Thank you for your reminder the the fight is not over. That there is still HOPE. It is in the community of We The People. Non violent resistance is not pacifism. Strength in numbers. We The People must shame those in power. Right Makes Might.
Another deeply relevant essay that educates, explicately clarifies, and offers us hope in an increasingly darkening time. Thanks James! Now I need to reread this hopeful lesson, then make a copy of it, to share it with whoever cares to understand.
This is exactly the hopeful and helpful post I needed this Sunday morning. While I no longer believe or practice, I grew up in a Kentucky Southern Baptist Sunday sermon tradition. So, it seems fitting. Thank you.
Thank you for this clear-eyed piece. What strikes me most is how you show that resistance is not only about great marches or dramatic moments but about the daily acts of care, trust, and solidarity that hold communities together under pressure. Those “ordinary” practices, feeding one another, protecting one another, refusing isolation, are what make it possible to stand up when the larger tests come.
History reminds us that power is not unshakable when people reclaim the flows of labor, care, and meaning from fear and turn them toward dignity and justice. Reading your words, I am reminded that this struggle is not only about survival but about reimagining how we live together so that belonging and security are not privileges but shared foundations.
Thank you for your invaluable insights James. Authoritarianism is not just political, it is about controlling life itself. But history shows that when people resist together; through care, disruption, visibility, and defection—fear loses its grip. The tools already exist. The challenge is to use them, locally and collectively, before it’s too late. A shout-out to the likes of Corey Booker, AOC and Bernie Sanders y'all need to be reading reading James's essays.
JBG weaves the insights of anthropology, political economy, and history together better than anyone else I read. And he always gives us hopeful directions.
Authoritarian power has been increasing with every presidency since the patriot act was passed. It's very interesting to see how both sides of the aisle react when their guys isn't in office.
It's important to listen to all political perspectives, or the authoritarian beauracracy will continue to divide the country to the normal persons demise.
Thank you for your reminder the the fight is not over. That there is still HOPE. It is in the community of We The People. Non violent resistance is not pacifism. Strength in numbers. We The People must shame those in power. Right Makes Might.
Thank you so much for your clarity and guidance. It's really appreciated!
Another deeply relevant essay that educates, explicately clarifies, and offers us hope in an increasingly darkening time. Thanks James! Now I need to reread this hopeful lesson, then make a copy of it, to share it with whoever cares to understand.
Thank you for sharing this ray of sunshine in the darkness
Hopeful on this Labor Day weekend.
This is exactly the hopeful and helpful post I needed this Sunday morning. While I no longer believe or practice, I grew up in a Kentucky Southern Baptist Sunday sermon tradition. So, it seems fitting. Thank you.
Thank you for this clear-eyed piece. What strikes me most is how you show that resistance is not only about great marches or dramatic moments but about the daily acts of care, trust, and solidarity that hold communities together under pressure. Those “ordinary” practices, feeding one another, protecting one another, refusing isolation, are what make it possible to stand up when the larger tests come.
History reminds us that power is not unshakable when people reclaim the flows of labor, care, and meaning from fear and turn them toward dignity and justice. Reading your words, I am reminded that this struggle is not only about survival but about reimagining how we live together so that belonging and security are not privileges but shared foundations.
Thank you for your invaluable insights James. Authoritarianism is not just political, it is about controlling life itself. But history shows that when people resist together; through care, disruption, visibility, and defection—fear loses its grip. The tools already exist. The challenge is to use them, locally and collectively, before it’s too late. A shout-out to the likes of Corey Booker, AOC and Bernie Sanders y'all need to be reading reading James's essays.
Followers of Greenberg may find, as I did, the brief comment on djt by David Remnick, “Fear Factor” in The New Yorker, August 8, 2025.
JBG weaves the insights of anthropology, political economy, and history together better than anyone else I read. And he always gives us hopeful directions.
Authoritarian power has been increasing with every presidency since the patriot act was passed. It's very interesting to see how both sides of the aisle react when their guys isn't in office.
It's important to listen to all political perspectives, or the authoritarian beauracracy will continue to divide the country to the normal persons demise.