American Escapee is a space for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. Which is why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousand.

We’re over 6,500 strong. 🥳

So if this speaks to you, please join us and hit Subscribe.

And if you’re able, less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

At about $0.19 a day, you’re helping to keep this voice unsponsored, unsoftened, and unfiltered.

Thanks again for all your support.

In Case You Missed It

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Arrested in Long Running Epstein Case

Andrew Albert Christian Edward, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested in connection with longstanding allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein. For years the story unfolded through court filings and public denials while the royal institution distanced itself. However, the latest arrest may have shifted the matter from just scandal to legal scrutiny.

This doesn’t erase the years of protection that status provided. So whether this leads to meaningful accountability or a controlled resolution will depend on what happens beyond this headline.

White House Weighs Iran Strike Without Congressional Approval

The White House signaled it may pursue military action against Iran without seeking formal authorization from Congress, relying on broad executive powers used by multiple administrations. Lawmakers have voiced concern, but there has been little sign of a unified effort to block it.

A conflict with Iran would carry serious consequences, from regional instability to economic shockwaves at home. Moving ahead without Congress may fit modern precedent, but most Americans are clear they’re not in favor of war with Iran.

Jesse Louis Jackson Dies at 84 Leaving a Complex Record

The Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at 84, closing a chapter on a career that helped shape modern American politics. Through Operation PUSH and his presidential campaigns, he brought issues like economic justice and voting rights into wider national focus.

But for the left his record is layered. While he built broad coalitions and expanded political spaces, he often worked within institutions that limited how far change could go. So for many his life reflects both the impact of persistent advocacy and the constraints of operating inside established power.

This post is a direct call for self reflection. Not for someone else, for all of us. Myself included. If there were ever a moment to pause, look inward, and question our own assumptions, it is now.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.

Love Y’all

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

But what’s equally as fascinating is the reaction to these clips.

Scroll through the comments in these videos and you’ll see people pointing out how young the soldiers look. Comments saying the whole thing feels pointless or Americans admitting flat out that this war is wrong. You can’t help but feel real sympathy there.

But still there’s a disconnect.

Because some of the same people who sympathize with the soldiers haven’t made the connection that their politics help send them to war.

I’m not talking about people who think Iran is dangerous or that Trump knows what he’s doing. I’m talking about people who still treat universal programs and a basic safety net as an open question. As if basic rights are still up for debate.

If you’re wondering what any of this has to do with those soldiers, let’s take a second to connect the dots.

A lot of those soldiers didn’t sign up because they were itching to invade Iran. They signed up for health care. For help paying for school. A steady paycheck. Maybe even a place to live.

And military recruiters don’t randomly end up in low income neighborhoods. That’s not an accident, it’s a strategy.

Which is interesting, because these are the exact programs Americans are constantly told would never work if everyone had them.

So instead of making these things universal, they are treated as special privileges reserved for U.S. soldiers.

So here are the benefits given as basic human rights around the world. But in America, you have to be willing to die to get them.

Healthcare

If you’re a low ranking soldier in the U.S., health care comes through the military system. While on active duty you’re covered by TRICARE, the Pentagon’s health program. Most of the time that means going to a military hospital or clinic, and if they can’t treat you there you get sent to a civilian doctor.

For the service member, it’s free. No premiums, copays, or surprise bills showing up months later. Your spouse and kids can be covered too, usually for a pretty low cost.

For a nineteen year old recruit from a town where the best medical care is a vending machine aspirin, this looks like winning the lottery. Dental care, doctor visits, prescriptions. Suddenly the government is very interested in your well being.

Of course the system isn’t perfect. Veterans have long complained about delays in care and bureaucratic obstacles. And it’s well documented that the VA system can become a maze once they’ve left service. Stories of veterans waiting months for appointments aren’t urban legends. They’re congressional hearing material.

But here’s the important part. Even with its flaws, the military healthcare system still provides something millions of civilians don’t have. Guaranteed access to low cost and free care.

Meanwhile in countries like Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, universal health care isn’t a recruitment tool. Citizens don’t have to sign an enlistment contract to see a doctor. They simply show up with an insurance card issued by the government.

No deployment required.

Housing

Housing is another major selling point.

A low ranking enlisted soldier is usually given two options. Live in military barracks or receive a housing allowance known as BAH (if they qualify to live off base). There’s no doubt that the barracks aren’t glamorous. But still, it’s a roof over your head and it’s paid for.

If a service member lives off base, the housing allowance helps cover rent or a mortgage depending on location and rank. For young people coming from places where rent eats half their paycheck, this feels like stability.

But the system again isn’t without issues. Military housing has faced repeated criticism for poor conditions and mismanagement, especially when privately run. Families have reported mold, maintenance delays, and landlords that refuse to make repairs.

Even so, the underlying idea is simple. The government recognizes that people need a place to live and helps provide it.

In other countries that idea doesn’t require a uniform.

Take Vienna in Austria, (link to the complete article down below). The city operates one of the most successful public housing systems in the world. Roughly sixty percent of residents live in some form of social housing. The apartments are well built, affordable, and well maintained.

In other words, the thing the U.S. offers as a perk is treated elsewhere as basic urban policy.

Jobs Guarantee

The military is also one of the largest jobs programs in the United States.

When someone enlists they receive guaranteed employment, steady pay, training, and in some cases signing bonuses. Depending on the role, they may learn technical skills that transfer into civilian life. Part of their employment package includes retirement benefits. After twenty years of service a soldier can qualify for a pension that provides income for life.

Currently this is the closest thing America has to a stable career ladder. The job market might ghost you after three interviews, but the Army will return your calls immediately.

Of course the tradeoff is obvious. The job requires you to follow orders to deploy to places many Americans can’t locate on a map. And not everyone who leaves the military finds a smooth transition into civilian employment. Veterans often face unemployment or underemployment after service despite the promises of career pipelines.

Meanwhile countries like Denmark and Finland run robust labor programs that focus on training and placement. They have strong systems for income support during unemployment.

The idea is that society benefits when people have stable work.

Not when they are forced to choose between unemployment and a rifle.

Education

Education may be the biggest recruitment magnet of them all.

The United States military offers tuition assistance during service and the famous GI Bill after it. Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, veterans can receive funding that covers tuition, housing, and most educational expenses. Which means for many young Americans this is one of the most realistic paths to graduating without massive debt.

That promise has pulled generations of recruits into uniform. Go serve, go study later.

This is actually the best run benefit since schools profit directly. But a downside of that is veterans often run into predatory for profit schools that aggressively recruit them. But even with that problem, the basic offer is clear.

Risk your life and we’ll help pay for your education.

Now look at countries like Germany, Argentina, and Brazil where public universities are either free or at extremely low cost. Students in those countries don’t have to calculate whether their biology degree is worth a deployment. Since education is treated as a public investment.

All of this means that if the American people are serious about stopping endless wars, if they’re tired of fighting to serve oligarchic interests, then they have to starve the system of the one resource it needs most.

Bodies.

Because war requires soldiers.

And when soldiers come from communities where the military is the most reliable way to access health care, education, housing, and stable employment.

We all lose.

If those things were guaranteed to everyone, that recruitment pitch stops working.

So it’s time for Americans to demand that the wealthiest country on earth provide the basic security it currently reserves for people in uniform.

No more telling young people that if they want a decent life, they have to sign here.

If we want fewer wars, that message has to go.

Less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, please consider becoming a supporter.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in just $6 a month for an entire year. This work only survives when readers decide it matters.

Thanks again for all your support.

This is what we need..

American Escapee is a space for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. Which is why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousand.

We’re over 6,500 strong. 🥳

So if this speaks to you, please join us and hit Subscribe.

And if you’re able, less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

At about $0.19 a day, you’re helping to keep this voice unsponsored, unsoftened, and unfiltered.

Thanks again for all your support.

In Case You Missed It

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Arrested in Long Running Epstein Case

Andrew Albert Christian Edward, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested in connection with longstanding allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein. For years the story unfolded through court filings and public denials while the royal institution distanced itself. However, the latest arrest may have shifted the matter from just scandal to legal scrutiny.

This doesn’t erase the years of protection that status provided. So whether this leads to meaningful accountability or a controlled resolution will depend on what happens beyond this headline.

White House Weighs Iran Strike Without Congressional Approval

The White House signaled it may pursue military action against Iran without seeking formal authorization from Congress, relying on broad executive powers used by multiple administrations. Lawmakers have voiced concern, but there has been little sign of a unified effort to block it.

A conflict with Iran would carry serious consequences, from regional instability to economic shockwaves at home. Moving ahead without Congress may fit modern precedent, but most Americans are clear they’re not in favor of war with Iran.

Jesse Louis Jackson Dies at 84 Leaving a Complex Record

The Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at 84, closing a chapter on a career that helped shape modern American politics. Through Operation PUSH and his presidential campaigns, he brought issues like economic justice and voting rights into wider national focus.

But for the left his record is layered. While he built broad coalitions and expanded political spaces, he often worked within institutions that limited how far change could go. So for many his life reflects both the impact of persistent advocacy and the constraints of operating inside established power.

This post is a direct call for self reflection. Not for someone else, for all of us. Myself included. If there were ever a moment to pause, look inward, and question our own assumptions, it is now.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.

Love Y’all

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

And for a long time, I proudly counted myself among these clearly unmanipulable citizens.

But most days I scroll through political content with the quiet confidence of someone who believes they can definitely spot propaganda, only to spend the next twenty minutes performing mental gymnastics trying to figure out what something actually means.

To be fair, I’ve gotten a little better about it. But that’s because at some point it occurred to me that maybe everything I consume deserves at least a little suspicion.

A small, healthy amount of side eye.

This realization took longer than I’d like to admit, mostly because I spent years believing that at least one side of the media must be telling the truth.

Sure, the truth only appeared occasionally, like a rare bird. But every time it did, I took it as proof that they were basically honest and definitely not spinning, distorting, or straight up lying.

Looking back, it’s impressive how long I managed to hold that belief together.

But that’s the funny thing about manipulation. The people most confident they can’t be manipulated are usually the ones getting it spectacularly wrong.

This past year has tested all of us, so I thought it might be helpful to share some of the most common signs of manipulation to watch for.

The Shady Benefactor

One of the first things worth looking for in any narrative is who quietly benefits from it.

Because every story tilts the table a little, sometimes politically, economically or socially. And if the stars align, all three.

Take the recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran dominating the news cycle. The language surrounding the war is almost entirely about defensive action and national security. It’s packaged so carefully you can practically hear the orchestral soundtrack swelling in the background.

Even the terminology does a lot of quiet work. Missiles suddenly become things like “Patriot interceptors.” Which sounds less like an explosion and more like a helpful piece of technology politely solving a problem.

And that wording matters.

Because once something is framed as defense, the conversation changes. Then we’re not really debating whether missiles should be deployed at all. Instead, we’re discussing how many we might need.

Which is very convenient if you happen to manufacture, invest in, or benefit from them.

Defense contractors, politicians, and the investors behind them rely on a story that makes escalation feel responsible and restraint look naïve. The more the situation sounds like a constant emergency, the easier it is to justify the next round of contracts, funding, and production.

And these are just a few of the most obvious players benefiting.

There are many more who benefit when the language softens the violence and the urgency keeps our money moving.

Corrupt Funding

Another helpful thing to look at when evaluating content is who pays for the microphone.

Media outlets like to present themselves as neutral observers, calmly reporting the facts from a safe distance. But most of them are owned by someone. And when something is owned, it usually answers to someone.

Take the merger between Skydance and Paramount. On paper it looks like a normal business story. In practice it means fewer executives now control the pipelines delivering information straight into your phone and your living room.

And when ownership consolidates, ideas tend to consolidate with it.

Even outlets that call themselves independent are not always immune. Funding still has to come from somewhere. Sometimes that means corporate backing, wealthy donors, or sponsorships that come with their own quiet expectations.

Other times, instead of corporate pressure, the currency might be political access or quietly funded groups that prefer not to appear in the credits.

To be fair, ownership doesn’t dictate every headline. Editors are not receiving hourly text messages telling them what adjectives to use.

But it does shape the perimeter.

It quietly defines which questions feel reasonable to ask and which ones suddenly feel a little radioactive. Stories that challenge power too directly have a funny way of struggling to make it past that invisible boundary.

Which is why, when we value an opinion or perspective, it helps to ask a simple question: who owns the outlet?

Is it backed by the same handful of billionaires who seem to own everything else? Are the lights being kept on by defense contractors, pharmaceutical advertising, or political donors?

Those details tend to tell you quite a lot.

None of this means you ignore everything the media says. Occasionally they even report the truth. But knowing who’s paying the bills helps you filter through the nonsense.

Exclusion at Work

Omission is one of the more elegant tools of manipulation.

It doesn’t argue with you or try to convince you of anything. It simply leaves things out.

When mainstream media covers the war in Gaza, Israeli suffering is often individualized, named, and humanized. Palestinian suffering, despite its staggering scale, rarely receives the same attention. It’s more often reduced to disputed numbers or vague casualty totals, while the personal stories behind those numbers rarely make it into the broadcast.

And when the human stories disappear, something else usually disappears with them: context. Systemic causes become strangely difficult to locate. Historical background fades into the distance.

To be fair, this technique isn’t limited to international conflicts, although those are particularly convenient given the distance.

The same omissions happen when covering issues at home.

Economic hardship is framed as personal failure while the broader economic policies shaping it remain politely off stage. Violence is reported as an isolated tragedy, rarely accompanied by the policy context that might explain why it keeps happening.

Nothing is technically fabricated. The pieces that appear are often real.

But the missing pieces quietly shape the entire picture.

And that’s the power of omission.

If you do it long enough, people begin to assume the missing parts of the story simply never existed in the first place.

Divide & Conquer

Binary framing is incredibly comforting.

Why? Because most people prefer their stories with clearly labeled teams. Once an issue gets assigned a jersey, no further investigation is required. Everyone can just pick a side and start cheering.

You can see this happening in real time with the Epstein files.

Instead of focusing on elite networks and the way wealth protects itself across party lines, the conversation is quickly pushed into a familiar shape: red team versus blue team.

Which is convenient. Because nuance makes for messy ideas.

So the story becomes a search for heroes and villains, even though there may not be any heroes in sight.

Disagreement also starts to look like betrayal. People lose interest in examining the structure of the network and become more interested in defending their favorite political figures.

This is music to the ears of the powerful. All they have to do is hide behind party loyalty and let the public argue about which jersey matters more.

Bottom Line

I’ve noticed lately that some bad actors are trying to confuse media literacy and critical thinking with cynicism.

But they’re not the same thing.

Critical thinking simply means refusing to outsource your thinking to someone else.

Content creators, political pundits, and writers should encourage that kind of thinking. They should also be willing to admit that no media outlet, whether independent or corporate, deserves to sit above a reasonable level of scrutiny.

Because the people who are genuinely trying to be honest understand something simple: the goal should never be to convince you of everything. The goal is to introduce a different idea and let you decide for yourself.

So as we continue to be bombarded with headlines, commentary, and breaking news alerts, good luck out there navigating the minefields.

And remember:

The moment someone insists you stop asking questions is usually the moment you should start asking more.

Less than 0.5% of readers are paying, and your support is what makes it possible to keep going.

So if you’ve ever gotten value from my writing… Please consider supporting it.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers to support this work for less than 19¢ a day.

Looking to sharpen your politics? Keep questioning…

American Escapee is a space for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. Which is why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousand.

We’re over 6,500 strong. 🥳

So if this speaks to you, please join us and hit Subscribe.

And if you’re able, less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

At about $0.19 a day, you’re helping to keep this voice unsponsored, unsoftened, and unfiltered.

Thanks again for all your support.

In Case You Missed It

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Arrested in Long Running Epstein Case

Andrew Albert Christian Edward, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested in connection with longstanding allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein. For years the story unfolded through court filings and public denials while the royal institution distanced itself. However, the latest arrest may have shifted the matter from just scandal to legal scrutiny.

This doesn’t erase the years of protection that status provided. So whether this leads to meaningful accountability or a controlled resolution will depend on what happens beyond this headline.

White House Weighs Iran Strike Without Congressional Approval

The White House signaled it may pursue military action against Iran without seeking formal authorization from Congress, relying on broad executive powers used by multiple administrations. Lawmakers have voiced concern, but there has been little sign of a unified effort to block it.

A conflict with Iran would carry serious consequences, from regional instability to economic shockwaves at home. Moving ahead without Congress may fit modern precedent, but most Americans are clear they’re not in favor of war with Iran.

Jesse Louis Jackson Dies at 84 Leaving a Complex Record

The Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at 84, closing a chapter on a career that helped shape modern American politics. Through Operation PUSH and his presidential campaigns, he brought issues like economic justice and voting rights into wider national focus.

But for the left his record is layered. While he built broad coalitions and expanded political spaces, he often worked within institutions that limited how far change could go. So for many his life reflects both the impact of persistent advocacy and the constraints of operating inside established power.

This post is a direct call for self reflection. Not for someone else, for all of us. Myself included. If there were ever a moment to pause, look inward, and question our own assumptions, it is now.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.

Love Y’all

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

American Escapee is a space for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. Which is why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousand.

We’re over 6,500 strong. 🥳

So if this speaks to you, please join us and hit Subscribe.

And if you’re able, less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

At about $0.19 a day, you’re helping to keep this voice unsponsored, unsoftened, and unfiltered.

Thanks again for all your support.

In Case You Missed It

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Arrested in Long Running Epstein Case

Andrew Albert Christian Edward, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested in connection with longstanding allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein. For years the story unfolded through court filings and public denials while the royal institution distanced itself. However, the latest arrest may have shifted the matter from just scandal to legal scrutiny.

This doesn’t erase the years of protection that status provided. So whether this leads to meaningful accountability or a controlled resolution will depend on what happens beyond this headline.

White House Weighs Iran Strike Without Congressional Approval

The White House signaled it may pursue military action against Iran without seeking formal authorization from Congress, relying on broad executive powers used by multiple administrations. Lawmakers have voiced concern, but there has been little sign of a unified effort to block it.

A conflict with Iran would carry serious consequences, from regional instability to economic shockwaves at home. Moving ahead without Congress may fit modern precedent, but most Americans are clear they’re not in favor of war with Iran.

Jesse Louis Jackson Dies at 84 Leaving a Complex Record

The Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at 84, closing a chapter on a career that helped shape modern American politics. Through Operation PUSH and his presidential campaigns, he brought issues like economic justice and voting rights into wider national focus.

But for the left his record is layered. While he built broad coalitions and expanded political spaces, he often worked within institutions that limited how far change could go. So for many his life reflects both the impact of persistent advocacy and the constraints of operating inside established power.

This post is a direct call for self reflection. Not for someone else, for all of us. Myself included. If there were ever a moment to pause, look inward, and question our own assumptions, it is now.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.

Love Y’all

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

Let me start by saying I’m writing out of concern. This isn’t an attack, and I hope you won’t receive it that way.

Instead, I’m offering some advice completely free of charge. No invoice or retainer needed. And what I’m about to say is something none of your exquisitely compensated consultants would ever dare whisper.

I urge you, with all the sincerity one can muster while watching a slow-motion car crash, do not do this.

Because we see what you’re doing. This isn’t subtle. This is you poking the base with a stick to see how much it will tolerate.

Respectfully, I would love to know which bottomless-mimosa strategy session produced the bold decision to gently roll out a Gavin Newsom vs. JD Vance trial balloon.

Please enlighten me. Which influencer starter pack was deployed?

Because this didn’t just “organically emerge.” This was seeded, watered, and focus-group tested, for sure.

Regardless of which genius cooked it up, let me save everyone some time and a few frantic group chats.

This isn’t landing.

The left doesn’t want a reboot. The right doesn’t want a TED Talk.

And if you continue to push this, you’re still going to run headfirst into the same immovable object: a giant, blinking neon sign that says, NOBODY ASKED FOR THIS.

Let me explain why…

1. It’s Way Too Early for This Nonsense

As of this letter, we are almost three years away from the election. No one has even announced a candidacy yet. Hell, your guy hasn’t even announced. And yet he’s trying very hard to sell it. So hard, in fact, that people are starting to notice the product demonstration.

Because he’s not just a candidate. He’s becoming the embodiment of the problem: the belief that the Democratic Party can unveil a freshly detailed, high-gloss option and expect the base to applaud on cue. No messy input required. Just gratitude.

Voters are seeing the same panic clock play out, with the sorry-there-is-no-time-for-a-real-contest energy as with Harris.

You are doing it again, just earlier.

But go ahead. Pull the same “it’s settled, please clap” routine, and voters will shut it down on principle before the yard signs even finish printing.

2. He’s Not Left. And That’s the Problem.

Newsom’s a liberal. You just wouldn’t know it from how openly he’s auditioning for right-wing approval.

So the people who immediately say they would “absolutely” vote for him? Well, many of them call themselves liberal, but they’re really only one tax increase away from trying on a MAGA hat. Which means they’re perfectly comfortable with incremental change and managed reform.

But the country faces real challenges that can’t be handled with a polished statement and a podcast tour. And rightfully so, Americans have already signaled that they want something different. Meanwhile, Newsom is trying to dim the lights in a house that’s already on fire.

It’s been said that the only way to confront the rising fascism in America is with something closer to Franklin D. Roosevelt on steroids, aka big structural change and an open fight with concentrated power.

Gavin’s not into that. He’s more likely to govern like his in-law, Nancy Pelosi, and try to walk away from the presidency with a similarly impressive portfolio.

3. The Housing Miracle That Didn’t Happen

Under Gavin’s leadership, California somehow became a national case study in how not to solve a housing crisis.

He pledged to build 3.5 million new housing units by 2025. A bold number. Ambitious, even. But concrete results have been less so.

The state is now synonymous with homeless encampments, home prices that require generational wealth, and renters working multiple jobs just to stay housed.

But affordable housing bills did reach his desk. They just never made it off it. Rent control expansions? Suddenly “complicated.” Developer deals and rising homeowner equity? Comfortably stable.

Gavin’s got you.

4. Universal Healthcare That Wasn’t Even Close

The left has a long memory for broken promises.

Despite campaigning on universal healthcare, Newsom somehow misplaced that one between the podium and the policy.

In 2022, a single-payer proposal, AB 1400, moved through the California legislature. It would have created a state-run system covering all residents. But it stalled before reaching his desk, lacking the votes. And Newsom didn’t expend one ounce of political capital to revive it.

Instead, the administration expanded Medi-Cal eligibility, extending coverage to more low-income and undocumented residents, and presented it as historic progress.

And it was progress. Just the kind of progress that leaves insurance companies untouched and employer-based coverage comfortably in place.

On the debate stage, single payer sounded bold. But in office, it suddenly became “fiscally complex.”

Many advocates see this abandonment as a major step backward, especially for those who saw California as a proving ground for universal coverage nationwide.

5. Gaza Is a Line

For many Americans, Gaza isn’t a side issue. It’s a moral threshold.

But when pressed about this, Newsom doesn’t offer moral clarity. Instead, he makes sure not to offend anyone writing Israeli checks.

And while he may not take direct contributions from AIPAC, he has received support from pro-Israel networks, including donors like JPAC, the Jewish Public Affairs Committee.

This is in step with Democratic leadership treating outrage over Gaza as an electoral inconvenience that needs to be managed.

That didn’t work last time.

So replaying that same script with a different candidate isn’t a strategy.

It’s amnesia.

6. Your Influencers Still Think This Works

Every cycle, the same playbook reappears. Party-aligned influencers roll out the “Vote Blue No Matter Who” strategy like it’s a fresh innovation instead of a rerun.

“Fall in line.” “Be pragmatic.” “Think of the consequences.”

And most of all, don’t ask or expect too much.

Despite Donald Trump and the fascist right being a real threat, voters are not asking for a softer version of it. They’re demanding a clear alternative and an unmistakable contrast.

What they keep getting instead is the middle ground rebranded as maturity.

But fear can only carry a political party so far.

Eventually, voters will want to know what the plan is, not just who the villain is.

7. The Left Was Blamed for Your Failures

You blamed them for not embracing Joe Biden with sufficient enthusiasm. Then again when they didn’t rush to defend Kamala Harris.

So instead of asking how to earn their votes, you scolded them for hesitating. But if your candidate needs a guilt campaign to survive, the weakness isn’t in the electorate.

The truth is Harris had a billion-dollar campaign apparatus and still offered nothing materially transformative.

It’s also time to be honest about the math. The percentage of voters who chose third-party candidates wasn’t large enough to hand the election to anyone. The issue wasn’t left voters. It was the absence of enough votes.

People did not stay home because leftists held a secret meeting and decided to sabotage democracy. They stayed home because they were offered conditional tax credits and vibes. Plans that required standing on one leg, facing west, and filling out a form in triplicate were not exactly working-class motivators.

Which means you cannot keep running campaigns that ask people to save democracy while offering them nothing that materially improves their daily lives.

8. Inevitable Is a Dangerous Assumption

As bad as things are right now, he’s not a slam dunk.

Step outside the bubble.

There are plenty of Americans who look at California and say, no thank you.

Fair or not, California carries baggage. Admirers see bold ideas and social progress. Skeptics see unaffordable housing, insular politics, and symbolism standing in for depth.

And dismissing that last perception doesn’t make it go away.

Which means Newsom’s brand can come off slick. Polished. A little too rehearsed. Like a used car salesman with very good lighting.

You already watched voters describe Harris as untrustworthy and empty. But that critique was ignored.

Sure, having some style can open a door. But it can’t substitute for policy this time. If voters sense packaging before substance, they’ll tune out. And if they believe they are being managed rather than spoken to, they’ll resist.

9. The Stakes Are High…

If you’re serious about defeating authoritarianism, this is the moment to negotiate with your own voters. Not after the nominee is functionally decided or the donors have already aligned.

Because when you expect voters to accept a candidate as inevitable, you shut down the very pressure that could produce a stronger nominee and a clearer platform, assuming that’s something you actually want.

If so, voters want to see real debate and concrete policy commitments, including space for universal programs and structural reform.

So this is the moment for the Democratic Party to prove it believes in democracy as a process, not just as a slogan.

All of this advice is actionable. But if you choose to stay the course, don’t confuse containment with consensus or compliance with enthusiasm.

If fear is the strategy again, expect the same turnout. And if Newsom is your best offer, expect the same result. That’s how this works.

When you offer nothing transformative, people don’t just lose faith in you. They lose faith in democracy.

And the next strongman won’t bother with theatrics. He’ll arrive disciplined, prepared, and far less constrained than Donald Trump ever was.

So consider this the free advice you didn’t ask for.

If Newsom is your answer to fascism, you’re on a countdown timer.

And when it goes off, don’t pretend you didn’t hear it ticking.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Oh Wait…

Less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, please consider becoming a supporter.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in just $6 a month for an entire year. This work only survives when readers decide it matters.

Thanks again for all your support.

If this was hard to hear…

American Escapee is a space for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. Which is why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousand.

We’re over 6,500 strong. 🥳

So if this speaks to you, please join us and hit Subscribe.

And if you’re able, less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

At about $0.19 a day, you’re helping to keep this voice unsponsored, unsoftened, and unfiltered.

Thanks again for all your support.

In Case You Missed It

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Arrested in Long Running Epstein Case

Andrew Albert Christian Edward, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested in connection with longstanding allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein. For years the story unfolded through court filings and public denials while the royal institution distanced itself. However, the latest arrest may have shifted the matter from just scandal to legal scrutiny.

This doesn’t erase the years of protection that status provided. So whether this leads to meaningful accountability or a controlled resolution will depend on what happens beyond this headline.

White House Weighs Iran Strike Without Congressional Approval

The White House signaled it may pursue military action against Iran without seeking formal authorization from Congress, relying on broad executive powers used by multiple administrations. Lawmakers have voiced concern, but there has been little sign of a unified effort to block it.

A conflict with Iran would carry serious consequences, from regional instability to economic shockwaves at home. Moving ahead without Congress may fit modern precedent, but most Americans are clear they’re not in favor of war with Iran.

Jesse Louis Jackson Dies at 84 Leaving a Complex Record

The Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at 84, closing a chapter on a career that helped shape modern American politics. Through Operation PUSH and his presidential campaigns, he brought issues like economic justice and voting rights into wider national focus.

But for the left his record is layered. While he built broad coalitions and expanded political spaces, he often worked within institutions that limited how far change could go. So for many his life reflects both the impact of persistent advocacy and the constraints of operating inside established power.

This post is a direct call for self reflection. Not for someone else, for all of us. Myself included. If there were ever a moment to pause, look inward, and question our own assumptions, it is now.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.

Love Y’all

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

American Escapee is a space for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. Which is why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousand.

We’re over 6,500 strong. 🥳

So if this speaks to you, please join us and hit Subscribe.

And if you’re able, less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

At about $0.19 a day, you’re helping to keep this voice unsponsored, unsoftened, and unfiltered.

Thanks again for all your support.

In Case You Missed It

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Arrested in Long Running Epstein Case

Andrew Albert Christian Edward, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested in connection with longstanding allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein. For years the story unfolded through court filings and public denials while the royal institution distanced itself. However, the latest arrest may have shifted the matter from just scandal to legal scrutiny.

This doesn’t erase the years of protection that status provided. So whether this leads to meaningful accountability or a controlled resolution will depend on what happens beyond this headline.

White House Weighs Iran Strike Without Congressional Approval

The White House signaled it may pursue military action against Iran without seeking formal authorization from Congress, relying on broad executive powers used by multiple administrations. Lawmakers have voiced concern, but there has been little sign of a unified effort to block it.

A conflict with Iran would carry serious consequences, from regional instability to economic shockwaves at home. Moving ahead without Congress may fit modern precedent, but most Americans are clear they’re not in favor of war with Iran.

Jesse Louis Jackson Dies at 84 Leaving a Complex Record

The Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at 84, closing a chapter on a career that helped shape modern American politics. Through Operation PUSH and his presidential campaigns, he brought issues like economic justice and voting rights into wider national focus.

But for the left his record is layered. While he built broad coalitions and expanded political spaces, he often worked within institutions that limited how far change could go. So for many his life reflects both the impact of persistent advocacy and the constraints of operating inside established power.

This post is a direct call for self reflection. Not for someone else, for all of us. Myself included. If there were ever a moment to pause, look inward, and question our own assumptions, it is now.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.

Love Y’all

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

Let me start by saying I’m writing out of concern. This isn’t an attack, and I hope you won’t receive it that way.

Instead, I’m offering some advice completely free of charge. No invoice or retainer needed. And what I’m about to say is something none of your exquisitely compensated consultants would ever dare whisper.

I urge you, with all the sincerity one can muster while watching a slow-motion car crash, do not do this.

Because we see what you’re doing. This isn’t subtle. This is you poking the base with a stick to see how much it will tolerate.

Respectfully, I would love to know which bottomless-mimosa strategy session produced the bold decision to gently roll out a Gavin Newsom vs. JD Vance trial balloon.

Please enlighten me. Which influencer starter pack was deployed?

Because this didn’t just “organically emerge.” This was seeded, watered, and focus-group tested, for sure.

Regardless of which genius cooked it up, let me save everyone some time and a few frantic group chats.

This isn’t landing.

The left doesn’t want a reboot. The right doesn’t want a TED Talk.

And if you continue to push this, you’re still going to run headfirst into the same immovable object: a giant, blinking neon sign that says, NOBODY ASKED FOR THIS.

Let me explain why…

1. It’s Way Too Early for This Nonsense

As of this letter, we are almost three years away from the election. No one has even announced a candidacy yet. Hell, your guy hasn’t even announced. And yet he’s trying very hard to sell it. So hard, in fact, that people are starting to notice the product demonstration.

Because he’s not just a candidate. He’s becoming the embodiment of the problem: the belief that the Democratic Party can unveil a freshly detailed, high-gloss option and expect the base to applaud on cue. No messy input required. Just gratitude.

Voters are seeing the same panic clock play out, with the sorry-there-is-no-time-for-a-real-contest energy as with Harris.

You are doing it again, just earlier.

But go ahead. Pull the same “it’s settled, please clap” routine, and voters will shut it down on principle before the yard signs even finish printing.

2. He’s Not Left. And That’s the Problem.

Newsom’s a liberal. You just wouldn’t know it from how openly he’s auditioning for right-wing approval.

So the people who immediately say they would “absolutely” vote for him? Well, many of them call themselves liberal, but they’re really only one tax increase away from trying on a MAGA hat. Which means they’re perfectly comfortable with incremental change and managed reform.

But the country faces real challenges that can’t be handled with a polished statement and a podcast tour. And rightfully so, Americans have already signaled that they want something different. Meanwhile, Newsom is trying to dim the lights in a house that’s already on fire.

It’s been said that the only way to confront the rising fascism in America is with something closer to Franklin D. Roosevelt on steroids, aka big structural change and an open fight with concentrated power.

Gavin’s not into that. He’s more likely to govern like his in-law, Nancy Pelosi, and try to walk away from the presidency with a similarly impressive portfolio.

3. The Housing Miracle That Didn’t Happen

Under Gavin’s leadership, California somehow became a national case study in how not to solve a housing crisis.

He pledged to build 3.5 million new housing units by 2025. A bold number. Ambitious, even. But concrete results have been less so.

The state is now synonymous with homeless encampments, home prices that require generational wealth, and renters working multiple jobs just to stay housed.

But affordable housing bills did reach his desk. They just never made it off it. Rent control expansions? Suddenly “complicated.” Developer deals and rising homeowner equity? Comfortably stable.

Gavin’s got you.

4. Universal Healthcare That Wasn’t Even Close

The left has a long memory for broken promises.

Despite campaigning on universal healthcare, Newsom somehow misplaced that one between the podium and the policy.

In 2022, a single-payer proposal, AB 1400, moved through the California legislature. It would have created a state-run system covering all residents. But it stalled before reaching his desk, lacking the votes. And Newsom didn’t expend one ounce of political capital to revive it.

Instead, the administration expanded Medi-Cal eligibility, extending coverage to more low-income and undocumented residents, and presented it as historic progress.

And it was progress. Just the kind of progress that leaves insurance companies untouched and employer-based coverage comfortably in place.

On the debate stage, single payer sounded bold. But in office, it suddenly became “fiscally complex.”

Many advocates see this abandonment as a major step backward, especially for those who saw California as a proving ground for universal coverage nationwide.

5. Gaza Is a Line

For many Americans, Gaza isn’t a side issue. It’s a moral threshold.

But when pressed about this, Newsom doesn’t offer moral clarity. Instead, he makes sure not to offend anyone writing Israeli checks.

And while he may not take direct contributions from AIPAC, he has received support from pro-Israel networks, including donors like JPAC, the Jewish Public Affairs Committee.

This is in step with Democratic leadership treating outrage over Gaza as an electoral inconvenience that needs to be managed.

That didn’t work last time.

So replaying that same script with a different candidate isn’t a strategy.

It’s amnesia.

6. Your Influencers Still Think This Works

Every cycle, the same playbook reappears. Party-aligned influencers roll out the “Vote Blue No Matter Who” strategy like it’s a fresh innovation instead of a rerun.

“Fall in line.” “Be pragmatic.” “Think of the consequences.”

And most of all, don’t ask or expect too much.

Despite Donald Trump and the fascist right being a real threat, voters are not asking for a softer version of it. They’re demanding a clear alternative and an unmistakable contrast.

What they keep getting instead is the middle ground rebranded as maturity.

But fear can only carry a political party so far.

Eventually, voters will want to know what the plan is, not just who the villain is.

7. The Left Was Blamed for Your Failures

You blamed them for not embracing Joe Biden with sufficient enthusiasm. Then again when they didn’t rush to defend Kamala Harris.

So instead of asking how to earn their votes, you scolded them for hesitating. But if your candidate needs a guilt campaign to survive, the weakness isn’t in the electorate.

The truth is Harris had a billion-dollar campaign apparatus and still offered nothing materially transformative.

It’s also time to be honest about the math. The percentage of voters who chose third-party candidates wasn’t large enough to hand the election to anyone. The issue wasn’t left voters. It was the absence of enough votes.

People did not stay home because leftists held a secret meeting and decided to sabotage democracy. They stayed home because they were offered conditional tax credits and vibes. Plans that required standing on one leg, facing west, and filling out a form in triplicate were not exactly working-class motivators.

Which means you cannot keep running campaigns that ask people to save democracy while offering them nothing that materially improves their daily lives.

8. Inevitable Is a Dangerous Assumption

As bad as things are right now, he’s not a slam dunk.

Step outside the bubble.

There are plenty of Americans who look at California and say, no thank you.

Fair or not, California carries baggage. Admirers see bold ideas and social progress. Skeptics see unaffordable housing, insular politics, and symbolism standing in for depth.

And dismissing that last perception doesn’t make it go away.

Which means Newsom’s brand can come off slick. Polished. A little too rehearsed. Like a used car salesman with very good lighting.

You already watched voters describe Harris as untrustworthy and empty. But that critique was ignored.

Sure, having some style can open a door. But it can’t substitute for policy this time. If voters sense packaging before substance, they’ll tune out. And if they believe they are being managed rather than spoken to, they’ll resist.

9. The Stakes Are High…

If you’re serious about defeating authoritarianism, this is the moment to negotiate with your own voters. Not after the nominee is functionally decided or the donors have already aligned.

Because when you expect voters to accept a candidate as inevitable, you shut down the very pressure that could produce a stronger nominee and a clearer platform, assuming that’s something you actually want.

If so, voters want to see real debate and concrete policy commitments, including space for universal programs and structural reform.

So this is the moment for the Democratic Party to prove it believes in democracy as a process, not just as a slogan.

All of this advice is actionable. But if you choose to stay the course, don’t confuse containment with consensus or compliance with enthusiasm.

If fear is the strategy again, expect the same turnout. And if Newsom is your best offer, expect the same result. That’s how this works.

When you offer nothing transformative, people don’t just lose faith in you. They lose faith in democracy.

And the next strongman won’t bother with theatrics. He’ll arrive disciplined, prepared, and far less constrained than Donald Trump ever was.

So consider this the free advice you didn’t ask for.

If Newsom is your answer to fascism, you’re on a countdown timer.

And when it goes off, don’t pretend you didn’t hear it ticking.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Oh Wait…

Less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, please consider becoming a supporter.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in just $6 a month for an entire year. This work only survives when readers decide it matters.

Thanks again for all your support.

If this was hard to hear…

Yes, the masks are slipping, some coming off entirely. But what we’re seeing now was always there: an elite that exists in the same orbit. They dine together, invest together and shield one another. Since their loyalty’s not to us, but to each other.

Which also means very few of them are innocent.

In the last few weeks, Noam Chomsky was the latest to fall.

He built a legacy condemning power, then aligned himself comfortably within it. So whether he rationalized their behavior or quietly accepted it, there’s not much difference. And regardless, the revelation still carries a lesson within it.

Which is this: that it’s become far too easy to elevate the wealthy and powerful into something beyond scrutiny.

Especially when wealth is mistaken for greatness, and intelligence for moral superiority.

Because when we look honestly at Chomsky’s elevation, the outcome should not shock us. He’s had multiple questionable stances, including criticizing Bernie Sanders for advocating the breakup of the banks.

Even before the latest files surfaced, there were signs. Indications that he wasn’t on board with the exploited and marginalized actually defeating the powerful. In his final interview with The Wall Street Journal, when asked about his relationship with Epstein, he dismissed the questions as none of their business. And when asked about flying on Epstein’s plane to visit Woody Allen, he said he wouldn’t apologize for having “a lovely evening with a great artist”.

That’s not the posture of someone who’s clear about power.

And it’s far from behavior worthy of worship.

So it’s no wonder Americans are cycling through betrayal, anger, and confusion. But if we’re serious about moving beyond oligarchy, past this collapse, and out of this endless exposure of rot, we have to confront something deeper than just scandal.

We must confront our thinking.

Each of us, including myself, has to ask one direct and uncomfortable question:

Am I making gods out of men?

Because surely these are not gods. Many of them, as Chris Hedges described, operate like vampires. If you get too close, they’ll drain you. Or destroy you. And sometimes you end up defending what you once claimed to oppose.

So how do we break the cycle of anointing heroes who haven’t earned the honor, only to watch them fall from their pedestals one by one?

We start by asking ourselves better questions.

Here are a few…

Would I excuse this behavior from someone I didn’t like?

If the answer is no, you’re not judging character, you’re protecting an identity. Hero worship begins the moment we apply different standards to “our people.” We all need to remember that integrity isn’t tribal. So if you have to twist your values to defend someone’s reputation, it’s time to reevaluate who you think they are.

Do I know this person or do I know their brand?

Modern hero worship is built on controlled access and polished narratives. So what we end up elevating is rarely a whole human being. It’s an edited version at best. And edited versions are easy to admire, but rarely real. And recognizing this may be the strongest deterrent to hero worship in the first place.

If they fell tomorrow, would my worldview collapse?

If so, you built your thinking around a person instead of principles. No one should be carrying your moral framework for you. If a single scandal collapses everything, then your conviction was never rooted in the ideas, it was rooted in the individual.

Have I confused opposition with virtue?

Just because someone criticizes the system does not mean they are immune to benefiting from it. Speaking against power isn’t the same as rejecting it. So there are many people who learn the language of resistance while still maintaining elite ideas. We must remember that being anti-establishment rhetorically doesn’t make someone morally grounded.

Does this person challenge power consistently, or only when it is safe?

Anyone can criticize systems from a distance. It is much harder to refuse corruption when it offers status and comfort. So watch who people protect when their interests are threatened. Who do they defend? When do they speak up, and when is silence more convenient? It’s in these moments that loyalty is exposed. Because rhetoric can sound radical while behavior remains comfortably aligned with those they claim to oppose.

Am I able to separate a person from their talent?

By now, we understand that genius doesn’t equal goodness. Someone can be brilliant, articulate, or funny and still lack basic integrity. This one’s difficult because talent usually dazzles and admiration follows. But admiration shouldn’t become moral blindness.

Am I looking for a leader because I’m uncomfortable leading myself?

Psychologists have long observed that human beings are wired to seek authority figures, especially in times of uncertainty. Certainty also feels safer when it has a face attached to it. It’s easier to point to someone else and say, “They represent my values.” Then we elevate that person, using them as a substitute for discipline, courage, and independent thought. But when we outsource our responsibility, we create idols, and that rarely ends well.

Does this person truly deserve my support, my exposure, my money, my defense?

Attention is currency. So is loyalty. Every time you share their work, fund their projects, defend their reputation, or amplify their voice, you’re investing in them. Would you still make that investment if you stripped away the charisma and the reputation? Have they said or done anything that gives you pause? One moment of agreement is not a lifetime endorsement. Support has to be earned, and kept. So while no one should expect perfection, many of us are ignoring patterns.

These are some of the questions I’ll be sitting with, and the ones many of my friends on the left are committing to asking. Collectively, we’re determined to root our support in visible action rather than polished personas, and to hold firm to the belief that influence carries responsibility. A platform is not a personal trophy. It’s a responsibility to the people who are listening.

But we’re also looking to be honest with ourselves. None of us should be searching for heroes or waiting for someone to save us. The work is collective. The focus must be on supporting those whose actions materially improve people’s lives, not on elevating individuals into symbols.

So if we’re serious about dismantling concentrated power, we cannot keep recreating it in smaller, more charismatic forms.

We also can’t condemn oligarchy while quietly manufacturing our own untouchables.

So that’s the shift.

No more creating or waiting for gods.

Readers: Did we miss anything? Are there other things we should be considering?

Less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in just $6 a month for an entire year. This work only survives when readers decide it matters.

Thanks again for all your support.

For those who don’t want to do the work…

American Escapee is a space for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. Which is why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousand.

We’re over 6,500 strong. 🥳

So if this speaks to you, please join us and hit Subscribe.

And if you’re able, less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

At about $0.19 a day, you’re helping to keep this voice unsponsored, unsoftened, and unfiltered.

Thanks again for all your support.

In Case You Missed It

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Arrested in Long Running Epstein Case

Andrew Albert Christian Edward, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested in connection with longstanding allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein. For years the story unfolded through court filings and public denials while the royal institution distanced itself. However, the latest arrest may have shifted the matter from just scandal to legal scrutiny.

This doesn’t erase the years of protection that status provided. So whether this leads to meaningful accountability or a controlled resolution will depend on what happens beyond this headline.

White House Weighs Iran Strike Without Congressional Approval

The White House signaled it may pursue military action against Iran without seeking formal authorization from Congress, relying on broad executive powers used by multiple administrations. Lawmakers have voiced concern, but there has been little sign of a unified effort to block it.

A conflict with Iran would carry serious consequences, from regional instability to economic shockwaves at home. Moving ahead without Congress may fit modern precedent, but most Americans are clear they’re not in favor of war with Iran.

Jesse Louis Jackson Dies at 84 Leaving a Complex Record

The Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at 84, closing a chapter on a career that helped shape modern American politics. Through Operation PUSH and his presidential campaigns, he brought issues like economic justice and voting rights into wider national focus.

But for the left his record is layered. While he built broad coalitions and expanded political spaces, he often worked within institutions that limited how far change could go. So for many his life reflects both the impact of persistent advocacy and the constraints of operating inside established power.

This post is a direct call for self reflection. Not for someone else, for all of us. Myself included. If there were ever a moment to pause, look inward, and question our own assumptions, it is now.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.

Love Y’all

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

Yes, the masks are slipping, some coming off entirely. But what we’re seeing now was always there: an elite that exists in the same orbit. They dine together, invest together and shield one another. Since their loyalty’s not to us, but to each other.

Which also means very few of them are innocent.

In the last few weeks, Noam Chomsky was the latest to fall.

He built a legacy condemning power, then aligned himself comfortably within it. So whether he rationalized their behavior or quietly accepted it, there’s not much difference. And regardless, the revelation still carries a lesson within it.

Which is this: that it’s become far too easy to elevate the wealthy and powerful into something beyond scrutiny.

Especially when wealth is mistaken for greatness, and intelligence for moral superiority.

Because when we look honestly at Chomsky’s elevation, the outcome should not shock us. He’s had multiple questionable stances, including criticizing Bernie Sanders for advocating the breakup of the banks.

Even before the latest files surfaced, there were signs. Indications that he wasn’t on board with the exploited and marginalized actually defeating the powerful. In his final interview with The Wall Street Journal, when asked about his relationship with Epstein, he dismissed the questions as none of their business. And when asked about flying on Epstein’s plane to visit Woody Allen, he said he wouldn’t apologize for having “a lovely evening with a great artist”.

That’s not the posture of someone who’s clear about power.

And it’s far from behavior worthy of worship.

So it’s no wonder Americans are cycling through betrayal, anger, and confusion. But if we’re serious about moving beyond oligarchy, past this collapse, and out of this endless exposure of rot, we have to confront something deeper than just scandal.

We must confront our thinking.

Each of us, including myself, has to ask one direct and uncomfortable question:

Am I making gods out of men?

Because surely these are not gods. Many of them, as Chris Hedges described, operate like vampires. If you get too close, they’ll drain you. Or destroy you. And sometimes you end up defending what you once claimed to oppose.

So how do we break the cycle of anointing heroes who haven’t earned the honor, only to watch them fall from their pedestals one by one?

We start by asking ourselves better questions.

Here are a few…

Would I excuse this behavior from someone I didn’t like?

If the answer is no, you’re not judging character, you’re protecting an identity. Hero worship begins the moment we apply different standards to “our people.” We all need to remember that integrity isn’t tribal. So if you have to twist your values to defend someone’s reputation, it’s time to reevaluate who you think they are.

Do I know this person or do I know their brand?

Modern hero worship is built on controlled access and polished narratives. So what we end up elevating is rarely a whole human being. It’s an edited version at best. And edited versions are easy to admire, but rarely real. And recognizing this may be the strongest deterrent to hero worship in the first place.

If they fell tomorrow, would my worldview collapse?

If so, you built your thinking around a person instead of principles. No one should be carrying your moral framework for you. If a single scandal collapses everything, then your conviction was never rooted in the ideas, it was rooted in the individual.

Have I confused opposition with virtue?

Just because someone criticizes the system does not mean they are immune to benefiting from it. Speaking against power isn’t the same as rejecting it. So there are many people who learn the language of resistance while still maintaining elite ideas. We must remember that being anti-establishment rhetorically doesn’t make someone morally grounded.

Does this person challenge power consistently, or only when it is safe?

Anyone can criticize systems from a distance. It is much harder to refuse corruption when it offers status and comfort. So watch who people protect when their interests are threatened. Who do they defend? When do they speak up, and when is silence more convenient? It’s in these moments that loyalty is exposed. Because rhetoric can sound radical while behavior remains comfortably aligned with those they claim to oppose.

Am I able to separate a person from their talent?

By now, we understand that genius doesn’t equal goodness. Someone can be brilliant, articulate, or funny and still lack basic integrity. This one’s difficult because talent usually dazzles and admiration follows. But admiration shouldn’t become moral blindness.

Am I looking for a leader because I’m uncomfortable leading myself?

Psychologists have long observed that human beings are wired to seek authority figures, especially in times of uncertainty. Certainty also feels safer when it has a face attached to it. It’s easier to point to someone else and say, “They represent my values.” Then we elevate that person, using them as a substitute for discipline, courage, and independent thought. But when we outsource our responsibility, we create idols, and that rarely ends well.

Does this person truly deserve my support, my exposure, my money, my defense?

Attention is currency. So is loyalty. Every time you share their work, fund their projects, defend their reputation, or amplify their voice, you’re investing in them. Would you still make that investment if you stripped away the charisma and the reputation? Have they said or done anything that gives you pause? One moment of agreement is not a lifetime endorsement. Support has to be earned, and kept. So while no one should expect perfection, many of us are ignoring patterns.

These are some of the questions I’ll be sitting with, and the ones many of my friends on the left are committing to asking. Collectively, we’re determined to root our support in visible action rather than polished personas, and to hold firm to the belief that influence carries responsibility. A platform is not a personal trophy. It’s a responsibility to the people who are listening.

But we’re also looking to be honest with ourselves. None of us should be searching for heroes or waiting for someone to save us. The work is collective. The focus must be on supporting those whose actions materially improve people’s lives, not on elevating individuals into symbols.

So if we’re serious about dismantling concentrated power, we cannot keep recreating it in smaller, more charismatic forms.

We also can’t condemn oligarchy while quietly manufacturing our own untouchables.

So that’s the shift.

No more creating or waiting for gods.

Readers: Did we miss anything? Are there other things we should be considering?

Less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, so If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in just $6 a month for an entire year. This work only survives when readers decide it matters.

Thanks again for all your support.

For the first time in nearly 50 years, thousands of public educators across San Francisco have walked out on strike.

They are on the picket lines because years of negotiations with the San Francisco Unified School District have failed to deliver fair wages, fully funded health care, and enough staffing support for students with special needs.

A student from a SFUSD school recently reached out to AE and asked for a few words about the educators’ fight for a fair contract.

Here’s what I have to say.

This is a class issue. Full stop.

What’s happening right now isn’t about “tight budgets” or “hard choices.” It’s about priorities. And the people on strike deserve every penny they’re demanding. They’re not asking for charity. They’re asking to be paid fairly for the work that holds our communities together.

Also there is no shortage of money. A record number of billionaires live in this country, including right there in San Francisco. So education should never be underfunded. And any attempt to do so should be seen as disrespectful in the shadow of such staggering wealth. These workers shape minds, build futures, and often spend their own money to make sure students have what they need. Meanwhile, they are told to tighten their belts.

No more.

The time has come to show that we value the people who educate our children more than we value hoarded wealth at the top.

To the strikers:

Stand firm.

Your fight is just.

You are not asking for too much.

You are demanding what is owed.

To everyone else:

Support them however you can.

Donate to the strike fund.

Bring food or supplies to the picket lines.

Share their demands and updates.

Talk to your neighbors.

Call school boards and elected officials.

Show up.

Victories like this do not fall from the sky. They are won by people who refuse to back down.

This is how change happens. And with support, I know it can be done.

UPDATE: They did it. After four days on the picket line, educators announced a tentative agreement early Friday that brought an end to the strike. The two year deal includes fully funded family health care starting in January 2027, a key union demand, and wage increases for staff. Paraeducators and security aides will see roughly 8.5% raises. Teachers, counselors, and other certificated staff will receive about 5%-6% total in raises over two years. The agreement still needs to be ratified by union members and approved by the Board of Education before it can take effect. But for educators who held the line, it’s a win.

Less than 0.5% of readers financially support this work, and that small group is what keeps it alive.

If you value writing that tells the full story, holds power accountable, and stands with working people, please consider becoming a supporter.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in just $6 a month for an entire year. This work only survives when readers decide it matters.

Thanks again for all your support.

On to the next fight….

American Escapee is for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. It’s why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousands with us just crossing the 6K mark for Subscribers

So with Valentine’s Day here, I’ll say this: if this work speaks to you, consider that your sign and show us some love by hitting Subscribe.

And if you’re able, becoming a paid subscriber is a small act of love for independent work. At about $0.19 a day, you’re helping keep this voice unsponsored, unsoftened, and unfiltered.

No roses required but always appreciated.

Thanks again for all your support.

In Case You Missed It

U.S. Tightens Cuba Blockade to Weaponize Collective Punishment

The United States escalated its decades long blockade on Cuba again this week, squeezing fuel imports and threatening penalties for countries that help. The result is predictable. Blackouts. Transportation breakdowns. Hospitals and water systems pushed to the brink.

The United Nations is warning of humanitarian fallout while Washington continues to justify its actions. For sixty years, blockades have failed every time at regime change but succeeded at making ordinary Cubans pay the price. Apparently starving an island is still considered foreign policy.

Nancy Mace and Pam Bondi Argue Over Epstein Files While the Powerful Stay Protected for Now

Nancy Mace went after Attorney General Pam Bondi this week over the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files. Of course, Bondi pushed back, Republicans bickered, and suddenly accountability was trending among people who rarely support it.

It is unknown if the spectacle is moving us toward justice or is just political positioning. Continued pressure by the public will undoubtedly be the deciding factor.

Dockworkers Refuse to Move Weapons for Gaza War, Reminding Everyone Labor Has a Conscience

Dockworkers across Mediterranean ports refused to handle military cargo bound for Israel, saying they would not be complicit in fueling the devastation in Gaza. Governments describe the shipments as routine defense transfers. Workers called it a moral line.

In a world where foreign policy is usually decided by elites in suits, it is labor interrupting the machinery and saying no. Turns out war logistics depend on workers. And sometimes workers decide they won’t go along.

Epstein Accountability Abroad

While Americans are still waiting for transparency, the world is acting on what’s already been released.

🇳🇴 Norway

Crown Princess Mette-Marit publicly apologized for her past friendship and email exchanges with Jeffrey Epstein after hundreds of mentions of her appeared in the latest files, calling the association embarrassing. At the same time, police searched properties connected to former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland as part of a corruption investigation tied to his past contacts with Epstein.

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

In the UAE, billionaire Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and CEO of logistics giant DP World, stepped down after his name appeared in newly released Epstein correspondence. Emails reportedly showed a long standing relationship with Epstein, triggering investor backlash and public scrutiny that led Dubai’s government to install new leadership at the company.

🇫🇷 France

France launched internal reviews and legal scrutiny around former Culture Minister Jean Jacques Aillagon and other institutional leaders whose names were linked to Epstein in the released documents. The disclosures prompted resignations and renewed pressure for accountability within French institutions.

🇪🇺 European Union

Across the EU, members of the European Parliament are pushing for coordinated investigations into financial and political ties exposed in the files, urging agencies like Europol and anti money laundering bodies to open cross border inquiries based on the newly disclosed material.

Resignations and investigations are a start, but they don’t go far enough. When the harm is this serious, accountability cannot stop at public apologies or stepping down from a title.

Until there are real charges and real jail time, this is incomplete. The consequences should match the gravity of what happened.

The world has much more work to do. Keep pressuring them to do it.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

If you are listening, please visit the website to complete our poll.

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.\

Love Y’all

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

They are on the picket lines because years of negotiations with the San Francisco Unified School District have failed to deliver fair wages, fully funded health care, and enough staffing support for students with special needs.

A student from a SFUSD school recently reached out to AE and asked for a few words about the educators’ fight for a fair contract.

Here’s what I have to say.

This is a class issue. Full stop.

What’s happening right now isn’t about “tight budgets” or “hard choices.” It’s about priorities. And the people on strike deserve every penny they’re demanding. They’re not asking for charity. They’re asking to be paid fairly for the work that holds our communities together.

Also there is no shortage of money. A record number of billionaires live in this country, including right there in San Francisco. So education should never be underfunded. And any attempt to do so should be seen as disrespectful in the shadow of such staggering wealth. These workers shape minds, build futures, and often spend their own money to make sure students have what they need. Meanwhile, they are told to tighten their belts.

No more.

The time has come to show that we value the people who educate our children more than we value hoarded wealth at the top.

To the strikers:

Stand firm.

Your fight is just.

You are not asking for too much.

You are demanding what is owed.

To everyone else:

Support them however you can.

Donate to the strike fund.

Bring food or supplies to the picket lines.

Share their demands and updates.

Talk to your neighbors.

Call school boards and elected officials.

Show up.

Victories like this do not fall from the sky. They are won by people who refuse to back down.

This is how change happens. And with support, I know it can be done.

To the student who reached out Nicholas Trieu and the many others standing with educators…

Thank You

How are you planning to do your part….

Every time another awful thing happens, someone pops up in the comments and says, “the French would never allow this.” Sometimes it’s half serious. Other times it’s a guillotine joke. And most of the time, people laugh, scroll, and move on.

I’d urge you to fight that response.

Because the French are showing us a lesson most Americans forgot.

Not because they’re inherently more radical or permanently angry. Despite the comments, they aren’t genetically wired for revolt. And they’re certainly not perfect. In fact, France has many of the same problems we do. Racism. Police violence. Inequality. Islamophobia. Anyone pretending otherwise is lying. So the difference isn’t virtue.

It’s memory.

What the French Never Forgot

France responds differently to state overreach because French citizens never forgot their relationship to power. They understand that checking power isn’t an emergency response, but a standing obligation. Keeping power under control is something you’re expected to do, the same way Americans are taught to vote or pay taxes.

And over generations, these ideas compounded. French people internalized that when power breaks the social contract, breaking the rules in response can be a duty. Not just for those directly affected, but for everyone. Because regardless of political differences, collective action is required.

They also understand that legality isn’t the same as morality. If something immoral is done, resisting it is justified even if it’s illegal. That means lawbreaking stops being deviant behavior and becomes civic necessity.

Also these aren’t abstract ideas. Sustained unrest often leads to reforms. Not always clean or perfect ones. And even when movements lose, pressure continues until French power eventually responds.

What Americans Were Taught to Forget

Americans might read this and think we never had that understanding in the first place. That this logic is foreign to us.

But that’s exactly what’s been forgotten.

America also started with a revolution. We once understood this logic perfectly well. Civil rights weren’t won by asking nicely. Labor protections didn’t arrive because corporations grew a conscience. Women didn’t get the vote by being polite and patient. These movements relied on disruption. They raised the cost of injustice until maintaining it became more expensive than ending it.

Which makes the desire for protests that aren’t disruptive ridiculous. Rights were won through confrontation, not decorum.

However, over time, American revolutionary movements were mythologized and sanitized. Revolutions became symbolism and ritual instead of instruction. Flags. Fireworks. Speeches about freedom that carefully avoid how it was actually won.

I don’t blame Americans entirely. Resistance was systematically reprogrammed. Radical figures were sanded down until they were safe enough to hang in classrooms. Martin Luther King Jr. became a polite dreamer instead of a man who shut down cities, got arrested repeatedly, and made people deeply uncomfortable. His disruptive tactics disappeared. And in its place civility replaced effectiveness as the moral standard.

Also along the way, we were taught that democracy is stable and self-sustaining. That institutions correct themselves. That it’s our job to vote, express outrage, and wait. So it’s no wonder some people are waiting for elections. And to the quiet delight of politicians and elites, even after they happen structural change rarely comes.

This isn’t because Americans don’t care.That’s the cruel part. The result is learned helplessness: people sense something is wrong but have been mistrained about what to do. Collective power feels abstract, even dangerous.

So protest becomes release instead of leverage. Marches come and go with no clear demands. Boycotts are brief, fading before power feels real pressure. Individual Americans intervene bravely, but in isolation and often at great personal cost. Meanwhile, elite-approved marches, petitions, and awareness campaigns dominate precisely because they’re easy to ignore. Power waits them out while the people burn out. Then something worse happens, and the cycle repeats.

We’re Remembering Again

So when Americans say, “the French would never allow this,” they’re right. But the impressive part isn’t the rage. It’s the continuity.

The French never closed the chapter on resistance. Their revolution remains a living memory. They understand that their government derives authority from the people, not the other way around. And that power requires constant reminders.

Luckily, we’re starting to remember.

You can see it in how communities are changing tactics. Protests aren’t treated as one-time events. They’re repeated. Demands are becoming clearer. The expectation that dissent must always be peaceful and non-disruptive is fading.

This isn’t Americans becoming more extreme. It’s Americans remembering their own history.

So maybe that’s what people should mean when they say “the French would never allow this.”

Not that Americans can’t.

But that we forgot.

And we’re starting to remember.

Less than 0.5% of readers are paying, and your support is what makes it possible to keep going.

So if you’ve ever gotten value from my writing… Please consider supporting it.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers to support this work for less than 19¢ a day.

More good news….

American Escapee is for those who don’t believe the system is functioning normally. It’s why I’m so proud that what began as one voice has grown into thousands.

So if this speaks to you, hit Subscribe.

And if you’re able, becoming a paid subscriber helps keep this work going. At about $0.19 a day, it directly supports an independent voice that isn’t sponsored, softened, or filtered.

Thanks.

In Case You Missed It

Trump shares racist Obama “monkey” meme and shrugs it off

This week Trump reposted a video on Truth Social that included an AI generated clip portraying Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys, a racist trope with a long history. After backlash, the post was deleted, but Trump refused to apologize, claiming he didn’t really watch it. Even some Republicans admitted it crossed a line, while Trump treated it like just another meme.

Bill Gates says he needed Epstein to “network” again

In a new interview following the latest Epstein file releases, Bill Gates repeated his claim that he spent time with Jeffrey Epstein because Epstein knew wealthy people who could help with fundraising. Gates called the decision “foolish” but denied any wrongdoing, insisting the relationship was professional. Critics point to the obvious question: why would one of the most powerful men on earth ever need a convicted sex offender to make introductions?

Israeli delegation and U.S. Vice President Vance booed at Olympic opening ceremony

At the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, both the Israeli team and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance were met with boos from sections of the crowd. The reaction reflected growing international anger over the Gaza genocide and broader U.S. foreign policy, turning what was supposed to be a neutral global spectacle into a well deserved public political moment.

Noam Chomsky Disappoints Again

In the latest Epstein drop, Noam Chomsky’s name appeared in an email where he brushed off Epstein’s allegations and treated the public reaction as overblown Me Too panic.

That revelation caught a lot of people off guard, especially those who’ve spent decades treating him as a moral authority on power, abuse, and inequality. As if being articulate automatically means being morally clear. But this is what happens when we confuse saying the right things with actually believing them.

Chomsky built his reputation critiquing power and inequality while never really having to live it. And the moment those allegations touched someone inside his own elite circle, his instinct wasn’t accountability. It was dismissal.

This isn’t just about Chomsky. It’s a pattern. An example of a certain type of “left” intellectual learning to speak the language of the working class fluently.

Meanwhile money, access, and prestige don’t just reward their ideas, they quietly rearrange their loyalties. Positions that once sounded radical soften when they threaten proximity to power. Solidarity becomes abstract and accountability starts to feel inconvenient.

Meanwhile, the people who actually live the conditions being discussed stay unsupported and invisible. Precarious workers, marginalized writers, and independent creators are pushed aside while polished interpreters of struggle are elevated instead.

So with this being the current reality. No one should be surprised by Chomsky siding with the system that feeds him.

Note of the Week

This was the most popular note from the AE feed:

For Those Who Want Out

Leaving America: Is It About Choice, Means, or Temperament?

If you are listening, please visit the website to complete our poll.

Thank You for Being Here

Whether you support this work as a paid subscriber, read and share as a free one, or just stumbled onto AE for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.

This publication exists because people choose to spend their time with it, and that choice matters.

If anything in this piece stuck with you, feel free to say so. The comments are always open, and hearing what readers think is genuinely one of the best parts of doing this.

If this hits you, send it to someone who needs to see it. A friend. A family member. One conversation at a time is how this spreads.

Every time another awful thing happens, someone pops up in the comments and says, “the French would never allow this.” Sometimes it’s half serious. Other times it’s a guillotine joke. And most of the time, people laugh, scroll, and move on.

I’d urge you to fight that response.

Because the French are showing us a lesson most Americans forgot.

Not because they’re inherently more radical or permanently angry. Despite the comments, they aren’t genetically wired for revolt. And they’re certainly not perfect. In fact, France has many of the same problems we do. Racism. Police violence. Inequality. Islamophobia. Anyone pretending otherwise is lying. So the difference isn’t virtue.

It’s memory.

What the French Never Forgot

France responds differently to state overreach because French citizens never forgot their relationship to power. They understand that checking power isn’t an emergency response, but a standing obligation. Keeping power under control is something you’re expected to do, the same way Americans are taught to vote or pay taxes.

And over generations, these ideas compounded. French people internalized that when power breaks the social contract, breaking the rules in response can be a duty. Not just for those directly affected, but for everyone. Because regardless of political differences, collective action is required.

They also understand that legality isn’t the same as morality. If something immoral is done, resisting it is justified even if it’s illegal. That means lawbreaking stops being deviant behavior and becomes civic necessity.

Also these aren’t abstract ideas. Sustained unrest often leads to reforms. Not always clean or perfect ones. And even when movements lose, pressure continues until French power eventually responds.

What Americans Were Taught to Forget

Americans might read this and think we never had that understanding in the first place. That this logic is foreign to us.

But that’s exactly what’s been forgotten.

America also started with a revolution. We once understood this logic perfectly well. Civil rights weren’t won by asking nicely. Labor protections didn’t arrive because corporations grew a conscience. Women didn’t get the vote by being polite and patient. These movements relied on disruption. They raised the cost of injustice until maintaining it became more expensive than ending it.

Which makes the desire for protests that aren’t disruptive ridiculous. Rights were won through confrontation, not decorum.

However, over time, American revolutionary movements were mythologized and sanitized. Revolutions became symbolism and ritual instead of instruction. Flags. Fireworks. Speeches about freedom that carefully avoid how it was actually won.

I don’t blame Americans entirely. Resistance was systematically reprogrammed. Radical figures were sanded down until they were safe enough to hang in classrooms. Martin Luther King Jr. became a polite dreamer instead of a man who shut down cities, got arrested repeatedly, and made people deeply uncomfortable. His disruptive tactics disappeared. And in its place civility replaced effectiveness as the moral standard.

Also along the way, we were taught that democracy is stable and self-sustaining. That institutions correct themselves. That it’s our job to vote, express outrage, and wait. So it’s no wonder some people are waiting for elections. And to the quiet delight of politicians and elites, even after they happen structural change rarely comes.

This isn’t because Americans don’t care.That’s the cruel part. The result is learned helplessness: people sense something is wrong but have been mistrained about what to do. Collective power feels abstract, even dangerous.

So protest becomes release instead of leverage. Marches come and go with no clear demands. Boycotts are brief, fading before power feels real pressure. Individual Americans intervene bravely, but in isolation and often at great personal cost. Meanwhile, elite-approved marches, petitions, and awareness campaigns dominate precisely because they’re easy to ignore. Power waits them out while the people burn out. Then something worse happens, and the cycle repeats.

We’re Remembering Again

So when Americans say, “the French would never allow this,” they’re right. But the impressive part isn’t the rage. It’s the continuity.

The French never closed the chapter on resistance. Their revolution remains a living memory. They understand that their government derives authority from the people, not the other way around. And that power requires constant reminders.

Luckily, we’re starting to remember.

You can see it in how communities are changing tactics. Protests aren’t treated as one-time events. They’re repeated. Demands are becoming clearer. The expectation that dissent must always be peaceful and non-disruptive is fading.

This isn’t Americans becoming more extreme. It’s Americans remembering their own history.

So maybe that’s what people should mean when they say “the French would never allow this.”

Not that Americans can’t.

But that we forgot.

And we’re starting to remember.

Less than 0.5% of readers are paying, and your support is what makes it possible to keep going.

So if you’ve ever gotten value from my writing… Please consider supporting it.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers to support this work for less than 19¢ a day.

More good news….

That’s right! There are signs coming out of Minneapolis that something new is happening in America.

No, they aren’t talking about this on the evening news. And if they did, it wouldn’t be framed as revolution. It will be presented as a feel good story, a one off, or an anomaly. But taken together, these moments are proof, real evidence, that America is moving forward towards a revolution. Not the violent, apocalyptic future cable news keeps warning about, but a series of shifts pointing toward something better.

1. The Collapse of Faith in Both Parties

People are beginning to understand that politicians on both sides are not working for them. We’ve seen this in the pushback against Cory Booker’s attempts to rehabilitate ICE through rebranding, and in how Chuck Schumer’s usual calls for bipartisanship fell flat.

The public is no longer accepting Democratic appeals to “reach across the aisle.” People are also questioning the long held belief that calling representatives with demands, without the threat of withholding votes, has any real power.

2. Mutual Aid Replacing Political Dependence

At the same time, mutual aid and community building are growing rapidly. Communities are no longer waiting for politicians to step up or for someone else to do it. They are saving each other.

In Minnesota, neighbors stepped up to collect food and household supplies for families struggling because of ICE raids. People are grocery shopping for neighbors too afraid to leave their homes. This isn’t charity. It’s solidarity that hopefully doesn’t go away.

3. Bigotry No Longer Protected in Public Spaces

Influencers who once thrived on bigotry are now being confronted in real life. While politicians like Gavin Newsom may still platform right wing voices such as Ben Shapiro, people on the ground are no longer interested in hearing racist, anti immigrant, or Islamophobic rhetoric.

Jake Lang, a January 6th figure and political agitator, learned this firsthand in Minneapolis when he was cornered by an angry crowd and ultimately shielded by a Black protester. Lang is running for Senate in Florida, an effort that now looks increasingly grim, even with his online following.

4. The Shift in Response to Right Wing Violence

The contrast between the public reaction to Heather Heyer’s murder and the response to the murder of Nicole Good also tells a story. Both were killed by right wing violence, but the reaction to Good has been one of clear intolerance.

In the past, right wing groups gathered aggressively, and while there was resistance, the numbers were often even or tilted in their favor. That dynamic no longer holds.

5. Fascism Retreating From Visibility

Visible fascism is retreating back into hiding. People are now willing to put their bodies on the line to confront those who try to terrorize communities with these ideas.

As a result, the uniform has gone out of fashion. MAGA hats, paramilitary cosplay, shields, and public bravado are no longer worn safely in public spaces. The ideas still exist, but they are increasingly understood to be unacceptable when spoken aloud. When those ideas were popular, people flaunted them. Now that they are toxic, they’re starting to hide them again.

6. People Are Realizing the Numbers Are Skewed Online

People are also developing a clearer sense of the numbers. Online, it can feel like most of the country supports cruelty, deportation, and authoritarianism. But Americans are waking up to the fact that these voices are artificially amplified by algorithms.

The internet has become a refuge for ideologies that can’t survive real world scrutiny. Online, people posture as warriors, ready to let others starve or be deported, but many would never say those things to someone’s face. Now, there’s risk.

7. Fear Is Losing Its Power

Fear is no longer working the way it used to. The right isn’t just losing power. People on the left are actively taking it back.

Mutual aid networks, businesses declaring themselves sanctuaries, communities tracking ICE movements, these actions all show that intimidation only works if people retreat. When people stop backing down and act collectively, bullies lose their power. They don’t look strong anymore. They look outnumbered. The act is collapsing.

8. When Fear of Violence Stops Working

This matters because revolutions begin when fear of violence stops functioning as a deterrent.

We’re seeing groups like the Black Panthers in Philadelphia protecting their neighborhoods while armed. In other cases, individuals are organizing less formally to do the same. These people stopped waiting for the police or the National Guard to act and took responsibility for protecting their communities themselves.

A Necessary Word of Caution

Please, don’t celebrate these moments too much. At best, they should spark cautious optimism. People are still scared. Neighborhoods are still under siege. Families are still at risk.

Trump and the politicians aligned with him know they are losing control, which means things will likely get worse before they get better. The crackdown is probably just beginning.

Less than 0.5% of readers are paying, and your support is what makes it possible to keep going.

So if you’ve ever gotten value from my writing… Please consider supporting it.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers to support this work for less than 19¢ a day.

Using Minnesota as a case study, this piece examines how protest energy gets absorbed at the top while real power is being built elsewhere. It looks at the role of “loyal opposition” in managing dissent and why waiting for political leadership keeps movements stuck.

The article then turns to what actually works, highlighting how parallel institutions are emerging on the ground and quietly doing the work that turns resistance into leverage.

This is a look at where power is really moving, why we have been trained to look in the wrong places, and what happens when people stop waiting for permission.

So if all of that is true, why does the resistance keep stalling?

The answer is uncomfortable but simple. The failure isn’t coming from the bottom. It’s coming from the top.

Drawing from lived experience in the DMV and a radically different housing reality in Bangkok, this episode examines how segregation, property values, and fear became embedded in American housing and why that system is neither natural nor inevitable. This is not a policy explainer or a reaction piece. It is a reframing of what is being protected, who is being reassured, and how housing, race, and power remain tightly linked.

Less than 0.5% of subscribers are paying, and your support is what makes it possible to keep going.

So if you’ve ever gotten value from my writing… Please consider supporting it.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in $6 a month for a year.

That’s right! There are signs coming out of Minneapolis that something new is happening in America.

No, they aren’t talking about this on the evening news. And if they did, it wouldn’t be framed as revolution. It will be presented as a feel good story, a one off, or an anomaly. But taken together, these moments are proof, real evidence, that America is moving forward towards a revolution. Not the violent, apocalyptic future cable news keeps warning about, but a series of shifts pointing toward something better.

1. The Collapse of Faith in Both Parties

People are beginning to understand that politicians on both sides are not working for them. We’ve seen this in the pushback against Cory Booker’s attempts to rehabilitate ICE through rebranding, and in how Chuck Schumer’s usual calls for bipartisanship fell flat.

The public is no longer accepting Democratic appeals to “reach across the aisle.” People are also questioning the long held belief that calling representatives with demands, without the threat of withholding votes, has any real power.

2. Mutual Aid Replacing Political Dependence

At the same time, mutual aid and community building are growing rapidly. Communities are no longer waiting for politicians to step up or for someone else to do it. They are saving each other.

In Minnesota, neighbors stepped up to collect food and household supplies for families struggling because of ICE raids. People are grocery shopping for neighbors too afraid to leave their homes. This isn’t charity. It’s solidarity that hopefully doesn’t go away.

3. Bigotry No Longer Protected in Public Spaces

Influencers who once thrived on bigotry are now being confronted in real life. While politicians like Gavin Newsom may still platform right wing voices such as Ben Shapiro, people on the ground are no longer interested in hearing racist, anti immigrant, or Islamophobic rhetoric.

Jake Lang, a January 6th figure and political agitator, learned this firsthand in Minneapolis when he was cornered by an angry crowd and ultimately shielded by a Black protester. Lang is running for Senate in Florida, an effort that now looks increasingly grim, even with his online following.

4. The Shift in Response to Right Wing Violence

The contrast between the public reaction to Heather Heyer’s murder and the response to the murder of Nicole Good also tells a story. Both were killed by right wing violence, but the reaction to Good has been one of clear intolerance.

In the past, right wing groups gathered aggressively, and while there was resistance, the numbers were often even or tilted in their favor. That dynamic no longer holds.

5. Fascism Retreating From Visibility

Visible fascism is retreating back into hiding. People are now willing to put their bodies on the line to confront those who try to terrorize communities with these ideas.

As a result, the uniform has gone out of fashion. MAGA hats, paramilitary cosplay, shields, and public bravado are no longer worn safely in public spaces. The ideas still exist, but they are increasingly understood to be unacceptable when spoken aloud. When those ideas were popular, people flaunted them. Now that they are toxic, they’re starting to hide them again.

6. People Are Realizing the Numbers Are Skewed Online

People are also developing a clearer sense of the numbers. Online, it can feel like most of the country supports cruelty, deportation, and authoritarianism. But Americans are waking up to the fact that these voices are artificially amplified by algorithms.

The internet has become a refuge for ideologies that can’t survive real world scrutiny. Online, people posture as warriors, ready to let others starve or be deported, but many would never say those things to someone’s face. Now, there’s risk.

7. Fear Is Losing Its Power

Fear is no longer working the way it used to. The right isn’t just losing power. People on the left are actively taking it back.

Mutual aid networks, businesses declaring themselves sanctuaries, communities tracking ICE movements, these actions all show that intimidation only works if people retreat. When people stop backing down and act collectively, bullies lose their power. They don’t look strong anymore. They look outnumbered. The act is collapsing.

8. When Fear of Violence Stops Working

This matters because revolutions begin when fear of violence stops functioning as a deterrent.

We’re seeing groups like the Black Panthers in Philadelphia protecting their neighborhoods while armed. In other cases, individuals are organizing less formally to do the same. These people stopped waiting for the police or the National Guard to act and took responsibility for protecting their communities themselves.

A Necessary Word of Caution

Please, don’t celebrate these moments too much. At best, they should spark cautious optimism. People are still scared. Neighborhoods are still under siege. Families are still at risk.

Trump and the politicians aligned with him know they are losing control, which means things will likely get worse before they get better. The crackdown is probably just beginning.

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What started it all….

The Way She Was Shot Changes How the Act Is Understood

One of the details people return to when trying to make sense of Renee Good’s killing is how the force was actually used. Being shot in the face is not experienced as distant or incidental; it involves proximity and direct intent. For many observers, that detail alone shifts the meaning of the encounter, suggesting a form of violence that feels intimate rather than procedural, and punitive rather than preventive.

The Language Used Made the Violence Explicitly Personal

Another detail people point to is the language used during the encounter. Referring to Renee Good as a “f*****g b***h” was not situational or instructional language. It was gendered and demeaning, and it altered how the use of force was understood. When lethal authority is accompanied by personal insult, the encounter reads less like procedure and more like contempt shaping action.

Even Her Death Was Treated as Something to Control

After Renee Good was killed, people in her community gathered to mourn her. When her vigil was disrupted and candles were kicked over, it stood out because vigils are typically spaces for grief, not confrontation. That moment shaped how many understood what came before it, suggesting that control extended beyond the encounter itself and into how her death was acknowledged.

People Are Beginning to See How White Supremacy Includes Gender

Upon reflecting on what happened, more people have begun to understand white supremacy as something that extends beyond race alone. It also carries expectations about gender, behavior, and loyalty. Within that worldview, white women are often assumed to play a stabilizing role, supporting the system rather than challenging it. When they act outside of that expectation, their choices are frequently framed not as disagreement, but as betrayal.

Betrayal Provokes a Different Response Than Disagreement

Some white men saw Renee Good as disloyal because she acted independently while they believed they were defending the homeland. By standing with marginalized communities and making her own choices, Good was seen as violating that expectation. Her actions were interpreted not as independence or civic engagement, but as betrayal. In systems built on strict hierarchies, perceived betrayal draws a harsher response than ordinary disagreement.

The Public Framing After Her Death Was Not New

The way Renee Good was talked about after her death did not come out of nowhere. For years, white liberal women have been portrayed in right-wing narratives as reckless, dangerous, or a threat to the social order. That long-running framing made it easier for some people to interpret what happened as justified. In other words, the story people told about her before and after her death shaped how the violence was understood.

This Fits a Pattern People Have Seen Before

For many, the killing of Renee Good brought memories of Heather Heyer, who was killed in 2017. After Heyer’s death, online spaces mocked her and treated the violence as deserved. At the time, much of that cruelty was dismissed as meaningless because it happened online. Seeing the pattern now makes it easier to understand why some observers view Good’s killing not as an isolated event, but as part of a broader history of targeted violence and dehumanization.

Taken Together, These Details Communicate a Warning

When you look at the violence, the language, the treatment after death, and the public response together, it becomes clear that this was more than a single incident. Many see it as a message about who is allowed to challenge power and what happens when those boundaries are crossed. It also signals that white people themselves are not exempt from consequences when they step outside the expectations of white supremacy. In that sense, the effect is not accidental. It is disciplinary, meant to remind everyone what is considered acceptable and what is not.

Seeing the killing of Renee Good this way isn’t just about understanding one act of violence. It asks us to notice the systems, the expectations, and the ideologies that made it possible. The next step isn’t just reflection. It’s using that awareness to question what we accept, who we protect, and how we act when power and loyalty are tested.

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I hope everyone had a restful holiday, spent with loved ones, doing exactly what you wanted to do.

But with that being said… I saw the best post this week.

One so good it probably should have won the internet.

“Thanks for the 7 day free trial of 2026. I’d like to unsubscribe from whatever the hell this is…”

I get the whiplash of that sentiment completely.

We’re only days into 2026, and the news cycle has already included a propagandized daycare scandal in Minnesota, our president abducting another country’s leader, and the killing of a mother by a fascist ICE agent.

And the month’s not even over.

All of this has had me thinking a lot about the direction of American Escapee.

Especially because, over the holiday, AE received some of the most meaningful messages I’ve seen in DMs and comments thus far.

Things like:

“I love this.” “I needed to hear this right now.” “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

Those words matter.They’re deeply appreciated, and they’ve been much-needed encouragement during some heavy moments.

American Escapee has been going strong since June, and together we’ve hit some meaningful milestones:

* Over 100 posts, written and audio

* Over 2,000 Notes covering everything from politics to art

* Over 5,000 subscribers who trust me to show up in their inboxes each week

Thank you. Truly.

None of this exists without the likes, restacks, messages, and encouragement you’ve shared along the way.

That’s why it feels important to give everyone a clear heads up about where American Escapee is headed next.

You helped build this.You deserve to know what we’re building next.

First, what’s not changing.

Political posts and notes, grounded in an American expat left perspective, will stay at the core of American Escapee.

Global solutions to American problems, drawn from around the world, will continue to be highlighted.

And “how to” guides and stories about leaving America, from people who’ve done it and want to share how, are staying.

I know for some of you, these are essential.

So what’s next for American Escapee?

Video and livestreams.Weekly.

Real-time conversations where politics are dived into from a genuinely leftist position.

Because in just this week alone, I’ve seen countless voices across platforms calling themselves “left,” while pushing ideas that are actually center-right.

Loud, amplified voices selling ideas that feel less like analysis and more like bought opinions.

AE can offer something different.

Not algorithm-optimized content. Not party-affiliated hype.

Just people having clear conversations about what’s broken, and how to fix it.

Topics like:

* What If Minnesota Fraud Isn’t the Point?

* Why Media Literacy Is a Survival Skill Now

* How Culture and Politics Change the Meaning of “Nice” and “Kind”

But I need your support to make it happen.

Right now, there are many people in the room, but only about 0.5% are invested.

If even 2% of subscribers supported this work, it changes what’s possible.

The writing continues.The Notes keep coming.Weekly livestreams become viable.

And most importantly, it proves that community-funded, independent voices don’t have to disappear.

So if this work has given you something, or shifted how you see things, I’m asking you to help it reach even further.

And if it hasn’t yet, or you don’t feel it’s deserving of support, I hope to earn that from you soon.

Thank you as always and here’s to thinking bigger.

AE

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Not a list of scandals or hot takes, but ten moments from 2025 that revealed something deeper about where the United States is headed politically and culturally.

It looks at:

How cruelty was rewarded and normalized

How state power expanded through fear, spectacle, and punishment

How economic pressure quietly reshaped everyday life

How political dysfunction became routine instead of shocking

And how “values” were reinforced not by accident, but by design

This isn’t written to persuade skeptics or entertain outrage. It’s written for those who already feel the shift and want language for what they’ve been watching happen in real time.

If you’ve been feeling unsettled, exhausted, or strangely validated by this year, this piece is for you.

A follow-up will focus on the other half of the story: resistance, refusal, and the places where people pushed back anyway.

So to celebrate, here is a fun tour of some of the most unique Christmas traditions from around the world.

Ukraine

Ukrainian Christmas trees often come with an unexpected decoration. Families place a sparkling spider web ornament among their lights and tinsel. The story comes from a poor woman who woke up to find a real spider web covering her tree. The frost made it shine and she took it as a sign of good fortune. Today the spider web represents blessings and luck.

Italy

Italy tells a different kind of gift giving story. Instead of Santa arriving on a sleigh, a kind old woman named La Befana brings presents. Legend says the three wise men invited her to join them on their journey to see Baby Jesus. She said she was too busy and has been searching for him ever since. She leaves sweets for children in case one of them is the child she missed long ago.

Venezuela

In Caracas, Christmas mornings begin with roller skates. Every day leading up to Christmas, people attend an early church service called Misa de Aguinaldo. Locals travel to the service on skates and the streets are closed until eight in the morning to protect the huge crowds rolling their way to church. It is one of the most joyful sights of the season.

Sweden

Sweden builds massive straw goats during Advent. The Yule Goat tradition goes back centuries and some of the displays are as tall as a building. The largest one is in the city of Gavle and people travel from everywhere to see it. Over the years, it has actually become a tradition for people to try to burn the goat down. Since the nineteen sixties the display has been destroyed many times, yet each year the city builds it again.

Japan

In Japan, Christmas is all about fun and food. Thanks to a clever marketing campaign in the nineteen seventies, families now celebrate the holiday with buckets of KFC. People place their orders weeks in advance and lines stretch down the block on Christmas Eve. Fried chicken has become the unofficial national Christmas dinner.

Iceland

Iceland has thirteen playful characters known as the Yule Lads. These trickster brothers come into town one by one during the thirteen days before Christmas. Children leave their shoes by the window. If they have been good, a Yule Lad leaves a small gift. If they have been naughty, they find a rotten potato waiting for them instead. Each Yule Lad has a silly name like Spoon Licker or Door Jammer which makes the whole tradition even more fun.

Mexico

Every year on December twenty third, Oaxaca holds the Night of the Radishes. Local artists carve giant radishes into detailed sculptures of nativity scenes, holiday images and cultural symbols. Crowds gather to admire the displays and judges award prizes for the most creative ones. The tradition is bright, joyful and completely unique.

Spain

Spain proudly celebrates one of the most unusual Christmas traditions in the world. Families create a little wooden character called Caga Tio, also known as the defecating log. He has a face, a hat and a blanket to keep him warm. Children feed him sweets and fruit in the days leading up to Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the whole family takes turns tapping him with sticks while singing a traditional song that encourages him to “release” the treats. It is silly, chaotic and one of the most beloved traditions in the region.

Finland

On Christmas Eve in Finland, families visit the graves of loved ones and place a candle on each resting place. The cemeteries glow with soft light and people walk quietly among them. It is both peaceful and deeply moving. Many Finns consider it one of the most meaningful moments of the season.

Slovakia

The oldest male in a Slovak household throws pudding at the ceiling on Christmas. Yes, really. The more that sticks, the more luck the family will have in the coming year. Everyone hopes for a very sticky pudding.

I hope this list proves that Christmas doesn’t look the same everywhere. These traditions show how much creativity, history and heart shape the holiday from place to place. Maybe you found one that made you smile or one you would try with your own family. No matter how you celebrate, this season is really about connection, joy and the small rituals that make us feel at home.

So if you enjoyed this roundup, feel free to share your own traditions. You never know who might try them next year.

Less than 0.5% of readers are paying, and your support is what makes it possible to keep going.

So if you’ve ever gotten value from my writing… Please consider supporting it.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in $6 a month for a year.

So to celebrate, here is a fun tour of some of the most unique Christmas traditions from around the world.

Ukraine

Ukrainian Christmas trees often come with an unexpected decoration. Families place a sparkling spider web ornament among their lights and tinsel. The story comes from a poor woman who woke up to find a real spider web covering her tree. The frost made it shine and she took it as a sign of good fortune. Today the spider web represents blessings and luck.

Italy

Italy tells a different kind of gift giving story. Instead of Santa arriving on a sleigh, a kind old woman named La Befana brings presents. Legend says the three wise men invited her to join them on their journey to see Baby Jesus. She said she was too busy and has been searching for him ever since. She leaves sweets for children in case one of them is the child she missed long ago.

Venezuela

In Caracas, Christmas mornings begin with roller skates. Every day leading up to Christmas, people attend an early church service called Misa de Aguinaldo. Locals travel to the service on skates and the streets are closed until eight in the morning to protect the huge crowds rolling their way to church. It is one of the most joyful sights of the season.

Sweden

Sweden builds massive straw goats during Advent. The Yule Goat tradition goes back centuries and some of the displays are as tall as a building. The largest one is in the city of Gavle and people travel from everywhere to see it. Over the years, it has actually become a tradition for people to try to burn the goat down. Since the nineteen sixties the display has been destroyed many times, yet each year the city builds it again.

Japan

In Japan, Christmas is all about fun and food. Thanks to a clever marketing campaign in the nineteen seventies, families now celebrate the holiday with buckets of KFC. People place their orders weeks in advance and lines stretch down the block on Christmas Eve. Fried chicken has become the unofficial national Christmas dinner.

Iceland

Iceland has thirteen playful characters known as the Yule Lads. These trickster brothers come into town one by one during the thirteen days before Christmas. Children leave their shoes by the window. If they have been good, a Yule Lad leaves a small gift. If they have been naughty, they find a rotten potato waiting for them instead. Each Yule Lad has a silly name like Spoon Licker or Door Jammer which makes the whole tradition even more fun.

Mexico

Every year on December twenty third, Oaxaca holds the Night of the Radishes. Local artists carve giant radishes into detailed sculptures of nativity scenes, holiday images and cultural symbols. Crowds gather to admire the displays and judges award prizes for the most creative ones. The tradition is bright, joyful and completely unique.

Spain

Spain proudly celebrates one of the most unusual Christmas traditions in the world. Families create a little wooden character called Caga Tio, also known as the defecating log. He has a face, a hat and a blanket to keep him warm. Children feed him sweets and fruit in the days leading up to Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the whole family takes turns tapping him with sticks while singing a traditional song that encourages him to “release” the treats. It is silly, chaotic and one of the most beloved traditions in the region.

Finland

On Christmas Eve in Finland, families visit the graves of loved ones and place a candle on each resting place. The cemeteries glow with soft light and people walk quietly among them. It is both peaceful and deeply moving. Many Finns consider it one of the most meaningful moments of the season.

Slovakia

The oldest male in a Slovak household throws pudding at the ceiling on Christmas. Yes, really. The more that sticks, the more luck the family will have in the coming year. Everyone hopes for a very sticky pudding.

I hope this list proves that Christmas doesn’t look the same everywhere. These traditions show how much creativity, history and heart shape the holiday from place to place. Maybe you found one that made you smile or one you would try with your own family. No matter how you celebrate, this season is really about connection, joy and the small rituals that make us feel at home.

So if you enjoyed this roundup, feel free to share your own traditions. You never know who might try them next year.

Less than 0.5% of readers are paying, and your support is what makes it possible to keep going.

So if you’ve ever gotten value from my writing… Please consider supporting it.

Be one of the first 100 subscribers and lock in $6 a month for a year.