Last night, in a speech to honor Independence Day, President Joe Biden used his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic to defend democracy.
On December 17, 2020, Gallup polling found that 31% of Americans identified as Democrats, 25% identified as Republican, and 41% as Independent. Leaving independents out of polling assessments and reporting only republicans vs democrats is highly misleading and in fact, potentially overstates Republicans’ influence. We should stop doing this.
Thank you, Carol! I was thinking about these statistics over the last few days while reading posts from a few days back. The pessimism was getting to me and I wanted to remember where I'd read these numbers. The fact that 41% identify as Independent (as I did myself when John Anderson ran in 1980 - that is until I ended up voting for Carter instead), means that there are a substantial number of folks to be influenced. We should give up on trying to reason with the hardline right wing and concentrate on getting everyone else registered and voting.
Yes. Independents can hold as much power - in the voting process anyway - as an established party, IMO. It used to be said that they had no cohesive belief, but given the range of views held within the two major parties, not sure that holds true anymore.
No matter how many times I go back to it to watch any particular segment, it remains daunting to witness the rage. I think this is what I hold the former president most responsible for. He fomented this rage which fueled the violent breach of the Capitol. It is this documentary from the NYTimes which differs from anything else that I have watched that conveys how close, mere seconds, the intrusion came to killing, maiming, and preventing Congress from returning to the process of certifying the election. And to think this despicable, insane despot rallied thousands last Saturday in Sarasota, FL in broad daylight at a legal and highly publicized public gathering while still embracing them as his followers and encouraging further treason is beyond any reason. With current lawmakers present actually giving supporting speeches. It’s the dark underbelly of democracy that can allow such horror to occur and be blandly and carefully reported by local media. Like it’s normal.
Cathy posted a link in another post to enable a consumer a method to report a complaint regarding broadcast journalism. I’m adding this as a daily task to my out-the-rage list. Thank you, Cathy, for posting.
There’s just something about this documentary. It turned on another switch in me to not become complacent or neutral about my response to seeing my fellow Americans act no different than a crowd of zombies.
Although difficult for me to even refer to the former president by name, I will this time. Donald J Trump is no tinsel at the top. He is trash at the bottom.
I think history will show that piece of film to be the most impactful in over 50 years. It can not be destroyed, denied, or lost. We will see it again and again until it is burned into our collective soul.
Yes, it was rage. A rage born of shame. An overwhelming feeling of a lack of social status due to them but denied by others. So, the social psychology of it manifests in outward hostility and anxiety. And it will not go away until the underlying cause is dealt with. And that would be inequality - a direct affront to "all men (and women BTW) are born equal". Class dismissed.
Maybe some people at the rally felt a lack of social status, but surely not those who arrived on private jets. A major component of the authoritarian GQP is well-off people who fear sharing power, who think that if they fail to stay at the top keeping everyone else down, that they will find themselves on the receiving end of the mistreatment they have dished out.
It’s not about a “lack” of social status. That’s what people fear in “those Biden controlled socialist progressive leftist governments “. It’s about “more” social status and a move up promised by the white autocrats at the top of the heap to poor and middle class people, who in this case are mostly white and looking to see who is below and being given the boost by socialist government to leap frog over them. Thus, voter suppression, Jim Crow, Fox NoNews, and all the other racist, fascist, totalitarian maneuvers. That’s why the former generates such rallies. Brash, loud, bombastic, arrogant, and fake. Stoked by fear of loss and “look who is taking it from you”.
Love is reverent and respectful and non violent, yet passionate. Give peace a chance.
Yes Charlie. A rage born of fear. Of someone getting or taking something from you. Because one believes there is not enough to go around. Then there is deep shame at what one must do to keep it in grubby hands. Knee on the neck. That’s why the George Floyd murder struck such a nerve in this country. Appalling action to so many and acceptable tactic to so many.
I think it is fear of losing that status more than it is a feeling that they lack it. To be white in this country (or to be an ally of the power of whiteness) is to hold an unearned position above everyone who is not white. This is why critical race theory or any other method of re-examining and telling fully our history enrages them. (And let us not forget that this country invented "whiteness" - which did not exist until we needed some way to distinguish and raise up the Europeans from the Africans and Indigenous in the early days of the invasion of an already occupied continent.)
I've never understood what the social status is they feel lacking. What kind of status do they want? And based on what personal qualities do they feel they should be given status? What d they aspire to that would give them status?
In our current culture, this translates into "I'm a white male", you will defer to me in all things great and small. Anything that impinges upon their unquestioned authority is taken as a personal insult and they respond with rage.
Hence, their Pavlovian response to 'wokeness', BLM, CRT, or the trigger du jour.
In addition, think how long this status was so automatic we never even noticed it day to day. When I think back to my teens and remember that the want ads in newspapers were divided by male and female (and no 'colored' of any gender need apply), or the fact that until the 1970s, birth control was still illegal in some states (except for condoms). When I was 25 and had been working for years, I couldn't get a credit card in my own name; my husband had to co-sign any loan application I might want to enter into. We just accepted that 'that's the way it is' - or rather, we had pretty much up until then. I remember how the insults flew when women dared to mention that there was no equal pay for equal work, etc. And beneath all of this lay the biggest skeleton in the family closet - race.
Sandra, your phrase 'that's the way it is' stood out. The importance of civics, respect for one another, paying attention, equality and rallying behind the rights of all people in a 'free society' is our role as citizens. Thank you.
I have lived this past life too and seeing you lay it out like this, I am reminded that we are not very far removed from "Father Knows Best" thinking. The article about the Carters celebrating their 75th anniversary quotes Jimmy several times admitting that he never even thought to consult with "Rosie" about MOVING or CHANGING JOBS or anything important.
That an entire political party seems to prefer a patriarchic form of governance, with the MAN at the top preferably being a con artist and a grifter, one who "outsmarts" the government by refusing to pay taxes, one who dodges paying employees and others by inundating them with lawsuits and then by declaring bankruptcy, seems to me a sort of dividing force between the parties. There seems to be an enormous posse of armed, white men, who worry too much about their impending impotence and who LIKE the idea of someone "like" them who can by trickery and deceit, defeat the truth and the law and "win." I don't think of them as "rugged individualists" as some do, but rather, lawless and vicious hangers on. They care about no one but themselves, thus they worship the one who is best at it.
"It is the dark underbelly of democracy that can allow such horror to occur and be blandly and carefully reported by local media." That says it all! My husband and I listened to the podcast The Daily and it was about how the Germans had a similar Insurrection (much smaller) on their government during our election months (November). It did not get covered here because of all that was happening in our own country. But they went on to say how the Nazis used the democracy that was in place back then to get into power...they got themselves elected..."the dark underbelly of democracy..." is correct. This is what we are seeing in Congress right now.
If you are interested, Isabel Wilkerson covers this dark phenomena in her book Caste. She cites 3 caste systems in the world. India, US, and The Third Reich.
“Caste” is an excellent book. Wilkerson is a powerful writer and it’s been a re-education for me. Amazing what I did not learn in school and what I’m learning as an adult.
Yes, he is. Trump repeatedly demonstrated that the values of a leader matter, or in Trump’s case, the lack of values. He also brought into the light what Stuart Steven’s said about the Republican Party’s message about government over the years has all been a lie. And now they perpetuate a giant treasonous lie.
I’d like to know how many former military veterans are in the Proud Boys, 3% ers, and Oath Keepers. I’d like to know the communications they had with political leadership both official as well as unofficial advisers, like Roger Stone prior to and during Jan 6th. This was coordinated and well planned in advance.
Guess everything needs a new label these days. It’s not just a documentary, it’s “Visual Investigation” led by Malachy Browne of the Times. My preference “Documenting a Shit Show.”
Its amazing more people were not injured or killed. That such restraint demonstrated by the Capital Police. Imagine if they had used lethal force. What would the result have been? Was Marshall Law one of the goals of the former guy?
One thing missing from the report, is how the Capital Police Leaders were distracted by the finding of pipebombs/IED's found off site. Resources were sent to the IED's at critical points.
Another missing is the communications from leadership at each agency responsible for protecting and/or supporting the Capital Police defense.
I hope more is built into this NY Times report and video over the next few months.
Like your post, but needs to be corrected: martial law. According to Wiki, "Marshall Law" is a player-character in the Tekken video game. "Martial" ultimately derives from Mars, the Roman God of War.
I don't know what the former guy was thinking -- can't go there -- but it seemed to me that his goal was pretty one-track, which was to prevent completion of the election process by any means possible. I suspect he wasn't thinking about fallout.
Amazing may be the thought, but cowardice was the reason. They people were cowards failed in their attempt to overthrow the government because they were and are cowards.
Had to look it up, because I love words. "marshal" comes from Frankish (West German) "mare" (horse) + "skalkoz" (servant), and generally refers to tending to the horses, with obvious connections to the cavalry in war.
Thanks, Heather, for this post. The resistance Republicans have to building a better society that can be enjoyed by all, cradle to grave, is disheartening. There's a lot of work to be done but Biden is moving us in the right direction. We can do this thing called Democracy.
Biden, Harris, Pelosi and Xavier Becerra, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Democratic Party may do well to make the health of the country and of all American citizens an essential and major part of its message to the public. Health is not only tied to our recovery from the pandemic, it is a fundamental right.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all people are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights—among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
'Last night, in a speech to honor Independence Day, President Joe Biden used his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic to defend democracy.' (The Letter) The above quote, used by Biden in his speech yesterday was from The Declaration of Independence.
How can there be 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' without good health. The administration and the Democratic Party can determine that the country's health care be centered around health not the 'business' $$$ of health care. Tell that to the people.
The preamble of the Constitution make's the case for government supported health care, which from the framers on down has been an engine of the profit motive rather than a right of the people.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.”
How shall 'we' best 'promote the general Welfare' without Universal Healthcare or Single Payer health care? We the people deserve the right to health care. We shouldn't have to fight for it, but that is what we must do with the Biden Administration and the Democratic Party behind us.
Nothing is more fundamental to Democracy than the health and welfare of its citizens. The health care business has separated us from our bodies. Most of us worry about how we can pay the hospital bills and pay for prescription drugs, with many reluctant to go to the doctor because health in the USA is all about the money.
'When we do not have a right to health care, the old inequalities find a new locus, as we saw in 2020 during the pandemic. The opportunities for freedom are different, as are the dangers.' (Health Care is a Human Right, Timothy Snyder)
Fern this is totally true--but it is also a "horse to water" (or, in my case, "poodle to supper") situation. The very same people whose health anxieties--opioid addiction, lack of access, spiraling costs, crappy insurance, etc.--are paramount in their lives are also often ones who have been voting for the last 40+ years for people whose interest in their welfare is merely to keep them in office. I have lived in cities, in extremely impoverished rural counties, and in affluent suburbs. The people who were the most virulently anti-Democratic Party were in the rural counties where the social safety net had failed. And instead of blaming the real perpetrators for this--Reagan and his successors--they blamed Dems, even when there were virtually no Dems in their own local governments.
'What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America' by Thomas Frank
'Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?' by Thomas Frank
The Hidden History of American Oligarchy: Reclaiming Our Democracy from the Ruling Class by Thom Hartmann
Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy by
Adam Jentleson
Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump by David Neiwert
We have a library on the subject.
Not only in America, Linda, and no reason to leave it at that. For a 'more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity' we keep marching on. John Lewis just popped into my mind. I saw him, and I think he sees us.
The country leans democratic and many with little in their wallets are Black, Brown, Asian/Pacific American (APA) or Asian/Pacific Islander (API) or Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) a term used in USA, Indigenous Americans and, yes, Whites vote Democratic and some, don't vote at all. It is not only 'the Matter with Kansas'; it's that the Electoral System is against us.
Many people would rather get nothing than have those they don’t like get something as well. In broad terms it’s like this: “if black people are going to get that, too, then I don’t want it.“
Yes Fern. Health care is central. Physical needs. First and base of the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. And it’s why the Trump right are almost salivating of the prospect of getting rid of Roe vs Wade like it was a bad mistake. When really, he cannot let go that he was not able to dismantle “Obamacare” (which, in this case I’ll call the Affordable Care Act that). So the current decades long struggle is back with a vengeance. Deny health care and deny a woman’s right to her own body. Going forward a “two-for-one” suppression move.
I love how even when our President gives an "official occasion" speech, he manages to convey it as a heartfelt conversation.
Dr. Richardson, I believe that you put an impressive speech into historical and current context for us to learn and know. FDR, and what we were able to do for Italy. The rest and family you had this weekend was a tonic that "done you a powerful good."
Even though I love how HCR presented the good news in President Biden's speech today and bringing in the comparison to FDR, I'm thinking about all the people watching FOX News where they won't hear a positive word about it. Just the fear trigger words like socialism and CRT. Here's from the fcc.gov site: The FCC is prohibited by law from engaging in censorship or infringing on First Amendment rights of the press. It is, however, illegal for broadcasters to intentionally distort the news, and the FCC may act on complaints if there is documented evidence of such behavior from persons with direct personal knowledge. For more information, please see our consumer guide, Complaints About Broadcast Journalism. https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/complaints_about_broadcast_journalism.pdf
I keep a folder of Bookmarks labelled Do with a sub-folder labelled Act and I just added a sub-sub-folder labelled Complain - that is where I stashed this FCC link for future reference. You are a gem, Cathy.
Wow! That crosses a line with me. Gaslit weather! I'll have to go watch a bit so I can make a complaint if it turns out to be as bad as probably will be! Wow!
But Fox "News" goes to court and tells the judge they know they lie but it is not "news", it is "opinion". (Sean Hannity). And that is how they get away with what they do.
BUT, in a BIDEN administration, the letter and intent of the law may well be enforced with enough complaints from us: "It is, however, illegal for broadcasters to intentionally distort the news, and the FCC may act on complaints if there is documented evidence of such behavior from persons with direct personal knowledge." Definition of "broadcaster" does not say "news reporter".
Webster's: "Definition of broadcast · 1 : cast or scattered in all directions · 2 : made public by means of radio or television · 3 : of or relating to radio or television broadcasting.
What a great closing comment, the quote from Pres. Biden:
"Biden conjured up our success over the coronavirus to celebrate democracy: “[H]istory tells us that when we stand together, when we unite in common cause, when we see ourselves not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans, then there’s simply no limit to what we can achieve.”"
We must all work together as Americans to save our democracy, and I believe that most of us here have been trying to recruit others to this just cause, for the benefit of all Americans, even the resistant Trumplicans.
Our best hope probably lies in waking up the next generation to the threat that looms over us in the next few years, because so many gullible Americans believe the Big Lie, and worse, the Trumplicans are enacting restrictive voting laws because they know they can't win the majority. I hope I am not being overly pessimistic in thinking that we are holding onto democracy by some very thin threads.
I would argue that we’ve been living under a slow-motion fascism for the past 30 – 40 years, beginning with the Reagan administration’s consolidating power in favor of libertarian greedheads, aided by radical fundamentalists seeking to bring about the “End Times”. (Re-)read David Koch’s libertarian party platform of 1980, and you’ll see what I mean.
Since then, we’ve seen the results of the radical GOP agenda as it’s been enacted in states across the nation: the starving of public education, the regressive stagnation of wages, the privatization of public resources, the profit-making from essential healthcare and the closing of unprofitable rural hospitals, repeated attacks on social security and the postal service, the funneling of addictive substances into impoverished communities resulting in the addicting and killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, the intentional causing of climate disaster to maintain hegemony over energy…you get the idea.
We have seen how, starting with local and state governments, the GOP has done everything it can to consolidate and solidify power through gerrymandering, purging voter rolls, and generally making it more difficult to vote. They’ve moved steadily up the line until now they have a lock on the federal judiciary, which they will expect will help them to keep power for another generation or two. They also have a massive propaganda machine that makes big bank keeping people angry and scared. They have a lot invested in people’s distrust of one another.
It is our present job to roll back this tide by staying engaged in politics, starting at the local level. If you still have a local paper, subscribe. If you’re not voting in every single election, get started. Find ways to meet and interact with others where you have to settle differences by at least a show of hands. If we want to take America back for Democracy, we must become engaged in the democratic process at every level, and make it work again, for everyone.
Agree strongly with the points you make about local level, Kara. Mr deep frustration with Washington DC lawmakers is mitigated by participation at local level politics.
Those of is of a certain age know that taking the long view pays off. Unless the Republicans pull a rabbit out of a hat they dont have candidates that have the courage of their convictions to seriously challenge democrate candidates. The question is, is the American public wise enough to choose well.
I too, worry about the public. The R group is being fed lie upon lie. They are gobbling it all up not realizing they are being taken for a long ride even after the insurrection. Let me tell you, the R’s have candidates; they’re waiting in the wings provided to them by the Federalist Society.
Biden has time to navigate all of the tasks before him, which is in our favor. Our job is to make certain we get the word out to support our best people.
I think that the general public is wise enough, but the true believers are not. I am seeing more and more of this in the posts from my former colleagues. I got suckered (again) into engaging (again) with my former sergeant, this time over George Floyd being made a hero when he was really a criminal who actually died of a fentanyl overdose. This has sadly taken up residence in my head again, and I am tired of having their utter nonsense live rent free in there. Do not underestimate this largely silent group; they won't storm the Capitol, but they won't vote Democratic.
This sergeant believes that he died from a Fentanyl OD. His post was basically that we are teaching our children the wrong thing by making George Floyd a "hero". I asked him (a man who reamed me a new one about 25 years ago for placing a prisoner in a position where he might be subject to positional asphyxia) if he thought that was a reasonable use of force. His reply was, essentially, "that's not what I'm saying."
I tell you, it is scary as hell what these people believe. These are reasonable, intelligent, and honorable people. Or at least they were.
The red herring arguments drive me crazy. I don’t consider George Floyd a hero, he had no agency. He was a victim who has become a symbol of racial injustice and police brutality. His life had value and it was taken without any due process.
I agree. Our best hope, imo, is to engage those who are open, get people to the poles, and sign up new voters (Democrats only, please). Doing this, we will outnumber the Trumpers at the poles. After we've told our side of the story to Trumpers, we need to let it go, walk away b/c they go further into their rabbit holes if you continue to argue or debate.
Thank you, Heather. I think Joe Biden does well to remind Americans of The Declaration of Independence (primary author: Thomas Jefferson, slaveholder and later 3rd President of the United States), which is truly a revolutionary document upon which much of what makes America a worthy -- if unfinished -- project is based.
Something that caught my attention in your quote of Joe Biden's speech, however, strikes me as slightly dishonest and a sort of wishful thinking. I refer to his using the word "people" instead of "men", which is to say he apparently misquotes the Declaration so as to sanitize it, make it say what he (and I) wish it really said. For much of my lifetime it has been considered normal to say "men" when referring to people in general or to the human race (as we assume is the case in the DOI) and to use masculine pronouns and personal adjectives in certain situations when referring to individuals in a general or theoretical case. As I child, I used to thumb through a book of beautiful black-and-white photos which lived on my parents' coffee table entitled "The Family of Man" (photos of ordinary men, women and children living their lives in all corners of the Earth), and I recall Charles Darwin entitled one of his best known works, "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex" (he clearly knew women had something to do with this descent).
But we know all this. My point is that with our SCOTUS skewed way toward the "religious" right, with our nation's long history of refusing to fully recognize the humanity of Native Americans, African Americans, women, most ethnic groups and immigrants (BIPOC doesn't begin to cover it), and with our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness put at risk by the current crop of power-hungry, dissembling, insurrectionist and fascist-tending GOP politicians and other terror organizations, Biden should not just gloss over the original text of the DOI and sanitize it for our -- arguably -- favorite national holiday. "All people are created equal, hooray, hot dogs for everyone, hey, pass the mustard!
Did Thomas Jefferson literally mean only "men" as they were commonly defined at the time (white property holders of European origin), or did he and the other signers of the document secretly hope that the DOI would be seen to include everyone in the family of man? Certainly the word "people" was available to them at the time.
Would high school teachers in Texas (and several other states) be permitted to raise this issue in a history class?
David, this is a big yep--but I also agree with the speechwriters who replaced "man" with "person" for the relevance of the DOI today. Historians have a responsibility to contextualize the artifacts of the past, but we also have a responsibility to make people in their day understand the significance of those artifacts for that time. In the 21st-century western world, that means (I think) being more expansive in our interpretation. Jefferson and Co did know that they were actually speaking to privileged, landowning white men and that they had no intention of expanding that community of "equals" to women and other men. That is the definition of patriarchy. In 1791, after the publication in 1789 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the French patriot Olympe de Gouges wrote The Declaration of the Rights of Women and Female Citizens because she was all too well aware of the deliberately gendered language of the previous document and was urging the French revolutionaries to "remember the ladies," as Abigail Adams put it. There was a moment in the French Revolution when it looked like women would be included--and then Napoleon came along and shut it all down. French women got the vote in 1945. So much for democracy, eh?
There were plenty of people in and out of government throughout the ages of western domination who were totally cognizant of their separation of people into white privileged males ("equals") and the rest ("not as equal as others"). Indeed, the Constitutional presentation of enslaved persons as 3/5 of a white person in the South was an acknowledgement that human being were enslaved, but it was also a cynical move to beef up the population numbers in slave states in order to gain more congressional seats in the House. That is what patriarchy is all about. Frederick Engels knew this, too: in 1890 he published The Origins of the Family, Private Property, and the State, which posits that the enslavement of women's bodies in order to provide guaranteed incubators for males to claim paternity was the first form of slavery, and the first step needed in order to guarantee the succession of private property to the biological progeny of the male (rather than the biological progeny of the male's female relations). Gerda Lerner, in the 1980s, picked this up in her book The Creation of Patriarchy. Both authors are dealing with some flawed information based on the research, documents, and material available to them in their respective eras, but the basic premise is still a compelling one. And what both say is that this is not an "organic" or "natural" process (unlike the misogyny and patriarchy of popular anthropologists like Desmond Morris): it is a knowing, deliberate, and specific step by certain men to create the mechanisms by which they could sustain their privileges. The fact that it happened millennia ago doesn't matter. No man who claims patriarchal power over other people--female and male--does so unwittingly. And yes, some women whose lives become more privileged by adhering to this structure embrace it too: this is referred to as the "patriarchal bargain" by anthropologist Denis Kandiyoti, whose work presents another compelling argument about the ways in which structures are established by people who deliberately and knowingly hierarchize them.
Linda, you may be interested in the April 1916 Declaration of Irish Independence which begins with the words "Irishmen and Irishwomen: " There were some very strong and influential women involved in the struggle for Irish independence and I suspect they made sure they were not left out of the Declaration.
Yes, indeed: I suspect the Gunn sisters, Hanna Skeffington, and the Countess Markievicz and her sister would not have put up with any nonsense from the boyz during the Rising, although as soon as de Valera became president he shut down all that stuff--he was not a fan of female suffrage or of female legal autonomy (I pretty much loathe him). And the Countess was the first woman elected to Parliament (I have spent quite a lot of time in Ireland doing research on medieval stuff, but it is impossible not to pick up a lot of modern Irish history as a result). They were fortunate to have already gotten the vote along with the rest of the UK in 1918 so they could not completely disenfranchise the ladies when they wrote their constitution in 1936.
I knew you would know about it. I love those gutsy Irish girls!! I lived there through the "two Marys" and had privilege of M.Robinson conferring my PhD at Trinity! Thanks!!
I understand that it is difficult to see context when there are particular blind spots and assumptions of what is "true" and has "always been so" and "God's will" that create the reality of where we find ourselves in life. Mr. Burns (flat out) and Mr. Herrick (to a degree) are stellar examples of this. Gentlemen, the "natural order of things" is contrived, and if you cannot see this perspective, you may wish to examine that.
Hi Ally! I think it is hard for all of us to be sure what is "true" or not, just as there are limits to what we can know about the past, especially the prehistoric past, and while I do not believe in God, I do think we are such miniscule parts of the Universe (assuming there is only one) that we will never be able to understand everything or even a tiny part of everything. Let's say I believe in the infinite fallibility of human beings. Not a religion, but it's the best I can come up with
So, to assert the natural order of things "is contrived" is a bit categorical, I think. Are you sure? What do you mean by "the natural order of things"? Are we not permitted to imagine that there are large forces we cannot understand conditioning every aspect of our (apparent to us) existence? I agree that people are constantly trying to contrive things to their own benefit, however much they may disagree on what constitutes a benefit, but perhaps in a larger context we are all running a fool's errand.
I would love to examine a perspective that I cannot see.
My usage of "the natural order of things" was in reference to white men being the default for "normal" or "natural"; that construct is contrived.
I share your belief structure; in my world, God is too big for one religion, and to look at the night sky with no light pollution and to think we are the only intelligent, sentient life form in this universe is profoundly near sighted.
Humans? When given an option between the right thing and the easy thing, the vast majority will choose the easy thing. We may all be on a fool's errand...
Linda, thanks for all this info. I had never heard of Olympe de Gouges, Gerda Lerner or Denis Kandiyoti, so I guess I had better roll up my sleeves (or put on my reading glasses) and hit the books.
But I wonder if saying: "No man who claims patriarchal power over other people--female and male--does so unwittingly" isn't a bit of an overstatement. I think boys growing up often have role models whom they imitate as adults without giving it much thought at all, though they certainly are given ample opportunity (these days) to consider the question. Unfortunately, personal power and self-interest are like strong drugs and not easy to kick once boys/men are hooked. Maybe if more of us were encouraged (by our fathers?) to develop an empathetic imagination we wouldn't misbehave so much.
Actually, there is a fine play, "The Revolutionists" by Lauren Gunderson, about four women, including Olympia deGouges, who lost their heads during the 1792 Reign of Terror for not being sufficiently extreme. Saw a fine production of it at Florida Atlantic University's Theatre Lab a couple of years ago.
Okay. Have you got time to tell us why? As I recall, "The Naked Ape" was an entertaining read back in the late 60s. Do today's anthropologists still agree with his Tarzan/Jane analysis?
“Something that caught my attention in your quote of Joe Biden's speech, however, strikes me as slightly dishonest and a sort of wishful thinking. I refer to his using the word "people" instead of "men", which is to say he apparently misquotes the Declaration so as to sanitize it,...”
David, I thot the parafrase was amply explained by the lead:
“Biden recalled that the United States of America was based not on religion or hereditary monarchy, but on an idea: ...”
And the extender:
“We have never lived up to that ideal, of course, but we have never abandoned it, either. Those principles, he said, ...”
When “our conflict is over” we may have to go “cleanse our schools of Fascist trappings” that governors like Greg Abbott in Texas and Ron DeSantis in Florida have masterminded for control over what may be taught in the classrooms.
I was heartened yesterday to see that Bette Midler tweeted something you penned on Saturday! JRB must lead the willing and provide for the unwilling and the healing will come. We need not discuss, argue, and tussle. We need to provide for those who see their own needs and accept what is offered.
Strong words, but take good care of America for us. According to Prof. it has been there all the time. I guess it gained power and became visible with the Tea Party movement.
I found those words to be a bit disingenuous. The conditions found there were a byproduct of war on Italian soil, which itself was a byproduct of fascism. For sure, people in Rome and elsewhere in Italy starved. But I might venture to suggest that everywhere where war is, you will find those conditions. Look at Syria. Although I suppose you could also argue that the Syrian Ba’ath party is fascist.
Disingenuous???? Open your eyes. Look at the growing ignorance in America. Look at the ever widening of the wealth disparity. Look at how much of the Middle Class can’t afford healthcare even with medical benefits and can’t afford healthy food. This has been worsening since Reagan. Who stands to benefit when so many are poorly educated and don’t understand our civics processes? Clearly it’s not Democracy.
The "fascist misrule" existed for almost 2 decades before WW II impacted Italy. From Wikipedia article on Fascist Italy (1922-1943): "The government tried to achieve "alimentary sovereignty", or total self-sufficiency with regard to food supplies. Its new policies were highly controversial among a people who paid serious attention to their food. The goal was to reduce imports, support Italian agriculture and encourage an austere diet based on bread, polenta, pasta, fresh produce and wine. Fascist women's groups trained women in "autarkic cookery" to work around items no longer imported. Food prices climbed in the 1930s and dairy and meat consumption was discouraged, while increasing numbers of Italians turned to the black market. The policy demonstrated that Fascists saw food—and people's behavior generally—as strategic resources that could be manipulated regardless of traditions and tastes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascist_Italy_(1922%E2%80%931943)#Social_welfare
I've been noticing that the news show reporters are now routinely referring to TFG and his administration as "Fascist," and pointing out that what the insurrectionists on January 6th were fighting for was the end of democracy and the installation of a Fascist regime.
What a breath of fresh air it has been to hear speeches that are not all "me! me! me!". To hear the call once again to stand up and take part, to care about not just ourselves but everyone has been an uplifting moment. I hope it carries onward through the fight.
That we have labored long under the burden of the idea that if we support big business they will support us. We know that to be a lie, we know that most big businesses will only do what increases their bottom line and if they ruin our world, our lives and those of generations to come it makes not a bit of difference to them. Yes, we need business, but it carries a responsibility as well from the owners to the workers and vice versa.
On December 17, 2020, Gallup polling found that 31% of Americans identified as Democrats, 25% identified as Republican, and 41% as Independent. Leaving independents out of polling assessments and reporting only republicans vs democrats is highly misleading and in fact, potentially overstates Republicans’ influence. We should stop doing this.
Thank you, Carol! I was thinking about these statistics over the last few days while reading posts from a few days back. The pessimism was getting to me and I wanted to remember where I'd read these numbers. The fact that 41% identify as Independent (as I did myself when John Anderson ran in 1980 - that is until I ended up voting for Carter instead), means that there are a substantial number of folks to be influenced. We should give up on trying to reason with the hardline right wing and concentrate on getting everyone else registered and voting.
Yes. Independents can hold as much power - in the voting process anyway - as an established party, IMO. It used to be said that they had no cohesive belief, but given the range of views held within the two major parties, not sure that holds true anymore.
This independent agrees
Exactly right, carol!
"Republicans" as they now exist are in fact and action and practice "fascists"....
Good point!
Independents leaning Republican and those leaning Democratic are reported.
Thanks Fern. But not always? And not in the stats Heather quoted above, which was what I was reacting to.
Yes, I think you are correct.
I just watched the NYTimes documentary on January 6 "The Day of Rage" Believe your own eyes and watch it!
https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000007606996/capitol-riot-trump-supporters.html
No matter how many times I go back to it to watch any particular segment, it remains daunting to witness the rage. I think this is what I hold the former president most responsible for. He fomented this rage which fueled the violent breach of the Capitol. It is this documentary from the NYTimes which differs from anything else that I have watched that conveys how close, mere seconds, the intrusion came to killing, maiming, and preventing Congress from returning to the process of certifying the election. And to think this despicable, insane despot rallied thousands last Saturday in Sarasota, FL in broad daylight at a legal and highly publicized public gathering while still embracing them as his followers and encouraging further treason is beyond any reason. With current lawmakers present actually giving supporting speeches. It’s the dark underbelly of democracy that can allow such horror to occur and be blandly and carefully reported by local media. Like it’s normal.
Cathy posted a link in another post to enable a consumer a method to report a complaint regarding broadcast journalism. I’m adding this as a daily task to my out-the-rage list. Thank you, Cathy, for posting.
There’s just something about this documentary. It turned on another switch in me to not become complacent or neutral about my response to seeing my fellow Americans act no different than a crowd of zombies.
Although difficult for me to even refer to the former president by name, I will this time. Donald J Trump is no tinsel at the top. He is trash at the bottom.
And we must recognize that Ron DeSantis is every bit as dangerous as iDJT!
Watch out, Donald Trump. Ron DeSantis is on the rise.
Opinion by Henry Olsen
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/21/watch-out-donald-trump-ron-desantis-is-rise/
More trash.
Maybe they can mud wrestle each other into oblivion
A nasty, but true though or so he thinks. I wonder how he will justify 39,000 deaths from a failed covid policy???
Ugh.
I think history will show that piece of film to be the most impactful in over 50 years. It can not be destroyed, denied, or lost. We will see it again and again until it is burned into our collective soul.
Yes, it was rage. A rage born of shame. An overwhelming feeling of a lack of social status due to them but denied by others. So, the social psychology of it manifests in outward hostility and anxiety. And it will not go away until the underlying cause is dealt with. And that would be inequality - a direct affront to "all men (and women BTW) are born equal". Class dismissed.
Maybe some people at the rally felt a lack of social status, but surely not those who arrived on private jets. A major component of the authoritarian GQP is well-off people who fear sharing power, who think that if they fail to stay at the top keeping everyone else down, that they will find themselves on the receiving end of the mistreatment they have dished out.
It’s not about a “lack” of social status. That’s what people fear in “those Biden controlled socialist progressive leftist governments “. It’s about “more” social status and a move up promised by the white autocrats at the top of the heap to poor and middle class people, who in this case are mostly white and looking to see who is below and being given the boost by socialist government to leap frog over them. Thus, voter suppression, Jim Crow, Fox NoNews, and all the other racist, fascist, totalitarian maneuvers. That’s why the former generates such rallies. Brash, loud, bombastic, arrogant, and fake. Stoked by fear of loss and “look who is taking it from you”.
Love is reverent and respectful and non violent, yet passionate. Give peace a chance.
That’s all we are saying.
It seems Justice Alito believes in "separate, but equal" ....a trip down memory lane, back to the past...I do no think so.
Yes Charlie. A rage born of fear. Of someone getting or taking something from you. Because one believes there is not enough to go around. Then there is deep shame at what one must do to keep it in grubby hands. Knee on the neck. That’s why the George Floyd murder struck such a nerve in this country. Appalling action to so many and acceptable tactic to so many.
I think it is fear of losing that status more than it is a feeling that they lack it. To be white in this country (or to be an ally of the power of whiteness) is to hold an unearned position above everyone who is not white. This is why critical race theory or any other method of re-examining and telling fully our history enrages them. (And let us not forget that this country invented "whiteness" - which did not exist until we needed some way to distinguish and raise up the Europeans from the Africans and Indigenous in the early days of the invasion of an already occupied continent.)
Class in session. Thank you Lanita.
And so right you are. And when (just spit balling here) Mrs. Harris becomes President, they will explode.
I've never understood what the social status is they feel lacking. What kind of status do they want? And based on what personal qualities do they feel they should be given status? What d they aspire to that would give them status?
I could write an entire book on this topic, but let me cut to the chase.
…. people possess status in the sense of honor (and respectability)because they belong to specific groups with unique lifestyles and privileges."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_status
In our current culture, this translates into "I'm a white male", you will defer to me in all things great and small. Anything that impinges upon their unquestioned authority is taken as a personal insult and they respond with rage.
Hence, their Pavlovian response to 'wokeness', BLM, CRT, or the trigger du jour.
Tucker, here's lookin' at you dude.
In addition, think how long this status was so automatic we never even noticed it day to day. When I think back to my teens and remember that the want ads in newspapers were divided by male and female (and no 'colored' of any gender need apply), or the fact that until the 1970s, birth control was still illegal in some states (except for condoms). When I was 25 and had been working for years, I couldn't get a credit card in my own name; my husband had to co-sign any loan application I might want to enter into. We just accepted that 'that's the way it is' - or rather, we had pretty much up until then. I remember how the insults flew when women dared to mention that there was no equal pay for equal work, etc. And beneath all of this lay the biggest skeleton in the family closet - race.
Sandra, your phrase 'that's the way it is' stood out. The importance of civics, respect for one another, paying attention, equality and rallying behind the rights of all people in a 'free society' is our role as citizens. Thank you.
I have lived this past life too and seeing you lay it out like this, I am reminded that we are not very far removed from "Father Knows Best" thinking. The article about the Carters celebrating their 75th anniversary quotes Jimmy several times admitting that he never even thought to consult with "Rosie" about MOVING or CHANGING JOBS or anything important.
That an entire political party seems to prefer a patriarchic form of governance, with the MAN at the top preferably being a con artist and a grifter, one who "outsmarts" the government by refusing to pay taxes, one who dodges paying employees and others by inundating them with lawsuits and then by declaring bankruptcy, seems to me a sort of dividing force between the parties. There seems to be an enormous posse of armed, white men, who worry too much about their impending impotence and who LIKE the idea of someone "like" them who can by trickery and deceit, defeat the truth and the law and "win." I don't think of them as "rugged individualists" as some do, but rather, lawless and vicious hangers on. They care about no one but themselves, thus they worship the one who is best at it.
Second time today Charlie. B-I-N-G-O.
Tucker is a bit of sand in the wind, no more and no less.
Their status is "given" unto them only from their dear leader.
"It is the dark underbelly of democracy that can allow such horror to occur and be blandly and carefully reported by local media." That says it all! My husband and I listened to the podcast The Daily and it was about how the Germans had a similar Insurrection (much smaller) on their government during our election months (November). It did not get covered here because of all that was happening in our own country. But they went on to say how the Nazis used the democracy that was in place back then to get into power...they got themselves elected..."the dark underbelly of democracy..." is correct. This is what we are seeing in Congress right now.
If you are interested, Isabel Wilkerson covers this dark phenomena in her book Caste. She cites 3 caste systems in the world. India, US, and The Third Reich.
“Caste” is an excellent book. Wilkerson is a powerful writer and it’s been a re-education for me. Amazing what I did not learn in school and what I’m learning as an adult.
Yes, thank you for the recommendation!
We can keep it at bay.
Yes, by helping get out the vote, participating locally, registering more Dems, and LTE in our local papers.
We are doing that and will do more of it.
The nazis used force, force and more force along with lies, lies and more lies.
Yes, he is. Trump repeatedly demonstrated that the values of a leader matter, or in Trump’s case, the lack of values. He also brought into the light what Stuart Steven’s said about the Republican Party’s message about government over the years has all been a lie. And now they perpetuate a giant treasonous lie.
You are so right, Christine
One is too many.....
A traitor, a front man for the intrrnational oligarchies
I cant help thinking that some of that rage was just hot air, someone looking for a little mischief that that turned into a sour experience.
I’d like to know how many former military veterans are in the Proud Boys, 3% ers, and Oath Keepers. I’d like to know the communications they had with political leadership both official as well as unofficial advisers, like Roger Stone prior to and during Jan 6th. This was coordinated and well planned in advance.
I’m with you!
And we must take good care of the service men and women returning from Afganastan.
Watch it three times and send it to your contact list. Credit Malachy Browne. His cell phone on request. He’s in Ireland, smiling.
Guess everything needs a new label these days. It’s not just a documentary, it’s “Visual Investigation” led by Malachy Browne of the Times. My preference “Documenting a Shit Show.”
It is "evidence".
Praise The scales of the Lady of Justice for that.
Its amazing more people were not injured or killed. That such restraint demonstrated by the Capital Police. Imagine if they had used lethal force. What would the result have been? Was Marshall Law one of the goals of the former guy?
One thing missing from the report, is how the Capital Police Leaders were distracted by the finding of pipebombs/IED's found off site. Resources were sent to the IED's at critical points.
Another missing is the communications from leadership at each agency responsible for protecting and/or supporting the Capital Police defense.
I hope more is built into this NY Times report and video over the next few months.
Like your post, but needs to be corrected: martial law. According to Wiki, "Marshall Law" is a player-character in the Tekken video game. "Martial" ultimately derives from Mars, the Roman God of War.
I don't know what the former guy was thinking -- can't go there -- but it seemed to me that his goal was pretty one-track, which was to prevent completion of the election process by any means possible. I suspect he wasn't thinking about fallout.
Amazing may be the thought, but cowardice was the reason. They people were cowards failed in their attempt to overthrow the government because they were and are cowards.
Had to look it up, because I love words. "marshal" comes from Frankish (West German) "mare" (horse) + "skalkoz" (servant), and generally refers to tending to the horses, with obvious connections to the cavalry in war.
You mean “the tour”?
Republican "Tour" givers are "co Conspirators" to a domestic terrorist attack. They helped the Domestic terrorist "case" the Capital. Shameful.
Indeed, they are…way past time for names and prosecution!
I intend to post this link to my FB page at regular but not too frequent intervals.
Terrorism.
It should be renamed Putins Failed Coo
I watched it days ago, and it still lingers in my mind. Powerful and Frightening.
Thanks, Heather, for this post. The resistance Republicans have to building a better society that can be enjoyed by all, cradle to grave, is disheartening. There's a lot of work to be done but Biden is moving us in the right direction. We can do this thing called Democracy.
We can, and we will.
Thank you Daria. I agree!
We can and we are doing this with Biden’s team.
Yes, we can.
Biden, Harris, Pelosi and Xavier Becerra, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Democratic Party may do well to make the health of the country and of all American citizens an essential and major part of its message to the public. Health is not only tied to our recovery from the pandemic, it is a fundamental right.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all people are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights—among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
'Last night, in a speech to honor Independence Day, President Joe Biden used his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic to defend democracy.' (The Letter) The above quote, used by Biden in his speech yesterday was from The Declaration of Independence.
How can there be 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' without good health. The administration and the Democratic Party can determine that the country's health care be centered around health not the 'business' $$$ of health care. Tell that to the people.
The preamble of the Constitution make's the case for government supported health care, which from the framers on down has been an engine of the profit motive rather than a right of the people.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.”
How shall 'we' best 'promote the general Welfare' without Universal Healthcare or Single Payer health care? We the people deserve the right to health care. We shouldn't have to fight for it, but that is what we must do with the Biden Administration and the Democratic Party behind us.
Nothing is more fundamental to Democracy than the health and welfare of its citizens. The health care business has separated us from our bodies. Most of us worry about how we can pay the hospital bills and pay for prescription drugs, with many reluctant to go to the doctor because health in the USA is all about the money.
'When we do not have a right to health care, the old inequalities find a new locus, as we saw in 2020 during the pandemic. The opportunities for freedom are different, as are the dangers.' (Health Care is a Human Right, Timothy Snyder)
Fern this is totally true--but it is also a "horse to water" (or, in my case, "poodle to supper") situation. The very same people whose health anxieties--opioid addiction, lack of access, spiraling costs, crappy insurance, etc.--are paramount in their lives are also often ones who have been voting for the last 40+ years for people whose interest in their welfare is merely to keep them in office. I have lived in cities, in extremely impoverished rural counties, and in affluent suburbs. The people who were the most virulently anti-Democratic Party were in the rural counties where the social safety net had failed. And instead of blaming the real perpetrators for this--Reagan and his successors--they blamed Dems, even when there were virtually no Dems in their own local governments.
'What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America' by Thomas Frank
'Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?' by Thomas Frank
The Hidden History of American Oligarchy: Reclaiming Our Democracy from the Ruling Class by Thom Hartmann
Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy by
Adam Jentleson
Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump by David Neiwert
We have a library on the subject.
Not only in America, Linda, and no reason to leave it at that. For a 'more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity' we keep marching on. John Lewis just popped into my mind. I saw him, and I think he sees us.
Thanks, Fern, for the titles!!
“Poodle to water.” Hahahaha. Great visual!
The country leans democratic and many with little in their wallets are Black, Brown, Asian/Pacific American (APA) or Asian/Pacific Islander (API) or Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) a term used in USA, Indigenous Americans and, yes, Whites vote Democratic and some, don't vote at all. It is not only 'the Matter with Kansas'; it's that the Electoral System is against us.
Many people would rather get nothing than have those they don’t like get something as well. In broad terms it’s like this: “if black people are going to get that, too, then I don’t want it.“
Such a clear picture, thanks, Linda.
Yes Fern. Health care is central. Physical needs. First and base of the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. And it’s why the Trump right are almost salivating of the prospect of getting rid of Roe vs Wade like it was a bad mistake. When really, he cannot let go that he was not able to dismantle “Obamacare” (which, in this case I’ll call the Affordable Care Act that). So the current decades long struggle is back with a vengeance. Deny health care and deny a woman’s right to her own body. Going forward a “two-for-one” suppression move.
Absolutely spot on, Fern.
Truth!
YES, FERN!
I love how even when our President gives an "official occasion" speech, he manages to convey it as a heartfelt conversation.
Dr. Richardson, I believe that you put an impressive speech into historical and current context for us to learn and know. FDR, and what we were able to do for Italy. The rest and family you had this weekend was a tonic that "done you a powerful good."
My President and my history professor.
I am inspired and quickened again!
Thank you.
Even though I love how HCR presented the good news in President Biden's speech today and bringing in the comparison to FDR, I'm thinking about all the people watching FOX News where they won't hear a positive word about it. Just the fear trigger words like socialism and CRT. Here's from the fcc.gov site: The FCC is prohibited by law from engaging in censorship or infringing on First Amendment rights of the press. It is, however, illegal for broadcasters to intentionally distort the news, and the FCC may act on complaints if there is documented evidence of such behavior from persons with direct personal knowledge. For more information, please see our consumer guide, Complaints About Broadcast Journalism. https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/complaints_about_broadcast_journalism.pdf
I keep a folder of Bookmarks labelled Do with a sub-folder labelled Act and I just added a sub-sub-folder labelled Complain - that is where I stashed this FCC link for future reference. You are a gem, Cathy.
Great suggestion, Bill.
Here is where you file your complaint about distorted news: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us
Thanks, Jeff
And now it's not just the news Fox wants to poison, they're even going to take on the weather:
https://theweek.com/news/1002312/fox-is-launching-a-weather-streaming-service-and-its-already-feuding-with-the-weather
This is no doubt to spread lies and misinformation about climate change and global warming. Leave it to Fox to even politicize the friggin' weather!
Wow! That crosses a line with me. Gaslit weather! I'll have to go watch a bit so I can make a complaint if it turns out to be as bad as probably will be! Wow!
But Fox "News" goes to court and tells the judge they know they lie but it is not "news", it is "opinion". (Sean Hannity). And that is how they get away with what they do.
If I were the judge, I'd then order them to change their name to FOX Opinion or FOX Lies
: ) : )
BUT, in a BIDEN administration, the letter and intent of the law may well be enforced with enough complaints from us: "It is, however, illegal for broadcasters to intentionally distort the news, and the FCC may act on complaints if there is documented evidence of such behavior from persons with direct personal knowledge." Definition of "broadcaster" does not say "news reporter".
Webster's: "Definition of broadcast · 1 : cast or scattered in all directions · 2 : made public by means of radio or television · 3 : of or relating to radio or television broadcasting.
Exactly. Doesn't say anything about exceptions for 'News' which falls within the broader definition of broadcasters.
The law changed when fair and equal treatment of the news was required....today, not so much.
Thamks!
Thank you!
Fox News is filling the void created by Fox News. It is small on news and long on propaganda.
Thank you for this link!
Thank You Cathy!!
What a great closing comment, the quote from Pres. Biden:
"Biden conjured up our success over the coronavirus to celebrate democracy: “[H]istory tells us that when we stand together, when we unite in common cause, when we see ourselves not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans, then there’s simply no limit to what we can achieve.”"
We must all work together as Americans to save our democracy, and I believe that most of us here have been trying to recruit others to this just cause, for the benefit of all Americans, even the resistant Trumplicans.
Our best hope probably lies in waking up the next generation to the threat that looms over us in the next few years, because so many gullible Americans believe the Big Lie, and worse, the Trumplicans are enacting restrictive voting laws because they know they can't win the majority. I hope I am not being overly pessimistic in thinking that we are holding onto democracy by some very thin threads.
Thank you, Dr Heather, for these Letters. ❤
I would argue that we’ve been living under a slow-motion fascism for the past 30 – 40 years, beginning with the Reagan administration’s consolidating power in favor of libertarian greedheads, aided by radical fundamentalists seeking to bring about the “End Times”. (Re-)read David Koch’s libertarian party platform of 1980, and you’ll see what I mean.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2014/4/10/1291095/-Astounding-Charles-Koch-s-1980-VP-Run-Kill-Medicare-Soc-Sec-Min-Wage-Public-Ed
Since then, we’ve seen the results of the radical GOP agenda as it’s been enacted in states across the nation: the starving of public education, the regressive stagnation of wages, the privatization of public resources, the profit-making from essential healthcare and the closing of unprofitable rural hospitals, repeated attacks on social security and the postal service, the funneling of addictive substances into impoverished communities resulting in the addicting and killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, the intentional causing of climate disaster to maintain hegemony over energy…you get the idea.
We have seen how, starting with local and state governments, the GOP has done everything it can to consolidate and solidify power through gerrymandering, purging voter rolls, and generally making it more difficult to vote. They’ve moved steadily up the line until now they have a lock on the federal judiciary, which they will expect will help them to keep power for another generation or two. They also have a massive propaganda machine that makes big bank keeping people angry and scared. They have a lot invested in people’s distrust of one another.
It is our present job to roll back this tide by staying engaged in politics, starting at the local level. If you still have a local paper, subscribe. If you’re not voting in every single election, get started. Find ways to meet and interact with others where you have to settle differences by at least a show of hands. If we want to take America back for Democracy, we must become engaged in the democratic process at every level, and make it work again, for everyone.
Agree strongly with the points you make about local level, Kara. Mr deep frustration with Washington DC lawmakers is mitigated by participation at local level politics.
Bottom up!
*my
Thank you for mentioning Reagan. I have called him "The Great Destroyer" since his first election. He was phony, and sadistic in his own way.
Those of is of a certain age know that taking the long view pays off. Unless the Republicans pull a rabbit out of a hat they dont have candidates that have the courage of their convictions to seriously challenge democrate candidates. The question is, is the American public wise enough to choose well.
I too, worry about the public. The R group is being fed lie upon lie. They are gobbling it all up not realizing they are being taken for a long ride even after the insurrection. Let me tell you, the R’s have candidates; they’re waiting in the wings provided to them by the Federalist Society.
Biden has time to navigate all of the tasks before him, which is in our favor. Our job is to make certain we get the word out to support our best people.
Gobbling it up like freaking candy.
Addicted one might say.
The fact that 73% of Republicans think the dangers of the Covid 19 variant are exaggerated tell me what you say is absolutely spot on.
I think that the general public is wise enough, but the true believers are not. I am seeing more and more of this in the posts from my former colleagues. I got suckered (again) into engaging (again) with my former sergeant, this time over George Floyd being made a hero when he was really a criminal who actually died of a fentanyl overdose. This has sadly taken up residence in my head again, and I am tired of having their utter nonsense live rent free in there. Do not underestimate this largely silent group; they won't storm the Capitol, but they won't vote Democratic.
They are a noisy minority. Remember that, even when media reports their opinions as if they were half the population.
Do these former colleagues think it was sheer coincidence that George Floyd died while there was a knee on his neck for 9 minutes?
This sergeant believes that he died from a Fentanyl OD. His post was basically that we are teaching our children the wrong thing by making George Floyd a "hero". I asked him (a man who reamed me a new one about 25 years ago for placing a prisoner in a position where he might be subject to positional asphyxia) if he thought that was a reasonable use of force. His reply was, essentially, "that's not what I'm saying."
I tell you, it is scary as hell what these people believe. These are reasonable, intelligent, and honorable people. Or at least they were.
The red herring arguments drive me crazy. I don’t consider George Floyd a hero, he had no agency. He was a victim who has become a symbol of racial injustice and police brutality. His life had value and it was taken without any due process.
I have relatives who have functionally abandoned reason in a similar way. It's awful.
You're not alone -- unfortunately I do too and many others as well.
I agree. Our best hope, imo, is to engage those who are open, get people to the poles, and sign up new voters (Democrats only, please). Doing this, we will outnumber the Trumpers at the poles. After we've told our side of the story to Trumpers, we need to let it go, walk away b/c they go further into their rabbit holes if you continue to argue or debate.
Oops, a blasphemy slipped out.
No. Sadly, the public is not smart enough. The goal should be to win over the independents.
Thank you, Heather. I think Joe Biden does well to remind Americans of The Declaration of Independence (primary author: Thomas Jefferson, slaveholder and later 3rd President of the United States), which is truly a revolutionary document upon which much of what makes America a worthy -- if unfinished -- project is based.
Something that caught my attention in your quote of Joe Biden's speech, however, strikes me as slightly dishonest and a sort of wishful thinking. I refer to his using the word "people" instead of "men", which is to say he apparently misquotes the Declaration so as to sanitize it, make it say what he (and I) wish it really said. For much of my lifetime it has been considered normal to say "men" when referring to people in general or to the human race (as we assume is the case in the DOI) and to use masculine pronouns and personal adjectives in certain situations when referring to individuals in a general or theoretical case. As I child, I used to thumb through a book of beautiful black-and-white photos which lived on my parents' coffee table entitled "The Family of Man" (photos of ordinary men, women and children living their lives in all corners of the Earth), and I recall Charles Darwin entitled one of his best known works, "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex" (he clearly knew women had something to do with this descent).
But we know all this. My point is that with our SCOTUS skewed way toward the "religious" right, with our nation's long history of refusing to fully recognize the humanity of Native Americans, African Americans, women, most ethnic groups and immigrants (BIPOC doesn't begin to cover it), and with our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness put at risk by the current crop of power-hungry, dissembling, insurrectionist and fascist-tending GOP politicians and other terror organizations, Biden should not just gloss over the original text of the DOI and sanitize it for our -- arguably -- favorite national holiday. "All people are created equal, hooray, hot dogs for everyone, hey, pass the mustard!
Did Thomas Jefferson literally mean only "men" as they were commonly defined at the time (white property holders of European origin), or did he and the other signers of the document secretly hope that the DOI would be seen to include everyone in the family of man? Certainly the word "people" was available to them at the time.
Would high school teachers in Texas (and several other states) be permitted to raise this issue in a history class?
David, this is a big yep--but I also agree with the speechwriters who replaced "man" with "person" for the relevance of the DOI today. Historians have a responsibility to contextualize the artifacts of the past, but we also have a responsibility to make people in their day understand the significance of those artifacts for that time. In the 21st-century western world, that means (I think) being more expansive in our interpretation. Jefferson and Co did know that they were actually speaking to privileged, landowning white men and that they had no intention of expanding that community of "equals" to women and other men. That is the definition of patriarchy. In 1791, after the publication in 1789 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the French patriot Olympe de Gouges wrote The Declaration of the Rights of Women and Female Citizens because she was all too well aware of the deliberately gendered language of the previous document and was urging the French revolutionaries to "remember the ladies," as Abigail Adams put it. There was a moment in the French Revolution when it looked like women would be included--and then Napoleon came along and shut it all down. French women got the vote in 1945. So much for democracy, eh?
There were plenty of people in and out of government throughout the ages of western domination who were totally cognizant of their separation of people into white privileged males ("equals") and the rest ("not as equal as others"). Indeed, the Constitutional presentation of enslaved persons as 3/5 of a white person in the South was an acknowledgement that human being were enslaved, but it was also a cynical move to beef up the population numbers in slave states in order to gain more congressional seats in the House. That is what patriarchy is all about. Frederick Engels knew this, too: in 1890 he published The Origins of the Family, Private Property, and the State, which posits that the enslavement of women's bodies in order to provide guaranteed incubators for males to claim paternity was the first form of slavery, and the first step needed in order to guarantee the succession of private property to the biological progeny of the male (rather than the biological progeny of the male's female relations). Gerda Lerner, in the 1980s, picked this up in her book The Creation of Patriarchy. Both authors are dealing with some flawed information based on the research, documents, and material available to them in their respective eras, but the basic premise is still a compelling one. And what both say is that this is not an "organic" or "natural" process (unlike the misogyny and patriarchy of popular anthropologists like Desmond Morris): it is a knowing, deliberate, and specific step by certain men to create the mechanisms by which they could sustain their privileges. The fact that it happened millennia ago doesn't matter. No man who claims patriarchal power over other people--female and male--does so unwittingly. And yes, some women whose lives become more privileged by adhering to this structure embrace it too: this is referred to as the "patriarchal bargain" by anthropologist Denis Kandiyoti, whose work presents another compelling argument about the ways in which structures are established by people who deliberately and knowingly hierarchize them.
They all knew what they were doing.
Linda, you may be interested in the April 1916 Declaration of Irish Independence which begins with the words "Irishmen and Irishwomen: " There were some very strong and influential women involved in the struggle for Irish independence and I suspect they made sure they were not left out of the Declaration.
Yes, indeed: I suspect the Gunn sisters, Hanna Skeffington, and the Countess Markievicz and her sister would not have put up with any nonsense from the boyz during the Rising, although as soon as de Valera became president he shut down all that stuff--he was not a fan of female suffrage or of female legal autonomy (I pretty much loathe him). And the Countess was the first woman elected to Parliament (I have spent quite a lot of time in Ireland doing research on medieval stuff, but it is impossible not to pick up a lot of modern Irish history as a result). They were fortunate to have already gotten the vote along with the rest of the UK in 1918 so they could not completely disenfranchise the ladies when they wrote their constitution in 1936.
I knew you would know about it. I love those gutsy Irish girls!! I lived there through the "two Marys" and had privilege of M.Robinson conferring my PhD at Trinity! Thanks!!
Carol that is awesome!!!
I understand that it is difficult to see context when there are particular blind spots and assumptions of what is "true" and has "always been so" and "God's will" that create the reality of where we find ourselves in life. Mr. Burns (flat out) and Mr. Herrick (to a degree) are stellar examples of this. Gentlemen, the "natural order of things" is contrived, and if you cannot see this perspective, you may wish to examine that.
Hi Ally! I think it is hard for all of us to be sure what is "true" or not, just as there are limits to what we can know about the past, especially the prehistoric past, and while I do not believe in God, I do think we are such miniscule parts of the Universe (assuming there is only one) that we will never be able to understand everything or even a tiny part of everything. Let's say I believe in the infinite fallibility of human beings. Not a religion, but it's the best I can come up with
So, to assert the natural order of things "is contrived" is a bit categorical, I think. Are you sure? What do you mean by "the natural order of things"? Are we not permitted to imagine that there are large forces we cannot understand conditioning every aspect of our (apparent to us) existence? I agree that people are constantly trying to contrive things to their own benefit, however much they may disagree on what constitutes a benefit, but perhaps in a larger context we are all running a fool's errand.
I would love to examine a perspective that I cannot see.
My usage of "the natural order of things" was in reference to white men being the default for "normal" or "natural"; that construct is contrived.
I share your belief structure; in my world, God is too big for one religion, and to look at the night sky with no light pollution and to think we are the only intelligent, sentient life form in this universe is profoundly near sighted.
Humans? When given an option between the right thing and the easy thing, the vast majority will choose the easy thing. We may all be on a fool's errand...
And, thanks to autocorrect and Substack, I have to make a spelling correction: Deniz Kandiyoti. Sorry: my proofreading went awry there.
Thanks, Linda.
Linda, thanks for all this info. I had never heard of Olympe de Gouges, Gerda Lerner or Denis Kandiyoti, so I guess I had better roll up my sleeves (or put on my reading glasses) and hit the books.
But I wonder if saying: "No man who claims patriarchal power over other people--female and male--does so unwittingly" isn't a bit of an overstatement. I think boys growing up often have role models whom they imitate as adults without giving it much thought at all, though they certainly are given ample opportunity (these days) to consider the question. Unfortunately, personal power and self-interest are like strong drugs and not easy to kick once boys/men are hooked. Maybe if more of us were encouraged (by our fathers?) to develop an empathetic imagination we wouldn't misbehave so much.
I know, excuses, excuses.....
Because she was not sufficiently extreme, Olympe de Gouges went to the guillotine during the Reign of Terror in 1792.
Actually, there is a fine play, "The Revolutionists" by Lauren Gunderson, about four women, including Olympia deGouges, who lost their heads during the 1792 Reign of Terror for not being sufficiently extreme. Saw a fine production of it at Florida Atlantic University's Theatre Lab a couple of years ago.
Okay. Have you got time to tell us why? As I recall, "The Naked Ape" was an entertaining read back in the late 60s. Do today's anthropologists still agree with his Tarzan/Jane analysis?
“Something that caught my attention in your quote of Joe Biden's speech, however, strikes me as slightly dishonest and a sort of wishful thinking. I refer to his using the word "people" instead of "men", which is to say he apparently misquotes the Declaration so as to sanitize it,...”
David, I thot the parafrase was amply explained by the lead:
“Biden recalled that the United States of America was based not on religion or hereditary monarchy, but on an idea: ...”
And the extender:
“We have never lived up to that ideal, of course, but we have never abandoned it, either. Those principles, he said, ...”
Was thinking about you yesterday, Rob. Glad to see you here. I like this last sentence you quoted.
Thank you, David. Well-said. I enjoyed your sense of humor here, too.
When “our conflict is over” we may have to go “cleanse our schools of Fascist trappings” that governors like Greg Abbott in Texas and Ron DeSantis in Florida have masterminded for control over what may be taught in the classrooms.
B-I-N-G-O! I plan to be on on that cleaning project, Jeff.
Either "triumph of democracy" or "triumph over fascism" will work. It gets late, eyes get tired, we're all human.
That was a critical typo that I hope is corrected.
It's not like it's the Congressional Record. Let he or she who has not made a mistake in the wee hours step forward.
I have never made a typographcal error in my entire lyfe.
Me neether. It's hard bean perfeck.
You rascal, Joseph.
So true. I am hoping that all readers understand the slip. I don’t want a naysayer plucking that out of her Letter and using it as “quote from HCR….”
I believe HCR has asked that we identify/share typos and the like (just not sure she sees them here).
I was heartened yesterday to see that Bette Midler tweeted something you penned on Saturday! JRB must lead the willing and provide for the unwilling and the healing will come. We need not discuss, argue, and tussle. We need to provide for those who see their own needs and accept what is offered.
America has been sliding into fascism since Reagan then, because this is what I’ve been seeing now:
“Our troops have found starvation, malnutrition, disease, a deteriorating education, a lower public health, all byproducts of the fascist misrule.””
I hope President Biden and American voters can turn this around.
Strong words, but take good care of America for us. According to Prof. it has been there all the time. I guess it gained power and became visible with the Tea Party movement.
I found those words to be a bit disingenuous. The conditions found there were a byproduct of war on Italian soil, which itself was a byproduct of fascism. For sure, people in Rome and elsewhere in Italy starved. But I might venture to suggest that everywhere where war is, you will find those conditions. Look at Syria. Although I suppose you could also argue that the Syrian Ba’ath party is fascist.
Disingenuous???? Open your eyes. Look at the growing ignorance in America. Look at the ever widening of the wealth disparity. Look at how much of the Middle Class can’t afford healthcare even with medical benefits and can’t afford healthy food. This has been worsening since Reagan. Who stands to benefit when so many are poorly educated and don’t understand our civics processes? Clearly it’s not Democracy.
I’m sorry, I wasn’t clear. I meant that I found FDR’s words disingenuous, not Dr. Richardson’s. I agree with all you say.
The "fascist misrule" existed for almost 2 decades before WW II impacted Italy. From Wikipedia article on Fascist Italy (1922-1943): "The government tried to achieve "alimentary sovereignty", or total self-sufficiency with regard to food supplies. Its new policies were highly controversial among a people who paid serious attention to their food. The goal was to reduce imports, support Italian agriculture and encourage an austere diet based on bread, polenta, pasta, fresh produce and wine. Fascist women's groups trained women in "autarkic cookery" to work around items no longer imported. Food prices climbed in the 1930s and dairy and meat consumption was discouraged, while increasing numbers of Italians turned to the black market. The policy demonstrated that Fascists saw food—and people's behavior generally—as strategic resources that could be manipulated regardless of traditions and tastes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascist_Italy_(1922%E2%80%931943)#Social_welfare
I've been noticing that the news show reporters are now routinely referring to TFG and his administration as "Fascist," and pointing out that what the insurrectionists on January 6th were fighting for was the end of democracy and the installation of a Fascist regime.
It's about damned time.
What a breath of fresh air it has been to hear speeches that are not all "me! me! me!". To hear the call once again to stand up and take part, to care about not just ourselves but everyone has been an uplifting moment. I hope it carries onward through the fight.
That we have labored long under the burden of the idea that if we support big business they will support us. We know that to be a lie, we know that most big businesses will only do what increases their bottom line and if they ruin our world, our lives and those of generations to come it makes not a bit of difference to them. Yes, we need business, but it carries a responsibility as well from the owners to the workers and vice versa.