mibookclub.com
Good ideas, but some rules are meant to be broken.
karintamerius.substack.com/p/t…
Do you know how to design signs that sing?Karin Tamerius (The Smart Politics Way)
Good ideas, but some rules are meant to be broken.
karintamerius.substack.com/p/t…
Do you know how to design signs that sing?Karin Tamerius (The Smart Politics Way)
Six ordinary Germans who lived through the end of World War Two tell their storiesBBC
Peter Butts @pbutts61.bsky.social
Federalist Papers #47….yes, “47.”
As James Madison wrote in “Federalist No. 47”: “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary in the same hands … may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.”
motherjones.com/politics/2025/…
Disclosure: 1) While we’re transitioning to Friendica, Peter has Angie’s account loaded on his phone. 2) We’ve been binge watching “Love on the Spectrum “ and HHS Kennedy’s bizarre, hateful, ignorant statements have hit a nerve.
"I will challenge RFK Jr. to write a poem as good as me any day of the week."Mother Jones
From Liz Cheney
I need more from you.
You keep sending emails begging for $15,
while we’re watching fascism consolidate power in real time.
This administration is not simply “a different ideology.”
It is a coordinated, authoritarian machine — with the Supreme Court, the House, the Senate, and the executive pen all under its control.
And you?
You’re still asking for decorum and donations. WTF.
That won’t save us.
I don’t want to hear another polite floor speech.
I want strategy.
I want fire.
I want action so bold it shifts the damn news cycle — not fits inside one.
Every time I see something from the DNC, it’s asking me for funds.
Surprise.
Those of us who donate don’t want to keep sending money just to watch you stand frozen as the Constitution goes up in flames — shaking your heads and saying,
“Well, there’s not much we can do. He has the majority.”
I call bullshit.
If you don’t know how to think outside the box…
If you don’t know how to strategize…
If you don’t know how to fight fire with fire…
what the hell are we giving you money for?
Some of us have two or three advanced degrees.
Some of us have military training.
Some of us know what coordinated resistance looks like — and this ain’t it.
Yes, the tours around the country? Nice.
The speeches? Nice.
The clever congressional clapbacks? Nice.
That was great for giving hope.
Now we need action.
You have to stop acting like this is a normal presidency that will just time out in four years.
We’re not even at Day 90, and look at the chaos.
Look at the disappearances.
Look at the erosion of the judiciary, the press, and our rights.
If you do not stop this, we will not make it 1,460 days.
So here’s what I need from you — right now:
⸻
1. Form an independent, civilian-powered investigative coalition.
I’m talking experts. Veterans. Whistleblowers. Journalists. Watchdog orgs.
Deputize the resistance. Build a real-time archive of corruption, overreach, and executive abuse.
Make it public. Make it unshakable.
Let the people drag the rot into the light.
If you can’t hold formal hearings, hold public ones.
If Congress won’t act, let the country act.
This isn’t about optics — it’s about receipts.
Because at some point, these people will be held accountable.
And when that day comes, we’ll need every name, every signature, every illegal order, every act of silence—documented.
You’re not just preserving truth — you’re preparing evidence for prosecution.
The more they vanish people and weaponize data, the more we need truth in the sunlight.
⸻
2. Join the International Criminal Court.
Yes, I said it. Call their bluff.
You cannot control what the other side does.
But you can control your own integrity.
So prove it. Prove that your party is still grounded in law, human rights, and ethical leadership.
Join.
If you’ve got nothing to hide — join.
Show the world who’s hiding bodies, bribes, and buried bank accounts.
Force the GOP to explain why they’d rather protect a war criminal than sign a treaty.
And while you’re at it, publicly invite ICC observers into U.S. borders.
Make this administration explain — on camera — why they’re terrified of international oversight.
⸻
3. Fund state-level resistance infrastructure.
Don’t just send postcards. Send resources.
Channel DNC funds into rapid-response teams, legal defense coalitions, sanctuary networks, and digital security training.
If the federal government is hijacked, build power underneath it.
If the laws become tools of oppression, help people resist them legally, locally, and boldly.
This is not campaign season — this is an authoritarian purge.
Stop campaigning.
Act like this is the end of democracy, because it is.
We WILL REMEMBER the warriors come primaries.
Fighting this regime should be your marketing strategy.
And let’s be clear:
The reason the other side always seems three steps ahead is because they ARE.
They prepared for this.
They infiltrated school boards, courts, local legislatures, and police unions.
They built a machine while you wrote press releases.
We’re reacting — they’ve been executing a plan for years.
It’s time to shift from panic to blueprint.
You should already be working with strategists and military minds on PROJECT 2029 —
a coordinated, long-term plan to rebuild this country when the smoke clears.
You should be publicly laying out:
• The laws and amendments you’ll pass to ensure this never happens again
• The systems you’ll tear down and the safeguards you’ll enshrine
• The plan to hold perpetrators of human atrocities accountable
• The urgent commitment to immediately bring home those sold into slavery in El Salvador
You say you’re the party of the people?
Then show the people the plan.
⸻
4. Use your platform to educate the public on rights and resistance tactics.
If they’re going to strip us of rights and lie about it — arm the people with truth.
Text campaigns. Mass trainings. Downloadable “Know Your Rights” kits. Multilingual legal guides. Encrypted phone trees.
Give people tools, not soundbites.
We don’t need more slogans.
We need survival manuals.
⸻
5. Leverage international media and watchdogs.
Stop hoping U.S. cable news will wake up.
They’re too busy playing both sides of fascism.
Feed the real stories to BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Reuters, Der Spiegel — hell, leak them to anonymous dropboxes if you have to.
Make what’s happening in America a global scandal.
And stop relying on platforms that are actively suppressing truth.
Start leveraging Substack. Use Bluesky.
That’s where the resistance is migrating. That’s where censorship hasn’t caught up.
If the mainstream won’t carry the truth — outflank them.
Get creative. Go underground. Go global.
If our democracy is being dismantled in broad daylight, make sure the whole world sees it — and make sure we’re still able to say it.
⸻
6. Create a digital safe haven for whistleblowers and defectors.
Not everyone inside this regime is loyal.
Some are scared. Some want out.
Build the channels.
Encrypted. Anonymous. Protected.
Make it easy for the cracks in the system to become gaping holes.
And while you’re at it?
Stop ostracizing MAGA defectors.
Everyone makes mistakes — even glaring, critical ones.
We are not the bullies.
We are not the ones filled with hate.
And it is not your job to shame people who finally saw the fire and chose to step out of it.
They will have to deal with that internal struggle — the guilt of putting a very dangerous and callous regime in power.
But they’re already outnumbered. Don’t push them back into the crowd.
We don’t need purity.
We need numbers.
We need people willing to burn their red hats and testify against the machine they helped build.
⸻
7. Study the collapse—and the comeback.
You should be learning from South Korea and how they managed their brief rule under dictatorship.
They didn’t waste time chasing the one man with absolute immunity.
They went after the structure.
The aides. The enforcers. The loyalists. The architects.
They knocked out the foundation one pillar at a time —
until the “strongman” had no one left to stand on.
And his power crumbled beneath him.
You should be independently investigating every author of Project 2025,
every aide who defies court orders,
every communications director repeating lies,
every policy writer enabling cruelty,
every water boy who keeps this engine running.
You can’t stop a regime by asking the king to sit down.
You dismantle the throne he’s standing on — one coward at a time.
⸻
Stop being scared to fight dirty when the other side is fighting to erase the damn Constitution.
They are threatening to disappear AMERICANS.
A M E R I C A N S.
And your biggest move can’t be another strongly worded email.
We don’t want your urgently fundraising subject lines.
We want backbone.
We want action.
We want to know you’ll stand up before we’re all ordered to sit down — permanently.
We are watching.
And I don’t just mean your base.
I mean millions of us who see exactly what’s happening.
I’ve only got 6,000 followers — but the groups I’m in? The networks I touch? Over a quarter million.
Often when I speak, it echoes.
But when we ALL
speak, it ROARS with pressure that will cause change.
We need to be deafening.
You still have a chance to do something historic.
To be remembered for courage, not caution.
To go down as the party that didn’t just watch the fall — but fought the hell back with everything they had.
But the clock is ticking.
And the deportation buses are idling.
We live in an information war. Truth is a contested battleground, and public belief is a weaponized asset.This Woman Votes (This Woman Votes - Progress & Politics)
Books
Duhon, David. One Circle: How to Grow a Complete Diet on 1,000 Square Feet. (978-9996-3-95703)
Hernenway, Toby. Gaia's Garden: a Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. (978-1603-5-80298)
Jeavons, John. How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine. ( 978-0898-1-54153)
Longacre, Doris Janzen. The More with Less Cookbook. (978-0836-1-91035)
Longacre, Doris Janzen. Living More with Less. (978-0836-1-95217) -only the first editions of those
The website cronometer - nutritional analysis
cronometer.com/
The website nutritionfacts.org - whole foods plant based and longevity science/research
The KVCC's program at the Food Innovation Center (FIC) on horticulture
valleyhub.kvcc.edu/about/facil…
Tillers International
tillersinternational.org/
=============== Sources beyond the local for plants, seeds, animals
One Green World - fantastic wide variety of edible fruit, nuts, etc.
onegreenworld.com/
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company
rareseeds.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq…
Seed Savers
seedsavers.org/
Maine Potato Lady
mainepotatolady.com/
Sand Hill Preservation Center
sandhillpreservation.com/
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
givemn.org/organization/Albc
Some organizations can absorb the short-term impact by using reserves, but long-term sustainability concerns grow if federal funding isn't restored.Brian McVicar | bmcvicar@mlive.com (mlive)
robertreich.substack.com/p/how…
1. Stop treating Trump’s excuses as his real concerns.
2. For the same reason, stop assuming that Trump is concerned about other nations’ “unfair” trade practices or illegal immigration.
3. Trump’s major interest is capitulation itself.
4. Each surrender feeds the public impression that Trump wants fed — that he is all-powerful, invincible, and able to get every person, institution, and country to cower to him.
5. Each capitulation encourages him and his goons to engage in even more bullying of more institutions and countries.
6. Most of these institutions and countries will cave to Trump because their leaders are mainly concerned about their own institution’s or country’s survival.
7. It’s vitally important, therefore, that institutions and countries join together to fight this systemic intimidation.
8. University faculties must join together under the umbrella of the American Association of University Professors.
9. Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the European Union must join together.
10. The media must not fan the flames of Trump’s madness.
Whether it’s universities, law firms, or entire countries, here are 10 basic rules for hitting backRobert Reich
From NowKalamazoo
Seed Libraries Are on the Rise in Kalamazoo County
nowkalamazoo.indiegraf.com/lt.…
Living Together, Growing Together
nowkalamazoo.indiegraf.com/lt.…
from Julie Burkey
How/To- Guide Books:
Bartholomew, Mel. Square Foot Gardening. 978-0-7603-6285-3
Madigan, Carleen, ed. The Backyard Homestead. 978-1-60342-138-6
Smith, Edward C. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible. 978-1-60342-475-2
-Storey Publishing. hachettebookgroup.com/imprint/… — an extensive library of guides on everything homestead
Reading For Awareness Books:
Dooley, Beth. In Winter’s Kitchen. 978-1-5713-1361-4
Foer, Jonathan Safran. We Are The Weather; saving the planet begins at breakfast. 978-1-2507-5797-5
Kingsolver, Barbara. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; a year of food life. 978-0-0608-5255-9
Lappe, Frances Moore & Anna Lappe. Hope’s Edge; the next diet for a small planet. 978-1-5854-2149-7
Lohman, Sarah. Endangered Eating. 978-1-3240-0466-0
McMillian, Tracie. The American Way of Eating: undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, farm fields and the dinner table. 978-1-4391-7195-0
Pollen, Michael. In Defense of Food. 978-1-5942-0145-5 (actually, ALL of Pollen’s titles)
For Native Plant restoration, which is crucial to saving our soil and insects in order to grow food:
Small, Nancy Cutbirth & Tom Small. Using Native Plants to Restore Community in SW Michigan & Beyond. 978-0-6155-2993-6 ( I actually had the great honor of working with them for a year.)
Also, many of the local farmers offer CSAs, list from PFC: pfcmarkets.com/csas/
PFC is a great resource for classes, info, etc.
Food Banks
Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes kzoolf.org/
Southwest Michigan Food Banks smfoodbank.org/getfood/findfoo…
Community Gardens
growingcommunitygardenkzoo.com…
comstockmi.gov/community-garde…
wmucommunity.garden/
gardens.kzoo.edu/
michiganmastergardener.org/the…
kzooparks.org/Parks-Facilities…
sunnysideumc.com/serve
valleyhub.kvcc.edu/blog/nothin…
Food Hubs and CSAs
valleyhub.kvcc.edu/our-program…
Educational Resources
tillersinternational.org/
valleyhub.kvcc.edu/events/comm…
canr.msu.edu/kalamazoo/master-…
Organizations
miffs.org/ (lots of resources on their website!)
fairfoodnetwork.org/
seedsavers.org/
kalamazooconservation.org/
Urban Exposure uxi4u.com/
From Seed to Harvest: Summary of a Michigan Procurement Pilot [PDF]
Kalamazoo Conservation District Kalamazoo County Urban AgricultureCommunity Needs Assessment Survey -Summary of Results [PDF]
Kalamazoo Conservation District Results of Urban AgricultureCommunity Needs Assessment Survey [PDF]
KRESA Kalamazoo County Non-School Food Pantries [PDF]
Loaves & Fishes [PDF]
South Michigan Food Bank Kalamazoo County Resource Guide [PDF]
Our next meeting is Saturday, April 12th from 1 to 3 p.m. Meeting will be held at the Portage Public Library. Topic is Food: growing food for food security and food sharing models.
1 to 1:30 Fellowship and IT support. Be an early adopter and bring your computer to get added to our Facebook alternative.
1:30 to 2:30 Food Session
2:30 to 3:00 seed sharing and break out sessions for future planning.
El Consilio is a local non profit that provides educational, social service, and legal resources for the Kalamazoo community. In a presentation to Indivisible Kalamazoo's Wednesday meeting, Amberly Elementary (and WMU) alum Marysol Millar presented an overview of the organization's programs and how you can help:
- financial donations always appreciated
- volunteers for food distribution
- education volunteer opportunities
-Rapid Response Team training.
American Pamphleteer
ladylibertie.substack.com/
Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance
substack.com/@joycevance
The Contrarian -Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen
contrarian.substack.com/
Heather Cox Richardson
substack.com/@heathercoxrichar…
Dworkin Report
dworkinsubstack.com/
Krassenstein
substack.com/@krassenstein
Lincoln Project
substack.com/@lincolnproject62…
Meidas+
meidasplus.com/
Paul Krugman
paulkrugman.substack.com/
Public Notice--Aaron Rupar
publicnotice.co/
Robert Reich
robertreich.substack.com/
Seth Abramson
substack.com/@sethabramson
The Warning with Steve Schmidt
steveschmidt.substack.com/
-->use the comments to add new links
Shutdown 315 Movement
substack.com/@theshutdown315mo…
-->use the comments to add new links
Andrew Weissmann
substack.com/@weissmann
Democracy Docket
substack.com/@democracydocket
Law Dork
lawdork.com/
-->use the comments to add new links
Erin in the Morning
erininthemorning.com/?utm_sour…
-->use the comments to add new links
Indivisible (national)
indivisible.org/
Statewide Indivisible Michigan
statewideindivisiblemi.com/
Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids
indivisiblegrr.substack.com/
Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo
indivisiblekzoo.org/
Indivisible Resources
Indivisible (national)
https://indivisible.org/Statewide Indivisible Michigan
https://www.statewideindivisiblemi.com/Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids
https://indivisiblegrr.substack.com/Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo
https://indivisiblekzoo.org/
Week of March 9 Action Items from Indivisible GRR:Top 5 Things You Can Do This Week
The list may seem short this week, but we’re directing people to utilize the 5Calls app, which includes the current issues and is updated regularly. Also, there are definitely A LOT of events happening in the coming weeks, including a few outside opportunities so you can get some fresh air after you make those calls.Call Senators Peters, 202.224.6221 and Slotkin, 202.224.4822 (see Resources for You for more contact info)
Sen. Slotkin: Thank her for her State of the Union speech response (even if you think she wasn't aggressive enough)
Hold town halls during the upcoming Congressional recess (March 15-23)
Oppose firing of 80,000 jobs at the VA, which is 15% of the VA workforce.
Oppose reduction of IRS workforce by 50%.
Oppose MAGA plan to stockpile taxpayer money in a crypto currency reserve scam
Demand that Trump disclose the identities of the donors to his transition team and how much they donated.
Call Rep. Scholten 202.225.3831
Sign up to receive Rep. Scholten’s newsletter. It’s actually quite informative.
Hold town halls during the upcoming Congressional recess (March 15-23)
Publically - loudly and often – fight and obstruct the Trump/Musk agenda with all possible congressional tools
Oppose firing of 80,000 jobs at the VA, which is 15% of the VA workforce.
Oppose reduction of IRS workforce by 50%.
Oppose MAGA plan to stockpile taxpayer money in a crypto currency reserve scam
Demand that Trump
Call your State Representative: Every single Michigan House Republican voted to cut $5 billion (25%!) from the education budget and to defund higher education. It didn’t even go through the committee process to allow people to read it (see contact info in Resources for You).
If you have a GOP Rep: Let them know how you feel about this lack of process and their vote
If you have a Dem Rep: Thank them for voting against this budget
Use apps to maximize and amplify your resistance!
Download the 5Calls app and start calling!
Check out the Everywhere Is Queer app to support local, LGBTQ+ owned businesses in your area
Educate Yourself
Read: Thirty lonely but beautiful actions you can take right now which probably won't magically catalyze a mass movement against Trump but that are still wildly important
Check out the A History of Racial Injustice from The Equal Justice Initiative. Founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer and bestselling author of Just Mercy, you can sign up for daily history lessons delivered right to your email inbox. Here is an overview of March that will give you an idea of the information they provide.
Subscribe to Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson’s column on Substack where she breaks down current events through the lens of history.
Attend any of the events listed below!
#6 for triple extra credit: Take care of yourself! Watch your favorite feel good movie(s) to take a break from the relentless chaos. Casablanca, Amelie, and School of Rock are good options. You probably have others on your own lists. Pop some corn, open a can of your favorite carbonated beverage, and settle in for a little vacation for your brain.
Restored Government Data Sites and Other Databases
Here’s the list so far….
Restore CDC
restoredcdc.org/www.cdc.gov/
Internet Archive
archive.org/
Data Rescue Project
datarescueproject.org/
Centered America Misinformation Database
centeredamerica.substack.com/p…
Amazon is killing a privacy feature to bolster Alexa+, the new subscription assistant.Scharon Harding (Ars Technica)
Substack Subject Index
> Economic/Consumer Issues
> Education Issues
> Food
>Health Issues
> Legal Issues
> LGBTQ+
> Politics
> Scoundrels to Keep an Eye on
Substack: Health News
Couch Nap
https://substack.com/@takeacouchnapForce of Infection--Caitlyn Rivers tracks seasonal disease outbreaks, vaccines, etc.
https://caitlinrivers.substack.com/Your Local Epidemiologist--public health news
https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/
