In this Newsletter

• Chair’s Message
• Upcoming Events
• ICYMI
• Volunteer Opportunities
• DAGR News and Views
• On our RADAR - DA Priorities

Friends,

With another government shutdown underway, political violence, attacks on freedom of speech and the rule of law, America is reaching a tipping point.

And it’s clear who is to blame. Disapproval with President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress is soaring. Consumer confidence is plunging. In the betting markets, up to 30% of wagers are against Trump even finishing his second term.

Democrats are stepping up. With the support of their base and many independents, they are trying to roll back the savage health care cuts Republicans enacted earlier this year. Next month, New Yorkers are poised to elect one of their most progressive mayors ever. In California, voters will go to the polls to cancel out the gerrymandering of Texas Republicans.

As Americans abroad, our greatest responsibility is to vote. In less than 400 days, we will make our voice heard in mid-term elections – the most significant mid-terms in the 250-year history of the Republic. Here in Greece, you will be hearing more from us as we get closer to the start of the year when it will be time for all of us to resubmit our overseas voter registrations.

In the meantime, we're organizing an event for the No Kings/No Tyrants protest on Oct. 18, so stay tuned. And before then, we want to hear from you about what we can do better. When you have a moment, please fill out our special DAGR media survey: How Do You Want Your News?. And, of course, feel free to drop us a line anytime at: [email protected] .

And join us at our regular Athens and Thessaloniki Happy Hours and our Thessaloniki Saturday Coffee.

Thank you for staying engaged.

Alkman Granitsas
Chair, Democrats Abroad Greece

Saturday, OCT 4 - 16:00 local LONDON time
DNC Chair Ken Martin ‘Live’
Martin’s been crisscrossing the US firing up Democrats. He’s taking that energy in-person to London. RSVP here. Tickets start at $20 for students. If you won’t be in London, we’re thinking there may be a recording later. 

Monday, OCT 6 - Midnight EET
The ‘How Do You Want Your News?’ Survey Closes
To accommodate the folks returning late from summer travel, we’re keeping the survey open through the coming weekend. Check it out and fill in the google form. We want to get the widest possible representation of what all our members need.

Tuesday, OCT 14 - 18:00-20:00 EET
Happy Hour in Athens
Athens Chapter meets at En Aithria, the Monastiraki-Thission venue. This month, Athens returns to ‘winter hours,’ a 6 p.m. start, so that folks working downtown can make the meet-up and then get on home for the evening. The milieu invites lively conversation about next steps in the resistance. Friends are welcome, too. No RSVP is needed. Details on the DAGR Events page.

Tuesday, OCT 14 - 19:00-21:00 EET
Happy Hour in Thessaloniki
Mix politics and pleasure! There are a handful of big elections coming up this November. Whether you need help voting from abroad or just want to connect with fellow Americans over a drink at Cafe Bazaar, this is the event for you. We'll help with the forms, you help with the good vibes. Details on the DAGR Events page.

Saturday, OCT 18 - 14:00 EET
Protest: No Tyrants!
Der Don waves his magic sharpie and another military unit is deployed to play cops in a US city. Another poor family is kicked off health care. Another stupid tariff sends prices skyrocketing. Are you even more outraged at his takeover than you were last spring? Then come on out to Monastiraki Square!  Stateside, Indivisible will lead millions in NoMoreKings rallies. In Athens, DAGR will stage our own parallel. BYOS! (Bring Your Own Sign) RSVP here for details and sign ideas.

Tuesday, OCT 21 - 19:30 EET 
DAGR ExCom Meeting
The Dems Abroad Greece board, aka ExCom, meets every month. Members are welcome to sit in and come up to speed on the many things your board has to handle. Get a leg up on upcoming events in planning, and much more. Reply on this email for the WebEx link.

Saturday, OCT 25 - 11:00 EET
Saturday Coffee in Thessaloniki
As Greece prepares to commemorate Oxi Day, let's take collective action at this month's Saturday coffee event to send a clear message "No Tyrants in the USA!" We'll have tiny action ideas prepared, but we'd love to hear your ideas as well! Hope to see you at Xarchakos Cafe! Details on the DAGR Events page.

And that’s not all …
See what other country committees and global caucuses are doing, on the DA website Events page.

Patriarch Bartholomew Addresses Environmental Protection at Stony Brook
Stony Brook University honored the Patriarch. And the Patriarch honored the environment, in particular the seas, which have been over history, so central to Greek life. It’s an uplifting message, all round.

Climate Watch - CBS News 24/7
This recent episode on frequent flooding caused by climate change addresses the preparations and emergency follow-up that, if not done wisely, contribute to property damage, business loss, and climbing death tolls.

Dan Rather and ‘Steady’: It’s Time to Play Hardball
Sensible, realistic, given America’s apparent slide into autocracy, this early September op-ed is worth re-reading. Rather and his team recommend Democrats stop going along to get along and start using the power we have, especially at the state level. It’s now early October. How we doin’?

Kimmel Comes Back to LA and Goes On to NYC
Some stuff pretty funny. Some stuff not all THAT funny. But the collection – monologue through to Colbert match up – is a masterful rebuttal to certain autocrats who think they’re God. Start at the Kimmel link. Roll on to the Colbert link.

The Cringiest Speech in Military History
In case you missed it. Our mils have noted a bit of pride that the 800+ high-ranking officers sat stony-faced through most of it. But what happens in three years, when most of these have been fired and a new ‘team’ appointed to general staff? Achingly long 2+ hour video.

The Stupidest Speech in UN History
Environmentalist Bill McKibben analyses you-know-who’s regurgitive rant at the UN. When finished reading, send a thank-you note to Bill for sitting through the whole thing so we didn’t have to. 

ACTION!! Send your 2025 ballot back NOW!
If you’ve got a special election or important ballot issue in your home state, there may still be time to get a ballot by email and send it back. If your state allows you to vote ‘down ballot,’ same message. If not, you might want to register and request a ballot, just to get in practice for 2026. It’s not that far away! All questions answered at www.votefromabroad.org.

No Tyrants! Action - OCT 18
Reprising the Upcoming events section. We’re forming up in Monastiraki Square, as in the spring. RSVP to let the organizers know you plan to come. And if you have more snappy slogans than cardboard, pass your extras along! Let’s show the world that most Americans are not MAGAns! Find the graphic to print as poster or post cards here.

‘How Do You Want Your News?’ Survey - Let’s get this done!
This is our attempt at non-DOGE-disaster house-cleaning. Before we pitch out the old and ring in the new, we thought it might be nice to know what news members need from us and how we all prefer to get it delivered. The survey is short, just 10 multiple choice questions. And we’re holding it open one more week, i.e. till October 8. Hope to hear from YOU!

One More Thing - Phone Bank is Coming
No, not this week. Global DA is calling those ‘batteground’ elections. DAGR will start dialing for dear life and 2026 in January. We’re in planning now, will be recruiting callers after the election and training before the holidays. The goal is to get everyone contacted and have some fun in the process. If you enjoy chatting for a good cause, save some time for us!

IMMIGRATION: Studies and Experience - Part 1
Thessaloniki graduate student, Rebecca Fox compares her knowledge gained from immigration studies in progress with her own experience as an immigrant to Greece. This is the first of a four-part series. 

Book Review: “Nuclear War” by Annie Jacobsen
Thessaloniki Chapter chair Irem Tunc read it and found it instructive … and depressing. If you missed growing up through the Cuban Missile Crisis of the early 1960’s or seeing ‘The Day After’ film in the 1980s, here’s the ‘education’ you may be glad to have missed.

DAGR’s Weekly Reader: Last Month This Week?
Once again, we’ve collected those mostly longer, outside-sourced items favored by political wonks (like us). We try to keep them off the fast-moving social platforms. Have a look! And do send us articles you think might fit here in the month ahead!
SEP w1     SEP w2     SEP w3    SEP w4

Music to ‘Take a Stand’ By
All You Fascists Bound to Lose - cover by Resistance Revival
Bonus:
Donald J. Trump Is Still The Biggest A**hole In The World - The Sam Chase

And on the upside of human nature:
Love Song to Jane - Dana Lyons

The Military Oath That Protects Democracy From Presidents
Protect and defend! It starts with the oath and goes on to list times when top brass prepared to honor the first part – to the Constitution – even if it meant skipping the second and reviewing what ‘a lawful order’ meant in that situation. Required reading for democracy defenders!

What to Know about Trump’s Immigration Enforcement in Chicago
WBEZ, with the back-up of the Sun-Times, goes into some detail about the strong-arm tactics, the deplorable detention conditions, the community push-back and the legal channels yet to be taken (should Trump send in the National Guard). Read the article or listen to the podcast.

What’s My LIne, Mystery Guest Eleanor Roosevelt
1953, just before the 8th annual celebration of United Nations Week. As Mrs. Roosevelt explained, the US prepares for United Nations Day, in order to give out information about the UN and its work. Donald J. Trump represented the US this year (see: item below in On Our RaDAr section: Stupidest Speech Ever). How far we’ve fallen! 30 min video

America’s Latest Farming Crisis
The problem is real. It starts with a Trump double-header: tariffs plow under the demand for US product while deportations and fear dry up the cheap labor supply. And while small farmers who voted for Trump hope he’ll bail them out like in his first term, some are reduced to selling their farms to private equity and mega-ag investors. 15 min video.

The Billionaire Betting on a Fossil-Free Future
As the world races to deal with the climate crisis, some business leaders are putting their wealth and influence behind bold climate bets. Australian businessman billionaire Andrew Forrest lays out his vision for a fossil-free future — and the role heavy industry, green hydrogen and private capital must play in getting there. With Max Bearak, International Climate Policy Reporter at The New York Times. Filmed live at the 2025 New York Times Climate Forward event on Sep 25, 2025. 30 min video.

……………………………………………..

Like the autumn rain clouds, the news shows some silver linings. Americans are realizing that Trump has not brought down prices. In fact, he’s made things worse while making it harder to vote him and his lackeys out. But protests are growing. New leaders are stepping forward. And even old leaders are showing some gumption. Let’s keep it up! And prepare now for the fight ahead!

https://www.democratsabroad.org/