9 Steps to Ground Yourself in the Fight
Reset, organize, and links to get plugged in
The chaos has, again, become relentless. Federal forces are in the streets of Washington, D.C. in a fascist incursion led by the President himself. Trump and his minions are threatening to do the same to numerous other cities. Texas Democrats are being stalked by police on orders from the state Republican Party because they dared to fight election rigging. In California the National Guard was sent to a press conference announcing that Democrats in that state would fight the gerrymandering scheme the GOP is attempting. The President is also trying to rig the 2026 election, railing against mail-in ballots and voting machines. Now, in his latest comments, Trump overtly stated: "A lot of people are saying maybe we'd like a dictator."
It’s all overwhelming by design. This particular blitzkrieg might not involve tanks, primarily, but it involves a relentless bombardment and a rapid fascist encroachment with Trump threatening the 2026 election in multiple ways while simultaneously increasing the military presence on American soil and dramatically upping the power of his Gestapo (ICE). It’s happening fast and it’s alarming anyone and everyone who opposes fascism. The resistance, from the nominal opposition party and other sources, is currently insufficient. That’s just a truth we have to accept in order to meet this moment.
But accepting the truth that our resistance is insufficient, the truth that the far-right has been moving towards this power grab not for years but for decades, and that we’re lagging severely behind them, is just the first step. In a moment where the whirlwind has thrown many of us off balance, where it’s clear that countless people don’t feel like they have anything to grab hold of, I wanted to take a step back. Trump and his goons want to overwhelm us, and too often they succeed. Right now we need to zoom out, again, get above the madness for a moment and reorient ourselves toward defeating the far-right over the long haul. So here are nine steps to get grounded again.
1: Accept Reality
We must begin by being fully aware of where we are. Trump and his accomplices came in ready this time. Their first administration was terrible in numerous ways, but this time around the Heritage Foundation, nightmare tech oligarchs like Peter Thiel, and numerous billionaires got in on the action. Combine that with the evil of men like Stephen Miller and you have a fascist regime that hit the ground running. Countless executive orders, Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, weak opposition — our enemies were ready to maximize their damage from the start. And to properly fight back we have to begin by accepting how far things have deteriorated already. The fascist menace has accelerated, and our resistance needs to rise, meet it, and defeat it.
2: Avoid both shock and normalization
At the same time, there is a risk of running too far in another direction. Accepting reality does not mean catastrophizing. Blitzkrieg tactics aim to shock and freeze us, and MAGA has successfully done that to a substantial degree. The constant bombardment of news, the seemingly endless stream of new developments can make it difficult for people to know where to begin. And when inaction persists in the fight against fascism the effect is normalization. This is a process that is conducted intentionally by our enemies, but which we can participate in unintentionally by freezing in the face of the onslaught. Whatever persists day after day, in this case the policies and actions of the far-right, becomes normal. People can adapt to a remarkable range of situations, and this asset to our species can become a detriment if we accept that which we ought to change and reject. Any acceptance of the fascist menace must be done to ground ourselves in the reality of this fight, not to acquiesce and grow accustomed to a new normal.
3: Don’t stand still on a moving train
Our opposition must be active. The goal of the shock, the goal of constantly breaking precedents, the goal of horrific and cruel acts being conducted with such rapidity is to freeze us. Knowing that, we must orient ourselves toward action. As Howard Zinn said, “You can’t be neutral on a moving train.” The systems of capitalism and white supremacy are always moving, always churning through human lives and the natural world to fuel their exploitation and their thirst for profit. Fascism turbo-charges this process, cementing the dangerous alliance between corporations and the most hateful elements in society. There is no standing still on this moving train — standing idle means allowing those with the least to be crushed beneath the wheels of the onslaught, wheels that will one day crush us all if they’re permitted to keep accelerating. So our duty is to orient ourselves towards action, and away from being frozen in place.
4: Know we outnumber them
There are a lot of us, and knowing that can help us act. There’s a wide and growing range of people opposed to Trump, and although not all of them will join us in active resistance, in taking action on this moving train, we should be aware of our numbers and act from a position of strength. We should, for example, know that Trump’s approval rating is now just 37%:
For those of you who think 37% is still much too high, I agree. But this trend line confirms what so many of us already knew: attacking immigrants and wreaking havoc on economy and ramping up fascist attacks on countless people across America is unpopular, and the more people learn about this regime the less they like it. That doesn’t mean our work is easy, but it means we shouldn’t be evasive. The anti-fascist side is the side of the people, and the people are on our side. We should fight and be bold and know that a clear majority of this country is with us.
5: Blame the enemy
Knowing the stakes can sometimes lead to narratives of blame and complicity, but we can’t afford to get bogged down in castigating ourselves, or others. Orienting ourselves toward action requires focusing our forces against the enemy. It’s easier, often, to turn our critical eye on those closer to us, those we can reach. Our organizing does not need to include everyone — it can’t. But we need to be clear on who our enemy is and clear about how we speak to those who could potentially work with us against the regime. There must be room for critique, but we can and should speak our criticisms out of love for one another, out of solidarity, out of a desire to win this vital fight rather than out of a desire to score points. As Che famously said, “At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.”
At the same time our efforts need to be oriented towards the forces of fascism that have taken over our government, and towards systems that allowed and encouraged this fascist takeover. We must defeat MAGA, but we also must address the conditions and structures that prompted its creation and flourishing. As Margaret Killjoy recently wrote, “People who sweep homeless encampments are the enemy. The enemy did not arrive with the first election of Donald Trump and will not be defeated when Donald Trump discovers the same oblivion of death that awaits us all (may he discover it sooner than most).” This means fighting fascism and capitalism and neoliberalism, and seeing that our organizing must get down to the root and address these systems simultaneously, which is easier than you might expect because they all are deeply entangled.
6: Accept that politicians won’t save us
This lesson can be hard, but when we speak of people who sweep homeless encampments, of people who helped lay the foundation for this moment, we must look at the political class. When people like Gavin Newsom start antagonizing and mocking Trump, some people get excited. In a near vacuum of “official” opposition, in a country where the party that claims to fight Republicans and fascism has done virtually nothing to stop Trump, any person with power doing anything can feel good. But symbolic gestures won’t cut it. Politicians like Gavin Newsom are uninterested in changing the conditions that led to MAGA and Trump, they’re far more interested in their own political power. When we evaluate these actors, we need to assess their actions rather than their words, or memes. Newsom specifically has fought the homeless harder than he’s fought homelessness and fought Palestine protesters far more than he’s fought Zionist extremists in his own backyard. He’s cozy with Big Tech and works for billionaires, not for us.
And Newsom isn’t alone. Most of the Democratic Party operates just like him, and of course 100% of the GOP is on board with Trump. The glimmers of hope, the exceptions when it comes to electoral politics, are coming from organized people. Zohran Mamdani is the clear example, the biggest electoral bright spot and one that would not exist if not for the dedicated, sustained organizing of NYC DSA and people across New York. The lesson here is more complex than whether or not we should vote, or whether or not we should engage in electoral politics. The lesson is that everything, from elections to our resistance efforts, needs to be grounded in masses of people organizing. We can’t just vote and hope we get a good one and hope for the best; we need to dedicate ourselves to the work of building real power, and that power can then be flexed in elections, strikes, direct actions and more. We, and our combined power, are what can save us.
7: Learn to fight
Fascists have never left without a fight. When I say we need to learn to fight here I mean we need to look to history. We need to see how oppressors have been beaten back before. We need to read and talk with one another and assess the best strategies for making our way out of this dark place we find ourselves in. We need movement schools and freedom schools. As Assata Shakur said, “No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them.” And that means we need to fight. “Freedom needs fighters” as the Dream Defenders say, and we have to be those fighters. No one is coming to do this monumental task for us. But people have fought before. So learn about the Black Freedom movement, about liberation movements across the world, about the fights against fascism and colonialism and imperialism. Learn to fight.
8: Build our way out
And learn to build. Winning this long-term struggle is about fighting, but we do not and will not have the capacity to wage a sustained battle unless we build. This moment in history did not emerge out of nowhere, it was facilitated in large part by the deliberate decimation of the organization of the left and the institutions of the working class. We have to both rebuild our institutions and build new ones. We have to build organizations that have the capacity to educate us, that facilitate our capacity to provide for one another, and that allow us to build power. Here we must both learn from the past and innovate, we must not reinvent the wheel (because we don’t have that kind of time) but we must also be flexible. Above all, we must commit ourselves to sustained projects, to building institutions that last beyond this immediate fight and carry us into a future that is radically different from our present.
9: Play a Role
In this fight, you have a role to play. Once you are grounded in the reality of this struggle, once you’re focused and ready to engage, to get in motion, find out where you can contribute. There are organizations to explore at the end of this piece, and maybe one of them will suit you. Or maybe a more local group practicing mutual aid or building power will be where you find that you fit in. What is vital is knowing you have a role to play. Not everyone will be on the front lines of direct action against the fascist regime. Some folks will do research, others will provide childcare, others will knock doors, some will teach and facilitate:
This image from the Slow Factory has helped countless people see that there is a role, or many roles, for everyone. To be in this fight you must know that there is a place for you in this work ahead of us. You must make that transition that so many of us have made from observer and commentator to active participant. Regardless of what exactly our role(s) are, we must practice them alongside others fighting for liberation. So find where you fit, find the people you’re willing and eager to struggle alongside, and get down to business.
In Conclusion
If nine is too many, take one lesson. Take the lesson that you can participate, you can fight, you can be a part of wielding power against the fascists. Ground yourself. Take a breath — not simply to relax but to steel yourself for this fight. We’re up against both a fascist movement that’s seized control of the U.S. government and the deeply entrenched systems that led to this moment. And yet, thousands more people flock to our camp every day. Now millions are fed up, are seeing through the propaganda and the lies, are ready to change their worldviews and take transformative action.
We cannot keep up with every development, every authoritarian step Trump and company take. But that’s okay, consuming news is not resistance. We need to take tangible, material steps. We need to plug in with other people in our neighborhoods and towns and cities and at work, get organized, and build real power to fight back. We need local organizing and broader mass power. We need it all, and now is the moment to surge forward and take the anger and fear of this moment and transform it into the resistance we desperately want to see. Organize, build, practice solidarity, and know that you are not alone. - JP
Let’s get organized:
Join DSA: https://www.dsausa.org/get-involved/
Unionize your workplace: https://workerorganizing.org/
Talk to your neighbors and form a tenant union: https://tenantfederation.org/tenant-unions/
Organize against the war machine: https://wearedissenters.org/
Put People Over Profit: https://linktr.ee/putplanetoverprofit
Check out the Dream Defenders: https://www.dreamdefenders.org/
Join the Debt Collective: https://debtcollective.org/
Look into the New Economy Coalition and its constituent organizations: https://neweconomy.net/
Every community has great people doing long-term organizing work. Talk to that one radical friend, search up organizations in your area, see what good groups folks follow online. Get plugged in, now is the time.
I keep telling people that fascism isn’t coming to America - it’s already here. And I remind them that fascism has never been defeated at the ballot box. Ever.
Good post. I would add a few steps people can take to get themselves and their community ready and actively opposed to fascism. Some of this covers similar ground, but I'll throw my two cents in.
-Write: The mainstream media won't save us. Write well sourced, informed leftist content that helps people see the truth clearly
-Unionize: We must societally rediscover worker power if we are to win this.
-Organize: Join a good org. Get in community with like-minded people. Start organizing for the planned general strike in 2028.
-Learn to defend yourself: We have to practice community self-defense. Exercise, study a practical martial art. Boxing, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Kyokushin, MMA, and Wrestling are good options. If you would like to learn proper and safe marksmanship consider the Pink Pistols, Liberal Gun Club, or SRA.
-Practice good digital security: Block cookies, be as private as you can, don't overshare personal stuff, practice good opsec and digital security.
-Be brave: Now is the time for courage. No one will save us but ourselves.
-Mathew
https://bettergracesandliberations.substack.com/