Thank you Heather. Another important, informative, and inspiring LFAA.
I continue to worry that the violence committed on January 6th, 2021, this attack on the ideals of the United States, was just the surface of the horrific attack.
It is continuing to unfold, led by those GOP Members of Congress, a corrupt SCOTUS, and has infected State …
Thank you Heather. Another important, informative, and inspiring LFAA.
I continue to worry that the violence committed on January 6th, 2021, this attack on the ideals of the United States, was just the surface of the horrific attack.
It is continuing to unfold, led by those GOP Members of Congress, a corrupt SCOTUS, and has infected State and Local government from sea to shining sea.
We are constantly reminded that the US Constitution is sacrosanct (although the vigor to defend it seems to only be related to the misinterpretation of one of its Amendments). Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment is clear in language and context. While there is no question that Trump should never be allowed to hold any public office, it clearly extends to all those who actively participated in the planning, and more importantly, all those who have continued to obstruct and impede a complete investigation as accessories after the fact.
Until all are held accountable and expelled from office, the thought of “and justice for all” will continue to be aspirational.
Agreed, George, We should not rest until all those who participated, either as a plotter or cheerleader are also charged and convicted. We need them out of office forever
Fay, I note that we seem constantly to be ignoring the financing of subversion, retracing both the original financiers and their modes of transmission, channeling money to political, social and especially judicial action.
In recent decades, organized crime has given ever greater priority to laundering its gains and maximizing material influence by investing in areas like real estate through the corruption of public officials.
There are signs of close alliances between foreign powers, domestic political string pullers and those who constitute their means of transmission, and mafias both on and offshore.
Show me a problem and what are the chances money is at the root. Humans are too easily corrupted. Pay their way and they will support the devil. When politicians know the truth and behave in opposition that is the definition of corruption, i.e. zero integrity. To justify supporting all the lies requires a talent that humans have perfected, i.e. the ability to rationalize anything!!
I used to try to avoid discussions about Trump with the folks I never knew were so racist and entitled.
( I'm a recovering people pleaser :) )
I finally let my outrage be known when a neighbor began to bully me into tell him what Biden had done for the country. He said Trump's policies had been so much better for America. No wonder he admires Trump, because he is a bully and a baiter just like him.
We were invited for a holiday meal, but I could not and did not go. I was tired of keeping my mouth shut to avoid conflict. I have not had much contact with this person since, sad because his family has always been "friends".
I have written to columnists and my state's reps and senators, expressing my disdain for their support of Trump and the other extremists.
We are fortunate in that all our relatives on the west coast are Ds. I have relatives in Indiana and Illinois and I doubt that they vote because they are constantly involved in some family drama. Earlier some of them have posted nonsense and I tried to explain to them that what they were posting was nonsense. The one R dip who lives across the street won't even speak to us unless we get too close to his property to tell him to cut the noise. We also have a neighbor, who while he has finally seen the light, likes to mansplain if I show even a smidgeon of hope. I do know how dire things are and all the awful things that may happen, but I refuse to speculate on what may actually happen with regard to death star.
I do believe that Trump followers are so enamored by him that, if indeed, as he stated before he got elected, he could shoot someone on the street and still get votes.
It is indeed. I haven't heard from my ex-classmate with regard to politics for a while, so I don't know if she is still supporting, good Christian that she is, death star. My next door neighbor, a former R county commissioner, has no use for the current R party, so it's possible for some to understand and I think that he now probably votes D as he has had D signs in his yard. But then he isn't a wing nut.
It is hard! At least you got the people pleasing down! I am still practicing!
On the flip side my very good friends were staunch repubs. They are smart though so they held their nose and voted for HRC & then Biden. We can discuss policies and stuff and when necessary agree to disagree.
It is much different than your bully neighbor.
Thankfully I am in MA and my senators are on board!
Congrats of bbeing liberated from people pleasing. I believe that we, as citizens learn and gain more practice in empathic communication. That means learning hot to .listen better and ask better questions. I believe we've, as a whole, have tended to be too lax in engaging with the energetic process of engaging with 'democracy.' Create pods of citizens who value Democracy and agree to actively engage in the process. Granted it has become more challenging, but if want to have a vibrant system of governance, we need to willingly participate., not just by voting.. Although that is very important. We need to personify, validate citizens who desire to shape and create the best, most vibrant, participatory living, heartfelt, courageous, structure. In doing so, we can only grow and become more creative. A more inpspired. vision of what it means to be a citizen of our forefather's hopes and aspirations.
It's difficult. We were out with formally close friends (30 years) when out of the blue came "Biden has made a mess of this country, with open borders, foreigners are pouring in), with such hatred in her voice. It was like a slap in the face. I told her that we would not go there. Period. I find myself so repulsed by her behavior.
It's not moral blindness, it's willful blindness, of the worst sort. It's been my observation that the people most inclined to ignore the lying, cheating, stealing, cruelty, divisiveness, and all the other negative traits TFG routinely exhibits are also the people who have the most fear that if he's not elected, they will somehow be harmed. TFG wasn't in office for "all people." He was in office to serve "my people," which mostly consisted of his children and his cadre of sycophants. And when the sycophants didn't serve him well enough or with sufficient fervor in attacking and punishing his imagined enemies, they were tossed away like last night's table scraps.
I'm personally exhausted by what has transpired in these 7, going on 8, years and I want his access to the public media ended. He's dangerous -- to the nation, to the world, and to democracy itself.
Himself was in office to serve and enrich only himself. He didn’t serve his followers except to further the Christian extremist’s lust for power by riding on his coattails. And of course the tax gifts to the corpies and the very wealthy. These entities were loyal because they benefited. For the others loyalty was a requirement to be part of his non plan. I’ve always thought Himself found friends in the FBI or CIA to find dirt on any follower in Congress who might think of straying or blowing.
"Money is human happiness in the abstract; and so the man who is no longer capable of satisfying such happiness in the concrete, sets his whole heart on money."
I'd add that since the abstract cannot satisfy, regardless of the quantity of zeros accumulated, dissatisfaction is guaranteed and, in its train, resentment, envy, hatred and other mind poisons.
The wealthy think themselves envied for their possessions. Surely, but that is because envy is often so active in them. The real problem is how wealth, both material and immaterial, can isolate us from others, from what's essential.
Sadly, I have to agree with a good deal of what you've said. A relative of mine stated once, that he knew many people who were friends, who were far wealthier than he was. He suggested overall, they were not a happy bunch.
One cause of my lifelong (and excessive) stand-offishness in relation to material wealth was seeing, as a child, the deep unhappiness that sometimes came with it for other children.
And how much worse that corruption has become since Himself told us, and also DEMONstrated, it was not only ok but admirable. He said people who cheated on their taxes were the smart ones. He’s the demon on your other shoulder whispering in your ear.
Trump identifies his personhood and success with the amount of money he has (real and imagined). It therefore gives me great smug satisfaction that Letitia James, a Black WOMAN increased his penalty for business misconduct from 250 to 370 mil. Psychologically, for him this is worse than going to prison, it's a death sentence. Having to pay E. Jean Carroll even one $ is the same. I consider the idea that this genetically deformed rapist narcissistic psychopath to again be president a death sentence....
Nice to remember. I have never forgotten Cassidy Hutchinson's portrait of him holed up in a White House dining room watching on television as the food splattered everywhere. Had we had a more vital Congress, the members who supported him would no longer serve.
Millions of TFFG followers never read a newspaper, book or even the crawler at the bottom of Faux News.
We need to display images of the 1/6 rioters beating policies officers.
We need to display pictures of TFFG's poorly designed and constructed wall with holes in it and patched and repatched.
We need to show Josh Hawley giving a fist pump to the rioters.
We need to show TFFG struggling to drink with both hands wrapped around the bottle.
We need to show TFFG's bathroom at Mara-Lago with boxes of Top Secret documents.
We need to show Federal agents in Lafayette Square shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at innocent people and TFFG hold the Bible upside down.
We need to show TFFG standing in church looking baffled and bewildered while everyone else is singing a well known him.
We need to show them Putin and TFFG standing together in solidarity and bombed out Ukranian cities.
We need to show....
MAGANAZIs and white faux-Christian nationalists are not readers. Sure, many of them don't believe their own eyes, but images are more likely to have an impact on most TFFG sycophants.
It's the more independent persuadable voters you need to go for, die hards are already entrenched in their views. This is political Kool Aid of a whole new level in American politics - Fervent White / evangelical nationalists thinking the rest of America are dismally corrupt. If and most likely when the Dems win 2024, the GOP may be headed for Rumpland, indefinitely, if the party in fact doesn't come apart at the seams. We are all Strangers in a Strange Land, these days. This isn't just about USA by a stretch.
Exactly. The folks like those just arrested - "Rapture Gun and Knife" - are gone, lost in myth and furious anger. They are headed for Jonestown. If you believe in the "Rapture" you will be hopelessly unavailable for any logic, facts or reasoning.
The great middle of America that is less passionate and less upset by the events of January 6th - needs to be aroused.
In 2004, 31% identified as Independents. By 2022, it had risen to 49%.
For many, to give up believing in Trump is to give up their friends, their social group and standing, their religion, and their very identity. They do not want to hear any arguments against him and will not hear any.
“…will not hear any.” Exactly. I live among some of them. Facts do not sway them. They have no deeper understanding of governance and policy than “close the border”. Because that’s what they’ve been conditioned to spout.
Those who would and did riot at the Capitol are the tiniest flotsam and jetsam of the American public. They are, in one sense, not the problem at the moment.
The problem is that there are millions of Americans who support Trump still. As devoted, often fanatic, acolytes, they have managed to to concoct a melange of theories designed to wave January 6 as irrelevant, as patriotism triumphing over common sense, as inspired by the FBI or Antifa. . . whatever thin soup serves to put J6 and Trump’s role in it aside in the upcoming election is enough for them to forge ahead in their support for Trump, their consciences unmolested by thoughts of malfeasance by their candidate.
The center of the problem is that Trump is a phenomenally successful politician. He learned many many lessons from his years in sales in New York and his time in television. He remains a deadly serious foe, probably more so now than in 2016 or 2020, as his experiences in Washington have added another series of sharpened knives to his already bulging drawer.
We can, and must, point out ceaselessly what a hollow shell of a human being Trump is. The word ‘narcissism’ is unassailable linked to him. His desire for money and fame is so keen that the various tasks of a President, as normal society defines them, are completely foreign to him. Expecting Trump to govern on behalf of America is like waiting for your pet turtle to become an expert juggler. It ain’t gonna happen.
Trump will govern on behalf of a.) his deep-rooted need for approval b.) his reflexive need to pillage and c.) as a means of staying out of prison. Not one action of his comes without a string attached - he is as reflexively transactional as he is narcissistic.
Broadly he will attract three kinds of supporters: the relatively small group who are as transactional as he and have some useful skill to barter. They are the soulless bastards and in some ways they are worse representatives of our species than Trump. At least he is always in character - they are slippery, skillful operatives who crawl out of the shadows at the opportune moment to strike a deal with him. Trump is without a soul - he wouldn’t recognize it if he kicked it down the street. This group - think Giuliani and Stephen Smith as iconic in this tribe - are obviously going to be supremely dangerous if Trump gains the Presidency.
The millions of Trump voters who exist to put him in office are an amorphous collection. Some are anarchists and know Trump will deliver anarchy. Many, many are original Trump voters and have, knowingly or unknowingly merged their identity, their sense of self, some even their raison d’être with the Trump cause. Depending on the degree of their commitment, they are either dead center in the cult or teetering on the fringes.
Finally there are those who don’t particularly care for Trump, are immune from his inside jokes, but nonetheless see him as a vehicle to get or stay wealthy. They are the “tax-break” crowd.
So the Democrats face the most skilled politician since Franklin Roosevelt who has the added advantage of having entirely co-opted his Party (a whole other story. The knight sent out to slay the dragon is Joe Biden, a man who seems never to have found his true calling until he became President. Biden is everything Trump is not. He has a moral center. He believes desperately in America. He has learned all the right lessons from his mistakes and aged like fine wine in the process. But is 2024 Biden an equal vintage to 2020 Biden. Many supporters fear not and there is a curious air of ambivalence about his candidacy.
Yet I believe that 2024 is a year entirely dissimilar from any Presidential election year since 1860 (one where the stakes were uncannily similar. We are going to see not a single black swan this year, but a flock of them. Nothing is normal this year. Some of the abnormal that will take place will frighten us. Some will test our resolve. Some may even be amusing - in a George Santos way.
But I believe that it is inevitable that in this tumult Republicans, from Trump on down, will go too far in trying to nail down this most unwarranted second Presidency. There will be rhetoric that crosses the pale. It is hard to see how there will not be violence. And if the Democrats threat to win is real, then Trump will start to writhe in fear of prison and he will lash out in ways that will cost him the election.
The solution is simple, but simple rarely translates to easy. Americans must get behind Biden unequivocally, especially now when Trump has the stage because of the primaries. The Nervous Nellies must be frog-marched off stage. Biden must repeatedly attack Trump as magnificently as he did last Friday. He must do it so often that we practically know his words by heart. The Democrats must be unflinching, resolute, generous financially - and united in a joyful spirit of righteous opposition.
In the end this could be a slam dunk for Biden and democracy - or a romp for Trump and whatever label you want to paste on his creed du jour.
It is in Democratic hands. Rise up and slay the dragon.
Yeow. That was spot on. One of the most bizarre attributes of humans can be an unwillingness to admit error, to accept having been conned - even with irrefutable evidence! I remember a study about people who were victims of ponzi schemes who weren't angry at the con man...rationalized the whole crime. Sort of a "Stockholm syndrome" mind bend.
Great post Eric. You could put that into a YouTube video. We would help it go viral :)
I don't believe he's a skilled politician. But he is an entertainer without peer, the P.T. Barnum of self-promotion. That attracts far more TV- and social-media-addicted Americans than even the best politicians can dream. Which makes him MORE dangerous, his "entertainer" chops.
Rapture Gun and Knife, Christian-owned, had to have been a parody, but it wasn’t. Jesus would not have approved of its concept and merchandise, but then some of the “Christians” do not revere Jesus, nor the Love Thy Neighbor ethic.
I am not religious. But I was schooled in what Jesus intended for us. Many current "Christians:" are indeed the "anti-Christ". The good news is that there are folks of good heart within that faith.
We are in "choir" mode, no apologies. I wonder how that independent segment grew over the past generation. Less trust generally, and which party has lost to most over this period? Being Dem sympathetic, I put it mainly on the GOP, tea party style, subsequently MAGA. Ok, looked it up. Millenials and likely others have backed off party loyalty. https://www.axios.com/2023/04/17/poll-americans-independent-republican-democrat
I am not sure "we need" to be responsible for the education and judgement of others. In fact, I do not feel even slightly responsible for the actions and thoughts and mindset of others.
America was born in a time when those of influence, like John Adams WERE very, very, very widely read. In Adam's case he had actually red the entire Magna Carta. All if it.
But, lots of folks at that time were Not like John Adams. Remember "Shay's rebellion" which so shook up George Washington that he became more involved in the government process.
Educating those who choose not to educate themselves and instead, because of the reward of "emotion" choose a path of ignorance, violence and general stupidity is not my responsibility to overcome.
I overcame my own ignorance (I am from East Texas) by going to the library, reading, going to college, going to grad school, challenging my very basic "beliefs" while in grad school and modifying them substantially.
For those who lack the discipline and integrity and desire to grow their knowledge and judgement and challenge their basic "feelings" and "beliefs" I say: I am not responsible.
People are responsible for themselves. IF they ask me for help, I will be the first one there with whatever they need.
But, I am not going to push anything on any ignorant American who proudly plants his feet in the pure shite of ignorance with arrogance.
Mike, I applaud you for the efforts you made to educate yourself. One of Marie Montessori's mantras was "learning for life." Most of those commenting here whether they are 15 or 95 seem thirsty for knowledge.
I have been thinking about the southern border for a long time. The GOP obviously uses it as a trigger issue. Most Americans have never been to any border of the US, whether it's the southern or the northern border. I have crossed both borders many times in many places. I have seen how easy it is to cross the northern border. No fences, no border patrol. In the summertime it's an easy hike to "civilization" in many places along the border even though the crossing itself is isolated.
What I have in mind is a social media page with pictures. I'm not thinking of having MSNBC broadcast images of Trump day on a special segment. Put it out there for the low-information voters to view.
Mike, I agree that we are not responsible for changing the beliefs and actions of others. It may behoove us to try but we are not responsible.
I do not agree with your generalizations about people who “lack the discipline, and integrity....” to achieve the level of education and self-knowledge you have.
I have spent forty years working on issues faced by children in foster care, families living in poverty and/or experiencing homelessness and refugees trying to learn English.
It has become clear to me that we are the products of so many factors beyond our control. Genetics, life experiences, and parenting determine our resilience. Ongoing severe stress affects our ability to control impulse and emotions - and overrides the prefrontal cortex.
Yes, there are clearly people with higher levels of resilience and more supports who are able to overcome these factors and achieve a better life. But not all can. And many have few supports to help.
So while I don’t feel responsible for others’ choices, I think it’s more fair to withhold negative stereotyping.
That's very kind of you. I need to find a young person versed in the ways of TikTok, Facebook, and all the other social media sights I'm not aware of because I'm too old.
I do this & choose to ignore the nasty responses but I think the visual remains long after the words are forgotten. My hope is that fence sitters will choose the truth over the falsehood
TFG mocking a disabled journalist should have done it and it did not! Maybe his followers did not see it. That video clip should be projected 24/7 in Times Square, on the National Mall, and anywhere else that people congregate!
Correct, Trump himself is a well known coward where violence is relevant. He will incite all his self described "losers and suckers" to do his dirty work for him.
Nothing bothers TFFG more than being called a loser. He knows it's true and so do many of his devoted brain dead followers.
Your comment reminds me of one of my favorite political quotes from Adlai Stevenson.
When Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson was running for president in the 1950s, a supporter purportedly said to him: "Every thinking person in America will be voting for you." Stevenson replied, "I'm afraid that won't do — I need a majority."
Stevenson would have been a great choice for president. If you remember he was labeled "an egghead". A derogatory term for intellectuals. Ike would be hard to beat personality wise and his record as a winning general of the war just passed.
Here is the kicker for me, Fankom: The local law enforcement response was woefully inadequate and understaffed. I suspect there were machinations at the levels above the agency heads that made it so, but I cannot conceive of the situation where they did not have at least the same information that was "out there" that there would be trouble magnitudes of order higher than what they were prepared for.
In no way do I fault those who were on duty that day; Capitol Police, Metro PD, Park Police (the three jurisdictions around the Capitol and grounds); who I fault is those who did not give their agencies riot gear or have tactical units available for response.
That is what I am referring to when I refer to an utter command and control failure. As far as the units that I saw defending the Capitol, I think they did an excellent job with what they had. There may have been a handful of “sympathizers” (I recall one uniformed cop moving a portable barricade) but when the stuff hit the fan, I didn’t see anyone engaging in less that total commitment.
I remain to this day impressed with the bike cops from the Park Police who held the line (bike cops have substantially less protective gear than regular uniformed police) and Eugene Goodman, who by himself kept a group of rioters from achieving the upper offices where (I think it was Pence) were just a door away.
I had the opportunity to consider where my opinions/beliefs and duty stood several times during my career (policing the Occupy Movement, Planned Parenthood protesters, and taking reports from rabidly anti-gay people). Duty always won.
TFG is a clear and dangerous wacko and needs to be silenced. Does he remind you of the worst tyrants in history? Trying to scare people into submission with threats of violence. Those in Congress who fear for their safety are afraid not to support the wannabe dictator. WHERE ARE WE???? This has got to stop!!!
Dangerous wacko? That description really has the ring of truth. Their side has a lot of people backing him. But they have a weak foundation. It’s hard to fight or commit violence against your fellow man for a lie. We have much bigger numbers, a rock solid foundation, and the truth to guide us.
The only possible explanation about his approval rating going up commensurate to his rising indictments and monetary penalties is that he made a deal with the devil...and there's not much we can do about that but pray....
I noticed that was the headline. However the quote was actually “Our country is in big trouble”. I hate click bait headlines wherever they come from. Plus, many don’t read the news but scan only the headlines.
I read the whole article, in several different sites.
What is Trump--"will be wild" mean with his full statement? Trump is deliberately not using legally-actionable words. He's again signaling "stand back and stand by."
My deepest concern is that he will pull out all the stops for violence if he wins... his favorite statement of recent is that he will be a dictator on his first day in office...
We can’t act like his republican enablers who respond to his threats of violence and cower and just go along with him. If there is violence we are going to deal with it. We will not let his threats determine our actions. We will resist him all the way to victory.
Texas voter turnout fell from 2018. It was still higher than other midterms.
In Texas, 45.7% of the 17.7 million registered voters cast ballots in the 2022 midterm election. That’s 7.3 percentage points lower than the state’s total turnout in 2018 but higher than in every other midterm election in the last 20 years.
I agree. I am worried too that the electoral college slants to republicans. It’s gonna get ugly. I hope the democrats have their lawyers ready to go when the sh*t hits the fan.
For those of us "of a certain age", the Warren Court was what we knew as the SCOTUS. That court gave us Brown v. BoE in 1954, and throughout the 1960's made a ton of rulings that bolstered the rights of individuals. His term ended in 1969, and the Court swung back away from the more progressive rulings. What we have today is an abomination of what SCOTUS should be.
The indicted 45th president will lose again if our U.S. Supreme Court allows him to run. He ran twice. Each time he faced voters, his tally came up smaller than before. Those runs for President were before he was indicted for crimes against our Constitution.
I hope and expect SCOTUS will enforce the Constitution. If it doesn’t, resorting to another act of crime and violence by the 45th and his clique would be a another mistake with far more serious consequences. I offer for your consideration what happened in NYC, during the War of Rebellion (i.e. ‘civil’ war) when federal government troops put an end to the Draft Riots.
The indicted 45th will not be given the Constitutional right to run again by SCOTUS. There is no original language in our Constitution which would allow it.
In fact, there is original, self-executing language which prohibits him from running.
Read Section 3, XIV Amendment.
SCOTUS has no alternative but to enforce the U.S. Constitution. We all ought to get our heads around that fact.
“Congress does not need to pass impending legislation for Section Three’s disqualification provision to attach, and Section Three is, in that sense, self-executing.”
Agree! We have citizens who have benefited from our country and it's people and its government and the opportunities our country offers many (but not all) of our citizens.
Yet it is some of these powerful people, here and others in the world, who are breathing life and financial support into DT and his "gang".
I continue to be confounded with "church going" citizens who support this godless self-centered person.
I live in a red town that doesn't even have a stop light. But we have 8 churches, 4 bars and a gun range. These church members are aging and fighting spiritual warfare on the front lines. They love Agent Orange because he validated their hate. He said it's ok to abuse people. They are racists. They are misogynistic and homophobic. But they love Jesus. The guy that plows our driveway shows up and starts in on immigrants. He's an Elder in his church. We tried talking to him to no avail. I pointed out his hypocrisy but I just got the deer in the headlight look as usual. They hang hate flags on their properties. One guy has a 40 ft lighted cross with a Trump flag on it. Another has a fucking video screen in his yard flashing Trump. These are the community church members.
It’s also unfortunate the MAGA movement has co-opted the American flag. I used to proudly display it on appropriate major holidays and after 9/11 to show American unity. No more.
They CANNOT take my flag. I used to fly it along side a flag that was a black field with a blue stripe (not the thin blue line flag after I saw how it was corrupted) to honor fallen cops. It now flies all year with a pride flag to its right.
Me too Dave. The day after the insurrection my town had flags flying everywhere. It was creepy. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The KKK are now called Patriots for Liberty.
They do not own the American flag, any more than the word “patriot”, or religious symbols. They don’t decide what the words and symbols mean for the rest of us.
Do you have any ideas how we might redeem & save our flag from the desecrations of the maga-wave-wear -magnify gang? Thinking that HCR readers being smart-creative- & much more might have some brilliant ideas.
I love my 150 yr old farmhouse. We live on 10 acres and we got it cheap 14 yrs ago. We have put a ton of work it. I really didn't know that this town would be a better fit in Arkansas. I saw an article a few years ago where they did a study of the most drunk counties in the country. Mine was number 1 in Minnesota. I keep to myself. However, it's difficult when the crap comes out of their mouths it's hard for me to stay silent. Real hard. I don't like bullies.
Hello from a fellow Minnesotan (who happily lives in a liberal St Paul neighborhood)!
My family is mostly in Ohio and they are almost all Republicans. I still dislike Thanksgiving because of the years of racist table talk. As soon as I graduated to the “adult table” I started arguing with my Nazi uncle (truly a Nazi - as was confirmed by the Nazi magazines and newspapers in his home when he died). Years later my mother said “why are you arguing with him? That’s what he wants.”
That changed everything. I can’t/won’t give even tacit approval to racist talk. But now, I walk away - not angrily but clearly not willing to listen to such talk. It has resulted in family at least being alerted to my feelings. And by withholding reinforcement (yes, I did study behavior modification many years ago), that conversation has been extinguished in my presence. It’s all I can do but I think it helps!
I just finished my DBT therapy and moving on to my complex trauma therapy as a result of 64 years of narcissist abuse by numerous family members. I know better than to engage with them. But when I see injustice or bullying I don't back down. My therapist is trying to soften my edges. Good luck with that. I'm incapable of small talk. I tried. It breaks my heart in a million pieces when I see someone being abused. When they try to bully me it's game over. Narcissist abuse is in our faces everyday. Agent Orange normalized it. I'm always learning and I try to do better. Thank you for your comment.
I wish you only the best in overcoming your family abuse. My family is much less toxic and they have no illusions that I tolerate their racism. My walking away has a stronger impact than my arguments ever did.
I had to reply to your comment regarding the "judgmental attitudes and speech" poured our by those who call themselves " christian".
I am sorry for your pain...especially from persons who claim to be saved from hell FOR goodness.....to bring the love of Christ to a cruel world!!!
I am a Christian...and it is not a description I take lightly.
I am a Christ follower because His love came to me and helped me to see ways I was destroying myself and He did not do this through judgement. He did not condemn me....it was through His love.
He had "spoken to my heart' when I was younger and I said to Him...."are you kidding?" and I went my own self-destructive way.
I, of course" am not magically perfect in my choices...in my actions but in MY Spirit and life, HIS SPIRIT IS WITH ME.
Jesus Christ comes one by one to us ....no matter the color of our skin...no matter our choices of a partner in life....no matter if we are in prison...physically or spiritually...but HE never forces HIS way in. When we receive HIS daily love, conviction, wisdom, guidance....HOW CAN WE JUDGE OTHERS WHEN WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN SUCH GRACE AND MERCY???? HE IS MY STRENGH AND GRACE. HE FORGIVES ME MANY TIMES DURING THE DAY AND IN MY LIFE!!!! My memory of His coming to me.... without my asking....but knowing my "need".....being patient with me.....but as my Creator.....knowing I was self-destructing.
Why would I judge another, as a Christian, when I am provided such an example af love and grace and encouragment??? God loved me where I was and He loves me even now but He shows me where I need "work".
Please, fellow believers....there has never been a more important time than now when we need to show love for one another...stop the hate!!!! This is not from God....this is from evil!!
Vote for Joe Biden who knows how to govern...who really loves this country and all that she provides for its citizens. Vote for freedom, stability....opportunities for everyone! He is encouraging freedom throughout the world. (on a negative note...I can hardly live with the death of those in Palestine!)
CHRISTIANS...LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS CHRIST HAS LOVED US. Joe Biden is a believer. Look at the ways he has brought our world and much of our country back from the chaos it was during
DT's adminisration!!!
If you are following such a self-centered, Godless person as DT, you really need to examine your faith!!!! The only word he speaks of is "retribution".....NOT better education for our children...Not more support for our teachers....NOT cheaper drugs with more responsible and better trained physicians....Not encouraging peace and productivity throughout the world....Not ways to keep the air we breath clean....Not more cooperation with world leaders with space explorations...Not ways to better organize and support the work at the border...NOT mentioning that it is Americans selling Fentenayl,
not encouraging democracies throughout the world, not building better roads and highways, not improving our systems of communication so that people far away from cities can have better education opportunities...not working to keep our water systems clean...replacing old pipes....etc...etc...ALL dt TALKS ABOUT IS HIMSELF....HE IS NOT FOR YOU, PEOPLE OF AMERICA!!!!!
I'm happy that you found love, support and recovery. I left the church 20 years because of this hypocrisy. I found very few who actually walked what Jesus talked. I actually helped out a church counseling church members who were struggling with mental health issues. Drug addicts are easier to deal with than those who take the Bible literally. Their harsh judgment of those who were not in their camp was stomach turning. The church preached prosperity and profits. The head Pastor was later found of having affairs with young women. I don't need to be judged by God or give it credit for all the work I've done. I did it. I felt too much guilt that I could never do enough to please God or anyone else for that matter. Thank you for sharing your feelings. That was very thoughtful and I appreciate it.
Very true Emily. I think many (not all) churches sold their soul for George W. Bush’s faith-based initiatives which accelerated the erosion of separation of church and state. The flow of wealth has subverted the American experiment in many ways.
There are many evangelicals who are hoping for the end of the world, as they believe they will either be spared by being taken up in a "rapture" and/or that it is the fulfillment of biblical prophesy. They are fervently hoping this will be the case. They support Trump because they believe he is the one who is going to bring this about. He just might. Though it will reveal not Heaven but Hell.
The "church going" are in demographic decline. Abortion, gender diversity, trans, "god" removed from schools, "corrupted" libraries. This stuff is liquid nitro to them. "Better the devil we know". And this is not just the baptists. Add catholics of the right persuasion.
'How the GOP’s rewriting of Jan. 6 paved the way for Trump’s comeback' (Washington Post, excerpts)
'Pressure from family members and advocates for accused rioters was amplified by online influencers and right-wing media figures, leading lawmakers to minimize, excuse and deny the violence and rehabilitate Trump'
'Attempts to minimize, excuse or deny the violence of that day began with people returning home from the mob and intensified with family members of rioters, including the mother of a woman killed at the Capitol. Their cause became championed by pro-Trump writers Julie Kelly and Darren Beattie, and amplified by prominent right-wing media figures. The grass-roots and media pressure then spread from far-right lawmakers such as Reps. Paul A. Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene to take over the Republican mainstream.'
'Now, on the third anniversary of the nation’s first interruption to the peaceful transfer of power since the Civil War era, Republicans’ attitudes about Jan. 6 are increasingly unmoored from other Americans, and Trump holds a commanding lead in the race for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination.'
'The share of Republicans who said the Jan. 6 protesters who entered the Capitol were “mostly violent” dipped to 18 percent from 26 percent in December 2021, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. More than half of independents and about three-quarters of Democrats, on the other hand, believe the protesters were “mostly violent,” numbers that have remained largely unchanged over time, the poll found.'
'The percentage of Republicans who hold Trump responsible for the attack dropped from 27 percent to 14 percent, compared with 56 percent of independents and 86 percent of Democrats. More than a third of Republicans said they believe the FBI definitely or probably organized and encouraged the attack — a conclusion contradicted by an extensive congressional investigation and more than 725 completed federal prosecutions.'
'At that time, even Trump was still denouncing the violence. In a Feb. 28 Fox News interview, he defended his rally before the riot as' “a love fest,” but as for the siege of the Capitol, he said, “I hate to see it. I think it’s terrible.”
'The biggest exception was Tucker Carlson, then the host of the nation’s most-watched cable news show, on Fox News. In March, he invited Kelly on to question what caused the death of Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died the day after fighting the mob, including being attacked with pepper spray. (The D.C. medical examiner later concluded that Sicknick died of natural causes after two strokes, but that “all that transpired on that day played a role in his condition.” Sicknick’s assailant, Julian Khater, pleaded guilty in 2022.)'
“The details of that day matter,” Carlson said, “because they’re being used as a pretext for changing this country.” Carlson did not respond to requests for comment.'
'Carlson also took an interest in another fatality connected to the attack: that of Ashli Babbitt, the Trump supporter who was shot trying to enter the lobby of the House chamber while lawmakers were evacuating. In the months after the riot, far-right communities online started portraying her as a martyr and trying to identify and harass the officer who shot her, according to Holt’s research for the Atlantic Council.'
'In June, Carlson brought on Babbitt’s widower, who repeated the call to identify the officer who killed her. “The silence is deafening,” he said.'
In early 2023, Trump allies began producing a track of the inmates singing the national anthem, mixed with a recording of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. He played the finished song — “Justice for All,” featuring the “J6 Prison Choir” — to open the first campaign rally of his 2024 campaign, in Waco, Tex., in March 2023. The song jumped to No. 1 on iTunes.
The next month, Trump dropped into a diner while campaigning in Manchester, N.H. The crowd inside started calling out that there was a “J6er” present. She was Micki Larson-Olson, who had been recently released after serving a 180-day sentence for unlawful entry onto public property. Trump called her over, hugged her and signed the backpack she said she was wearing that day.
By May, Trump expanded his pardon pledge, now promising to “most likely” grant clemency to “a large portion” of Jan. 6 defendants. “And it’ll be very early on,” he said in a CNN town hall.
At a rally in Durham, N.H., last month, he went further than Kelly’s phrase for the Jan. 6 defendants.
“I don’t call them prisoners,” he said. “I call them hostages. They’re hostages.” (WAPO) See gifted link for entire article.
Great detail Fern. And the mainstream media is complicit, fueling the flames of “both-siderism” instead of continuing to deliver facts, evidence, and calling Trump, his co-conspirators, and accessories out for their crimes, obstruction, and blatant lies.
George, understanding why a large number of Americans are unmoored from reality -- the transfer of wealth; loss of communities; unions and local newspapers; the effects of technology -- there were major aspects of daily life that led to social cohesion, which are no longer part of our foundation.
These losses and others have led to our vulnerability to propaganda, conspiracy theories, mistrust in government. The lack of local journalistic sources and frequent exchanges with one another ups the challenge of bridging our differences.
If the figures are correct, that approximately 54% of American adults ( age 16- 74) read at a 6th grade level or best, think about how that impacts comprehension & critical thinking skills. How are most 6th graders respect to critical thinking? I would suggest, those are to a minimum. I was told my son, who's an adult now, in 3rd grade was reading & comprehending at an 11th grade level. He was always able to drill down to the facts, separating them from the fluff. Sadly, I couldn't say that about a good many of his friends. Seemed they were lost in the weeds, sadly. And those, would in all likelihood, be voting for a trump & subscribing to maga propaganda & conspiracy figures.
There are moments I am in despair, as to where we are going as a nation. I continue donating to worthy dem candidates, to President Biden's campaign, thinking in that there is a glimmer of hope. Yet still i think, thank God I am on the other side of 50.
Your point is well taken Bonnie. Can't always judge intellect on reading abilties though.
As a volunteer literacy tutor I am reminded of Tim a 60-ish year old big burly teddy bear like man. I tutored him weekly for a few years.
There was nothing dumb about Tim. He was never diagnosed with Dyslexia as a child. He was told he was stupid his entire life.
Tim was a life-long heavy equipment operator for the same large local company until a few months before his retirement date. He was let go with no pension. He could not read so he could not fill out job applications. It was at this point Tim decided to learn to read.
Like I say Tim was not stupid. He mistrusted the banking system so he bought houses instead. He owned 10 properties.
Agreed. And I don't mean to paint all with the same brush. But I am suggesting that a large swath of trump followers ( not the ones who are wealthy & hoping to benefit financially via a trump presidency) tend to be poorly educated & not inclined to fact check.
I recommend Timothy Snider’s book “On Tyranny”. He presents 20 ways to recognize tyranny and how to inoculate ourselves against it, using examples from the 20th century.
Fern, when you say "...there were major aspects of daily life that led to social cohesion, which ar no longer part of our foundation." you have said something profound, and on so many levels.
As a kid (b. 1958) we all watched the same cartoons. Our folks all watched the same news, albeit on one of 2 (later 3) channels. We all followed the same TV shows. As a young adult, we still watched the same shows, and had "water cooler conversations" at work/school about those shows (MASH, Mork and Mindy, Seinfeld, Dallas, Star Trek TNG) which led to a cohesion. There were times you knew not to call your friends because "their" show was on. We still watched the same news. With the advent of cable tv, we got to watch reruns of shows we'd seen as children (Gilligan's Island, Beverly Hillbillies). We all went to the same movies, at the same one-screen theaters.
Far, far different from today. I think that the unfettered propaganda spewed out by various sources, and the absolute lack of local journalistic sources has, as you state, makes bridging our differences hard, because we don't have a that social cohesion of shared experiences when it comes to viewing/movie watching/news perusal.
Ally, I had the chills, while reading your breakdown of our sharing in the past. It is about speaking the same language. We had our differences, preferences and arguments, but we knew what each other was talking about.
Fern and Ally, I appreciate your thoughts today especially. The idea of speaking a common language, and having a foundation of shared experiences. We are seeing the loss of real connection to others in the rise of addiction, anxiety, depression and premature death.
Building community and connecting ourselves to others is how we will make the positive changes we want. I’ve heard HCR say this very thing.
Fern, I wonder if we really knew what people different from ourselves were talking about. I never saw a Black person until high school (where one young man briefly attended). I never knew a LGBTQ person (at least one who was out) until I started working in human services. I never had conversations with people living in poverty or homelessness until after college. You and Ally really made me think: was my assumption that we had a shared experience a fantasy?
Marge, I had a Black classmate for half a year in my public school system that I attended for 12 years. I did know LGBTQ+ folks, but then, I was one.
To answer your question, though; within our homogenous groups, we did have a shared experience. Not a completely shared experience; the ones that I can think of that might have reached that level were Kennedy's assassination, the Lunar landing, the Challenger blowing up shortly after launch, and the removal of the Berlin Wall.
Personal note: I was working in the jail on January 28, 1986; it was an ordinary dayshift, and the dayroom was watching the launch. I had an inmate return from outside the housing area, and was, per policy, patting her down outside the housing unit with the door slightly ajar. One of the gals said "Ally, you've got to come in, NOW". I brought the inmate in and shut the door, and we all saw that secondary explosion. 14 women in custody, and me, their jailer. Watching that, we were all one.
The spin came later. Did this happen with the shows we grew up with? Was All in the Family one of the first shows showing the strong political differences? My dad who was a life long union democrat repeated that Stevenson was too much of an egg head. Before I left for college he told me that unions are a good thing no matter what they say. It was also the era of McCarthy & Pete Seeger protest songs.
I loved your story about sharing the Space Age with women prisoners! And good point about everyone coming together for those historical events. I wonder if there is any event that could, today, have that power to bring us all together? We certainly need it!
In ordinary times, that would have been January 6, 2021. It should have been, but wasn't, and I think that is the best illustration for that lack of common, cohesive experiences.
Marge-What we saw on the news, on television and in segregated communities was not the reality of everyone's life in America. There were some myths, stereotypes and propaganda mixed with information/entertainment then too. Fore example, we really didn't see too many Black people on TV and if we did it was usually about crime. So yes-in some ways our shared experience didn't reflect the "real" world...
Marge, I live in NYC where it isn't exactly a 'melting pot'; it is, however, a mixing pot. I was open and curious about people with upbringings different than mine. Rich (White) WASPs, for the most part, didn't live in the neighborhoods that I was familiar with or attend the schools that I went to before college. That was also generally true of Blacks and Hispanics, but we had opportunities to meet, talk and see each other on mass transportation, in stores, playing fields, and organizations of common interest, etc. 'Brotherhood' was one of the themes of my childhood, which strongly attracted me.
The ethos (the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution) of the family, the school, the community and the governments both locally and federally, matter in terms of our respect for one another and our standards of conduct. This is a crucial factor in bridging our divides and part of the principle of equality in democracies.
I owe my passion to the fact that my best friend was the Preacher’s Kid. So although I have never been a believer, I “religiously” (LOL) attended a UCC church - where good works were more important than being saved. I was involved in every volunteer opportunity and found I connected with people with mental illness and people living in poverty. That was the beginning of a 40+ year life in human services. I once read that exposing/immersing a young teen in a “culture” of people who are different changes their lives. It certainly did change mine. As an adult I gave church another chance- for the volunteer work. I was an adult chaperone on volunteer trips to Indian reservations, rebuilding after Katrina, and placing water in the AZ desert to prevent migrant deaths. I saw those trips change one smart-alecky, self-absorbed teenager: he is now studying human services and pastoral care! If only we could build something like this into high schools everywhere!
But much of our lives have been dominated by American propaganda. We’re the ‘good guys’. Really?
As to trust, do you trust the government? No one should.
Our milieu, imo, comes back, inevitably, to capital vs. labor, with race being an integral component of capital’s divide and conquer approach to keeping labor on the losing side of the ledger. When people are constantly economically stressed, they are ripe for all sorts of fallacious thinking to make it past the good sense firewall.
We’re in a dark place.
But not the darkest, at present. Not even close to the unspeakable horror taking place in Gaza.
Here's a quote worth thinking about as we hope for more light in the darkness:
"I painfully regret that in almost every political controversy of the last fifty years the leisured classes, the educated classes, the wealthy classes, the titled classes have been in the wrong. The common people-the responsible toilers, the men of uncommon sense-these have been responsible for nearly all of the social reform measures which the world accepts today". -William Gladstone (1884)
Gladstone was the Prime Minister of UK from 1808-1894. His father was one of the largest slaveholders in the British Empire (2,508 slaves, 9 plantations in the Caribbean). He was known as "The People's William".
Google him-he was an interesting guy who believed in equal opportunity and limited government.
We'll see which group of "common people" rise up to help us mend fences between laborers. Some recent union actions shined a spotlight on some of the issues. There's at least some hope...
Yes, Fern. I believe the marketing and advertising industry had a lot to do with normalizing being lied to. They made their public believe they lacked something and that they could provide the product to fill that lack. Their dishonesty became something we were beaten over the head with daily, for life. Most everyone bought it.
I’ve dropped my NYT subscription, but still get a page of headlines as I access the crossword puzzle. President Biden’s remarkable speech on January 5th seems to have been relegated to page 11. Trump sells, decency doesn’t. It’s disgusting.
Very true. I continue to write that any meaningful attempt at any form of democracy requires an informed, educated, and engaged society. All three pillars have been assailed since Reagan (who also accelerated the concentration of wealth and thus, power). The apathetic lack of engagement is disturbing to witness (and why I continue to build https://civ.works).
FDR: “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education…to prepare each citizen to choose wisely and to enable him to choose freely are paramount functions of the schools in a democracy.”
There are highly educated people backing Trump. They don’t trust anything they read from MSM or government backed info sources. Their doubt has only grown as Influence peddling has been uncovered or existed or even made up. They distrust Biden, who one points out has two wars during his campaign, while Dt had ‘none.’ Their disgust with the current system is strong. Dt sowed seeds of distrust— can’t trust anyone— and far right media plus internet posts amplify. There is deep distrust and even paranoia there. This isn’t going to be easy to heal.
There should be deep distrust of government, by everyone, regardless of political affiliation. The main purpose of the Founder’s ‘checks and balances’ paradigm was to prevent the concentration of power in government, because it wasn’t to be trusted.
America was sleepwalking through the past fifty years as a slow-moving corporate coup took place, with monied interests buying both political parties, and all of the checks and balances. We… are… owned.
We need our revolution, the one Jefferson referenced that is necessary when government ceases responding to the interests of the people. For all the hysteria about 1/6, some justified, some not, the fact remains that frustration over governing dysfunction leads, inexorably to rebellion. Ask those who threw the tea into Boston Harbor.
The men who threw the tea overboard had the right target, the East India Company, not King George. The failure of the people on 1/6 was targeting a government building owned by monied interests, instead of the corporate headquarters of Amazon, Raytheon, Boeing, ADM, etc. Wrong target, same frustration.
Until laser focus comes to ‘why Trump’ instead of’GOP sucks’, we’ll continue to circle the drain.
Tom, the "being owned" points right to oligarchs, billionaires, the KOCH and ALEK factions, the Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation, and others all pulling strings so their puppets will dance.
But that is not all that is going on. We have (at least at present) an EPA that makes a valiant effort to regulate environmental degradation. We have Social Security and Medicare and, at least in some states (I live in Minnesota), learned, inquisitive, compassionate, and excellent Senators whose vision is trained in the direction of greater freedom and ethical responsibility.
So I ask you: Will you only trust government if it achieves 100% of what you want? I do not think of trusting government at all. I expect people to act in ways that do damage to themselves and others. It's a fact of human life.
But I also see that I live in a country where in Florida the people who care about women's health care could work hard and get a measure on the ballot to ensure abortion when needed. That's just one example of what people do to re-balance the odds and right the wrong. The Florida Supreme Court might disallow the proposed law. . . but maybe not. Nothing is guaranteed. Still, they tried.
Sometimes I think the posture of "both sides are corrupt" results from wanting to be pissed off and veiling it with a mask of self-righteousness. Am I wrong? Is it really reasonable to see only what you don't like and not see what is encouraging and hopeful?
Again, with the ‘self-righteous’ crap. Both sides are corrupt… because… they… are.
The system is corrupt. One pays to play in it.
I see many things in the policy and politics realm, including the Florida ballot initiative. The good that people are attempting to accomplish, and sometimes even succeeding at, are dwarfed by the mendacious duplicity of a corrupt system of governance and politics, and corporate media propaganda that is killing us.
To answer your first question, no, I would not trust a government doing 100% of what I want. That would be its own belief system, and foolish. I’d vote for it, but trust it? Nope.
What I see is a materially comfortable liberal class of Americans largely paying lip service to the poor, to the Palestinians, to the economically anxious, and totally refusing to actually embrace a class-based anti-capitalist politics that addresses those issues, preferring instead to couch their lip service in status quo incrementalist legislative crumbs that do little but intensify populist frustration and rage, and inevitably increase the probability of the authoritarian rule they claim to fear.
I'm sorry that you have to live with so much anger. I would love it if governments world-wide could all be changed so that all people had enough. My response is to tithe my time, money, and abilities toward that end and to vote for those who seem like they will intend what is best for all people. Then I give 1) thanks for all the people whose compassion leads them to try doing what's good and 2) somehow tolerate my short-comings and those of others. It'll never be a perfect world.
Here we go again with the perfect is the enemy of the good meme. It’ll never be a perfect world… Really?…. Wow!…. Who knew?
You say you intend to vote for a candidate intending what is best for all people. Happy to see you will be voting for a third-party candidate this cycle, as neither duopoly candidate has that intention, despite what they might say.
I live with so much anger because there is so much to be angry about; just channeling the bumper sticker messaging of if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention. I pay attention more than most, certainly more than either the Trump cult or the VoteBlueNoMatterWho cult in this particular comments forum.
Don’t be concerned, or sorry, about the anger. The first quarter century of my life was spent under authoritarian rule (dysfunctional abusive father/military), but the positive things coming out of the madness were finely honed skills of both observation and compartmentalization, and a love of reading. Compared to most of the world, I live a comfortable, happy life.
But I will call out hypocritical, abusive, duplicitous, mendacious behavior that puts the interests of monied interests and donors above working people and the poor wherever I see it, and that includes when those traits come from tribal darlings here like Joe Biden and Tony Blinken. The real question is, why aren’t more here angry with them?
If one can’t be critical of genocidal complicity, what kind of moral compass does one possess?
Yes-but King George legitimized the East India Company...and remember according to SCOTUS (a branch of government) corporations are people and "United Citizens" in America can make all the donations they want to buy politicians in the land of the free. Government has the power to sanction/regulate corporations, but we've gone down a dark hole as wealthy people play their games to maintain power and control.
That is the thesis of Al Gore’s book “The Assault on Reason.” The book cover: “Al Gore’s larger goal in this book is to explain how the public sphere itself has evolved into a place hospitable to reason’s enemies; to make us more aware of the forces at work on our own minds; and to lead us to an understanding of what we can do, individually and collectively, to restore the rule of reason and safeguard our future.”
Publication 2007, lots about GWB. I can imagine what he would say about DJT!
Yes, I totally agree with you. Trump is ineligible to hold public office for life due to his participation in an insurrection according to the letters of our Constitution. Likewise, those members of Congress who aided Trump are equally as ineligible to serve. These people have gotten away with a whole lot of bad sh*t. They are still being paid salaries that are taxpayer-funded. They are working against the American people whose livelihoods they vowed to protect. I resent this injustice very much. These people, along with Trump, need to be 14th Amendmented out of their jobs.
My favorite part of today's missive was about the three siblings who participated in the riot whose family owns the 'Rapture Guns and Knives, described on its Facebook page as a “christian owned Gun and Knife store” ' You can just picture Jesus rolling his eyes around....
I would hope that this time around, the court wil not consider ankle bracelets as part of the sentencing of those three fugitive criminal insurrectionists arrested in Florida, as reported by HCR. I note that they were connected with a knife and gun store that was 'christian-owned' according to its Facebook posting. I am suspicious of any business that uses the religion of its owners to solicit business from the general public. In an upcoming posting on my blog, I touch upon such subtle antisemitism, and racism as well, that can be found among too many of Donald Trump's right wing supporters.
Ally: I usually go a bit further on my blog than I do on here ... but here is a draft of how I will be posting this on my blog (Jackspotpourri) later this week.
"When Donald Trump talks about mass deportation of immigrants, some of whom he recently referred to as ‘vermin,’ retribution against those who have not shown loyalty to him, and using the military and the Department of Justice to carry out his punishment of them and those behind any civil or criminal charges against him, you get a picture of who he really is. And it is not a nice picture. It is that of a tin pot dictator.
But that picture appeals to a significant number of Americans who, although they will not readily admit it, includes those who feel that our government spends a disproportionate amount of its tax-funded resources to benefit people of color who number only between 13% and 14% of our population, and that too many of its decision-makers are Jews who number only a little more than 2% of our population.
They don’t come out and say these things. They don’t boast about their racism and antisemitism in public, but that’s what they mean when they talk of ‘welfare queens’ and disparage ‘Critical Race Theory’ and ‘Diversity-Equity-Inclusion’ ideas without even attempting to understand them, and repeatedly refer to our country’s ‘Christian’ founding, exemplified by the current House Speaker who puts his evangelical religious beliefs ahead of the Constitution that he is sworn to uphold. And of course, these folks always vote Republican."
Jack-I think a lot of the subtly is lost-racists are loud and proud now. People of color are actually about 41% of the U.S. population now. The Census category "White only non-Hispanic" is 58.9%. Trump's supporters are overwhelmingly in the White only category-and yes-the majority of them vote Republican because they've bought into racism. They're alarmed and their responses to our changing demographics are cruel. They "fear for their lives".
I'm keeping the faith that in 2024 enough people of goodwill will crush these folks who want to keep us divided.
Hear, hear. Indeed, the GOP or its MAGA frontispiece, has wrapped itself around the Big Lie, fronted by Trump and all too many astute operators and gullible citizens. It looks like a group of Jan 6 insurrections are reviving their efforts as part of the 2024 campaign, verbally reneging on their confessions.
You wrote: "While there is no question that Trump should never be allowed to hold any public office, it clearly extends to all those who actively participated in the planning, and more importantly, all those who have continued to obstruct and impede a complete investigation as accessories after the fact." I suspect that this is the primary motivation for those in Congress who clearly know they committed acts of treason before, during and after J6; talk about cleaning out the swamp!
Indeed Ellen. And they know since Nixon was not held accountable for his crimes, they feel they have license to act without recourse. Furthermore, the Trump/MAGA party (no longer the GOP) will just scream “look what America does to political opponents!”. The consistent response from the DOJ, the AG’s, and the DA’s working to prosecute the offenders should be: “No. This is what we do to criminals who betray their oath of office and act to undermine the very system they are supposed to be committed to defending.” And then they should all sign “Yours in Service”.
I love that "yours in service"! Plus, the reminder that the rule of law is applied to CRIMINALS who betray their oath of office. If these folk do not like the consequences of their actions, they have choices to make. Whining is not a very effective choice, as I see it.
If delusional hypocrisy was a crime, Heather just proved the guilt of the insurrectionists and their millions of followers.
And, FWIW, yesterday I saw five pickup trucks in convoy flying American flags and displaying Trump propaganda on I-5 in Oregon between Eugene and Portland. I guess for them Jan. 6 is a day to celebrate treason.
Thank you Heather. Another important, informative, and inspiring LFAA.
I continue to worry that the violence committed on January 6th, 2021, this attack on the ideals of the United States, was just the surface of the horrific attack.
It is continuing to unfold, led by those GOP Members of Congress, a corrupt SCOTUS, and has infected State and Local government from sea to shining sea.
We are constantly reminded that the US Constitution is sacrosanct (although the vigor to defend it seems to only be related to the misinterpretation of one of its Amendments). Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment is clear in language and context. While there is no question that Trump should never be allowed to hold any public office, it clearly extends to all those who actively participated in the planning, and more importantly, all those who have continued to obstruct and impede a complete investigation as accessories after the fact.
Until all are held accountable and expelled from office, the thought of “and justice for all” will continue to be aspirational.
Agreed, George, We should not rest until all those who participated, either as a plotter or cheerleader are also charged and convicted. We need them out of office forever
Fay, I note that we seem constantly to be ignoring the financing of subversion, retracing both the original financiers and their modes of transmission, channeling money to political, social and especially judicial action.
In recent decades, organized crime has given ever greater priority to laundering its gains and maximizing material influence by investing in areas like real estate through the corruption of public officials.
There are signs of close alliances between foreign powers, domestic political string pullers and those who constitute their means of transmission, and mafias both on and offshore.
Show me a problem and what are the chances money is at the root. Humans are too easily corrupted. Pay their way and they will support the devil. When politicians know the truth and behave in opposition that is the definition of corruption, i.e. zero integrity. To justify supporting all the lies requires a talent that humans have perfected, i.e. the ability to rationalize anything!!
Boy, have I seen my smart friends and family turn into pretzels to choke down chump’s hate speech
Jeri, those people who I THOUGHT were friends have shocked me with their refusal to believe that Trump is a criminal.
Pam I am curious if you still have the patience to engage with these people you describe.
Some people report they just don't discuss politics with the supporters of the tfg.
I feel I want nothing to do with these racist, hateful, and unsmart people - so I detach.
I used to try to avoid discussions about Trump with the folks I never knew were so racist and entitled.
( I'm a recovering people pleaser :) )
I finally let my outrage be known when a neighbor began to bully me into tell him what Biden had done for the country. He said Trump's policies had been so much better for America. No wonder he admires Trump, because he is a bully and a baiter just like him.
We were invited for a holiday meal, but I could not and did not go. I was tired of keeping my mouth shut to avoid conflict. I have not had much contact with this person since, sad because his family has always been "friends".
I have written to columnists and my state's reps and senators, expressing my disdain for their support of Trump and the other extremists.
Some respond, but I have not
changed anyone's mind.
We are fortunate in that all our relatives on the west coast are Ds. I have relatives in Indiana and Illinois and I doubt that they vote because they are constantly involved in some family drama. Earlier some of them have posted nonsense and I tried to explain to them that what they were posting was nonsense. The one R dip who lives across the street won't even speak to us unless we get too close to his property to tell him to cut the noise. We also have a neighbor, who while he has finally seen the light, likes to mansplain if I show even a smidgeon of hope. I do know how dire things are and all the awful things that may happen, but I refuse to speculate on what may actually happen with regard to death star.
Michele, It's a slippery slope we're on.
I do believe that Trump followers are so enamored by him that, if indeed, as he stated before he got elected, he could shoot someone on the street and still get votes.
Morality and responsibility have flown the coop.
It is indeed. I haven't heard from my ex-classmate with regard to politics for a while, so I don't know if she is still supporting, good Christian that she is, death star. My next door neighbor, a former R county commissioner, has no use for the current R party, so it's possible for some to understand and I think that he now probably votes D as he has had D signs in his yard. But then he isn't a wing nut.
change takes time. Hold spaciousness for the vision!
Bless you. You don't need friends like that. ....... Stick to your guns.
Judith, thank you!
It is hard! At least you got the people pleasing down! I am still practicing!
On the flip side my very good friends were staunch repubs. They are smart though so they held their nose and voted for HRC & then Biden. We can discuss policies and stuff and when necessary agree to disagree.
It is much different than your bully neighbor.
Thankfully I am in MA and my senators are on board!
Hang in there!
Marj, thanks for your comments!
I'm glad you and your friends can agree to disagree. My neighbor called me a"poor misguided child" when I tried to defend Biden.
I'm not the one who's misguided.
Congrats of bbeing liberated from people pleasing. I believe that we, as citizens learn and gain more practice in empathic communication. That means learning hot to .listen better and ask better questions. I believe we've, as a whole, have tended to be too lax in engaging with the energetic process of engaging with 'democracy.' Create pods of citizens who value Democracy and agree to actively engage in the process. Granted it has become more challenging, but if want to have a vibrant system of governance, we need to willingly participate., not just by voting.. Although that is very important. We need to personify, validate citizens who desire to shape and create the best, most vibrant, participatory living, heartfelt, courageous, structure. In doing so, we can only grow and become more creative. A more inpspired. vision of what it means to be a citizen of our forefather's hopes and aspirations.
Sam, beautifully said!
Thank you!
my pleasure!
It's difficult. We were out with formally close friends (30 years) when out of the blue came "Biden has made a mess of this country, with open borders, foreigners are pouring in), with such hatred in her voice. It was like a slap in the face. I told her that we would not go there. Period. I find myself so repulsed by her behavior.
Moral blindness.
Refusal to see what's staring us all in the face.
Yet good people are sometimes blind to forms of evil from which they themselves are free.
And not just evil. It seems that Queen Victoria, being so besotted with her Albert, was quite unable to imagine female homosexuality.
Maybe it's as well not to have too much insight into minds corrupted by the likes of Roy Cohn.
It's not moral blindness, it's willful blindness, of the worst sort. It's been my observation that the people most inclined to ignore the lying, cheating, stealing, cruelty, divisiveness, and all the other negative traits TFG routinely exhibits are also the people who have the most fear that if he's not elected, they will somehow be harmed. TFG wasn't in office for "all people." He was in office to serve "my people," which mostly consisted of his children and his cadre of sycophants. And when the sycophants didn't serve him well enough or with sufficient fervor in attacking and punishing his imagined enemies, they were tossed away like last night's table scraps.
I'm personally exhausted by what has transpired in these 7, going on 8, years and I want his access to the public media ended. He's dangerous -- to the nation, to the world, and to democracy itself.
"Willful blindness". That's the adjective.
Himself was in office to serve and enrich only himself. He didn’t serve his followers except to further the Christian extremist’s lust for power by riding on his coattails. And of course the tax gifts to the corpies and the very wealthy. These entities were loyal because they benefited. For the others loyalty was a requirement to be part of his non plan. I’ve always thought Himself found friends in the FBI or CIA to find dirt on any follower in Congress who might think of straying or blowing.
Schopenhauer:
"Money is human happiness in the abstract; and so the man who is no longer capable of satisfying such happiness in the concrete, sets his whole heart on money."
I'd add that since the abstract cannot satisfy, regardless of the quantity of zeros accumulated, dissatisfaction is guaranteed and, in its train, resentment, envy, hatred and other mind poisons.
The wealthy think themselves envied for their possessions. Surely, but that is because envy is often so active in them. The real problem is how wealth, both material and immaterial, can isolate us from others, from what's essential.
Separation, divisions.
Sadly, I have to agree with a good deal of what you've said. A relative of mine stated once, that he knew many people who were friends, who were far wealthier than he was. He suggested overall, they were not a happy bunch.
One cause of my lifelong (and excessive) stand-offishness in relation to material wealth was seeing, as a child, the deep unhappiness that sometimes came with it for other children.
And how much worse that corruption has become since Himself told us, and also DEMONstrated, it was not only ok but admirable. He said people who cheated on their taxes were the smart ones. He’s the demon on your other shoulder whispering in your ear.
Trump identifies his personhood and success with the amount of money he has (real and imagined). It therefore gives me great smug satisfaction that Letitia James, a Black WOMAN increased his penalty for business misconduct from 250 to 370 mil. Psychologically, for him this is worse than going to prison, it's a death sentence. Having to pay E. Jean Carroll even one $ is the same. I consider the idea that this genetically deformed rapist narcissistic psychopath to again be president a death sentence....
So my republican friend told me that those whose seem to rationalize are not really doing that. They know the lies from the truth and dont care.
100% and not a new thing
If Trump loses the 2024 election, I believe he will pull out all the stops for violence.
He won’t. He will incite others. The “fine people” on the other side of both sides.
He'll cheer them on from a safe distance.
Exactly. In spite of all his bravado, he’s a real coward.
Nice to remember. I have never forgotten Cassidy Hutchinson's portrait of him holed up in a White House dining room watching on television as the food splattered everywhere. Had we had a more vital Congress, the members who supported him would no longer serve.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Millions of TFFG followers never read a newspaper, book or even the crawler at the bottom of Faux News.
We need to display images of the 1/6 rioters beating policies officers.
We need to display pictures of TFFG's poorly designed and constructed wall with holes in it and patched and repatched.
We need to show Josh Hawley giving a fist pump to the rioters.
We need to show TFFG struggling to drink with both hands wrapped around the bottle.
We need to show TFFG's bathroom at Mara-Lago with boxes of Top Secret documents.
We need to show Federal agents in Lafayette Square shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at innocent people and TFFG hold the Bible upside down.
We need to show TFFG standing in church looking baffled and bewildered while everyone else is singing a well known him.
We need to show them Putin and TFFG standing together in solidarity and bombed out Ukranian cities.
We need to show....
MAGANAZIs and white faux-Christian nationalists are not readers. Sure, many of them don't believe their own eyes, but images are more likely to have an impact on most TFFG sycophants.
The image that stays with me always is Helsinki, Putin looking like the cat and chump the mauled canary. That image spoke volumns
the fact we never saw a transcript of that meeting spoke volumes.
I knew we were in trouble when I saw that.
It's the more independent persuadable voters you need to go for, die hards are already entrenched in their views. This is political Kool Aid of a whole new level in American politics - Fervent White / evangelical nationalists thinking the rest of America are dismally corrupt. If and most likely when the Dems win 2024, the GOP may be headed for Rumpland, indefinitely, if the party in fact doesn't come apart at the seams. We are all Strangers in a Strange Land, these days. This isn't just about USA by a stretch.
Exactly. The folks like those just arrested - "Rapture Gun and Knife" - are gone, lost in myth and furious anger. They are headed for Jonestown. If you believe in the "Rapture" you will be hopelessly unavailable for any logic, facts or reasoning.
The great middle of America that is less passionate and less upset by the events of January 6th - needs to be aroused.
In 2004, 31% identified as Independents. By 2022, it had risen to 49%.
https://www.axios.com/2023/04/17/poll-americans-independent-republican-democrat
So...we have close to half the country to work with. No excuses, folks. "Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Lose!"
For many, to give up believing in Trump is to give up their friends, their social group and standing, their religion, and their very identity. They do not want to hear any arguments against him and will not hear any.
“…will not hear any.” Exactly. I live among some of them. Facts do not sway them. They have no deeper understanding of governance and policy than “close the border”. Because that’s what they’ve been conditioned to spout.
Sociology 101, esp when fervent emotions of loyalty are involved.
Those who would and did riot at the Capitol are the tiniest flotsam and jetsam of the American public. They are, in one sense, not the problem at the moment.
The problem is that there are millions of Americans who support Trump still. As devoted, often fanatic, acolytes, they have managed to to concoct a melange of theories designed to wave January 6 as irrelevant, as patriotism triumphing over common sense, as inspired by the FBI or Antifa. . . whatever thin soup serves to put J6 and Trump’s role in it aside in the upcoming election is enough for them to forge ahead in their support for Trump, their consciences unmolested by thoughts of malfeasance by their candidate.
The center of the problem is that Trump is a phenomenally successful politician. He learned many many lessons from his years in sales in New York and his time in television. He remains a deadly serious foe, probably more so now than in 2016 or 2020, as his experiences in Washington have added another series of sharpened knives to his already bulging drawer.
We can, and must, point out ceaselessly what a hollow shell of a human being Trump is. The word ‘narcissism’ is unassailable linked to him. His desire for money and fame is so keen that the various tasks of a President, as normal society defines them, are completely foreign to him. Expecting Trump to govern on behalf of America is like waiting for your pet turtle to become an expert juggler. It ain’t gonna happen.
Trump will govern on behalf of a.) his deep-rooted need for approval b.) his reflexive need to pillage and c.) as a means of staying out of prison. Not one action of his comes without a string attached - he is as reflexively transactional as he is narcissistic.
Broadly he will attract three kinds of supporters: the relatively small group who are as transactional as he and have some useful skill to barter. They are the soulless bastards and in some ways they are worse representatives of our species than Trump. At least he is always in character - they are slippery, skillful operatives who crawl out of the shadows at the opportune moment to strike a deal with him. Trump is without a soul - he wouldn’t recognize it if he kicked it down the street. This group - think Giuliani and Stephen Smith as iconic in this tribe - are obviously going to be supremely dangerous if Trump gains the Presidency.
The millions of Trump voters who exist to put him in office are an amorphous collection. Some are anarchists and know Trump will deliver anarchy. Many, many are original Trump voters and have, knowingly or unknowingly merged their identity, their sense of self, some even their raison d’être with the Trump cause. Depending on the degree of their commitment, they are either dead center in the cult or teetering on the fringes.
Finally there are those who don’t particularly care for Trump, are immune from his inside jokes, but nonetheless see him as a vehicle to get or stay wealthy. They are the “tax-break” crowd.
So the Democrats face the most skilled politician since Franklin Roosevelt who has the added advantage of having entirely co-opted his Party (a whole other story. The knight sent out to slay the dragon is Joe Biden, a man who seems never to have found his true calling until he became President. Biden is everything Trump is not. He has a moral center. He believes desperately in America. He has learned all the right lessons from his mistakes and aged like fine wine in the process. But is 2024 Biden an equal vintage to 2020 Biden. Many supporters fear not and there is a curious air of ambivalence about his candidacy.
Yet I believe that 2024 is a year entirely dissimilar from any Presidential election year since 1860 (one where the stakes were uncannily similar. We are going to see not a single black swan this year, but a flock of them. Nothing is normal this year. Some of the abnormal that will take place will frighten us. Some will test our resolve. Some may even be amusing - in a George Santos way.
But I believe that it is inevitable that in this tumult Republicans, from Trump on down, will go too far in trying to nail down this most unwarranted second Presidency. There will be rhetoric that crosses the pale. It is hard to see how there will not be violence. And if the Democrats threat to win is real, then Trump will start to writhe in fear of prison and he will lash out in ways that will cost him the election.
The solution is simple, but simple rarely translates to easy. Americans must get behind Biden unequivocally, especially now when Trump has the stage because of the primaries. The Nervous Nellies must be frog-marched off stage. Biden must repeatedly attack Trump as magnificently as he did last Friday. He must do it so often that we practically know his words by heart. The Democrats must be unflinching, resolute, generous financially - and united in a joyful spirit of righteous opposition.
In the end this could be a slam dunk for Biden and democracy - or a romp for Trump and whatever label you want to paste on his creed du jour.
It is in Democratic hands. Rise up and slay the dragon.
Yeow. That was spot on. One of the most bizarre attributes of humans can be an unwillingness to admit error, to accept having been conned - even with irrefutable evidence! I remember a study about people who were victims of ponzi schemes who weren't angry at the con man...rationalized the whole crime. Sort of a "Stockholm syndrome" mind bend.
Great post Eric. You could put that into a YouTube video. We would help it go viral :)
Tim Alberta gives a very articulate account of the rationalizations that drive the Christian Nationalist crowd justifying supporting tfg
Excellent on all fronts, Eric! It is up to us, the voters, to stand behind democracy and Joe Biden is our leader., a true American.
I don't believe he's a skilled politician. But he is an entertainer without peer, the P.T. Barnum of self-promotion. That attracts far more TV- and social-media-addicted Americans than even the best politicians can dream. Which makes him MORE dangerous, his "entertainer" chops.
cant resist a bit of kudo for the barnstormer here.
Bill, in 2004 I was an independent, today I am proud Democrat!
My sister and I were raised as Republicans. I became a Democrat around the time of Nixon. My first vote was for McGovern. Well...we took one state.
Sis switched to Democrat when Trump came on the scene. She felt the GOP had left her.
Rapture Gun and Knife, Christian-owned, had to have been a parody, but it wasn’t. Jesus would not have approved of its concept and merchandise, but then some of the “Christians” do not revere Jesus, nor the Love Thy Neighbor ethic.
I am not religious. But I was schooled in what Jesus intended for us. Many current "Christians:" are indeed the "anti-Christ". The good news is that there are folks of good heart within that faith.
https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/ More like this, please.
We are in "choir" mode, no apologies. I wonder how that independent segment grew over the past generation. Less trust generally, and which party has lost to most over this period? Being Dem sympathetic, I put it mainly on the GOP, tea party style, subsequently MAGA. Ok, looked it up. Millenials and likely others have backed off party loyalty. https://www.axios.com/2023/04/17/poll-americans-independent-republican-democrat
I forget exactly when I committed to one party. It was around the same time you did I think.
I decided it was time to raise the stakes and take a stand, just like I suspect you did!
Gary,
I am not sure "we need" to be responsible for the education and judgement of others. In fact, I do not feel even slightly responsible for the actions and thoughts and mindset of others.
America was born in a time when those of influence, like John Adams WERE very, very, very widely read. In Adam's case he had actually red the entire Magna Carta. All if it.
But, lots of folks at that time were Not like John Adams. Remember "Shay's rebellion" which so shook up George Washington that he became more involved in the government process.
Educating those who choose not to educate themselves and instead, because of the reward of "emotion" choose a path of ignorance, violence and general stupidity is not my responsibility to overcome.
I overcame my own ignorance (I am from East Texas) by going to the library, reading, going to college, going to grad school, challenging my very basic "beliefs" while in grad school and modifying them substantially.
For those who lack the discipline and integrity and desire to grow their knowledge and judgement and challenge their basic "feelings" and "beliefs" I say: I am not responsible.
People are responsible for themselves. IF they ask me for help, I will be the first one there with whatever they need.
But, I am not going to push anything on any ignorant American who proudly plants his feet in the pure shite of ignorance with arrogance.
Images abound, why not use them to counter false narratives.
Mike, I applaud you for the efforts you made to educate yourself. One of Marie Montessori's mantras was "learning for life." Most of those commenting here whether they are 15 or 95 seem thirsty for knowledge.
I have been thinking about the southern border for a long time. The GOP obviously uses it as a trigger issue. Most Americans have never been to any border of the US, whether it's the southern or the northern border. I have crossed both borders many times in many places. I have seen how easy it is to cross the northern border. No fences, no border patrol. In the summertime it's an easy hike to "civilization" in many places along the border even though the crossing itself is isolated.
What I have in mind is a social media page with pictures. I'm not thinking of having MSNBC broadcast images of Trump day on a special segment. Put it out there for the low-information voters to view.
Mike, I agree that we are not responsible for changing the beliefs and actions of others. It may behoove us to try but we are not responsible.
I do not agree with your generalizations about people who “lack the discipline, and integrity....” to achieve the level of education and self-knowledge you have.
I have spent forty years working on issues faced by children in foster care, families living in poverty and/or experiencing homelessness and refugees trying to learn English.
It has become clear to me that we are the products of so many factors beyond our control. Genetics, life experiences, and parenting determine our resilience. Ongoing severe stress affects our ability to control impulse and emotions - and overrides the prefrontal cortex.
Yes, there are clearly people with higher levels of resilience and more supports who are able to overcome these factors and achieve a better life. But not all can. And many have few supports to help.
So while I don’t feel responsible for others’ choices, I think it’s more fair to withhold negative stereotyping.
Just FYI
Gary, I replayed every one of those images as I read your list. The DNC should hire you!
That's very kind of you. I need to find a young person versed in the ways of TikTok, Facebook, and all the other social media sights I'm not aware of because I'm too old.
I know the feeling! Me, too!
Dale Carnegie: A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
I learned and grew, it is possible, otherwise become ostriches
I do this & choose to ignore the nasty responses but I think the visual remains long after the words are forgotten. My hope is that fence sitters will choose the truth over the falsehood
TFG mocking a disabled journalist should have done it and it did not! Maybe his followers did not see it. That video clip should be projected 24/7 in Times Square, on the National Mall, and anywhere else that people congregate!
A recent one where he mocked Biden's speech
George,
Correct, Trump himself is a well known coward where violence is relevant. He will incite all his self described "losers and suckers" to do his dirty work for him.
His support of Giuliani show the kind of "friend" he is
That’s called pulling out all the stops, the cowardly way.
I don't care if he does. He and his crew are all losers. I have faith in the good guys on our side, that they will squash the Trumpers.
Nothing bothers TFFG more than being called a loser. He knows it's true and so do many of his devoted brain dead followers.
Your comment reminds me of one of my favorite political quotes from Adlai Stevenson.
When Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson was running for president in the 1950s, a supporter purportedly said to him: "Every thinking person in America will be voting for you." Stevenson replied, "I'm afraid that won't do — I need a majority."
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/letters/ct-a-call-to-every-thinking-person-20170804-story.html
Love that quote, fits today.
By the way, do you listen to GasslitNation?
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nYXNsaXRuYXRpb24ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M/episode/NmRhZWZlZWQtODdhZS00ODc1LWIzMDktY2E0MTI5OTgyZTc5?ep=14
I don't, haven't had time for podcasts in a while. Gasslit is what we are. Will give it a shot. Thanks
Stevenson would have been a great choice for president. If you remember he was labeled "an egghead". A derogatory term for intellectuals. Ike would be hard to beat personality wise and his record as a winning general of the war just passed.
I loved Ike but he was the war hero. Stevenson unlucky but better choice.
By the way, do you listen to GasslitNation?
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nYXNsaXRuYXRpb24ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M/episode/NmRhZWZlZWQtODdhZS00ODc1LWIzMDktY2E0MTI5OTgyZTc5?ep=14
By the way, do you listen to GasslitNation?
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nYXNsaXRuYXRpb24ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M/episode/NmRhZWZlZWQtODdhZS00ODc1LWIzMDktY2E0MTI5OTgyZTc5?ep=14
No, I have it on now. I like the lead-in with Ali Velshi.
Thanks for the link.
January 6 tide turned when well equipped solders arrived. If law enforcement does their job there is no need to fear.
Here is the kicker for me, Fankom: The local law enforcement response was woefully inadequate and understaffed. I suspect there were machinations at the levels above the agency heads that made it so, but I cannot conceive of the situation where they did not have at least the same information that was "out there" that there would be trouble magnitudes of order higher than what they were prepared for.
In no way do I fault those who were on duty that day; Capitol Police, Metro PD, Park Police (the three jurisdictions around the Capitol and grounds); who I fault is those who did not give their agencies riot gear or have tactical units available for response.
I agree. That was criminal and should be punished. If Capital Police had been allowed to prepare January 6 would not have gotten out of hand.
There needs to be a crackdown on anonymous threats as they are poisonous to society.
Biden will do a better job of preparing.
The big baby Donald was ensconced atop it all on Jan 6, so inadequate preparation was his play that day.
Sadly others went along with his bad guidance.
By the way, do you listen to GasslitNation?
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nYXNsaXRuYXRpb24ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M/episode/NmRhZWZlZWQtODdhZS00ODc1LWIzMDktY2E0MTI5OTgyZTc5?ep=14
By the way, do you listen to GasslitNation? I'd really like to know what you think of this.
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nYXNsaXRuYXRpb24ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M/episode/NmRhZWZlZWQtODdhZS00ODc1LWIzMDktY2E0MTI5OTgyZTc5?ep=14
Basically I agree, but I think there were insider insurrectionists in the police force that caused the delay.
That is what I am referring to when I refer to an utter command and control failure. As far as the units that I saw defending the Capitol, I think they did an excellent job with what they had. There may have been a handful of “sympathizers” (I recall one uniformed cop moving a portable barricade) but when the stuff hit the fan, I didn’t see anyone engaging in less that total commitment.
I remain to this day impressed with the bike cops from the Park Police who held the line (bike cops have substantially less protective gear than regular uniformed police) and Eugene Goodman, who by himself kept a group of rioters from achieving the upper offices where (I think it was Pence) were just a door away.
I had the opportunity to consider where my opinions/beliefs and duty stood several times during my career (policing the Occupy Movement, Planned Parenthood protesters, and taking reports from rabidly anti-gay people). Duty always won.
I watched all this on my phone that day, could not take my eyes off it, and felt such deep dismay.
Amen
By the way, do you listen to GasslitNation?
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nYXNsaXRuYXRpb24ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M/episode/NmRhZWZlZWQtODdhZS00ODc1LWIzMDktY2E0MTI5OTgyZTc5?ep=14
Trump is already issuing public warnings about "big trouble" if the SCOTUS does not find for him in the Colorado ballot case.
TFG is a clear and dangerous wacko and needs to be silenced. Does he remind you of the worst tyrants in history? Trying to scare people into submission with threats of violence. Those in Congress who fear for their safety are afraid not to support the wannabe dictator. WHERE ARE WE???? This has got to stop!!!
And as Biden questioned, “Who are we?”.
Dangerous wacko? That description really has the ring of truth. Their side has a lot of people backing him. But they have a weak foundation. It’s hard to fight or commit violence against your fellow man for a lie. We have much bigger numbers, a rock solid foundation, and the truth to guide us.
The only possible explanation about his approval rating going up commensurate to his rising indictments and monetary penalties is that he made a deal with the devil...and there's not much we can do about that but pray....
The polls are like most MSM, intentionally biased.
No surprise, threats and intimidations, lies, lies, lies wrapped in bombast
I noticed that was the headline. However the quote was actually “Our country is in big trouble”. I hate click bait headlines wherever they come from. Plus, many don’t read the news but scan only the headlines.
I read the whole article, in several different sites.
What is Trump--"will be wild" mean with his full statement? Trump is deliberately not using legally-actionable words. He's again signaling "stand back and stand by."
Mobster behavior, I've been told.
My deepest concern is that he will pull out all the stops for violence if he wins... his favorite statement of recent is that he will be a dictator on his first day in office...
We can’t act like his republican enablers who respond to his threats of violence and cower and just go along with him. If there is violence we are going to deal with it. We will not let his threats determine our actions. We will resist him all the way to victory.
That’s all it takes
I have seen a few "promises of violence" on the WH fb page. I reported them for what ever good it will do.
Actually, this will happen during the election, Anthony.
There will be guns at the polling stations. Why would there not be?
We will be prepared to stop the Trumper guns. VOTE!
Texas voter turnout fell from 2018. It was still higher than other midterms.
In Texas, 45.7% of the 17.7 million registered voters cast ballots in the 2022 midterm election. That’s 7.3 percentage points lower than the state’s total turnout in 2018 but higher than in every other midterm election in the last 20 years.
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/10/texas-voter-turnout-2022/
Tell that to Texas. It's obviously not the MAGANAZI's in TX that aren't voting.
I did, but MAGAts never stay home
I agree. I am worried too that the electoral college slants to republicans. It’s gonna get ugly. I hope the democrats have their lawyers ready to go when the sh*t hits the fan.
I never, never thought SCOTUS would become politicized. For most of my adult life I thought of it as the place right would prevail. Not anymore.
For those of us "of a certain age", the Warren Court was what we knew as the SCOTUS. That court gave us Brown v. BoE in 1954, and throughout the 1960's made a ton of rulings that bolstered the rights of individuals. His term ended in 1969, and the Court swung back away from the more progressive rulings. What we have today is an abomination of what SCOTUS should be.
Yes, no more, and this adds is what adds an extra layer of scary.
This is the kind of fear that traps people in abusive relationships. No way to live, in my opinion.
The indicted 45th president will lose again if our U.S. Supreme Court allows him to run. He ran twice. Each time he faced voters, his tally came up smaller than before. Those runs for President were before he was indicted for crimes against our Constitution.
I hope and expect SCOTUS will enforce the Constitution. If it doesn’t, resorting to another act of crime and violence by the 45th and his clique would be a another mistake with far more serious consequences. I offer for your consideration what happened in NYC, during the War of Rebellion (i.e. ‘civil’ war) when federal government troops put an end to the Draft Riots.
https://johnadamsingram.substack.com/p/colorado-supreme-court-decision
hose runs for President were before he was indicted for crimes against our Constitution.
Exactly. That's why I doubt the poll numbers. I have several friends that gave up on TFFG after 1/6 and haven't gone back.
Don’t think so...tough to do from jail!
The indicted 45th will not be given the Constitutional right to run again by SCOTUS. There is no original language in our Constitution which would allow it.
In fact, there is original, self-executing language which prohibits him from running.
Read Section 3, XIV Amendment.
SCOTUS has no alternative but to enforce the U.S. Constitution. We all ought to get our heads around that fact.
“Congress does not need to pass impending legislation for Section Three’s disqualification provision to attach, and Section Three is, in that sense, self-executing.”
-- COLORADO SUPREME COURT
https://johnadamsingram.substack.com
I think you’re right and that some police and as much FBI as can are preparing for the possibilities.
George A. Polisner.
Agree! We have citizens who have benefited from our country and it's people and its government and the opportunities our country offers many (but not all) of our citizens.
Yet it is some of these powerful people, here and others in the world, who are breathing life and financial support into DT and his "gang".
I continue to be confounded with "church going" citizens who support this godless self-centered person.
I live in a red town that doesn't even have a stop light. But we have 8 churches, 4 bars and a gun range. These church members are aging and fighting spiritual warfare on the front lines. They love Agent Orange because he validated their hate. He said it's ok to abuse people. They are racists. They are misogynistic and homophobic. But they love Jesus. The guy that plows our driveway shows up and starts in on immigrants. He's an Elder in his church. We tried talking to him to no avail. I pointed out his hypocrisy but I just got the deer in the headlight look as usual. They hang hate flags on their properties. One guy has a 40 ft lighted cross with a Trump flag on it. Another has a fucking video screen in his yard flashing Trump. These are the community church members.
It’s also unfortunate the MAGA movement has co-opted the American flag. I used to proudly display it on appropriate major holidays and after 9/11 to show American unity. No more.
They CANNOT take my flag. I used to fly it along side a flag that was a black field with a blue stripe (not the thin blue line flag after I saw how it was corrupted) to honor fallen cops. It now flies all year with a pride flag to its right.
Me too Dave. The day after the insurrection my town had flags flying everywhere. It was creepy. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The KKK are now called Patriots for Liberty.
I won't let them co-opt the flag. It belongs to all of us, and I proudly fly it every day.
Same, Kathleen.
They do not own the American flag, any more than the word “patriot”, or religious symbols. They don’t decide what the words and symbols mean for the rest of us.
I think it’s telling that the fugitives’ website that Heather references capitalizes “Gun and Knives” but not “christian”.
Lisa et al,
Do you have any ideas how we might redeem & save our flag from the desecrations of the maga-wave-wear -magnify gang? Thinking that HCR readers being smart-creative- & much more might have some brilliant ideas.
I like what Ally said about hanging the Pride flag next to the American Flag.
I have a meme that says Pro America Flag anti trump
Despicable, but the rule of law depends on not averting our attention.
Tim Albert, listen to his interviews, I am waiting to read his book.
Disgusting and beyond my comprehension!
Can you move?
I love my 150 yr old farmhouse. We live on 10 acres and we got it cheap 14 yrs ago. We have put a ton of work it. I really didn't know that this town would be a better fit in Arkansas. I saw an article a few years ago where they did a study of the most drunk counties in the country. Mine was number 1 in Minnesota. I keep to myself. However, it's difficult when the crap comes out of their mouths it's hard for me to stay silent. Real hard. I don't like bullies.
Hello from a fellow Minnesotan (who happily lives in a liberal St Paul neighborhood)!
My family is mostly in Ohio and they are almost all Republicans. I still dislike Thanksgiving because of the years of racist table talk. As soon as I graduated to the “adult table” I started arguing with my Nazi uncle (truly a Nazi - as was confirmed by the Nazi magazines and newspapers in his home when he died). Years later my mother said “why are you arguing with him? That’s what he wants.”
That changed everything. I can’t/won’t give even tacit approval to racist talk. But now, I walk away - not angrily but clearly not willing to listen to such talk. It has resulted in family at least being alerted to my feelings. And by withholding reinforcement (yes, I did study behavior modification many years ago), that conversation has been extinguished in my presence. It’s all I can do but I think it helps!
I just finished my DBT therapy and moving on to my complex trauma therapy as a result of 64 years of narcissist abuse by numerous family members. I know better than to engage with them. But when I see injustice or bullying I don't back down. My therapist is trying to soften my edges. Good luck with that. I'm incapable of small talk. I tried. It breaks my heart in a million pieces when I see someone being abused. When they try to bully me it's game over. Narcissist abuse is in our faces everyday. Agent Orange normalized it. I'm always learning and I try to do better. Thank you for your comment.
I wish you only the best in overcoming your family abuse. My family is much less toxic and they have no illusions that I tolerate their racism. My walking away has a stronger impact than my arguments ever did.
Thank you. That's much appreciated. I kicked them all to the curb 7 yrs ago. But one came back. Working on that.
Lisa59,
I had to reply to your comment regarding the "judgmental attitudes and speech" poured our by those who call themselves " christian".
I am sorry for your pain...especially from persons who claim to be saved from hell FOR goodness.....to bring the love of Christ to a cruel world!!!
I am a Christian...and it is not a description I take lightly.
I am a Christ follower because His love came to me and helped me to see ways I was destroying myself and He did not do this through judgement. He did not condemn me....it was through His love.
He had "spoken to my heart' when I was younger and I said to Him...."are you kidding?" and I went my own self-destructive way.
I, of course" am not magically perfect in my choices...in my actions but in MY Spirit and life, HIS SPIRIT IS WITH ME.
Jesus Christ comes one by one to us ....no matter the color of our skin...no matter our choices of a partner in life....no matter if we are in prison...physically or spiritually...but HE never forces HIS way in. When we receive HIS daily love, conviction, wisdom, guidance....HOW CAN WE JUDGE OTHERS WHEN WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN SUCH GRACE AND MERCY???? HE IS MY STRENGH AND GRACE. HE FORGIVES ME MANY TIMES DURING THE DAY AND IN MY LIFE!!!! My memory of His coming to me.... without my asking....but knowing my "need".....being patient with me.....but as my Creator.....knowing I was self-destructing.
Why would I judge another, as a Christian, when I am provided such an example af love and grace and encouragment??? God loved me where I was and He loves me even now but He shows me where I need "work".
Please, fellow believers....there has never been a more important time than now when we need to show love for one another...stop the hate!!!! This is not from God....this is from evil!!
Vote for Joe Biden who knows how to govern...who really loves this country and all that she provides for its citizens. Vote for freedom, stability....opportunities for everyone! He is encouraging freedom throughout the world. (on a negative note...I can hardly live with the death of those in Palestine!)
CHRISTIANS...LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS CHRIST HAS LOVED US. Joe Biden is a believer. Look at the ways he has brought our world and much of our country back from the chaos it was during
DT's adminisration!!!
If you are following such a self-centered, Godless person as DT, you really need to examine your faith!!!! The only word he speaks of is "retribution".....NOT better education for our children...Not more support for our teachers....NOT cheaper drugs with more responsible and better trained physicians....Not encouraging peace and productivity throughout the world....Not ways to keep the air we breath clean....Not more cooperation with world leaders with space explorations...Not ways to better organize and support the work at the border...NOT mentioning that it is Americans selling Fentenayl,
not encouraging democracies throughout the world, not building better roads and highways, not improving our systems of communication so that people far away from cities can have better education opportunities...not working to keep our water systems clean...replacing old pipes....etc...etc...ALL dt TALKS ABOUT IS HIMSELF....HE IS NOT FOR YOU, PEOPLE OF AMERICA!!!!!
I'm happy that you found love, support and recovery. I left the church 20 years because of this hypocrisy. I found very few who actually walked what Jesus talked. I actually helped out a church counseling church members who were struggling with mental health issues. Drug addicts are easier to deal with than those who take the Bible literally. Their harsh judgment of those who were not in their camp was stomach turning. The church preached prosperity and profits. The head Pastor was later found of having affairs with young women. I don't need to be judged by God or give it credit for all the work I've done. I did it. I felt too much guilt that I could never do enough to please God or anyone else for that matter. Thank you for sharing your feelings. That was very thoughtful and I appreciate it.
Are you in AR or MN?
I'm in Minnesota. And I love Governor Walz. He's my hero these days.
I love Walz too!
Wow, that’s scary. Do you think about moving?
Very true Emily. I think many (not all) churches sold their soul for George W. Bush’s faith-based initiatives which accelerated the erosion of separation of church and state. The flow of wealth has subverted the American experiment in many ways.
Thanks to Rove in 2004
Yes. Rove, Murdoch, and Ailes.
Church-going citizens are used to hearing bull Schitt. Think Jimmy Swiggert.
Not just used to hearing, as Mike S says, programed to believe what the white guy standing up front on Sunday says, and do what he says to do.
There are many evangelicals who are hoping for the end of the world, as they believe they will either be spared by being taken up in a "rapture" and/or that it is the fulfillment of biblical prophesy. They are fervently hoping this will be the case. They support Trump because they believe he is the one who is going to bring this about. He just might. Though it will reveal not Heaven but Hell.
The "church going" are in demographic decline. Abortion, gender diversity, trans, "god" removed from schools, "corrupted" libraries. This stuff is liquid nitro to them. "Better the devil we know". And this is not just the baptists. Add catholics of the right persuasion.
TFG supports their vision of the apocalypse. They see him for what he is but he is their savior. They have their priorities.
Tim Albert gives a very clear explanation to those of us like you are scratching our heads in disbelief of anyone can be so blind
'How the GOP’s rewriting of Jan. 6 paved the way for Trump’s comeback' (Washington Post, excerpts)
'Pressure from family members and advocates for accused rioters was amplified by online influencers and right-wing media figures, leading lawmakers to minimize, excuse and deny the violence and rehabilitate Trump'
'Attempts to minimize, excuse or deny the violence of that day began with people returning home from the mob and intensified with family members of rioters, including the mother of a woman killed at the Capitol. Their cause became championed by pro-Trump writers Julie Kelly and Darren Beattie, and amplified by prominent right-wing media figures. The grass-roots and media pressure then spread from far-right lawmakers such as Reps. Paul A. Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene to take over the Republican mainstream.'
'Now, on the third anniversary of the nation’s first interruption to the peaceful transfer of power since the Civil War era, Republicans’ attitudes about Jan. 6 are increasingly unmoored from other Americans, and Trump holds a commanding lead in the race for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination.'
'The share of Republicans who said the Jan. 6 protesters who entered the Capitol were “mostly violent” dipped to 18 percent from 26 percent in December 2021, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. More than half of independents and about three-quarters of Democrats, on the other hand, believe the protesters were “mostly violent,” numbers that have remained largely unchanged over time, the poll found.'
'The percentage of Republicans who hold Trump responsible for the attack dropped from 27 percent to 14 percent, compared with 56 percent of independents and 86 percent of Democrats. More than a third of Republicans said they believe the FBI definitely or probably organized and encouraged the attack — a conclusion contradicted by an extensive congressional investigation and more than 725 completed federal prosecutions.'
'At that time, even Trump was still denouncing the violence. In a Feb. 28 Fox News interview, he defended his rally before the riot as' “a love fest,” but as for the siege of the Capitol, he said, “I hate to see it. I think it’s terrible.”
'The biggest exception was Tucker Carlson, then the host of the nation’s most-watched cable news show, on Fox News. In March, he invited Kelly on to question what caused the death of Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died the day after fighting the mob, including being attacked with pepper spray. (The D.C. medical examiner later concluded that Sicknick died of natural causes after two strokes, but that “all that transpired on that day played a role in his condition.” Sicknick’s assailant, Julian Khater, pleaded guilty in 2022.)'
“The details of that day matter,” Carlson said, “because they’re being used as a pretext for changing this country.” Carlson did not respond to requests for comment.'
'Carlson also took an interest in another fatality connected to the attack: that of Ashli Babbitt, the Trump supporter who was shot trying to enter the lobby of the House chamber while lawmakers were evacuating. In the months after the riot, far-right communities online started portraying her as a martyr and trying to identify and harass the officer who shot her, according to Holt’s research for the Atlantic Council.'
'In June, Carlson brought on Babbitt’s widower, who repeated the call to identify the officer who killed her. “The silence is deafening,” he said.'
In early 2023, Trump allies began producing a track of the inmates singing the national anthem, mixed with a recording of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. He played the finished song — “Justice for All,” featuring the “J6 Prison Choir” — to open the first campaign rally of his 2024 campaign, in Waco, Tex., in March 2023. The song jumped to No. 1 on iTunes.
The next month, Trump dropped into a diner while campaigning in Manchester, N.H. The crowd inside started calling out that there was a “J6er” present. She was Micki Larson-Olson, who had been recently released after serving a 180-day sentence for unlawful entry onto public property. Trump called her over, hugged her and signed the backpack she said she was wearing that day.
By May, Trump expanded his pardon pledge, now promising to “most likely” grant clemency to “a large portion” of Jan. 6 defendants. “And it’ll be very early on,” he said in a CNN town hall.
At a rally in Durham, N.H., last month, he went further than Kelly’s phrase for the Jan. 6 defendants.
“I don’t call them prisoners,” he said. “I call them hostages. They’re hostages.” (WAPO) See gifted link for entire article.
https://wapo.st/492hbIn
Great detail Fern. And the mainstream media is complicit, fueling the flames of “both-siderism” instead of continuing to deliver facts, evidence, and calling Trump, his co-conspirators, and accessories out for their crimes, obstruction, and blatant lies.
George, understanding why a large number of Americans are unmoored from reality -- the transfer of wealth; loss of communities; unions and local newspapers; the effects of technology -- there were major aspects of daily life that led to social cohesion, which are no longer part of our foundation.
These losses and others have led to our vulnerability to propaganda, conspiracy theories, mistrust in government. The lack of local journalistic sources and frequent exchanges with one another ups the challenge of bridging our differences.
If the figures are correct, that approximately 54% of American adults ( age 16- 74) read at a 6th grade level or best, think about how that impacts comprehension & critical thinking skills. How are most 6th graders respect to critical thinking? I would suggest, those are to a minimum. I was told my son, who's an adult now, in 3rd grade was reading & comprehending at an 11th grade level. He was always able to drill down to the facts, separating them from the fluff. Sadly, I couldn't say that about a good many of his friends. Seemed they were lost in the weeds, sadly. And those, would in all likelihood, be voting for a trump & subscribing to maga propaganda & conspiracy figures.
There are moments I am in despair, as to where we are going as a nation. I continue donating to worthy dem candidates, to President Biden's campaign, thinking in that there is a glimmer of hope. Yet still i think, thank God I am on the other side of 50.
Your point is well taken Bonnie. Can't always judge intellect on reading abilties though.
As a volunteer literacy tutor I am reminded of Tim a 60-ish year old big burly teddy bear like man. I tutored him weekly for a few years.
There was nothing dumb about Tim. He was never diagnosed with Dyslexia as a child. He was told he was stupid his entire life.
Tim was a life-long heavy equipment operator for the same large local company until a few months before his retirement date. He was let go with no pension. He could not read so he could not fill out job applications. It was at this point Tim decided to learn to read.
Like I say Tim was not stupid. He mistrusted the banking system so he bought houses instead. He owned 10 properties.
Agreed. And I don't mean to paint all with the same brush. But I am suggesting that a large swath of trump followers ( not the ones who are wealthy & hoping to benefit financially via a trump presidency) tend to be poorly educated & not inclined to fact check.
I recently learned this is not true. Please watch this short video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxtFUpr47-A
I recommend Timothy Snider’s book “On Tyranny”. He presents 20 ways to recognize tyranny and how to inoculate ourselves against it, using examples from the 20th century.
And so many things on his list are already in motion
Fern, when you say "...there were major aspects of daily life that led to social cohesion, which ar no longer part of our foundation." you have said something profound, and on so many levels.
As a kid (b. 1958) we all watched the same cartoons. Our folks all watched the same news, albeit on one of 2 (later 3) channels. We all followed the same TV shows. As a young adult, we still watched the same shows, and had "water cooler conversations" at work/school about those shows (MASH, Mork and Mindy, Seinfeld, Dallas, Star Trek TNG) which led to a cohesion. There were times you knew not to call your friends because "their" show was on. We still watched the same news. With the advent of cable tv, we got to watch reruns of shows we'd seen as children (Gilligan's Island, Beverly Hillbillies). We all went to the same movies, at the same one-screen theaters.
Far, far different from today. I think that the unfettered propaganda spewed out by various sources, and the absolute lack of local journalistic sources has, as you state, makes bridging our differences hard, because we don't have a that social cohesion of shared experiences when it comes to viewing/movie watching/news perusal.
Ally, I had the chills, while reading your breakdown of our sharing in the past. It is about speaking the same language. We had our differences, preferences and arguments, but we knew what each other was talking about.
Fern and Ally, I appreciate your thoughts today especially. The idea of speaking a common language, and having a foundation of shared experiences. We are seeing the loss of real connection to others in the rise of addiction, anxiety, depression and premature death.
Building community and connecting ourselves to others is how we will make the positive changes we want. I’ve heard HCR say this very thing.
Fern, I wonder if we really knew what people different from ourselves were talking about. I never saw a Black person until high school (where one young man briefly attended). I never knew a LGBTQ person (at least one who was out) until I started working in human services. I never had conversations with people living in poverty or homelessness until after college. You and Ally really made me think: was my assumption that we had a shared experience a fantasy?
Marge, I had a Black classmate for half a year in my public school system that I attended for 12 years. I did know LGBTQ+ folks, but then, I was one.
To answer your question, though; within our homogenous groups, we did have a shared experience. Not a completely shared experience; the ones that I can think of that might have reached that level were Kennedy's assassination, the Lunar landing, the Challenger blowing up shortly after launch, and the removal of the Berlin Wall.
Personal note: I was working in the jail on January 28, 1986; it was an ordinary dayshift, and the dayroom was watching the launch. I had an inmate return from outside the housing area, and was, per policy, patting her down outside the housing unit with the door slightly ajar. One of the gals said "Ally, you've got to come in, NOW". I brought the inmate in and shut the door, and we all saw that secondary explosion. 14 women in custody, and me, their jailer. Watching that, we were all one.
How many of us all watched J6. did faux news show it as it happened? How twisted that visual has become
I watched about an hour and a half on Faux. They covered it accurately in that moment.
The spin came later.
The spin came later. Did this happen with the shows we grew up with? Was All in the Family one of the first shows showing the strong political differences? My dad who was a life long union democrat repeated that Stevenson was too much of an egg head. Before I left for college he told me that unions are a good thing no matter what they say. It was also the era of McCarthy & Pete Seeger protest songs.
I loved your story about sharing the Space Age with women prisoners! And good point about everyone coming together for those historical events. I wonder if there is any event that could, today, have that power to bring us all together? We certainly need it!
In ordinary times, that would have been January 6, 2021. It should have been, but wasn't, and I think that is the best illustration for that lack of common, cohesive experiences.
Marge-What we saw on the news, on television and in segregated communities was not the reality of everyone's life in America. There were some myths, stereotypes and propaganda mixed with information/entertainment then too. Fore example, we really didn't see too many Black people on TV and if we did it was usually about crime. So yes-in some ways our shared experience didn't reflect the "real" world...
Marge, I live in NYC where it isn't exactly a 'melting pot'; it is, however, a mixing pot. I was open and curious about people with upbringings different than mine. Rich (White) WASPs, for the most part, didn't live in the neighborhoods that I was familiar with or attend the schools that I went to before college. That was also generally true of Blacks and Hispanics, but we had opportunities to meet, talk and see each other on mass transportation, in stores, playing fields, and organizations of common interest, etc. 'Brotherhood' was one of the themes of my childhood, which strongly attracted me.
The ethos (the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution) of the family, the school, the community and the governments both locally and federally, matter in terms of our respect for one another and our standards of conduct. This is a crucial factor in bridging our divides and part of the principle of equality in democracies.
I owe my passion to the fact that my best friend was the Preacher’s Kid. So although I have never been a believer, I “religiously” (LOL) attended a UCC church - where good works were more important than being saved. I was involved in every volunteer opportunity and found I connected with people with mental illness and people living in poverty. That was the beginning of a 40+ year life in human services. I once read that exposing/immersing a young teen in a “culture” of people who are different changes their lives. It certainly did change mine. As an adult I gave church another chance- for the volunteer work. I was an adult chaperone on volunteer trips to Indian reservations, rebuilding after Katrina, and placing water in the AZ desert to prevent migrant deaths. I saw those trips change one smart-alecky, self-absorbed teenager: he is now studying human services and pastoral care! If only we could build something like this into high schools everywhere!
Fern: I truly envy your NY youth. I lived in a white suburb of Cleveland Ohio. Enough said.
Thank you, Fern.
Right back to you, Ally!
So very true and eloquently stated
Agree with everything you say here, Fern.
But much of our lives have been dominated by American propaganda. We’re the ‘good guys’. Really?
As to trust, do you trust the government? No one should.
Our milieu, imo, comes back, inevitably, to capital vs. labor, with race being an integral component of capital’s divide and conquer approach to keeping labor on the losing side of the ledger. When people are constantly economically stressed, they are ripe for all sorts of fallacious thinking to make it past the good sense firewall.
We’re in a dark place.
But not the darkest, at present. Not even close to the unspeakable horror taking place in Gaza.
https://www.commondreams.org/further/all-this-for-a-myth-we-have-lost-everything-beautiful
Tom-
Here's a quote worth thinking about as we hope for more light in the darkness:
"I painfully regret that in almost every political controversy of the last fifty years the leisured classes, the educated classes, the wealthy classes, the titled classes have been in the wrong. The common people-the responsible toilers, the men of uncommon sense-these have been responsible for nearly all of the social reform measures which the world accepts today". -William Gladstone (1884)
Gladstone was the Prime Minister of UK from 1808-1894. His father was one of the largest slaveholders in the British Empire (2,508 slaves, 9 plantations in the Caribbean). He was known as "The People's William".
Google him-he was an interesting guy who believed in equal opportunity and limited government.
We'll see which group of "common people" rise up to help us mend fences between laborers. Some recent union actions shined a spotlight on some of the issues. There's at least some hope...
Yes, Fern. I believe the marketing and advertising industry had a lot to do with normalizing being lied to. They made their public believe they lacked something and that they could provide the product to fill that lack. Their dishonesty became something we were beaten over the head with daily, for life. Most everyone bought it.
So now many look for liars to follow. It sounds like what they’re used to.
I’ve dropped my NYT subscription, but still get a page of headlines as I access the crossword puzzle. President Biden’s remarkable speech on January 5th seems to have been relegated to page 11. Trump sells, decency doesn’t. It’s disgusting.
unmoored. perfect description
Thanks, Fern, I always appreciate the articles you share!
If anything, what we are seeing is how few people it takes to bring down a democracy. Democracy's worst enemy is apathy of citizens.
Very true. I continue to write that any meaningful attempt at any form of democracy requires an informed, educated, and engaged society. All three pillars have been assailed since Reagan (who also accelerated the concentration of wealth and thus, power). The apathetic lack of engagement is disturbing to witness (and why I continue to build https://civ.works).
FDR: “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education…to prepare each citizen to choose wisely and to enable him to choose freely are paramount functions of the schools in a democracy.”
There are highly educated people backing Trump. They don’t trust anything they read from MSM or government backed info sources. Their doubt has only grown as Influence peddling has been uncovered or existed or even made up. They distrust Biden, who one points out has two wars during his campaign, while Dt had ‘none.’ Their disgust with the current system is strong. Dt sowed seeds of distrust— can’t trust anyone— and far right media plus internet posts amplify. There is deep distrust and even paranoia there. This isn’t going to be easy to heal.
There should be deep distrust of government, by everyone, regardless of political affiliation. The main purpose of the Founder’s ‘checks and balances’ paradigm was to prevent the concentration of power in government, because it wasn’t to be trusted.
America was sleepwalking through the past fifty years as a slow-moving corporate coup took place, with monied interests buying both political parties, and all of the checks and balances. We… are… owned.
We need our revolution, the one Jefferson referenced that is necessary when government ceases responding to the interests of the people. For all the hysteria about 1/6, some justified, some not, the fact remains that frustration over governing dysfunction leads, inexorably to rebellion. Ask those who threw the tea into Boston Harbor.
The men who threw the tea overboard had the right target, the East India Company, not King George. The failure of the people on 1/6 was targeting a government building owned by monied interests, instead of the corporate headquarters of Amazon, Raytheon, Boeing, ADM, etc. Wrong target, same frustration.
Until laser focus comes to ‘why Trump’ instead of’GOP sucks’, we’ll continue to circle the drain.
Tom, the "being owned" points right to oligarchs, billionaires, the KOCH and ALEK factions, the Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation, and others all pulling strings so their puppets will dance.
But that is not all that is going on. We have (at least at present) an EPA that makes a valiant effort to regulate environmental degradation. We have Social Security and Medicare and, at least in some states (I live in Minnesota), learned, inquisitive, compassionate, and excellent Senators whose vision is trained in the direction of greater freedom and ethical responsibility.
So I ask you: Will you only trust government if it achieves 100% of what you want? I do not think of trusting government at all. I expect people to act in ways that do damage to themselves and others. It's a fact of human life.
But I also see that I live in a country where in Florida the people who care about women's health care could work hard and get a measure on the ballot to ensure abortion when needed. That's just one example of what people do to re-balance the odds and right the wrong. The Florida Supreme Court might disallow the proposed law. . . but maybe not. Nothing is guaranteed. Still, they tried.
Sometimes I think the posture of "both sides are corrupt" results from wanting to be pissed off and veiling it with a mask of self-righteousness. Am I wrong? Is it really reasonable to see only what you don't like and not see what is encouraging and hopeful?
He is looking for the perfect, not the good
Again, with the ‘self-righteous’ crap. Both sides are corrupt… because… they… are.
The system is corrupt. One pays to play in it.
I see many things in the policy and politics realm, including the Florida ballot initiative. The good that people are attempting to accomplish, and sometimes even succeeding at, are dwarfed by the mendacious duplicity of a corrupt system of governance and politics, and corporate media propaganda that is killing us.
To answer your first question, no, I would not trust a government doing 100% of what I want. That would be its own belief system, and foolish. I’d vote for it, but trust it? Nope.
What I see is a materially comfortable liberal class of Americans largely paying lip service to the poor, to the Palestinians, to the economically anxious, and totally refusing to actually embrace a class-based anti-capitalist politics that addresses those issues, preferring instead to couch their lip service in status quo incrementalist legislative crumbs that do little but intensify populist frustration and rage, and inevitably increase the probability of the authoritarian rule they claim to fear.
I'm sorry that you have to live with so much anger. I would love it if governments world-wide could all be changed so that all people had enough. My response is to tithe my time, money, and abilities toward that end and to vote for those who seem like they will intend what is best for all people. Then I give 1) thanks for all the people whose compassion leads them to try doing what's good and 2) somehow tolerate my short-comings and those of others. It'll never be a perfect world.
Here we go again with the perfect is the enemy of the good meme. It’ll never be a perfect world… Really?…. Wow!…. Who knew?
You say you intend to vote for a candidate intending what is best for all people. Happy to see you will be voting for a third-party candidate this cycle, as neither duopoly candidate has that intention, despite what they might say.
I live with so much anger because there is so much to be angry about; just channeling the bumper sticker messaging of if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention. I pay attention more than most, certainly more than either the Trump cult or the VoteBlueNoMatterWho cult in this particular comments forum.
Don’t be concerned, or sorry, about the anger. The first quarter century of my life was spent under authoritarian rule (dysfunctional abusive father/military), but the positive things coming out of the madness were finely honed skills of both observation and compartmentalization, and a love of reading. Compared to most of the world, I live a comfortable, happy life.
But I will call out hypocritical, abusive, duplicitous, mendacious behavior that puts the interests of monied interests and donors above working people and the poor wherever I see it, and that includes when those traits come from tribal darlings here like Joe Biden and Tony Blinken. The real question is, why aren’t more here angry with them?
If one can’t be critical of genocidal complicity, what kind of moral compass does one possess?
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/tony-blinken-is-a-cold-blooded-sociopath
Yes-but King George legitimized the East India Company...and remember according to SCOTUS (a branch of government) corporations are people and "United Citizens" in America can make all the donations they want to buy politicians in the land of the free. Government has the power to sanction/regulate corporations, but we've gone down a dark hole as wealthy people play their games to maintain power and control.
Not just King George; every member of Parliament owned East India stock.
Only way, imo, to kill the concepts of corporate personhood and money as speech is HJR-54. Info here: MoveToAmend.org
Maybe a big picture would help, not bits and pieces
That is the thesis of Al Gore’s book “The Assault on Reason.” The book cover: “Al Gore’s larger goal in this book is to explain how the public sphere itself has evolved into a place hospitable to reason’s enemies; to make us more aware of the forces at work on our own minds; and to lead us to an understanding of what we can do, individually and collectively, to restore the rule of reason and safeguard our future.”
Publication 2007, lots about GWB. I can imagine what he would say about DJT!
And social media where every pinhead is given a megaphone.
Yes, I totally agree with you. Trump is ineligible to hold public office for life due to his participation in an insurrection according to the letters of our Constitution. Likewise, those members of Congress who aided Trump are equally as ineligible to serve. These people have gotten away with a whole lot of bad sh*t. They are still being paid salaries that are taxpayer-funded. They are working against the American people whose livelihoods they vowed to protect. I resent this injustice very much. These people, along with Trump, need to be 14th Amendmented out of their jobs.
My favorite part of today's missive was about the three siblings who participated in the riot whose family owns the 'Rapture Guns and Knives, described on its Facebook page as a “christian owned Gun and Knife store” ' You can just picture Jesus rolling his eyes around....
So true Sophia! While unfortunately not covered in scripture, one wonders which assault rifle Jesus would prefer.
“Yes, I like the AK-47, but do keep a glock as a backup in case I heal the sick, but they are late 30 days on their invoice.”
I would hope that this time around, the court wil not consider ankle bracelets as part of the sentencing of those three fugitive criminal insurrectionists arrested in Florida, as reported by HCR. I note that they were connected with a knife and gun store that was 'christian-owned' according to its Facebook posting. I am suspicious of any business that uses the religion of its owners to solicit business from the general public. In an upcoming posting on my blog, I touch upon such subtle antisemitism, and racism as well, that can be found among too many of Donald Trump's right wing supporters.
Jack, that "Christian owned" or the fish symbol are surefire ways to get me to avoid that business like the plague.
Ally: I usually go a bit further on my blog than I do on here ... but here is a draft of how I will be posting this on my blog (Jackspotpourri) later this week.
"When Donald Trump talks about mass deportation of immigrants, some of whom he recently referred to as ‘vermin,’ retribution against those who have not shown loyalty to him, and using the military and the Department of Justice to carry out his punishment of them and those behind any civil or criminal charges against him, you get a picture of who he really is. And it is not a nice picture. It is that of a tin pot dictator.
But that picture appeals to a significant number of Americans who, although they will not readily admit it, includes those who feel that our government spends a disproportionate amount of its tax-funded resources to benefit people of color who number only between 13% and 14% of our population, and that too many of its decision-makers are Jews who number only a little more than 2% of our population.
They don’t come out and say these things. They don’t boast about their racism and antisemitism in public, but that’s what they mean when they talk of ‘welfare queens’ and disparage ‘Critical Race Theory’ and ‘Diversity-Equity-Inclusion’ ideas without even attempting to understand them, and repeatedly refer to our country’s ‘Christian’ founding, exemplified by the current House Speaker who puts his evangelical religious beliefs ahead of the Constitution that he is sworn to uphold. And of course, these folks always vote Republican."
Jack-I think a lot of the subtly is lost-racists are loud and proud now. People of color are actually about 41% of the U.S. population now. The Census category "White only non-Hispanic" is 58.9%. Trump's supporters are overwhelmingly in the White only category-and yes-the majority of them vote Republican because they've bought into racism. They're alarmed and their responses to our changing demographics are cruel. They "fear for their lives".
I'm keeping the faith that in 2024 enough people of goodwill will crush these folks who want to keep us divided.
Hear, hear. Indeed, the GOP or its MAGA frontispiece, has wrapped itself around the Big Lie, fronted by Trump and all too many astute operators and gullible citizens. It looks like a group of Jan 6 insurrections are reviving their efforts as part of the 2024 campaign, verbally reneging on their confessions.
You wrote: "While there is no question that Trump should never be allowed to hold any public office, it clearly extends to all those who actively participated in the planning, and more importantly, all those who have continued to obstruct and impede a complete investigation as accessories after the fact." I suspect that this is the primary motivation for those in Congress who clearly know they committed acts of treason before, during and after J6; talk about cleaning out the swamp!
Indeed Ellen. And they know since Nixon was not held accountable for his crimes, they feel they have license to act without recourse. Furthermore, the Trump/MAGA party (no longer the GOP) will just scream “look what America does to political opponents!”. The consistent response from the DOJ, the AG’s, and the DA’s working to prosecute the offenders should be: “No. This is what we do to criminals who betray their oath of office and act to undermine the very system they are supposed to be committed to defending.” And then they should all sign “Yours in Service”.
I love that "yours in service"! Plus, the reminder that the rule of law is applied to CRIMINALS who betray their oath of office. If these folk do not like the consequences of their actions, they have choices to make. Whining is not a very effective choice, as I see it.
Excellent George👏
I agree! Thank you. George!
If delusional hypocrisy was a crime, Heather just proved the guilt of the insurrectionists and their millions of followers.
And, FWIW, yesterday I saw five pickup trucks in convoy flying American flags and displaying Trump propaganda on I-5 in Oregon between Eugene and Portland. I guess for them Jan. 6 is a day to celebrate treason.