Notices by Amanda Marcotte (amandamarcotte@mastodon.sdf.org)

RFK's not-so-veiled threat to take mental health drugs away is even worse than it looks at first blush.

He wants to replace these medications with labor camps.

This fits with the larger, eugenics-informed Trump/Musk agenda.

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/19/rfk-s-plan-to-make-america-healthy-again-round-up-people-with-mental-health-conditions-in-camps/

I spoke with Katherine Stewart about her new book, which she wrote after spending much of the past couple of years embedded with the movement to end democracy.

It's called "Money, Lies and God" and is a ground's eye view of American fascism.

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/18/his-mission-is-to-eradicate-woke-jesus-how-money-lies-and-religion-are-abused-to-gut-democracy/

With Musk usurping their real authority — appropriation — what role does Congress even play?

Republicans tacitly unveiled their answer this week: They see their main purpose as disseminating even more disinfo to make Americans even dumber.

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/13/musk-took-all-their-power-so-remake-congress-into-a-ministry-of-disinformation/

Musk is trying to destroy the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which would regulate any "e-wallet" he starts.

How does he trick his fans into hating an agency that protects them from scams?

He tells them it has girl cooties. And they fall for it!

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/12/let-the-scams-roll-elon-musk-exploits-culture-to-turn-maga-against-consumer-protections/

Why read past headlines: Details, receipts. The "anti-trans" order led to canceling sexual assault prevention in the military. Title IX rules to prevent sexual assault are gone.

It also put "women" on the list of banned words for medical research.

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/10/women-is-a-banned-word-uses-trans-panic-to-strip-rights-from-all-women/

Elon Musk's salute is a standard-issue far-right trolling tactic. I call it fascist peekaboo, and explain how it works here.

But it's not working so well this time. I explain how progressives and the press are getting smarter on how to respond.

https://www.salon.com/2025/01/22/elon-musks-salute-falls-flat-why-far-right-trolling-isnt-working-this-time/

Mike Johnson's fake "Jefferson prayer" didn't read like an honest mistake, but a deliberate provocation. He even mocked historians in his intro.

I put his stunt into context. Fake history is a linchpin weapon of Christian nationalists.
https://www.salon.com/2025/01/07/why-mike-johnsons-fake-jefferson-prayer-matters/

New Standing Room Only! Today's excerpt: Fascism is the revenge of mediocrities like Elon Musk.

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Music by Le Tigre.

With Trump coming into office, MAGA is likely to get more violent. The desire to go full brownshirt has always been part of the movement.

They'll also feel safe from consequences, with Kash Patel in charge.

https://www.salon.com/2024/12/30/this-is-trumps-america-now-maga-diehards-jumpstart-a-new-year-of-political-violence/

Straights aren't pairing off like they used to, and the press wants to blame women — for daring to have standards.

I argue that it's MAGA that broke heterosexuality. They make it seem like hell. Of course more women are taking a pass.

https://www.salon.com/2024/12/27/tradwives-incels-and-cat-ladies-the-year-maga-broke-heterosexuality/

New Standing Room Only! Today's excerpt is about what the stupid "raw milk" thing tells us about fascism.

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Music by (who else?) Kelis.

New Standing Room Only! The military coup in South Korea made me realize that Trump's campaign probably swiped his 2024 strategy from Yoon Suk Yeol.

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Music by Modjo.

Both Texas and Georgia are destroying evidence of all maternal mortality, blocking proof that women are dying from abortion bans.

This story has a lot more going on than you think. Especially since Republicans are lying about the public cases.

https://www.salon.com/2024/12/02/dont-care-if-women-from-abortion-bans--but-they-dont-want-you-to-know-about-it/

In the bargaining stage of grief, some Democrats — from the Pod Save crew to Jared Polis — are wondering if it's time to indulge conspiracy theorists instead of holding the line on the truth.

The answer is "hell no." Here's why.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/27/no-progressives-should-not-embrace-conspiracy-theories-to-win/

New Standing Room Only! Today's excerpt: Why the rape accusation against Pete Hegseth matters.

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Music by Fever Ray.

New Standing Room Only! Today's excerpt: How Mike Johnson's short term thinking could do long-term damage to the Christian right.

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Music by Erma Franklin.

The lesson from Gaetz's collapse: Not just that resistance can work, but how to do it in a smart and effective way.

Building on prior analysis of authoritarians' weaknesses, I look at why Gaetz imploded and how that can be used going forward.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/22/resistance-is-not-futile-matt-gaetzs-implosion-shows-how-magas-chaos-can-be-turned-against/

My goal this time is not to just be outraged, which is what they want. Instead, the goal is to calmly analyze the tactics of fascists, so they are less effective.

I draw a line between the harassment of Sarah McBride and online abuse like Gamergate.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/21/of-hate-maga-in-congress-wage-harassment-campaign-against-trans-colleague/

Mike Johnson is being called a hypocrite for covering for Matt Gaetz.

But I argue that, at this point, covering for bad men should be considered a religious tradition for the Christian right.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/20/how-mike-johnsons-christian-morality-provides-cover-for-matt-gaetz/

Why read instead of just snarking in mentions: I am serious that this isn't "hypocrisy."

Instead, I outline how the Christian right has crafted a theology where sexual predators are blameless, and it's the victims — women and girls — who are faulted.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/20/how-mike-johnsons-christian-morality-provides-cover-for-matt-gaetz/