Don’t Give In To Nihilism

Texas Democrats prove that courage can change the game.

Don’t give in to nihilism. If you’re struggling to maintain revolutionary optimism through these times, then do it out of spite. Just remember, all of the knuckle-dragging fascists out there want you to sit idly by and shut the fuck up while they continue to tear down democracy. They want you to cower in fear as America falls. Don’t give them the satisfaction.

Yesterday, an ABC affiliate reported that Texas Democrats planned to return from their quorum break to fight during the special session, and several outlets picked it up. Frankly, some of the reactions to this news shocked me.

Before I get into it, I do want to mention that I have not heard directly from any House member that this was the plan. This morning, I saw a House member on a social media interview calling that a rumor and saying the caucus is still undecided.

Only yesterday, I wrote about how it was unrealistic to expect 57 House members to stay away from their families, their jobs, and their lives, while receiving daily threats at the cost of $500 per day for the rest of the year. Then, upon learning that they may return for the following special session, everyone is losing their mind. It’s frustrating, to say the least. So we need to break this down.

What were Texas Democrats aiming to achieve by breaking quorum?

They sought national attention for the situation in Texas and, if Greg Abbott and Mango Mussolini wouldn’t halt the process, aimed to get blue states to retaliate.

They achieved both of those things.

Not only that, they showed an entire country that Democrats could stand up, that they could fight back. Do you think that without Texas Democrats, California, Illinois, or New York would be talking about redistricting now?

Hell no, they wouldn’t. These soft-core, liberal states haven’t stood up to fascism once in the last decade. It took Texas Democrats breaking quorum, traveling to their states, bringing national attention to how bad the situation is, and putting pressure on them to make it happen. And now it is.

Texas Democrats orchestrated this.

And for those who are accusing Texas Democrats of caving, even though they have not yet returned, ask yourself:

Could you spend three or four months away from your family, your children, your career, your entire life, while being bombarded with daily death threats and being charged $500 per day?

Do you know what you’re asking?

And they haven’t even returned yet. People are getting mad about rumors that House members have not confirmed.

Texas Democrats aren’t rookies.

Texas is a fascist state. They’ve been operating under fascism for many years. This isn’t their first rodeo, and it sure as hell isn’t the first time they’ve had to fight with their backs against the wall. These lawmakers didn’t wake up one morning and decide to wing it, they walked out knowing exactly what they were risking and precisely what they stood to gain. You don’t pull a move like that without a plan.

People love to scream “no strategy” the second they don’t understand every step being taken. But that’s the point, you’re not supposed to see every step. Publicly broadcasting the playbook only helps the other side. The GOP is already combing through every word and move, looking for leverage. Sometimes the smartest strategy is the one that looks unpredictable from the outside.

We need to give them credit where it’s due. They’ve already shifted the national conversation, forced other states to take notice, and put the Texas GOP on the defensive. That doesn’t happen by accident. If they decide to go back, it’s because it’s part of the larger plan, whether it’s to run the clock, negotiate leverage, or set up the next fight.

So instead of wringing our hands and accusing them of surrender, maybe try having a little faith that the people who just pulled off one of the boldest political moves in modern Texas history might actually know what they’re doing.

Try giving the most anti-fascist Democrats in the country some of the fucking credit they deserve.

You are the resistance.

No matter how you want to slice it, America is now an authoritarian country. When you woke up today, you woke up with less freedom, fewer rights, and less access to government services than you had just one year ago. The dictator is consolidating all of the power into one branch of government. He has co-opted Congress and is openly disobeying court orders.

There are only two things left now. You either support the rise of authoritarianism or you are part of the resistance. There are no gray areas anymore. And it’s not even left vs. right anymore. It’s the people who want to take everything and the people who will be left with nothing.

You cannot fight this fight alone. Find your people. Find your community. Organize, plan, and protect each other. Authoritarianism thrives when it convinces you that you’re isolated and powerless. The truth is, you’re neither. There are millions of us, and if we’re loud, coordinated, and relentless, we are a force they cannot control.

I know there are folks out there who will roll their eyes and say, “You can’t vote your way out of authoritarianism.” Those people are nihilists. They’ve already decided we’ve lost, and they want you to join them in giving up. Don’t. History is full of examples where democracy clawed its way back from the grip of a strongman. Spain emerged from nearly forty years of fascist dictatorship under Franco and rebuilt a functioning democracy. South Korea transitioned from military rule to a vibrant, competitive democracy without a civil war. Even in Eastern Europe, nations broke free from Soviet-backed regimes and reclaimed self-rule through mass movements, organizing, and yes, through elections.

Does it always happen without bloodshed? No. But not every dictator ends in a world war, and not every authoritarian regime is forever. The lesson is that authoritarianism is not a one-way street. People have beaten it before, and we can beat it again.

But that only happens if we refuse to surrender to despair. If we refuse to become the silent, compliant subjects the fascists are banking on. The fight is not just in the streets or in the courts, it’s in your neighborhood, your union, your church, your local Democratic club, your school board, and yes, in the voting booth.

So stop waiting for someone else to save you.

The cavalry isn’t coming. We are the cavalry. Every conversation you have, every meeting you attend, every door you knock on, every dollar you give, every candidate you back, it all matters. The fascists are counting on you to burn out, tune out, and check out. Don’t give them the win.

This is our moment to decide whether the story ends with us folding or with us fighting. The Texas Democrats have shown us that courage is contagious, that standing up, even when it’s costly, forces the enemy to scramble. We owe them more than applause. We owe them action.

Find your lane and run it like hell. Whether you’re organizing marches, registering voters, filing lawsuits, or hammering away on social media, do it with the conviction that you are not alone, and that you can make a dent.

History doesn’t remember the people who sat quietly and hoped for the best. It remembers the ones who stood up, spoke out, and pushed back when everything was on the line. That’s us, right now.

So don’t give in to nihilism. Give in to spite. Give in to hope. Give in to the stubborn, unshakable belief that we can win because if we fight like we mean it, we will.

• August 15: Last day of special session

• November 4: Constitutional/TX18/SD09 Election

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