Yes, Heather, even in Ireland, the world feels a fresher, more optimistic place, without the incessant noise of Trump's delusional tweets, so full of anger, bile and invective. Long may it be so! But the USA, in this time of reflection, needs to take a very deep breath and realise just how close it came to losing what is most precious. If there is anything to be grateful to the fallen Emperor for, it is a great awakening, beautifully expressed by Amanda Gorman at the inauguration. Staying awake and engaged now is the great challenge to ensure Trump or one of his sycophant's never again bring you to the edge of the precipice.
Yes, Don, at a minimum those of us here know how close we came. Fiona Hill wrote a very convincing article that this was actually a planned coup. Now we must convince other Americans. Personally, the kind things said by European leaders and citizens, such as they’re glad we’re back, make me feel better—that trump didn’t rob us of those friendships with his boorishness with which so many of us were horrified.
Thank you Marcy. We were looking on with dread and pity at how this charlatan, far from draining the swamp, had turned the White House into a sewer. It was a kind of poetic justice that Covid required the peoples house to be given a deep clean after his welcome departure.
I'd be very interested in reading Fiona Hill's article. Can you send a link, please? I wish you a day full of hope and optimism.
Thank you Catherine. Very much appreciated. See my response to Pam Peterson below, who also very kindly sent it to me. Very much appreciated Catherine.
Very well said, Don. During a trip to Ireland 2.5 years ago, we stayed at various B&Bs as we crossed the country. Sensing some uneasiness from innkeepers who were far too polite to inquire (plus not good for business!) we introduced ourselves upon arrival as non trumpsters. Collective sigh of relief from other guests as well. It was a wonderful trip and we didn’t want to go home and as we suspected trump, the madman, was only “warming up”!
Thank you Janet. I'm so glad you had a wonderful time in Ireland. I have been visiting the USA on various lecture tours and engagements for over three decades and wherever I went, be it on the east or west coast, or in the deep south or close to the Canadian border, I found the people courteous, welcoming and generous. It was tragic to see how the lies and toxic rhetoric of Trump had really divided the people. We are all praying that President Biden will be a healer of divisions.
Best wishes, and thank you for your kind words Janet, Don
Another great thing about Heather’s “Letters” is the diverse community of people she has brought together. Folks, such as yourself, who observe, experience, and document events (before they were history) enrich and broaden our collective experience which in turn motivates people to be involved.
Don, we had the very same thing happen during our travels to Germany and Ireland just over 2 years ago. Everyone (especially in Ireland, my favorite country to visit!) was so polite, but invariably, someone would mention trump, and as soon as we denounced him the atmosphere in every B&B was suddenly lighter. Our trip was also wonderful, and I pray we will be able to return in the near future to that beautiful land where a good portion of my heritage lies.
So good to hear this Alexander. I think only in the village of Doonbeg where he has his golf course will you find people waking lyrical about Trump. Though I think he is becoming even more toxic and won't be surprised when it too is announced a failure and he files for bankruptcy. Look forward to welcoming you back to your ancestral home Alexander. Let's meet for a pint to celebrate!
Thank you Pam. It's a powerful and compelling read, especially when she outlines her reasoning as to why she believed what tRump attempted was a coup.
What shocked myself and people in my Covid bubble, as well as friends reaching out on social media, was just how long the Capitol police were left exposed before support eventually arrived, over two hours too late. All the while the 'President' was watching things unfold in the White House and kept his silence, not even reaching out to his Vice President. It was a though he was awaiting news of a culling which would have so shocked the American people he would have had cover to declare a state of emergency.
That interminable delay needs to be investigated and explained. It just didn't happen by accident or incompetence.
Another question I had is since the Capitol was under attach did they take Trump to the bunker? If not, why? But definitely, why did the POTUS NOT ORDER IMMEDIATE HELP?
Thank YOU Syd. An American friend introduced me to Heather's American Letter and I am now addicted to it. I wish you a good day from an absolutely gorgeous clear sky over Dublin.
Don, thank you for joining this remarkable community from your Dublin location. Voices like yours enrich the conversation greatly. Your posts today have been full of insight and also disturbing questions (such as the delay). Amanda Gorman gave us the perfect poem for the day. But also one that will endure and ring down through the years and ages.
Don Mullan, yes, I agree with you. However, consider this: The G7 will have it's next meeting at a resort in impoverished Cornwall in the SW of England. Do you think the Group of 7(US, EU, GB, Germany, France, Italy, Japan) will learn anything about poverty while these rich folks are there? After Brexit, the EU no longer gives to Cornwall.
It's a much broader question than the G7 and Cornwall. Already we are seeing the fault lines exposed by Covid. The bigger question is how will the world emerge from a pandemic that has stopped the incessant rush for material excess. Can we reimagine a fairer and more just world where the wealthy, corporations and conglomerates pay their fair share in taxes which ear used for the common good? Climate Change is the great existential threat. We ignore it to our peril. And in tandem with that, is the unequal distribution of the worlds resources. Africa has the worlds youngest population. In the next 20 years that young population will be a powder keg, and unemployment the detonator. It's a challenge that will not be solved by building walls.
Now it's not what awful thing has *he* done, it's what awful thing are *they* (the Republican Party across the country, which refuses to accept the outcome of the election or believe in the rule of law) done overnight.
My family in the UK say that Bernie is photoshopped everywhere in the UK. The youngest granddaughter loves Bernie, but she said she has no idea who he is and loves that he is one of our senators from Vermont!
Hopefuly Biden will recognize sooner rather than later that his old buddies from the other side of the aisle are no longer his old buddies. Because if he doesn't he's going to be the last democratically-elected president of a constitutional democratic republic. I wish to hell I saw it otherwise, but if we don't stay clear-eyed about the fact they have chosen to make themselves The Enemy and fight an uncivil civil war, we are going to lose everything. I'd love to be wrong, but there is no indication at all that I am.
There are some fairly powerful women right behind him that will stand for Justice, I really believe it. I hope Garland is tough--- wish Katie Porter was going for that position. I would sleep even better than in the past five nights!
Both political sides fear Bernie. He has a progressive plan to save this country, the world. It would crush polluters, make true peace in the world, put the welfare of all its citizens first. Like Greta Thunberg said, we’ll see what America REALLY does. I’m betting this administration will play footsies about the environment up to the point where they may lose their big corporate donors but enough to convince us they are being progressive. If it’s anything other than this I’ll be shocked. Capitalism IS the disease.
Thanks to you and Buddy for that photo. I don't know how it sounded at the time it was taken, but looking at it puts me in mind of listening to silence. Rest well, and thank you, yet again, for all you do.
I remember this. It’s been about four or five decades, but I remember. What? You say it’s only been four or five years? No, that can’t be right.
Okay, you’re right. It did build up a head of steam in 2015 and came to an ugly climax in 2016. But it FEELS like decades.
Anyway, it’s great to be able to relax for a moment. But then it’s back to work. There’s lots of debris to be cleared and the repairs needed are extensive. But we can do it; if we all pull together the way we have this past year we can get ‘er done.
Beautiful photo, Heather. I was listening to NPR earlier today and heard someone say, “President Biden...” I had to stop and remind myself that it is, indeed, true. Hearing those two words soothed my heart and mind. As always, thank you from Texas.
Thanks to you and Buddy for this. Rest well, and let Buddy know that this is so gorgeous that I'd like to be there right now - a lot for this Boston transplant to Georgia to admit! I'm sleeping better, too, thanks to your wisdom - thought I'd never be able to again.
What Senator Jon Tester said about Pete Buttigieg during his confirmation hearings applies to the Biden administration ...... “You have put on a clinic for how a nominee should… act,” said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). “You haven’t avoided the questions. You’ve been straightforward. And you know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“That’s pretty damn refreshing,” Tester added.
And, that is why the depressive pall and chaos that blanketed the country has been lifted and we are starting to sleep through the night!
I don’t think it can be said enough times how grateful so many of us are that Heather kept the path of knowledge brightly lit so we could maintain some sense of sanity! Thank you.
Buddy Poland is a wonderful photographer. The peace and serenity in this picture makes the cold seem bearable. Perhaps that's so for today's world. I admit to post Trump PTSD. When media says "The President" my stomach churns. I wish they would say President Biden for a few months.
I'm wondering if you could explain how it is that Mitch McConnell seems to still have control of the Senate, how the filibuster means you need 60 votes to pass a piece of legislation. Although I don't wake up in dread of today's lies, I begin planning with my All In for North Carolina team today for 2022. We need, I need, a much larger majority in both houses of congress if the agenda I wish for is to happen.
Jane, what I’ve learned from Heather: McConnell wants assurance fro Schumer the Dems won’t get rid of the filibuster before they can proceed. Schumer won’t give it; it’s his ace. The Senate has already gotten rid of the filibuster for judicial nominees but it remains in place for legislation.
I know this-- my question to Heather is really about who sets the rules, some history around the Filibuster, and how we can lessen Mitch McConnell's ability to continue setting the agenda that has caused so many to suffer. A 50-50 Senate is not common and I'm hoping she can elucidate. I still wake up anxious in the morning as I know the Progressive agenda can not move forward and people will blame it on Biden not Mitch.... grrr
Thank you, Jane. This explains why my hair still feels like it's on fire, I think.
I'm not yet experiencing the "relief of bandwidth" that others are expressing. I'm sure there are more of me—and would love it if Heather has perspective to share on your McConnell Senate question. :-)
Thank you Heather for your excellent Letters. I have only just found you thanks to seeing you on UK TV recently (BBC Newsnight or Channel 4 News) . I am no longer waking up in the night to read what the latest Trump news is on the New YorK Times app. But there's still millions of people out there buying into the stolen election narrative, still over 100 lawmakers in post who voted against certifying the electoral college vote. Still members of the Trump family planning to run for office, still an unrepresentative gerrymandered Senate and an obstructive Mitch McConnell,
Yes...indeed, WHERE do we go from here? While we're expressing our concerns...mine quite simply are that Republicans are doing their best now to walk back events that happened on January 6th. They are hoping that all this will somehow fade away out of the country's collective consciousness and they can put off the schism their party seemed headed for. This is already happening right before our eyes as outrage has turned to indifference. Well, it's hardly surprising, isn't it? For the past 4-5 years we have been incessantly bombarded with news stories one after another every day. One outrageous event was immediately superseded by another. It's no wonder we've all more or less developed a kind of mass case of "ADHD". Nothing seems to stay in our memory anymore and as a nation we've already moved on to another "outrage du jour". I was afraid something similar would happen with regard to the Capitol insurrection and it seems to be coming to pass. The Republicans are banking on it. There are SO many other serious things that have to be tackled, the attack on the Capitol has already been shunted down lower on the priority list. I just think this is VERY dangerous. We ignore fascism in our midst at our own peril. If we downplay its rearing up in our society, then every time it reappears it can be more serious than the last. LOOK. AT. HISTORY. All these people need to do is lay low for a while and wait for the next opportunity. These people (and T***p) are most decidedly NOT going away. I am convinced they have infiltrated every area of our government and armed forces and they are waiting for another chance. They just suffered their "one step backwards". We need to prepare ourselves for their "two steps forward". These are MY concerns, while we're mentioning things...
My widened bandwidth has allowed me to move from urgent thoughts to important ones (for those familiar with the Eisenhower matrix). I’d live to see Letters from an American deal with a variety of solutions and viewpoints like yesterday’s question on rural vs. urban. One I have been considering this week is how capitalism might benefit from a single payer healthcare system—not having to have a regular full-time job to qualify for health insurance would free more people up to start Etsy businesses, small bakeries, do small renovation work. There have to be dozens of conversations like this that all of us would benefit from seeming from multiple angles. Maybe not emotionally charged issues like gun control and abortion, but farm subsidies, college loan forgiveness, tax policy, etc.
Yes, Heather, even in Ireland, the world feels a fresher, more optimistic place, without the incessant noise of Trump's delusional tweets, so full of anger, bile and invective. Long may it be so! But the USA, in this time of reflection, needs to take a very deep breath and realise just how close it came to losing what is most precious. If there is anything to be grateful to the fallen Emperor for, it is a great awakening, beautifully expressed by Amanda Gorman at the inauguration. Staying awake and engaged now is the great challenge to ensure Trump or one of his sycophant's never again bring you to the edge of the precipice.
Yes, Don, at a minimum those of us here know how close we came. Fiona Hill wrote a very convincing article that this was actually a planned coup. Now we must convince other Americans. Personally, the kind things said by European leaders and citizens, such as they’re glad we’re back, make me feel better—that trump didn’t rob us of those friendships with his boorishness with which so many of us were horrified.
Thank you Marcy. We were looking on with dread and pity at how this charlatan, far from draining the swamp, had turned the White House into a sewer. It was a kind of poetic justice that Covid required the peoples house to be given a deep clean after his welcome departure.
I'd be very interested in reading Fiona Hill's article. Can you send a link, please? I wish you a day full of hope and optimism.
Don Mullan, just in case Marcy didn’t see your request, here’s a link to the Fiona Hill article you requested:
https://www.politico.com/amp/news/magazine/2021/01/11/capitol-riot-self-coup-trump-fiona-hill-457549
Thank you Catherine. Very much appreciated. See my response to Pam Peterson below, who also very kindly sent it to me. Very much appreciated Catherine.
You are most welcome, Don. I see Pam was the first to respond to your request. I greatly appreciate your insights and observations.
that trump didn’t rob us of those friendships Marcy; it sure wasn't for lack of trying!! 😉😐
To you all, we are fortunate that Trump didn't turn us into a fascist country.
Very well said, Don. During a trip to Ireland 2.5 years ago, we stayed at various B&Bs as we crossed the country. Sensing some uneasiness from innkeepers who were far too polite to inquire (plus not good for business!) we introduced ourselves upon arrival as non trumpsters. Collective sigh of relief from other guests as well. It was a wonderful trip and we didn’t want to go home and as we suspected trump, the madman, was only “warming up”!
Thank you Janet. I'm so glad you had a wonderful time in Ireland. I have been visiting the USA on various lecture tours and engagements for over three decades and wherever I went, be it on the east or west coast, or in the deep south or close to the Canadian border, I found the people courteous, welcoming and generous. It was tragic to see how the lies and toxic rhetoric of Trump had really divided the people. We are all praying that President Biden will be a healer of divisions.
Best wishes, and thank you for your kind words Janet, Don
Another great thing about Heather’s “Letters” is the diverse community of people she has brought together. Folks, such as yourself, who observe, experience, and document events (before they were history) enrich and broaden our collective experience which in turn motivates people to be involved.
Don, we had the very same thing happen during our travels to Germany and Ireland just over 2 years ago. Everyone (especially in Ireland, my favorite country to visit!) was so polite, but invariably, someone would mention trump, and as soon as we denounced him the atmosphere in every B&B was suddenly lighter. Our trip was also wonderful, and I pray we will be able to return in the near future to that beautiful land where a good portion of my heritage lies.
So good to hear this Alexander. I think only in the village of Doonbeg where he has his golf course will you find people waking lyrical about Trump. Though I think he is becoming even more toxic and won't be surprised when it too is announced a failure and he files for bankruptcy. Look forward to welcoming you back to your ancestral home Alexander. Let's meet for a pint to celebrate!
Don, here's the Fiona Hill op-ed in Politico....https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/01/11/capitol-riot-self-coup-trump-fiona-hill-457549
Thank you Pam. It's a powerful and compelling read, especially when she outlines her reasoning as to why she believed what tRump attempted was a coup.
What shocked myself and people in my Covid bubble, as well as friends reaching out on social media, was just how long the Capitol police were left exposed before support eventually arrived, over two hours too late. All the while the 'President' was watching things unfold in the White House and kept his silence, not even reaching out to his Vice President. It was a though he was awaiting news of a culling which would have so shocked the American people he would have had cover to declare a state of emergency.
That interminable delay needs to be investigated and explained. It just didn't happen by accident or incompetence.
Another question I had is since the Capitol was under attach did they take Trump to the bunker? If not, why? But definitely, why did the POTUS NOT ORDER IMMEDIATE HELP?
I’ve asked that question also, why wasn’t the WH on lockdown? There’s just so much.
Yes, Mark. Pertinent questions that need to be considered. I honestly suspect he was waiting news of a culling.
Don, thank you for this.
Thank YOU Syd. An American friend introduced me to Heather's American Letter and I am now addicted to it. I wish you a good day from an absolutely gorgeous clear sky over Dublin.
Don, thank you for joining this remarkable community from your Dublin location. Voices like yours enrich the conversation greatly. Your posts today have been full of insight and also disturbing questions (such as the delay). Amanda Gorman gave us the perfect poem for the day. But also one that will endure and ring down through the years and ages.
Don Mullan, yes, I agree with you. However, consider this: The G7 will have it's next meeting at a resort in impoverished Cornwall in the SW of England. Do you think the Group of 7(US, EU, GB, Germany, France, Italy, Japan) will learn anything about poverty while these rich folks are there? After Brexit, the EU no longer gives to Cornwall.
It's a much broader question than the G7 and Cornwall. Already we are seeing the fault lines exposed by Covid. The bigger question is how will the world emerge from a pandemic that has stopped the incessant rush for material excess. Can we reimagine a fairer and more just world where the wealthy, corporations and conglomerates pay their fair share in taxes which ear used for the common good? Climate Change is the great existential threat. We ignore it to our peril. And in tandem with that, is the unequal distribution of the worlds resources. Africa has the worlds youngest population. In the next 20 years that young population will be a powder keg, and unemployment the detonator. It's a challenge that will not be solved by building walls.
It’s so nice to wake up and not have my first thought be...what awful thing has he done while I slept.
Now it's not what awful thing has *he* done, it's what awful thing are *they* (the Republican Party across the country, which refuses to accept the outcome of the election or believe in the rule of law) done overnight.
A friend across the pond has started referring to our anti-democratic, reality-denying faction as the "pro-fa," since they are anti-antifa.
That is perfect.
My family in the UK say that Bernie is photoshopped everywhere in the UK. The youngest granddaughter loves Bernie, but she said she has no idea who he is and loves that he is one of our senators from Vermont!
Trust the Brits to "get it." There are times I think the revolution my ancestors fought against them should have failed.
Me, too! If we hadn't had the Revolution, we could be another Canada, with socialised health care and the rest.
Touché
True. I do think about that. But I don’t wake up with that thought. (Yet)!
Hopefuly Biden will recognize sooner rather than later that his old buddies from the other side of the aisle are no longer his old buddies. Because if he doesn't he's going to be the last democratically-elected president of a constitutional democratic republic. I wish to hell I saw it otherwise, but if we don't stay clear-eyed about the fact they have chosen to make themselves The Enemy and fight an uncivil civil war, we are going to lose everything. I'd love to be wrong, but there is no indication at all that I am.
There are some fairly powerful women right behind him that will stand for Justice, I really believe it. I hope Garland is tough--- wish Katie Porter was going for that position. I would sleep even better than in the past five nights!
Both political sides fear Bernie. He has a progressive plan to save this country, the world. It would crush polluters, make true peace in the world, put the welfare of all its citizens first. Like Greta Thunberg said, we’ll see what America REALLY does. I’m betting this administration will play footsies about the environment up to the point where they may lose their big corporate donors but enough to convince us they are being progressive. If it’s anything other than this I’ll be shocked. Capitalism IS the disease.
And if you think any of that will happen, ever, I want some of whatever it is you're ingesting. (I wish I thought otherwise)
?
No “news” on my iPad as soon as I flip the cover ...
Thanks to you and Buddy for that photo. I don't know how it sounded at the time it was taken, but looking at it puts me in mind of listening to silence. Rest well, and thank you, yet again, for all you do.
Silence. Yes. Thanks.
I am a Drinkwater too! Living among my ancestors' burial sites in Maine.
Pleased t' meetcha. Have you read John Crowley's novel _Little Big_? The Drinkwater family plays a crucial and illustrious role!
I remember this. It’s been about four or five decades, but I remember. What? You say it’s only been four or five years? No, that can’t be right.
Okay, you’re right. It did build up a head of steam in 2015 and came to an ugly climax in 2016. But it FEELS like decades.
Anyway, it’s great to be able to relax for a moment. But then it’s back to work. There’s lots of debris to be cleared and the repairs needed are extensive. But we can do it; if we all pull together the way we have this past year we can get ‘er done.
Thank you again Dr. Richardson. You’re marvel!
Beautiful photo, Heather. I was listening to NPR earlier today and heard someone say, “President Biden...” I had to stop and remind myself that it is, indeed, true. Hearing those two words soothed my heart and mind. As always, thank you from Texas.
Peaceful. That has a nice ring to it. Let's relish it.
Buddy sure knows how to compose a photo. Thanks for sharing this lovely one.
Thanks to you and Buddy for this. Rest well, and let Buddy know that this is so gorgeous that I'd like to be there right now - a lot for this Boston transplant to Georgia to admit! I'm sleeping better, too, thanks to your wisdom - thought I'd never be able to again.
Don't know anyone who deserves a rest and good night sleeps than you. So appreciative always for your incredible perspective
What Senator Jon Tester said about Pete Buttigieg during his confirmation hearings applies to the Biden administration ...... “You have put on a clinic for how a nominee should… act,” said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). “You haven’t avoided the questions. You’ve been straightforward. And you know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“That’s pretty damn refreshing,” Tester added.
And, that is why the depressive pall and chaos that blanketed the country has been lifted and we are starting to sleep through the night!
I don’t think it can be said enough times how grateful so many of us are that Heather kept the path of knowledge brightly lit so we could maintain some sense of sanity! Thank you.
Buddy Poland is a wonderful photographer. The peace and serenity in this picture makes the cold seem bearable. Perhaps that's so for today's world. I admit to post Trump PTSD. When media says "The President" my stomach churns. I wish they would say President Biden for a few months.
I'm wondering if you could explain how it is that Mitch McConnell seems to still have control of the Senate, how the filibuster means you need 60 votes to pass a piece of legislation. Although I don't wake up in dread of today's lies, I begin planning with my All In for North Carolina team today for 2022. We need, I need, a much larger majority in both houses of congress if the agenda I wish for is to happen.
Jane, what I’ve learned from Heather: McConnell wants assurance fro Schumer the Dems won’t get rid of the filibuster before they can proceed. Schumer won’t give it; it’s his ace. The Senate has already gotten rid of the filibuster for judicial nominees but it remains in place for legislation.
I know this-- my question to Heather is really about who sets the rules, some history around the Filibuster, and how we can lessen Mitch McConnell's ability to continue setting the agenda that has caused so many to suffer. A 50-50 Senate is not common and I'm hoping she can elucidate. I still wake up anxious in the morning as I know the Progressive agenda can not move forward and people will blame it on Biden not Mitch.... grrr
Thank you, Jane. This explains why my hair still feels like it's on fire, I think.
I'm not yet experiencing the "relief of bandwidth" that others are expressing. I'm sure there are more of me—and would love it if Heather has perspective to share on your McConnell Senate question. :-)
Thank you Heather for your excellent Letters. I have only just found you thanks to seeing you on UK TV recently (BBC Newsnight or Channel 4 News) . I am no longer waking up in the night to read what the latest Trump news is on the New YorK Times app. But there's still millions of people out there buying into the stolen election narrative, still over 100 lawmakers in post who voted against certifying the electoral college vote. Still members of the Trump family planning to run for office, still an unrepresentative gerrymandered Senate and an obstructive Mitch McConnell,
But there's hope.
I’m interested in the upcoming CNN series on Lincoln. You’ve already primed us so well!
When is the series starting??
I believe Feb. 14th
Thanks! I'll set the DVR!!
Yes...indeed, WHERE do we go from here? While we're expressing our concerns...mine quite simply are that Republicans are doing their best now to walk back events that happened on January 6th. They are hoping that all this will somehow fade away out of the country's collective consciousness and they can put off the schism their party seemed headed for. This is already happening right before our eyes as outrage has turned to indifference. Well, it's hardly surprising, isn't it? For the past 4-5 years we have been incessantly bombarded with news stories one after another every day. One outrageous event was immediately superseded by another. It's no wonder we've all more or less developed a kind of mass case of "ADHD". Nothing seems to stay in our memory anymore and as a nation we've already moved on to another "outrage du jour". I was afraid something similar would happen with regard to the Capitol insurrection and it seems to be coming to pass. The Republicans are banking on it. There are SO many other serious things that have to be tackled, the attack on the Capitol has already been shunted down lower on the priority list. I just think this is VERY dangerous. We ignore fascism in our midst at our own peril. If we downplay its rearing up in our society, then every time it reappears it can be more serious than the last. LOOK. AT. HISTORY. All these people need to do is lay low for a while and wait for the next opportunity. These people (and T***p) are most decidedly NOT going away. I am convinced they have infiltrated every area of our government and armed forces and they are waiting for another chance. They just suffered their "one step backwards". We need to prepare ourselves for their "two steps forward". These are MY concerns, while we're mentioning things...
Thank you professor HCR. Your daily letters have have served as a gyroscope to keep me steady during the las 7 tumultuous months.
What an excellent metaphor!
That picture makes me want hot tea, a warm blanket and a good book!
My widened bandwidth has allowed me to move from urgent thoughts to important ones (for those familiar with the Eisenhower matrix). I’d live to see Letters from an American deal with a variety of solutions and viewpoints like yesterday’s question on rural vs. urban. One I have been considering this week is how capitalism might benefit from a single payer healthcare system—not having to have a regular full-time job to qualify for health insurance would free more people up to start Etsy businesses, small bakeries, do small renovation work. There have to be dozens of conversations like this that all of us would benefit from seeming from multiple angles. Maybe not emotionally charged issues like gun control and abortion, but farm subsidies, college loan forgiveness, tax policy, etc.