Episodes

  • Spoken Word Autistic Burnout: "Believe I'll Ch-Ch-Change... My Shirt"

    Spoken Word Autistic Burnout: "Believe I'll Ch-Ch-Change... My Shirt"
    Jan 16 2026

    Full Text Transcript

    Someone said an average writer “borrows.” The other kinds, both kinds... steal out right.

    Bowie, Robert Johnson, Marvin Gaye. I owe you guys one for this.

    Believe I’ll Ch-Ch-Change… My Shirt.

    Sunlight cracks my window, Gotta be midday. Kick myself a pathway Just to pee into the bowl. Like a peek into that deepest hole, Zombie in the Mirror won’t let me look away — Same filthy shirt as yesterday, Body and soul.

    I Gotta Change. They say, “Ya gotta ch-ch-change. New day’s a-coming. Cuz that same old, It’s getting fucking old.” They say, “Shed that old skin For one of truest gold…” I. Gotta. Change. Believe I’ll ch-ch-change My… Shirt.

    Karma’s a bitch dog, in heat. She prowls my old mind, Sleeps beside me every night… Feasting on defeats. No stone blocks this empty tomb But I can’t leave her behind... Memories of the darkest kind Blind my way outta this room... T H A T change I can not make— Faced all the strange this heart can take… I gotta change… I gotta change… I gotta change… I. Gotta. Change. Believe I’ll ch-ch-change My… Shirt. Break it down… I believe, I believe, I’ll go back home. I believe, I believe, I’ll go back home. You can mistreat me here, babe, But you can’t when I get home… Waitress smiles, checkout jokes… shoplifting contact with little hope casual chic in the cubicle hoarding freak in the domicile Molestation devastation Frustration infestation losing jobs taking jabs Meltdown, shutdown… losing your shit Choose the label for your best fit Can’t see the forest For the leaves, That’s what’s brought me To my knees… New day’s never coming. And that same old, Got fucking older. I yearn to shed that old skin I crave that shiny gold… I. Gotta. Change. Believe I’ll ch-ch-change My… Shirt.

    Man I feel the drama today. Hope you guys can handle it.

    Massive shoutout to artists I stole quotes from… David Jones, known to the world as David Bowie for “Changes,” that he released in 1972. And to blues genius Robert Johnson for “Dust My Broom,” released in 1937. And as always to Marvin Gaye, for his soul… invisible but always there.

    * More Live Autistic Spoken Word

    Bio

    Johnny (Knapp) Profane Âû is an auDHD spoken word poet, blogger, podcaster… sometime cosplaying Pretend Rock Star.

    Diagnosed autistic at 63, he’s published AutisticAF Out Loud since 2019… a raw, fiercely neurodivergent voice.

    His spoken word piece, “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head,” appeared in Wordgathering, a journal of disability poetry & literature. In 2022, he spoke at the UN World Autism Acceptance Day on his illustrations rooted in neurodivergence. Neuroclastic, Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, and other sites have featured his work since 2019. In an earlier life, he was founding publisher of Unix World magazine in 1984.

    Johnny lives in a rural Indiana trailer… next to his wife’s trailer… with his dogs & cat. Occasionally he shaves… to face Walmart.

    “I’m autistic. Born 1953.I was not a product of a vaccine.I was not born to be pitied.I was born to raise Hell.Autistic style.I’m not out to inspire you.I’m out to give youan experience..of a life.”

    “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head,” art & poetry collection. available on Amazon.

    Connect:

    * Share your burnout experiences below

    * Hit the bell for new releases

    #AutisticAF Out Loud Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. Click below to receive new posts & free PDF of full Amazon collection… free. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe
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    4 mins
  • "every clock is a handgun pointed at my head"

    "every clock is a handgun pointed at my head"
    Jan 14 2026

    Full Spoken Word Transcript

    My time, it can’t be measured. Not a diension. It’s a force.

    A violent force.

    every clock is a handgun pointed at my head

    III

    Every clock is a handgun pointed at my headEvery tick, tick… fucking tickTolling Fear, Doom… dreadClick. Slide. Cock… click.

    Every night a mantra echoes through my headTV static… a crazy-making humSinging Dream, Drempt… dead…Not done. Not done. Not done… undone.

    10, 9, 8… Dread7, 6, 5… Fear4, 3, 2… BEEP.Shoot the moon… or the country next doorCountdown. Deadline. Bow down… dead.

    Bound behind doors, bound in my headPace, paces, pacing… pacedEvery BEEP.Of the phone.Stops…my heart....I crash out with a scream for escape

    II

    Woods

    Deep woods

    Deepest woods

    My ears flyfrom bird songto bird song.

    A raptor circles then spiralsCrossing lines now dead

    Wind steals my breathTaking words never said

    This skin bag of atmosphereBreathes new air

    When the sun risesFirst it is coolThen it gets warmThe day passes

    Clouds above my head.Shaped by wind

    Outside my bodyThe same wind

    Inside my bodyThesameWind

    Yet…

    I

    10, 9, 8… Dread7, 6, 5… Fear4, 3, 2… BEEP.Shoot the moon… or the country next doorCountdown. Deadline. Bow down… dead.

    Every clock is a handgun pointed at my head

    zero

    Bio

    Johnny (Knapp) Profane Âû is an auDHD spoken word poet, blogger, podcaster… sometime cosplaying Pretend Rock Star.

    Diagnosed autistic at 63, he’s published AutisticAF Out Loud since 2019… a raw, fiercely neurodivergent voice.

    His spoken word piece, “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head,” appeared in Wordgathering, a journal of disability poetry & literature. In 2022, he spoke at the UN World Autism Acceptance Day on his illustrations rooted in neurodivergence. Neuroclastic, Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, and other sites have featured his work since 2019. In an earlier life, he was founding publisher of Unix World magazine in 1984.

    Johnny lives in a rural Indiana trailer… next to his wife’s trailer… with his dogs & cat. Occasionally he shaves… to face Walmart.

    “I’m autistic. Born 1953.I was not a product of a vaccine.I was not born to be pitied.I was born to raise Hell.Autistic style.I’m not out to inspire you.I’m out to give youan experience..of a life.”

    “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head,” art & poetry collection. available on Amazon.

    Connect:

    * Share your time anxiety experiences below

    * Hit the bell for new releases

    #AutisticAF Out Loud Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. Click below to receive new posts & free PDF of full Amazon collection… free. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe
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    4 mins
  • Autistic Spoken Word on this Moment...? “Slouching toward Montauk”

    Autistic Spoken Word on this Moment...? “Slouching toward Montauk”
    Dec 31 2025
    This moment... this New Year... disturbs many. This piece shares a disturbing moment from my autistic youth—and how I survived it. It weirdly relates to right now.At 70-something, this is the happiest time of my autistic life. Not chasing distant goals—just breathing in this fabulous moment here.This piece inverts Yeats’ “Second Coming” to tell a personal story about my grandfather, sailing out to Montauk Point, and discovering that the anxiety of losing sight of shore gives way to something unexpected. A refuge from the Hell waiting for me back on the shore…Read the full transcript below, or explore more autistic spoken word in the links after the piece.Content Note: This piece addresses troubling family history and inherited complexity.TranscriptAutistic Spoken Word on this Moment? “Slouching toward Montauk”Cold openMy grandfather was a… complex man.He slept beside an orderly nightstand.Tucking Mein Kampf tightIn its tidy drawer every night.And…He used to take me sailing.{Silence}I call this one…Slouching Toward Montauk... Let’s say… I’m in my 70s now. Happiest time of my autistic life.Not too worried about some fabulous unachievable autistic Nirvana… These days…Now, here’s that story.My grandfather was a… complex man.He slept beside an orderly nightstand.Tucking Mein Kampf tightIn its tidy drawer every night.And…He used to take me sailing out to Montauk Point… a sea journey from Bay Shore, Long Island… at least as he sailed it on the ocean side… swinging out into the deep water…In his telling, it was a fabulous place.Where a sandstone lighthouse lit the waves, warning of danger.Where the grass on the golf course grew sideways.And every single damn tree bowed toward the West…From the eternal wind blowing onshore.His heaven on earth, he called it…...The wind carries all the sound away…But its roar in my earscreates a kind of hushed silenceinside me..I always experience high anxietyas we lose sight of the shore.Just sky, waves & constant rolling…Disoriented.Like a whiteout in a blizzard.If you throw in some seasickness.But after an hour or so, I make my way to the prow. And sit.Wind on my faceSun on my bodySalt breeze filling my chest…Quieting my heart.Anxiety? Disorientation?I observeThe fixed lighthouseIn the far off dusk.Splashing its light… bravelyInto the spray.Knowing deepIn its softNative sandstone heart…Time and tide wait for it....I stop caring about the shoreline. And the anxious Hell waiting for me on the other side. For hours at a time.....Who cares about sailing toward Montaukand its fabulous trees…anymore…Or... ever again?I’m busy breathing in…thisfabulous momenthereRuntime: ~3:50More autistic spoken word:* every clock is a handgun pointed at my head * Friends, Grief & Autism… My Friend Billy* Dancing Close to the Edge of the Noise* Family, School, Work? They created this... I wasn’t born under a star named Rage* My Autism? Failing Upward to Burn Out? A Shooting Star Has No Purpose* Like Some Angel with a Dislocated Shoulder… That Song I’ll Never Sing for My SonSubscribe free to receive new autistic spoken‑word & essays… and instantly get my “thank you” gift: a free PDF of my poetry & art chapbook, every clock is a handgun pointed at my head.Thanks for reading #AutisticAF Out Loud Newsletter! The algorithm hates me. I must be doing something right… so feel free to share it.I’m an autistic poet and spoken word performer, diagnosed at 63. Now in my 70s. I’ve been publishing AutisticAF Out Loud since 2019… work that refuses to be packaged. My spoken word piece , every clock is a handgun pointed at my head, was published in Wordgathering, a journal of disability poetry & literature. In 2022, I spoke at the UN World Autism Acceptance Day about my illustration work rooted in autism & ADHD.I live in a rural Indiana trailer… across the courtyard from my wife’s trailer… with my 2 dogs & cat. Occasionally I shave… to face Walmart.The algorithms hate me. I must be doing something right.If this resonates, subscribe free below to receive new autistic spoken-word pieces & essays—plus my 'thank you' gift: a free PDF chapbook, every clock is a handgun pointed at my head.#SpokenWord #AutismAcceptance #AutisticPoetry #MindfulnessMore spoken word: Living Autistic Truth YouTube playlist#AutisticAF Out Loud Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts free, click the link below. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe
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    4 mins
  • Friends, Grief & Autism…? They say we have no feelings…

    Friends, Grief & Autism…? They say we have no feelings…
    Dec 6 2025

    Friends, Grief & Autism…? They say we have no feelings…

    They say autistics don't have emotions. Don't make friends.

    Clue, I ain't Spock.

    This is "My Friend Billy." A spoken word piece about grief, friendship, and what they never tell you about our autistic hearts. From my Amazon chapbook "every clock is a handgun pointed at my head."

    3 minutes that blast the myth that autistic people lack emotional depth… wide open.

    Billy died in a polar vortex. Alone in his home. Local newspaper may have blandly read, “A Politician Lies…Local Man Dies.”

    But he never left my autistic mind. Still laffs in my autistic heart. Teaching it how to praise.

    👉 Chapbook (paperback & Kindle): https://www.amazon.com/every-clock-handgun-pointed-head-ebook/dp/B0FNLHC6SY

    👉 Full text + free newsletter: https://johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/

    👉 New here? Living Autistic Truth playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_812RrZO_QWB-WHVZRBe-hjr37UNPxdb

    —

    Chapters

    00:07 Intro: They say we have no feelings00:21 65, going on death, woke…01:14 A politician lies… local man dies01:30 Billy . . . I wish I were that poet01:52 Laffing . . . How he outraced cops02:29 missed him… for an hour

    —

    From a live subscriber stream. Original visual art by author throughout. Digital tools include AI.

    Hand sketches: grave marker, closing abstract image “Bardo #1.”

    —

    #ActuallyAutistic #SpokenWord #AutisticPoetry #Neurodivergent #Grief #Friendship #AutisticJoy #DisabilityPoetry

    Johnny Profane Âû | Born 1953 | Not here to inspire you — here to give you an experience of a life.

    Stay weird. Stay fierce. Stay alive.

    We got this.



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe
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    3 mins
  • Family, School, Work? They created this autistic bad@$$.

    Family, School, Work? They created this autistic bad@$$.
    Nov 24 2025
    Where does my autistic rage come from? Not from being born wrong. From being raised, schooled, mocked, trained, therapped, and medicated into it.This is about the source. The ones who created what they blamed us for. No apologies, no redemption arc—just the accusation.Content note: Strong language, family trauma, discussion of rage & medical consequences of the rage they told us to keep inside + the experiences & opinions of one autistic elder. Born in 1953.👉 Gift Season: “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head”https://a.co/d/3e0Uc7iRaw spoken word & art exploring autistic experience without the inspiration porn.Perfect for:* Your autistic or ADHD someone (the gift of being seen)* That someone who isn’t... and wants connection (the gift of understanding)👉 Get the chapbook, “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head”: https://a.co/d/3e0Uc7i👉 Full text & community: https://substack.com/@johnnyprofane1👉 Live Autistic Truth playlist: 25 live performances of autistic spoken wordChapters:0:11 Intro: Where Autistic Rage Comes From1:05 I Wasn’t Born this Way1:19 F#&% that Noize1:23 The Nightmare Was You1:41 Being Me around… You1:57 So Many Yous2:07 I Blame You3:11 “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head” chapbooRecorded live, November 2025. Minimal production—raw delivery, authentic processing.This piece discusses:Autistic burnout and rage, family trauma and estrangement, school trauma, workplace discrimination, forced masking consequences, neurodivergent anger, medical consequences of chronic stress (including stroke), unmasking and living authentically.#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticRage #FamilyTrauma #SchoolTrauma #Neurodivergent #AutismBurnout #SpokenWord #NeurodivergentVoices #AutisticAF #UnmaskingAutisticAF Out LoudNot here to inspire you. Here to give you an experience of a life.Born to raise hell. Autistic style.Transcript:Family, school, work...? They created this autistic badass. I wasn’t born under a star named Rage.I’m going to read something. It’s a little bit on the, uh... I don’t know, testy side? And it’s a work in progress. No inspiring ending... yet. Maybe never. Because sometimes there isn’t one.This is about where autistic rage comes from. I’m not ashamed of it. Any more than I’m ashamed of my autistic joy. This is me. It’s why being targeted first isn’t just political. It’s, uh... it’s personal, real personal. It’s a lifetime of being told, I’m the problem. We’re the problem. You’re the problem. And then watching them try to starve us... for political points.I call this... “I Wasn’t Born under a Star named Rage.” I think you get where... you see where I’m headed.I drempt I was on a journey And Charles Bukowski was my guide Like Virgil, Dante… but in a hurry A modern pace for a modern time... fuck that noize I had a screaming nightmare last night and it was you yeah it was a hellscape being around you watching my step around you holding my tongue around you Cringing around you being… me around you I wasn’t born under a star named Rage. No. You raised me You schooled me You mocked me You groped me… so many yous You trained me You therapped me You medicated me I blame you Right or wrong In my blinding, Stroke-at-age-30, repressed… rage I blame you.That’s it. There’ll be more. Maybe there’ll be a redeeming ending. Maybe not. That’s where I’m at. That’s the fuel.You don’t have to relate to every line. And of course, there’s nobody in this audience who’s a “you.” I think you know who “they” are. But if you’ve got rage too, you got my permission to express it. Because you’re not alone in it.Okay. I need to get off and go sleep for a few hours. It’s amazing how I work up for these things. And they can be... difficult for me. I’m so pleased you showed up. I’m so pleased you listen to me sometimes. I’ll talk to you soon.#AutisticAF Out Loud Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. Click to receive new posts and a free subscription. To support my work, consider choosing a paid subscription. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe
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    3 mins
  • Like Some Angel with a Dislocated Shoulder: Song for My Autistic Son

    Like Some Angel with a Dislocated Shoulder: Song for My Autistic Son
    Nov 17 2025

    A father’s reflection on parental regret, missed connections, and what it means to forget the life you didn’t live. Raw spoken word + visual art. No hidden meanings. No inspiration. Just what it’s like

    👉More poetry: “Live Autistic Truth” playlist (link below)

    👉 Full collection: “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head” (link below)

    👉 Transcript: Link in comments

    Content note: Parental regret. Family estrangement. Unfiltered autistic experience.

    This piece explores the strange way autism and ADHD collapse time. How life-defining choices can feel as forgettable as a radio contest you meant to call. How parental regret sits next to everyday absurdity. How half flying and half falling can be the same motion.

    Not here to inspire you. Here to give you an experience of a life.

    CHAPTERS

    0:00 - Like some angel with a dislocated shoulder0:15 - Half flying, half falling from the day I was born 0:45 - To a silent piano score... a horror picture show1:05 - Don’t be a dick. Real talk.1:25 - That call-in contest you just knew you could win1:35 - Hell, like this song.

    —————

    MORE FROM THIS COLLECTION

    👉 Full chapbook: “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head: songs of autistic innocence...and experience”

    Amazon: hhttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_812RrZO_QWB-WHVZRBe-hjr37UNPxdb

    👉 “Live Autistic Truth” playlist (13 spoken word pieces - poetry + performance + visual art):https://www.amazon.com/every-clock-handgun-pointed-head-ebook/dp/B0FNLHC6SY

    👉 Read the transcript + subscribe for weekly pieces:

    ABOUT THIS WORK

    I’m a 72-year-old autistic poet, performer, and multimedia artist. Diagnosed late in life. Making work that gives you the actual experience of being autistic. Not explanations, not inspiration narratives. Raw, unfiltered, unapologetic.

    This piece explores three intertwining themes: parental regret, the autistic experience of time, and what it means to be seen.

    Plain language. No academic jargon. No hidden meanings. If you’re autistic, maybe you’ll see yourself. If you’re not, maybe you’ll understand us a little better.

    Born to raise hell. Autistic style.

    GIFT IDEA

    Looking for a meaningful gift for someone autistic in your life? This chapbook says “I see you” not “I want to fix you.” Available on Amazon + as Substack gift subscription.

    #SpokenWord #Poetry #ActuallyAutistic #AutismAcceptance #VisualPoetry #MultimediaArt #PerformancePoetry #NeurodivergentArt #AutisticVoices #ContemporaryPoetry



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe
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    2 mins
  • Family is complex for me. Autistic + ADHD... but Shameless.

    Family is complex for me. Autistic + ADHD... but Shameless.
    Nov 7 2025

    A spoken word piece about family wounds, estrangement, and choosing to live unapologetically.

    From Elvis dying on Mount Marcy to stalking Death Valley stars—this is what shameless looks like when you stop trying to be the son they ordered.

    👉 Gift Season Special: “every clock is a handgun pointed at my head”

    https://a.co/d/3e0Uc7i

    Raw poetry & art exploring autistic innocence and experience. Perfect for:

    * Your autistic or ADHD someone (the gift of being seen)

    * That someone who isn’t... and wants to understand (the gift of connection)

    👉 Get the chapbook:

    https://a.co/d/3e0Uc7i

    👉 Full text & community: https://substack.com/@johnnyprofane1

    👉 Live Autistic Truth playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_812RrZO_QWB-WHVZRBe-hjr37UNPxdb

    Chapters:

    0:00 Family Is Complex for Me0:11 Living Life Perfectly Shameless0:45 Mount Marcy to Death Valley1:28 No Mask Hides the Pain

    Recorded live, November 2024. Minimal edits—this is what authentic sounds like.

    #ActuallyAutistic #ADHD #SpokenWord #FamilyDysfunction #AutisticPoetry #NeurodivergentVoices #AutisticAF

    ---

    AutisticAF Out Loud

    Not here to inspire you. Here to give you an experience of a life.

    Born to raise hell. Autistic style.

    Transcript

    Family is complex for me, Autistic Plus ADHD. So I call this one, Shameless.

    Live long enough Ya get a lot right, Get a lot wrong. Get to know Well enough Ya can’t be a saint Lurking in shadow… Living life perfectly Shameless. Shameless. Oh let me be Shameless… No sun sets On a painless life, So no moon shines On a stainless wife. Oh let me be… come Shameless. Scaling Mount Marcy That night as Elvis died, Got branded a Mountebank As my sister grew colder. Stalking Death Valley Same sister… now dead… to me Same stars… chill my shoulders Now living life perfectly Shameless… Shameless. Oh let me be Shameless… No peak caps An aimless life, And no grave ever filled By a blameless knife. Oh let me be… come Shameless… No mask hides The pain in life, So no words can Explain my fight. So, let me Be… come Shameless.

    I hate it, I love that one.

    This year, give the gift of being seen… to your autistic or ADHD someone.

    Or the gift of connection to someone…. who isn’t.



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe
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    2 mins
  • Trump Brings Gaza War Crimes Home to US Autistics

    Trump Brings Gaza War Crimes Home to US Autistics
    Nov 5 2025
    Trump brings Gaza war crimes home to US autistics.Using starvation to subjugate people is a war crime, whether at the point of a gun or denying SNAP benefits.November 1st, SNAP halted. Healthcare funding threatened. Social Security could vanish, Trump warns. 42 million Americans face losing food assistance. Not someday—right now.A nation that uses starvation on its own civilians? I’m no lawyer, but I’d argue that’s tantamount to war on its own people. Any day of the week. And I consider it a crime in its own right, even if courts reserve “war crime” for armed conflict.I can hear it already: “You’re being dramatic. That’s hyperbolic. You can’t compare domestic policy to Gaza.”Watch me.Medieval siege techniques. Surround them and starve them out. Whether it’s Gaza or Indiana.What’s Actually Happening?The Trump administration threatens benefits we count on to exist as political leverage during government shutdown negotiations. Support promised to the American public for decades, transformed into weapons to get what Trump wants.Here’s what international law says about that. The Rome Statute explicitly classifies starvation of civilians as a war crime, a crime against humanity. Around the world, deliberately depriving people of food for political gain—that’s defined as genocide.These aren’t my words, they’re international law.Gaza starvation: internationally recognized war crime.SNAP weaponization: They can call it an unfortunate policy choice, but it’s the same tactic, just a different population. Location doesn’t change that. Denying food to gain power simply is withholding food, withholding life for power. They’re not negotiating. They’re holding a gun to our heads.Why Autistics First?Numbers tell you everything you need to know. Autistics face an 85% unemployment rate. So we depend a lot on SNAP—I do. Most of us depend on Medicaid to see our doctors, and many of us are disabled, unable to work. So SSI dependency just to live, it’s a high priority.The government knows exactly who gets hit when they pull these levers: autistics, neurodivergents. We’re the most vulnerable first. We have the least political power of any minority group, I think.And look at the language they use. “Efficiency.” “Streamlining.” “Reducing dependency.” It’s the old Nazi “useless eaters” logic dressed up in techno-bro management appeal. Killing off the weak, dusted off and wrapped in budget terminology. We’re the testing ground, that’s how it always works. Start with disabled people. Normalize the tactic. See who complains, see if you can get away with it. Then expand to the next group.We’re the canaries in the coal mine. We die first. And we’re already choking.The Roll Call of History: Every Empire Does ThisWant to know how I know this is a war crime? Because every failing empire does exactly this. Brings colonial violence home. Every. Single. One.France took torture techniques from Algeria, brought them home for Paris riot control. The U.S. militarized policing in the Philippines, deployed in Ferguson. Britain did the exact same thing: tactics used in the Irish colonies, in India, that came home to British workers as labor disputes escalated.This isn’t speculation. This is documented history. The Ottoman Empire in its death throes: Armenian genocide, Greek genocide, Assyrian genocide. Ancient Rome. Ancient Egypt. Every single one.The pattern is always the same. It starts with unpopular groups: Jews, immigrants, disabled people, people they call “defective,” “foreign,” “unproductive.” Test on them first, see if anyone notices, see if anyone stops you, then expand.Scholars have a term for this: the “boomerang effect.” Or “internal colonialism”—when you apply colonial logic to your own people. Black radical thinkers saw this first, by the way. They recognized the pattern decades ago.The Gaslighting Ends HereSo when someone says “You’re being dramatic”? No. I’m being historically accurate.“That’s hyperbolic.” The Rome Statute disagrees. I can read you the details.“You can’t compare domestic policy to war.” Every empire in history already done that. They already made that comparison for me.We’re not comparing tragedies. “Who’s suffering more than who?” We’re recognizing tragedy.When policy debates require trigger warnings like this article, like this livestream, maybe it’s not policy.When negotiations threaten survival, maybe they’re not negotiations.When efficiency means starvation, maybe it’s not efficient. It’s fucking violence.That need for trigger warnings says it’s violence. Not discourse. We’re not being fragile. We’re being informed. We’re watching it happen in real time. Hell, it’s obvious in every bowl of beans I eat instead of a hell of heavily tariffed hamburger.What We DoLiving through empire in decline: deadly for many. But here’s what we do.We call it as we see it. We ...
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    11 mins