Welcome to 2026.
Trigger warning. This article has the potential to be incredibly validating. Proceed with caution. Like all things in 2026.
Welcome to 2026.
Where the Republican Party protects pedophiles. And the Democratic Party shrugs unconcernedly, muttering “we don’t have the votes.” And is lazily complacent. While they shamelessly ask you for another $25. Which you should not give them. Meanwhile, the rapes and the pregnancies of children who are being detained in concentration camps on American soil go unreported, uninvestigated, and unprosecuted.
Welcome to 2026.
Where the affordability crisis continues. Where gas will cost you anywhere from $4.00 to $6.00 per gallon depending on where you live. Not because we have a shortage of gasoline and oil reserves here in the US. Yet. But because of the way the oil cartel is designed. Because the prices fluctuate and are fixed on a global scale. So even if the US has oil supply, and Myanmar, Philippines, and Vietnam are all almost out of gas… the entire planet still pays $100.00 for a barrel of oil. Oil executives win. The working poor loses.
Welcome to 2026.
Where the Trump Regime is now openly committing treason (say the word out loud right now — treason) and casting about with open war and military conflicts where ever it wants without bothering to even have a conversation with Congress. And a flaccid, impotent, unconcerned Congress is totally cool with that. War in DC. War in Minnesota. War in Venezuela. War in Iran. And soon to be war in Cuba. And as Americans keep dialing 202-224-3121 demanding accountability, the entire Congress packs up and flees the Capitol on Mike “Grindr” Johnson’s orders. And they all cowardly flinch away from a war powers resolution. And they all forget all about Article II of that pesky US Constitution that they are supposed to be protecting.
Welcome to 2026.
Where your ADHD is already starting to win you over, and pull you away from reading the rest this article. Because we have allowed smartphones, and apps, and intentionally designed addictive social media platforms to turn our brains into sugarfree lemon jello. Jello-brains that go into desperation mode in order to reach that next click and earn that next dopamine hit. Or to scroll to that next headline in the endless doom scroll. But, wait a minute… what are the 5-Minute Crafts people doing with condoms, now?!
Welcome to 2026.
Where the sundowning felon threatened to begin a nuclear war because he is a petulant, spoiled child. And he didn’t get his way. Nuclear war threatened via his own, personal blog platform as he gropes with a diseased, tiny hand for the nuclear codes. Why not govern via a shitty, failing social media site built specifically to sate your demented ego?
Welcome to 2026.
Where everyone is mentally ill. Everyone. Those who are horrified with America’s authoritarian backslide. And those who legit saw their neighbors kidnapped right in front of their eyes. And especially those brainless MAGA fools who are cheering it all on, absolutely gleeful to watch cruelty leveraged on human beings who don’t look like them. Some folks intentionally tune politics out, and are entirely out of the loop. Because hearing one more bit of bad news could send them over the edge. Yet, at the same time, the very politics that they ignore could end up killing them. Or their loved ones. Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t. The most damned if you are trans.
Welcome to 2026.
Where Taylor Swift is racist. And some of us (like me, a former Swiftie) are only now realizing it. Recent albums of hers have boasted some racially suggestive lyrics. Not necessarily lyrics that are actively racist in nature. But more of the unconscious bias kind of racist. The sorts of lines that truly make you question: “Taylor, really? You should have known better!” Especially with her being such a blazing beacon of white privilege.
What makes Taylor Swift dangerous isn’t that she writes lyrics that could serve as the background music to a pro-eugenics Sydney Sweeney ad. It’s that she lacks the self-awareness to see how those two things could be connected.
-Melissa A. Fabello
Yes, Taylor Swift is racist — just not the kind you think she is.
But then after reading Dr. Fabello’s article, you become ashamed of yourself for not seeing sooner that T-Swizzle has always been a fixture of royalty amid whiteness. Every part of her music career has been surrounded by classic white girl culture. Even as you have worked diligently to notice the unconscious bias in yourself, it stings that Tay Tay has not bothered to look properly in the mirror.
Welcome to 2026. It’s been waiting for you.
Where now your ADHD-addled brain now plays the T-Swift earworm brightly. Just as it has plagued the author of this grim article illustrating just how depressingly far away we are from our Star Trek utopian future. Where now faced with a decision. Do you take a break from reading? And fire up YouTube, Spotify, or some other oligarch owned mega-platform to play the song to help properly clear it out of your head? Or to keep reading? Or… perhaps you aren’t familiar with Racist Taylor’s collective works. And now you’ll have to go Google (another oligarch owned mega-platform) to figure out what the hell I’m talking about.
(I know that “Welcome to 2026” and “Welcome to New York” don’t exactly have the perfect, matching cadence. But it didn’t stop me from making the musical association.)
Speaking of ADHD sidebars — if you are still with me, kudos! If you are dying, and need to go over to Insta — I can forgive you for not finishing the article maybe if you upgrade your subscription, or maybe buy me a coffee. ☕
Welcome to 2026.
The oligarchs. God damn the bleedin’ oligarchs. Where we, as a society, have become so hopelessly tied to each and every one of them. Maybe you could find a book to read about how to break away from them, and fight this fascism? Nope, that means you would have to order it from Amazon. But maybe it’s okay just this one time? It’s important to show solidarity with these loosely and poorly organized boycotts. Maybe you put on pants, and actually venture out to Target? Nope, not Target. Walmart? Nope, not Walmart. Where the hell can you even buy a book off the shelf in 2026? I suppose there’s Costco. But it’s so faaar away. Might be better to crack open another <Insert Your Favorite Disassociation Activity/Product Here>, and worry about defeating the billionaires tomorrow.
Welcome to 2026.
Where you call someone you just met over the internet, and then you fascism-trauma bond with them for the next three hours on the phone while making deliveries and washing dishes because you get them, and they get you. And now you’re besties. IYKYK.
Welcome to 2026.
Where we’re under state-run media. Where we can’t believe that our state-run media fully controls the narrative. Because of American Exceptionalism. Because that could never happen here! Except that it did. And except that it does. And except that our state-run media has been fully controlling the narrative for decades; forcing us into their designed, tribal mold to hate the other side. Except [sic] it.
Welcome to 2026.
Where the die hard protest participants are dreadfully weary. But we go along every time to every weekend event, to every Hands Off, to every No Kings, to every tortured-immigrant vigil, and to every other thing. Where antifa regional commanders again ambush their savings accounts and retirement options for just one more trip to DC. The one more trip that they have to believe will make a difference. It must. It has to! But they aren’t able to see the difference because of the choking media suppression. And the smothering fascist oppression. So they despair. And go anyway. Maybe. We’ll see.
Welcome to 2026.
Where you see yet another video depicting gruesome genocide. And you get even more angry. Except that your anger dial is already stuck at 11/10. So, you cannot actually get more angry. And people wonder why you have to use the word fuck so often. And then you learn that Motherless is back online. And then you see smoke streaming out of your 11/10 anger dial. Which is now somehow even more 11/10 than it was before.
Welcome to 2026.
Where partner looks at partner, seeing the traces of impact that America’s slip into autocracy has painted on the other’s face. Where one wrong news headline sends one, or the other (or both), to bed early. Or screaming. Or crying. Or some other way broken. Where the stress of the day is amplified 1000 fold because of the assclowns demolishing our federal government, our national reputation, and our way of life. Where one small thing makes lover lash out at lover… just because everyone is being squeezed so hard.
Welcome to 2026.
Where no one sleeps well. Where everyone tosses, and turns, and wakes up to grab their phone and participate in the 4:00am ET live’s on the social platform of choice. Just because that’s easier than sleeping fitfully with vivid dreams of paramilitary types kicking in the door to your home. Are they “dreams” though. In 2026… we aren’t sure.
Welcome to 2026.
Where everyone is now DoorDashing, Ubering, or in some other way participating in the gig economy. Or juggling three jobs. Because, why not? Who needed quality time at home with your family, anyway? You weren’t going to sleep, anyway. Especially when you are desperate to make enough to pay the ever increasing rent / mortgage / utilities / gas / grocery costs. Just don’t buy that coffee that you already don’t buy. Just don’t eat that exotic and luxury avocado toast that you don’t eat. Just don’t buy your girl 37 dolls. Two or three is nice. Something-something, something-else austerity measures.
Welcome to 2026.
Where AI has us all solidly by the testicles. Or by the ovaries. Or by the truck nuts. AI doesn’t really care to distinguish between the choices. It just keeps holding on — with entirely too many em dashes and AI hallucinations. (Claude: “Muh bad!”)
Welcome to 2026.
Where the Epstein Survivors are still waiting for justice.
Welcome to 2026.
Where you haven’t bothered to put the Christmas decorations away yet. Or the Halloween decorations away yet. Because the inflatable Santa enjoys the company of the 12-foot tall skeleton. And the lights are just… festive. Who the hell are we to rob Santa and Mr. Bones of their joy in May?
Welcome to 2026.
Where despite all of the work, all of the fighting, and all of the court battles… somehow Alligator Alcatraz is still open.
Welcome to 2026.
Where the FBI and the Secret Service come to visit you at your house for posting 8647 on a Palantir-powered social media platform. Seriously. This has happened. Wake up, people. Start paying attention.
Welcome to 2026.
Where throwing dildos at ICE agents, and watching those ICE agents look awkward, a little creeped out, and confused is immediately written into your brain as a joyful core memory.
Welcome to 2026.
Where the war between Russia and Ukraine has gone on for so long now that its starting to look like Ukraine is going to win. Despite our government trying to handicap them every step of the way. Where FUCK YOU, Putin. Where Slava Ukraini!
Welcome to 2026.
Where our kids are more fearful of witnessing a nuclear holocaust than we were during the Cold War of the 80s. And they aren’t wrong for that fear. 😢
Welcome to 2026.
Where we have overturned The Voting Rights Act. Like, seriously? What the staggering, tap-dancing hell?!
Welcome to 2026.
Where state-sponsored murder has taken Keith Porter, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti prematurely from us. And where despite these vile murders, there has been ZERO accountability. Not even a single Article of Impeachment filed using Rule IX. Because Congress is complicit. Because these horrors don’t affect them. And they are arrogant and disdainful of the American public. Because they all are violating their oaths to defend the US Constitution which has been routinely violated.
Welcome to 2026.
Where I am perpetually exhausted. But where I wake up every day and I fight for my children. And I fight for you. Where I take your late night texts and phone calls and cries for solace. Not because I need to score point. But because I give a shit. Because I operate with a baseline of DECENCY that has seemingly been lost in this dystopian nightmare horrorscape we all live and breath in. The 2026 where I try to follow up with you. Because you have also followed up with me. And that follow up may have saved my life. I know the profound struggle that we are all grappling with.
Welcome to 2026.
Where our story is only beginning. ✊❤️🔥
Welcome to 2026.
Where we intentionally seek comforts in our village. Where we grasp doggedly to the joys that are still in our lives. Because they are vital. Welcome to this moment in 2026 where we take rest TONIGHT.
Because we must wake again, tomorrow, to rejoin the fight. (We’ve been waiting for you!)
Everything you say is true and awful for we ordinary people. We need a plan and all of we ordinary people to fight this dystopia. We cannot do this alone, but in great numbers. I am not talking about any physical altercations. We need to have an organized plan to rid ourselves of this Regime. We must come together (Republican and Democrat people) to take back our Democracy! Everyone must vote out the Republican Congress who have enabled and allowed the regime to takeover our rights! This is not a Democrat or Republican problem. This is a problem that We, the people, are being used and our money stolen by the Regime! Only coming together to rid ourselves of this evil empire can save us! Vote out all Republicans!!!!!
Welcome to 2026.
Where your ADHD is already starting to win you over, and pull you away from reading the rest this article.
So true. Glad to have found you. Never was a Swiftie. Now I know why. - K