82 Comments
User's avatar
Marion Bokkelkamp's avatar

Don’t ask me why, but I only started watching ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ last night.

The book by  Margaret Atwood was published in 1985, 40 years ago, and televised between 2017 and 2025.

So far I’ve only watched the first few episodes and I can’t believe what I’m watching. It’s like the daily news coming from the U.S.:

The unofficial police force is called ‘The Eyes’ (ICE), people are taken from the street (sounds familiar?), women are only useful to bear children (no abortion rights etc), and everything that was normal in the past, has been erased …

And then this morning I wake up to this, another excellent, post, this time regarding erasing the past.

I feel hugely unsettled and worried. And I’m not even an American, nor live in the USA.

Charlotte Firth's avatar

I have never dared read the book or watch the film and similarly I am from Uk and am completely horrified by what is happening in USA. My question is why oh why is nobody standing up to this appalling man. Where are the good guys ????

Marion Bokkelkamp's avatar

Hi Charlotte,

Unfortunately the good guys are either on the ‘other’ Dem side and politically powerless, or are on the ‘right’ Rep side, and most likely either scared loosing their job when speaking out or voting against the orange felon, or just totally spineless.

shakingmyhead's avatar

Imagine not wanting to lose your job but you're ok with losing your democracy. I can't even.

Shelly Rellim M.'s avatar

The “good guys” are few and far between. The Democrats are mostly USELESS talkers and NOT Doing much of anything. Plus BeneDICKt Fetterman. We the People are the ones that have to Rise up and RESIST before it is too late.

Deva West's avatar

Bought and sold by the same conditions that created the mess we are in. Follow the money. I keep telling friends who are waiting for a leader who will step up and lead the fight. I tell them, there isn't going to be one. It's us....and only us.

Ellen S Gibson's avatar

Citizens United unleashed the ultimate American penchant for money and power and greed. But we get nowhere by casting all politicians negatively. Look at AOC. Look at Mamdani. There are many others: bright spots coming through the cracks that are opening up in tRumpWorld. The light is getting in and WE the People need to keep up the pressure and fight the outrages against our history, our fellow citizens, and our fellow citizens-to-be.

Protect The Midterms 2026's avatar

Thank you for your comment. You raise a most critical question. One that must be answered going forward as a democracy. How do we stop a ruthless person from seizing control of the government? (I'm sitting here for the last 10 minutes realizing I do not have any answer other than preventing it from happening in the first place. The only positive words I can add is I'm thankful he's a sick old man with little time left on this Earth. Seems like that is the only answer to tyranny.)

Betsy Robinson's avatar

There are no “good guys”, at least among those in a position to actually DO anything about this horrendous man and this horror show. The Republicans are so anxious to hold on to their well-paying jobs with great benefits that they refuse to stand up and do what is right for their country, they just hide with their colleagues and do nothing. If they would band together - not all of them would - but enough of them to stand up with the Democrats could actually DO SOMETHING, like institute all sections of the 25th Amendment which would allow us to get rid of this stark, raving lunatic. God help us, because no one else will. Millions of us have been willing to stand up to him - I would do it in a heartbeat if I had the legal grounds.

Shelly Rellim M.'s avatar

If you haven’t read Orwell’s “1984” and even “Animal Farm,” it will really shock you. Orwell’s was writing these things as a warning. His experiences and philosophical vantage point are crucial to what we Americans are going through. It is all that with Project 2025-26 the Heritage foundation, EPSTEIN Class, Nazi, fascist criminals, serial pedophiles and rapists, sex traffickers, thieves, infiltrated into our government and with Elon Musk, Palantir’s Thiel and Karp. We are 1930’s Germany, meets those books, on A.I. Steroids We also have ICE Gestapo and Concentration Camps. We are a democracy in free-fall.

Marion Bokkelkamp's avatar

I’m European (Dutch) and both books were already on our reading-list at school, all those years ago !!

I re-read the books years later when I understood better the significance of the story.

Can’t believe it’s seems to have become reality now !

Shelly Rellim M.'s avatar

It’s insane. I never read them in school, but read them as an adult and read “1984” at the start of this whole thing and wow. I know he wrote from his experiences. It is so much better to re-read books as an adult, especially now. I am finding more older movies, especially military and spy doing the same thing.

Thank you for supporting those of us on the right side of history.

Deva West's avatar

Also with erasure of history by this regime, I am reminded of the series called "The Man in the High Tower" in which WW2 outcome history was erased in favor of a German/ Empire of Japan splitting up and brutally controlling the US. I thought it was way far out Sci Fi when seeing it about two decades ago...now I'm reminded of it again. Ugh...

AshleyDamewood's avatar

I decided too it was a good idea to start watching Handmaid’s Tale back in January. I marathoned it and finished it. I am American and live

Here and yes, it is very unsettling.

Despite how scary it truly is to watch it was one of the (if not the absolute) best and most beautiful stories and so many parallels can be drawn.

In part now (only months later) I view that masterpiece with terror but also hope.

Keep watching , as scary as it is. I have considered rewatching even already.

Rebecca Loroña's avatar

✨Heather✨

Surrounding you with light & love

We are in a terrible place right now

We are in this together

Things are escalating even more

We will get through this long painful part of our ongoing history

America is being assaulted by a convicted felon who displays

all the characteristics of a abusive hateful person

If he’s (they) “purging”

Then his records of course are in the “Burn” pile.

Where he’s going there is NOTHING but 🔥deep down to the lava pit of hell

Thank You ✨Heather ✨

Jami Craig's avatar

Just wait until you watch the testament

TJ's avatar

There are a number of organizations and networks of independent journalists, academic research centers, and digital archivist coalitions that have built comprehensive, permanent backups to preserve the full prosecutorial and historical record of January 6th since the DOJ is scrubbing this horrible event.

One is The Data Rescue Project: Following the broader removal of over 130,000 public federal agency pages, a loose coalition of data librarians, scientists, and archivists have formed decentralized backups. These volunteer groups actively clone and mirror vulnerable civic datasets, ensuring that the historical footprint of public prosecutions cannot be permanently erased from the internet.

Yes, it’s worth feeling, thinking and preparing that he will not be leaving and will hole up in that bunker..

Shelly Rellim M.'s avatar

TJ, we are thankful we have many people doing this.

Also, the same with the EPSTEIN FILES. The Pugilist Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez(not sure if you read her) is under attack and on the move. Also, AnneMitchell, and others like Aaron Parnas are all being threatened.

TJ's avatar

Aware of what has happened with Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez and the Lev Parnas email… it’s beyond frightening as to the potential dangers and now real ones that all of the journalists are taking on.. There are so many that show their courage everyday..

Shelly Rellim M.'s avatar

It is a very scary and pivotal time in our history.

Our Dems are more or less useless minus a few. We NEED them to actually DO Something and stop talking and writing.

TJ, who else do you follow?

TJ's avatar

The list is long Robert Reich, Bulwark, Rick Wilson, Mary Geddry, Terry Moran, Timothy Snyder, HCR, Robert Hubbell, Paul Krugman, Richard Galant, Jermaine Fowler, Robin Snyder, JoJo from Jerz, John Pavlovitz, Joyce Vance, Jay Kuo, Steven Beschloss, and so many others that are independent writers

How about you?

Shelly Rellim M.'s avatar

Sorry, I just noticed mis-typed your name and fixed it!

Many of the same plus Lance Rosen, I fucking Love Australia(they are always spot on), Aaron Parnas, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, RachelandtheCity the City, Anne Mitchell, Eyes on ICE on Eyes on ICE(excellent source, too), ABlackgirlinMaine-Shay Stewart-Bouley, Tony Pentamalli, and many more independents like you said.

It is hard to keep track and keep up. I don’t know how they do it!?!

TJ's avatar

We follow the same ones and agree - don’t know how the keep up with everything being thrown in this chaos.. Still follow the NYT and dropped WaPo a few years ago.. Here’s one that read this morning.

Incredibly disgusted by all of these creatures…

Yep, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has shifted its policy. In a directive to its fair housing offices, HUD excluded Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) from the definition of qualified assistance animals for housing accommodations and directed staff to strictly police the definition of task-trained service animals.

What This Means For Renters

* Loss of Protections: Landlords are no longer required by HUD to treat untrained ESAs as "reasonable accommodations" under the Fair Housing Act (FHA).

* Eviction Risks: Tenants whose reasonable accommodations previously relied on an ESA to waive a no-pet policy or pet fees could now face eviction or be forced to pay pet deposits/fees.

* Task-Trained Animals Only: Landlords must still waive restrictions for qualified service animals (animals trained to perform specific disability-related tasks).

* Withdrawn Guidelines: HUD formally withdrew prior guidance documents that previously provided clear processes for how housing providers should review and accept ESA accommodation requests.

If you are facing an eviction or a dispute with a landlord regarding your support animal, consult the HUD Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) portal to file a complaint or learn about your legal rights.

HUD Moves to Limit Assistance Animals for Disabled Tenants

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/us/politics/hud-assistance-animals-disabled.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Ellen S Gibson's avatar

I read many of the above, will check out others I've not yet read. Robert Arnold is great, also Andy Borowitz, Rebecca Solnit, Xplisset, A Black Man Writes, Sherilyn Ifill.

Betsy Robinson's avatar

He can go ahead and hole up in that bunker, but then we can lock him inside from the outside and throw away the codes. If he is holed up in the bunker, then the actual President can live in the actual White House and run the country. Trump can issue all of the edicts he wants to, but it will all be illegal and ignored! Let him hole up in there, and cut the power to the bunker, let him live in the cold, dark hole that he built.

Paul's avatar
May 24Edited

Dear Heather

This is difficult reading material for a Pentecost Sunday (in Europe). You don't have to be pious to feel the madness and godlessness of this historical perversion. And one could despair at the inaction of Republican lawmakers.

We stared at the live images of January 6 around the world and thought it was the end of American democracy. Now rioting and murder is being rewritten as the founding act of the new America and files are being destroyed, which now actually represents the end of a functioning democracy. This makes what you do even more important: taking logs. At some point we will be very happy that someone has not lost the courage and energy to do it.

Thank you very much for your work.

Kaye's avatar

Hard copies folks.

Everything else can be wiped.

Good luck Americans. We watch from afar. Incredulous and frankly terrified for you and for the rest of us.

Jack Carter's avatar

Hard copies? Not enough. Remember when the kremlin archives burnt down just a few years ago. Shoigu was at that time emercom boss. No enquiry, no guilty party found. After that he became minister of defense (sorry… war!). Cool, huh? Thank you.

Mike Hammer's avatar

What Meryl Kornfield uncovered has to be made double secret probation viral. Talk about a deep state, thank you for bringing this to light. I hope enough people act to snuff this out.

Charlotte Firth's avatar

EVERYONE must download and keep every bit of Jan 6th evidence onto their computer that they can get hold of. Names, court cases, videos. Keep it present. Even old newspaper articles. Hopefully we have footage in h UK that can be preserved and we must. This man is already grubbing in the gutter. Now he is raiding the dustbins. (Trashcans)

Stay strong guys just wish I could help x

Hugh Spencer's avatar

I sincerely hope that these sites have been archived by others - such as the Wayback Machine (www.archive.org).

Charlotte Firth's avatar

This is marvellous. Hang onto the info tight. Download onto portable storage x

George McCully's avatar

So true, Heather. Not just defending the truth but having to defend truth itself! Only so profoundly ignorant and stupid a man would imagine that he could get away with an assault on truth itself.

Cristina Altieri's avatar

He is not so stupid, his self centerednrss guides him and nothing else.

George McCully's avatar

And what evidence would you adduce for any intelligence of his?

Cristina Altieri's avatar

He has survived. if he were stupid, he would’ve been pushed aside very quickly. Mind you I am not defending him. I find him despicable.

George McCully's avatar

He has survived owing to his wealth, not any intelligence. He has paid for lawyers to protect him from accountability. If he were intelligent he would succeed at things. I know of no one besides yourself who has ever accused him of intelligence.

nancy's avatar

I don't know how you can do this day after day. I got halfway through your piece and just had to stop. That worries me. We have to be vigilent, but I just can't take it. Maybe because it's raining. I don't know. It just keeps getting worse. I am not generally a depressed person, but it's really getting to me this morning.

Judy Guenther's avatar

It is chilling, and you have laid out the situation so clearly. I was not aware that all the restitution charges have also been waved. Yet another example of our tax dollars being spent on things like damage to the Capitol which should have been directed to our citizens. I know many people are working around the clock to secure and store records that this “proud” government tried to destroy. Thank you for laying everything out so clearly, as disturbing as it is.

John Gregory's avatar

and the restitution orders amounting in total to billions of dollars against the health-care fraudsters and crypto thieves that Trump has pardoned all vanish with the pardon. So huge numbers of victims have been deprived of compensation because of some hefty (but minute by comparison) bribes to Trump.

Judy Guenther's avatar

Exactly. If we were able to add it all up (but we never will, I fear), the mounting damage to our citizens, and the rule of law, is ......... (I can't find enough words, or even one word, to capture it.)

jane's avatar

Thank you, Ms. Reese. With djt it is always projection, projection, projection. He accuses others of things he has done or what he plans to do when he has power,

Cristina Altieri's avatar

Heather, you cover this so thoroughly and clearly that I have nothing but gratitude and admiration. I also want to have hope but the change is happening very slowly. 😩 More people need to wake up.

Jeff Wood's avatar

Well said Heather. Love your narrative. This regime will never be able to erase the history being made at this moment. For one reason, it is unprecedented, for another as you mentioned, there is not “big brother” looming over us, but a whole population of little brothers recording and disseminating the truth every second and fortunately the power of the internet which relies on profit will live on to provide the forum for our voices to be heard, our agency to be heeded.

John Gregory's avatar

It is very disturbing that court records are being erased or altered. Court records have traditionally been considered property of the court or at least subject to exclusive control of the court, and not of the politically-minded govenment. There is simply no honest explanation for doing this. One can pardon offenders (even if one should not...) and pay them compensation, but to erase the record of what they did is beyond outrageous - as Heather properly says here.

Celia Carroll's avatar

Aaron Parnas stayed up all night and copied the DOJ website before it was “disappeared.”

Peter Shaw's avatar

Excellent summary of where Trump, the oligarchs & his complicit party have brought us. We have witnessed this before: 20th C Europe, Orwell’s 1984. We know how this will end unless we use remaining democratic norms to crush Trump’s regime at the ballot box.

Shelly Rellim M.'s avatar

We are in dire straits. We need to be ready for anything and everything.

The gerrymandering, Jim Crow 2.0, erasing and rewriting history, renaming everything after himself to steal and profit…money laundering, extortion, stock market manipulation, Polymarket, “real estate” deals, “BORED of Peace” money laundering, stealing and infiltrating our government at the highest levels by the EPSTEIN Class, Musk-DOGE which stole money, slashed important departments and services, and stole our private information, Palantir’s Thiel and Karp, weapons and technology and deals with trump and family owned companies, oil theft, ALL profiteering off the war and chaos.

We are deep into Orwell’s “1984” with the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025-26, EPSTEIN Class with their A.I. all on Steroids.

Orwell tried to teach and warn us and in his book, “1984”…

“The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.”

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

Lance Rosen wrote this…Bunker

https://lancefrosen.substack.com/p/the-ballroom-is-his-fuhrerbunker?r=71veyx&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

And this…Jan6…2.0

https://substack.com/@lancefrosen/note/c-248115689?r=71veyx&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action