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WOODY’S NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS AND OURS  
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George Lakoff and Gil Duran
January 1, 2025
FrameLab
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_ Advice for defeating the authoritarian threat _

Let's get to work! , Photo by BoliviaInteligente / Unsplash

 

It is hard to compete with Woody Guthrie’s timeless list of New Year
resolutions from 1943, which includes these ever-relevant goals:

Work more and better.
Read lots of good books.
Keep hoping machine running.
Help win war – beat fascism.
Wake up and fight.

But here’s a list of FrameLab resolutions as we head into 2025:

BE BRAVE. Avoid helpless/hopeless talk. Authoritarians want you to
feel powerless because it makes their work easier. Courage, faith, and
optimism are essential. Fascism feeds on cynicism and pessimism.
Starve it. No regime lasts forever. Resolve to do your part to ensure
the survival of democracy. Choose to believe that we will find a way
to come out stronger.

CULTIVATE EMPATHY. One way authoritarians defeat democracy is by
trying to destroy empathy. Their strategies depend on dehumanization,
demonization, and division. One of the best ways to resist is to
actively cultivate empathy. Do your best to understand other
people’s feelings and perspectives. Empathy is a powerful antidote
to fascism and hatred. Democracy depends on empathy – you can't have
democracy without it.

STAY FOCUSED. Authoritarians try to overwhelm you with constant
attacks to keep you distracted and unbalanced. Maintain a steely focus
on what matters: Your health, your family, and the survival of our
country. Constant chaos and provocation are a strategy to undermine
freedom and the rule of law. Keep your eye on the big picture. Limit
your intake of social media, which is designed to destroy your
attention span and manipulate your brain.

BE PROACTIVE. Defeating authoritarianism will require a movement of
dedicated citizens. Get involved in your community. Show up to
protests and meetings. If you can, donate to organizations doing
crucial pro-democracy work. _You have more power than you think_.
Resolve to get involved. Build local power! Authoritarian regimes gain
strength by undermining local institutions and ignoring community
voices. Participate in your city council, school board, or
neighborhood association. Support candidates, companies, and
initiatives that prioritize democratic values at the local level. A
strong democracy starts with empowered communities.

FOSTER REAL CONNECTIONS. One of the ways authoritarian regimes
isolate people is by encouraging fear and distrust. Fight back by
building strong relationships with neighbors, friends, and coworkers.
Find ways to connect beyond political differences and strengthen the
fabric of your community.

AVOID BRAIN ROT AND LIES. Social media is overrun with clickbait
traps that profit from outrage and misdirection. Block these and seek
out legitimate information sources grounded in truth and reality.
Subscribe to trusted media outlets so journalism survives – we’ll
need it more than ever. Always do a basic fact-check before sharing
memes, texts, or stories. Never spread false stories or conspiracy
theories, even if you wish they were true, even if you think they’re
funny. Once we can no longer discern fact from falsehood (or we no
longer care), the authoritarians win. Don’t be on the wrong side of
the information war!

SHARE A POSITIVE MESSAGE WHEN POSSIBLE. Trump and his ilk want the
country to be angry, fearful, and polarized because this is the soil
from which their darkest policies will grow. While it’s essential to
stand in fierce opposition to his regime, we must also offer a
positive message centered on the value of freedom and what it really
means. When the pendulum swings against the Republicans, we must be
ready with a compelling and moral vision for a better future.
Stand _for _something.

DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY. Authoritarians thrive on impunity. It’s
critical to hold leaders, corporations, and institutions accountable.
Insist on accountability. Write letters, sign petitions, and
participate in boycotts when necessary. Demand transparency and
fairness at every level. Corruption and injustice wither under the
light of scrutiny.

ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE. The next generation will inherit the
consequences of today's struggles. Engage young people in
conversations about democracy, freedom, justice, and the climate
crisis. Empower them with tools, education, and mentorship to shape
the future. Encourage them to imagine a better future – and
support them in creating it.

DON’T HELP TRUMP. Some of Trump's opponents are obsessed with
focusing on him personally; thus, they unwittingly amplify and boost
his propaganda. By focusing solely on Trump – his ridiculous
statements, mannerisms, and antics – Trump's opponents make him a
larger-than-life figure. They also reinforce his messages by
constantly repeating them and thus marketing them. In short,
they help Trump [[link removed]]. We
can’t completely ignore his quirks and lies, but the constant
boosting of his every utterance appears to have worked in his favor so
far. See: 2024 election results.

DON’T ARGUE WITH HIS SUPPORTERS. It doesn't work. Your chances of
converting a pro-Trump voter are virtually zero. At this point, their
support for him is a physical structure in their brains. Instead of
arguing with Trump supporters, focus on motivating fellow
pro-democracy citizens to get more active.

REMEMBER: THIS IS A REGIME. Trump is not acting alone. He is a puppet
of powerful would-be oligarchs who want a government of the
billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires. Elon
Musk's role as Trump’s co-president is already creating tension
among Trump’s supporters. When the American people realize that the
country is being run for the benefit of a handful of greedy
billionaires, the tide will turn. Expose them.

LEARN FROM HISTORY. Authoritarianism, oligarchy, and tyranny are not
new inventions. Study past movements for democracy and justice to
understand what works and what doesn't. From the Civil Rights Movement
to resistance efforts in authoritarian regimes worldwide, history is
full of lessons and inspiration to guide us in our current struggle.

SUPPORT ARTISTS AND THE ARTS. Literature, music, and art are crucial
to a healthy society and a functioning democracy. Fund them and
support them in every way you can. Artists, musicians, and writers
will help inspire the changes we need. Buy tickets, buy art. Buy
books [[link removed]] and
read (or listen) to them!

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. This will be a challenging era. Saving
democracy will take lots of energy, passion, and stamina. Take care of
your health. Get plenty of sleep. Drink lots of water. Exercise.
We’re all in this together – for the long haul.

CELEBRATE VICTORIES. The road to preserving freedom and democracy
will be long and challenging, but it’s essential to recognize
progress when it happens. Celebrating victories – no matter how
small – can keep hope alive. Optimism and spirit matter! Don’t be
a downer. Help inspire others to stay engaged in the fight.

PERSIST! Persistence is the best resistance.

_FrameLab is a newsletter about politics, language and your brain. It
was founded by Dr. George Lakoff
[[link removed]] and Gil Duran
[[link removed]] in 2017 (as the
FrameLab podcast)._

_Our goal with FrameLab is to help our readers understand how
political language works, and to illuminate the key frames in our
political discourse – ideological structures that are often hiding
in plain sight. We also analyze and deconstruct propaganda tactics
which, unfortunately, are accelerating in the digital age._

_FrameLab remains PAYWALL-FREE thanks to generous support from
hundreds of paid subscribers. If you're a free subscriber,
please BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER in 2025 – because your support
matters! Click here to join us
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Or, HELP US GROW by forwarding this post to family, friends, and
anyone who might be interested._

* "WOODY GUTHRIE'S NEW YEARS RULINS," VIA WOODYGUTHRIE.ORG
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"Written on New Year's Day, 1943 Woody penned this list of 33
resolutions in the centerfold of his journal. This little gem provides
insight into his daily concerns at the time, the big and the small
ones."

* Fascism
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* Anti-Fascism
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* Authoritarianism
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* Donald Trump
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* Woody Guthrie
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