Starting tomorrow morning I intend to go through all of the accounts I have followed. IF the account speaks about the political pluckery that is currently happening but requires that I pay to respond to their posts it is my intention to stop following that account.
My reasoning is simple, really. I came on Substack to listen to and learn from real writers. Not the “pay me” to show you how to succeed as a writer scammers, but also not to pay political pundits for their opinions.
I will be starting with the more ‘famous’ (or infamous) ones, like Mary Trump for example. While her views of her uncle 45 may well be based on close personal encounters with the biggest asshole in her biological family, her requirement to have a paid subscription to her account in order to respond smacks of oligarchy playing the victim in order to profit from the poor who hate her uncle as much, if not more, than she appears to hate him herself. As a black sheep of her family name, one would think she would do all in her power to refute 45’s legacy of greed by sharing her views and being open to responses. Maybe, and I am giving her the benefit of the doubt by saying this, she is so far removed from the Trump family tree she cannot afford room and board, but from the videos I’ve seen posted to her account the trappings of where she resides don’t convey that impression whatsoever.
And as for Robert Reich - a career political commentator by all appearances - he also requires followers of his account to pay for the privilege to comment, even when in agreement to everything he expresses, yet while adamantly opposing 45 and the Muskrat usurper he requires payment to even agree with his views. How then is that action less than the business model that 45 and his Muskrat accomplish with each step they take toward tyranny and the destruction of not just this nation, but the entire human race?
Play acting at opposition costs these individuals nothing. Paying and supporting them is like buying a ticket to The Royal Nonesuch, being made a fool of and getting others to buy into the same show in an attempt to avoid “looking” foolish.
I’ve offered the politicians and pundits of all types the opportunity to prove me wrong. I’ve repeated the offer on all the social media platforms, even the ones I no longer actively use, by leaving my accounts on them open to public scrutiny. Yet not one of them, from the capitulator Bernie Sanders to 45 himself and all those that lie ( please take notice of the fact that preferably I usually use the word lay rather than lie for any placement statement but in this instance LIE is much more appropriate ) between have ever bothered to respond, let alone accept my invitation to a cup of coffee and conversation.
“No, not one … “
I won’t leave Substack, as I have all other social media. I still want to learn from real writers and authors who share themselves through their works. And I will follow the grassroot resistors of 45, like Jess Piper from the state I reside within, Misery (Missouri) in spite of her requirement for a paid subscription to respond. Only because local media doesn’t share what is actually happening in Jefferson City, the capital of Misery.
But mostly I’ll repost cat photos, flowers, sunrises, sunsets, moonlight and writers works I can relate to, even if I cannot afford to pay them for their work.
Someone on here once said “just hitting like encourages a writer by showing them that someone, somewhere is reading their works.” And that is all the reason I need, if it can encourage (give courage) even one of those who use the Universal Languages of Humanity to continue to be themselves.