By Patrick at Labbett.net in Politics — Jan 26, 2026

Doing Something

A small guide to doing something without doing much of anything.

As an American, it can be hard to protest*. So this guide is meant to help spur some ideas of things you can do without really doing much of anything.

* - U.S. states are often larger than individual European countries, making large-scale protests difficult.

Why Coordinated Protests Are Hard For Americans

The geographical size of states isn't the only reason it's difficult for us to get together logistically. Here in the U.S.:

we are incredibly polarized, which breeds apathy/fear;
we generally value (ICE) cars over pedestrians;
we haven't invested in reliable mass-transportation;
there are many of us without access to reliable healthcare;
we're mostly living paycheck-to-paycheck;

We can't easily take off work to protest without risking our livelihood (like paychecks, access to healthcare, or the ability to pay for what is effectively required transportation.)

Are we a Representative Oligarchy or a Dictatorship?

We also have have an armed federal agency actively suppressing the rights of US citizens – notably our 1st-amendment rights to assembly and speech and 4th-amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects.

The only free speech that our representatives listen to in America comes in the form of bribes from corporate interests. We're all too poor to have a real voice.

And you aren't safe as a business either. If you talk negatively about this administration in any public way, you're at risk of being targeted by the Department of Justice, oligarchs, and/or an angry political base.

You know how I constantly rant about privacy, security, and anonymity? It's for times like these when corrupt governments can ~~pressure~~ partner with private companies for my data.

Recently, our government has escalated to extra-judicially murdering actual citizens while gaslighting us over the details.

I'm sure it will be okay if we continue to do nothing, though.

No Step On Snek

I'm confused as to where all of the 2nd-Amendment supporters are. Apparently they all got deported or don't actually care about the right to bear arms; only about their right to bear arms.

One theory is that all the gravy seals are cosplaying as ICE agents hence all the slip-ups and lack of training.

Unmarked, armed, masked persons break into your home without a warrant... and that's okay to you 2A supporters? If we can't be safe in our own home and we have to show papers when we are in public then we aren't living in a free society.

This is one of the biggest setbacks for gun-rights in my lifetime and it's brought to you by a Republican administration. And their base is cheering it on for some reason.

This is literally the reason every 2A supporter quotes: to stop a tyrannical government. Are we not there yet?

Doing Something Easy

If you've been outraged at what's going on, but otherwise haven't done anything about it – this is a great starting point. It's what I consider table-stakes for things you should be doing.

These actions are so easy, you should do them every day.

Bring up the Epstein Files everywhere (blogs, social media, emails, group-chats, articles, posts, chat-bots, server logs, code comments etc.)
Contact your state and federal representatives via their web-form.

Doing Something Sorta

You need other people or have to take some basic actions for these ones, so you can do them less-often.

Contact your state and federal representatives via phone. Yes, talk to someone; even if it's an aide. (Don't be mean, you'll end up on a watch-list.)
Convince people to vote. Trump was just kidding the multiple times he talked about cancelling the midterms.

Doing Something More?

This is where it starts to get harder, because we actually have to do something. Almost all of these will require some level of effort and/or travel outside of your house.

I know I said you can do something without doing much of anything. But guys, we might have to actually do something this time.

VoTe WiTh YoUr WaLlEt.
Visit your representatives office.
Go to a protest in your area.
Organize a nationwide general strike.

A while back, I rewrote the original Simple Sabotage Field Manual for modern digital-times if you need some more inspiration.

What's Next?

The state of being in the U.S. is pretty rough right now.

Representative democracy fails when your representatives no longer represent you. We're all too poor to buy our politicians, even if we pool our resources. Our government continues to protect pedophiles by ignoring the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

See how I brought it up like I said you should!

We're invading other countries, seizing resources, and threatening our allies. We are ignoring due process and killing U.S. citizens. We're eroding long-standing rights of speech, due-process, and gun-ownership.

If this is what you voted for, then so be it. For everyone else, start doing something.

Sadly, this post is second in my new series what the fuck is going on in America right now.