America Wages "Shock and Awe" Against America
“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” Cartoonist Walt Kennedy
“Shock and Awe” is a strategy of rapidly deploying overwhelming power and spectacular force to paralyze the enemy's perception of the battlefield and destroy their will to fight. The concept was embraced in 1996 by the National Defense University for the US military as a combat tactic to create helplessness, confusion, uncertainty, fear, and despair.
You might remember the repeated use of the term “shock and awe” during the 2003 bombing of Baghdad. The intended result is rapid dominance and victory before the adversary understands what is happening or can regroup and respond. In short, it’s a blitzkrieg.
Shock and Awe was meant to be used against perceived enemies… not our people.
The human toll of what is currently underway in our country is staggering. Every day, there are new mass firings and assaults on agencies designed to protect the environment, cope with natural disasters, prosecute corruption in government, fight against fraud, serve our veterans, provide public education, boost our agricultural industry, and support public health.
We are alienating our longtime allies as rapidly as we are dismantling our institutions, and the constant, intentional mayhem is leaving our democracy teetering on the brink.
If you are frightened, angry, and destabilized from this onslaught, welcome to shock and awe. Yet, even if, like me, your legs are wobbly and your ears are ringing, we must not cave in, withdraw, or drop out. Instead, I invite you to choose action over anguish, sound over silence, determination over despair.
I ended my last post by asking, “Who among us will rise up now?” In response, some of you wondered how that might look. I don’t have all the answers, but I humbly submit a simple motto that was widely used as our Greatest Generation was fighting against Fascism and authoritarianism during WWII:
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL
Divide and conquer works. History proves that individuals are stronger and more successful when they work together and that unity and collaboration are essential for achieving common goals.
We must stand strong, speak out, and take skillful action with a unified voice. There are many ways to do this, so choose wisely how and where you decide to engage. Here are a few suggestions:
Form a closely knit group that is like-minded, focused, and dedicated to taking action.
Support local, statewide, and national leaders who are standing up for democracy and our Constitution. This can be through campaign donations, social media affirmations, or simply by sharing your admiration of them with trusted family and friends.
Call your representatives in the House and Senators and remind them of their oath to protect our Constitution and defend the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic.
Support your fellow Americans who are impacted the most by the attacks on our essential government institutions.
Attend your local school board, library, and city council meetings, speaking up when you feel it’s imperative and relevant.
Participate in group protests, but only if you have vetted the organizers and believe strongly in the issue. We have already seen bad actors infiltrating protests and inciting violence, which could lead to martial law.
Hold on tightly to those you love. We need one another right now.
Beware the Endless Smoke and Mirrors
I don’t have to tell you that we live in a deeply divided age of pervasive disinformation. Don’t get drawn into futile debates with rabid ideologues or internet trolls, but do always stand up for the truth. And be sure to verify your truth. We all are subject to “confirmation bias,” which means we can be quick to amplify information that confirms what we want to believe before ensuring it is accurate.
I recommend fact-checking yourself on sites like Snopes, a definitive internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
Stay Inspired by Those Who Stood Up in Our Past
For inspiration, remember the Civil War, the New Deal, the Suffragettes, the Civil Rights Movement, WWII, and all the momentous times when we, as Americans, rose up in the face of oppression and adversity, put our shoulders to the wheel, and changed our country for the better. This has been our greatness throughout our history, and it is just as essential today.
In an open letter written in the Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of our moral responsibility to stand strong, speak out, and take direct action rather than wait forever for justice.
Resources:
Elon Musk-ovites, Christo-Fascism & the Specter of End Times
Justice Department Is Expected To Slash Public Corruption Unit
How Hitler Dismantled Democracy in 53 Days
The Bootlicker Brigade for the Morbidly Rich & Their Never-Ending War on Democracy
Christian Nationalism and Political Violence
What Happens When Church and State Merge? Look to Nazi Germany For Answers
The Bogus Historians Who Teach Evangelicals They Live in a Theocracy
Christians Against Christian Nationalism
It’s No Big Deal, We Just Want to Take Over the World
Brad, thank you for the essay on the current madness of the Trump administration. My daughter, a doctor at Seattle Children’s Hospital, just saw her first effect of the DOGE muskrats. $80 million was cut from the budget of the Valley Medical Center, where she has an associate professor position. Essential medical tests will be eliminated as a result. Her request for a new ultrasound machine has been stopped. I particularly appreciate your advice on how to fight this. Based on your critical thinking ideas, I will think carefully about how to do this. Dana Law El Cajon.