I Just Want to Find the Doers

“I just want to find the doers, you know? Not the talkers but the people who just go out and do shit and get it done.”

I overheard someone say this at a brewery last weekend, and it resonated. No idea what they were talking about, as it could have been anything. But I’ve been thinking a lot about doers lately, and the value of just showing up, even when you don’t necessarily know what you’re doing.

After the election last year, I encouraged readers that instead of looking for the helpers, it was on us to become them. Calling on us to find ways to build community, show up for one another, and cultivate joy. It was clear to me that no one was coming to save us and that the systems and guardrails many of us had relied on for so long had faltered beyond repair.

I’m always on the lookout for doers. People who turn their frustration, anger, despair, and fear into concrete action. And whenever someone comes to me looking for ways to cope with anxiety about the world, taking action is what I suggest. Find ways to help and plug in. The barrier to entry is low, and the minute you’re taking action, things start to feel less hopeless. Especially as you meet friends and neighbors who also want to make the world a better place.

Right now I’m reading To Catch a Fascist by Chris Mathais. I know most of the stories Mathias tells and consider some of his subjects friends, and yet I still find myself really inspired by them. I love how Mathais centers the book not on the far-right figures that we know all too well, but on the anti-fascists who stepped up to take them on and expose them to their communities as white supremacists who intended to cause harm – most without any institutional support beyond their fellow Internet friend. Their work was invaluable to anyone working to oppose the MAGA Right and to journalists covering the movement. But instead of accolades, many of these folks weren’t taken seriously, were marginalized, and faced attacks from Trump and his followers with no support from the broader left or general public. Even as they continued to do work that helped keep us and our communities safe.

Meanwhile I’ve been thinking a lot about what to cover in CARD and what stories I tell. At this point, the MAGA Right isn’t a rising movement but the Regime in power. We understand them differently now than when I started this newsletter a decade ago because we’re all living in the country and the world they’ve sought to create. I really struggle with how to cover the movement without giving it the oxygen and attention it desperately needs to survive… especially since there’s not as much cost to your neighbors knowing you’re a Nazi as there was back then. I’m not going to stop covering the MAGA Right, but I have been covering them differently over the last year, with less emphasis on outside figures and groups, and more emphasis on the State and the power it holds.

Moving forward, I want to highlight the stories of doers. Partly because I know from our latest reader survey and from your emails that you want more of that content too. You want more strategies and ideas for how to fight back, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than by sharing ways people are activating and innovating. Selfishly, because these stories inspire me too. I’ve been collecting them over the last few months, and when I start to feel despair creeping in, reminding myself of all the doers out there refills my cup.

So here’s my ask: Who should I talk to or learn more about? Who in your community is out there, and what networks and groups are forming? Please send me the stories of people and organizing efforts I should know about and that readers should know about. Especially the stories of people working outside the system. I plan to highlight your stories, as well as the ones I’ve been collecting, in future editions.

And if you are a doer, if yours is the story I should know more about, don’t be shy. Drop a line and let me know what you’re up to and why it matters. I don’t care if you’ve been organizing for decades or a few weeks. I’m excited to learn more!

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ICYMI

From Flock to ICE, Here’s a Breakdown of How You’re Being Watched (404media) A fascinating AMA about how we’re being surveilled in this “dystopian surveillance hellscape” from two reporters and experts on the topic.

Whistleblower Claims Ex-DOGE Member Says He Took Social Security Data to New Job ​​(Washington Post) This was always going to happen. It’s as infuriating as it is predictable.

We Have Obtained More Footage Of Kash Patel Falling Down While Playing Hockey (Defector) Because you deserve a little treat.

Elon Musk Wants a Do-Over on Twitter Trial After Jury Pool Couldn’t Hide Its Disdain (Gizmodo) You also deserve this as a treat.

Want even more content? Subscribers receive bonus content on Fridays.

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Coda

Thanks so much to everyone who supports CARD as a reader, a subscriber, or a sharer. You are the reason I keep going, and as long as you’re engaged I will be too. I’m grateful for your patronage.

That’s all for now. We’ll talk again next week. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, please enjoy my favorite scene from Derry Girls.

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