Resist: It's Time

• Do not identify yourself or anyone else here.

"Anyone else" means anyone else. Why? Because we don't need to be bringing any heat down on fedia, where this space lives, and we don't need to be getting shut down (either by fedia or otherwise). Marathon, not a sprint, so let's not go running off a cliff.

Back in my day, if you wanted to say a bunch of stupid shit, not very many people could hear you when you said it, and the people who did knew exactly who you were. The nearest analog then was letters to the editor of the local newspaper, and the only people who read those were people who wanted to laugh at crazy people who write letters to the editor of the local newspaper.

Now, anyone can spout off anything under any number of anonymous pseudonyms simultaneously, without having anyone right in front of them to set them straight. They don't even have to come back and read opposing comments afterwards if they don't want to. Even if they do, it's just words on a screen, not a "real live person," so it's a whole lot easier to either dig heels in or turn the troll mode up to eleven.

While I think that if people had to very personally be accountable for what they say, things might be different today, the fact that an arbitrary person's voice and identity can reach a much larger audience now, and that audience is much more empowered to play fuck around with that information has made it so there's no going back.

Remember that if you're doxxing people who deserve it, you're putting yourself out there for the same treatment. Maybe other unrelated people, too. Proceed with caution.

... can we make the supporters scared shitless?

@astronaut_[email protected] posted a thread about making some posters/flyers to put up. I think this is a really good idea, and may serve as an answer to your question there. Demonstrating that there are people who are willing to stand up, in a "you don't know who, where, when, or how many of us there are" way might help.

Addressing people directly is another way, although that also carries some risk. See someone with a MAGA hat on? "HOLY SHIT, IT'S A NAZI!" See someone with a Trump bumper sticker on their car? "Excuse me, I figured you might want to know that there's some Nazi shit on your rear bumper." And then walk away.

"Remember when we used to shoot Nazis?" Walk away. Stay calm at all times, and don't react impulsively.

The message is "I see you. I am watching you." Would "some kind of subversive action" be even more effective? Perhaps, but that's a greater personal risk to you. Proceed with caution.