Bracing for the Broligarchy

Do Not Comply in Advance

After a week in sub-zero weather in the Midwest, I’m back in the desert, Secular Fam. I was grateful to have the ability to drop everything and go back after my dad took a spill in the shower. Things will likely be different for him going forward, but I’m grateful that his Medicare and supplemental insurance will cover his needs for the most part (well, for now…). 

I had breakfast with my mom while there though, and she assured me that the new administration is totally not going to dismantle Medicare or Social Security, guyz, so none of us needs to worry. She also explained that absolutely every problem in the world (inflation, insurance premium increases, dwindling social security reserves) is because of immigrants. 

This isn’t true, but the broligarchs have the people fighting a culture war when we should be fighting a class war, and my mother, a former United Auto Worker, has fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker. 

The murder of the United Healthcare CEO seems to have ignited a national conversation about capitalism and the ever-increasing gap between the “haves” and “have nots.” While older Americans mostly agreed that murder is bad no matter what, younger Americans took to social media to call out wealth disparity and America’s broken healthcare system. 

On the same day of the murder of the United Healthcare CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield announced they would be limiting the use of anesthesia, and within 24 hours, they scrapped that new policy.

After the UHC CEO murder and subsequent manhunt of the alleged shooter, Luigi Mangione, folks started posting their horror stories about healthcare denials, medical bankruptcies, and even their experiences of losing a loved one due to denials. Of course, no one condones murder, but this event elicited a conversation between conservative and liberal individuals, with both sides agreeing that we need healthcare reform in this country. 

In this current moment, there seems to be consensus on how messed up our for-profit healthcare system is, but I fear that it won’t continue for long. As I stated in my last Substack, too many people are lulled into complacency by using their screens or their “Soma” to escape the harsh reality of our individualistic, capitalistic, for-profit society. Most Americans likely won’t rise up to rage against the ruling class. For folks like me, it’s hard to imagine people being so uninformed about politics that they legit didn’t know that Biden had dropped out of the race until election day. 

But that was an actual thing that happened. 

I recently read Jared Yates Sexton’s Substack, and if you haven’t read his work, you should subscribe. He explains the various classes of Americans and why we do not rage against the ruling class, but instead, rage against our own neighbors and the most marginalized members of society through manufactured culture war issues.

Just look at my mom’s assertion (above). When I expressed concern over her social security and Medicare, she immediately blamed immigrants for stealing from Social Security (they don’t - they frequently pay into Social Security, Medicare, and federal and local taxes). She then said that our auto, health, and home insurance is more expensive because of immigrants, and completely ignored my assertion that maybe corporate greed has something to do with it. 

It was clear she had no interest in what I had to say, so we said goodbye and parted ways. 

I don’t see myself going back anytime soon. 

Also, the culture warriors have really figured out how to manipulate their cult(ure war) members in the rural Midwest, and the poor, working, and middle classes are all battling for billionaires. All around the small towns in the county where I grew up, there were creepy altars to their Sacred Orange Cow (and others) like this one, often in the middle of nowhere.

It was weird. 

I couldn’t wait to return to Arizona to escape both the freezing cold and the rampant redneckery of my hometown. I’m sure I’ll need to return once we determine a pathway of care for my dad, but I couldn’t get out of there soon enough. 

But if I’m being honest, it’s not much better here. 

Last Tuesday, Deer Valley (DVUSD) had their last meeting of the year, and sadly, the last meeting with outgoing Board President, Ann Ordway. The election outcomes in DVUSD were not great, and Ms. Ordway (who, by the way, didn’t fundraise or advertise) was the bottom vote-getter, while Board Member, Kim Fisher (who was endorsed and funded by national extremist organizations), came out on top. This district will be one to watch, as they’ll likely be a 2-2-1 board (2 on one side, 2 on the other, and 1 that could go either way). 

There was a lovely celebration of outgoing President Ann Ordway, and the table behind the dais was full of flowers and gifts from her constituents. 

It was so nice and positive, so of course, Board Member Fisher used it as an opportunity to show everyone that she does NOT know how to read a room. 

I won’t bore you, but if you want to watch her or any other part of the meeting, here is the link. 

DVUSD also didn’t pass their bond and override elections, so that means the district will need to cut millions from its budget. They’ve got a tough road ahead, so if you’re in the North Phoenix area, please give them your support and let your voice be heard. 

The same goes for Peoria (PUSD). Their outcomes were even worse, from a pro-public secular education perspective, since at least one of their board members seems to be on a mission to indoctrinate children with an incredibly pornographic book. 

This board now has enough evangelical extremists on the board that they could easily bring this type of indoctrination to PUSD, and even sign off on creationist science curriculum, the 1776 curriculum, or PragerU. 

If you live in or care about the children and families in PUSD, they will need your unwavering support for the next two years. Call and email board members and administrators, and show up to board meetings to support public education whenever possible to keep these anti-public education extremists in check. 

It’s gonna suck a whole bunch, Secular Fam, but we don’t have a choice. My kids are out of school, and my grandson is four years away from Kindergarten, so I could easily sit out this fight. But without a robust, well-funded, public education system, we’ll all suffer.

Property values will drop, teachers will leave (even more than they already have), and employers will struggle to hire staff who can solve the very difficult problems we’ve burdened Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha with. 

I plan on spending the next couple of weeks preparing for whatever is next. I’ll lean in with my friends and favorite people, and my dance card is quite full this month. I have also really examined my spending habits, my physical health, and my mental wellbeing. I cancelled a few subscriptions, and this Xmas, I purposefully purchased gifts from local vendors and Etsy artisans instead of big box stores and broligarchs. I got my A/C fixed on my car, and I encourage you to take care of big repairs and/or purchases, since most economists think these tariffs will hurt average Americans.

We’re having the First Annual Festival of Pie on December 29, 2024, and the focus will be completely on fun and fellowship. Unlike our Friday programs (lovingly dubbed “Rage Fridays” by most who attend), or other annual events, this is just to hang with your people, fill your piehole, play some games, listen to the musical stylings of our DJ, and help Secular AZ raise some money in the process. 

I know that the holidays can be a difficult time for many reasons, but we want to help you find fellowship with your people. 

Right after that, our Secular Summit will be held on 1.4.2025, and our theme is “Building Bridges” because right now, we must build bridges with folks who may seem like unusual partners in this fight against fascism. You can register for that event here. 

The following Monday is opening day at the legislature, and we will still be working on legislative issues, so if you’d like to activate a “Request to Speak” (RTS) Account, send us an email at info@seularaz.org and we’ll get you activated. 

But really, Secular Fam, we’re all going to need to be disciplined in the coming months and years. If you’re unsure where to start, I highly recommend reading this article from the Guardian. The author does a great job of giving practical guidance for surviving the “broligarchy.” 

If you’re looking for immediate actions you could take as we prepare for all the horrible campaign promises that were made, here is a handy resource sheet that provides practical suggestions for resisting fascism. 

Secular AZ isn’t going anywhere, but trust and believe, Secular Fam! We’re going to be very busy. We’re currently looking for volunteers who can commit to helping us do this very important work, so if you’d like to join our list of volunteers, join a committee, or even become a board member, we’d love to help you plug in! 

We are also still fundraising to hire a full-time attorney, so please consider becoming a supporter today. 

In Solidarity, 

Jeanne