In America today, you cannot be poor or homeless^1,2. You cannot be against war, against genocide, or against corruption.^3,4 You cannot be Muslim, or black, or a minority of any kind.^5,6 You cannot be an immigrant, you cannot be born to immigrants, you cannot be a citizen, but born elsewhere.⁷ You definitely cannot be a refugee.⁸ You cannot express yourself, you cannot protest, you cannot use the word diversity.^9,10 You cannot be an academic, you cannot be a lawyer, you cannot do research.^11,12 You cannot address the climate crisis.¹³ You cannot conserve water, you cannot protect dying species.¹⁴ You cannot have children that need medication, you cannot vaccinate them.^15,16You cannot make jokes online, and you cannot challenge corporate America. ¹⁷ You cannot challenge the status quo, you cannot be different, you cannot have autonomy over your body.¹⁸

You can be white, you can be Christian, and you can and should be a wealthy man. If you want to be a Nazi, you can be.¹⁹ You can be angry, you can be hateful, you can carry a gun into a school or a church, or a grocery store.²⁰ You can commit war crimes, and violate human rights.^21,22 You can shoot faulty rockets into space.²³You can pollute the water and the air and you can drill for oil in the Artic.²⁴ You can send your war plans over Signal, and you can send planes of immigrants to El Salvador prisons.^25,26You can be greedy, you can be hostile, you can wave your American flag upside down.²⁷You can drive a Cyber Truck.²⁸You can storm the Capitol and kill police officers.²⁹ You can have a baby you do not want and cannot afford to feed.³⁰

Which America do you want? You cannot choose. The deal is done.

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The rules

Karen Loschiavo

March 26, 2025

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