The sudden collapse of the Assad regime in Syria yesterday took oxygen away from the airing of President-elect Trump’s interview with Kristen Welker of NBC’S Meet the Press. The interview told us little that we didn’t already know, but it did reinforce what we can expect in the new administration.
In your Dec. 7 letter about Obama's speech, you highlighted his statement, a "media landscape that would shatter into a million disparate voices." You noted "Media companies have played to extremes." Many have written how mainstream media is not covering each "side" fairly. With corporations' consolidated ownership of visual media and hedge funds buying and destroying newspapers, the American people have not been getting a straight or balanced story for decades. This didn't just start with Bezos and Wall Street Journal deciding not to endorse Harris. Nate Cohn of NYTimes was predicting all along that Trump would win and in parallel would "support" that prediction with a photo of Biden with glassy eyes and droopy mouth alongside a smug smiling Trump. The owners want the Republican ideology to win.
So, back to the shattered media. Many of us are reading you, Joyce Vance, Marc Elias, Politico, Aaron Rupar, Robert Reich, Timothy Snyder... the list goes on and on and on. I joined your letters early on because you were one of the first to put what was happening into perspective. I am a small business person who believes in paying for things that deliver value and the $50/year I paid to you, I felt was worth it. I have commented on occasion. I wanted to comment one night on Joyce Vance and that is when I learned that one must pay to comment. I paid $6 to do it, then cancelled my subscription. We cannot afford to pay individually for each Substack subscription and each of the shattered media.
I feel helpless. I suspect I could have said "we feel helpless." We need those of you with some power to work together and DO SOMETHING, not just write about all the problems and ideas how to solve them. HELP! SOLVE THEM. Marc Elias wants $120/year. Timothy Snyder wants us to read “Handmaid’s Tale;” I will pass and trust that we already know enough about it from you valued journalists. I understand you are now making over $500,000 per year on your letters. I'm sure Obama is much richer now having been president. You have a lot of older readership, but many of us still work. Those of us "working class" cannot afford to go to Washington to march. We elect leaders so they can be our voices and advocates. Look how that has turned out. Money is running everything.
Another good example, right after the Citizens United decision, David Cobb formed Move to Amend to work towards fixing that wrong. Then Bernie Sanders got his own idea of how to do it. There was a third prominent player that I don't recall, maybe Indivisible. But none of them worked together. Do these leaders, do our leaders need the power and control to be "the boss" and to the point where nothing is accomplished?
How is it that we are ready to turn our government over to an administration led by a felon that openly admits all the ways they want to break our democracy and our country – install an authoritarian, be guided by billionaires, rob and pillage our Treasury, give more tax cuts to the rich, take away the rights of the marginalized. They have been waiting decades to cut social security, Medicare, Medicaid – that we ARE entitled to – that we have paid into all our lives – a long-term, separately funded program. When will the Democrats decide enough is enough? If there was ever a time to not have a peaceful transfer of power, this is it. I advocate for NOT allowing the transition of government to an administration that is UNQUALIFIED to run it. The majority of the people that elected Trump were brainwashed and lied to by fragmented, disparate "media," and marketing. They did not intend to elect what Trump stands for. They did not intend to elect Project 2025. The election was stolen from us. Those in red states who have been helped by the Biden administration do not understand because their politicians are lying to them as well.
I agree with those that think Harris should not have shifted to the middle, and that "Obama's 'centrist liberalism' [is] inadequate to address the real problems of inequality." Everything that progressives advocate for will help the ignorant right, if the message could get through to them.
The two basic things that need to be solved that will benefit all sides of America are truth in media and closing the wealth gap. If people have more security, it will be much easier for them to talk to each other to solve secondary problems and special interests.
It feels like our lives are being wished away in two- and four-year buckets. Everything depends on the next election. Many of the "writers" note that "wrongs" eventually get "righted." We don't have time to wait twenty years for social security to be re-established after it is taken away from us because we will be prematurely dead by then. We will never get back the decades of lost wealth and security that could allow us a more comfortable life and more meaningful retirement – or a retirement at all. Many of us have already been waiting forty+ years for the changes enacted during the Reagan years to be rectified, and Biden is the first to make any progress, despite what might have looked promising about an Obama presidency. Thankfully we got the ACA from Obama.
There, I just took an hour and a half off work to write this, without pay. And I waited up, Eastern time, to be one of the first to comment so that I might be read. As Joyce says, we may all be in this together, but it doesn't feel that way when it is so hard and costly in time or money to be heard. I guess I could add that I feel bitter, too.
I feel your pain too Darlene, I can only afford to subscribe to HCR. I read the other Substacks I enjoy for free, but know I have to pay to comment. I feel that this is a much better system than paywalls that most of the legacy media have in place - apart from the Guardian - bless them. I'm not sure that it's Heather's job though to 'fix the problem'. She is doing her bit and we all need to do ours, in whatever way. Maybe you could start your own Substack? You write knowledgeably and well. That may be the platform you need to have a voice, feel heard, and reach others who need to hear your message. All the best, you are in good company here.
Heather had an interview with Biden. I’m sure she has pull with other important people. If all the journalists would get together with Democratic leaders, reps, senators, maybe solutions could be found. How not to have the Republicans in Congress cave. Marc Elias is focusing on opposition rather than resistance.
Can’t yet spend time writing along with all the reading and working full time. May someday.
Hey nice expression and thank you. As a writer with a blog here, I allow anyone to post and I reduced my monthly and yearly rates. But I have a day job ( self employed like you) so I don’t depend on my meager few paying readers although I’m humbled by their generosity. Heather does serious research and she might even have staff. I don’t begrudge her the request to pay for posting. Hang in there.
I don't begrudge her at all. I just wish there were an umbrella plan that allowed readers to subscribe to some greater number of newsletters from various authors.
Just what I was thinking. I read Marc Elias and read Robert Hubbell’s letter just before this one today. I simply can’t afford to pay for every one I read, whom I depend on, and I’m grateful they have a free version (although Democracy Docket takes one only so far and the rest is for paying subscribers.) I realize writers have to make a living but I just can’t afford all of them. And yet, they seem to be the Dems’ only voice …
I read Joyce Vance and Robert Hubbell for free and just don’t comment. I pay for Heather, Jessica Craven and Timothy Snyder, but although I love Marc Elias and believe in his righteous cause, $120 per year is what I paid for the Washington Post, which I cancelled in protest in November. It irritates me that I can only read 1/2 of his newsletter without paying. BTW, Margaret Sullivan’s American Crisis substack is offering free comments for all who subscribe, even for free versions. I love her, but she only posts once a week, and I’m on a partial news blackout, so I need more frequent posts! I can’t support them all, even if I wanted to. I agree that a combo subscription would be super helpful.
It would be lovely to have an umbrella plan and I'm sure I'd sign up for it. I do find that, however much interest I have in reading Heather (and the rest of the voices that speak truth) and could spend endless hours doing so, I am only willing to spend just so much time each day on it. I still need my small pleasures for survival and I try to focus some energy on those as well. I totally agree we need not stand for what's coming 01/20/25, that it should never have gotten this far, but I lack the knowledge of what avenues are open to us to right our ship BEFORE it goes under. THAT is the voice I most want to hear - the one with a legal, non-violent plan.
And P.S. I do feel it's unfair to ask Heather to do anything more. She has traveled the country to educate and inform and writes well into the night to make sure she keeps us in the"truth loop." Without her gargantuan efforts far, far fewer people would be educated as to the reality of our situation. I fully respect and honor her efforts.
Ooooh, like that idea, Laurie, a sort of SubStack “cheaper by the dozen”! I don’t begrudge folks being compensated for their hard work creating content & all the research involved. Being retired & on a fixed income, there is no way I could afford all those I would like to support & that goes for orgs/causes I believe in as well.
Okay, hungry cats just got me out of bed, but by my sleepy t-yet-caffeinated brain's calculations, I think each Letter costs me 16 cents? And I read a lot of comments from intelligent, well informed people here, so I guess I get about an hour of "entertainment value" from it. That's a pretty darn good value, methinks.
Darlene, I don't know your financial situation and please don't take this as me insulting your viewpoints. No doubt much of it is fueled by the same frustrations that we all feel! That being said, the cost of a year of this Letter with comment ability is about equivalent to one/two visits for my husband and I going to the small business Mom & Pop restaurant that we like.
Yesterday, also newsworthy, Juan Soto scored a 15 year contract making $765 MILLION. Obviously, his skills and talents are valued at that enormous amount. I'm sure there are those (like me) incredulous at that salary, but then, how many in the C-suite earn that much in half the time? What do THEY do to earn that money?
It seems that for every Taylor Swift earning a billion, there is probably a million singers/songwriters who will never earn enough to live on, much less support a family. For JK Rowling, there are millions of writers struggling (including me!) to finally get published. And for HCR's daily letter, look how many on here who comment have their own Substack.
My point being (as frequent commenter here, Phil Balla, says) the humanities just don't seem to be valued by the masses.
Print newspapers are going the way of the horse-and-buggy. Since I personally only purchase the Sunday edition, I can't tell you what the price of a mid-week copy is, but I know it's much less than 16 cents. We all make our choices on how we spend our discretionary funds.
Oh… I already fed my kitties all 7 of them. I don’t know how many you have for if several, it might be wise to make your own cat food. It’s not hard to do once you get into the routine. And it’s cheaper than factory food. I source chicken thighs from Costco or BJS. And I make up to 30 pounds at a time then freez them in bell jars. If interested, search catnutrition.org or Dr. Lisa Pierson — either or both. I once compared ounce prices and mine was less than the cheapest crap that is sold in stores.
Just thinking why couldn’t I open for Taylor Swift. I could handle the crowds. Size doesn’t intimidate me. I’m a singer/songwriter Indie/folk. My lyrics are as good as the best but I missed my opportunity in youth. So I’ll just pretend that there are Taylor Swift crowds listening as I walk up to an open mic.
Miselle, I am a humanities person and I know their value, but many don't because everything is about making money in a very narrow way. History major, then you can only teach. I had a go around with someone on a meme about student debt (which I think is totally out of control because of usurious interest rates) where he thought going to college was worthless and chose majors in beer brewing and Greco-Roman literature as his examples. Incidentally, he was a math major and claimed it was worthless, so I think more was going on with him. Sports has become a money swamp reaching now into the college and high school ranks with NIL and the transfer portal. And we do love celebrity in this country. At least Swift donates a lot of her money to good causes.
I pay for six and they are worth it. However, Hate is much cheaper, and currently, it was taken on a religious fervor that lures in the prosperity gospel nuts, as well as the fearful and gullible. Religion has many stripes and they are hiding a mobster within, while looking so harmless…
I am really enjoying black humor these days. I liked the comment "Trump ran to keep out of jail and doesn't care about the rest." I never thought of that. It's the best statement about Trump, who confounds me, that I have heard in a long time. I can laugh because I am beginning to believe that MAGA is going to self-destruct. How is Trump going to lead here, on anything? He doesn't think well. He has too many tantrums. I live in Trump country, and the MAGA-looking people I see seem to be in a bad mood. Maybe the euphoria of the win has worn off. If it's a cult, which I believe, they may have some depression to deal with.
The price of "Hate" is actually free and facts are expensive Jerri. That does matter. Add that to the MSM absence / partisanship, and it's all looking like insurmountable problems that will touch everyone in the country eventually, no matter how well insulated one might be.
As a small business owner you should understand the need to monetize ones labor - most of the subtracts allow you to read the entire article for free ( notably the conservative FreePress - a rabid far right Bari Weiss screed that likes to appear unbiased - but is a junior Murdoch style blog - will only allow reading the first paragraph or two on most post - I refuse to fund her ), which at least to me - is the most important feature - to read these folks. Commenting is fun but not necessary.
I agree it would be great if there was an umbrella price for X number of subtracts, but not sure how that would work.
By the way - how much HCR makes from her subscribers is irrelevant to the value she provides. I am glad she makes 500K as you say - allowing her to post at 1 or 2 AM EST nearly every day. Good for her. Good for us. First thing I read in the morning.
The woman works hard for whatever she receives in compensation. And I don’t think she is motivated by that at all - she is an information warrior in a righteous cause, and how thankful we are that she has found her true calling.
Touche and amen sonny. I've no idea what our good Dr. earns or loses, nor is it any of my business. I do wish for her to do well and I'm well satisfied with my subscription, what I learn from her, and from the community herein. All that said, I do feel and understand Darlene's dilemma; I would so love to be able to afford full privileges at many more substack columns, but alas - that's not to be.
I totally understand your comment and frustration. I have taken another look at this from a different perspective. I dropped my subscriptions to NYT and WAPO in March and redirected that money to authors on Substack, in addition I spent over $4000 before the election with Act Blue supporting candidates across the country in tight races and while my party had some success here in my district and the state overall, most of the money I spent got you and myself nothing. I am now redirecting some of that money to different authors. I should do a better job of keeping track of them, but it's probably 10 or 15. I don't begrudge what anyone spends as we all have a budget to live with-in and I am grateful that I have those funds to spend, because as Bob Woodward says, "Democracy Dies in Darkness."
I don't do Facebook so I can't address Heather's newsletter there. But my sister reads and comments to Heather's newsletter on Facebook. I never see her comments and she never sees mine.
My sister mentioned that Heather actually responds to Facebook readers on occasion.
Can anyone write to how the Facebook experience works regarding HCR's newsletter?
Looking at Facebook right now - 7:15 a.m. Eastern time, four hours after it was posted - this column of Heather's has 1,700 comments and 8,500 shares. So it gets a good response. And one can comment for free. Whether one's comments get read, given the volume, is a separate question. Probably comments have a better chance of being read here, but by smaller numbers. (I don't know how many readers this substack has. I hope a LOT!)
On FB, the column is part of my daily feed - since I subscribe to/follow it - so it comes up every morning. And if it doesn't, I can search for it (as I just did. Once you see something on FB, it tends to disappear in favour of newer posts.)
Interesting. I depend on Axios for Utah news, and I'm hardly a part of their target audience. What I like is their adherence to conventions such as direct reporting and listing of sources. At least you know who's feeding you information.
My somewhat scattered perusal is that the Professor will comment on her FB posts in the first 10-20 minutes it is up; often it is to catch typos or other editorial stuff, but she is there almost every time.
I follow her on Facebook, but primarily read here; 300 comments are easier to read and reply to then are 1200 or more.
Gary, I post Heather's letter every am on Facebook. A lot of my friends read it and comment and/or pass it on. I also post Timothy Snyder and others that I may see. I am not among Heather's Facebook friends, so I can't comment on that.
Thanks Michele. I have never been on Facebook in spite of ribbing from some of my friends. I'm going to retire from my programming job in the next month or so, and didn't want anyone I work with to see anything about my private life. Maybe I'll start Facebooking or whatever it's called next year. 😎
Tho, I appreciate your succinct comments, Darlene. I also understand and share your frustration of current events. My concern is where would Heather find the time to be a “fixer”. I am a very early subscriber to Heather’s letters. While I choose to pay a fee so that I might be part of the “comments” community, it is Heather’s letter itself that is important. Her diligence in research is well-known and admired. She is a well respected BC College Professor as well. I own and have read every one of her books. I do not see her in a role as “fixer”, but more importantly I honestly pray for her to find the energy daily to provide us with truth.
Darlene Heather is doing her best to inform us with facts and honesty. She is the only Substack newsletter I subscribe to now and is exactly what we need in this age of extreme capitalists buying up the mainstream media. FOX News ( which is categorically entertainment not news) has been around over 30 years now which is an entire generation of indoctrination. Now here we are, a country fed lies of which millions believe. I don’t know what the answer is but we also don’t know if any of project 2025 will actually be implemented. This is a party of do nothings, despite the chaotic noise making. There are the elected few who will stand up to much of their insanity. It has been out of our control for a long time; we vote and hope for reasonable leadership. Biden was our reasonable reprieve and now we are back to insanity. The bottom line is we are living in uncertain times. Take care of yourself, live for the moment and vote your conscience, and help those who will be hurt the most.
Darlene, this is a pattern I often see. When someone puts the effort into, as you have done, enlightening the rest of us, we “enlightened “ don’t take up action to make change. Instead we place more responsibility onto the person who has gone through the effort of enlightening us. So thank you again.
I choose to pay for Dr Cox Richardson's, Dr Bandy Lee's, and Counsellor Vance's sub-stacks. I am older and live alone, edging every day toward poverty. Yet these news-letters nourish me intellectually. The yearly rates total out to a fraction of food costs or a month's rent. These sub-stacks remind me to think.
My story is like yours, Ned. Plus, I am bedridden. I spend every day reading on my tablet, mornings on Substack and afternoons/evenings on kindle. I spend almost all of my small amount of Social Security income - that isn't needed for essentials - on reading material. It's worth it. I quit my cable TV subscriptions several years ago, and don't go out for anything except medical visits. I am never bored and I feel like I'm learning more than at any other time in my life, except for the years I spent at schools and university. It might be nice to save a few bucks for some future emergency, but my adult children won't abandon me....I hope! 🤞😉
Thank you, Paula, for a truly inspiring answer! It rings with gratitude and being able to count one's blessings. You are a rich woman, in fact and indeed.
Thank YOU, Ned - for your very kind response. I worry that I'll sound like I'm whining or complaining, but I'm really not. I feel extraordinarily blessed. How many people wish they could lie in bed reading all day?! I also have The World's Greatest Cat for company! My cup runneth over...
Not at all. Self-pity is NOT acknowledgeing one's suffering. You do that and then remember what you have to be grateful for. Sounds very balanced to me.
Permit this clever though off-topic vid. from Jimmy Kimmel last night, s.v.p. Though I am not fond of Mrs Trump, I wish people would leave her be . . . except when she turns her position into a merchant's stall. 🤬
Mr Kimmel invented or repeated a new term: "Whack-pack". The hawking og petty goods as a President-elect and incoming First Lady makes the Clintons' old ploy of the Lincoln bedroom for five hundred bucks almost elegant.🤢
I gladly pay for HCR and Dan Rather's Steady...no more than those two. I find that reading the comments for both provides a lot of perspectives I enjoy.
Barbara said the same thing. When I get the chance, I like to tune into 'Washington Journal' on C-Span (7-10 a.m., Eastern time, every day). It gives me a chance to hear what other people are saying. Keeps my faith in the American people. Most of the Trump voters who call in are simply voters. Only a minority spew trumper tantrums.
This I think gets to the flaw that SCOTUS has used in a great many 1st amendment cases. They have pretty consistently argued that the antidote to offensive speech is more speech. Of course, that only works if all speech is uniformly available, or at the very least, is subject to a random distribution process, and neither of those conditions have ever been true.
With content targeting in order to maximize advertising click-through rates, which raises the cost of advertising (advertisers pay more for more effective distribution), effectively, the concept of more speech as an antidote is rendered moot, since it is no longer possible. Expensive subscriptions simply exacerbate an already bad situation.
There are some good aggregators such as Ground News, but they never carry local news, which is critical to local democratic processes. I think the only proven approach that works a small tad better is to make it next to impossible to target ads so precisely. That forces more of a shotgun approach, which benefits things like local news media. There is still the bias that in inherent in almost any editorial board which almost always reflects the biases of the channel's owner, at least a little.
Probably the best period we had for relatively low bias media was during the first 50 years or so of radio and TV broadcast news. The FCC had a mandate to require a news segment as a public service. Then stations and networks did not see their news services as content competing for consumers for the sake of ad revenue. I'm usually skeptical of references to "the good old days" as that phrase almost always requires one to overlook a lot of once more common violence and bigotry. but in the case of broadcast news before it was redesigned to drive ad revenue, I think the phase might actually be justified. And except for the cost of the radio or TV, those channels really were free.
With the libertarian philosophy in mind, they think that every one will just be responsible. A great thought but has no basis in reality. Free speech without responsibility and enforceable legal remedies, is just chaos and a might is right method of "freedom". Kind of like the unregulated free markets where the might is with the business owners and shareholders.
Yes, I think that the best local news these days often comes from the college kids working at their NPR station. Unfortunately, that leaves vast portions of the country without that sort of service.
The Univ (northern most Univ in CA…recently renamed Cal Poly Humboldt) I retired from (on staff for 40 years) at one time had a fabulous college station beloved by our rural county-wide community—then the Univ admin (back when it was HSU) basically gutted it. Boy did that PO the students & locals!!!! Now they get their news feed (as I understand it) from out of the area. I stopped listening not long after it imploded—mind blowing it was done purposely! I now listen to Jefferson Public Radio broadcasting from Southern Oregon University in Ashland. I do like it, but miss the quirky and unique community-based programs (plus the NPR stuff) of the KHSU of yore. Sad.
As Margaret Sullivan, the former public editor of the NYT wrote in her newsletter (which she makes free), facts and truth can be got at a price but disinformation is free for all.
A South African friend, who is himself an Indian immigrant to South Africa--his parents took him there when he was very young, over forty five years ago, so they have lived through a lot--told me as we discussed the election results that he and others overseas watching this are concluding Democracy is too fragile a system, because it is easily manipulated by mob mentality that is not healthy.
Our 24 year old feels the same way.
We're losing them, due to utter failure to make leaders, and not just their minions, pay dearly for insurrections and anti-democratic actions. They see us calmly allowing American Oligarchs get away with paying no taxes. That money is used to undermine the Fourth Estate and riddle it with self-serving lies, instead of establishing a reasonable system of healthcare and building affordable housing for everyone else.
Many of us are not calmly allowing this. As I said over on Joyce Vance's Substack, I'm really not interested in the latest trump/maga/republican atrocity. I'm interested in hearing ideas about what we can and are going to do to fight and win against these criminals.
I agree. We can't afford to send money to every good platform but I send money to Heather, Joyce and Meidas as they seem to have large followings and get the word out effectively (Meidas had more likes than Fox). Fortunately there are many more resisters in Substack now and increasing every day. More people telling the truth is good.
I would not support starting a new Substack. We, the readers of this letter, should build on Professor's daily letters. Her writings are founded on historical evidence. There are not many who have such training. Professor Krugman has announced retiring from NYT after this year. Many qualified columnists will leave major medias. I am thinking of cancelling them because they can no longer be independent of the government pressurre. As Trump comes in, we lose freedom of speech in public.
That's my concern as well. I've never seen any explicit description of the Substack platform—who owns and facilitates it. It's difficult to imagine how the incoming administration could tolerate what is published here.
Hi Darlene. Heather first posts her Letter on Facebook, where on occasion she replies to a few comments. Then she posts her Letter here on Substack, where she appears to have stopped "liking" or commenting years ago. I doubt she will see your comment here, even if the algorithm keeps it at the top with likes and replies. You would have better luck emailing her directly: heather.richardson@bc.edu
Also note that Heather periodically reminds us (usually in her Politics Chat) that she is not a journalist, but a historian documenting current events for historians to read 50-100 years from now.
Heather's service to us and to democracy includes her weekly Politics Chat in addition to these Letters from an American. ICYMI she does her Politics Chat on Facebook, and then posts them to her YouTube channel:
Heather's service also included spending 13 months prior to the election crisscrossing the country to make appearances to support Democrats and democracy, even though she does not label herself as a Democrat and certainly not as a politician.
Thank you so much Ellie. Gosh, I hope her email doesn’t get overwhelmed. I did not know about the Facebook posting first, but another good example of fragmentation and too many platforms to read. Facebook can suck us in for longer than we want.
In no way do I want Heather or anyone to think I am not greatly appreciative of all she does, and was aware of her election-supporting activities. It is her pull that is needed, as Joe Banta also said above, now that we are in this horrible situation.
I agree that the fragmentation we experience is frustrating. However, I believe this is what makes us different from the Republican mindset. We do not speak with one voice (authoritarian!) but, rather, several voices with different points of view. Very expensive, for sure, though.
Morning, Lynell, and thank you for supporting me! We had our first concert under our new director, and I got to introduce a piece that allowed me to tie together my college band director who, in all ways, is responsible for me being a musician as an adult, and our new director. They are father and son. If I can, I'll send you a concert link when it is published.
Would love to get that link, Ally! I received a Thank You card signed by Scott McKee (new director?) with a picture of the entire band on the back of the card. I'm guessing that's you over on the right, second from the end, Viewing from the Back Row! (Now I get it...teehee!)
In the wake of Trump’s first election, Heather created a role for herself that didn’t even exist before. And many others have followed in her footsteps on Substack. Jessica Craven is an activist who writes a free Substack that gives actions to do that day with scripts, and links to do so. Look her up and just do what’s in her newsletter. She is a mighty force. She helps you take action. Look up Indivisible and see if there is a group near you and join it
Joy, I receive a text daily from Jessica & feel it’s a very easy way to “do something” simply by texting back “Yes” to her proposal. The responses get forwarded to the powers that be. Thank you Jessica!
I feel your emotional and financial pain. I pray that the Media landscape sorts itself out … with my dream result being that legacy news organizations become marginal players and voices for truth such as the ones you mentioned and the one I just pointed to in my new comment - Five Minute News hosted by Anthony Davis - eventually come under an umbrella organization that allows us to pay one fee to read them all.
Thank you Steve for your kind reply. I have never heard of Anthony Davis and, with all due respect, have too many things to read and listen to. At this point, we need people to work on solutions. I agree with the umbrella concept; it would be good if we could pay one fee to Substack. It would be like subscribing to the Times or Post and frankly I wish the mainstream news could be fixed.
Just as to these LFAs from Heather...you can always comment on her Facebook posts for free, and she does often answer or reply to a few in the first ones to drop. Otherwise, yes, it can get expensive, but at least Heather covers some of the same info..and her cite-links do not lead to pay walls.
It would be great to see HCR insights and truths posted on social media in the way that is most successful, like Facebook, IG and FNC. Short burst of info.
I'm sure she'd love to find time for that! I don't have a problem with her existing posts on FB....and she does have over 2 million followers there. I sometimes post - and see others posting - shorter clips from her LFA's on Facebook....
I know of one local lady on FB who does just that, citing excerpts to boot, in a little province in eastern Canada. Some locals though also like to hang the Confederacy flag in their bedroom windows, a bit of "red neck" country here.
HCR posts her thoughtful, research cited essays on Facebook and Substack. She uses her Instagram for more personal snippets and links to interviews. She recently started using BlueSky like she used Twitter—for breaking news and reposting short commentary.
Unfortunately not everyone in the world is on fecebook. I left that frustration & twit 4 years ago. Artificial Idiocy was just taking it over & I found complaining to a brick wall more productive.
Excellent solution suggestions and commentary , thank you all …and Darlene for a ball getting rolled so well. Heather has done an amazing job as well as many others and the mounting cost I too have ..the point well made -for me , has merit, action needs to follow.
I am going to go to my local (very red county) newspaper and see what the parameters are for publishing Heathers , seeking first her permission ie ‘if …’ ,perhaps 1-2 more randomly chosen. I have no idea what the costs could be .Opinion welcome. I have shared on FB regularly as have several other ‘friends’…though I’m on a brief ‘sabbatical’.
I double down on needing to get the truth out AND finding the clever way by/but not lying…why the American public is SO gullible has been dissected 40 diff ways and most on point. No blanket cures..but action is needed.
A busy day ahead as prep for incoming crew requires self preservation modes…takes time too..I thoroughly agree we must stop buying from the major corporate strangler(S). I’m not against the NAFTA idea that all countries can benefits from consumer needs *it’s part of the vast playing field leveling-we are ALL neighbors.*
Patricia, Please keep us posted on your effort to get Heather published.I also live in a very red county. Our local newspaper is Gannett owned and a while back I made a (weak) attempt to get Heather published via a familiar Op Editor. On a + note, another Gannett paper in Fl has published Heather, The Palm Beach Post, home to you-know-who.
Maybe time to take in Civil War, and see how the population divvies up as the two sides take each other on... fiction, can't say "close", but interesting.
This would be like Medium for Substack. But I think Substack offers more money to authors. But I won't! It is up to the author how much they charge to subscribe.
Medium doesn't have LaTex math, so anything I care about regarding physics or math will be posted on my new substack account.
Could Jack Smith leek and release the evidence? Sure he can. He might have to flee the country but he would do the nation and posterity a favor. A huge favor.
Yes Darlene, you have assessed the situation precisely! I agree with everything you say here. Democrats are wimpy, don't fight back, hell they don't even tell the country all the good stuff Biden has done these last four years. I was so excited for Harris to win, and so distraught when the felon / rapist and his pet muskrat stole it from us. And of course the dems have their typical circular firing squad going on... Stay strong and we will continue to hold the best possible vision of our future that we can, and work for it, cause we have to.
I agree that the Democrats are wimpy. I have voted for Democrats my whole long adult life but I have finally reached the end of my rope. The circular firing squad finally did me in. I’m not really convinced that the election was legitimate, but I have seen no evidence that anyone is looking into that. Anyway, the point here is to say that I have disaffiliated from the Democratic Party.
I questioned the legitimacy, too, and was hoping "someone" was looking into that behind the scenes. I described it a being stolen from us and another commenter said the Dems just didn't show up. How do we know that? I had thought that Harris would win for sure and we would have to fight all the challenges and prevent it from being stolen. As amazing as she is and was during the campaign, I do believe being a woman of color worked against us more than we might have anticipated.
You don't need to read them all. Find sources you trust and support them. Stop thinking the M$M is going to self correct. They are corporations with shareholders, their only job is to to pay them dividends. Reporting takes a back seat, always.
I haven't read corporate media for a year or so. I am still searching for sources that I can learn from. I have a few, but still looking for more. Thanks.
You're a classic example of the "shards of glass" thesis Axios is pushing right now. I do read some msm, even pay a little, and take in the various "national news" and commentary shows, i find considerable consistency is what's considered factual, opinion is biased but always interesting.
I still have a sub with WaPo because I renewed for a year back in Jun. I notice the further away they get from Bezos' BooBoo the more they are getting a bit more agressive with the news. The OpEd page is still a decent mix of two viewpoints.
I like The Guardian and The Independent for papers also.
There's no need for FOMO even if you can't pay for anything other than LFAA. Use her reference links to dig deeper. Some may require payment, some will have no restrictions and some will just want to you sign up for a free account so they can bug you with email (That you can unsubscribe from.)
It's fruitless to try and block out everything MAGA/Trump. Don't throw away the good news for something you don't agree with.
Just because you don't read MSM Hannah doesn't mean the people you do read don't follow it. Be sure all of them do. My best advice is to sign up with Bluesky and follow their breaking and regular news threads.
Sadly, Substack's structure is "winner take all" where a few make millions while most Substack writers are not adequately compensated at even a minimum wage. In general, 5% or 10% of readers pay. That works well if you have a million readers, but a writer needs at least 10,000 readers to get 500 or max 1,000 paying subscribers. To create a new publishing industry, we have to support less prominent writers.
Let's consider that a main point in this thread is fragmented media. Do we need more Substack writers? We all have many writers we already like and who provide truth. We want to be heard by those who might be able to do something about our mess. Reading all these comments has been enlightening, although time consuming. I am coming away from this thinking I just want the journalists, historians, activists, writers to spend more time reading our responses and doing something with the aggregate feedback.
Unfortunately elections are being played out on Facebook IG and FNC. I wish we could take HCR info and put it in the short burst of info like these medias use.
I really appreciate your point about shattered media and the many disparate voices on Substack that we have to pay individually for - while they don’t lift their voices in unison to bring us together and as you said do something or guide us do something. We need unity and an action plan more than ever. Thank you for your essay here tonight - it is right on point for these tough and trying times.
I also pick and choose which Substacks to paid subscribe to, and donate to the Guardian and some independent publications like ProPublica. I also subscribe to "free" publications that I do not donate to like the AP, and Carnegie Foundation for Peace, and Counterterrorism News, and a few on nuclear, as well as European publications, my local city paper in the US, and my neighborhood news in the US. So, in addition to specific Substack writers, and donating to the Guardian, I am also subscribing to many things for which I do not pay. I also buy books and read them, because these are some of the things that give me pleasure in life. I feel that I get my monies worth.
Darlene. I, too subscribe to several of the media people you mentioned. And I took the time this morning to read what you wrote. Yes, I am frustrated, too. I, too, feel helpless. I don't think I need to "understand" the lunacy. I got that. What I want is an action plan. As Michelle Obama said, "DO something." Joyce Vance is putting together a plan. Let's see what she come up with. We have a group of strong woman here that are going to come up with a local plan. I attended a meeting the other day with NM State legislators and they do have plans. I want to hitch my star to some firm plans of action. That's what I am going to spend my time on. At 82 I have limited time. And having been in education all my waking life, I understand 'brainwashing'. With all that said, I want to spend my time going forward. As our small group comes up with some action plans, I will share what we are doing.
Penny, we all need to take whatever small individual actions we can. Personally, I am going to arm myself with information and have talking points at the ready to push back on MAGA propaganda when I hear it. Also keep getting on the streets and protesting. I'm under no pretense that any of my pitiful little actions will make a difference, but I can't stop trying. We have been in this struggle for a long time. I'm resigned to the thought that it will most likely continue for the rest of my remaining time on earth, and beyond. Stay balanced. As one writer recently put it, "moderate your outrage". Put one foot in front of the other and keep on keeping on. My feeling is that the pendulum is nearing the end of its rightward arc and soon start moving back towards the left ("soon" being a very relative term). That's my action plan.
There is plenty to do and plenty of groups and people providing guidance and the opportunity to take action. Indivisible. Red Wine and Blue. Your local Democratic party. Number one step: subscribe to Jessica Craven’s FREE Substack and pay the money to subscribe to Simon Rosenberg. Worth every penny. Hop on board and get to work. Jessica Craven provides a daily to-do list and links to opportunities to get involved with all kinds of groups and actions. It’s all out there and we all need to pitch in.
Bravo!We are all feeling the pain of living in 2 to 4 year increments and time is running out for many of us seniors.I agree with you that now is the time to stop the peaceful transition of power.As I stated yesterday in simplistic terms-Will Joe and Jill just inanely hand out the keys to the White House and our government to a man and group who are clearly out to destroy our Constitution, rule of law and everything we hold dear.Are they on January 20 going to say”Best wishes” and walk off into the sunset?I am beyond appreciative for these Substack writers,Heather being one of my favorites, but I cannot$ afford$ to be a paying subscriber to all of them.We The People are being destroyed by a cult and have not enough time or money to stop them.
If ever there existed a time in this nation that resistance to a transfer of power to a dangerous dumbass and fascist administration, it is now. Those of us here in our 50’s, 60”s and 70’s have been robbed of wealth, security and affordable healthcare. I was 21 when Reagan was elected, opportunity after opportunity dried up before my eyes. The rise of right wing hate, the corporate raiders that tore apart good, solid businesses stole pensions and sold off the rest for scrap. My father was an engineer for US Steel. Everyone blamed the unions for its failure, but USS didn’t shut down any of its mills long enough for necessary maintenance, repairs or safety. Improvement designs were buried and mills fell into such disrepair they became obsolete. Corporate greed. 40+ years of this crap.
The lies and manipulation has only grown 100 fold. Why can’t we get these monkeys off our backs? The middle class has been hollowed out. The fact that Trump fooled people, again, into electing him POTUS only goes to show what gullible fools we’ve become. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Darlene, you have written a version of what many of us here have probably written and cancelled many times! Part of me thinks we can merge resources ($) and out-fox FNC and dominate the media…but I know that is not how a functional democracy works either. We need leadership from the grassroots level to Washington, D.C. to figure this out!
Substack is helping, especially those writers that do not put up a paywall.
We must be the light! I’m hoping groups like Indivisible will grow and help us shine that light from the local level around our suffering world. I like the idea of a second Age of Enlightenment…
I’d like to see the dem party leadership do a better job of communicating or at least facilitating communication. It feels to me like the repubs have a megaphone and we are whispering into the wind.
The money needed to be elected in our democracy is controlled by a small minority of people who are not necessarily citizens of the Republic. I thank my lucky stars for LFAA. I cannot afford to not support LFAA.
Darlene, I totally feel your frustration. But here are my thoughts.
First, how many comments and comment locations does a person need? Just a suggestion. Pick 2 substacks and pay $100 a year. Make yourself known there. Chances are many of the same people reading LFAA and Today's Edition and Civil Discourse and Robert Reich, etc, - we are all the same crew. You will be heard. More please.
Second, what to do about the apparent hopelessness of a fascist about to take office? My campaign is about ECONOMIC JUSTICE. A majority of people are hurting financially and the fascists are threatening to make it worse. Except for themselves. Join me in making noise about the oligarchs owning the country, running the country, betraying our country.
Money = Power = Domination = Intimidation = Power = Money
We need an economic revolution that rearranges the money so nobody goes hungry, homeless or hopeless. So nobody is denied healthcare - EVER. So every kid gets a good education right through to employment.
Earth to "conservatives": Healthy, well educated people have good jobs and they PAY TAXES - unlike the oligarchs.
The answer to this whole mess is to appeal to people's most basic needs that are not being met. People need more money. And there is $50 TRILLION that went to just a few people over the last 40 years of "Trickle Down" economics bulwarked by "Neoliberalism".
Time for a clawback. Social justice can't exist without ECONOMIC justice.
I expect the real problem is not the plethora of folks posting blogs and charging for them - the best ones require a level of knowledge and experience that justifies their rather meagre yearly charge. The problem is that the people who most need to read and to understand what folks like these are saying just don’t. Preaching to the choir is not going to resolve the situation we’re in.
One of my favorite old adages is. “If you think knowledge is expensive, you ought to try ignorance”. We do need to understand what’s going, but the solution does not lie with us. It lies in the ignorance and denial at the dark heart of MAGAland. Only when Trump’s supporters realize the danger he poses to them is anything really going to change. Fortunately his own hubris and his belief that he’s now invincible are the most likely things working against him.
Don't expect the media to self-correct. They are corporations with shareholders and their primary function is to pay them dividends, reporting comes a distant second.
You don't have to read every Substack nor do you need to. HCR, as wall as the independent journalists do access all the news that matters and filter it down. Find the accounts you like and can afford.
More is not better. Good journalism requires quality, not quantity.
The model you suggest will not work. You might not get want you want but you can certainly get what you need. These people left good paying jobs because they want to report the truth. Pick one, or none as HCR will tell you what you need to know.
Fear serves no one well, courage always does. Trump is counting on your fear, don't give it to him. Stand up, don't give up the fight to quote the song.
If you are a subscriber you have already paid and can comment. I joined Joyce Vance at the $6/month rather than yearly rate, commented, then cancelled. Other Substacks note that you have to subscribe to comment.
I agree. I would like to subscribe to more, but at 76 years old, I’m not going to go to work so I can read the news. I often feel bad when I want to read something but can’t because I need to pay a fee to do so. Consolidating seems to make sense but then the individual writers would not earn as much money, I suppose. Isn’t it a shame that everything in our lives comes down to how much money one has?
The important thing NOW is that our collective voices are heard and action is taken. For example, as much as I like Joyce Vance's writing, and she has broadened her scope from the original trial reporting to more general reporting on democracy, there is a standard plea for money on every post. It gets old. I am advocating for the people with power and pull to make viewership and commenting available and subscriptions optional, especially if they are already raking it in. As one commenter said some are already making a ton of money. I advocate for those with power and pull to think more of the collective good at this important time than their own pocketbooks.
Albert I’m mistaken but I believe anyone can read for free but if you want to post, you need to suscribe and pay in some instances. Not all. Example Dan Rather is optional. I’m optional, lol.
Thanks for that thoughtful, though painful essay, Darlene. I only subscribe to Heather, for much the same reason. What to say about half million, i can't say. For less than $5/month, this is pretty cheap fare individually. What Heather does with the half mil, i can't say either. She may have put a good chunk into Dem and related social causes. She certainly puts time and effort into her work. What converts from "merely talking" to "actually doing" is moot, but I suspect Heather's newsletter is a stimulus, one way or another. As for all the other, usually more expensive paywall options, I've often wondered if a consolidated group rate might not be more effective for all concerned. But the press, like most of the rest of America, worships competitive private enterprise. On the side, i suspect far more of Heather's subscribers are non-paying. Anyway, try to take care of yourself psychologically. Some here i think could use a bit of a vacation, Trump et al are now on a sustained warpath footing, and it's not about to stop. Take good care of yourself.
Thank you for writing about Trump‘s insistence that his reality is the real reality. I do not know if any mainstream news organization is up to the challenge of helping the American people understand what they’re up against. Meet The Press certainly isn’t!
But there is an online news show that is… Five Minute News hosted by Anthony Davis. Over the weekend, he spent an hour and a half interviewing an expert in cult psychology who detailed how Trump has managed to Brainwash (though he also used the word hypnotize) millions of Americans. It was a very sophisticated conversation and I recommended to all who want to better understand the psychological warfare we are up against. Here’s the link…
I wonder the same, “is any mainstream news organization up to the challenge?” Why didn’t Welker politely end the interview with Trump after calling him out on his lie(s)? It was the perfect opportunity.
They act very afraid of him. They have a right to be. They have to deal with an insane madman sitting across from them who lies extremely well and has millions who voted for him. In addition, he has the power to cause harm to them and their family and says he will hurt the Press.
Maybe she felt intimated by Trump. When you have a president-elect threatening to after officials who serve this country by telling the truth about Trump who is a pathological liar, she probably felt scared or it was better just to listen to him keep on rambling on with lies.
I will watch the YouTube by Anthony Davis that you recommend. I agree using hypnotize is the better word. Along with selective hearing, and turning a blind eye. It’s exasperating to understand. Thanks for this recommendation. It’s important to share the places and people we are reading, watching, and listening to and sharing this information.
I am not sure what the right word is for the human flaw that can turn the bulk of whole societies sociopathic. History shows how bad it can be. We need to teach so much more caution around hubris. It can kill us all.
John Gorenfeld’s 2008 nonfiction book Bad Moon Rising: The Strange Untold Story of a Cult Leader, his Newspaper and the Right, with a new preface is now available in convenient PDF form. It’s about the embarassing and unlikely ongoing romance between conservative politicians and the Unification Church, the forgotten 1970s “Moonies” mass wedding cult.
''That right-wing echo chamber has expanded until it is now so strong that nearly 70% of Republicans falsely believe Trump was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election, despite the fact that the FNC had to pay more than $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems for defamation after it lied to viewers about that election.''
Our arrow is the truth. shot over and over again. Don't let up, never give up or give in!
On that N.B.C. interview: as usual, Trump was coherent for twenty minutes and then went off the rails. Trump's secret sauce is not how he makes his followers think but how they feel.
I am sorry to have to tell you that Trump’s reality is indeed reality. He is president of the United States AGAIN.
If anyone was hypnotized, it was the left-wing public, hypnotized by the hate of Trump and the 83 million votes that Biden received a semi cadaver 13 million more votes than Obama the God. There’s your cult.
Cheney called for the release of the evidence and grand jury material special counsel Jack Smith assembled “so all Americans can see Donald Trump for who he genuinely is and fully understand his role in this terrible period in our nation’s history.”
If Trump's supporters haven't seen Donald Trump for who he "genuinely is" by now, they never will. How ludicrous for him to want to pardon criminals, and then want to jail members of a committee for trying to show the American people what REALLY happened on Jan. 6? Most of his people refused to watch the hearings, and if they did, they didn't believe what was said or shown. So,No, his ardent supporters will never see him as he truly is.
I've tried enlightening Trump voters on what they really voted for. They don't listen to my warnings. They say it was God's will that he won. Why would God want to do punish us like that? That makes one wonder.🤔😳
Trump voters are jaded with ignorance and stupidity. Their lazy not to do the research on
Project 2025 and take the time to read. It's unfortunate for us because we will suffer the consequences for their actions in voting for a convicted felon and rapist who is dangerous and a threat to this country.
Yes , I think that was great what Cheney suggested about releasing all of the evidence from Jack Smith about what Trump did. However, it doesn't matter. Look what happened at the election. People didn't give a damn about Trump being a rapist or a convicted felon they still voted for him anyway. Why? Because they were manipulated by his BS lies about inflation and lowering the cost of food etc.
Trump would prove he is a fool by going after the Jan 6 committee and Jack Smith. If he "persuades" DOJ to go after Smith, Smith can release ALL of the evidence. Since those cases are unlikely to come to trail during Trump's lifetime no ones' rights would be violated as the cases will have become moot. A point can come where the gap between all of the big lies and reality is too difficult for people to discount, but that would require all of the facts to become available. Nixon survived only until the smoking gun contained on the tapes of his conversations became available. This would be Smith's chance to release those facts. Trump might the survive the initial release of information because Fox News would give him cover. But when Rupert dies, the kids take over. They can pull the wizard's curtain back and reveal the ugly facts -- starting with a clear explanation of the outcome of the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit and how that underlies the false reality they have reported for years.
On the tariffs … I’ve been reading that dozens of large companies in the U.S. are already raising prices in anticipation of the tariffs. The worst of all possible worlds: these bastards can collect outsize profits in the weeks/months before the tariffs actually hit.
There is little comment anywhere about how many companies that were nation leaders (lot alone the small fry) have been sucked into the super massive black holes of ownership that many US conglomerates have become. I was taught in school that competition for customers regulates pricing, but that's assuming competition is robust. Bargains abounded on the internet in the early days of e-commerce; now not so much. In fact it many cases, online prices exceed that of brick and mortar stores. When the big money moves in and controls the market, competition is weak if there is any at all. Didn't we learn that one before?
You can still vote with your money. Don't go to Walmart-the Walton family is worth something like 380 billion dollars, they have enough of your money. Don't buy clothes made in China. You probably have enough clothes in your closet to last the rest of your life anyway, don't you? Don't buy "stuff" at Dollar General. Go back to my grandma's depression era mantra, "Wear it out, use it up, do without." Anything made out of plastics or polyester is just pollution and toxic waste waiting to happen. Buy clothing made out of all cotton( no 4% spandex!), linen, wool, silk and leather. Buy housewares made out of leather, wood, ceramic or metal. Buy local, from local makers and artists. Fewer things, but better things. Part of why you want to replace everything in your life all the time is that the things have no real value or meaning. If you know the person who made the cup you are drinking your coffee out of, the entire act of drinking some coffee is an act of connection, not consumption.
Great advice, thank you. I do grow my own veggies but the weather here in California has been in a drought. We haven't had any rain at all comparing to last year. I don't need any clothes and if I am looking to buy something I go to second hand stores or yardsales. You would be surprised of what you would find.
The super massive black holes of ownership is the lottery small companies play in. Selling out to the black holes is the big prize rather than selling the enterprises to employees.
Good comment J L, but I still see the marketplace as a buyer-beware arena where "shop around" and diligence pays off. And, along with that, is being careful how one pays for something 'on-line' so that if a person elects to cancel a purchase, that it can be cancelled for a legitimate reason. And that reason could simply be a deceptively worded ad. I know for a fact that my Chase card and Discover card have rescued me from transactions I expressed to them as being fraudulent in nature.
I shop for lowest price obsessively, and it pays off. My impression is that kind of search was more widely practiced by adults in my youth than it is today. That said, my personal impression is that good valve for the money becoming much harder to find, especially in the last decade. Many of the places I used to favor because they offered good deals have often been have been squeezed out or bought up and corporatized and/or gentrified.
Agree JL, but had to toss that in there. As you know/can recall, several times over the past 4 yrs, the MAGAtts yelled out how Biden was going to create Panic/Recession/Mkt Crash,,etc but to their dismay..hohoho it didn't happen..until the price of bacon & eggs was bloviated by Faux Noose. So..., I am very-wary that "IF" the doom&gloom floated by the (D)emocrats is Trumped (some way) by Trump.., that the (D)ems will buy into it..., maybe even buy a MAGA hat. So, I'm gonna fold for this round and hold what I got, soda-speak.
Just like they did while Biden sorted out supply chains and backed up ships in West Coast ports at the start of his administration. While he tried to work through the problem he inherited, the corporations took the opportunity to take outsize profits, and Americans screamed they were better off under tfg.
Rinse and repeat! And all those long-flowing locke's of blonde-hair, the big titted 'surgeon-general', airey-legal Aleena Habeena's, tushy-Tulsee's, and Senators who know better than to oppose his choices. Hoooboy!! Jusss give that boy "credit"....? Huh? Credit? Yeah.., he'll pay us back alright.
Whew!!! All I can see is that the trove we were left with no-choice but to feed from, had been so tossed and mixed up with bull----- that we couldn't tell what was in it. But, that was the only "trove" we had to feed from. Pretty simply, we were screwed from the git go. Now, whether or not we have been screwed into oblivion remains to be seen. I'm trying to watch what I eat, but all that 'added sugar' is probably going to be our undoing.
Geeezussss..., that explains it. It's such an easy Sell. And for the 26% that didn't bother to vote, it'll take about four years for the crap to really hit the fan. Then, who ya gonna call - Ghost-busters? Sorry, that liberal-agency phone has been dis-connected. Bbboink.
Don't on't worry Mike, they'll be some "women" enabling the illegitimate(s). Probably not trans types though. After all, they voted for them, right? They paid the price. They want that photo-op with 'the Pres' along with the $350 per plate dinner at Mah-Rah-Lahgo. Kaachinggggg!
It's a shame how Trump voters are ignorant about tariffs and how it will affect them as well. The majority of them complained about inflation and the cost of food.
Just wait when the rug is pulled from them and the tariffs kick in. Their be lucky enough to survive on milk and eggs.
In 2004 a senior advisor to President George W. Bush famously told journalist Ron Suskind that people like Suskind lived in “the reality-based community,” believing that people could find solutions to problems based on their real-world observations. But such a worldview was obsolete, the aide said. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore.… We are an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality…. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”
There's a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual code for that.
When my wife was in grad school, the DSMIIIR was released. Some of her cohort wrote a parody of some of those. One of them included the "JPN" diagnosis: Just Plain Nuts. Another was APD: A$$hole Personality Disorder, NOS*. I wish I could remember the rest; some of them were pretty funny.
And here is to the Nevada probate judge! It would be a reach indeed for the conservative activists in the Supreme Court to grant review of a state probate determination. Let’s hope the State appeal project denies Rupert relief on appeal.
It took Russian military involvement to attack and kill Syrian civilians with chemical weapons.
In the United States, with Russian election interference, Putin helped bring Donnie Trump to power, along with RFK JR, convincing tens of thousands to refuse lifesaving vaccines. Once vanquished childhood diseases will end up killing just as many American kids as people In Syria by chemical weapons and carpet bombing.
Mr Putin can’t win real wars, but he sure is winning the psychological ones. The new art of war, get your enemy to fight themselves. Weaken them from within. Turn their strengths into weaknesses. Get them to degrade their own education system to lessen their technological advantage. Convince their leaders to promote anti vaccineism to neutralize their population advantage.
On and on, Putin’s the world champion of disinformation.
Russia doesn’t need to attack the US with nukes or chemical weapons. They have RFK JR to poison the population from within. He will withhold funding for childhood vaccinations, deaths and blindness from measles, mumps= deaths and deafness resurgence.
He will withhold funding and enforcement by the FDA… E. coli, salmonella, listeria, etc.
No Fluoride in the water will destroy the teeth in the lower and middle class, adding to working families cost during the larger health care crisis…
collectively RFK JR ‘s policies could cost the country more than the last pandemic, albeit a slower burn, then an avalanche of outbreaks.
No you are not, along with many others, but the society that we are part of somehow, when all the pieces came together, made that choice. That's a collective "we" we are part of (are stuck with) even if we did our best to prevent the outcome.
As we head into the dark days of Winter, I see a growing light in events in Syria, South Korea, and the former SSR of Georgia. Has the political pendulum started to swing back? At home there are many online reports of MAGA buyer’s remorse, before TFG is even sworn in. I see that wave only increasing after the MAGA team of clowns and incompetents struggles to take control after Jan. 20. Also, there are indications of an emerging Democratic backbone of resistance in Congress, various statehouses, and cities. This is not 2016.
We only have to stall Project 2025 until the 2026 mid-term elections. If we can’t take it back then, it really is all lost.
I may be whistling past the graveyard here, but I do see a light.
I’m not an actual president; I just play one on TV.
I didn’t win the popular vote, I simply stole the job with some help from my friends on the internet.
As such, I don’t need to bother with formal presidential protocol; I’ve not studied world history, nor have I served in our military. I don’t have any acceptable ethics, nor do I worry about how my actions affect your future.
At my age and physical condition, I don’t worry much about the future. I don’t need to read government briefs, because everything I need to know is on endless cable TV news. I like free everything. I get free food, board and security with first class travel to my frequent golf outings or re-election rallies.
My Cabinet, staff and appointees are all very handsome and loyal “yes men” agreeing with everything I say — or I’ll fire them, embroiling them in public humiliation. I am always right, so I never need to apologize, and I lie so prolifically, the media can’t fact-check me fast enough. Nothing sticks to me, I deny everything, and at the same time take credit for achievements that were not mine. I can womanize, and by contract, still hold my wife’s hand publicly.
Since my attention span is very short, and I am so very smart, I can complete every task, solve every world problem, in one-hour TV episodes.
Spending other people’s money is no problem; I’ve done it all my life. Now that I’m POTUS I can even print new money to supplement the tax revenue you send me.
I don’t pay my employees, never have; but expect good work from them. I don’t pay taxes, either — I’m not that stupid. Bankruptcy is my friend, as are my base of believers.
I make big commissions on every foot of wall I sell, and I’m selling a lot of wall these days, paid for by people I used to call Mexicans. (I won’t pay those contractors, either.)
Being the TV POTUS is great. I can say and do whatever I want. And “pardon me, I’m not a crook.”
Yes , you described Trump very well. But in reality it's horrific and a travesty when you think about this felon and rapist that was able to mimnipute the judicial system and mimnipute voters so he can destroy this country and take down the people with it.
I am curious if others are bothered by the clear example that played out that the US has one criminal justice system for the very wealthy, and a different one for everyone else. In my book, all murders are equally bad, and all murderers should be brought to justice. However, if you happen to be the CEO of a giant healthcare corporation, the resources to solve that murder seem infinite---not so for the rest of us. There are roughly 20,000 murders in the US each year, and roughly 40% go unsolved. Lincoln's analysis of the "proposition" that "ALL" men are created equal is not reflected in the US criminal justice system. It seems to be more true to Jefferson's view, that those who were created equal were white, land-owning males of western-European lineage. My apologies to all for being in such a cynical mood this morning.
If you read comments on this news item, on Yahoo, there are many, many, many comments expressing the same thought. I don't condone murder AT ALL, but I think the reaction of people first to the actual murder, and then to the treatment this case was given, should be a wake up call to the wealthy and powerful.
Thomas, I am a retired cop, and dealt with and within the criminal justice system for 35 years as a corrections officer (18 months), court transport officer (6 months, plus academy), a patrol deputy (26 years), and part time courthouse security (7 years). Some short snippets that reflect my position only: The most important job in the CJS is as a death penalty defense attorney for indigent defendants. Period. The next most important is for the Public Defenders, who are grossly underpaid and over assigned. The next is for good, honest, aggressive Prosecutors in the DA's office. Another must that is assumed but not always accurate are honest and knowledgeable judges. With any one of this links missing (and there are some judges who may be great in civil law or administrative law who have difficulty adjudicating criminal cases and vice versa).
Keep in mind, my observations are at the lowest rung of the CJS ladder. Your view that there is a bifurcated system based on wealth is 100% accurate.
She cites the people of Syria largely rising up with their fellow rebels, and getting rid of the long tyrannizing, multiply murdering Assad family. Hundreds of thousands of his, Assad's, own people for many years were tortured, imprisoned, kept in poverty -- while his thieving, drug-running regime kept themselves, his family, in riches, luxurious foods, furnishings for their many mansions.
Aided, we all know, by the world's worst dictator, Putin and his thug military.
All the other parts of Heather's today just remind us of what we frightfully know -- how much the orange felon blatantly lies.
Nothing easily answers the Q as to how the tens of millions so buy into his lies, his affronts to human decency.
The people of Syria, divided among themselves as the convicted criminal Trump ever aims to keep Americans divided, finally rid themselves of their predicament -- and no one saw it coming.
Maybe there's no easy answer, but Americans might rise up for the teachers and the schools, and the human decencies of the truths in literacy, human truths? As the rebels in Syria rose up for the people despite all the divisiveness which scoundrel dictators and oligarchs sowed there?
I’m reminded of some research that I read about years ago, linking one’s priorities in parenting to political persuasions. For example, “Those [parents] who favor traditional characteristics like respect for elders, obedience, and good manners flock to [authoritarian rulers]. Those who favor independence, self-reliance, and curiosity are repelled by them”.
I bet that most of us who read HCR would say that we want our children to think for themselves and ask questions, despite the disorder in the world that such curiosity reveals.
On the other hand, obedience to a strongman’s words (lies) establishes apparent order in a chaotic, unsettling world— very appealing to t***p’s devotees.
Statistics. 63% don’t have a college degree. 44% have never left their county. 50% have never left their state. If our CIA wanted to destabilize a country… think what they could accomplish? Thats what Russia is doing, has done.
Trump doesn't have a degree. Half of his cabinet that he pick don't have degrees. Thier alcoholics and petifiles and rapists. They don't know anything about foreign policy which is dangerous. None of them are educated.
“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power. He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building, and halted the official counting of electoral votes. Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave. This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history.”
Poor little Keats! He was a marvellous letter-writer. He was very short, in a roomful of people you wouldn't see his head. He wrote to a friend, "Lady xxxxx told me I was quite the little poet. Nobody ever told Napoleon that he was quite the little general."
Did anyone hear the throwaway line of one of the NPR reporters last week concerning the demento RFK, Jr? That he has "stated" that HIV doesn't cause AIDS? And that simply fell into the ether without any comment whatsoever? And that therefore the massive campaign the USA is sponsoring in Africa to combat HIV is probably going to be canceled? I hope that scares you the way it scares me--because this is not a vaccine-causes-autism issue. This is a genocide issue. The anti-vaxxers will discover that a world with polio, smallpox, diphtheria, measles, rubella, chicken pox, etc. in it is a world they don't like, especially if their children are affected (those who will continue to vaccinate their children will not be affected to any great degree but those who are swayed by these idiots' arguments will suffer). But if HIV is allowed to run rampant in the world and is not treated as a universal health crisis, the decimation of people in Africa in particular will be extreme. Any denial of the dangers of HIV is a call to genocide. This mo**erf**ker wants people to die.
Addressing the issue of reading Substack and paying fees. The ones I read are free. I am not sure every single site is free to read. Bluesky is free and carries Dr. Richardson, Joyce Vance and many other significant Substack writers and a ton of really excellent others.
The larger issue is our investment in the truth telling voices of America. We all have to support the voices we need to hear and that are telling the truth. We must support alternative media. Dr. Richardson has become a national voice in this Country. I consider the $5 a month to be a real bargain to read her thoughts. She is the only Substack writer I pay to comment on. I have my own Substack site if I want to say what is on my mind to a larger space.
We are all living with some level of fear at this time. It is super easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. I haven't slept well since November 6. 2024. This can translate into all kinds of stressors. Keep the writers who give you comfort close to you.
Yes! I'm a paid subscriber to several Substacks in addition to this one. I read several more. Whether I pay or not has a lot to do with whether I have something to contribute to the discussion and on how vibrant the discussion is. I dearly wish that the so-called news media, legacy and otherwise, were doing a better job, so I could cover all the bases I'm interested in with two or three subscriptions instead of a dozen, but this is where we are at the moment. Substack and other independent media are giving "we the people" half a chance to keep our democracy alive.
HEATHER, PLEASE READ THIS.
In your Dec. 7 letter about Obama's speech, you highlighted his statement, a "media landscape that would shatter into a million disparate voices." You noted "Media companies have played to extremes." Many have written how mainstream media is not covering each "side" fairly. With corporations' consolidated ownership of visual media and hedge funds buying and destroying newspapers, the American people have not been getting a straight or balanced story for decades. This didn't just start with Bezos and Wall Street Journal deciding not to endorse Harris. Nate Cohn of NYTimes was predicting all along that Trump would win and in parallel would "support" that prediction with a photo of Biden with glassy eyes and droopy mouth alongside a smug smiling Trump. The owners want the Republican ideology to win.
So, back to the shattered media. Many of us are reading you, Joyce Vance, Marc Elias, Politico, Aaron Rupar, Robert Reich, Timothy Snyder... the list goes on and on and on. I joined your letters early on because you were one of the first to put what was happening into perspective. I am a small business person who believes in paying for things that deliver value and the $50/year I paid to you, I felt was worth it. I have commented on occasion. I wanted to comment one night on Joyce Vance and that is when I learned that one must pay to comment. I paid $6 to do it, then cancelled my subscription. We cannot afford to pay individually for each Substack subscription and each of the shattered media.
I feel helpless. I suspect I could have said "we feel helpless." We need those of you with some power to work together and DO SOMETHING, not just write about all the problems and ideas how to solve them. HELP! SOLVE THEM. Marc Elias wants $120/year. Timothy Snyder wants us to read “Handmaid’s Tale;” I will pass and trust that we already know enough about it from you valued journalists. I understand you are now making over $500,000 per year on your letters. I'm sure Obama is much richer now having been president. You have a lot of older readership, but many of us still work. Those of us "working class" cannot afford to go to Washington to march. We elect leaders so they can be our voices and advocates. Look how that has turned out. Money is running everything.
Another good example, right after the Citizens United decision, David Cobb formed Move to Amend to work towards fixing that wrong. Then Bernie Sanders got his own idea of how to do it. There was a third prominent player that I don't recall, maybe Indivisible. But none of them worked together. Do these leaders, do our leaders need the power and control to be "the boss" and to the point where nothing is accomplished?
How is it that we are ready to turn our government over to an administration led by a felon that openly admits all the ways they want to break our democracy and our country – install an authoritarian, be guided by billionaires, rob and pillage our Treasury, give more tax cuts to the rich, take away the rights of the marginalized. They have been waiting decades to cut social security, Medicare, Medicaid – that we ARE entitled to – that we have paid into all our lives – a long-term, separately funded program. When will the Democrats decide enough is enough? If there was ever a time to not have a peaceful transfer of power, this is it. I advocate for NOT allowing the transition of government to an administration that is UNQUALIFIED to run it. The majority of the people that elected Trump were brainwashed and lied to by fragmented, disparate "media," and marketing. They did not intend to elect what Trump stands for. They did not intend to elect Project 2025. The election was stolen from us. Those in red states who have been helped by the Biden administration do not understand because their politicians are lying to them as well.
I agree with those that think Harris should not have shifted to the middle, and that "Obama's 'centrist liberalism' [is] inadequate to address the real problems of inequality." Everything that progressives advocate for will help the ignorant right, if the message could get through to them.
The two basic things that need to be solved that will benefit all sides of America are truth in media and closing the wealth gap. If people have more security, it will be much easier for them to talk to each other to solve secondary problems and special interests.
It feels like our lives are being wished away in two- and four-year buckets. Everything depends on the next election. Many of the "writers" note that "wrongs" eventually get "righted." We don't have time to wait twenty years for social security to be re-established after it is taken away from us because we will be prematurely dead by then. We will never get back the decades of lost wealth and security that could allow us a more comfortable life and more meaningful retirement – or a retirement at all. Many of us have already been waiting forty+ years for the changes enacted during the Reagan years to be rectified, and Biden is the first to make any progress, despite what might have looked promising about an Obama presidency. Thankfully we got the ACA from Obama.
There, I just took an hour and a half off work to write this, without pay. And I waited up, Eastern time, to be one of the first to comment so that I might be read. As Joyce says, we may all be in this together, but it doesn't feel that way when it is so hard and costly in time or money to be heard. I guess I could add that I feel bitter, too.
I feel your pain too Darlene, I can only afford to subscribe to HCR. I read the other Substacks I enjoy for free, but know I have to pay to comment. I feel that this is a much better system than paywalls that most of the legacy media have in place - apart from the Guardian - bless them. I'm not sure that it's Heather's job though to 'fix the problem'. She is doing her bit and we all need to do ours, in whatever way. Maybe you could start your own Substack? You write knowledgeably and well. That may be the platform you need to have a voice, feel heard, and reach others who need to hear your message. All the best, you are in good company here.
Heather had an interview with Biden. I’m sure she has pull with other important people. If all the journalists would get together with Democratic leaders, reps, senators, maybe solutions could be found. How not to have the Republicans in Congress cave. Marc Elias is focusing on opposition rather than resistance.
Can’t yet spend time writing along with all the reading and working full time. May someday.
Hey nice expression and thank you. As a writer with a blog here, I allow anyone to post and I reduced my monthly and yearly rates. But I have a day job ( self employed like you) so I don’t depend on my meager few paying readers although I’m humbled by their generosity. Heather does serious research and she might even have staff. I don’t begrudge her the request to pay for posting. Hang in there.
I don't begrudge her at all. I just wish there were an umbrella plan that allowed readers to subscribe to some greater number of newsletters from various authors.
Just what I was thinking. I read Marc Elias and read Robert Hubbell’s letter just before this one today. I simply can’t afford to pay for every one I read, whom I depend on, and I’m grateful they have a free version (although Democracy Docket takes one only so far and the rest is for paying subscribers.) I realize writers have to make a living but I just can’t afford all of them. And yet, they seem to be the Dems’ only voice …
There is a Substack Inc. way to make free subscription gifts.
If anybody has the set-up, lease post.🙏
I read Joyce Vance and Robert Hubbell for free and just don’t comment. I pay for Heather, Jessica Craven and Timothy Snyder, but although I love Marc Elias and believe in his righteous cause, $120 per year is what I paid for the Washington Post, which I cancelled in protest in November. It irritates me that I can only read 1/2 of his newsletter without paying. BTW, Margaret Sullivan’s American Crisis substack is offering free comments for all who subscribe, even for free versions. I love her, but she only posts once a week, and I’m on a partial news blackout, so I need more frequent posts! I can’t support them all, even if I wanted to. I agree that a combo subscription would be super helpful.
It would be lovely to have an umbrella plan and I'm sure I'd sign up for it. I do find that, however much interest I have in reading Heather (and the rest of the voices that speak truth) and could spend endless hours doing so, I am only willing to spend just so much time each day on it. I still need my small pleasures for survival and I try to focus some energy on those as well. I totally agree we need not stand for what's coming 01/20/25, that it should never have gotten this far, but I lack the knowledge of what avenues are open to us to right our ship BEFORE it goes under. THAT is the voice I most want to hear - the one with a legal, non-violent plan.
And P.S. I do feel it's unfair to ask Heather to do anything more. She has traveled the country to educate and inform and writes well into the night to make sure she keeps us in the"truth loop." Without her gargantuan efforts far, far fewer people would be educated as to the reality of our situation. I fully respect and honor her efforts.
Greg Olear - no paywall - offers solutions...
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/dark-brandon-godfather-moves?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=g2ipj&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Ooooh, like that idea, Laurie, a sort of SubStack “cheaper by the dozen”! I don’t begrudge folks being compensated for their hard work creating content & all the research involved. Being retired & on a fixed income, there is no way I could afford all those I would like to support & that goes for orgs/causes I believe in as well.
*Or, like a "Substack Newspaper" *
lauriemcf, great idea. I read as many as I can, but do not subscribe except to Heather.
I noted I’ve subscribed to Heather for many years. My comment was about having to pay to post on each Substack.
Okay, hungry cats just got me out of bed, but by my sleepy t-yet-caffeinated brain's calculations, I think each Letter costs me 16 cents? And I read a lot of comments from intelligent, well informed people here, so I guess I get about an hour of "entertainment value" from it. That's a pretty darn good value, methinks.
Darlene, I don't know your financial situation and please don't take this as me insulting your viewpoints. No doubt much of it is fueled by the same frustrations that we all feel! That being said, the cost of a year of this Letter with comment ability is about equivalent to one/two visits for my husband and I going to the small business Mom & Pop restaurant that we like.
Yesterday, also newsworthy, Juan Soto scored a 15 year contract making $765 MILLION. Obviously, his skills and talents are valued at that enormous amount. I'm sure there are those (like me) incredulous at that salary, but then, how many in the C-suite earn that much in half the time? What do THEY do to earn that money?
It seems that for every Taylor Swift earning a billion, there is probably a million singers/songwriters who will never earn enough to live on, much less support a family. For JK Rowling, there are millions of writers struggling (including me!) to finally get published. And for HCR's daily letter, look how many on here who comment have their own Substack.
My point being (as frequent commenter here, Phil Balla, says) the humanities just don't seem to be valued by the masses.
Print newspapers are going the way of the horse-and-buggy. Since I personally only purchase the Sunday edition, I can't tell you what the price of a mid-week copy is, but I know it's much less than 16 cents. We all make our choices on how we spend our discretionary funds.
Re Taylor Swift, Miselle, she “pays it forward” and has done so w/o fanfare for quite awhile (note that I am not a “Swiftie”, but became a fan of sorts when I discovered this about her). Here is a link I found that lists some of her largesse: https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swifts-charity-donations-gifts-timeline/october-2011-she-donates-70000-in-books-to-her-hometown-library/
Oh… I already fed my kitties all 7 of them. I don’t know how many you have for if several, it might be wise to make your own cat food. It’s not hard to do once you get into the routine. And it’s cheaper than factory food. I source chicken thighs from Costco or BJS. And I make up to 30 pounds at a time then freez them in bell jars. If interested, search catnutrition.org or Dr. Lisa Pierson — either or both. I once compared ounce prices and mine was less than the cheapest crap that is sold in stores.
Just thinking why couldn’t I open for Taylor Swift. I could handle the crowds. Size doesn’t intimidate me. I’m a singer/songwriter Indie/folk. My lyrics are as good as the best but I missed my opportunity in youth. So I’ll just pretend that there are Taylor Swift crowds listening as I walk up to an open mic.
Miselle, I am a humanities person and I know their value, but many don't because everything is about making money in a very narrow way. History major, then you can only teach. I had a go around with someone on a meme about student debt (which I think is totally out of control because of usurious interest rates) where he thought going to college was worthless and chose majors in beer brewing and Greco-Roman literature as his examples. Incidentally, he was a math major and claimed it was worthless, so I think more was going on with him. Sports has become a money swamp reaching now into the college and high school ranks with NIL and the transfer portal. And we do love celebrity in this country. At least Swift donates a lot of her money to good causes.
I pay for six and they are worth it. However, Hate is much cheaper, and currently, it was taken on a religious fervor that lures in the prosperity gospel nuts, as well as the fearful and gullible. Religion has many stripes and they are hiding a mobster within, while looking so harmless…
"Hate is much cheaper" - HaHa!
I am really enjoying black humor these days. I liked the comment "Trump ran to keep out of jail and doesn't care about the rest." I never thought of that. It's the best statement about Trump, who confounds me, that I have heard in a long time. I can laugh because I am beginning to believe that MAGA is going to self-destruct. How is Trump going to lead here, on anything? He doesn't think well. He has too many tantrums. I live in Trump country, and the MAGA-looking people I see seem to be in a bad mood. Maybe the euphoria of the win has worn off. If it's a cult, which I believe, they may have some depression to deal with.
The price of "Hate" is actually free and facts are expensive Jerri. That does matter. Add that to the MSM absence / partisanship, and it's all looking like insurmountable problems that will touch everyone in the country eventually, no matter how well insulated one might be.
As a small business owner you should understand the need to monetize ones labor - most of the subtracts allow you to read the entire article for free ( notably the conservative FreePress - a rabid far right Bari Weiss screed that likes to appear unbiased - but is a junior Murdoch style blog - will only allow reading the first paragraph or two on most post - I refuse to fund her ), which at least to me - is the most important feature - to read these folks. Commenting is fun but not necessary.
I agree it would be great if there was an umbrella price for X number of subtracts, but not sure how that would work.
By the way - how much HCR makes from her subscribers is irrelevant to the value she provides. I am glad she makes 500K as you say - allowing her to post at 1 or 2 AM EST nearly every day. Good for her. Good for us. First thing I read in the morning.
Amen, Sonny 👍
The woman works hard for whatever she receives in compensation. And I don’t think she is motivated by that at all - she is an information warrior in a righteous cause, and how thankful we are that she has found her true calling.
Touche and amen sonny. I've no idea what our good Dr. earns or loses, nor is it any of my business. I do wish for her to do well and I'm well satisfied with my subscription, what I learn from her, and from the community herein. All that said, I do feel and understand Darlene's dilemma; I would so love to be able to afford full privileges at many more substack columns, but alas - that's not to be.
I totally understand your comment and frustration. I have taken another look at this from a different perspective. I dropped my subscriptions to NYT and WAPO in March and redirected that money to authors on Substack, in addition I spent over $4000 before the election with Act Blue supporting candidates across the country in tight races and while my party had some success here in my district and the state overall, most of the money I spent got you and myself nothing. I am now redirecting some of that money to different authors. I should do a better job of keeping track of them, but it's probably 10 or 15. I don't begrudge what anyone spends as we all have a budget to live with-in and I am grateful that I have those funds to spend, because as Bob Woodward says, "Democracy Dies in Darkness."
I don't do Facebook so I can't address Heather's newsletter there. But my sister reads and comments to Heather's newsletter on Facebook. I never see her comments and she never sees mine.
My sister mentioned that Heather actually responds to Facebook readers on occasion.
Can anyone write to how the Facebook experience works regarding HCR's newsletter?
Looking at Facebook right now - 7:15 a.m. Eastern time, four hours after it was posted - this column of Heather's has 1,700 comments and 8,500 shares. So it gets a good response. And one can comment for free. Whether one's comments get read, given the volume, is a separate question. Probably comments have a better chance of being read here, but by smaller numbers. (I don't know how many readers this substack has. I hope a LOT!)
My understanding John is that Heather has over 1.1 Million Subscribers to real-time history always set in accurate historical context.
On FB, the column is part of my daily feed - since I subscribe to/follow it - so it comes up every morning. And if it doesn't, I can search for it (as I just did. Once you see something on FB, it tends to disappear in favour of newer posts.)
i have to pay to read comments and comment in turn, John. Should you edit ?
Facebook is a jam of ads, but if there is ONE redeeming piece I seek out and listen to it is Heather’s “Tuesday talks”..
Same here, Berry. I almost never get to listen "live" but often listen to it while I fix dinner at 4:30 PST.
Here's a summary of the shattered social and news media. The author of the book involved was interviewed on MSNBC the other night.
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/25/news-media-filter-bubble-different-realities
Interesting. I depend on Axios for Utah news, and I'm hardly a part of their target audience. What I like is their adherence to conventions such as direct reporting and listing of sources. At least you know who's feeding you information.
Good one Frank.
My somewhat scattered perusal is that the Professor will comment on her FB posts in the first 10-20 minutes it is up; often it is to catch typos or other editorial stuff, but she is there almost every time.
I follow her on Facebook, but primarily read here; 300 comments are easier to read and reply to then are 1200 or more.
The responses here are much longer than the comments on Facebook, generally.
Gary, I post Heather's letter every am on Facebook. A lot of my friends read it and comment and/or pass it on. I also post Timothy Snyder and others that I may see. I am not among Heather's Facebook friends, so I can't comment on that.
Thanks Michele. I have never been on Facebook in spite of ribbing from some of my friends. I'm going to retire from my programming job in the next month or so, and didn't want anyone I work with to see anything about my private life. Maybe I'll start Facebooking or whatever it's called next year. 😎
Tho, I appreciate your succinct comments, Darlene. I also understand and share your frustration of current events. My concern is where would Heather find the time to be a “fixer”. I am a very early subscriber to Heather’s letters. While I choose to pay a fee so that I might be part of the “comments” community, it is Heather’s letter itself that is important. Her diligence in research is well-known and admired. She is a well respected BC College Professor as well. I own and have read every one of her books. I do not see her in a role as “fixer”, but more importantly I honestly pray for her to find the energy daily to provide us with truth.
👍
Ditto Pam. I will never ask her to wear multiple hats; I’m quite satisfied that she wears the one hat extremely well, if you take my meaning.
I fear we’re playing Whack A Mole. And losing.
Here is MARC ELIAS who "starting today 12/9/24" has done the following:
+ I [Marc] have shifted my tone & approach to the challenges facing our democracy".
+ " ... I [ Marc] have grown impatient with those urging caution, compromise & conciliation."
+ I [Marc] am more willing "to go it alone."
I subscribe to Democracy Docket & set up my "donorbox". See, Donorbox.org.
Darlene Heather is doing her best to inform us with facts and honesty. She is the only Substack newsletter I subscribe to now and is exactly what we need in this age of extreme capitalists buying up the mainstream media. FOX News ( which is categorically entertainment not news) has been around over 30 years now which is an entire generation of indoctrination. Now here we are, a country fed lies of which millions believe. I don’t know what the answer is but we also don’t know if any of project 2025 will actually be implemented. This is a party of do nothings, despite the chaotic noise making. There are the elected few who will stand up to much of their insanity. It has been out of our control for a long time; we vote and hope for reasonable leadership. Biden was our reasonable reprieve and now we are back to insanity. The bottom line is we are living in uncertain times. Take care of yourself, live for the moment and vote your conscience, and help those who will be hurt the most.
Darlene, this is a pattern I often see. When someone puts the effort into, as you have done, enlightening the rest of us, we “enlightened “ don’t take up action to make change. Instead we place more responsibility onto the person who has gone through the effort of enlightening us. So thank you again.
I choose to pay for Dr Cox Richardson's, Dr Bandy Lee's, and Counsellor Vance's sub-stacks. I am older and live alone, edging every day toward poverty. Yet these news-letters nourish me intellectually. The yearly rates total out to a fraction of food costs or a month's rent. These sub-stacks remind me to think.
My story is like yours, Ned. Plus, I am bedridden. I spend every day reading on my tablet, mornings on Substack and afternoons/evenings on kindle. I spend almost all of my small amount of Social Security income - that isn't needed for essentials - on reading material. It's worth it. I quit my cable TV subscriptions several years ago, and don't go out for anything except medical visits. I am never bored and I feel like I'm learning more than at any other time in my life, except for the years I spent at schools and university. It might be nice to save a few bucks for some future emergency, but my adult children won't abandon me....I hope! 🤞😉
Thank you, Paula, for a truly inspiring answer! It rings with gratitude and being able to count one's blessings. You are a rich woman, in fact and indeed.
Thank YOU, Ned - for your very kind response. I worry that I'll sound like I'm whining or complaining, but I'm really not. I feel extraordinarily blessed. How many people wish they could lie in bed reading all day?! I also have The World's Greatest Cat for company! My cup runneth over...
Not at all. Self-pity is NOT acknowledgeing one's suffering. You do that and then remember what you have to be grateful for. Sounds very balanced to me.
P.S., Paula, I wish I could be more like you. ❤️
I'm in a similar boat, Ned. Not just remind me to think, but encourage me to think.
And think you do, Ally. I always look forward to what you have to say.
Agree, Ned, reading the comments here is, IMHO, part of the educational experience!
¡BINGO! Well stated, Barbara.
Thank you, Ned.
Me too Ed (look forward to what Ally has to say.) And there are several others as well including you.
Gary, that one goes both ways in this case. 🤝 Dr Cox Richardson gives a reality check; 🔍 y'all give me a sanity check. 🤭
Right on Ned! I pay for five and feel left out sometimes because a retirement budget does not stretch for a longer view.
Thank you for your gracious answer, Carol.
Ladies, 🤝
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiv_gdDfckg
Permit this clever though off-topic vid. from Jimmy Kimmel last night, s.v.p. Though I am not fond of Mrs Trump, I wish people would leave her be . . . except when she turns her position into a merchant's stall. 🤬
Mr Kimmel invented or repeated a new term: "Whack-pack". The hawking og petty goods as a President-elect and incoming First Lady makes the Clintons' old ploy of the Lincoln bedroom for five hundred bucks almost elegant.🤢
I gladly pay for HCR and Dan Rather's Steady...no more than those two. I find that reading the comments for both provides a lot of perspectives I enjoy.
Barbara said the same thing. When I get the chance, I like to tune into 'Washington Journal' on C-Span (7-10 a.m., Eastern time, every day). It gives me a chance to hear what other people are saying. Keeps my faith in the American people. Most of the Trump voters who call in are simply voters. Only a minority spew trumper tantrums.
This I think gets to the flaw that SCOTUS has used in a great many 1st amendment cases. They have pretty consistently argued that the antidote to offensive speech is more speech. Of course, that only works if all speech is uniformly available, or at the very least, is subject to a random distribution process, and neither of those conditions have ever been true.
With content targeting in order to maximize advertising click-through rates, which raises the cost of advertising (advertisers pay more for more effective distribution), effectively, the concept of more speech as an antidote is rendered moot, since it is no longer possible. Expensive subscriptions simply exacerbate an already bad situation.
There are some good aggregators such as Ground News, but they never carry local news, which is critical to local democratic processes. I think the only proven approach that works a small tad better is to make it next to impossible to target ads so precisely. That forces more of a shotgun approach, which benefits things like local news media. There is still the bias that in inherent in almost any editorial board which almost always reflects the biases of the channel's owner, at least a little.
Probably the best period we had for relatively low bias media was during the first 50 years or so of radio and TV broadcast news. The FCC had a mandate to require a news segment as a public service. Then stations and networks did not see their news services as content competing for consumers for the sake of ad revenue. I'm usually skeptical of references to "the good old days" as that phrase almost always requires one to overlook a lot of once more common violence and bigotry. but in the case of broadcast news before it was redesigned to drive ad revenue, I think the phase might actually be justified. And except for the cost of the radio or TV, those channels really were free.
With the libertarian philosophy in mind, they think that every one will just be responsible. A great thought but has no basis in reality. Free speech without responsibility and enforceable legal remedies, is just chaos and a might is right method of "freedom". Kind of like the unregulated free markets where the might is with the business owners and shareholders.
'Zackly!
Re “local news”, sadly in my rural region, most print and local TV news outlets have been acquired by right-of-center companies (ie; Sinclair).
Yes, I think that the best local news these days often comes from the college kids working at their NPR station. Unfortunately, that leaves vast portions of the country without that sort of service.
The Univ (northern most Univ in CA…recently renamed Cal Poly Humboldt) I retired from (on staff for 40 years) at one time had a fabulous college station beloved by our rural county-wide community—then the Univ admin (back when it was HSU) basically gutted it. Boy did that PO the students & locals!!!! Now they get their news feed (as I understand it) from out of the area. I stopped listening not long after it imploded—mind blowing it was done purposely! I now listen to Jefferson Public Radio broadcasting from Southern Oregon University in Ashland. I do like it, but miss the quirky and unique community-based programs (plus the NPR stuff) of the KHSU of yore. Sad.
Unless people pay for content, ie journalism, the only source of revenue would be advertising. Which will further skew content.
As Margaret Sullivan, the former public editor of the NYT wrote in her newsletter (which she makes free), facts and truth can be got at a price but disinformation is free for all.
She nailed it!
A South African friend, who is himself an Indian immigrant to South Africa--his parents took him there when he was very young, over forty five years ago, so they have lived through a lot--told me as we discussed the election results that he and others overseas watching this are concluding Democracy is too fragile a system, because it is easily manipulated by mob mentality that is not healthy.
Our 24 year old feels the same way.
We're losing them, due to utter failure to make leaders, and not just their minions, pay dearly for insurrections and anti-democratic actions. They see us calmly allowing American Oligarchs get away with paying no taxes. That money is used to undermine the Fourth Estate and riddle it with self-serving lies, instead of establishing a reasonable system of healthcare and building affordable housing for everyone else.
Many of us are not calmly allowing this. As I said over on Joyce Vance's Substack, I'm really not interested in the latest trump/maga/republican atrocity. I'm interested in hearing ideas about what we can and are going to do to fight and win against these criminals.
Sad commentary and hard to like, but very accurate.
I agree. We can't afford to send money to every good platform but I send money to Heather, Joyce and Meidas as they seem to have large followings and get the word out effectively (Meidas had more likes than Fox). Fortunately there are many more resisters in Substack now and increasing every day. More people telling the truth is good.
Yes,on Medias Touch !! Another easy action is to subscribe (for free) and share Media Touch .This made my day along with Rupert Murdoch news !!
“MeidasTouch Network is now beating Fox once again in the latest Playboard chart. We also lead CNN and MSNBC—and it’s not even close.”
https://www.meidasplus.com/p/fox-interns-crying-over-meidasglorious?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I would not support starting a new Substack. We, the readers of this letter, should build on Professor's daily letters. Her writings are founded on historical evidence. There are not many who have such training. Professor Krugman has announced retiring from NYT after this year. Many qualified columnists will leave major medias. I am thinking of cancelling them because they can no longer be independent of the government pressurre. As Trump comes in, we lose freedom of speech in public.
That's my concern as well. I've never seen any explicit description of the Substack platform—who owns and facilitates it. It's difficult to imagine how the incoming administration could tolerate what is published here.
Hi Darlene. Heather first posts her Letter on Facebook, where on occasion she replies to a few comments. Then she posts her Letter here on Substack, where she appears to have stopped "liking" or commenting years ago. I doubt she will see your comment here, even if the algorithm keeps it at the top with likes and replies. You would have better luck emailing her directly: heather.richardson@bc.edu
Also note that Heather periodically reminds us (usually in her Politics Chat) that she is not a journalist, but a historian documenting current events for historians to read 50-100 years from now.
Heather's service to us and to democracy includes her weekly Politics Chat in addition to these Letters from an American. ICYMI she does her Politics Chat on Facebook, and then posts them to her YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson8891
Heather's service also included spending 13 months prior to the election crisscrossing the country to make appearances to support Democrats and democracy, even though she does not label herself as a Democrat and certainly not as a politician.
Thank you so much Ellie. Gosh, I hope her email doesn’t get overwhelmed. I did not know about the Facebook posting first, but another good example of fragmentation and too many platforms to read. Facebook can suck us in for longer than we want.
In no way do I want Heather or anyone to think I am not greatly appreciative of all she does, and was aware of her election-supporting activities. It is her pull that is needed, as Joe Banta also said above, now that we are in this horrible situation.
I agree that the fragmentation we experience is frustrating. However, I believe this is what makes us different from the Republican mindset. We do not speak with one voice (authoritarian!) but, rather, several voices with different points of view. Very expensive, for sure, though.
Republicans have used “Divide & Conquer” to great effect.
We need to say the magic mantra -- THE RUSSIANS did it.
Morning, Lynell, and thank you for supporting me! We had our first concert under our new director, and I got to introduce a piece that allowed me to tie together my college band director who, in all ways, is responsible for me being a musician as an adult, and our new director. They are father and son. If I can, I'll send you a concert link when it is published.
Would love to get that link, Ally! I received a Thank You card signed by Scott McKee (new director?) with a picture of the entire band on the back of the card. I'm guessing that's you over on the right, second from the end, Viewing from the Back Row! (Now I get it...teehee!)
Indeed it is me!! Yes, Scott’s the new director. His dad was my college band director.
Has been our downfall in many ways
In the wake of Trump’s first election, Heather created a role for herself that didn’t even exist before. And many others have followed in her footsteps on Substack. Jessica Craven is an activist who writes a free Substack that gives actions to do that day with scripts, and links to do so. Look her up and just do what’s in her newsletter. She is a mighty force. She helps you take action. Look up Indivisible and see if there is a group near you and join it
Joy, I receive a text daily from Jessica & feel it’s a very easy way to “do something” simply by texting back “Yes” to her proposal. The responses get forwarded to the powers that be. Thank you Jessica!
I watched her Fb session last night, though 6 hours late, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I read somewhere today that she once labelled herself a "Lincoln republican".
If so, a Lincoln republican, these days is called a liberal Democrat.
Not too relevant to repubs today. Go back a few centuries…
She has, several times.
Wow! Thank you for this helpful HCR info on other writing she publishes. I’ll find someone to help me navigate Facebook…
I feel your emotional and financial pain. I pray that the Media landscape sorts itself out … with my dream result being that legacy news organizations become marginal players and voices for truth such as the ones you mentioned and the one I just pointed to in my new comment - Five Minute News hosted by Anthony Davis - eventually come under an umbrella organization that allows us to pay one fee to read them all.
Thank you Steve for your kind reply. I have never heard of Anthony Davis and, with all due respect, have too many things to read and listen to. At this point, we need people to work on solutions. I agree with the umbrella concept; it would be good if we could pay one fee to Substack. It would be like subscribing to the Times or Post and frankly I wish the mainstream news could be fixed.
Just as to these LFAs from Heather...you can always comment on her Facebook posts for free, and she does often answer or reply to a few in the first ones to drop. Otherwise, yes, it can get expensive, but at least Heather covers some of the same info..and her cite-links do not lead to pay walls.
It would be great to see HCR insights and truths posted on social media in the way that is most successful, like Facebook, IG and FNC. Short burst of info.
She has talked of that very thing on her Tuesday FB chats.
I'm sure she'd love to find time for that! I don't have a problem with her existing posts on FB....and she does have over 2 million followers there. I sometimes post - and see others posting - shorter clips from her LFA's on Facebook....
I know of one local lady on FB who does just that, citing excerpts to boot, in a little province in eastern Canada. Some locals though also like to hang the Confederacy flag in their bedroom windows, a bit of "red neck" country here.
HCR posts her thoughtful, research cited essays on Facebook and Substack. She uses her Instagram for more personal snippets and links to interviews. She recently started using BlueSky like she used Twitter—for breaking news and reposting short commentary.
@heathercoxrichardson
Unfortunately not everyone in the world is on fecebook. I left that frustration & twit 4 years ago. Artificial Idiocy was just taking it over & I found complaining to a brick wall more productive.
Rob, a person could just go on FB to read these Letters, and have access to comments for free, which the person who started this thread seems to want.
ain't that the truth! A Canadian newscaster does exactly that. I unsubscribed from him the other day.
What, now? The Canadian newscaster does what? (sometimes I can't tell who people are responding to on Substack!)
make references to news stories behind paywalls. eg NYT. a few too many for my taste.
I’ve read 10 or so of the first bunch.
Excellent solution suggestions and commentary , thank you all …and Darlene for a ball getting rolled so well. Heather has done an amazing job as well as many others and the mounting cost I too have ..the point well made -for me , has merit, action needs to follow.
I am going to go to my local (very red county) newspaper and see what the parameters are for publishing Heathers , seeking first her permission ie ‘if …’ ,perhaps 1-2 more randomly chosen. I have no idea what the costs could be .Opinion welcome. I have shared on FB regularly as have several other ‘friends’…though I’m on a brief ‘sabbatical’.
I double down on needing to get the truth out AND finding the clever way by/but not lying…why the American public is SO gullible has been dissected 40 diff ways and most on point. No blanket cures..but action is needed.
A busy day ahead as prep for incoming crew requires self preservation modes…takes time too..I thoroughly agree we must stop buying from the major corporate strangler(S). I’m not against the NAFTA idea that all countries can benefits from consumer needs *it’s part of the vast playing field leveling-we are ALL neighbors.*
Ta-Ta for Today 🫶
Patricia, Please keep us posted on your effort to get Heather published.I also live in a very red county. Our local newspaper is Gannett owned and a while back I made a (weak) attempt to get Heather published via a familiar Op Editor. On a + note, another Gannett paper in Fl has published Heather, The Palm Beach Post, home to you-know-who.
Sadly, my Gannett rag quit publishing an editorial page, citing their justification as "it's the main reason people stop taking the paper".
I share your bitterness, but it is with my fellow americans who "aren't political" and "don't want to talk about it".
Maybe time to take in Civil War, and see how the population divvies up as the two sides take each other on... fiction, can't say "close", but interesting.
This would be like Medium for Substack. But I think Substack offers more money to authors. But I won't! It is up to the author how much they charge to subscribe.
Medium doesn't have LaTex math, so anything I care about regarding physics or math will be posted on my new substack account.
totally agree on group subscription idea. Reminds me a bit of cable news packages i used to subscribe to.
Could Jack Smith leek and release the evidence? Sure he can. He might have to flee the country but he would do the nation and posterity a favor. A huge favor.
Poor Jack Smith. All that work and now he's stuck, holding a rotten fish and having mud thrown at him.
Why didn't the DOJ change the venue on the stolen secrets case? Merrick appears to be the useful idiot!
He was old when he was nominated by Obama to be a Justice. Why don’t democrats understand to nominate younger candidates? Cheeses.
So why doesn't he throw the rotten fish back at them? The way I see it, he's screwed no matter what he does. Better to go down fighting.
Too little too late. That commute had years to bring their case forward.
Maybe jail time
The NY AG state case has not been dismissed with prejudice nor have the 8 J6 civil case which are alive & proceeding now.
Yes Darlene, you have assessed the situation precisely! I agree with everything you say here. Democrats are wimpy, don't fight back, hell they don't even tell the country all the good stuff Biden has done these last four years. I was so excited for Harris to win, and so distraught when the felon / rapist and his pet muskrat stole it from us. And of course the dems have their typical circular firing squad going on... Stay strong and we will continue to hold the best possible vision of our future that we can, and work for it, cause we have to.
I agree that the Democrats are wimpy. I have voted for Democrats my whole long adult life but I have finally reached the end of my rope. The circular firing squad finally did me in. I’m not really convinced that the election was legitimate, but I have seen no evidence that anyone is looking into that. Anyway, the point here is to say that I have disaffiliated from the Democratic Party.
What's the alternative?
Not sure. We’ll see.
I questioned the legitimacy, too, and was hoping "someone" was looking into that behind the scenes. I described it a being stolen from us and another commenter said the Dems just didn't show up. How do we know that? I had thought that Harris would win for sure and we would have to fight all the challenges and prevent it from being stolen. As amazing as she is and was during the campaign, I do believe being a woman of color worked against us more than we might have anticipated.
Sadly, I agree.
The dems have long had a tradition of self-criticism, isn't likely about to change. It is a broad coalition mind you.
Agree with you on the Substack payments. Seems like an umbrella fee would be reasonable. You can't even read some unless you pay first.
Actually I agree with everything you wrote.
You don't need to read them all. Find sources you trust and support them. Stop thinking the M$M is going to self correct. They are corporations with shareholders, their only job is to to pay them dividends. Reporting takes a back seat, always.
I haven't read corporate media for a year or so. I am still searching for sources that I can learn from. I have a few, but still looking for more. Thanks.
You're a classic example of the "shards of glass" thesis Axios is pushing right now. I do read some msm, even pay a little, and take in the various "national news" and commentary shows, i find considerable consistency is what's considered factual, opinion is biased but always interesting.
I still have a sub with WaPo because I renewed for a year back in Jun. I notice the further away they get from Bezos' BooBoo the more they are getting a bit more agressive with the news. The OpEd page is still a decent mix of two viewpoints.
I like The Guardian and The Independent for papers also.
There's no need for FOMO even if you can't pay for anything other than LFAA. Use her reference links to dig deeper. Some may require payment, some will have no restrictions and some will just want to you sign up for a free account so they can bug you with email (That you can unsubscribe from.)
It's fruitless to try and block out everything MAGA/Trump. Don't throw away the good news for something you don't agree with.
Just because you don't read MSM Hannah doesn't mean the people you do read don't follow it. Be sure all of them do. My best advice is to sign up with Bluesky and follow their breaking and regular news threads.
I'm hoping you're overstating that. I don't quite get that impression.
Me? Not overstating.
I keep hoping for an Umbrella fee. So many good writers - but to subscribe to them all is simply not affordable for most of us.
Sadly, Substack's structure is "winner take all" where a few make millions while most Substack writers are not adequately compensated at even a minimum wage. In general, 5% or 10% of readers pay. That works well if you have a million readers, but a writer needs at least 10,000 readers to get 500 or max 1,000 paying subscribers. To create a new publishing industry, we have to support less prominent writers.
Let's consider that a main point in this thread is fragmented media. Do we need more Substack writers? We all have many writers we already like and who provide truth. We want to be heard by those who might be able to do something about our mess. Reading all these comments has been enlightening, although time consuming. I am coming away from this thinking I just want the journalists, historians, activists, writers to spend more time reading our responses and doing something with the aggregate feedback.
Unfortunately elections are being played out on Facebook IG and FNC. I wish we could take HCR info and put it in the short burst of info like these medias use.
I really appreciate your point about shattered media and the many disparate voices on Substack that we have to pay individually for - while they don’t lift their voices in unison to bring us together and as you said do something or guide us do something. We need unity and an action plan more than ever. Thank you for your essay here tonight - it is right on point for these tough and trying times.
Exactly. Thank you, too.
I also pick and choose which Substacks to paid subscribe to, and donate to the Guardian and some independent publications like ProPublica. I also subscribe to "free" publications that I do not donate to like the AP, and Carnegie Foundation for Peace, and Counterterrorism News, and a few on nuclear, as well as European publications, my local city paper in the US, and my neighborhood news in the US. So, in addition to specific Substack writers, and donating to the Guardian, I am also subscribing to many things for which I do not pay. I also buy books and read them, because these are some of the things that give me pleasure in life. I feel that I get my monies worth.
Darlene. I, too subscribe to several of the media people you mentioned. And I took the time this morning to read what you wrote. Yes, I am frustrated, too. I, too, feel helpless. I don't think I need to "understand" the lunacy. I got that. What I want is an action plan. As Michelle Obama said, "DO something." Joyce Vance is putting together a plan. Let's see what she come up with. We have a group of strong woman here that are going to come up with a local plan. I attended a meeting the other day with NM State legislators and they do have plans. I want to hitch my star to some firm plans of action. That's what I am going to spend my time on. At 82 I have limited time. And having been in education all my waking life, I understand 'brainwashing'. With all that said, I want to spend my time going forward. As our small group comes up with some action plans, I will share what we are doing.
Penny, we all need to take whatever small individual actions we can. Personally, I am going to arm myself with information and have talking points at the ready to push back on MAGA propaganda when I hear it. Also keep getting on the streets and protesting. I'm under no pretense that any of my pitiful little actions will make a difference, but I can't stop trying. We have been in this struggle for a long time. I'm resigned to the thought that it will most likely continue for the rest of my remaining time on earth, and beyond. Stay balanced. As one writer recently put it, "moderate your outrage". Put one foot in front of the other and keep on keeping on. My feeling is that the pendulum is nearing the end of its rightward arc and soon start moving back towards the left ("soon" being a very relative term). That's my action plan.
There is plenty to do and plenty of groups and people providing guidance and the opportunity to take action. Indivisible. Red Wine and Blue. Your local Democratic party. Number one step: subscribe to Jessica Craven’s FREE Substack and pay the money to subscribe to Simon Rosenberg. Worth every penny. Hop on board and get to work. Jessica Craven provides a daily to-do list and links to opportunities to get involved with all kinds of groups and actions. It’s all out there and we all need to pitch in.
Bravo!We are all feeling the pain of living in 2 to 4 year increments and time is running out for many of us seniors.I agree with you that now is the time to stop the peaceful transition of power.As I stated yesterday in simplistic terms-Will Joe and Jill just inanely hand out the keys to the White House and our government to a man and group who are clearly out to destroy our Constitution, rule of law and everything we hold dear.Are they on January 20 going to say”Best wishes” and walk off into the sunset?I am beyond appreciative for these Substack writers,Heather being one of my favorites, but I cannot$ afford$ to be a paying subscriber to all of them.We The People are being destroyed by a cult and have not enough time or money to stop them.
They will hand over the keys because they still believe in the system. Republicans don’t.
If ever there existed a time in this nation that resistance to a transfer of power to a dangerous dumbass and fascist administration, it is now. Those of us here in our 50’s, 60”s and 70’s have been robbed of wealth, security and affordable healthcare. I was 21 when Reagan was elected, opportunity after opportunity dried up before my eyes. The rise of right wing hate, the corporate raiders that tore apart good, solid businesses stole pensions and sold off the rest for scrap. My father was an engineer for US Steel. Everyone blamed the unions for its failure, but USS didn’t shut down any of its mills long enough for necessary maintenance, repairs or safety. Improvement designs were buried and mills fell into such disrepair they became obsolete. Corporate greed. 40+ years of this crap.
The lies and manipulation has only grown 100 fold. Why can’t we get these monkeys off our backs? The middle class has been hollowed out. The fact that Trump fooled people, again, into electing him POTUS only goes to show what gullible fools we’ve become. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Sadly, well said. Accurate.
Darlene, you have written a version of what many of us here have probably written and cancelled many times! Part of me thinks we can merge resources ($) and out-fox FNC and dominate the media…but I know that is not how a functional democracy works either. We need leadership from the grassroots level to Washington, D.C. to figure this out!
Substack is helping, especially those writers that do not put up a paywall.
We must be the light! I’m hoping groups like Indivisible will grow and help us shine that light from the local level around our suffering world. I like the idea of a second Age of Enlightenment…
I’d like to see the dem party leadership do a better job of communicating or at least facilitating communication. It feels to me like the repubs have a megaphone and we are whispering into the wind.
MLM,Perhaps this will help…
“Senator Cory Booker has a new title: chair of the Senate Democrats’ Strategic Communications Committee.
The position, which did not exist before today, means that Booker will now be the fourth-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate.”
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/booker-elevated-to-4-position-in-senate-democratic-leadership/
The Message Box
Why Republicans are Winning the Message War
A new poll shows that swing voters are not hearing what we have to say.
Dan Pfeiffer
Dec 10, 2024
This is on Substack
Exactly
Amen, Jane. Don't give up.
The money needed to be elected in our democracy is controlled by a small minority of people who are not necessarily citizens of the Republic. I thank my lucky stars for LFAA. I cannot afford to not support LFAA.
Darlene, I totally feel your frustration. But here are my thoughts.
First, how many comments and comment locations does a person need? Just a suggestion. Pick 2 substacks and pay $100 a year. Make yourself known there. Chances are many of the same people reading LFAA and Today's Edition and Civil Discourse and Robert Reich, etc, - we are all the same crew. You will be heard. More please.
Second, what to do about the apparent hopelessness of a fascist about to take office? My campaign is about ECONOMIC JUSTICE. A majority of people are hurting financially and the fascists are threatening to make it worse. Except for themselves. Join me in making noise about the oligarchs owning the country, running the country, betraying our country.
Money = Power = Domination = Intimidation = Power = Money
We need an economic revolution that rearranges the money so nobody goes hungry, homeless or hopeless. So nobody is denied healthcare - EVER. So every kid gets a good education right through to employment.
Earth to "conservatives": Healthy, well educated people have good jobs and they PAY TAXES - unlike the oligarchs.
The answer to this whole mess is to appeal to people's most basic needs that are not being met. People need more money. And there is $50 TRILLION that went to just a few people over the last 40 years of "Trickle Down" economics bulwarked by "Neoliberalism".
Time for a clawback. Social justice can't exist without ECONOMIC justice.
I expect the real problem is not the plethora of folks posting blogs and charging for them - the best ones require a level of knowledge and experience that justifies their rather meagre yearly charge. The problem is that the people who most need to read and to understand what folks like these are saying just don’t. Preaching to the choir is not going to resolve the situation we’re in.
One of my favorite old adages is. “If you think knowledge is expensive, you ought to try ignorance”. We do need to understand what’s going, but the solution does not lie with us. It lies in the ignorance and denial at the dark heart of MAGAland. Only when Trump’s supporters realize the danger he poses to them is anything really going to change. Fortunately his own hubris and his belief that he’s now invincible are the most likely things working against him.
Don't expect the media to self-correct. They are corporations with shareholders and their primary function is to pay them dividends, reporting comes a distant second.
You don't have to read every Substack nor do you need to. HCR, as wall as the independent journalists do access all the news that matters and filter it down. Find the accounts you like and can afford.
More is not better. Good journalism requires quality, not quantity.
The model you suggest will not work. You might not get want you want but you can certainly get what you need. These people left good paying jobs because they want to report the truth. Pick one, or none as HCR will tell you what you need to know.
Fear serves no one well, courage always does. Trump is counting on your fear, don't give it to him. Stand up, don't give up the fight to quote the song.
I have never had to pay a $6 fee to comment!
If you are a subscriber you have already paid and can comment. I joined Joyce Vance at the $6/month rather than yearly rate, commented, then cancelled. Other Substacks note that you have to subscribe to comment.
Nor I. I wouldn't be commenting if that were the case.
As far as I know, one must pay to comment here.
As Darlene says above (or below??) if you subscribe, you can comment.
If you pay you can comment.
Yes. You're right.
It depends on the Substack.
I agree. I would like to subscribe to more, but at 76 years old, I’m not going to go to work so I can read the news. I often feel bad when I want to read something but can’t because I need to pay a fee to do so. Consolidating seems to make sense but then the individual writers would not earn as much money, I suppose. Isn’t it a shame that everything in our lives comes down to how much money one has?
The important thing NOW is that our collective voices are heard and action is taken. For example, as much as I like Joyce Vance's writing, and she has broadened her scope from the original trial reporting to more general reporting on democracy, there is a standard plea for money on every post. It gets old. I am advocating for the people with power and pull to make viewership and commenting available and subscriptions optional, especially if they are already raking it in. As one commenter said some are already making a ton of money. I advocate for those with power and pull to think more of the collective good at this important time than their own pocketbooks.
Albert I’m mistaken but I believe anyone can read for free but if you want to post, you need to suscribe and pay in some instances. Not all. Example Dan Rather is optional. I’m optional, lol.
Thanks for that thoughtful, though painful essay, Darlene. I only subscribe to Heather, for much the same reason. What to say about half million, i can't say. For less than $5/month, this is pretty cheap fare individually. What Heather does with the half mil, i can't say either. She may have put a good chunk into Dem and related social causes. She certainly puts time and effort into her work. What converts from "merely talking" to "actually doing" is moot, but I suspect Heather's newsletter is a stimulus, one way or another. As for all the other, usually more expensive paywall options, I've often wondered if a consolidated group rate might not be more effective for all concerned. But the press, like most of the rest of America, worships competitive private enterprise. On the side, i suspect far more of Heather's subscribers are non-paying. Anyway, try to take care of yourself psychologically. Some here i think could use a bit of a vacation, Trump et al are now on a sustained warpath footing, and it's not about to stop. Take good care of yourself.
Thank you for writing about Trump‘s insistence that his reality is the real reality. I do not know if any mainstream news organization is up to the challenge of helping the American people understand what they’re up against. Meet The Press certainly isn’t!
But there is an online news show that is… Five Minute News hosted by Anthony Davis. Over the weekend, he spent an hour and a half interviewing an expert in cult psychology who detailed how Trump has managed to Brainwash (though he also used the word hypnotize) millions of Americans. It was a very sophisticated conversation and I recommended to all who want to better understand the psychological warfare we are up against. Here’s the link…
https://youtu.be/xYf7F66AwDo?si=dg3L6SmvfG4uN7lD
I wonder the same, “is any mainstream news organization up to the challenge?” Why didn’t Welker politely end the interview with Trump after calling him out on his lie(s)? It was the perfect opportunity.
Because she has a job and has to please the owners.
I found her very girly.
They act very afraid of him. They have a right to be. They have to deal with an insane madman sitting across from them who lies extremely well and has millions who voted for him. In addition, he has the power to cause harm to them and their family and says he will hurt the Press.
She’s always been too accommodating. That’s why I don’t watch any of her interviews any more.
Maybe she felt intimated by Trump. When you have a president-elect threatening to after officials who serve this country by telling the truth about Trump who is a pathological liar, she probably felt scared or it was better just to listen to him keep on rambling on with lies.
Browbeat also works to describe the Orange Stain’s performance.
“browbeat
…
verb
intimidate (someone), typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words.
"a witness is being browbeaten under cross-examination"
Similar:
bully
hector
intimidate
force
coerce
compel
badger
dragoon
cow
bludgeon
persecute
domineer
oppress
pressure
pressurize
tyrannize
terrorize
menace
subjugate
use strong-arm tactics on
harass
harry
hound
nag
goad
boss around
What the hell is wrong with you???? It must really make your ego feel good. Are you happy???
Huh? I was agreeing with you and provided supporting information.
In case you missed it the Orange stain is a euphemism for Trump.
I will watch the YouTube by Anthony Davis that you recommend. I agree using hypnotize is the better word. Along with selective hearing, and turning a blind eye. It’s exasperating to understand. Thanks for this recommendation. It’s important to share the places and people we are reading, watching, and listening to and sharing this information.
I do read other substack writers.
I am not sure what the right word is for the human flaw that can turn the bulk of whole societies sociopathic. History shows how bad it can be. We need to teach so much more caution around hubris. It can kill us all.
Do, Vicki. I've begun it, but it's past my bedtime and it takes an hour, so I'll continue tomorrow.
This is excellent. Read it, everyone - you need to set aside an hour. The Meidas Touch has always been good.
I agree.
Thank you for this link, Steve. I think not many people are aware of the deep connections to cults among some politicians, including Trump.
Here are some articles:
Trump, Pompeo Appear at 'Moonies'-Linked Event Despite Japan Assassination - Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-pompeo-appear-at-moonies-linked-event-despite-japan-assassination-2022-8
John Gorenfeld’s 2008 nonfiction book Bad Moon Rising: The Strange Untold Story of a Cult Leader, his Newspaper and the Right, with a new preface is now available in convenient PDF form. It’s about the embarassing and unlikely ongoing romance between conservative politicians and the Unification Church, the forgotten 1970s “Moonies” mass wedding cult.
https://www.gorenfeld.net/badmoonrising/
Thank you for the link - I’d forgotten about Davis but have now re-followed his The Weekend Show.
It's first-rate, and very important.
You’re welcome!
- Pulled Quote -
Trump/MAGA's Achilles heel...
''That right-wing echo chamber has expanded until it is now so strong that nearly 70% of Republicans falsely believe Trump was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election, despite the fact that the FNC had to pay more than $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems for defamation after it lied to viewers about that election.''
Our arrow is the truth. shot over and over again. Don't let up, never give up or give in!
On that N.B.C. interview: as usual, Trump was coherent for twenty minutes and then went off the rails. Trump's secret sauce is not how he makes his followers think but how they feel.
Thnx for more info to better understand the complexity showering down on us all
Great discussion with good information. I can’t use his techniques on thump supporters because I don’t have any in my (retired) life.
Unfortunately I still didn’t see any way out of our current predicament.
I am sorry to have to tell you that Trump’s reality is indeed reality. He is president of the United States AGAIN.
If anyone was hypnotized, it was the left-wing public, hypnotized by the hate of Trump and the 83 million votes that Biden received a semi cadaver 13 million more votes than Obama the God. There’s your cult.
Cheney called for the release of the evidence and grand jury material special counsel Jack Smith assembled “so all Americans can see Donald Trump for who he genuinely is and fully understand his role in this terrible period in our nation’s history.”
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Liz Cheney is proving to be an extremely courageous woman who refuses to be intimidated by a bully.
If Trump's supporters haven't seen Donald Trump for who he "genuinely is" by now, they never will. How ludicrous for him to want to pardon criminals, and then want to jail members of a committee for trying to show the American people what REALLY happened on Jan. 6? Most of his people refused to watch the hearings, and if they did, they didn't believe what was said or shown. So,No, his ardent supporters will never see him as he truly is.
I've tried enlightening Trump voters on what they really voted for. They don't listen to my warnings. They say it was God's will that he won. Why would God want to do punish us like that? That makes one wonder.🤔😳
Trump voters are jaded with ignorance and stupidity. Their lazy not to do the research on
Project 2025 and take the time to read. It's unfortunate for us because we will suffer the consequences for their actions in voting for a convicted felon and rapist who is dangerous and a threat to this country.
Please, may we have the UN-REDACTED VERSION for once?!! I think most of us are past the age of 13 and can handle it.
Yes , I think that was great what Cheney suggested about releasing all of the evidence from Jack Smith about what Trump did. However, it doesn't matter. Look what happened at the election. People didn't give a damn about Trump being a rapist or a convicted felon they still voted for him anyway. Why? Because they were manipulated by his BS lies about inflation and lowering the cost of food etc.
Trump would prove he is a fool by going after the Jan 6 committee and Jack Smith. If he "persuades" DOJ to go after Smith, Smith can release ALL of the evidence. Since those cases are unlikely to come to trail during Trump's lifetime no ones' rights would be violated as the cases will have become moot. A point can come where the gap between all of the big lies and reality is too difficult for people to discount, but that would require all of the facts to become available. Nixon survived only until the smoking gun contained on the tapes of his conversations became available. This would be Smith's chance to release those facts. Trump might the survive the initial release of information because Fox News would give him cover. But when Rupert dies, the kids take over. They can pull the wizard's curtain back and reveal the ugly facts -- starting with a clear explanation of the outcome of the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit and how that underlies the false reality they have reported for years.
On the tariffs … I’ve been reading that dozens of large companies in the U.S. are already raising prices in anticipation of the tariffs. The worst of all possible worlds: these bastards can collect outsize profits in the weeks/months before the tariffs actually hit.
There is little comment anywhere about how many companies that were nation leaders (lot alone the small fry) have been sucked into the super massive black holes of ownership that many US conglomerates have become. I was taught in school that competition for customers regulates pricing, but that's assuming competition is robust. Bargains abounded on the internet in the early days of e-commerce; now not so much. In fact it many cases, online prices exceed that of brick and mortar stores. When the big money moves in and controls the market, competition is weak if there is any at all. Didn't we learn that one before?
You can still vote with your money. Don't go to Walmart-the Walton family is worth something like 380 billion dollars, they have enough of your money. Don't buy clothes made in China. You probably have enough clothes in your closet to last the rest of your life anyway, don't you? Don't buy "stuff" at Dollar General. Go back to my grandma's depression era mantra, "Wear it out, use it up, do without." Anything made out of plastics or polyester is just pollution and toxic waste waiting to happen. Buy clothing made out of all cotton( no 4% spandex!), linen, wool, silk and leather. Buy housewares made out of leather, wood, ceramic or metal. Buy local, from local makers and artists. Fewer things, but better things. Part of why you want to replace everything in your life all the time is that the things have no real value or meaning. If you know the person who made the cup you are drinking your coffee out of, the entire act of drinking some coffee is an act of connection, not consumption.
The Walton family pays such low wages that some stores have food banks for employees.
Sounds kike the company towns of Appalchian coal country.
Great advice, thank you. I do grow my own veggies but the weather here in California has been in a drought. We haven't had any rain at all comparing to last year. I don't need any clothes and if I am looking to buy something I go to second hand stores or yardsales. You would be surprised of what you would find.
Anyone read Dan Rather today? https://steady.substack.com/p/playing-chicken-with-the-economy?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=247881&post_id=152870580&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3idmp&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Thx for the link. Very informative.
The super massive black holes of ownership is the lottery small companies play in. Selling out to the black holes is the big prize rather than selling the enterprises to employees.
Good comment J L, but I still see the marketplace as a buyer-beware arena where "shop around" and diligence pays off. And, along with that, is being careful how one pays for something 'on-line' so that if a person elects to cancel a purchase, that it can be cancelled for a legitimate reason. And that reason could simply be a deceptively worded ad. I know for a fact that my Chase card and Discover card have rescued me from transactions I expressed to them as being fraudulent in nature.
I shop for lowest price obsessively, and it pays off. My impression is that kind of search was more widely practiced by adults in my youth than it is today. That said, my personal impression is that good valve for the money becoming much harder to find, especially in the last decade. Many of the places I used to favor because they offered good deals have often been have been squeezed out or bought up and corporatized and/or gentrified.
Agree JL, but had to toss that in there. As you know/can recall, several times over the past 4 yrs, the MAGAtts yelled out how Biden was going to create Panic/Recession/Mkt Crash,,etc but to their dismay..hohoho it didn't happen..until the price of bacon & eggs was bloviated by Faux Noose. So..., I am very-wary that "IF" the doom&gloom floated by the (D)emocrats is Trumped (some way) by Trump.., that the (D)ems will buy into it..., maybe even buy a MAGA hat. So, I'm gonna fold for this round and hold what I got, soda-speak.
Just like they did while Biden sorted out supply chains and backed up ships in West Coast ports at the start of his administration. While he tried to work through the problem he inherited, the corporations took the opportunity to take outsize profits, and Americans screamed they were better off under tfg.
Trump made a lot of mess.
Biden succeeded in cleaning a lot of it up.
Trump took the credit.
What's next?
Hell
Rinse and repeat! And all those long-flowing locke's of blonde-hair, the big titted 'surgeon-general', airey-legal Aleena Habeena's, tushy-Tulsee's, and Senators who know better than to oppose his choices. Hoooboy!! Jusss give that boy "credit"....? Huh? Credit? Yeah.., he'll pay us back alright.
Whew!!! All I can see is that the trove we were left with no-choice but to feed from, had been so tossed and mixed up with bull----- that we couldn't tell what was in it. But, that was the only "trove" we had to feed from. Pretty simply, we were screwed from the git go. Now, whether or not we have been screwed into oblivion remains to be seen. I'm trying to watch what I eat, but all that 'added sugar' is probably going to be our undoing.
Let their stupidity bite them in the but when reality sets in.
And then claim it was Biden’s fault that prices were so high, & not due to the tariffs.
Geeezussss..., that explains it. It's such an easy Sell. And for the 26% that didn't bother to vote, it'll take about four years for the crap to really hit the fan. Then, who ya gonna call - Ghost-busters? Sorry, that liberal-agency phone has been dis-connected. Bbboink.
Bastards indeed
Don't on't worry Mike, they'll be some "women" enabling the illegitimate(s). Probably not trans types though. After all, they voted for them, right? They paid the price. They want that photo-op with 'the Pres' along with the $350 per plate dinner at Mah-Rah-Lahgo. Kaachinggggg!
Didn’t he do tariffs last time too?
Frau...,, but, "he" did so much! This time, please take notes will ya. No one I ask seems to be able to answer that question very well.
It's a shame how Trump voters are ignorant about tariffs and how it will affect them as well. The majority of them complained about inflation and the cost of food.
Just wait when the rug is pulled from them and the tariffs kick in. Their be lucky enough to survive on milk and eggs.
In 2004 a senior advisor to President George W. Bush famously told journalist Ron Suskind that people like Suskind lived in “the reality-based community,” believing that people could find solutions to problems based on their real-world observations. But such a worldview was obsolete, the aide said. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore.… We are an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality…. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”
There's a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual code for that.
When my wife was in grad school, the DSMIIIR was released. Some of her cohort wrote a parody of some of those. One of them included the "JPN" diagnosis: Just Plain Nuts. Another was APD: A$$hole Personality Disorder, NOS*. I wish I could remember the rest; some of them were pretty funny.
*Not Otherwise Specified
That's funny.
I was actually surprised that W. Could wax so expansively on any political theory.
I think it wasn’t W saying that, but Dick Cheney.
And here is to the Nevada probate judge! It would be a reach indeed for the conservative activists in the Supreme Court to grant review of a state probate determination. Let’s hope the State appeal project denies Rupert relief on appeal.
Yes , that will be great because it will eventually destroy the fox empire network. That would be a miracle and that's what we need.
Lets hope it doesn't come down to who offers the greater "gratuity."
It took Russian military involvement to attack and kill Syrian civilians with chemical weapons.
In the United States, with Russian election interference, Putin helped bring Donnie Trump to power, along with RFK JR, convincing tens of thousands to refuse lifesaving vaccines. Once vanquished childhood diseases will end up killing just as many American kids as people In Syria by chemical weapons and carpet bombing.
Mr Putin can’t win real wars, but he sure is winning the psychological ones. The new art of war, get your enemy to fight themselves. Weaken them from within. Turn their strengths into weaknesses. Get them to degrade their own education system to lessen their technological advantage. Convince their leaders to promote anti vaccineism to neutralize their population advantage.
On and on, Putin’s the world champion of disinformation.
Russia doesn’t need to attack the US with nukes or chemical weapons. They have RFK JR to poison the population from within. He will withhold funding for childhood vaccinations, deaths and blindness from measles, mumps= deaths and deafness resurgence.
He will withhold funding and enforcement by the FDA… E. coli, salmonella, listeria, etc.
No Fluoride in the water will destroy the teeth in the lower and middle class, adding to working families cost during the larger health care crisis…
collectively RFK JR ‘s policies could cost the country more than the last pandemic, albeit a slower burn, then an avalanche of outbreaks.
How the heck do we reelect a person for president whose only honesty is to not sign any ethical agreements?
Not we Because I am most definitely not included
No you are not, along with many others, but the society that we are part of somehow, when all the pieces came together, made that choice. That's a collective "we" we are part of (are stuck with) even if we did our best to prevent the outcome.
I think he cheated.
I suspect the possiblity as well. Unlike MAGA, we know that we don't have the evidence necessary to prove it.
Not paying nearly enough attention? I still puzzle over what voters were thinking.
Someone else pointed out above:
Dr Steven Hassan exposes the psychological operation to help Trump win
https://youtu.be/xYf7F66AwDo?si=KEj5tHbqRnqN0p2Q
I'd like the real answer to that question. It doesn't feel like a re-election to me.
Someone else pointed out above:
Dr Steven Hassan exposes the psychological operation to help Trump win
https://youtu.be/xYf7F66AwDo?si=KEj5tHbqRnqN0p2Q
Read it! Read it! Forewarned is forearmed, and if you can see through the conjurer's trick you KNOW the rabbit wasn't in the hat.
As we head into the dark days of Winter, I see a growing light in events in Syria, South Korea, and the former SSR of Georgia. Has the political pendulum started to swing back? At home there are many online reports of MAGA buyer’s remorse, before TFG is even sworn in. I see that wave only increasing after the MAGA team of clowns and incompetents struggles to take control after Jan. 20. Also, there are indications of an emerging Democratic backbone of resistance in Congress, various statehouses, and cities. This is not 2016.
We only have to stall Project 2025 until the 2026 mid-term elections. If we can’t take it back then, it really is all lost.
I may be whistling past the graveyard here, but I do see a light.
I’m not an actual president; I just play one on TV.
I didn’t win the popular vote, I simply stole the job with some help from my friends on the internet.
As such, I don’t need to bother with formal presidential protocol; I’ve not studied world history, nor have I served in our military. I don’t have any acceptable ethics, nor do I worry about how my actions affect your future.
At my age and physical condition, I don’t worry much about the future. I don’t need to read government briefs, because everything I need to know is on endless cable TV news. I like free everything. I get free food, board and security with first class travel to my frequent golf outings or re-election rallies.
My Cabinet, staff and appointees are all very handsome and loyal “yes men” agreeing with everything I say — or I’ll fire them, embroiling them in public humiliation. I am always right, so I never need to apologize, and I lie so prolifically, the media can’t fact-check me fast enough. Nothing sticks to me, I deny everything, and at the same time take credit for achievements that were not mine. I can womanize, and by contract, still hold my wife’s hand publicly.
Since my attention span is very short, and I am so very smart, I can complete every task, solve every world problem, in one-hour TV episodes.
Spending other people’s money is no problem; I’ve done it all my life. Now that I’m POTUS I can even print new money to supplement the tax revenue you send me.
I don’t pay my employees, never have; but expect good work from them. I don’t pay taxes, either — I’m not that stupid. Bankruptcy is my friend, as are my base of believers.
I make big commissions on every foot of wall I sell, and I’m selling a lot of wall these days, paid for by people I used to call Mexicans. (I won’t pay those contractors, either.)
Being the TV POTUS is great. I can say and do whatever I want. And “pardon me, I’m not a crook.”
Thank you,
TVPOTUS
Yup
EXACTLY‼️
Yes , you described Trump very well. But in reality it's horrific and a travesty when you think about this felon and rapist that was able to mimnipute the judicial system and mimnipute voters so he can destroy this country and take down the people with it.
I am curious if others are bothered by the clear example that played out that the US has one criminal justice system for the very wealthy, and a different one for everyone else. In my book, all murders are equally bad, and all murderers should be brought to justice. However, if you happen to be the CEO of a giant healthcare corporation, the resources to solve that murder seem infinite---not so for the rest of us. There are roughly 20,000 murders in the US each year, and roughly 40% go unsolved. Lincoln's analysis of the "proposition" that "ALL" men are created equal is not reflected in the US criminal justice system. It seems to be more true to Jefferson's view, that those who were created equal were white, land-owning males of western-European lineage. My apologies to all for being in such a cynical mood this morning.
If you read comments on this news item, on Yahoo, there are many, many, many comments expressing the same thought. I don't condone murder AT ALL, but I think the reaction of people first to the actual murder, and then to the treatment this case was given, should be a wake up call to the wealthy and powerful.
Thomas, I am a retired cop, and dealt with and within the criminal justice system for 35 years as a corrections officer (18 months), court transport officer (6 months, plus academy), a patrol deputy (26 years), and part time courthouse security (7 years). Some short snippets that reflect my position only: The most important job in the CJS is as a death penalty defense attorney for indigent defendants. Period. The next most important is for the Public Defenders, who are grossly underpaid and over assigned. The next is for good, honest, aggressive Prosecutors in the DA's office. Another must that is assumed but not always accurate are honest and knowledgeable judges. With any one of this links missing (and there are some judges who may be great in civil law or administrative law who have difficulty adjudicating criminal cases and vice versa).
Keep in mind, my observations are at the lowest rung of the CJS ladder. Your view that there is a bifurcated system based on wealth is 100% accurate.
After spending nearly 40 years in the state and federal court systems of our country, I agree with your observations, Ally.
Jefferson's view is alive and well. It still dominates. We just have dollar wealth today, not land wealth, as our unit of measure.
“Criminal Justice System” is descriptive enough to understand it’s meaning.
Interesting pairing of Heather's today.
She cites the people of Syria largely rising up with their fellow rebels, and getting rid of the long tyrannizing, multiply murdering Assad family. Hundreds of thousands of his, Assad's, own people for many years were tortured, imprisoned, kept in poverty -- while his thieving, drug-running regime kept themselves, his family, in riches, luxurious foods, furnishings for their many mansions.
Aided, we all know, by the world's worst dictator, Putin and his thug military.
All the other parts of Heather's today just remind us of what we frightfully know -- how much the orange felon blatantly lies.
Nothing easily answers the Q as to how the tens of millions so buy into his lies, his affronts to human decency.
The people of Syria, divided among themselves as the convicted criminal Trump ever aims to keep Americans divided, finally rid themselves of their predicament -- and no one saw it coming.
Maybe there's no easy answer, but Americans might rise up for the teachers and the schools, and the human decencies of the truths in literacy, human truths? As the rebels in Syria rose up for the people despite all the divisiveness which scoundrel dictators and oligarchs sowed there?
I’m reminded of some research that I read about years ago, linking one’s priorities in parenting to political persuasions. For example, “Those [parents] who favor traditional characteristics like respect for elders, obedience, and good manners flock to [authoritarian rulers]. Those who favor independence, self-reliance, and curiosity are repelled by them”.
I bet that most of us who read HCR would say that we want our children to think for themselves and ask questions, despite the disorder in the world that such curiosity reveals.
On the other hand, obedience to a strongman’s words (lies) establishes apparent order in a chaotic, unsettling world— very appealing to t***p’s devotees.
https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/11/29/18116789/trump-bolsonaro-right-wing-populism-voting-child-rearing
We and our descendants will long rue the day when 49.9% of voters opened the door to fascism.
53% of Americans read at a 6th grade level.
Statistics. 63% don’t have a college degree. 44% have never left their county. 50% have never left their state. If our CIA wanted to destabilize a country… think what they could accomplish? Thats what Russia is doing, has done.
Trump doesn't have a degree. Half of his cabinet that he pick don't have degrees. Thier alcoholics and petifiles and rapists. They don't know anything about foreign policy which is dangerous. None of them are educated.
That's amazing. Never left their county? I didn't know these statistics, never sought them out. Mind boggling.
I think that at our 10 year HS reunion in Medford, OR, over half of our class of 650 had never left Oregon.
I do know of one family I went to ES with who have not been outside of CA. I thought it was an anomaly. Apparently not.
Ted, I hear similar statements. Where does that information come from?
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/educational-attainment-data.html
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=69#:~:text=The%20percentage%20of%20U.S.%20adults,in%202017%20was%2048%20percent.
Thank you.
My understanding is this:
1. they didnt win the popular vote
2. ⅓ of the voting population didn't vote
So they didn't garner 49.9% of voters but Electoral College has been manipulated.
Write our congress and demand, request, beg that they address this problem NOW.
Thank you.
Make voting mandatory, and election day a "national holiday". And if you don't vote, you get fined!
re "they didn't win the popular vote" and "they didn't garner 49.9% of voters":
Just to clarify: "49.9% of voters" means 49.9% of the people who actually *voted*. It
doesn't include people who were registered but didn't participate; they didn't *vote*.
Are you sure of the 49.9%? I think the margin may have been larger. I still believe that gerrymandering won the vote.
As of 12:39 p.m. today (Tuesday, Dec. 10), the latest numbers are as follows:
Trump ...... 77,237,942 (49.9%)
Harris ....... 74,946,837 (48.4%)
Margin of victory: 2,291,105 popular votes, or 1.5%.
Electoral College: 312 to 226
These figures are factual and don't involve speculation or wishful thinking.
Thank you Gene.
Depressing, continued sadness.
Ah well.
“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power. He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building, and halted the official counting of electoral votes. Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave. This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history.”
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
Poor little Keats! He was a marvellous letter-writer. He was very short, in a roomful of people you wouldn't see his head. He wrote to a friend, "Lady xxxxx told me I was quite the little poet. Nobody ever told Napoleon that he was quite the little general."
Did anyone hear the throwaway line of one of the NPR reporters last week concerning the demento RFK, Jr? That he has "stated" that HIV doesn't cause AIDS? And that simply fell into the ether without any comment whatsoever? And that therefore the massive campaign the USA is sponsoring in Africa to combat HIV is probably going to be canceled? I hope that scares you the way it scares me--because this is not a vaccine-causes-autism issue. This is a genocide issue. The anti-vaxxers will discover that a world with polio, smallpox, diphtheria, measles, rubella, chicken pox, etc. in it is a world they don't like, especially if their children are affected (those who will continue to vaccinate their children will not be affected to any great degree but those who are swayed by these idiots' arguments will suffer). But if HIV is allowed to run rampant in the world and is not treated as a universal health crisis, the decimation of people in Africa in particular will be extreme. Any denial of the dangers of HIV is a call to genocide. This mo**erf**ker wants people to die.
Spot on, Linda. That <colorful metaphor> has no business anywhere close to leading the nation on anything health related. Period.
Addressing the issue of reading Substack and paying fees. The ones I read are free. I am not sure every single site is free to read. Bluesky is free and carries Dr. Richardson, Joyce Vance and many other significant Substack writers and a ton of really excellent others.
The larger issue is our investment in the truth telling voices of America. We all have to support the voices we need to hear and that are telling the truth. We must support alternative media. Dr. Richardson has become a national voice in this Country. I consider the $5 a month to be a real bargain to read her thoughts. She is the only Substack writer I pay to comment on. I have my own Substack site if I want to say what is on my mind to a larger space.
We are all living with some level of fear at this time. It is super easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. I haven't slept well since November 6. 2024. This can translate into all kinds of stressors. Keep the writers who give you comfort close to you.
Yes! I'm a paid subscriber to several Substacks in addition to this one. I read several more. Whether I pay or not has a lot to do with whether I have something to contribute to the discussion and on how vibrant the discussion is. I dearly wish that the so-called news media, legacy and otherwise, were doing a better job, so I could cover all the bases I'm interested in with two or three subscriptions instead of a dozen, but this is where we are at the moment. Substack and other independent media are giving "we the people" half a chance to keep our democracy alive.
Our democracy is actually in great hands right now don’t be so pessimistic and will continue to flourish