Desert Solarpunk

[blackthistlecollective]

Have you ever paid money to live in a mouldy home?

⚠️Mould is a health hazard and we don’t have to take it anymore!

Living Rent successfully launch a public engagement campaign in Dundee and wider Scotland.

[blackthistlecollective]

Have you ever paid money to live in a mouldy home?

⚠️Mould is a health hazard and we don’t have to take it anymore!

Living Rent successfully launch a public engagement campaign in Dundee and wider Scotland.

[desertsolarpunk]

I hear that Oyster mushrooms can be very aggressive when their spores land

[fellahimedia]

Now that the Flotilla members have been released and with those photos of brutal physical abuse and sexual assault, can we admit that there is no line they wouldn't cross. Let's be serious the israelis know that even attacking the "untouchable" ie people with european and american passports won't cut off the aid they get from the very countries the members come from. Its a message to peaceful advocates everywhere that they are not hesitant to treat you like palestinian prisoners. And i think the lib zionist reaction that this is "ben gvirs doing" is so fucking laughable. If the israeli government really disapproved they would arrest him. This faux condemnation of ben gvir is a distraction from the fact that hes been given greenlight to do whatever he wants bc israel is a settler colony. Their purpose is eradication of the indigenous people. There are no red lines.

I said this before but there is no peaceful action or violent act that the israelis wont respond to with violence. And the israelis will respond to violence from Palestinians with incredible violence. But violence threatens them the most. When an iof soldier is killed, when a checkpoint is attacked, when a wall is breached after years of standing, it shows the holes in their power structure. It tells other palestinians that there are ways to hurt them, that they are not totally invincible. That is why they reacted to october 7th with horrific violence bc palestinians everywhere learned that a multi biilion dollar wall with latest technology can be breached with less. This is why standing with palestinians that raise guns and trying to meet them where they are is important. We wont ever raise an army equal to them, but we dont need to. Empires have come down with less. The FLN was almost completely disarmed and imprisoned in Algeria but France left only a few years later to a renewed rebellion.The French didn't leave bc their people "got tired of the war," their people got tired bc it was clear to them that the indigenous will always fight and their colony will never be secure. The US dropped millions of napalm bombs on Vietnam and left but they could have continued. These empires have the money and the weaponry but when they realize that no weapon will give them total control, then their effort will be abandoned. But under the oppressed who love their land, there will be traitors but there will always be those fighting no matter the cost. That is the difference and that is why armed resistance matters more than boycotts and more than flotillas. If there is no palestinian with a weapon, then there is no threat to israeli power

[anarchistmemedistro]

an asymmetrical and decentralized insurgency is nearly impossible to defend against

[desertsolarpunk]

A few unrelated but pertinent points:

A cousin of mine stationed at RAF Coltishall in the '80's said that the USAF gave RAF pilots and crews tours of the B-52s that had landed for an NATO exercise. The aircraft had an impressive, expensive, countermeasure system for missiles. He told me that one of the pilots asked "if they have all of this electronic counter measure equipment, why were the Vietnamese able to shoot so many of them down?" The American pilot said that there aren't any electronics in an artillery shell.

The Viet Cong & Viet Minh transported massive amounts of materiel by lashing it to bikes and pushing them through the jungle on the Ho Chi Minh trail. The bikes didn't trigger the sensors that US was dropping all along the trail. Bikes under the tree canopy couldn't be seen using IR on the attack aircraft.

I don't remember where I saw it, maybe a Ken Burns documentary? But, the documentary stated that reason LB Johnson started to work with Martin Luther King was that American politicians were very worried about the Black Panthers gaining even more influence. I wouldn't be surprised if this also occurred in India and other British colonies during their independence efforts. I remember seeing Gerry Adams of the Sinn Fein on the news talking about the "Ballot and the Bullet" telegraphing that the Sinn Fein and IRA worked together and were two sides of the same coin. That was most likely derived from Malcolm X's "Ballot Or the Bullet" speech delivered in 1964.

EDIT: 4. Ben Gvir is high up in the Israeli system. You can't rise up in a system and be a wildcard, everything that you do has to benefit the system for you to get promoted. All of the parts of the system, know that he is doing this and approve of it. Systems theory, POSIWID, states that the Purpose Of the System Is What It Does. This is the purpose of the Israeli system.

[solarpunkwitchcraft]

Hey solarpunk community! In light of several posts that have been going around, I was thinking it would be worthwhile to talk about the real, physical things we can do to make this world a more solarpunk place. Because speculation and aesthetics and thinkpieces are awesome, but a movement isn’t a movement without real action behind it. So what are things we can all do to make the present closer to our solarpunk future?

[nibblesthegardener]

¤ Persuade your local gov’t and city mayor to support the Paris agreement! Call your state reps too!

¤ Be involved in local community and charity!

¤ Barter where you can, and buy local & thrift where you can’t! Make! Make! MAKE!

¤ Get some solar panels! Small ones, big ones, whatever you can afford.

¤ If you can get away, go forest bathing! Appreciate nature, and teach your children to do the same. Remember–leave only footprints.

¤ If you got a patch of land, garden it! Can’t grow it yourself? Volunteer it to someone who will!

¤ Collect your rainwater!

¤ Got kids or going to have them? Have two. Then stop. The third kid is SO much more expensive in terms of… Well literally everything. Bigger house. Bigger car. More resources.

¤ Cloth diapers, reusable wipes. Homemade laundry soap. Clothesline. (I realize this is house spouse territory, but do what you can.)

¤ Encourage your local school district to open an outdoor classroom, or a class garden! Or volunteer to help with one of those “circle of life” lessons that involve baby chicks or silk worms. (Tada! Now you have chickens!)

¤ Collect local deadwood (my area has loads), and either turn it into works of Art–or of it’s not good for anything else–Biochar. By removing dead wood from urban areas you reduce the ever increasing risk of fire.

¤ Time to end the rent rat race? Buy a tiny piece of land and build your dream house YOUR way. Natural building. Tiny. Reclaimed materials. Solar. High tech. All good.

¤ Eat less meat. I get it. We all have different dietary needs, and not all of is can go vegan. I know I can’t. I’m not here to shame anybody, but cows especially are particularly bad. It would be nice of they were all grass fed dwarf cattle (mini-moos) though.

[solarpunkcast]

American activism and resistance:

Find your Representatives Contacting Elected Officials Activism events near you United Resistance

[zinjanthropusboisei]

If you live in NY State, you can lobby your town/city/county government to become a Climate Smart Community by adopting the pledges here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/50845.html

I’m assuming other states might have something similar (hopefully).

[foxteethandflora]

-Bee boxes, bird houses, bee gardens, bat boxes - make your neighborhood more friendly for flora and fauna.

-try composting. If your city has a compost program, opt in. If not, make your own!

-track your water usage. Then try to limit it in small ways. Do the same with your electricity!

-plant a tree. Or five. Seriously - they’re such a great investment.

- go to a co-op and buy…well…anything. Often they have eco friendly soap, shampoo and cleaning products!

-or you can try making your own!

[feltelures]

Sewing 101

Articles on container gardening

Free cloth diaper patterns

Recipe for laundry soap

How to make biochar

The homesteading movement

24 meatless recipes

Make a: - Bee box - Bird house - Bee-friendly garden - Bat box

Track your daily water usage

Make eco-friendly: - Soap - Shampoo - Cleaning products

[bloomsnake]

So, I’d like to add in some more environmentally focused options:

1) Familiarize yourself with your state and where you live.

o   What types of ecosystems are near you (Chaparral, Tropical Hardwood Hammock, Longleaf Pine Forest, etc)? What is so special about them?

o   What rare species live in your state? What state-threatened and state endangered species live near you? What federally threatened and endangered species live near you? Pay EXTRA close attention to non-charismatic species, such as reptiles, amphibians, insects (hello NATIVE BEES AND POLLINATORS) and arthropods, PLANTS, crustaceans (there are TONS of threatened crawfish), mollusks (Florida has at least one threatened snail and a few rare clams!), fungi, etc. What threats do these organisms face, and what can you do to help them?

o   What environmental issues are prevalent in your state, and why? What is one local environmental issue that is very close to you?

For example, in Florida, a major environmental problem is the ongoing fight to restore water flow to the Everglades, an ecosystem that NEEDS a continuous flow of water through it. However, the sugar industry would rather use that to grow MORE sugar and divert its nasty ass fertilizer water full of toxic algae to canals and rivers that dump into the ocean. I’ve seen several articles detailing major losses for local economies that depend on tourism, as well as more discussing how toxic algae is actually REALLY BAD for people (who knew, amirite?) More info here.

[that-edgy-gal]

As much as I love all of this. What about people who are living in apartments in cities? What can we do? (Other than contacting representatives and such)

[bumblebeeappletree]

I’d think, if you have a balcony, try to grow some plants and have a little water source (like a bowl full of rocks or marbles and water) for insects to still have an oasis. Try to see if there’s a spot you can turn into a community garden. Guerrilla Gardening can be great for native plants, but in some spaces with a soil test and you know won’t get polluted, you can also plant edible ones. There’s also something called Guerrilla Grafting where you can graft different tree branches onto other trees. They have to be similar enough though. For example, you can graft many different types of stone fruit, peaches plums apricots and so on, together. You can’t, however, graft an apple tree branch onto a pear tree.

There’s also sharing zines around, be it at little libraries or just random spots. Here’s a great website from an art collective named Gliese! They aim to help teach people a bit of art history outside of the white centric ones often taught in schools. (They even have a zine about Solarpunk!) You can put up some informational posters. Graffiti is also something you can do if you feel you’re up to it.

If you think you’re particularly knowledgeable about something, see if you can host a class at your local library. (Psst, also go and recommend some Solarpunk books for your library to get. Then remember to go check them out so they know that people want it. Also go ask them if they can get large print and braille versions of said books.) Even if you don’t, want to host a class, go see what events they’re doing and join in on the fun! Bring your friends and family! These events are made for the people so enjoy if and when you can!

Get a tenants/renters union if you’re not already in one!

Go and meet your neighbors. Interact with them. You might not like all of them but it’s important to know who you live by.

See if you can get some sort of potluck event together. Ideally a Foods Not Bombs chapter should be near you. You if not you could probably start one! But anyways, try to get different types of food there. Maybe have fun with it and have people share the recipe they used to make the meal. (Also let people eat only what they bring. If someone’s highly allergic or have some other strict dietary restrictions then they don’t want to risk any cross contamination. In that note if someone can’t be in the same space as like roasted peanuts due to the air maybe add some restrictions to what could be made or have a specific warning that this event includes such and such meals, and that the next event won’t.)

Donate to your food bank/pantry! Ideally they want money, but see if you can give them a call and see what they’re low on and you can go find those items and donate them. If there’s some little free pantries or free fridges, what you can do is make a bag full of pantry foods and put in a recipe of what these foods can make together. This YouTube channel Dollar Tree Dinners has some good ideas if you want a look.

This is what I can think off of the top of my head. If anyone else has any ideas please share!

[desertsolarpunk]

Call you state representatives and request legislation allowing "Balcony Solar." It allows people in apartments and other rental properties to have solar that they can take with them when they move. It can also reduce the money going to power utilities.

A new kind of solar is taking off — with Utah leading the way

Affordable, portable clean energy is on the brink of becoming widespread in the U.S. thanks to Utah leading the way in making the stars -- a

[shit-abled-people-say]

Shit Abled People Say #250

Therapist: So what does (4 yr old autistic daughter) do when you put her in uncomfortable clothes/take away her comfort objects/spend a long time in loud and crowded places/tell her to do something new without preparation?

Me: … I don’t do those things.

Therapist: ???? But she’s so relaxed and well-behaved for an autistic child, why not?

Me: …. and I’m pretty sure the two are connected.

This happened multiple times, with two therapists and one pedatrician, all of whom I moved on from as quickly as possible. It freaks me out how many supposed experts on autism think it’s acceptable to deliberately cause my child distress because it would be ‘normal’. As an agoraphobe with panic disorder, social anxiety and a fun boatload of other issues myself, I am far more concerned with avoiding triggering situations and helping her to cope when they happen than whether her behaviour seems ‘normal’. *I* don’t wear uncomfortable clothes, part with my comfort objects or cope well with crowded spaces, why would I inflict them on a child who finds them even more difficult than I do?

It makes me worry a lot about kids whose abled parents and therapists don’t get this.

[desertsolarpunk]

They think it's acceptable, because it was done to them and they do it as well. It's done under the guise of "building character" and "preparing them for life."

[no-longer-another-bondi-blonde]

[tookas-have-teeth]

Y’all “critical thinking” does not equal “criticism”.

[tookas-have-teeth]

I am very tired of saying positive things about characters and getting told I need to do some critical thinking (so that I’ll see the characters are actually bad). No. That’s not how that works. I already did some critical thinking and came to the conclusions that these characters are wonderful. Criticism or straight up character bashing is not more enlightened and is not how critical thinking works. “Critical thinking” is not “thinking about all the bad or problematic aspects of something.” It’s looking objectively at evidence, looking at context, recognizing and examining personal biases and assumptions, considering what assumptions and biases are being used in a given argument by other people, etc. Sometimes this process brings up criticisms, yes, but sometimes it also leads to the conclusion that something is actually good despite it being made out to be bad. 

[athingofvikings]

[scriptmedic]

Critical Thinking means making room for nuance and shades of gray. Not criticize stuff I don't like.

Also, it's okay to find something you absolutely detest and still recognize the craft and genius in it.

[nyokoko]

Also criticism is not synonymous with lambasting, haranguing, and being a shitstain to others. I'm sorry your parents made you internalize that but criticism and critique is actually a function of mutual dialogue and not you shouting insults at people for not interpreting something the exact same way as you.

[desertsolarpunk]

Dead link for the PDF. It can be found here:

https://www.slcc.edu/eportfolio/docs/the-ultimate-cheatsheet-for-critical-thinking.pdf

[kropotkindersurprise]

March 23 - On this day in 1931, Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar were executed by British colonial authorities for having assassinated a British colonial officer.

As they marched towards the gallows, they reportedly chanted, “Down with British imperialism!” and “Down with capitalism!”. They were just in their early 20s and sacrificed their lives fighting for India's freedom. Their actions and subsequent execution by the colonial regime inspired many and made them revered figures in the Indian struggle for freedom against the British Empire. [link]/[link]

[memewhore]

[2urban2fantasy-deactivated20241]

Woman murders man in broad daylight

[theknightinslippers]

[halorvic]

[no-one-offical]

‎

[crypticgoose3]

beautiful like to reblog ratio on this

[drtanner]

That's because people are reblogging it every time they see it. Like I'm doing right now lmao

[depsidase]

[desertsolarpunk]

People in the US are being censored on all fronts, so it's not surprising that no one here knows what is going on in the world, let alone at home.

Trying to get to Middle East Eye from the US without VPN:

Middle East Eye with VPN from Switzerland:

[millenniallust4death]

I’m paying to force seven thousand strangers to see a photo of my late husband having fun with his dog. Tumblr Blaze is totally worth it. XD

[millenniallust4death]

Thank-you to all of my new Internet stranger friends for being so gracious about having my post shoved onto your dashboards. I loved reading all of your kind tags and comments! Both Martin and Bosco have been gone for several years now but for 24 hours, they felt very present in my life. I greatly appreciate this gift. ❤️

[xn3city]

Reblog to have your dashboard be visited by the spirit of joy that death can end but not erase.

[leavescrown]

Love that this is well beyond 7000 people now and still going

[millenniallust4death]

@leavescrown Exactly! It’s a beautiful gift. Martin and Bosco out there travelling around the Tumblr community, continually making new friends.

[millenniallust4death]

@sseanettles

#hello again martin and bosco!! sending you boys round for another go :)

Reading your tag made me laugh out loud. It’s like two old friends unexpectedly stopped by your porch for a quick visit. XD

[petermorwood]

I’ll always reblog Martin and Bosco when they splash across my dash, because of Reasons.

What’s loved, lives.

[probablyasocialecologist]

U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus

Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military

A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that Pres. Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” according to a complaint by a non-commissioned officer. From Saturday morning through Monday night, more than 110 similar complaints about commanders in every branch of the military had been logged by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). The complaints came from more than 40 different units spread across at least 30 military installations, the MRFF told me Monday night. The MRFF is keeping the complainants anonymous to prevent retribution by the Defense Department. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to my request for comment. One complainant identified themselves as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in a unit currently outside the Iran combat zone but in Ready-Support status, deployable at any time. The NCO said they were Christian and emailed the MRFF on behalf of 15 troops, including at least 11 Christians, one Muslim, and one Jew. (Full email printed below.) The NCO wrote to the MRFF that their commander “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has enshrined evangelical Christianity at the uppermost levels of the U.S. military, airing monthly prayer meetings throughout the Pentagon. Last year, the Pentagon confirmed to me that Hegseth attends a weekly White House Bible study. It’s led by a preacher who says God commands America to support Israel.

3 March 2026

[afloweroutofstone]

If you’re a soldier and your commanding officer tells you that they are purposefully trying to cause Armageddon, you should ignore all of their orders and desert.

[christianstepmoms]

You should actually shoot your CO in the head then and there.

[bigtiddygothhubby]

Members of the US armed forces have the legal right to "conscientious objection" (aka, refusing combat on moral/religious grounds). Conscientious Objectors can request reassignment or may be HONORABLY DISCHARGED.

Call 1-877-447-4487 to speak to a GI Rights counselor and get approved today!

[queeranarchism]

MRFF has actually received over 200 calls from more than 50 military installations

US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges

Religious freedom group says 200 troops sent complaints of superiors using extremist Christian rhetoric to justify war

Why are the US and Israel framing the ongoing conflict as a religious war?

US troops reportedly told the war in Iran is intended to bring about biblical end times, Armageddon.

[desertsolarpunk]

I can see that fragging will probably be making a come back.

[no-longer-another-bondi-blonde]

On this day, 28 February 1969, Black Panthers held an armed demonstration at the capitol building in Olympia, Washington, in protest at state attempts to disarm them.

Following large numbers of police murders of unarmed Black people, the revolutionary socialist Black Panther Party started armed self-defence patrols.

The Republican mayor of Seattle had already passed one such law in the city. So state legislators proposed a law which would make exhibiting "firearms or other weapons in a manner manifesting intent to intimidate others" a gross misdemeanour. Lawmakers rushed through the legislation, and upon hearing of Panther plans to demonstrate police panicked, drafting in dozens of armed state troopers and mounting a machine gun on the roof.

The Panthers arrived in four cars, and unloaded their weapons at the request of the police. Meanwhile, one activist, Aaron Dixon entered the building and made a five-minute statement to the legislature, while others held the doors shut, forcing the officials to listen.

Despite the protest, governor Dan Evans signed the bill into law that day. The National Rifle Association, supposedly a gun rights advocacy group, did not support the Panthers, and elsewhere supported Republican legal moves to take their guns away.

Learn more about the Panthers in these books by former members: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/black-panthers

[desertsolarpunk]

I feel that this is yet another example of the quote from Frank Wilhoit:"Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect." It also speaks to the thought of "who are the people" whenever I hear the "We the people" mentioned in discussions about American Democracy. I recently watched a video from Tad Stoermer about this that mentions Theodore Parker saying "A democracy—of all the people, by all the people, for all the people" and Abraham Lincoln removing the word all when he reused the phrase in the Gettysburg Address. In this case the Conservatives do not regard the Black Panthers or any people of color as the People.

[ubernegro]

So if you are wondering how my trawling through the Epstein files is going, I came across a diary of a little girl who was raped and used as a human incubator in Mar-a-Lago.

Yeah.

Age Verification | United States Department of Justice

Age Verification | United States Department of Justice

Click at your own fucking peril.

[ubernegro]

Let me summarize just how bad this shit is for Trump.

Epstein and Trump didn’t just have sex with minors. Trump didn’t just have sex with minors the age of 13, 14, and 16.

He AUCTIONED them at Mar-a-Lago. He had a beauty pageant filled with minors that was specifically tailor made for billionaires to buy and select girls.

He maimed and killed them.

He hired assassins and hitmen to kill whistleblowers.

And he has unmarked bodies hidden away in the Mar-a-Lago golf course.

Look, Biden administration, I understand that you didn’t release these files because the risk of losing the case against Ghislaine Maxwell was certainly going to happen since she’d get off by a technicality ala Bill Cosby. But the conviction of Maxwell can’t be worth this fucking psychopath as President.

And no, you can’t march to get this man out. You can’t just protest non-violently. You are going to have to fight, bitch. It’s over if we don’t.

[desertsolarpunk]

The first reference that I saw to this was Francesca Fiorentini's video, and watching it, I kept going OK, check, sounds right… Then she spoke about the murder and cannibalism, and my mind just seized. It was as if it hit a wall of disbelief, confusion and anger. Obviously, people don't do that, right? Then I started to think about the Roman Empire: Nero, Caligula, etc. Then I remembered a Hunter S. Thompson article I read decades ago about the French aristocracy. Then I remembered the original Hellfire Club a few miles away from the base we lived on in England. Then I remembered going down a rabbit hole that ended in a search for "baby groupies". Then I remembered Operation Yewtree. The rich, powerful, and privileged have been doing things like this forever and have never been held to account. Hopefully, we can hold them to account this time. Another thing, I remembered the QAnon Pizzagate/Comet Pingpong conspiracy, which seems to track suspiciously well with this information. Was this a feeling that people were getting from letting bits of information bounce around in their heads? Whatever it was, an overwhelming number of us gave our "betters" the benefit of the doubt and we should never do so again. This idolatry of money, power and those that have it needs to stop. I feel that we need to ask who these rich and powerful people harmed to get where they are now. Who are they harming to maintain their position. Who are they harming for their entertainment. Then hold them to account for their crimes.

[mugiwara-lucy]

Yeah I said something similar yesterday but we can NOT let what happened to Renee Good cloud what happened to everyone else at the hands of these SS Demons!!!

Because we can’t disregard one person if we’re for human rights!

[desertsolarpunk]

There have been 9 people killed by ICE in 2026. The previous list did not mention the following people: Parady La, Cambodian Heber Sanchaz Domínguez, Latino Victor Manuel Diaz, Latino Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, Latino Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, Latino Geraldo Lunas Campos, Latino

[the-beaches-band]

[colorisbyshe]

This has always been the argument, since the black panthers arms themselves, since anyone has ever fought back.

The hypocrisy has always been the point.

The existence of a class of people who should have the right to defend themselves and a class of people who should not has always been the point.

And anyone, literally anyone, can become a part of the class who should not have that right: anyone who becomes a threat to the status quo, to those in power, loses the right to arm themselves. And driving a car, being in a car at all is considered arming yourself. Being near a “weapon” is arming yourself and makes you prone to extermination.

That has always been the point. Good people can arm themselves and any violence they commit is self defense. Anyone else is a violent person who needs to be put down.

This isn’t the endpoint. I’d argue this is the very starting point of conservatism.

[desertsolarpunk]

"Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect." Frank Wilhoit

I think that the only in-group for this regime are the wealthy MAGAs. Rank and file MAGA think that they are the in-group, but they are not. When the Junta said that having a firearm meant that you were a terrorist, it gave a few of them doubts, but they still believe. They will find out what their status really is, one by one.

[desertsolarpunk]

I’ve been watching an absolutely heroic amount of pearl-clutching lately from people who insist that J.D. Vance would somehow be “worse” than Trump once Trump’s inevitable political and biological expiration arrives. Let’s get something straight: it has never been about Trump, not for one second. Trump is just the mascot. The real story is the people who finally saw themselves in him and felt validated by what they saw. I actually believe most of them will drift away when the cult collapses, like embarrassed fans of a one-hit wonder. Many of them will swear they were never really into him at all. The MAGA amnesia is going to be epic. I used to wonder how it was possible that Trump could have won in 2016 and then again in 2024, given how emotionally toxic, morally vacant, and psychologically mangled he is. I don’t wonder anymore. I think he won for that exact reason. He wasn’t a candidate. He was a mirror. If you were a racist, you found your guy. If you were a misogynist, you found your guy. If money was your only religion, you found your guy. If your heart was armored shut, you found your guy. If you mocked disabled people, you found your guy. If you hated intelligent people, you found your guy. If you were a rapist, you found your guy. If you enjoyed golden showers with Russian sex workers, you found your guy. If you’d done absolutely nothing to confront your emotional wreckage, you found your guy. If you were a serial cheater, you found your guy. If you were a perpetual bankrupt, you found your guy. If you stiffed honest workers, you found your guy. If you were a conman, you found your guy. If you mocked people’s appearances, you found your guy. If you longed for a toxic Daddy, you found your guy. If you were dissociated and disembodied, you found your guy. If you were unconscionable in every economic dealing, you found your guy. If you lied as naturally as breathing, you found your guy. If you’d never eaten a green vegetable, you found your guy. If you were a white supremacist, you found your guy. If your ego contained a hole so large not even the presidency could fill it, you found your guy. If you were a sociopath who cared not one molecule about other humans, you found your guy. If he had only two of these traits, he never would have won. He won because he had hundreds of them, and millions of people recognized themselves in at least one. This has never been about Trump. It has always been about the people who finally had their worst instincts validated. Trump didn’t create the cruelty, he licensed it. He handed out permission slips for hate. He is merely a symptom of a far deeper disease: collective toxicity. If there is one sentence that explains Trump’s power, it is this: “He says the things I’m thinking.” That’s the part that should chill the spine. Who knew that tens of millions of Americans were thinking such unconscionable things about their fellow citizens? Who knew how many white men felt so threatened by women and challenged by minorities that they were ready to torch democracy to feel big again? Who knew that after decades of apparent progress on race and gender, so many people were living in seething resentment, waiting for a demagogue to legitimize their worst selves and convert their bitterness into political power? Perhaps we were living in a fool’s paradise. We aren’t anymore. – Michael Jochum

I Used to Wonder

I’ve been watching an absolutely heroic amount of pearl-clutching lately from people who insist that J.D.