A Post-Election Linkpost
This is a dark point in American history. It’s ok to be afraid.
Don’t lose hope. There have been dark points in history before. This is article from 2020 gives us some examples of successful resistance and reversal of democratic backsliding.
There's going to be a lot happening. Doom scrolling accomplishes nothing. Conserve your energy, or you will wear out. Focus your energy on concrete actions.
Preparing for yourself
If you're transgender, start with Erin Reed's comprehensive preparation guide for the coming administration. If trans healthcare becomes less accessible, this is a good guide to DIY HRT.
Get your vaccinations now. There is a risk of anti-vaccination ideologues making this more difficult in the future. Here is the CDC’s guide to adult vaccination. Note that for many of these diseases, common ailments like asthma and obesity are considered risk factors. Ensure you get your TDAP shot if you haven’t gotten the booster in 10 years. Diphtheria and pertussis are airborne diseases, so herd immunity is relevant.
If you struggle with needle phobia, here is a good resource guide. It’s primarily aimed at parents and children, but there’s no reason why adults can’t use it for themselves.
Get important paperwork done early in case doing so becomes more difficult later. We already have an understaffed bureaucracy, and the Trump Administration may worsen it.
Even if you aren’t someone whose medical care is at risk of attack, prepare for potential supply disruptions downstream of tariffs or disasters. Get any meds you need stocked up. Non-scheduled medication can be bought relatively cheaply at In-House Pharmacy.
Making the world a better place:
Focus on simple things you can do to improve the world. For starters, you can buy a malaria net.
Local politics are often more tractable than national politics. You can lobby your state government to take concrete actions to mitigate the harm done by the federal government.
You can push to take control of your community from rentiers.
Samantha Hancox-Li on how to win
Part of having a sound strategy is understanding where we went wrong. Samantha Hancox-Li and Jason Briggeman give a pretty good breakdown of what we know about what went wrong this election on their new podcast Neon Liberalism
(Don’t blame me for posting several Liberal Currents links in a row. Blame them for writing too much quality work)