Can we agree the Iowa caucus is a joke?
The whole thing is a block party for white people that changes American history.
America is an oligarchy organized by the hierarchy of the white supremacist patriarchy. Pancake Brain is a (free) Friday newsletter dedicated to replacing the status quo with equitable public power, and a community dedicated to building the discipline of democracy that equity requires. We move through the world committed to a daily practice of activism and critical thinking. We reject limitations and embrace the possibilities of social imagination, certain that the queer future is better than anything we’ve yet dreamed up. We insist on our right and duty to the political conversation, and empower others to join us. Out of love for ourselves and the collective, we are engaged in a sustainable practice of freedom, endlessly un-fucking our brains.
This project is based on How to Start a Revolution, which I hope you can read or listen to here.
Dearest Pancake Brains,
I hope this email finds you all thriving as much as possible given the current state of the dumpster fire.
Those of you who have already read “How to Start a Revolution” know that a big part of the book is challenging who makes the rules, and we have a fantastically absurd test case for that paradigm today with the Iowa caucus. I’ve been struck by the breathlessness of coverage that renders this 90% white state at the center of the political universe, and the arbitrary series of events that have led to its Holy Grail status read like the stuff of fan fiction. You can read that piece over at The Independent.
The official start of primary season comes amid a devastating time for the illusion of democracy. Impeachment obstruction made for a shocking spectacle last week, but we can’t let it harden our angry energy into despair. Really, the Republican move to block witnesses doesn’t change much of anything, except that now our oligarchic state is in plain view: our elected officials are not even pretending to consider the will of the people. Instead of cynicism, choose to channel your rightful energy into action. The American public votes on Trump’s impeachment on Tuesday, November 3. At the very least, can you all make sure every sane person you know is registered and committed to voting?
The key thing is to continue to commit to the continuous work of exercising political agency. Beyond getting your people registered and voting, the options for raising your voice are endless, and it may be best to look locally. It’s so easy to lose sight of our microcosms as we zoom out to the big-screen infotainment that warps our politics into a death match between a dangerous white nationalist organization and a bunch of fumbling bureaucrats. In terms of national policy, our individual voices are about as impactful as making wishes at 11:11, but we can change that by investing our energy in the question of how we live together in our immediate surroundings. Can you attend a town hall, get involved in a local election, or maybe consider running for office yourself? (Once again, I humbly suggest “How to Start a Revolution” as a launch pad for building these rituals of freedom. Please consider passing it on to the people in your life who are on the cusp of getting involved — especially if said people are young womxn. )
Thank you all for continuing to follow my work. I promise to keep tweeting / writing / fighting for the foreseeable future, and, eventually, will come up with a solid schedule for this newsletter that I will stick to like my discipline of democracy. ;)
Sending you love and strength,
Lauren