Resist Fascism. Be Human.

Woody Guthrie was known for his guitars bearing the motto: “this machine kills fascists.” The famed American folk singer was not literally bashing Nazis with his guitar (though maybe we shouldn’t object so stridently). Guthrie and other folk singers, like his friend Pete Seeger, were creating anti-fascist culture in their music, performances, and daily life. As models for what’s next, we could do far worse.

I’m not going to watch the exercise of civic religion handing over power to a fascist today. I made sure I don’t even know when it’s happening. Instead, I sat down and I wrote something (which will be one of my recommendations below — make art!) about where we should go from here.

It’s easy to feel lost right now, to feel like you’re groping around in the dark. The next few years are going to be tough. Things are going to get far worse before they get better. For those of you wondering how to be, what to do, and what to say next, I offer these humble suggestions.

Here are five things we all need to get used to saying:

“I will not comply.”

Depending on what role you play in your immediate community, you may be asked to do something illegal, immoral, or both. We need to foster the courage to say “no” emphatically and clearly. It may cost you, but sometimes fascists rely on fear and intimidation rather than actual power. But even if it costs you, we need people out there willing to tell those in power that not everyone will comply.

Related phrases: “That is an illegal order.” “I can’t do that.” “No.”

“I don’t care what they think.”

For quite a while many of us have been tip-toeing around those flirting with fascism in our lives. No more. We need to stop caring what people dedicated to our destruction and unfreedom think about us. Don’t give a second thought to your reputation with a fascist. Whether you’re a journalist, civil servant, clergy, teacher, or anyone who interacts with a broad spectrum of people, it’s not worth it to be seen as compliant, persuadable, or otherwise buddies with the fascists in our midst.

Related phrases: “I believe … x, y, z.” “I’m x, y, or z and I’m proud of it.” “You can’t shame me out of who I am/what I believe.”

“I will tell the truth.”

We don’t live in a time where we can afford to not tell the truth. If you have the capacity to tell the truth in public, you need to do it. Don’t waste powerful words on saying nothing. Don’t waste your position by being committed to mealy-mouthed half-truths. Be straight forward, tell it how it really is, and be honest. Act with integrity and speak with integrity. The world needs it.

Related phrases: “Let me be clear…”, “The truth is …”, “I know…”

“That is a lie.”

One of the reasons we got where we are is because people have refused to call out lies. When people lie about migrants, queer people, or anyone else, call them on it. Do so publicly. We’re beyond pulling people aside to correct them. There needs to be a consistent offense for the truth and total, absolute resistance to lies. When someone tells you not to believe what you see with your eyes, refuse. You know what’s happening, don’t let anyone lie about it.

Related phrases: “That’s incorrect.” “That’s not true.” “Stop lying.”

“I disagree.”

As often as we haven’t called out lies, we have failed to vocally disagree. Authoritarians and fascists feel emboldened not just because they have power right now but because they think many more people back them than actually do. We’ve grown comfortable in non-confrontation, but appeasement via silence has only let inches become miles for fascists intent on absolute power and remaking American society. When someone starts advocating for unfreedom, we need to stand up and say that there are still people who believe in freedom — and there are more of us.

Related phrases: “I think you’re wrong.” “I have a different opinion.” “Not everyone thinks that.”

Here are five things we should all get used to doing:

Go analog.

The tech industry’s fealty to fascism (and sometimes outright agreement with its aims) is well-known at this point. We’ve all been conditioned by their algorithms for years to care about what they want us to care about. The tech oligarchs have made no secret about wanting to replace our physical and material lives with a virtual one. Resist that. Read physical books that you own, watch movies you own on a physical disc. Go to physical storefronts not owned by Amazon. Gather with people in the flesh. This particularly will be important for your own safety as well as your own sanity.

Examples: Go to the movie theater. Go to the bookstore. Meet in a coffee shop. Have dinner at a restaurant. Use your phone less.

Join an association.

One of the big shifts in human behavior in the twenty first century United States has been the decline of associations. Whether we’re talking about religious congregations, bowling teams, civic organizations, or even political parties themselves, our worlds have actually gotten smaller under the guise of being more connected. When you’re part of a bigger group, your threshold of concern widens to include others than yourself. Likewise, your concerns become their concerns. This is the basis of actual power — not small-dollar donations or dark money. Relationships are what actually make the world work and corporations and politicians have been more than happy to let those relationships dissolve.

Examples: Join a religious house of worship. Join a community organizing group. Become a regular volunteer with an organization. Join a citizen advisory committee or other local equivalent.

Make art.

More and more of human expression on the internet is being marginalized in favor of AI slop. The AI slop is guided and controlled by corporate interests and not only produces subpar content but also produces what they want you to see, read, and feel. Make art that says something you believe, feel, and see. It doesn’t have to be “good” and you don’t have to be able to turn it into a commodity. Our human creativity is what brings vitality to our society. When we don’t have it, we’re easier to control, manipulate and silence.

Examples: Keep a journal. Enroll in an arts class. Doodle. Learn a new craft. Don’t use ChatGPT.

Take care of someone.

From retirement homes to day care, we have been forced to outsource care in our lives. We have invented so-called “caring professions” (full disclosure, I’m in one) to make it so we don’t have to be vulnerable to one another. We establish relationships with professionals at the expense of our connection with one another. We expect others to handle the hard stuff. I don’t mean to say don’t use childcare, mental health professionals, or doctors. I use them all. But don’t absolve yourself of the responsibility to care for other people. We need each other.

Examples: Check on your neighbors. Call your loved ones. Have meaningful conversations. Cook someone a meal.

Consume media not owned by billionaires.

I used to be a subscriber to the Washington Post. They’d been on thin ice for me for a while before Jeff Bezos pulled the paper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. That was it for me. After seeing the LA Times do it, I cut ties with the Washington Post when they followed suit. I don’t read any news organizations that are owned and controlled by billionaires anymore. I also contribute to the news organizations I read whether through a donation or a subscription. Read local, too, but I’ll also suggest this: don’t just read and watch the news.

Read about dragons, romances, zombies, serial killers, and space ships. Read art that is fun. Watch movies that are fun. Read and watch things that make profound points, too. Consume media that’s not just about the day’s news. Don’t doom scroll. Read a book, watch a movie. Talk about it with friends.

Examples: Find a local news outlet you can support financially. Pick up some quality fiction at the recommendation of your local booksellers. Put on an album and listen to it all the way through.

Be human.

Technology and politics have been driving us to be less and less human over the past few decades. They’ve both removed us further and further from the real world in which we live. They’ve also driven us from each other.

As fascism tightens its grip around the United States, choose to be human. We have that and short of death no one can take it from us. Don’t let them.

Godspeed.