Over all the torrent of news these days is a fundamental struggle about the nature of human government. Is democracy still a viable form of government, or is it better for a country to have a strongman in charge? Democracy stands on the principle of equality for all people, and those who are turning away from democracy, including the right wing in the United States, object to that equality. They worry that equal rights for women and minorities—especially LGBTQ people—will undermine traditional religion and traditional power structures. They believe democracy saps the morals of a country and are eager for a strong leader who will use the power of the government to reinforce their worldview.
Professor, your first three paragraphs are the best encapsulation that I've read about our intensifying struggle and what's at stake. I would also highlight how freedom of expression is increasingly suppressed in right-wing states. I'm not sure we fully grasp the extent, for example, of book bans sweeping the nation.
I read today that Duval County in Florida, where Jacksonville is located, has banned 176 books from public schools. Four jumped out at me for what would seem their tame content — books about famous athletes who happen to have been people of color: Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Jim Thorpe, and Roberto Clemente. I guess local school officials see them as subversive influences, and believe kids would be harmed learning of their success. Or worse, strive to emulate it.
Don't know how you are able to share so much news in this little Letter that whole networks and flagship newspapers seem unable to provide to our citizens. Thanks for doing what you do!
“[Conservatives] worry that equal rights for women and minorities—especially LGBTQ people—will undermine traditional religion and traditional power structures.”
Conservatives are correct in that fear. Traditional religion and power structures are indeed threatened as well they should be.
A civilized society is one that works for everyone.
Elon Musk is playing God with Starlink. I would think he has broken some kind of law domestically by withholding it selectively from Ukrainians, given the USA's official stance on the conflict there. This megalomaniac should be brought to heel.
So glad you have spelled out so simply what Erdogan and his cronies have done to Turkey. Of course it is a much longer and deeper story. We have stayed interested and attached to Turkey since the mid-1990s, and watched in dismay what Erdogan has destroyed and corrupted, in his quest for power and money. I cannot even begin to think about what has happened to beautiful Syria since we traveled through that country in 1997. Just heartbreaking that Assad’s son, Bashir, in his weakness, has been willing to utterly destroy such a long and rich culture.
So terribly sad to see human destruction rival the power of the earthquake.
President Biden will soon be in Poland for meetings on the one (1) year anniversary of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. NATO members will be discussing defense & offense in the air & ground war from Spring into Winter 2023 and its impact on adjacent states such as Moldova which has suffered Russian occupation on a thin strip of land along a river system on Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine known as Putin controlled 'Transnistria". Biden's Team has demonstrated superior management & messaging across a wide array of executive branch decisions both tactical & strategic. Very difficult times are anead of us. Nothing less than the fate of the next several generations of Europeans is at stake. 🇺🇦 SATURDAY UPDATE: Ali Velshi will report LIVE from UKRAINE starting FEB 18 10 am Eastern. Given Velshi's world class reporting at the start of the War, I expect Velshi will make good use of substantial Tech support to proudce valuable content. I am "wondering where the lions are." 🇺🇦
Our Professor has succinctly stated the conflict between integrity and narcissism on the scale of the world's powers. IMO unless good people stop being shocked and horrified and step into the fight with the same level of commitment as the Putins, Trumps and Elons, what our Professor has delineated as goodness will expire under the violence of megalomania, psychopathy and sadism.
It seems so much to shoulder until we realize we have many many shoulders that want freedom, equity of opportunity, peace, in a society that works together for the common good so we can be Individually free to pursue our own hopes, dreams and aspirations. Apologize for the stream and run on sentence. It’s all I have tonight. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and context for a common understanding.
“Democracy stands on the principle of equality for all people, and those who are turning away from democracy, including the right wing in the United States, object to that equality.” Yes, Professor, you remind us of a Truth that is often drowned out by too much political noise. We must all, people from all political parties in the USA, pay close attention to how democracy can be weakened and possibly destroyed. This is a time to support Democratic principles around the world, not ignore how easy it could be to lose our own. Who was paying attention when Republicans welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to their conservative political conference, CPAC, in Dallas in 2022, as keynote speaker. Who attended? Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, TFG, Tucker Carlson. Where is the outrage, as repubs actively work to shut down Voters’ voices, including their own party members who trust their representatives. . “Hungary's prime minister calls for culture war at right-wing conference in Dallas - https://www.npr.org/2022/08/04/1115758213/hungarys-prime-minister-addressed-prominent-republicans-at-right-wing-meet-in-da”
Lulu is as eloquent a poet of democracy as Amanda Gorman, celebrating “joy…to guarantee dreams for the youth.” A lovely thought with which to end the week.
Benjamin Franklin's answer that we have a republic, if we can keep it proves chillingly accurate. Keeping a democratic republic, securing it against the forces of powerful self-interest that want to subvert it is the challenge of the moment. Is democracy destined to fail? Democracy doesn't have a great track record, historically.
I am still in Germany and have been watching these situations unfold from here. The news coverage has been focusing on the Turkish-Syrian earthquake crisis, the Ukrainian war, the visit by Zelenskiy to the EU and several European countries with some desiring a border wall to keep immigrants out. What I am seeing of Turkey reminds me of Surfside, Florida and the building collapsing without an earthquake, just corruption on some level for building standards. When we build that tall we need to have building standards. The obvious corruption tied to authoritarian regimes is not what I want. Nor its agenda to make everyone hetero-baby producing, no abortion, no birth control cogs in the nationalism machine. It doesn't work well. Let us hope that people can see through the Republicans and what they are offering.
Excuse me, but anybody who sees chump as a strong Leader, is either deaf, dumb, or stupid. He is a con man extraordinaire, who will (and has) stripped the country of values, assets and common sense. Propaganda says that he is a strong hero, I say he, and his ilk, are evil personified…
Biden and Lula seem to be in sync. Two honorable men with sound ethics. These are both inspiring and heart breaking times. Each day I'm amazed that the center of gravitas is still holding. Each day I feel my heart breaking seeing all the madness and the pain. And as the hours go by, I gradually find my balance. I did a climate report for the Italian govt. in the early 80s, Mama mia, it was scary and I believe that much of the madness that's all around us is due to deep seated atavistic fear. That said, I believe as the Buddhists do.. there is wisdom in the wounds and I also believe that we were made for these times. Wise enough to know when to rest, to reach out to others and, like Biden and Lula stay focused on finding creative empathic solutions. .
Fabulous how you illuminate so much we don’t see in the news and bring all the current situations together as the challenges to democracy Thanks
Professor, your first three paragraphs are the best encapsulation that I've read about our intensifying struggle and what's at stake. I would also highlight how freedom of expression is increasingly suppressed in right-wing states. I'm not sure we fully grasp the extent, for example, of book bans sweeping the nation.
I read today that Duval County in Florida, where Jacksonville is located, has banned 176 books from public schools. Four jumped out at me for what would seem their tame content — books about famous athletes who happen to have been people of color: Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Jim Thorpe, and Roberto Clemente. I guess local school officials see them as subversive influences, and believe kids would be harmed learning of their success. Or worse, strive to emulate it.
https://pen.org/banned-books-florida/
Don't know how you are able to share so much news in this little Letter that whole networks and flagship newspapers seem unable to provide to our citizens. Thanks for doing what you do!
“[Conservatives] worry that equal rights for women and minorities—especially LGBTQ people—will undermine traditional religion and traditional power structures.”
Conservatives are correct in that fear. Traditional religion and power structures are indeed threatened as well they should be.
A civilized society is one that works for everyone.
Elon Musk is playing God with Starlink. I would think he has broken some kind of law domestically by withholding it selectively from Ukrainians, given the USA's official stance on the conflict there. This megalomaniac should be brought to heel.
Space-X is fucking with Ukraine? WTF?? Why??? I'd like to hear the reasoning behind this decision.
So glad you have spelled out so simply what Erdogan and his cronies have done to Turkey. Of course it is a much longer and deeper story. We have stayed interested and attached to Turkey since the mid-1990s, and watched in dismay what Erdogan has destroyed and corrupted, in his quest for power and money. I cannot even begin to think about what has happened to beautiful Syria since we traveled through that country in 1997. Just heartbreaking that Assad’s son, Bashir, in his weakness, has been willing to utterly destroy such a long and rich culture.
So terribly sad to see human destruction rival the power of the earthquake.
President Biden will soon be in Poland for meetings on the one (1) year anniversary of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. NATO members will be discussing defense & offense in the air & ground war from Spring into Winter 2023 and its impact on adjacent states such as Moldova which has suffered Russian occupation on a thin strip of land along a river system on Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine known as Putin controlled 'Transnistria". Biden's Team has demonstrated superior management & messaging across a wide array of executive branch decisions both tactical & strategic. Very difficult times are anead of us. Nothing less than the fate of the next several generations of Europeans is at stake. 🇺🇦 SATURDAY UPDATE: Ali Velshi will report LIVE from UKRAINE starting FEB 18 10 am Eastern. Given Velshi's world class reporting at the start of the War, I expect Velshi will make good use of substantial Tech support to proudce valuable content. I am "wondering where the lions are." 🇺🇦
Our Professor has succinctly stated the conflict between integrity and narcissism on the scale of the world's powers. IMO unless good people stop being shocked and horrified and step into the fight with the same level of commitment as the Putins, Trumps and Elons, what our Professor has delineated as goodness will expire under the violence of megalomania, psychopathy and sadism.
It seems so much to shoulder until we realize we have many many shoulders that want freedom, equity of opportunity, peace, in a society that works together for the common good so we can be Individually free to pursue our own hopes, dreams and aspirations. Apologize for the stream and run on sentence. It’s all I have tonight. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and context for a common understanding.
“Democracy stands on the principle of equality for all people, and those who are turning away from democracy, including the right wing in the United States, object to that equality.” Yes, Professor, you remind us of a Truth that is often drowned out by too much political noise. We must all, people from all political parties in the USA, pay close attention to how democracy can be weakened and possibly destroyed. This is a time to support Democratic principles around the world, not ignore how easy it could be to lose our own. Who was paying attention when Republicans welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to their conservative political conference, CPAC, in Dallas in 2022, as keynote speaker. Who attended? Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, TFG, Tucker Carlson. Where is the outrage, as repubs actively work to shut down Voters’ voices, including their own party members who trust their representatives. . “Hungary's prime minister calls for culture war at right-wing conference in Dallas - https://www.npr.org/2022/08/04/1115758213/hungarys-prime-minister-addressed-prominent-republicans-at-right-wing-meet-in-da”
Lulu is as eloquent a poet of democracy as Amanda Gorman, celebrating “joy…to guarantee dreams for the youth.” A lovely thought with which to end the week.
Benjamin Franklin's answer that we have a republic, if we can keep it proves chillingly accurate. Keeping a democratic republic, securing it against the forces of powerful self-interest that want to subvert it is the challenge of the moment. Is democracy destined to fail? Democracy doesn't have a great track record, historically.
I am still in Germany and have been watching these situations unfold from here. The news coverage has been focusing on the Turkish-Syrian earthquake crisis, the Ukrainian war, the visit by Zelenskiy to the EU and several European countries with some desiring a border wall to keep immigrants out. What I am seeing of Turkey reminds me of Surfside, Florida and the building collapsing without an earthquake, just corruption on some level for building standards. When we build that tall we need to have building standards. The obvious corruption tied to authoritarian regimes is not what I want. Nor its agenda to make everyone hetero-baby producing, no abortion, no birth control cogs in the nationalism machine. It doesn't work well. Let us hope that people can see through the Republicans and what they are offering.
Excuse me, but anybody who sees chump as a strong Leader, is either deaf, dumb, or stupid. He is a con man extraordinaire, who will (and has) stripped the country of values, assets and common sense. Propaganda says that he is a strong hero, I say he, and his ilk, are evil personified…
Biden and Lula seem to be in sync. Two honorable men with sound ethics. These are both inspiring and heart breaking times. Each day I'm amazed that the center of gravitas is still holding. Each day I feel my heart breaking seeing all the madness and the pain. And as the hours go by, I gradually find my balance. I did a climate report for the Italian govt. in the early 80s, Mama mia, it was scary and I believe that much of the madness that's all around us is due to deep seated atavistic fear. That said, I believe as the Buddhists do.. there is wisdom in the wounds and I also believe that we were made for these times. Wise enough to know when to rest, to reach out to others and, like Biden and Lula stay focused on finding creative empathic solutions. .