November 2, 2026

IN ACTION, WE THRIVE! Socio-political MUSE-ing

What an amazing energy there is globally right now. A lot of victory in the world in the vein of uprisings against fascism. Brazil, Serbia, Hungary and hopefully in the UNITED STATES on Tuesday, November 3 this country will rebuke the corrupt criminal fascist regime upheld by the sycophantic pandering GOP. Fingers crossed.

Inspirational content is my driving force with this publication but that doesn’t always mean it will be happy and uplifting. The idea is to help people find motivation to be inspired to make their world better and a reflection of their dreams. That being said I could sit here and tell you why I am inspired to move in action and speak out in opposition to what is wrong specifically here with regards to my country, the United States of America but that would become a diatribe of complaints about Donald Trump and his enablers. If you need inspiration as to why choosing ways to move in positive action is best you can find a list of inspiring crimes at the end of this essay. You can even add to it by messaging me personally or subscribing and then naming them in The Salon Letter Discord membership space. 

First and foremost in a prescient manner: VOTE. November 3, 2026. Go, and stay in line. Additionally, document your vote in some way. Take a picture of it (check your state laws about this, it’s illegal to do this in a voting booth in Texas for instance) or yourself with your sticker, make a note in your phone that you voted, email yourself, whatever you choose, document it. Things are looking kind of shady re: voting integrity and as many of us know or have been discovering lately when the Trump administration accuses someone else of misconduct or rule breaking it’s usually because they’re the one actually committing the crime. Your vote does matter, more than 600 elections in the last ten years have been decided by less than ten votes. 

This election, this vote, if it goes the way that it looks to be going (don’t believe the polls, good polling doesn’t get you out of voting!) which is a blue wave, blue tsunami or even better, a MEGA tsunami (yes a wave bigger than a tsunami is called a MEGA and it makes me laugh that MEGA could take out MAGA) that doesn’t mean it’s over, that we can go back to shopping at Amazon, disassociating by ignoring the news or whatever you’re doing to cope because all of our nerves are shot due to the constant onslaught of bad bad bad. It’s a stop gap, a first step. Trump is still in power, they’re still more than 50 percent done implementing Project 2025, prices are still totally insane, tech bro billionaires are still saying that data centers getting water is more important than humans having drinking water while simultaneously requiring us to pay for data center electricity bills. It’s all still happening and on top of that some centrist Democrats are saying that pursuing impeachment of the criminal government isn’t on their agenda even though the latest Epstein report from the judiciary oversight committee shows that Donald himself is a pedophile rapist, accused of torturing and assaulting CHILDREN as well as trafficking them. No, it is not over after a win on November 3rd. I won’t even go into any of the “what if’s they don’t honor the election” or if it gets really shady and the numbers go a different way. 

You might be thinking, but Katherine, what can I possibly be doing to make my feelings known that I do not approve of the way that things are going? I will say, “Oooohhhhh! That's an excellent question! I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it.” 

First, we have to make these billionaires scared. We have to divest from their companies and stop giving them our money. You might be thinking, “wait, I depend on this or I need that.” Well, YES it does make things inconvenient and uncomfortable to stand up for what is right in the world… BUT guess how fucking uncomfortable you’re going to be when your first amendment rights are gone, martial law is the norm and unmarried women are being forced to go to marriage camps so they can become stay-at-home mothers without the right to vote (these things are in Project 2025).

How uncomfortable will you be then? 

We already have concentration camps in the US backed by corporations like AT&T, Amazon and Home Depot. That and the government is trafficking humans using ICE and DHS. Women are being raped in those facilities and people are being kidnapped, deported and disappeared without their constitutionally guaranteed due process. Right now the government is doing its absolute best to be destructive to mass amounts of lives. We’re witnessing a criminal enterprise execute the largest grift and corruption scandal in history all while causing mass suffering. 

I think people in general are overwhelmed, hopeless or honestly sticking their heads in the sand for whatever reason… maybe because if they paid more attention they wouldn’t know what to do, couldn’t handle it, or would feel very guilty for not being deeply involved. Which honestly makes sense. When children aren’t taught proper coping mechanisms from an early age but instead are indoctrinated with patriotism, lies about history and religious myths that push shame, the adults they grow into aren’t going to be people who stand up and get active when it’s necessary. I think a lot of people don’t know where to even start. 

What can you do to make a dent in the oligarchical authoritarian regime that is systematically ruining millions of lives alongside the survivability of the environment that we all exist in? 

We have options and all of them are necessary, but that doesn’t mean you have to do every one. It means see your options and pick the ones that are most accessible to you and then start working towards adopting others. 

How we spend our money is one of the most powerful ways to shift power. It feels daunting because monopolies are a reality and corporate conglomerates rule over capitalist commerce. 

But by no means does that imply that we shouldn’t TRY. 

First suggestion, cancel all or limit your streaming subscription services. In my own life I have given up most of my streaming services. I maintain two at a time. Obviously these companies are owned by billionaires, and if you haven't picked up on it yet, there are zero good billionaires. You don't need to subscribe to everything at once. I discovered recently when I went to cancel Apple TV that they wanted me to stay and offered me my subscription for $6.99 for two months if I stayed. Additionally Paramount Plus is now offering two months for .99 a month! Either these are recession indicators or people are making their wallets talk. At the same time Peacock has increased their monthly charge to $19.99. The audacity. Criterion is a great option if you're looking for something different. The annual price is $99.99 but the company, while owned by billionaire Bill Rales, doesn't support this administration, nor does Rales. Their movies change regularly and you will enrich your mind when you need to dissociate. Companies I suggest you cease giving money to altogether: Amazon, Disney, Hulu, and any part of the Ellison family holdings, this includes Paramount, so despite the possibility of .99 for two months… they're still evil besties with Donald working to program the masses and censor free speech. They are responsible for the dumpster fire that is now TikTok. 

When it comes to music, it’s not much better, obviously with our new state surveillance (old) you don't want to be using Amazon products, Spotify does advertising for ICE and barely pays the artists on the platform. Apple has also bowed to Trump and come away with their noses covered in self tanner. Qobuz is a streaming app that allows you to transfer your carefully curated playlists over from whichever music platform you've been using. AM/FM radio also still exists and analog music is beginning to make a comeback, anyone else still have their CD and tape collections? One of my favorite treasures is my mom’s 45s from the 1950s. 

Don’t use AI. Just don’t. It’s gross. It’s also Donald’s favorite toy and apparently a resource he has been using to govern. The way it has been thrust upon us without any way to turn it off or opt out is peak predatory behavior. It's also trained on human knowledge and creation, essentially stealing from what people create in order to then get humans to pay to use the AI that was trained on humanity’s own creations. More non-consensual interactions. Rape Culture. AI isn’t going anywhere but that doesn't mean we have to use it and be okay with the way things are right now. 

This year our food systems are under attack. Salmonella, cyclospora, weird meat from another country, grocery prices are out of control and we’re supposed to suck it up because affordability is a HOAX. Delivery fees for food are insane and subject to predatory pricing. Diesel prices are through the roof which impacts every part of the supply chain for our food.

Alternatives:

1. Plant a garden. If you have some land, a small square, a balcony at your apartment. Start small, your growing zone is what you need to know and pick something that you like to eat to start. This may not be right for you, it’s not for me right now. 

2. Join a CSA. I guarantee you that it’s very likely that you can find one near you. I did a search for the DC area for a friend and found some 10 different options. As soon as I heard about the Strait of Hormuz being closed in the spring I KNEW that food supply was going to be a mess and prices would be awful, I found a CSA outside of Philadelphia and my pickup point is less than half a mile away. Every week I get farm fresh produce. They also offer fruit, cheese, yogurt, pasta, eggs, mushrooms, honey and pork. You sign up for the veggies and the rest is add-ons. The price for me to feed myself May-December? $3000 total with my included add-ons. My additional needs? I buy bread, butter and almond milk from the store. 

3. Stop eating at chain restaurants, if you’re gonna go out, keep it local. In general, I’d recommend not eating out right now. We need to be connecting in different ways and talking to people in our communities about how to support each other. Organize a potluck on your block, with your coworkers and if you’re going to talk politics with people that you don’t know well, ask questions about what they need to change so that they can survive, not about what politicians they support. We are all eligible to be elected in some way so let’s stop elevating these politicians above us, they’re taking advantage of that pedestal to fleece us. 

4. Don’t do delivery. Most of the restaurants that have delivery via the apps also have pick-up, we’re living in a post pandemic world, I guarantee you can bring it home yourself.

Mutual Aid development is needed right now and it’s a great way to help in your community preparations if things go haywire. Mutual Aid Hub is a database of US national resources that will help you find places where you can volunteer or contribute. 

Protest. The amount of times I’ve seen people say, we can’t protest our way out of this… I’m not gonna disagree. That doesn’t mean gathering to protest doesn’t do anything. Gathering en masse to voice our disapproval with government behavior exercises our first amendment rights, which incidentally are under attack. It also builds community and is an opportunity to meet new people in order to organize further. It helps people not feel alone or helpless. This is why it’s necessary. 

Another more frustrating option is calling your reps. 202.224.3121. I mean are any of these people actually listening to the people who gave them their jobs?? As a resident of Pennsylvania I personally am very unhappy with a few of my elected officials. Don’t get me started on Fetterman showing up at the midterm RNC convention in TX to speak to the GOP. That being said, you still need to make these phone calls. They’re recorded. Staffers take down your opinions, the volume of calls is reported on in the news. It’s important. Pick a cause, or a few and use your voice, make a phone call. The five phone calls app can be put on your phone and helps you call all the right people. Who wants to make these phone calls and wait on hold? Not a GOSH DARN person in my estimation but it might be the easiest task to accomplish. Find a magazine to flip through, put your phone on speaker and sit down for a little while to relax, bring notes and make your voice heard. It’s easy AF. 

We are the people.

We have the power.

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!

An extremely potent option is General Strike… I have this wild dream. 15 million strong occupation of the national capitol, supported by mutual aid, enough of us that we outnumber the people who are employed as “law enforcement” and military… to be continued in part two. 

REASONS TO BE INSPIRED INTO ACTION:

• ICE KIDNAPPINGS 

• concentration camp and human trafficking, coupled with how the detainees are being treated in detention. 

• ICE Murders

• Rise of white power terrorism in the US

• Price of gas and a new never ending war with Iran that was instigated by US in conjunction with Israel. 

• US tax dollars supporting and paying for the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. 

• The disenfranchisement of American farmers

• Rise in measles cases

• Consistent attempts to nullify the value and rights of women

• Cuts to Medicaid, price increases for insurance, closing of rural hospitals

• Weaponization of the DOJ and persecution of Trump’s political critics, and those with power that he wants to take away because it isn’t aligned with his vision. 

• Total denial of climate change, crippling of FEMA when the world is on fire and places like Gary, Indiana and Chama, NM are under water 

• The treasury declared the US insolvent this year and our debt reached 40 trillion.

• The Epstein Files and Trump being the number one most named person in the files