They Wouldn’t Do That Here In America, Would They?
Black smoke. Armored vehicles. Pepper spray. 300 helmeted police in riot gear. Helicopters. Nightsticks. Snipers. Bean bags. Rubber bullets. Sound cannons. Cell phone jamming.
Drums. Sage. Prayers. 300 unarmed peaceful water protectors. Tobacco. Tribal elders. Song. Blockade.
October 2016. Standing Rock. North Dakota. Dakota Access Pipeline water protection effort.
Crossing Minnesota, I don’t yet realize what I am driving into. The land is brushed with a thousand shades of khaki and rust. A mist of rain drops from a low scudding sky, and the edge of winter stands ready. Hawks sit on fence posts, feathers puffed against the rain and cold. I am headed to Standing Rock and Sacred Stone Spirit Camp. I am pushing against the demands of regular life, which pulls me backwards like a magnet. I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no convenient time in life to do the right thing.
Conflict, like winter, is in the air. But this is not about me. There are much bigger things at stake. You can read more about what happened to me here. Now fast forward.
March 2025, Morton County, North Dakota. $660M Verdict Against Greenpeace.
Yesterday, a jury in Morton County, North Dakota returned a $660M verdict in a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) against Greenpeace in favor of Energy Transfer Partners. The suit claimed defamation, trespass, nuisance and civil conspiracy. According to the Guardian news organization, “In the end, more than half the jurors selected to hear the case had ties to the fossil fuel industry, and most had negative views of anti-pipeline protests or groups that oppose the use of fossil fuels.” Greenpeace has announced they will appeal the verdict.
There’s a direct line between Standing Rock in 2016 and the authoritarian and fascist takeover of America today.
We don’t pay much attention to these terms, authoritarianism and fascism. They are not accessible, and I don’t recommend them in framing. Most people don’t understand them or what is happening to our country. But it is important to understand them. “Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality (multi-party democracy and rule by the people), the use of strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law.” Countries with this system of government are usually ruled by strongmen dictators and once established, they are difficult to remove. Examples are North Korea and Russia,
The definition of fascism is a governmental system led by a strongman or dictator who forcibly suppresses opposition and criticism. Fascism colludes with industry and corporations to regiment commerce and enrich a few. This system is often combined with aggressive nationalism, xenophobia, and racism. Sound familiar? Historically, the transition to fascism is completed by an act of war. Examples are Hitler’s Germany and, now perhaps, the United States of America under Trump. Rewind.
January 2017 to March 2025, United States of America
According to International Center for Non-Profit Law, their US Protest Law Tracker records 45 states enacting laws that restrict the right to peaceful assembly with 49 laws passed and 38 pending. Most of these are directed at protests against gas and oil pipelines. None of the laws have been challenged yet. But the intention of the Energy Transfer SLAPP suit and these laws is to favor industry over people and prevent the free speech and protest rights we are guaranteed in the constitution. This is fascism. It’s un-American. Rewind to the 1791, our Bill of Rights.
December 1791, First Amendment of the US Constitution
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Fast forward.
Today, Where are we?
Today, Trump is in full scale war against our health, our environment, our education and our freedom as well as our future security. He has cowed his critics, sued newspapers, used force against peaceful demonstrators, and ignored the law and the will of congress. He has tried to intimidate the courts, and many judges, receiving death threats, fear for their lives and those of their families. He has weakened our country against our enemies. He has openly colluded with oil companies and threatens a safe future for our children and the next generation. And dozens of other horrifying transgressions.
This doesn’t mean he will succeed at everything he wants. But if we ask, “They won’t do that here in America, would they?” The answer is yes. They already have. The fascist collaboration of government, and corporations, with the police and military was demonstrated at Standing Rock. Look at the picture. It will get worse. It must be peaceful, but likely there will be blood in the streets. It will be justified by making enemies of the people protesting. And there is no one coming to save us. Least of all, our spineless representatives and senators who are afraid of Musk and his financial political power. It’s up to us.
What can we do?
That’s the fucking question. And it’s a tough one. I believe that we have a number of tools which I’ll discuss in upcoming posts. They are:
1. Massive peaceful public demonstrations.
(There are demonstrations planned for April 5th)
2. Public work stoppages and sick-ins
3. A tax revolt.
(Remember the Boston Tea Party?)
4. Better communications with our fellow citizens
From a personal standpoint, I’ve focused SkyWaterEarth and my work on how we can create more effective climate communications. I have a book coming out this summer on the subject. This is something I am passionate about and believe is critical to the lives of my kids and grandkids. Climate affects almost all of the issues we face as a country and society, including our health, our food supply, our security, and our future.
Yet working on climate, independent of the collapse of our democracy, seems foolish. Trump is a climate denier and deceiver. His administration has purged the words climate change from government websites, decimated NOAA, reversed 31 climate laws, and has frozen funds appropriated by congress for clean energy. He has installed a fossil fuel exec as Secretary of Energy, and another to lead the EPA. ‘People say’ he is weak and insane, and if we are to make progress on a safe climate and livable planet, we must stop Trump and his destruction of our country. He is a weak man and it is possible to stop him.
So I will continue writing about climate communications, including a few nature stories. It won’t be as frequent, because a portion of my capacity will now go to fighting the threat we face as a country. It’s not something that I eagerly pick. But “there is never the wrong time to do the right thing.”
I’d like to ask that you join me in this work. You can do this by sharing my work and letting me know how and what you are doing.
Thanks for all you do. See you in the streets.
- Hobie
We are all connected. Savor the Earth! ™
L. Hobart Stocking
651–357–0110
SkyWaterEarth.com
hobart@skywaterearth.com
