50501 General

Looks like 50501 has been infiltrated by the opposition. I don't know what's true here, but it sounds like some fuckery.

A few mods got kicked off, and its locked. Whats happening?

I made this simple PDF to be straightforward and appeal to the more moderate people. I hope this sends a good message and encourages people to join the movement. Feel free to spread this wherever. Let’s inspire people to join the fight! https://qrco.de/bfwJxq

Anyone know what is going on?

How long it will remain closed?

Trump has cut budgets, laid off employees, and pressured universities. Now Norway wants to attract researchers who have poor conditions abroad.

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The Research Council prioritizes and allocates funds on behalf of the state.

Now they are allocating 100 million kroner to attract foreign researchers to Norway.

The Managing Director of the Research Council, Mari Sundli Tveit, is clear about the backdrop.

– It is particularly related to the situation in the USA. Academic freedom is under pressure and funding is being cut, says Tveit.

The new scheme allows Norwegian institutions to apply for support to bring in international researchers.

The work around the new scheme was both expanded and expedited when the Trump administration introduced significant cuts to American research in March.

Tveit emphasizes that the arrangement will not be reserved for researchers from the USA.

According to Tveit, many of those who have been laid off in the USA are researching areas such as climate, health, and the Arctic.

– These are areas where it is extremely important for us to ensure that the activity continues. And connecting the researchers to us is a very, very good idea, says Tveit.

Lists with "illegal words"

She is concerned about what she sees as an attack on research in the USA. Among other things, in the form of restrictions on specific research topics.

– There are lists of forbidden words, that is, prohibited words that cannot be included in research applications, says Tveit.

She points to words like "woman," "black," and "climate change."

In addition, the Research Council is concerned about a lot of important research data that is stored in the USA. This includes important research data and results on climate change and health.

– If there is a breach in that data, it will cause irreparable damage. And we are very concerned about that. Right now, we are looking for ways to move data to store it safely elsewhere, says Tveit.

Great need for expertise

Research and Education Minister Sigrun Aasland (Ap) has been a driving force behind the new scheme.

– In Norway, we have a great need for expertise in the coming years, including in research, Aasland explains.

She makes it clear, like Tveit, that the scheme should not be limited to researchers from the USA.

As the situation stands now, Aasland believes there is an increased need for such schemes.

– But is it wise to launch this scheme in the same week that Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg are set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House?

– This is not an American scheme, but a global one. Also, an important reason why we are so focused on collaboration with the USA in research is that they are an outstanding research nation. They account for a significant amount of the world's knowledge about health, climate, and energy, Aasland responds and adds:

– We have extensive collaboration with American researchers, and we want to continue that.

Positive for Norwegian research

The Research Council estimates that the funds can cover 30 to 50 research positions. The researchers will be recruited to both colleges and universities in Norway.

The rector of UiO, Svein Stølen, is positive about the new arrangement.

– This is very interesting. It can bring us truly top researchers from other countries, says Stølen.

The rector believes this could have a significant impact on Norwegian and European research.

– We see that there are challenges in the USA, where China is advancing. The fact that Europe is stepping up is important, continues Stølen.

The rector of the University of Bergen, Margareth Hagen, is also positive about the new arrangement.

– The consequences for us are significant. It concerns the fact that about 22 percent of the research at UiB is conducted in collaboration with American researchers. So it is clear that what is happening in the USA affects us quite immediately, says Hagen.

She points out that the collaboration with American research environments spans the entire breadth of UiB's academic fields.

– UiB is particularly known for strong climate research and also for a lot of research on global health, where Americans are at the forefront.

(Translated by Kagi)

Keeping track of counter protesters on Twitter. A common complaint seen is that people bring Palestine/Israel flags to protests. I have no comment on this.

Support Black Lives Matter. Support defending the police. Support ending racial policing. Support prison reform. Support protecting civil rights.

50501 will be far more successful if we start paying rightful attention to Black Americans. For all the shit going on right now, they have suffered more and continue to suffer more than the rest of us.

https://www.usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm You would also be supporting the postal system, which they plan to privatize.

Idea by https://www.reddit.com/r/50501/comments/1jrlp2n/the_usps_is_our_solution_to_defeating_the_social/

Where is the Law Team? Activists and professionals focused on law and security related issues.

The stock market just crashed by 2 trillion! This is the Republican Recession folks!

!Decisions@lemmy.fiftyfifty.one

This community lets you influence the next actions of 50501.

Repost from https://reddit.com/r/50501/comments/1jpzmrt/musk_stepping_down_is_part_of_broader_plans/ because I think it is important.

Rumors are milling about that Musk is stepping down, cool, great, grand and dandy. "Progress" is what it will seem like, as if they are running.

Suffice to say I've been watching and listening for a bit so lets get to the part where it's bad (edit:) if we allow ourselves and the public to grow complacent.

Project 2025

• People have been focused on the "flood" aspect of P2025, forgetting that this was planned over a long span of time with contingencies. Such as the fact Project 2025 has already compiled a massive list of "loyalists" who have applied to help them as employees in their little new-world-order business.

The Hatchet Man

• A common trick of businesses in Drumpy-boys era was to release someone into the system of a business, letting them cut and hack and harm, only to then "remove" them in some manner with all the assurances that "they can't do anything now, we're safe" before doing the real damage that was intended.

Orange-man and the GOP are going to pull a fast one on the general public. Musk will "step down", then all of those gutted safety-net positions will be backfilled with loyalists who will answer to primarily to GOP leadership and Orange-guy.

You might be saying "Why would he re-instate X or Y or Z departments?" for many, he wont. Not to mention others will be made/renamed to perform other tasks that seem like its back to normal on paper, they wont be either.

Oversight groups meant to come down on companies? Corpos? Musk? Nothing. What will happen however is that the entire system will be so utterly corrupted from the inside as to mean nothing anymore.

The heat dies down, people calm down a bit because it looks like things are going back to normal, the threat wont be so immediate, this is on purpose. But it'll have been the win-condition. The treatment for a wounded nation will then be to poison it fully from the top, down.

Project 2025 can't be defeated with a simple impeachment, it can't be broken with voting out some major faces like the pres or vp... This isn't something we "return to normal" over.

Regardless of the ending to this fiasco, this entire system is getting a re-write as was anticipated by the founding fathers...right now you folks are deciding who gets to hold the pen.

Thanks to @Taste-T-Krumpetz on reddit and many others saying individual protests are not enough and for pushing us to think further. Many folks are seeing the necessity of more impactful and sustained action, including and beyond street protest, and more sustained economic disruption.

It's also really important to disrupt all business as usual. Every day that goes by where we function like it is business as usual, going to work and shutting up while we're there, is normalizing this in our bodies, hearts and minds.

And, since they're flooding the zone, we can't all act on every single thing that pops up on the regime's timing. We have to be strategic and already in action. We know exactly what they're doing and what they're aiming for, so, we don't need to wait for them to do it before we act. Plus, they've already done enough that there are plenty of places to start.

So. I have been thinking along the following principles as far as guiding action:

1. No business as usual (economic disruption through boycotts / stopping spending, visibility, protest, vigils, sit ins, slow downs, stoppages, disrupting the systems that feed the regime's power in any way and making asks and demands that weaken the pillars of power.)
2. Building movements (Ongoing, cross-sector, based in class struggle and mutual aid. Weaken the pillars of power by reducing people's reliance on it and strengthening the people's reliance on each other. Connect with one another. Everything you do, invite at least one person to do it with you.)
3. Starting and acting from where you are (Your current roles and positions in the social order and what is important to you. For example, I am a white person, a higher ed instructor, adjunct laborer, union member, student debt holder, parent, caregiver for someone with a disability, live in low income housing, neighbor to many immigrants, etc. Any / all of these can be places I start and focus on and build from, and notice the connections between. Action is available to everyone, all the time.)
4. Our work as our power (And work as widely understood and including all forms of unpaid labor / social reproduction. Make our work benefit the people, democracy, pressure our institutions and workplaces, build workplace power, and take away any support we can from the regime in our work.)
5. Everyday / Every day action (Again, action is available to everyone all the time. Commit to acting every day, even in everyday ways.)

For me, as an adjunct professor, currently teaching online, I realized I have a lot of freedom about when and where I work. And, especially since Covid started, many other professors do as well. What is to stop us from starting to build power with daily or weekly "work-ins" at strategic locations, to bring visibility to the issues that affect our students and us and everyone in higher ed or education more broadly. This could be City Hall, courts, ICE buildings, etc. There could be one for each city. These could be a whole day with a clear schedule and people could come and go as they needed. There could be things like teach-ins, reading groups, work-ins, demonstration, dance parties, etc. In addition to building power and visibility in resisting the Trump regime, these could be access points for building power and organizing about workplace issues like bargaining and the budget, and cross-organizing across workplaces and sectors, taking further collection action, sharing calls to action, etc. Additionally, students could be invited so we could build different, new relationships of solidarity with our students. This also helps us build organizing power towards larger actions like work stoppages and strikes and also has the potential to bring media attention. This could provide us an opportunity to connect different things that are under attack by the Trump regime (trans rights, dept. of education, student debt, immigrant rights / deportations, , by explaining how all of these issues connect and impact students and our communities.

I'll also direct folks to the Repository of 50501 Related Resources (https://50501.chat/post/23757)

Since we want to do a general strike, shouldn't we call for unions to be made? Is there some resources to join or form a union in your workplace? (I will add resources to my list.)

I’m going to Washington D.C. on April 5th with my Dad. My mom has been freaking out because she’s convinced I’ll get abducted off the street and Trump will send me to El Salvador. I believe this is very unlikely and I’m going to D.C. anyways. Though I feel really bad freaking my mom out.

Edit: I am white. I’m not worried about being abducted. I just feel bad my mom is freaking out, and I’m wondering if anyone else has dealt with family members that didn’t want them to protest.

Just heard the news from Parnas on substack

Livestream: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP82KuMgT/

Together, we can stop this but we MUST be united. We all have a role to play in this and together, all of our efforts build into something massive. Even the tiniest effort makes a difference when it's all of us.

1. Everyone needs to be getting on Lemmy and Bluesky TODAY. 50501 has a mirrored instance of this subreddit on Lemmy. Don't be discouraged by the lack of people there, we need to build it up. I suggest using new usernames there. If you're not on Signal, get on there too. See this mod post for signing up to the Lemmy instance:

https://www.reddit.com/r/50501/comments/1j5f967/platform_announcement_50501_lemmy/

2. Anytime a political leader takes a stand, CALL THEM and show support. They need to know the people have their back. It's easy for this admin to gaslight us and our leaders so we need to validate each other.

3. Build local communities. Make connections at town halls, rallies and protests. Add people on Signal. Go to coffee house meetings. Academic professors have been speaking to people in various coffee houses in NY, let's get this movement across the country. Support academic speakers by coming out to listen to them speak, bring a donation.

4. Share evidence of our marches so other Americans see them. Our national marches are dependent on media attention. Since the media has been compromised, it's up to us to be our own press. Additionally, share evidence of good news and progress because this encourages us to unite and keep going.

5. They are trying to make us afraid but there are more of us than them. 99% is more than 1%. They are trying to "flood the zone", which is an authoritarian tactic used to make us feel overwhelmed with all the constant bullshit and like we can't do anything to stop this. It's easy to be afraid now. But if people don't stop this now and they gain total control, it becomes infinitely harder to stop and we will all be in a position where we wish we had acted. Don't let it get to that point.

6. Lawyers have been saying over and over again they are working diligently but they need the people in the streets keeping up the pressure. They've been calling for sustained protests. This is a fight for our democracy. 4 hours on a Saturday isn't going to cut it. This means we need either a protest where 3.5% of the population is camping out with a large amount of the population financially supporting them or protests where people are out there in shifts, ideally 3.5% of the population.

I'm not a particularly patriotic person but this stupid shit has drawn it out of me and I know other people feel that way too. Fighting for freedom is an American ideology; it's in our history, our media and our people. It's not just going to go away.