Feeling Helpless? Here’s How to Fight Back
What We Do with All This Fear and Anger
In 1943, in the heart of Nazi-occupied France, a group of ordinary people in the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon did something extraordinary. When German officers came searching for Jewish refugees, these villagers—many of them shopkeepers, farmers, grandparents, and lifelong pacifists—stood their ground. They looked those soldiers in the eyes and lied through their teeth.
“There are no Jews here,” they said, knowing full well that entire families were hidden beneath their floorboards, in barns, in the woods beyond the village.
For years, the people of Le Chambon, led by a quiet, stubborn network of older citizens, saved thousands of lives. They forged papers, smuggled children, misdirected the Gestapo, and risked their own safety every single day—not with weapons, but with sheer defiance. They were afraid, of course. They knew the cost. But they also knew that fear was a tool of the oppressor, and that their best weapon was their refusal to comply.
Resistance isn’t always loud. It isn’t always young. And it isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes, it looks like an old woman with a basket of bread staring down a Nazi and saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The Weight of This Moment
The weight of living under a creeping—or galloping—totalitarian regime is enough to crush anyone’s spirit. The sense of dread, the helplessness, the rage—it’s all real, and it’s all justified. You are not alone in feeling it. But what you do with that energy? That’s where we find our power.
Let’s take a page from history. People who have lived through authoritarian rule before us—whether in Nazi Germany, Franco’s Spain, Pinochet’s Chile, apartheid South Africa, or even McCarthy’s America—have had the same feelings. And yet, they fought back. Not always with weapons (though resistance movements have taken many forms), but with persistence, courage, and cleverness.
Here’s what we can do:
1. Resist Despair Like Your Life Depends on It—Because It Does
Authoritarian regimes want you to feel helpless. They need you to believe you have no power. It’s psychological warfare. But history teaches us that the minute people give up, the battle is lost. The antidote? Act, even in small ways. Action breaks fear’s grip.
2. Forget About Converting the Hardcore Fascists
You’re not going to “own” them, “educate” them, or make them see the light by engaging in endless Twitter battles. Save your breath. Focus on rallying those who are still undecided, uninformed, or scared into silence. We win by growing our numbers, not by banging our heads against the wall of right-wing extremism.
3. Stay Loud, Stay Public, Stay Together
Totalitarian regimes rely on making people feel isolated and powerless. They want you to think you’re the only one who sees what’s happening. You’re not. Find your people. Stick with them. And if you don’t have them yet, start looking—because they’re out there.
One of the most powerful acts of resistance? Refusing to be alone.
They can take our institutions. They can corrupt our courts. They can rig our elections. But they cannot take our people.
No matter how introverted or independent you are, now is the time to reach out. Neighbors, coworkers, the people you see at the grocery store or on your morning walk—there are more of us than you think. And those of us who already see what’s happening? We need each other. We are our own underground network, our own support system, our own reality check.
Talk. Share. Check in on each other. If you have people online who get it, hold on to them. If you don’t have people in your immediate world, go find them. Because here’s the thing—we are not crazy. The world around us is, but that’s not the same thing.
4. Use Your Energy Strategically
Calling your reps? Yes, but not just screaming into the void. Be specific. Demand concrete action. Follow up.
Protesting? Yes, but make sure it’s targeted and visible. Not every march needs to be a mass event—sometimes a dozen people at a senator’s office has more impact than thousands in a public square.
Social media? Yes, but only if it builds real-world action. Organizing matters more than arguing.
5. Know That Resistance Takes Many Forms
Not everyone is built to be on the front lines. Some people are the organizers. Some are the financiers. Some protect others. Some spread the word. Some make art, music, and culture that keeps people inspired. Figure out where you fit, and lean in.
6. Prepare, but Don’t Let Fear Rule You
Do you need to arm yourself? That depends. If you’re in a community where that makes sense for protection, do it responsibly. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that only armed resistance counts. History shows us that strategic defiance—economic pressure, labor strikes, mass noncompliance, and sheer determination—has taken down more tyrants than guns alone.
7. Be Unruly, Be Bold, Be Ready
Authoritarians count on obedience. Break their expectations. Refuse to play by their rules. If they want you to be afraid, be defiant. If they want you to be silent, be loud. If they want you to feel small, stand with others and grow bigger.
The worst thing you can do right now? Nothing. Doing something—even if it’s just reaching out to a friend, writing a letter, showing up—is better than sitting in paralyzed fear. Every act of defiance, no matter how small, chips away at their control.
And above all—believe that this too shall pass. Because it will. We are not the first people to have to fight for our democracy. And if history has proven anything, it’s that when the people refuse to be broken, the people win.
So pick one thing today. Just one.
And start.
Stay loud. Stay bold. Stay American.
Thanks for this important reminder and list of actions..
Outstanding and inspiring! Please keep up this vital work.