Plenty of good responses. I assume you are foreigner and I will give you one suggestion. Make sure your passport is valid just in case you need to flee the incoming disaster.
A lot of what this administration will do is going to be illegal and nonsensical and dumb, but they will do so much of it that it will be impossible to effectively push back against it all. If you hear something that you care about, pick that and keep up with it. Don't get overwhelmed by the torrent of stuff happening over the next four years.
This is especially true in the current media environment, where there's so much noise that it's really difficult to break in and sort through what's true and what's false and what's missing context and what's misleading and what's technically true but there are other factors that change how it plays out in reality, etc.
It takes a lot of energy to keep up with it all, so pick something you care about and pay attention to developments about that. Maybe that's trans rights, immigrant rights, democratic institutions, economics, geopolitics, military industrial complex, whatever. You won't be able to effectively care about it all, so pick one and focus on that.
It's important to be aware of what happens and to act when and how you feel led.
However, caring for your mental health is most important. Even on this platform I have a filter on for a single word -- Trump. For how long, I don't know. I still get US news, but I just needed to decrease it for a time in relation to that man.
I’m genuinely worried it’s yet another deliberate denial of service against our ability to detect evil. I work extra hard to only pay attention to what is actually done that seems like it could stick.
Mostly I trust that good people in positions of trust (e.g. ACLU or EFF) will call out when there’s an opportunity for mass mobilization to make a real difference.
This is a great point. If we only have bandwidth to listen to a single news source, we could all do worse than choosing the ACLU or the Electronic Frontier Foundation!
If you ain't doing politics, politics is gonna do you.
Depends on what you can realistically influence.
Might be worth it to tune to protest news, and also changes in your local area, if there are any.
Doomscrolling the feed will just make you continuously more obsessed with what ultimately screws your mental health to no benefit.
If you don't plan to help at all then yes, might as well stick your head in the sand. It doesn't matter if you pay attention or not if you don't offer any form of resistance. Indifference is the default response for a significant portion of Americans and it's a huge part of the problem.
The deck is stacked against us, no doubt. But we can look to historical examples of what happens if you don't fight Nazis coming into power, and I refuse to be one of those examples.
There really are only two pragmatic options at this point. Fight or leave. Anything else is a waste.
You hurt your own cause by being so willing to make everything black and white.
I want people who fight for good by cooking meals to do that and understand they are having an impact.
I want teachers who will not lie to their students.
I want religious leaders who will point out the hypocrisy of those using religion to divide.
None of those things are "fighting." All of them, and many more, are important.
If you feel like violent resistance is what you are good at and what is needed, I encourage you to think about all the other forms of resistance necessary for any violent campaign to produce long-lasting positive results and perhaps reconsider how quick you are to dismiss others and if that is truly helpful for your cause.
I encourage you to not be so black and white by your definition of "fighting". I consider most* forms of resistance as fighting, not just violent ones. We'll take whatever we can get as far as that is concerned, but you can't deny that it will ultimately take physical resistance as well. Some have the capacity for both.
Personally, I'm tunning it out. The only time I dive into it is around elections so I can make an informed vote. But, after that it seems like I'm utterly powerless to change anything.
I used to think being informed would come in handy to change people's minds, but that never happens. People have to change their own minds.
See also: https://lemmy.today/post/22524765
This thread is everything I needed to convince me to leave instead of fight.
"it's gotten very political" says someone who had to be sentient through the covid pandemic. i just can't anymore y'all.
Ignore it! Especially when a Disaster hits your Area and FEMA doesnt Exist!
While we are all on the same ride to hell, your ride to hell is your's, and your's alone. Do what you feel like doing and try not to worry overly much.
That is not a stupid question. It's no good to cause yourself crippling anxiety, you are less useful to yourself and to others then. And yes the news will always be presented in a way designed to cause outrage and fear, to keep you coming back.
That is not to say there is no reason to worry. But good to put a "budget " for news consumption and work on what you can personally change, rather than worrying about all the stuff you can't. Being happy and helpful and not a bigot is a form of resistance too, and is a general thing you can do regardless of your current event knowledge.
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