If you found your way to my blog, you may already know I am outspoken on a lot of issues. I am clear AF on my stance on human rights and social justice. While every issue is political, and our bodies have been politicized, I tend to hold back my political positions on social media.

It's clear where I lean, but In my experience, it's usually counterproductive and brings unwanted attention from trolls. It leaves no room for nuanced conversations. People get really upset and I already bring enough heat to my page. (Surprisingly, the posts about stopping billionaires makes men flip out. But, I digress...)

If we're open to new information, our views can change. And, I firmly believe two things can be true at the same time.

IF I am going there, it will be long form.
It will be heavily researched.
It will be fact checked and thorough.
If I can't lay out my position fully, I won't bother.

I curate the goods so you make better choices. I inspire you to take action to ignite change. To break the hegemonic stranglehold will take all of us, working together. To fix the patriarchy, and change systems, we must respect the reality of the system we have. 

I do not believe in limiting the boundaries of our political imagination. We are limitless.

And still, I'm a pragmatist. We have to work within the confines of reality, replacing the systems we have and working with in them as we transition.

Elections are only a moment in time, but their results are not. The winner greatly impacts our ability to live our lives the way we want, with freedom and flexibility. A vote won't save you; no one candidate can fix any of the issues we face. There is no cure-all for this mess.

But, our vote can impact our ability to speak up, our right to body autonomy, to move freely, to receive services, to access media, and can affect our personal and professional safety.

If you care about "The Future of Work" and a more inclusive, accessible, sustainable world, it's important to understand the potential impact of your vote on "people and planet." Do the work and research.

Short on time? I got you. Before you exercise your power (in a crap system, with crap choices), please, check this for a broader understanding of your choices.

Got 15 minutes? Read on...

18 and a Life to Go: It's Chai Time We Got Real About the Risks to Our Future

The Hot List: Elections, Information, and Systems Change Edition

1. Social Media is a "Tool." Use it wisely.

Far too many Americans tell others how to vote when they have no idea how our government operates. They tell people how to speak up when they have no idea how tech works, and they use tools for their own gain, rather than the collective good.

I'm not saying people are "uneducated." They just don't have the right information or a full picture. Too many are trusting the wrong teachers and curators, and fewer take any time to read up on whatever their 2 min Tik Tok just taught them. Without the full picture, citizens cannot act strategically, organize, or create tangible change. They fail to see the bigger picture, thinking their vote is aligned with their values.

Social media is a tool, and tools are easily weaponized or misused when they fall into the wrong hands.

Well-meaning citizens retweet soundbites from headlines about military spending, without understanding how the federal budget works. They know little to nothing about appropriations, committees, or the major conflicts of interest that exist between our politicians and corporations (which should be illegal, full stop).

They amplify bots and believe every post has a single human behind it. They don't understand the extent of election interference that exists, nor the propaganda we all consume, often from our own government. They don't understand fascism.

Don't get me wrong. TikTok is a great place to start becoming more social and politically active, as is LinkedIn (shocking many Instagrammers and Twitter deserters, until we converted them).

Since starting my business in August 2019, I've published 65 articles on Medium and a few hundred posts on Instagram. I've shared about 3,000 posts on LinkedIn in 5 years, (mostly long form, using up every single character that platform allows–1,600 to now 3k). Despite fighting the Algorithm since 2020, I know I've had an impact. (Hell, it's probably how you found me, and why you're reading this right now!)

I know first hand how important social media is to growing movements, shifting the narrative, and getting out the truth. If it wasn't useful, the censor and censure loving Powers That Be wouldn't be going after TikTok so hard. They wouldn't let X and Meta spread hate speech, disinformation, and misogyny at breakneck speeds.

I'm not knocking social media education; for building awareness it's a game changer. It's a good tool to grow your "thought leadership," find your voice, and amplify who and what you've learned. It's how I found mine.

What I am knocking is the armchair experts with zero expertise, using their voice to advocate for things that will cause more harm. Those who make sweeping statements about things they know only social-media-level knowledge about should be forced to have disclaimers on their posts.

2. Take informed action to "Do No Harm."

I take speaking up very seriously and see it as an honor and a weighty responsibility. Before we take action, we must be well informed. If we're not, it can be deadly.

If you're taking your precious time to listen to little 'ol me, out of the 8 billion humans on the planet, I won't waste it (even if I am verbose).

I've been disappointed in how many educated, passionate, change-seeking people I know are playing with fire, telling people how to vote without the experience to back it up.

If your only argument can be seen on youtube, you've lost me. Talk to me, or better yet, to others, when you've read 1,000 white papers from NGOs, the UN, the U.S. government, academia, and independent researchers who are trying to fix (waves hands) ALL of these intractable problems.

I always read the source material and data. If an article says "A new study says..." I go read the study.

Not everyone makes time to do this level of digging, but it's important to listen to those who do. It's really fucking dangerous to listen to "influencers" you haven't vetted. Their "fully formed" opinions have been formed on clip shows, and this is influencing voters. Formed opinions do not equal informed perspectives.

When I've called others out for only reading headlines I'm often met with, "I don't have time for that." That's fine; then just don't post about it as if you know what you're saying.

It's important to know the difference between a post and a party, a person and a politician, and a perspective and a policy—and to give weight accordingly. If you want to know who to listen to, look at the power structures and funding behind the people speaking. (Want to fund a blog with deep insights, research, and fuel for changemakers? Let's chat!)

3. Ask better questions with your leaders, yourself, and even AI.

If you really want to make changes in the economy, the Middle East, Africa, your town, your schools, before you vote, please, ask better questions.

Put your anti-racist, anti-fascist, decolonized mind and intersectional feminist (not-pink-pussy) hat on for a minute.

1. How long have men been in charge?

We have a chance to not only break the glass ceiling, but to destroy the concrete ceiling that's kept Black women from power for far too long. If we want our patriarchal government to stop acting so violently, with impunity, as it has for centuries, our best shot is a Black woman, full stop. I wrote this before the last election and sadly, white women did not get the fucking memo.

If you want people to care more about concrete buildings crushing babies, good. So do I. If we break 250 years of hegemonic rule, the men leading this nation may finally have a reality check. It would only be the very start of a long road. It could take another 250 years of work to undo their damage, maybe more. Let's get going!

2. Who can we save?

Do you really want an anti-science, pro-authoritarian emotional real estate felon in charge while the doomsday clock continues to tick closer to midnight?

3. Who is responsible for war, and how can we change this?

I'm not vote-shaming. I am not bullying you; I am trying to inform you and provide facts that illustrate the absurdity of equating all capitalists and colonizers as equally harmful.

Be strategic about HOW TO MAKE the changes you want to see in our government. An election is not the way to create systems change.

Want to end war or mass incarceration? Want the right to choose an abortion or access your medical records?

A protest vote is not going to do it.

Don't take my word for it. Listen to the supercomputer combing the internet and historical records. I tested out Sashay, a ChatGPT from my colleague Mervyn Kennedy-MacFoy yesterday, asking "her" about the upcoming election and the U.S. government.

I asked the questions I know many people are struggling with (especially my fellow pro-watermelon defenders, rightfully so).

The results were more or less as I expected, partially because of how I asked the questions, though I tried not to "lead the witness" and ask without too much context.

This is not to say that ChatGPT gets it all right–far from it. In fact, the one bit of math it shared was glaringly incorrect.

"A large majority of U.S. Congress members currently support continued military funding for Israel. In 2024, 328 members—more than three-quarters of the total 535 members—signed a bipartisan letter to the Appropriations Committee backing "robust funding for Israel's security" without any added conditions."

328 out of 535 is clearly not more than three quarters. When a super computer brain can't do basic math (it's 61% btw), I do question the rest of its data even more. As my mom would tell me (to my chagrin), "Almost doesn't count."

We should be wary, or course, of taking what AI says as facts. But, that can be said of every single source on the internet.

Confirm your sources. I did with Sashay's answers, and I always do. 

As I said, tech is complex and not at all perfect. What AI is good at: looking at all of history, seeing patterns in outcomes, and given the right data sets, considering a holistic approach to systems change.

As a person who seeks to do the same, and to not get caught up in rhetoric, one perspective, or one voice, the flaws in our government have been crystal clear to me for decades. I've never thought: well this one person can fix it. Systems don't work like that.

I've watched for years (not just 12 months) how our government funds human rights violations MORE than humanitarian aid. The most recent federal budgets allocated roughly $750+ billion USD on the military vs. $45 billion on humanitarian aid. This math has never mathed.

I've followed the money, honey. I've dug deep into the OBM. I've read the DLA's last 5 years annual strategic plans. (What's the OBM? Start here. What's the DLA? Read up on it.)

I know how things operate and how money moves, because I care that deeply about understanding our economy. Our government is our business. This is the only reason I'm confident enough to share political content in posts and articles like this one. I've done the legwork, and then some. I wish more people would do the same.

Don’t have time? No problem! AI can help. Test it out yourself. Ask Sashay or BlackChatGPT how to fix this mess.

Bad foreign policy is a constant in our nation, so ask how you can change that. Israel is violent, so ask how to stop the violence. 

Unsure if you should vote for a 3rd party? Disillusioned with our 2 party system?  You can read what it had to say about similar questions I asked here. There are 7 steps to take to end the war machine. It’s worth noting not one of them is voting in a presidential election.

4. A change is going to come, if we keep our right to vote.

Revolutions are necessary when all other options have failed. When you have no freedom of speech, no access to media, no access to knowledge and NO means of taking steps to change things. We are NOT there yet. We don't need more violence. We don't need more people dismissing lives. EVERY LIFE MATTERS. 

We need diplomacy and dignity for all. Yes, we want "Empire" to end, and to get our money out of the military. If we inadvertently enable a dictator to take hold, our ability to act is reduced substantially. Truthfully, many of us who post and kvetch about algorithmic suppression will have bigger worries. We might go to prison.

Harris isn't going to be a panacea. NO POLITICIAN EVER WILL. But, to have a chance at re-shaping our nation into one that gives a shit, we need a President who has feelings (not a psychopath) and has some reasoning and critical thinking skills. 

We need someone not phased by reporters or protesters. And we need to know the difference when we're told we're being ignored.

If we were being ignored, Kamala Harris would NOT be the nominee right now.

Remember Trump threatened to beat the shit out of those who spoke up at his rallies and encouraged others to do so. Meanwhile Harris gets shade for saying she's trying to speak.

We need someone not easily triggered by vanity metrics. We need someone who is NOT a pathological liar. We need someone who knows the systems well. We need to listen to the people who've done work and know how to do the damn job.

Think about how you make your voice heard, and note that voting is not the most effective or efficient avenue for action. Shift your focus to toppling the military industrial complex and holding our representative government accountable. 

The difference between these candidates is not just in their policy of one region. It's the risk of erasing our voices from public discourse and losing the ability to share, educate, and organize altogether.

I ALWAYS let common sense and my understanding elections, and power of the position guide my actions every time. 

I am not new to speaking up during elections. I am in full support of advocating for an alternative, and had previously been behind Stein. In 2020, I went hard for a 3rd party write-in candidate for our mayor, and actively campaigned others to do so. I've voted 3rd party when I knew my state would be blue no matter who. 

If you think voting 3rd party or for a wannabe despot for the Executive branch will do that, then please do. Just be smart about it.

Consider why the fall out of doing that in a presidential election is not proportional to the soapbox you're standing on. Don't be a petulant child because the war machine isn't listening to you after 12 months, and throw away a chance for SOME progress. Do you remember the backlash towards journalists and protesters in 2020? I do not want that hell back in Portland.

Activism for a fair and just world is a long game.

Keep calling your reps, boycotting, speaking up, posting, and marching. 

I encourage you to make a plan of action that extends far beyond November 2024. If you're new here, WELCOME. There's plenty of room and plenty of work to do.

Do the research into HOW TO MAKE the changes you seek. 

5. Vote your values, for the collective.

I don't ever want to limit your rights; your vote is your existence as much as it is the existence of democracy. 

I wholeheartedly support you shouting your dissent from the rooftops. But, if you abstain from voting, or vote 3rd party to make a point, you're cutting off your nose, and all our noses, to spite your face. Want to keep the right to vote? Let that be your 1 issue.

If you can save the lives of people, you have a duty to do it. If you think your vote will save people, please do vote that way. While you still have it, don’t squander your right to choose. Depending on the victor, we may not have another vote in our lifetime.

If you think voting along party lines is hypocritical, consider the hypocrisy from another angle. If you end up extending "Empire's" reign, expanding it's harm, and in turn killing MORE people, how is that "dismantling" this broken system?

If you know that war cannot do what diplomacy can, and you truly believe the only path to peace is by humanizing each other, then don’t throw it your vote, saying it’s about time for a violent revolution.

Don't like when our government uses terms like collateral damage, cost of war, or the price of freedom? You might want to rethink using them yourselves, in couched language like liberation.

Liberation and solidarity don't mean we embrace violence. It means we do everything in our power to stop harm, everywhere, all the time. If you want to stay in line with grassroots organizers and those advocating for collective liberation, know that accountability, reconciliation, and repair are the goals. They don’t happen in a vacuum and they require lifetimes of labor. 

Non-violent activism has a better track record for creating lasting change. Violence should be a last resort, especially since it is the tool of the oppressors and colonizers we purport to condemn. 

“Fundamentally, if we are only committed to an improvement in that politic of domination that we feel leads directly to our individual exploitation or oppression, we not only remain attached to the status quo but act in complicity with it, nurturing and maintaining those very systems of domination. Until we are all able to accept the interlocking, interdependent nature of systems of domination and recognize specific ways each system is maintained, we will continue to act in ways that undermine our individual quest for freedom and collective liberation struggle.” – bell hooks, Love as the Practice of Freedom, in Outlaw Culture, 1994

Voting for #45 signs death warrants, and helps no one in Palestine, Lebanon, or the U.S. except the 1%. It would be a death blow to any planetary protections we've gained these past 4 years.

Personally, I refuse to use my vote to make a statement that could cost MORE lives and limit MORE of my rights.

I refuse to release that much power to a sexual predator, pathological liar, and thief. This does not describe all politicians, even if we don't like them. I would never do anything that may risk an actually insane rapist, who is anti-science and a crook, back in power. He does not deserve my vote, directly or indirectly. Period.

In the U.S. we have always been voting for the lesser of two bad actors. ALWAYS. That is not new. Throughout history, our government (and nation, built on a shoddy foundation of inequality and forced labor, enslavement and exploitation) has dictated foreign policy that is absolutely abhorrent.

Think our government sucks? (I sure AF do.) So?! Work to change it.

Learn from those who’ve been advocating to end apartheid for decades. Listen to those working together, not painting people as evil or other. Or follow my motto, which has yet to let me down in the past decade. Listen to Black women.

Want to change systems? As the Practicing Liberatory Road Map states, the goal of “Doing the work” is to enable “us to collectively replace existing structures with more life-affirming, compassionate, and just processes, policies, and practices.” Use that to guide your vote.

If you want progress and solidarity, model it. Stand with your trans comrades, begging you to think about your vote more carefully. Stand firm with your Latine and Black comrades who know the danger of going backwards. Installing a twice impeached President who eliminated the Civil Rights and EPA .gov websites day 1 in office is insanity. 

Our responsibility to save lives must be universal, and we have to be strategic about it. As a Jew, we're taught saving one life is to save a world. Voting for a 3rd party candidate will save zero lives, but it may mean worlds are lost.  

Even if it's gross, and you have to "hold your nose" when you fill out your ballot, do the right thing for the most people. I held my nose last election, and it doesn’t mean I won’t do it again. I am a grown up and see the risks clearly. Yes, Biden was and is bad on a lot of things. He has done a lot of good things, too. Can't say the same for the orange one. 

We have mountains to move before we can shift the government to stop funding wars overseas. Elections are not the way to make that happen. I wish they were, and goddess knows I want that shift as much as you do. 

I hope helps you take action aligned with your values. When you vote, all I ask is that you #CareMore. Care enough to dig deeper, to truly engage in the inquiry, not just the social media sound bites.

If you believe that we are fighting for our collective liberation, please, care about everyone.