account for 63% of consumer spending. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of the U.S. economy. Those top earners lean Democratic by 53% to 46% Republican. Those Democrats and disaffected Republicans are the ones who need to stop spending in order to stop and reverse the fascist takeover of America.
Hope you have family, friends and neighbors to help you if necessary. We must all help those in need if we are able.
I have seen all 6 episodes and I think you are both great. Keep up the fight for democracy. 👍
They really are good aren't they?
Thanks for another awesome show ladies. I think Trump, Hegseth and CENTCOM have been lying about the number of dead, wounded and what damage has been done in the war since day one. I don't think the US can win this war because they have no idea how to get out of it.
Sane immigration policy that isn't "all" or "none."
I'm glad that you said this Mary Anne. I think the biggest mistake that people make when talking about immigration is somehow getting confused with treating people the right way and supporting diversity with open borders allow everyone in and ignore the fact that no other country does that… I just wrote a post on my publication the other day that shocked me because I found out that Obama deported more people than Trump per year so far… it seems like this immigration discussion in general, is something that is used as a campaign tool in the way to make people argue.. If both parties are doing the same thing and just either talking about it more or less.. Then what the heck are people even fighting about?
Great post
The key to defeating Trump? Mass non-cooperation | Mark Engler and Paul Engler
The following are excerpts from this article.
“The extraordinary level of grassroots solidarity and creative resistance in anti-ICE protests in Minnesota has given people a new appreciation for the power that mass non-cooperation can have in resisting the Trump administration’s drive toward authoritarianism. And it has created an awareness of why such action is clearly needed.
Early in Trump’s second term, an array of mainstream critics expressed skepticism about the value of continued protests in the streets. They invested their faith in institutions such as Congress and the courts. But as these institutions – along with law firms, universities and the business community – have each caved in to the administration’s demands and proven themselves unwilling to catalyze an ardent defense of democracy, it has been left to the people themselves to do this essential work.
Mainstream political thinking in the US sees power as “monolithic,” resting in the hands of senators, generals, billionaires, presidents and CEOs. From that vantage point, the options for opposing a rogue administration seem desperately thin: wait for elections, file a lawsuit, hope for some unforeseen maneuver by elites. This worldview breeds despair. One prominent Democratic party consultant even advised that the best course for progressives is simply to “roll over and play dead”.
Those immersed in social movements look at the process of change in a different way than political insiders do. Instead of subscribing to the monolithic view of power, they hold a social view of power, which understands that those in positions of authority are dependent upon the cooperation and support of the governed.
Now, as then, the list of methods is best seen as an invitation to creativity, reminding organizers they have many tools in their collective toolbox – each with distinctive properties and powers. The potential of civil resistance is not just in holding large demonstrations. It is in drawing from a vast array of strikes, boycotts, noncooperation tactics and artistic protest. And it is in coming up with innovative forms of creative resistance that may never have been seen before.”
From The Peaceful Solution:
Please: Resist. Stop cooperating. Stop spending. Stop the fascist takeover.
Thank you for restacking, and sharing, to help Spread the Word!
And, Seattle is gorgeoud today too. The mistake is thinking Trump is actually a businessman. He is not.
Resistance may be all we have until the midterms, but let’s not underestimate the power of resistance to prevent MAGA from achieving their objectives. Not sure that all the lies and vitriol are galvanizing the far right, but the non-MAGA electorate seems to be paying closer attention.
Well it's one, two, three, four; what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a damn, next stop is in Iran... no wait.
Excellent article and I believe viewpoints held by 70+% of Americans. I too grew tired of fighting against versus for something. One thing I find consistent however, is the same as most political writers, commentators, and even political scientists is the fundamental reform necessary for solving most of the issues described. Congress needs to repeal 'The Anti-Representation Act of 1929' that has directly led to the income inequality, lack of fiscal and government oversight, the influence of Big Money, budget by reconciliation, dilution of the power of our House and the sense of never hearing our voices heard.
Appropriate Representation is the single, bedrock foundation of a healthy and robust Democracy. When Congress passed the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929, it froze the size of the House at 435, the level set in 1911 following the 1910 census. Since then our population has tripled from 92 to 349 million, almost 4X the size. Our federal budget has gone from $700 million to $7.8 trillion with a deficit of $1.9 trillion. How can just 435 Representatives oversee spending?
There were about 90 thousand federal employees in 1911. Today about 2.7 million. Still just 435.
The GAO in there annual reports implore Congress to claw back the $500 billion they identify as waste or fraud. Still just 435.
A clear vision is expanding OUR House of Representatives to restore fair Representation and the Voice of the People to OUR governance again. It's why I currently volunteer with ProjectNoCap.com, whose sole mission is to the repeal the 1929 Act as a Constitutional amendment is not necessary. Project No Cap is a fresh, non-partisan national movement that is gaining attention. Please check into us. For more info you can also go to my informational website Project1305.org which advocates tripling the size.
In voicing his opposition to the Act,Representative William Bankhead of Alabama understood what Congress was doing as he warned that Congress was committing:
"The abdication and surrender of the vital fundamental powers vested in the Congress of the United States by the Constitution itself."
Nearly a century later, his warning is remarkably prophetic. And We the People are the collateral damage
As a Canadian I say keep up the good work. We have been neighbors and good friends ever since we burnt down the White House. Just kidding but it is true.
in my mind the total amount of deaths is19. We have to include not only the 18 service members but also the truth needs to be included. The nonstop lies from Trump and Hegseth are another important casualty. We can not rely on the DOJ or on the FBI, Homeland Security's ICE, Border Patrol, the Federal Marshalls or even the Secret Service. This administration has been a complete failure. It feels like we are on our own.
The solution is all of us uniting to demand change and to act on those demands. President Dwight Eisenhower's last speech to the American citizens warned us to keep in control of the Military Industrial Complex. Their greed along with the greed of the ultra wealthy are collapsing our democracy.
We now see the mega Internet corporations having to retire people because AI has no soul to do what is right for people. For me this was totally foreseeable..
You ladies laid out the problems in the United States very well. Reuniting the nation is going to take us all. You have laid out the situation very well and have laid out simple common sense solutions. Thank you ladies.
Such a pleasure to listen to your goodness and grounded optimism. I’m a little teary as a non-crier. We so appreciate your accomplishments and continued service to America ..
Thanks ladies! Great report!
Well written and timely.Anytime see I see anyone talking about leadership I recommend this book. "Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family"
Book by Bob Chapman and Rajendra Sisodia