Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Roland (CA->WA)'s avatar

If Heather had the time to read what we have been discussing for months here in her community, she might not be gobsmacked. The source of the Republicans' behavior and ideology is racism (whites first), sexism (males first), genderism (boy-girl only, anti-LGBT+), and the preservation of the old society which places whites, males, and heteros first. Hence opposition to genderfree Potato Head. Hence voter suppression of non-Republicans and non-whites. etc etc etc etc

You can break any of the Republicans' actions and attitudes down using this template.

The Big Lie is wishful thinking that Trump and his Old World Society are still exercising hegemony like they have since the beginnings of the USA. Trump losing the election means accepting that white, male-first, boy-girl society has lost control and is no longer in power. They are in denial that they have lost the battle to diversity, to a society where whites (and males and straights) do not set the rules and don't come first anymore.

Personal news:

I am having a heavy-duty month. My dad is getting close to passing, and it means the end of an era. We are engaging what I am calling a transition-to-afterlife support team. They call themselves death and dying doulas. I have been feeling like my truck driving career is ending, which is a possibility when he goes. We have been speaking with an estate attorney, and with sisters and godchildren, about wills and trusts and inheritance and the like. My wife and I are speaking with the people who are closest to us, the ones who would be in our will and who share a bond with us.

The passing of the patriarch and self-designated head-of-household is churning the waters a bit. I am realizing even more vividly just what a poor match I am for the paternal side of this family. I'm just not a conservative, and not a Republican, and not interested in carrying on the values left over from Nazi Germany. Sorry.

In the mean time, despite all this intensity, my story project continues to gain steam. I have never felt so good about myself, ever. Multiple major break-throughs this month alone. My book has edges now, it has a beginning and an ending. I have a chapter outline. My wife is in love with the story, and so am I, I've never done anything this exciting.

Expand full comment
Charlotte Clymer's avatar

I took a course on international human rights law in undergrad. The professor was excellent. She told us that most international human rights regulations are essentially non-binding. It's, more or less, a global honor code and not easily enforced.

I remember being a kid and wondering what would happen if a political party in the United States just refused to agree to the results of an election, and back then, it felt like a foolish enough question that I quickly forgot and moved on.

I am terrified for our future. January 6th should have been an equivalent in the public consciousness to a major terrorist attack, and yet, here we are, more than three months later, and it feels as though much of the media apparatus is petrified of centering it and holding those behind it accountable.

Expand full comment
621 more comments...

No posts