I feel it is important to state that the lies we’ve been fed started way before Trump, Musk and the dangerous state of affairs we are now in.. I recommend watching The Occupation of the American Mind which is free on YouTube. It is a documentary which focuses on how American media has been a mouthpiece for Israeli propaganda for decades. It was produced by Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd fame) and released in 2016. This is only one example of how our own government has been successful in promoting its “wars on terror” and proxy wars, which have killed millions of innocent people in my lifetime.
The US is actually guilty of several wars OF terror, as well as destabilizing many democratically elected governments in the world. Democrats are as guilty as Republicans in this regard. It’s time to pay the piper. And it’s also possible that the whole system needs to collapse, and hopefully, be rebuilt into a system that truly supports the values written into our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. One can only hope this is possible.
Thank you for your article Starhawk. I've been considering leaving Meta,including FB and Instagram and moving to Substack and Blue Sky because Meta is controlled by pro-facist corporate interests. But Im unsure because i wonder if I removing myself from improving conversations? But like the boycotts on Amazon and Target at the moment, hitting bottom lines feels like an excellent thing to do and removing support of Meta might be more effective than competing with the owners of the algorithm? Ive already stopped using Meta for my business advertising and II wonder if I leave my account on FB open with a note telling my friends I don't use FB anymore and why? Thoughts please? What is the best strategy?
Thanks for naming that. Since I stopped giving my attention to FB, and refocused on Substack, it has become abundantly clear that I was trying to run up a mountain on FB. There are many articles out there about how the algorithm suppresses progressive content, even the phrase “voter rights”!
Also, in all the years I’ve been in on, I have *once* seen a post change someone’s mind. Now granted, most people are too afraid to admit they’re wrong. And there may be a subconscious impact. But then also keep in mind that that algorithm further divides us, so it is rare to reach ppl beyond the choir. Social media seems designed to harden our opinions and encourage contempt.
As a psychotherapist, I also see the damage social media (and traditional media!) are doing to people‘s well-being: depression, anxiety, feeling helpless and hopeless and freezing rather than taking action.
All this to say, I have chosen not to put my time there, but rather to put it into Substack and local organizing. We all need to make our own decisions about how to intervene in ways that don’t drain out energy or crush our souls.
Its a slow grow. I am used to how these meta apps operate -and I expect and want the same from a new app..... I am getting more and more satisfied w Bluesky as I use it.
I do still miss certain acquaintances but I am making the choice to unload all meta apps because I will readjust. Transform. And feel good inside...
I will not give that platform any more of my energy. Good luck...!
Hi there. I agree with your synopsis about totally switching to Substack and BlueSky, but also am unsure. I have not yet made the switch, but find myself here on Substack more and more consistently. I plan to explore BlueSky a bit more with committed friends next weekend, and will wade into those (hopefully 'clearer') waters at that time.
We seem to be on the same wavelength. My upcoming post on this platform is like the sister to this one, so I will reference yours. I am reaching out to those who lose essential, life sustaining help, like the mothers of severely disabled children, because of the ravaging of healthcare and supports for children. Daunting as it seems, rallying the strategies to fight back is invigorating! Everything I do in this vein makes me smarter and happier.
Yes! all this. Thank you. I will share this with many people. I've been doing all the things. I know face to face interactions are important now, building local community. We had a beautiful community gathering sitting around a fire pit, some of us microdosed, some not. We sang songs, played music, read poems, shared stories, lamented about the state of the world, but laughed too and broke bread..We shared our beautiful dreams and intentions for this world, for our children.
Some of us were old friends, some of us strangers, having just met each other, but the depth of connection was felt regardless. That's what intentionality does for any gathering or ceremony or event or experience. Place love at the center and expect miracles, watch for the magic to unfold.
As my friend was singing "I have no enemies," I was thinking, this is exactly what the world needs right now - intentional community, this ancient technology of sitting around a fire, breaking bread together, laughing, singing songs, playing music...it could be so simple - our healing. Many of us have ability to facilitate something like this.
Thank you for your powerful guidance on how to stand upright in the face of what can seem such an overwhelming tsunami of lies, power grabs and the false narratives of “us and them”, which separate and promote fear of “other”.
For me, it is vital that we directly respond to those hurtful actions taken by those in charge today and those suggestions you offer can be powerful and effective.
And, I also like to remember the big picture view, that the insanity of this world seems the result of our forgetfulness of our Source, which transcends the madness. And I feel called to include in my offerings to the world signposts that point towards our Infinite nature of Being, and how that connects ALL of us beyond the duality of “us and them”.
It's a crazy ride right now, and I am thankful for voices such as yours to remind us that we don’t have to be cowering victims.
I hope you are well. I am fairly new here but have decided to help spread important information through poetry and songs. On 3-3-25, I wrote this new poem:
If the Substack app has a function to enable audio reading of posts it would be cool if you could enable it for your posts so I could listen while I was out walking. I have such a hard time settling down to relax and read and stop working or clicking things or remembering other to dos these days. I don't know if I had ADD as a kid but if not I think I may have digitally induced add. Or listening while doing dishes and whatnot instead of npr or the economist app.
I feel it is important to state that the lies we’ve been fed started way before Trump, Musk and the dangerous state of affairs we are now in.. I recommend watching The Occupation of the American Mind which is free on YouTube. It is a documentary which focuses on how American media has been a mouthpiece for Israeli propaganda for decades. It was produced by Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd fame) and released in 2016. This is only one example of how our own government has been successful in promoting its “wars on terror” and proxy wars, which have killed millions of innocent people in my lifetime.
The US is actually guilty of several wars OF terror, as well as destabilizing many democratically elected governments in the world. Democrats are as guilty as Republicans in this regard. It’s time to pay the piper. And it’s also possible that the whole system needs to collapse, and hopefully, be rebuilt into a system that truly supports the values written into our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. One can only hope this is possible.
Thank you for your article Starhawk. I've been considering leaving Meta,including FB and Instagram and moving to Substack and Blue Sky because Meta is controlled by pro-facist corporate interests. But Im unsure because i wonder if I removing myself from improving conversations? But like the boycotts on Amazon and Target at the moment, hitting bottom lines feels like an excellent thing to do and removing support of Meta might be more effective than competing with the owners of the algorithm? Ive already stopped using Meta for my business advertising and II wonder if I leave my account on FB open with a note telling my friends I don't use FB anymore and why? Thoughts please? What is the best strategy?
Thanks for naming that. Since I stopped giving my attention to FB, and refocused on Substack, it has become abundantly clear that I was trying to run up a mountain on FB. There are many articles out there about how the algorithm suppresses progressive content, even the phrase “voter rights”!
Also, in all the years I’ve been in on, I have *once* seen a post change someone’s mind. Now granted, most people are too afraid to admit they’re wrong. And there may be a subconscious impact. But then also keep in mind that that algorithm further divides us, so it is rare to reach ppl beyond the choir. Social media seems designed to harden our opinions and encourage contempt.
As a psychotherapist, I also see the damage social media (and traditional media!) are doing to people‘s well-being: depression, anxiety, feeling helpless and hopeless and freezing rather than taking action.
All this to say, I have chosen not to put my time there, but rather to put it into Substack and local organizing. We all need to make our own decisions about how to intervene in ways that don’t drain out energy or crush our souls.
Its a slow grow. I am used to how these meta apps operate -and I expect and want the same from a new app..... I am getting more and more satisfied w Bluesky as I use it.
I do still miss certain acquaintances but I am making the choice to unload all meta apps because I will readjust. Transform. And feel good inside...
I will not give that platform any more of my energy. Good luck...!
Hi there. I agree with your synopsis about totally switching to Substack and BlueSky, but also am unsure. I have not yet made the switch, but find myself here on Substack more and more consistently. I plan to explore BlueSky a bit more with committed friends next weekend, and will wade into those (hopefully 'clearer') waters at that time.
Excellent! My sister and I have called ourselves “guerilla informationists” for decades.
We seem to be on the same wavelength. My upcoming post on this platform is like the sister to this one, so I will reference yours. I am reaching out to those who lose essential, life sustaining help, like the mothers of severely disabled children, because of the ravaging of healthcare and supports for children. Daunting as it seems, rallying the strategies to fight back is invigorating! Everything I do in this vein makes me smarter and happier.
Uh, I think the name "InfoWars" is already taken and it's not something I want to be associated with.
I was thinking we might subvert and reclaim it--but you don't need to adopt the name!
Yes! all this. Thank you. I will share this with many people. I've been doing all the things. I know face to face interactions are important now, building local community. We had a beautiful community gathering sitting around a fire pit, some of us microdosed, some not. We sang songs, played music, read poems, shared stories, lamented about the state of the world, but laughed too and broke bread..We shared our beautiful dreams and intentions for this world, for our children.
Some of us were old friends, some of us strangers, having just met each other, but the depth of connection was felt regardless. That's what intentionality does for any gathering or ceremony or event or experience. Place love at the center and expect miracles, watch for the magic to unfold.
As my friend was singing "I have no enemies," I was thinking, this is exactly what the world needs right now - intentional community, this ancient technology of sitting around a fire, breaking bread together, laughing, singing songs, playing music...it could be so simple - our healing. Many of us have ability to facilitate something like this.
Thank you for your powerful guidance on how to stand upright in the face of what can seem such an overwhelming tsunami of lies, power grabs and the false narratives of “us and them”, which separate and promote fear of “other”.
For me, it is vital that we directly respond to those hurtful actions taken by those in charge today and those suggestions you offer can be powerful and effective.
And, I also like to remember the big picture view, that the insanity of this world seems the result of our forgetfulness of our Source, which transcends the madness. And I feel called to include in my offerings to the world signposts that point towards our Infinite nature of Being, and how that connects ALL of us beyond the duality of “us and them”.
It's a crazy ride right now, and I am thankful for voices such as yours to remind us that we don’t have to be cowering victims.
Hi, Starhawk!
I hope you are well. I am fairly new here but have decided to help spread important information through poetry and songs. On 3-3-25, I wrote this new poem:
https://open.substack.com/pub/djlondon612/p/for-everyone?r=qrej9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
If the Substack app has a function to enable audio reading of posts it would be cool if you could enable it for your posts so I could listen while I was out walking. I have such a hard time settling down to relax and read and stop working or clicking things or remembering other to dos these days. I don't know if I had ADD as a kid but if not I think I may have digitally induced add. Or listening while doing dishes and whatnot instead of npr or the economist app.
Thank you 😊
You’ve described me: writer, educator, artist, grandmother and tired caregiver.
I’m inspired to do what I can and reminded of how to do it.