Shifts...

After the completely embarrassing and demoralizing meeting with Zelenskyy on Friday I tried even more than usual to stay away from the news over the weekend. Mainly because every time I opened my phone there was something worse to read. Russia is celebrating how they've completely shifted the US narrative to being pro Russian. Republicans who have always stood with Ukraine were falling all over themselves to praise Trump and clutch their pearls over the disrespect Zelenskyy showed.

The disrespect.

Please. I've got your disrespect right here...

On Saturday I was talking with a friend who has a friend who lived through the Iranian Revolution. Her friend said it feels very much like what Iran felt like right before the Revolution fully took hold. When it was already happening but people hadn't really grasped yet what was to come. She told me about her friend getting beaten in the street to the point of unconsciousness and waking up in a jail cell.

It's coming.

Working out this morning I was looking out the window and there was a military helicopter out flying. I wondered when we would see a military presence in our streets. We are holding out a lot of hope in Oregon being a liberal state. Hoping that serves as some measure of protection for Katie. But if the federal government cracks down will it? I don't know.

I know the rest of the world already sees what a lot of Americans don't just yet. That we are compromised. That we are not to be trusted. That we are Putin's pawns to do as he bids. I'm not sure why Musk thinks this ends well for him. Once a State takes over everything your personal wealth is not the protective shield it used to be. That's a nice profitable company you have there, I think it's mine now.

We have an amalgamation of technocrats, Christian Nationalists, hard core grifters and run of the mill miscreants running the place. Some of their aims line up. Some of them do not. I'm not sure how it all gets divvied up in the end, but I know that I'm none of those things so it doesn't go well for me.

I also want to have one of the moments here where I know that what I'm going to write next sounds kind of crazy and extremist but I also believe it's where we are heading.

For my American friends, you are going to have to decide how to keep yourself safe. Associating with me is not going to be that. I know I'm way down on the list of people they will come for, but I will not be quiet and silent so eventually they will come for me. And when they come for someone, they look at who they associate with and then come for them. At some point you might want to scrub your social media, change your messaging app, and drop this blog off your reading list.

It always sounds crazy to say it (or write it) outloud, but it's going to be bad. It's coming. Life as we have always known it is over.

I've made my decisions on how the rest of my life goes. A lot of you have as well. But I want you all to understand that it's not without risk.

My friend's friend was beaten in the street by the authorities and then jailed. The only reason she's telling her story now is that she got out.

If you've studied history you know the path we are on.

And if you've studied history you know that some stories are of survivors of a regime. Some stories are of the victims of a regime. Some stories are of the people who went along with the regime. And some are of the people who just did the best that they could to survive. Like my friend's friend who left Iran.

I've said before that I assume I will come to a violent end. I've come to peace with that decision.

Figure out what you can find peace with and follow that path.

And if it means protecting yourself and hiding as best as you can for however long this takes to end then do that.

We are all going to have to shift our way of thinking and our perspectives on the world. Do what is best for you.