I am in the US and its gotten very political but as pretty much a peon do I just tune the stuff out thinking its fear mongering? Or should I closely pay attention to it?

If you're one of the folks that didn't vote, then please feel guilty for the absolute moron you got. Regards, Europe.

If you haven't noticed that a lot of things in your life are political, I feel sorry for your lack of grasp on reality. The taxes you pay are political. The laws you have to follow are political. Decisions on how your kids go to school are political. How you work (you payment, your job- and personal safety) - guess what, it's political. If the CDC will protect you against the next pandemic, if the FDA will protect you against being poisoned - it is all political.

Tune out reality at your own risk. You should have paid attention to this ages ago.

Life is political. Don't bury your head in the sand.

Our political situation is currently quite extreme, read up on fascism specifically the "legal stage" of fascism

Politics is life.

You might as well ask to avoid gravity.

honestly, regardless of what you do, vote in the midterms. It's the only way to mitigate somewhat what's been done. it's November next year and every seat is up for grabs in the house, and 33 seats are up for grabs in the senate.

As a "peon" there isn't much you can do until then about it. So really it all depends on if you wanna be blindsided by the changes or live in blissful ignorance.

the answer heavily depends.

Do you want to be politically informed and able to make accurate statements about things that are actively happening? Great, better cut some hours at your job and take up a research position for politics in your spare time.

Do you want to be politically uninformed and yet still say shit about things you aren't familiar with, haven't researched and do not understand? Great, take more hours at your job, make shit up, listen to what weird internet people who are totally trust worthy and not running a grift at all (trust me bro) are saying online because it makes you feel better about yourself.

Do you want neither of these? Being uninformed is perfectly ok and reasonable, if you approach it with the correct attitude, you cannot hold an opinion on something you are not familiar with, it's as simple as that. Refer to science and the establishment for most things, because, after all, they haven't fucking exploded and killed everyone yet, so they must be doing something right.

TL;DR this is my personal opinion, informed by years of consuming political content, and my general interest in sociology and psychology so take this with the correct amount of concern. I would ignore pretty much anything and everything coming from the political right, it's either bullshit, a lie, or AI generated these days. Very, very rarely do they actually manage to tell the whole truth.

I would also advise distantly observing the far left, as they tend to do nothing more than yelling, screaming, and bemoaning inconveniences. The general left is a bit better about this. But they also have the "we dont really do anything" problem also

Otherwise, be very careful, be extremely critical of the content/media you consume, and be sure to establish your own independent worldview and political beliefs, you don't have to have identical beliefs to me, or anybody else here, and that's the beauty of modern western politics. Or maybe find some organizations around you that you can get directly involved in, to make a difference in the lives of people around you.

Yelling at people about things on the internet is one of the least effective ways of doing anything. It's a great platform for satire, since that's what satire thrives on, but otherwise, do something else, it's more productive that way. You need a truly incredible reach to be able to make a difference online.

Depends. Are you a rich, white, straight male? You will be fine and can ignore everything. But if you are any shade of brown, an immigrant or belong to any minority group or are female or have loved ones belonging to anyone of these groups, then you should pay attention as they might genuinely be in danger.

Pay attention to "events that actually happen" and "things that people in power say." Pay far less attention to "kvetching and predicting."

If you stop paying attention entirely, you're going to end up with a whole lot of Shocked Pikachu Face in your future.

don't tune it out. there are people being deported, people afraid for their rights and their lives. people not paying attention is how we got the Holocaust

I've literally seeing the rights of myself and other get taken away in the last week. I'm moving cross country to get out of the state I'm currently in because it does not recognize who I am.

They want to open up people like me to descrimination and hate crimes. I'm wondering what will happen with my job if this stuff keeps happening.

There are real world consequences to politics and people sticking their heads in the sand is the reason literal fascism is on the rise.

If you are privileged enough to feel you don't have to worry about politics that generally means you aren't the current target.

The peons will be some of the most impacted, so it is good to stay in the loop. I wouldn't obsess over what is going on, but a weekly digest of news is helpful.

Join your local DSA and tend to local issues. The things that the national level are indeed serious, but spend your time and efforts where you can make the biggest difference.

Donate a few dollars to your local land trust to keep land out of the hands of big business.

Join local housing boards or City Hall meetings, wherever decisions on zoning and housing are decided. Anytime someone tries to blame something on bigger buildings designed for more people, and better public transportation, fight them tooth and nail. Single residence zoning, parking minimums, etc. are one of the reasons homelessness exists.

Show up to protests

Make friends with your neighbors

Please do anything but just vegetate. You are important. But only if you help.

This stuff matters and we're approaching a point where you can no longer safely ignore it. Pay attention and within a month or two you'll find your newfound political opinions appear obvious in hindsight. Make sure to fact-check stuff when you can to avoid getting tricked by disinformation. Remember to avoid common fallacies, especially that there must always be perfect equality between both sides of an argument-- sometimes one side is unambiguously right, and sometimes it actually is grey. Remember that "always" and "never" are usually incorrect, but that you can still make statements about what's likely to be true or to happen in the future, and that those statements are still very important. And lastly, make sure that you're confident in your opinions before arguing about them. Oh, and asking questions may get you downvotes, but it's great for learning; just remember that people can lie. I know that's a lot, but it's better to know it now than later! Mostly I'm just trying to safeguard you against the common pitfalls people make mistakes around.

I'm almost certain that the US is about to Balkanize. The federal government has done a terrible job of responding to people's actual needs for a long time now, and often even runs directly counter to those needs. They're starting to fuck with blocks of states and we're seeing more and more states that are aligning with each other against the federal government on issues. Dumbass is stuffing all of the departments that could do anything about it (the alphabet boys, the DOD, etc) with incompetent stooges and firing the actual competent people that believe in the national mythology and had the connections to foster what interagency cooperation there was. I expect that we haven't seen the last of these folks. It's a complicated thing we can talk more about, but generally, I think US balkanization is probably a good thing for everyone but the billionaires, so I hope they enjoy their footguns.

As such, I wouldn't recommend paying too much attention to federal stuff; skim the headlines and make sure you and yours aren't in danger, but it's clear enough there's not much we can do to affect federal policy unless we're billionaires. Instead, start meeting other people and working on making the world you want to see locally. City council meetings are a great place to start networking towards that goal. Get to know your neighbors and (crucially) owe them a favor or gift them stuff (eggs from backyard chickens, cookies you baked, whatever). People are hardwired to form bonds to those whom owe us or we owe, and it's very, very common in many non-capitalist society to consider an equal payment to be offensive (because you're saying "I want nothing else to do with you"). Got a garage sale coming up? Plan with your neighbors to do a big sale together and get more people to show up. See someone working on something? Ask them "how can I help?" instead of "can I help?". One of the biggest problems with the US is the lack of community bonds and (therefore) networking, and it's easier than you think to change it. It's very cheap and takes less time than you think. I'm begging you to just give it a try, and if you really hate it, then you're off the proverbial hook.

I mean, your government is rounding up people without warrants or just cause to try and find illegals to deport them, it's almost about as bad as it can get

People tuning out is why we are here. Pay attention as much as you can; it's important to be educated and to participate in the process.

Part of it is a war on information and memory, so it is important to stay aware. With the American Civil War, almost immediately after it was over they began rewriting history (the Lost Cause).

There’s a historical debate about the extent of which German civilians were aware of the Holocaust. I found Hitler’s Willing Executioners convincing myself. I think people knew what was happening in the camps, but allowed themselves an out - plausible deniability. (And again, the war on memory - that the deaths were all typhus, or the numbers were exaggerated)

I’ve already been living as an oppressed minority in a state that had already started implementing Project 2025 before Trump was even elected. The one thing that’s hardest to deal with is the gaslighting. I’ve just wanted to be seen.

I don’t think they’ll put trans people in death camps, but I believe they are planning on weaponizing the mental health system against trans people. Forcible institutionalization for most AFAB at least. Trans women they might declare sex criminals and use the increased powers of capital punishment on - we’ve seen moves towards this in Florida. I think it’d be like Nazi’s and the original eugenics program - some trans people do have families who might protest if a bunch of us disappear.

I do believe they will start killing immigrants. Texas has volunteered land for this purpose, and if they are already placing barbed wire along the Rio Grande, they are willing to kill.

So how does this knowledge help? What is the point of keeping up with the fear and terror?

Perhaps to try to help the lesson stick this time. To keep screaming that this is not normal. To ensure that when it is all over, there won’t be “it was all about states rights!” That we saw this coming, that we kept saying it was coming, but America was too scared of a black woman in power and too obsessed with trans women’s penises to say “no” to Stupid Hitler.

You can stay aware to know where small places of action are - can you print out cards with information on what to do when ICE arrives and leave them in places? You can stock up on mifepristone or estrogen if you have friends who might need it. Find local mutual aid networks and pitch in. Provide emotional support to your queer/immigrant/woman friends. Tell children that this is not normal, this is not the America we grew up in.

Action is how to combat trauma. It’s the feeling of helplessness that “causes” PTSD - a situation where you know that nothing you do has an impact on the outcome. Mental health under fascism is learning what you can do, and focusing on that.

If you "don't do politics", politics will do you. You don't need to be the one to single-handedly fix everything, but please do what you can. We need everyone.

Be connected to your local society. Join a group. Do things. Meet people.

Some people in the near future will start to suffer a lot. They're going to need caring neighbors they can trust.

I’m genuinely worried it’s yet another deliberate denial of service against our ability to detect evil. I work extra hard to only pay attention to what is actually done that seems like it could stick.

Mostly I trust that good people in positions of trust (e.g. ACLU or EFF) will call out when there’s an opportunity for mass mobilization to make a real difference.

Removing news from your regular feeds or taking a break from them for a week is chill, everyone should do that here and there. But don't bury your head in the sand, you should keep an eye on it even if that is only browsing a dedicated news feed every week or two. Ignorance and complacency is how we got Trump 2024 with people actively voting against themselves.

Maybe a good balance is to glance at important headlines and save those articles, and designate one day per week to read through those saved articles to update your knowledge of whats happening

So for the remaining 6 days you kinda just stop worrying about it

(but still look out for potential things like "Martial Law Declared" on the headlines, that you need to immediately react to, such as getting the supplies needed to survive whatever happens, since movement would be restricted under Martial Law).

Plenty of good responses. I assume you are foreigner and I will give you one suggestion. Make sure your passport is valid just in case you need to flee the incoming disaster.

If you ain't doing politics, politics is gonna do you.

If you don't turn on to policies, politics will turn on you. - Ralph Nader

A lot of what this administration will do is going to be illegal and nonsensical and dumb, but they will do so much of it that it will be impossible to effectively push back against it all. If you hear something that you care about, pick that and keep up with it. Don't get overwhelmed by the torrent of stuff happening over the next four years.

This is especially true in the current media environment, where there's so much noise that it's really difficult to break in and sort through what's true and what's false and what's missing context and what's misleading and what's technically true but there are other factors that change how it plays out in reality, etc.

It takes a lot of energy to keep up with it all, so pick something you care about and pay attention to developments about that. Maybe that's trans rights, immigrant rights, democratic institutions, economics, geopolitics, military industrial complex, whatever. You won't be able to effectively care about it all, so pick one and focus on that.

Tune it out. I went all in last time. It’s not worth it for your mental health

If you don't plan to help at all then yes, might as well stick your head in the sand. It doesn't matter if you pay attention or not if you don't offer any form of resistance. Indifference is the default response for a significant portion of Americans and it's a huge part of the problem.

The deck is stacked against us, no doubt. But we can look to historical examples of what happens if you don't fight Nazis coming into power, and I refuse to be one of those examples.

There really are only two pragmatic options at this point. Fight or leave. Anything else is a waste.

I wouldn't take it lightly tbh. One event that you ought to be on the lookout for is the night of the long knives. When Hitler rose to power, there was a night where a ton of his political opponents got murdered. If trump pulls that off then that's full nazi and the camps will follow shortly after

I'm off the opinion that knowledge is always power. You can always ignore what you've learned to stay sane.

You can tune out the noise. Just keep yourself informed at the minimum so you know what’s happening around you.

Deportations have happened under other presidents as well, so from what I can tell this is all being covered in great detail as part of some media campaign.

https://www.cato.org/blog/deportation-rates-historical-perspective

More info https://living.alot.com/entertainment/45-weirdest-presidential-facts--17063?s=11&isLong=0&isVertical=1

The anti-DEI motivation seems thoughtless at first, but then when you look at it really it seems the politicians don’t like the CRT and Neo-Marxist ideology associated with DEI. Makes sense, America has never been about Marxism or Communism.

https://newdiscourses.com/2023/04/marxist-roots-of-dei-workshop-all-sessions/

I mean, people should have some resource for legal immigration, but a nation is allowed sovereign control over their immigration policies.

So, the whole reaction on the left seems a tad alarmist maybe, but as others have said keep paying attn but don’t let it consume your life or senses.

Edit meant to use a different term

It's important to be aware of what happens and to act when and how you feel led.

However, caring for your mental health is most important. Even on this platform I have a filter on for a single word -- Trump. For how long, I don't know. I still get US news, but I just needed to decrease it for a time in relation to that man.

While we are all on the same ride to hell, your ride to hell is your's, and your's alone. Do what you feel like doing and try not to worry overly much.

Pay attention, but take it with a grain of salt. If you're in a bottom tax bracket, no one in power in govt cares about you. And that's with both major parties and the minor parties

You do you. Just keep up the fight for the good. I'd say it's also fine to plant a few sunflowers next to the local playground and clean up the litter, or make your community a better place for the people. In turn you'd ignore national level politics and world news. I don't think everyone needs to do that kind of politics. Just do something nice, something you're good at and it'll be alright and be of use to someone.

This thread is everything I needed to convince me to leave instead of fight.

Also a great YouTube channel to keep up with the news but is short and puts things in context and if needed what you can do to help is belle of the fifth column.

Also good rule of thumb if the article starts off with X said this vs X did this skip the article. Focus on what people in power do vs what they say as shitty journalists will write an article about a tweet that 9 times out of 10 is a distraction vs real journalism talking about the actions. Propublica is one of the few journalistic outfits that do that.

My wife and I had the realization this past week that we have both been in a near constant state of seething anger since the election. We decided that we both need to pump the brakes on reading news for our collective mental health. That doesn't mean we're ignoring things, but it does mean we plan to remind each other to take a breather when we're caught doomscrolling.

We cannot afford to become complacent or ignore things, but we have found that redirecting our anger to productive activities has been helpful. Every time we read a negative article it is a reminder to reach out to our friends who are parts of communities which are currently under attack to see what we can do to help or offer companionship. We also regularly look for local opportunities to connect with marginalized communities in our area, volunteer, and generally make a show of our support.

Just cross check souces before acting.

And write down who said what. Then you can check later and eliminate the bad sources.

!AskUSA@discuss.online

That is not a stupid question. It's no good to cause yourself crippling anxiety, you are less useful to yourself and to others then. And yes the news will always be presented in a way designed to cause outrage and fear, to keep you coming back.

That is not to say there is no reason to worry. But good to put a "budget " for news consumption and work on what you can personally change, rather than worrying about all the stuff you can't. Being happy and helpful and not a bigot is a form of resistance too, and is a general thing you can do regardless of your current event knowledge.

I think that you can and should tune it out when it feels overwhelming. You terrifying yourself about things you can't change isn't helpful. What's helpful is that, whether you've watched the news today or not, possessing a willingness to do small bits of good in your immediate neighborhood.

Be willing to hold a door open for someone, or push a car out of an icy parking space, or shovel someone's sidewalk for free, etc. etc. etc.

Not sure how you mean "I am in the US" but based on a bunch of assumptions, my advice would be to tune it out as much as possible and focus on being a good person making your friends and famliy happy.

This trump administration will very likely follow the last in that it will be a storm of incompetence and reversing-of-decisions such that whatever actual evil they are able to implement will show up somewhere you'd likely see it in your day-to-day life.

You'll get a lot of stress and anxiety watching the news / social media about it because those things will include all the "might happens" and "said they would"s and so on. Forget that stuff. Just make some good food you like and make someone close to you smile today and that's the best you can do. (And it's not bad!)

Tune it out. Nothing ever changes by a change in political leaders alone. People are just going crazy because the terminally online lost the election.