50501 General

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50501 Movement General Discourse


50501 is a nationwide movement of Americans standing for democracy against the GOP Administration's undemocratic vices by protesting across 50 states to demand upholding the Constitution and end executive overreach

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Posted to Facebook yesterday, but I only saw it now. Seems to be worth sharing, as the Senator also requested.


Last night in the Senate, something really important happened. Republicans forced us to debate their billionaire bailout budget framework. We started voting at 6 PM because they knew doing it in the dark of night would minimize media coverage. And they do not want the American people to see how blatant their handover of our government to the billionaire class is.

So I want to explain what happened last night and what we did to fight back. The apex of Republicans’ plan to turn over our government to their wealthy cronies is a giant tax cut for billionaires and corporations. And they plan to pay for it with cuts to programs that working people rely on. Popular and necessary programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP, are all being targeted. In order to pass the tax cut, Republicans have to go through a series of procedural steps. Last night, they took the first step which requires them to pass an outline of their plan, but with it, any senator can offer as many amendments as we want. So my Democratic colleagues and I did just that.

Now, we knew that Republicans would largely unanimously oppose them, but we had two objectives here. One, Republicans were forced to put their opinion on record — many for the first time — on the most corrupt parts of Trump and Musk’s agenda. Two, as I’ve been saying, I am going to make every process and procedure as slow and painful as possible for as long as my colleagues choose to ignore the constitutional crisis happening before our eyes.

So what did we propose? We proposed no tax cuts for anyone who makes a billion dollars a year. We made them vote on whether or not Elon Musk and DOGE should have limitless access to Americans’ personal data. We made them vote on whether to protect IVF and require insurers to cover it. Every single amendment Democrats proposed was shot down. On almost every single amendment, Republicans universally opposed it. Every Republican voted against our proposal to prevent more tax cuts for billionaires. The corruption and theft is happening in the open here.

The whole game for Republicans is taking your money and giving it to the wealthiest corporations and billionaires — even if it means kicking your parents out of a nursing home or turning off Medicaid for the poorest children. They know what they are doing is deeply unpopular. They are offering a tax cut to the most wealthy that is 850 times larger than what they are offering working people. Oh and by the way, any tax cuts for working people are going to be washed out by higher costs for basic necessities, like health care and food. It’s a fundamental injustice.

Thanks to your pressure and support, many of my Democratic colleagues have joined my effort to do everything we can to make sure they cannot destroy democracy and steal your money in the dark of the night. We are being loud about what is happening. I’m going to continue to grind the gears of Congress down as much as possible to make it that much harder and slower to get away with this corruption. That’s why the votes lasted until nearly 5 AM.

This is a five-alarm fire. I don’t think we have two years to plan and fight back. I think we have months. It’s still in our power to stop the destruction of our democracy with mass mobilization and effective opposition from elected officials. So we can’t miss any opportunity to take advantage of opportunities to put Republicans on the record and shine a light on what is happening.

And you have a role to play in this as well. I need you to amplify what’s happening, support the leaders who are fighting for you to make sure they can continue speaking truth to power against Musk and Trump’s billionaire cronies, and show up at rallies and town halls. Use every tool at your disposal to send a message loud and clear about how you expect my colleagues to lead and fight in this moment.

Every best wish,

US Senator Chris Murphy

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Please read the linked PDF called Project Unity. It is a thoughtful examination of our current situation, how to solve as many of our problems with 4 solutions. I would propose we assimilate our goals outlined in our PDF and displayed here.

SHARED TRUTHS SUMMARY We all feel our world is off kilter Wealth inequality in systems causes violence Our system is experiencing that Deregulated media does not talk about how to rebalance our system Memories saved from learning environments, like news sources, lacking critical thinking, and remembered during topics of conversation leads to disunity and lack critical thinking open-mindedness. Disunity harms relationships, like the violent rhetoric and difficulty seeking the truth together politically, spiritually, rather than “winning.” Lower taxes on wealthy and corporations isn't working, hence our 40 years of the shrinking middle classes resources, the need for both parents to work and sacrifice their relationships, mental health, physical health, and is why we aren't raising families. There are forces at work to divide us, we choose a Pantheon, inclusive, sustainable organization.

Shared Goals Resource reallocation New Fairness Doctrine Reverse Citizens United and “Tips” for corrupting politics Sustainable Practices

Shared Spiritual Goals (ShHEE): Shared Happiness Shared Experiences Shared Expressions

By aligning our movement with goals like the above, we more broadly impact all of us, including those we may not see eye to eye, like friend, family, neighbors, misled over time.

https://substack.com/@savvii/note/p-162234097?r=50f2n5

he productivity of the industrial revolution was enormous, if the productivity from computers in the early information age being allocated disproportionately created oligarchs which are demolishing democracy slowly, but ramping up speed more recently, the need to begin resource reallocation to save and evolve our democracy is ever more important. How little ideas, voices, American dreams will we have with an exponentially larger increase in productivity with AI, robotics, and automation, as it matures, if it continues to be allocated inequitably? What kind of world do we strive for our kids?

If inequality in a system causes violence, and we're already experiencing leading indicators of violence with our current level of inequity, how bad can it get with the growth, and inequitable allocation, with the continued maturation of AI, automation, and robotics?

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This is the only way to directly block bad stuff from going through. I assume we can talk about stuff like this on Lemmy. People will get fired and arrested. That's how things like this go. Some anonymous people should try to do simple sabotage. No, it's not legal. It's considered property damage or something like that. Nobody needs to go full luiji or anything like that. Just flush a sponge down the toilet at an important facility or something. Park in front of the door to stop people from entering. Not obvious vandalism like with the Teslas. It has to degrade the function of the executive branch. It obviously should be inconspicuous. If anybody has networking skills, they can use that to their advantage. Don't be afraid of getting into trouble. Just say you are unaffiliated with the movement, and that it was an accident. Act stupid. More secure communication will need to be done in person, at a local meeting or something.

This message will be removed in 24 hours or less.

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Looks like 50501 has been infiltrated by the opposition. I don't know what's true here, but it sounds like some fuckery.

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I made this simple PDF to be straightforward and appeal to the more moderate people. I hope this sends a good message and encourages people to join the movement. Feel free to spread this wherever. Let’s inspire people to join the fight! https://qrco.de/bfwJxq

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A few mods got kicked off, and its locked. Whats happening?

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Trump has cut budgets, laid off employees, and pressured universities. Now Norway wants to attract researchers who have poor conditions abroad.

Picture from US protest. A protester is holding a sign saying "Congress makes laws, not the president".

The Research Council prioritizes and allocates funds on behalf of the state.

Now they are allocating 100 million kroner to attract foreign researchers to Norway.

The Managing Director of the Research Council, Mari Sundli Tveit, is clear about the backdrop.

– It is particularly related to the situation in the USA. Academic freedom is under pressure and funding is being cut, says Tveit.

The new scheme allows Norwegian institutions to apply for support to bring in international researchers.

The work around the new scheme was both expanded and expedited when the Trump administration introduced significant cuts to American research in March.

Tveit emphasizes that the arrangement will not be reserved for researchers from the USA.

According to Tveit, many of those who have been laid off in the USA are researching areas such as climate, health, and the Arctic.

– These are areas where it is extremely important for us to ensure that the activity continues. And connecting the researchers to us is a very, very good idea, says Tveit.

Lists with "illegal words"

She is concerned about what she sees as an attack on research in the USA. Among other things, in the form of restrictions on specific research topics.

– There are lists of forbidden words, that is, prohibited words that cannot be included in research applications, says Tveit.

She points to words like "woman," "black," and "climate change."

In addition, the Research Council is concerned about a lot of important research data that is stored in the USA. This includes important research data and results on climate change and health.

– If there is a breach in that data, it will cause irreparable damage. And we are very concerned about that. Right now, we are looking for ways to move data to store it safely elsewhere, says Tveit.

Great need for expertise

Research and Education Minister Sigrun Aasland (Ap) has been a driving force behind the new scheme.

– In Norway, we have a great need for expertise in the coming years, including in research, Aasland explains.

She makes it clear, like Tveit, that the scheme should not be limited to researchers from the USA.

As the situation stands now, Aasland believes there is an increased need for such schemes.

– But is it wise to launch this scheme in the same week that Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg are set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House?

– This is not an American scheme, but a global one. Also, an important reason why we are so focused on collaboration with the USA in research is that they are an outstanding research nation. They account for a significant amount of the world's knowledge about health, climate, and energy, Aasland responds and adds:

– We have extensive collaboration with American researchers, and we want to continue that.

Positive for Norwegian research

The Research Council estimates that the funds can cover 30 to 50 research positions. The researchers will be recruited to both colleges and universities in Norway.

The rector of UiO, Svein Stølen, is positive about the new arrangement.

– This is very interesting. It can bring us truly top researchers from other countries, says Stølen.

The rector believes this could have a significant impact on Norwegian and European research.

– We see that there are challenges in the USA, where China is advancing. The fact that Europe is stepping up is important, continues Stølen.

The rector of the University of Bergen, Margareth Hagen, is also positive about the new arrangement.

– The consequences for us are significant. It concerns the fact that about 22 percent of the research at UiB is conducted in collaboration with American researchers. So it is clear that what is happening in the USA affects us quite immediately, says Hagen.

She points out that the collaboration with American research environments spans the entire breadth of UiB's academic fields.

– UiB is particularly known for strong climate research and also for a lot of research on global health, where Americans are at the forefront.

(Translated by Kagi)

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Anyone know what is going on?

How long it will remain closed?

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Keeping track of counter protesters on Twitter. A common complaint seen is that people bring Palestine/Israel flags to protests. I have no comment on this.

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Support Black Lives Matter. Support defending the police. Support ending racial policing. Support prison reform. Support protecting civil rights.

50501 will be far more successful if we start paying rightful attention to Black Americans. For all the shit going on right now, they have suffered more and continue to suffer more than the rest of us.

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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by enub22@50501.chat to c/General@50501.chat
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Where is the Law Team? Activists and professionals focused on law and security related issues.

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The stock market just crashed by 2 trillion! This is the Republican Recession folks!

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!Decisions@lemmy.fiftyfifty.one

This community lets you influence the next actions of 50501.

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Repost from https://reddit.com/r/50501/comments/1jpzmrt/musk_stepping_down_is_part_of_broader_plans/ because I think it is important.

Rumors are milling about that Musk is stepping down, cool, great, grand and dandy. "Progress" is what it will seem like, as if they are running.

Suffice to say I've been watching and listening for a bit so lets get to the part where it's bad (edit:) if we allow ourselves and the public to grow complacent.

Project 2025

  • People have been focused on the "flood" aspect of P2025, forgetting that this was planned over a long span of time with contingencies. Such as the fact Project 2025 has already compiled a massive list of "loyalists" who have applied to help them as employees in their little new-world-order business.

The Hatchet Man

  • A common trick of businesses in Drumpy-boys era was to release someone into the system of a business, letting them cut and hack and harm, only to then "remove" them in some manner with all the assurances that "they can't do anything now, we're safe" before doing the real damage that was intended.

Orange-man and the GOP are going to pull a fast one on the general public. Musk will "step down", then all of those gutted safety-net positions will be backfilled with loyalists who will answer to primarily to GOP leadership and Orange-guy.

You might be saying "Why would he re-instate X or Y or Z departments?" for many, he wont. Not to mention others will be made/renamed to perform other tasks that seem like its back to normal on paper, they wont be either.

Oversight groups meant to come down on companies? Corpos? Musk? Nothing. What will happen however is that the entire system will be so utterly corrupted from the inside as to mean nothing anymore.

The heat dies down, people calm down a bit because it looks like things are going back to normal, the threat wont be so immediate, this is on purpose. But it'll have been the win-condition. The treatment for a wounded nation will then be to poison it fully from the top, down.

Project 2025 can't be defeated with a simple impeachment, it can't be broken with voting out some major faces like the pres or vp... This isn't something we "return to normal" over.

Regardless of the ending to this fiasco, this entire system is getting a re-write as was anticipated by the founding fathers...right now you folks are deciding who gets to hold the pen.

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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by WormMoon@50501.chat to c/General@50501.chat
 
 

Thanks to @Taste-T-Krumpetz on reddit and many others saying individual protests are not enough and for pushing us to think further. Many folks are seeing the necessity of more impactful and sustained action, including and beyond street protest, and more sustained economic disruption.

It's also really important to disrupt all business as usual. Every day that goes by where we function like it is business as usual, going to work and shutting up while we're there, is normalizing this in our bodies, hearts and minds.

And, since they're flooding the zone, we can't all act on every single thing that pops up on the regime's timing. We have to be strategic and already in action. We know exactly what they're doing and what they're aiming for, so, we don't need to wait for them to do it before we act. Plus, they've already done enough that there are plenty of places to start.

So. I have been thinking along the following principles as far as guiding action:

  1. No business as usual (economic disruption through boycotts / stopping spending, visibility, protest, vigils, sit ins, slow downs, stoppages, disrupting the systems that feed the regime's power in any way and making asks and demands that weaken the pillars of power.)
  2. Building movements (Ongoing, cross-sector, based in class struggle and mutual aid. Weaken the pillars of power by reducing people's reliance on it and strengthening the people's reliance on each other. Connect with one another. Everything you do, invite at least one person to do it with you.)
  3. Starting and acting from where you are (Your current roles and positions in the social order and what is important to you. For example, I am a white person, a higher ed instructor, adjunct laborer, union member, student debt holder, parent, caregiver for someone with a disability, live in low income housing, neighbor to many immigrants, etc. Any / all of these can be places I start and focus on and build from, and notice the connections between. Action is available to everyone, all the time.)
  4. Our work as our power (And work as widely understood and including all forms of unpaid labor / social reproduction. Make our work benefit the people, democracy, pressure our institutions and workplaces, build workplace power, and take away any support we can from the regime in our work.)
  5. Everyday / Every day action (Again, action is available to everyone all the time. Commit to acting every day, even in everyday ways.)

For me, as an adjunct professor, currently teaching online, I realized I have a lot of freedom about when and where I work. And, especially since Covid started, many other professors do as well. What is to stop us from starting to build power with daily or weekly "work-ins" at strategic locations, to bring visibility to the issues that affect our students and us and everyone in higher ed or education more broadly. This could be City Hall, courts, ICE buildings, etc. There could be one for each city. These could be a whole day with a clear schedule and people could come and go as they needed. There could be things like teach-ins, reading groups, work-ins, demonstration, dance parties, etc. In addition to building power and visibility in resisting the Trump regime, these could be access points for building power and organizing about workplace issues like bargaining and the budget, and cross-organizing across workplaces and sectors, taking further collection action, sharing calls to action, etc. Additionally, students could be invited so we could build different, new relationships of solidarity with our students. This also helps us build organizing power towards larger actions like work stoppages and strikes and also has the potential to bring media attention. This could provide us an opportunity to connect different things that are under attack by the Trump regime (trans rights, dept. of education, student debt, immigrant rights / deportations, , by explaining how all of these issues connect and impact students and our communities.

I'll also direct folks to the Repository of 50501 Related Resources (https://50501.chat/post/23757)

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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by enub22@50501.chat to c/General@50501.chat
 
 

Since we want to do a general strike, shouldn't we call for unions to be made? Is there some resources to join or form a union in your workplace? (I will add resources to my list.)

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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by RainbowHedgehog@50501.chat to c/General@50501.chat
 
 

I’m going to Washington D.C. on April 5th with my Dad. My mom has been freaking out because she’s convinced I’ll get abducted off the street and Trump will send me to El Salvador. I believe this is very unlikely and I’m going to D.C. anyways. Though I feel really bad freaking my mom out.

Edit: I am white. I’m not worried about being abducted. I just feel bad my mom is freaking out, and I’m wondering if anyone else has dealt with family members that didn’t want them to protest.

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Just heard the news from Parnas on substack

Livestream: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP82KuMgT/

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