Considering that the stock market’s Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 1,862 points today, and that General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly apologized for permitting himself to be used in Trump’s photo-op last week, the story I’m going to start with tonight might seem an odd one to choose.
Hello from Maine! I am always "up with the cows." I grew up milking them as a kid, and the habit of being an early riser has not left me. I have my morning routine, and the first sip of coffee is taken as soon as I open your letter. I am more than happy that I subscribed, and bought a subscription for my daughter in Iowa. We home schooled our children, placing a heavy emphasis on American History. My mother was pregnant with me in the summer of 1967. As a child she and I had a nightly bedtime routine. Supper, bath, kiss my David Cassidy poster goodnight, hop in to bed, American History lesson (no fairy tales for me), prayers, and the last was the recital of "Emancipation Proclamation, no taxation without representation." Fast forward to now, and boy golly, I appreciate my mom so much more. When all of our current events began occurring, like all of us, I felt ill prepared. I honestly didn't know how I was going to lead my children (20's - 30's) through this. Then I was introduced to HCR's letters. That's all it took. I found my firm footing, and am so very thankful. Keep on keeping on folks, we will get through this!
Friends in Missouri and Kansas seem to have an incredible grasp of history. They told me stories about pre and post Civil War era that I never heard growing up in New England.
I have taken classes from a fantastic teacher in NW Iowa, Russ Gifford. He is a wealth of information about the Civil War and particularly how it impacted Iowa.
That’s an interesting observation. Having grown up in California in the 1940-1960s and now living in one of the original 13 colonies (GA) I have been amazed! No one in GA seems to know anything about history before their rebellion and defeat in the “ Northern War of Aggression”! The “Lost Cause” statues are the major focus.....and the Republicans seem to be checking their options......
After reading your post, I feel I should clarify more. I think it's those further away from the Northeast colonies. It's because our ancestors in those areas experienced it on a more personal level. I was born and raised in Connecticut. The history was readily available to me.
It's strange that they should be ignorant of the whole period of legal slavery that defined their very nature from the early days of Captain John Smith onwards. It didn't take long for the early english landowners to fathom that african slaves had a lower death rate for yellow fever and malaria than indentured european servants
Well, they do make a big deal that Oglethorpe/House of Commons actually founded the only Colony that forbade slavery initially.... until too many South Carolinians migrated and changed the law in 1750! :-) . There were some Revolutionary war battles fought in GA that in the last 5-10 years have been studied and explored.... , but you have to dig to find much. Not at all like New England or VA. The state archives have very interesting material, especially regarding the Trail of Tears expulsion. We need some historians to take interest and write some popular books!!
Sounds like Georgia falls between several stools. They are caught between british and spanish occupation and the desire to drive out the Cherokees. Three seperate archival sources to add to local state records. The Cherokees had relatively sophisticated structures of government and written communication. I seem to recollect reading somewhere about them publishing at one point
The Cherokees had a constitution, bicameral legislature, Supreme Court, and a Presidency. Many of the officeholders were Ivy League graduates. The published a Newspaper and as they were driven from their farms, the white settlers moved into their homes that were often substantially higher quality!! Unfortunately, they fell victim to internal politics and corruption instigated by trump's hero, Andrew Jackson...another populist who was all PR and little contribution.
One thing I know for sure is that the farther East I go, almost no one has any idea where in the world Idaho is. Which is part of the same problem, poor education.
Trump is teaching us something ugly and shallow about politics, and his base, in 2020. Politics is now just theater (reality TV actually), it’s not about policy or governing. We continually criticize Trump for “not understanding history”, for “ignoring the rule of law”, for “insulting our allies”, for not governing. And Trump’s response to us is that that stuff is irrelevant.
Trump didn’t run for president to govern - that’s boring, hard work. He ran so that he could star in his latest reality TV show - about him being president. The only history that matters is the shallow, stilted history that his viewership (base) understands. Which is not a lot. History was his base’s least favorite subject (along with science and math) and foreigners make them uncomfortable, they don’t even speak American. The rule of law is an inconvenience. Governing is slow and boring, bad for ratings. It’s all a show and it’s all about him. All the time.
This is not to say that the presidency is irrelevant, or that Trump is not corrupt. Of course he and his cronies are using his presidency to line their pockets, and wreck the place. It’s to say that he isn’t incompetent in the way we see him as incompetent. We see him (rightly) as a terrible president, and he says, “Who cares, I’m not here to be president, I’m here to be a TV star.” He doesn’t care about any of that Constitution and history and Executive branch stuff. He only cares about the next episode (he churns those out at a dizzying pace), and the ratings. We think, “How abominable that Trump would hold a rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth!” Trump thinks, “Great story, everyone will be talking about it, the ratings will be through the roof!”
For Trump, the TV show is all that matters. He attacks CNN and NYT and even Fox sometimes, but only to keep the focus on his show. He doesn’t hate CNN, not as long as they’re talking about him. He demands that his team look good on television, not that they do their jobs (strike that, looking good on TV is their job). It’s all TV, all Trump, all the time. The Apprentice, Oval Office edition.
JR: Ron Suskind used to say that what made Trump so mesmerizing was that he "just happens." He's made for TV in the sense that you never know what he's going to do next. That's a huge draw for reality television viewers: the idea that events just explode into existence. What has shocked me in all this, though, is the degree to which other GOP officials have bought into the idea that nothing matters but image. In the impeachment hearings, it was crystal clear that GOP questioners had no intention of engaging honestly with the witnesses. They were just grabbing sound bites for videos on FNC. Glad to see Ben Sasse called that out in Congress the other day, but it was far too little, far too late.
I think of the GOP as a magic act. Trump is the hand-waving distraction, that holds the audience’s attention whilst the Republicans in the Senate and House pass tax cuts, confirm right-wing judges, dismantle financial and environmental regulations, etc. The GOP hasn’t bought into the idea that nothing matters so much as they’ve bought into the idea that Trump keeps the rubes entertained while they rob them blind.
JR sagely remarked "Trump didn’t run for president to govern - that’s boring, hard work." So is staying adequately informed in order to participate meaningfully in a large and complex democracy. Not a big wonder that people default to personality cults in politics. Not saying it's okay, just saying it's not such a wonder as all that. I wish I had anything useful to say about a remedy for this deplorable state of affairs!
But Elizabeth Warren probably has a plan for that. Or will, as soon as it comes to her attention. (I say this with the greatest respect & admiration for her)
In the NY Times Opinion newsletter today, one of the columnists describing the reasoning behind holding a rally in Tulsa (site of one of the worst episodes of racist violence in the USA about 100 years ago) on Juneteenth asked a question: Is Trump just stupid or is he evil? It was not exactly a rhetorical question. But it has a very specific answer, in my opinion. He is evil. He is evil. He is evil. He knowns what he is doing. He might be an ignoramus because he is an uneducated narcissistic lout, but he is not stupid. Ever since November 2016, I have awakened every morning and asked myself (apologies to Dorothy Parker) "What fresh hell is this?"
And now we see that Trump will give his acceptance speech in Jacksonville on the anniversary of another violent attack on Black citizens (I hadn't heard about "Axe Handle Saturday" before). Talk about tone-deaf.
Not tone-deaf at all. He knows perfectly well that the place and time of these events celebrates large murderous violence by white men against blacks. From his viewpoint, that's good.
"Instead of making an argument for policy, the Republicans are simply backing Trump. "
I had to read the paragraphs preceding that sentence twice. We have truly entered the realm of authoritarian regimes when the GOP backs a man and not a platform. They are basically admitting that the party holds no ideology other than Trump, and they aren't even trying to hide it anymore.
I don't know; this feels like a really big deal - when you add up the near-daily barrage over the last 3.5 years (appointing Jared/Ivanka to power positions, firing officials who investigate him, refusing to allow government officials to testify, placing unqualified Trump-friendly judges in federal courts, turning the military on peaceful protesters, not bothering to update the party platform,) it seems like we're pretty close to boiling the proverbial frog alive. If he wins in November, I truly believe it's the end of Democracy.
Yeah, it felt like a big deal to me, too, and perhaps I didn't articulate it well enough. While people today don't pay a ton of attention to them, the whole point of the convention is the platform. It's where party policy differences are compromised, and everyone with a stake gets a say. (This is why Sanders et al kept trying to rack up delegates-- to have more clout in the platform. It really matters.) Just days ago, the GOP kept saying it would work out the party tensions in the platform committee, and now, whoops!, no platform. Just Trump. It's astonishing.
Voting for the man or, more rarely the woman, isn't so rare. The programme is often a figleaf little read by non-journalists. Hence the surprise and resistance if the elected person thereafterwards tries to implement the programme often against the interests of many who were initially electorally supportive. More frequent again is the vote against the person...andthen it's anybody but him/her. Joe Biden and the Democratic party have to be very careful what they promise.
I understand and agree that the vast majority of people vote for a candidate and not a platform (I only read platforms for the first time in 2016, and I've been voting a lot longer than that). But it seems like a platform guides the values and decision-making process of those in leadership positions, much like a company mission or vision statement. The fact that the GOP isn't explicitly stating, "This is what we value, believe, and will try to accomplish for the country in the next four years," and instead are willing to call it good enough because Trump's their guy...well, I find that very disconcerting.
Without a platform indicating what the party offers all that remains is a list of why we shouldn't vote for the other person/party. I'll give the Trump campaign this: it is running more than the smear Biden ads. In PA we get the "look at all the good I've done" ads in near equal proportion to the "Biden is bad" ads. The problem is that the upbeat ads are laughably false to anyone who consumes news outside of FoxNews or OANN. How refreshing would it be for a candidate to identify a list of problems facing our nation and offer ideas on how to tackle them?
Thank you, Heather, for your daily insights. Yet another day of news showcasing the autocratic government that Trump and his enablers are attempting to construct. Cannot imagine what they will build with four more years of this.
All, we cannot assume that the inept leadership that Donald Trump has exhibited in the last 3 1/2 years, particularly during a crisis filled 2020, will lead to his defeat in November.
The abomination known as the Electoral College makes it very possible for Trump to win again. The key is turning battleground states blue this Election Day. You’ll recall in 2016 Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million but won the presidency by winning battleground states by razor thin margins.
A volunteer opportunity called “Adopt a State” is an ideal effort for us to ensure the 2016 debacle is not repeated. It is led by ex-Obama staffers. Based on polling, they have identified 6 states - Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida and North Carolina - that are the keys to defeating Trump this time around.
Please consider joining this effort. You can dedicate as little or as much time as you want, all from the comfort of your home. They are holding virtual meetings this month to promote this effort. The attendance at the first two (over 15,000 in each) almost broke Zoom and the internet. But, given what’s at stake, the more the merrier. It’s never too late to jump in.
It’s not enough to just defeat Trump in November, the victory needs to be so overwhelming as to give the Biden administration a solid mandate to enact much needed social and governmental changes.
I wasn’t aware of this initiative Don, thanks for sharing. May I add - winning the Presidency alone will mean virtually nothing if the Democrats don’t win back the Senate. That, to me, is almost more of an imperative. I personally believe McConnell is evil incarnate, there is no bar that pestilential slug of a hypocrite will not stoop under. Utterly despicable. How many Bills is he sitting on at this point? How many judges has he pushed through, in doing his best to insure his job? Good grief.......
I would qualify this to say, "in power as Senate Majority Leader." I think this is actually what you meant, but I also like to imagine a world where Moscow Mitch retains his seat but loses control of the Senate to the Democratic party which then goes all out to dismantle everything he's done, while the only thing he can do is watch it happen. They would of course have to start by eliminating the filibuster altogether, which would probably cause McTurtle's wattled throat to explode in impotent rage.
The interesting systemic thing for me out of all this is that the senate majority leader is the linchpin to the whole scheme who can halt all checks and balances. The majority leader's duties and powers are entirely customary as opposed to being written in the rules of the Senate.
So maybe the place to focus is on the Senate rules committee and on precisely defining the duties of the majority leader, the limits on them, and the conditions under which the Senate's sergeant and arms removes the majority leader from the senate and the minority whip takes control.
James, could not agree more! Thanks. Because of that, in addition to the Adopt a State initiative, I’m donating what I can to the Amy McGrath (McConnell’s opponent) and Jaime Harrison (Lyndsey Graham’s opponent). Hopefully other Rep. Senators will fall too, but these are two of the scummiest!! 👍
So glad to get this opportunity, Don. I grew up in Michigan long ago, but live abroad now and took several steps to get involved in swinging Michigan all the way blue. I've been frustrated by the pandemic interrupting plans to canvass in Michigan in the summer, and that other programs either rely on being able to call folks, which is difficult from here, or to post letters just before voting in November. I look forward to hearing what I might do in this program.
There's a gif circulating on social media that reads: "If you've ever wondered how regular people stood by and watched Germany descend into Naziism, now you know."
Ever since I was old enough to learn what that is, and how it was carried out, I've wondered.
Many people are simply too wrapped up in their lives and don't want the disruption that opposition would imply, others see an advantage in the new direction, still more are simply afraid of the bully.
I think there is a great deal of naïveté as well. Americans have not seen much of death in the streets and people being disappeared! Collectively we can hardly believe it could happen here.....unless of course you are a poor minority!
Partly the result of downgrading and "simplifying" the teaching of history in our schools. The vietnam war was stopped in part by the people of the USA because the american dead and dying were on the news with Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather every night!
The military learned lessons from that experience, not for the betterment of all. Simply no reporters on the battlefield. Recall how folks were enthralled by the allegedly "smart weapons" from Iraq 1. All we ever saw of that battlefield. It's just a computer game folks don't worry.
Yeah, this whole business of no photos of wars is deeply problematic. Many Americans don't even realize that we still have soldiers in the field right now.
I found the Washington Post's article highlighted the irony of the GOP's decision to recycle the 2016 platform quite well.
“The huge increase in the national debt demanded by and incurred during the current Administration has placed a significant burden on future generations.”
“The current Administration has exceeded its constitutional authority, brazenly and flagrantly violated the separation of powers, sought to divide America into groups and turn citizen against citizen.”
“The next president must restore the public’s trust in law enforcement and civil order by first adhering to the rule of law himself.”
“The current Administration has abandoned America’s friends and rewarded its enemies.”
I'm guessing it will be Jared's one-page bullet list that takes the stage in Jacksonville. If the press briefing room notebook is any indicator of the per-page bullet point presidential comprehension limit, look for 3 or 4 points.
@JJ Drinkwater, I didn't do a formal track but if you look at what Newt Gingrich, et al, instigated, I think you'll find that it has a powerful impact on where we are today. Is that in itself a long, long time? No. But it's long enough to have done deep and long lasting damage. As an aside, I would say that republicans from the 50s forward worked hard to craft an exclusionary party that rewarded wealth and was hell bent on keeping everyday people "in their place" as much as possible. PS, it's Wilber, not Wilson.
Yesterday I wrote about the intentional use of the word "war" in political discourse and how that invokes conflict and becomes a call for militancy. Here is an example of how Ivanka slipped it in with her Twitter response to being canceled (Jane Mayer, New Yorker, June 11, 2020):
"It began last week, when a technical college affiliated with Wichita State University scrapped plans for a virtual commencement address by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, in a bow to student and faculty criticism of the President’s response to the nationwide protests over George Floyd’s killing. On Twitter, Ivanka blamed “cancel culture,” calling it 'antithetical to academia.' In a compromise brokered by the university, Ivanka’s remarks, instead of headlining the event, were demoted to being one in a menu of choices during the ceremony, on June 6th. If they wished, students could click on a link and see her dressed for the occasion, in a regal white sheath and turquoise earrings and brooch, as she addressed them as 'wartime' graduates.
Macron France has used the word "war" constantly in the campaign against Covid-19 and much of his communication, and of the government, uses military-speak. It has most decidedly not helped his poor credibility rating!
The use of the term "War on" is trite. We, as a culture have used the phrase "war on/against" ad nauseam over the last 50 years or more. Its overuse has trivialized the impact the word once had; so much so that I think many people shake their heads and sigh whenever they hear THE WAR ON (fill in the blank), dragged into use. Today, Trump is bored by the War on Coronavirus so he has to find another war to champion.
Switching gears slightly: Trump loves war. Everything with him is a war. He wishes he could lead one and if he has his way he will lead the country into one on its own soil; brother against brother, as it were. The sad thing will be watching his aged, bobble headed followers being murdered and robbed by his gun toting devotees because his mob, once they get started, won't care who's who.
Yeah, his use of the word war is empty but look how eagerly he grasped the moniker "war time president" when he decided to take the war on coronavirus seriously, (though only for about 19 minutes). He is really, truly a dolt.
In American culture, we have "wars against......" This is a serious mistake... i.e. "War on Terror" War on Drugs", "War on Poverty" etc. War is the use of deadly force to solve a problem.... the problems of drugs and terrorists etc are problems that cannot be solved by force.... they were far more complicated than that. But hey it is easier to declare a war, and it makes you sound like a hero. Some sound "appreciative inquiry" and action research experiments would serve us better....
Thank you for bringing that up, Deborah. I hadn't seen your previous post, and so see this example with fresh surprise. Ivanka's use of the term war is rank manipulation. It would seem first to be meant to excuse/invite more immediate use of military force on the streets, elevate Trump's rotten pandemic response, and ready the base to fight if their man loses. And the last likely intention seems key. We need to win big to undercut the likely GOP narratives against election results.
Since December, I’ve read your essays in bed every night, eager to hear your fascinating observations and insight into this intolerable entropy. My political attention is scattered between here and England, my home countries—both vainly eager to outdo one another, it appears. Your work makes my grip on things that much easier. Thank you. Truly.
Happy to be a supporter. Been hoping to hear you monetize this for a while, either on Patreon or somewhere like here.
I join you on that as my interests follow my origins on this side of the pond (Northumberland) and much of my life on the other...Montreal annd Washington. Finding HCR's books and blog and the community around her helps deal with life in general and in France in Particular.
I was born (1957), raised and educated in Jacksonville FL. From my perspective Jax was the “Largest Blue Collar” town.
Pretty much who you know to get a good job.
As a child, going to Uncles and Aunts lot (in the “sticks”), we saw a klan rally in a pasture. Not knowing what it was, me and my cousin were curious. We were told not to go there because of our religion (Catholic) at the time.
My older brother did a essay on Walt Disney originally wanting to set up its FL center at the intersection of interstate 10 & 75 just west of Jacksonville. But Gillman pulp wood, would not sell them the land, in fear of driving up the local labor cost.
I understand that Americans have more than can be digested in a day of Trump's national flip flop policy. It as one international policy move that is really worth to consider. Trump has decided to go after employees at the ICC, International Criminal Court. This is outrageous and ill advised. I reckon that all of your allies will criticise USA for such a policy. Good friends will tell you when you are wrong, and now is the time to listen.
In my opinion it will be impossible to support US military operations if allies run the risk to be involved in un-punishable acts. USA does not have a good track record on averting and punishing war crimes.
I may very well have missed it, but I never heard General Mark Milley say the words, "I am sorry." I heard him say he should not have been there, should not have done it etc. I am old fashioned enough to believe an apology has the words "I am sorry" included.
Good catch! Furthermore, he limited his mea culpa to his own presence and never acknowledged that the presence of the rest of the military apparatus in, around, and over Lafayette Square that afternoon screamed political motivation.
Trump is going to have to impose a pretty strong non-pursuit document on attendees in Jacksonville if the current covid 19 infection rate continues to accelerate in Florida. 55 dead and climbing by June 8th according to local newspapers
One thing the pandemic has really shown up, to my mind, is Cheeto's willingness to sacrifice his own followers for his personal gain. They, like every other thing or person on this planet, exist only for his use, apparently. Do I sound bitter? I am!
Why bother to write a party platform when instead, you can simply hold rallies on the most threatening dates imaginable for black people. There’s the whole platform in one word: racism. Trump’s platform is racism, always has been, always will be. People simply weren’t quite ready for it to be stated outright in 2016, but now, they’re riled up and primed.
In our house, we suspect that Twitler's choice of Florida is also connected to his relationships with the Governor and it's two Senators, all three of whom are hard-core toadies of the President. We also suspect that, somehow, self-dealing money is involved.
On another front, the lack of a an updated platform clearly indicates that the GOP has surrendered, entirely, to becoming a cult of personality. There's no need for a lengthy platform document, because their candidate wouldn't (couldn't?) read it anyway. Based on that, they could easily put the GOP platform on a single note card with one bullet: "Our President For Life has the absolute right to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants."
Back in 1948, 72 years ago, Harry Truman commented that "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." And that collection of winners (who included among their number a Senator elected in the "Republican year" of 1946 who two years later would give his name to a variety of demagoguery that is still remarked on for what it did to the country) are the ones nostalgically thought of today as "good Republicans who could never be voted into office today" (which is actually true).
They have *always* been scum. Their three actually-good presidents - Lincoln, T. Roosevelt, and Eisenhower - were hated by the real party who saw them as outliers (and when you consider the rest, they really are).
President Truman is still right. "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." Hopefully they'll have a bumper crop from the hatealongs Old Blubber Neck is now holding, and a really big bumper crop of rotten apples come September, after the big Nuremberg Rally.
Like in Germany after the disappearance of Hitler, the vast majority of those "living with" in one way shape or form were still there. The incoming political authorities can't just use them os manure to improve flower growth. The film Soylant Green had something to say about that despite Charlton Heston. The trump supporters will will still be with us in Feb 2021 and we must wean them away from him
And all of that in a time of probably massive recession in the world economy, hunger in the developing world, unemployment beyond belief and essential change to policies and activities affecting our climate. A tall order indeed if we don't find statesmen and women who are there for all the people and have a much better idea of where we all need to be on this planet and how we can live in harmony together. A very tall order indeed...but i feel that the process has started and the people are now making themselves heard. Chaotically perhaps but...
Laurean1 min
Hello from Maine! I am always "up with the cows." I grew up milking them as a kid, and the habit of being an early riser has not left me. I have my morning routine, and the first sip of coffee is taken as soon as I open your letter. I am more than happy that I subscribed, and bought a subscription for my daughter in Iowa. We home schooled our children, placing a heavy emphasis on American History. My mother was pregnant with me in the summer of 1967. As a child she and I had a nightly bedtime routine. Supper, bath, kiss my David Cassidy poster goodnight, hop in to bed, American History lesson (no fairy tales for me), prayers, and the last was the recital of "Emancipation Proclamation, no taxation without representation." Fast forward to now, and boy golly, I appreciate my mom so much more. When all of our current events began occurring, like all of us, I felt ill prepared. I honestly didn't know how I was going to lead my children (20's - 30's) through this. Then I was introduced to HCR's letters. That's all it took. I found my firm footing, and am so very thankful. Keep on keeping on folks, we will get through this!
One thing I've noticed in my travels (45 states), is the further West one goes, the less people know about our foundational history.
The gutting of our public school system has done us all terrible harm.
Friends in Missouri and Kansas seem to have an incredible grasp of history. They told me stories about pre and post Civil War era that I never heard growing up in New England.
Yes, thank you for saying that. I had a run around with my Iowa friends, when I told them that some Iowans fought on the side of the Confederacy. https://www.iowapublicradio.org/post/new-research-shows-least-76-iowans-joined-confederacy-during-civil-war#stream/0
I have taken classes from a fantastic teacher in NW Iowa, Russ Gifford. He is a wealth of information about the Civil War and particularly how it impacted Iowa.
I just looked him up. Western Iowa Tech. Cool! Thanks for telling me about him.
He's a really awesome teacher. He also teaches courses about music and politics of the 60's.
It's also part of the "empty continent myth" of european colonizers. Wyoming territory's history didn't start in 1860
That’s an interesting observation. Having grown up in California in the 1940-1960s and now living in one of the original 13 colonies (GA) I have been amazed! No one in GA seems to know anything about history before their rebellion and defeat in the “ Northern War of Aggression”! The “Lost Cause” statues are the major focus.....and the Republicans seem to be checking their options......
After reading your post, I feel I should clarify more. I think it's those further away from the Northeast colonies. It's because our ancestors in those areas experienced it on a more personal level. I was born and raised in Connecticut. The history was readily available to me.
It's strange that they should be ignorant of the whole period of legal slavery that defined their very nature from the early days of Captain John Smith onwards. It didn't take long for the early english landowners to fathom that african slaves had a lower death rate for yellow fever and malaria than indentured european servants
Well, they do make a big deal that Oglethorpe/House of Commons actually founded the only Colony that forbade slavery initially.... until too many South Carolinians migrated and changed the law in 1750! :-) . There were some Revolutionary war battles fought in GA that in the last 5-10 years have been studied and explored.... , but you have to dig to find much. Not at all like New England or VA. The state archives have very interesting material, especially regarding the Trail of Tears expulsion. We need some historians to take interest and write some popular books!!
Sounds like Georgia falls between several stools. They are caught between british and spanish occupation and the desire to drive out the Cherokees. Three seperate archival sources to add to local state records. The Cherokees had relatively sophisticated structures of government and written communication. I seem to recollect reading somewhere about them publishing at one point
The Cherokees had a constitution, bicameral legislature, Supreme Court, and a Presidency. Many of the officeholders were Ivy League graduates. The published a Newspaper and as they were driven from their farms, the white settlers moved into their homes that were often substantially higher quality!! Unfortunately, they fell victim to internal politics and corruption instigated by trump's hero, Andrew Jackson...another populist who was all PR and little contribution.
Perhaps not so much ignorant as disinterested....
One thing I know for sure is that the farther East I go, almost no one has any idea where in the world Idaho is. Which is part of the same problem, poor education.
David Cassidy! :) Hi back from Maine! Your mom sounds totally cool. I wonder if our parents knew each other. Email me if you want to toss this around.
I am the one from Iowa that lived in the same county as the Dorr brothers.
lol, I wonder. I don't have your email, but if you want to email me, check my profile. We've been in contact before. thanks!
Trump is teaching us something ugly and shallow about politics, and his base, in 2020. Politics is now just theater (reality TV actually), it’s not about policy or governing. We continually criticize Trump for “not understanding history”, for “ignoring the rule of law”, for “insulting our allies”, for not governing. And Trump’s response to us is that that stuff is irrelevant.
Trump didn’t run for president to govern - that’s boring, hard work. He ran so that he could star in his latest reality TV show - about him being president. The only history that matters is the shallow, stilted history that his viewership (base) understands. Which is not a lot. History was his base’s least favorite subject (along with science and math) and foreigners make them uncomfortable, they don’t even speak American. The rule of law is an inconvenience. Governing is slow and boring, bad for ratings. It’s all a show and it’s all about him. All the time.
This is not to say that the presidency is irrelevant, or that Trump is not corrupt. Of course he and his cronies are using his presidency to line their pockets, and wreck the place. It’s to say that he isn’t incompetent in the way we see him as incompetent. We see him (rightly) as a terrible president, and he says, “Who cares, I’m not here to be president, I’m here to be a TV star.” He doesn’t care about any of that Constitution and history and Executive branch stuff. He only cares about the next episode (he churns those out at a dizzying pace), and the ratings. We think, “How abominable that Trump would hold a rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth!” Trump thinks, “Great story, everyone will be talking about it, the ratings will be through the roof!”
For Trump, the TV show is all that matters. He attacks CNN and NYT and even Fox sometimes, but only to keep the focus on his show. He doesn’t hate CNN, not as long as they’re talking about him. He demands that his team look good on television, not that they do their jobs (strike that, looking good on TV is their job). It’s all TV, all Trump, all the time. The Apprentice, Oval Office edition.
JR: Ron Suskind used to say that what made Trump so mesmerizing was that he "just happens." He's made for TV in the sense that you never know what he's going to do next. That's a huge draw for reality television viewers: the idea that events just explode into existence. What has shocked me in all this, though, is the degree to which other GOP officials have bought into the idea that nothing matters but image. In the impeachment hearings, it was crystal clear that GOP questioners had no intention of engaging honestly with the witnesses. They were just grabbing sound bites for videos on FNC. Glad to see Ben Sasse called that out in Congress the other day, but it was far too little, far too late.
I think of the GOP as a magic act. Trump is the hand-waving distraction, that holds the audience’s attention whilst the Republicans in the Senate and House pass tax cuts, confirm right-wing judges, dismantle financial and environmental regulations, etc. The GOP hasn’t bought into the idea that nothing matters so much as they’ve bought into the idea that Trump keeps the rubes entertained while they rob them blind.
JR sagely remarked "Trump didn’t run for president to govern - that’s boring, hard work." So is staying adequately informed in order to participate meaningfully in a large and complex democracy. Not a big wonder that people default to personality cults in politics. Not saying it's okay, just saying it's not such a wonder as all that. I wish I had anything useful to say about a remedy for this deplorable state of affairs!
But Elizabeth Warren probably has a plan for that. Or will, as soon as it comes to her attention. (I say this with the greatest respect & admiration for her)
In the NY Times Opinion newsletter today, one of the columnists describing the reasoning behind holding a rally in Tulsa (site of one of the worst episodes of racist violence in the USA about 100 years ago) on Juneteenth asked a question: Is Trump just stupid or is he evil? It was not exactly a rhetorical question. But it has a very specific answer, in my opinion. He is evil. He is evil. He is evil. He knowns what he is doing. He might be an ignoramus because he is an uneducated narcissistic lout, but he is not stupid. Ever since November 2016, I have awakened every morning and asked myself (apologies to Dorothy Parker) "What fresh hell is this?"
And now we see that Trump will give his acceptance speech in Jacksonville on the anniversary of another violent attack on Black citizens (I hadn't heard about "Axe Handle Saturday" before). Talk about tone-deaf.
Just imitating St. Ronnie, who held his first campaign speech in Philadelphia Mississippi, close to where Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman were murdered.
Not tone-deaf at all. He knows perfectly well that the place and time of these events celebrates large murderous violence by white men against blacks. From his viewpoint, that's good.
...and "his base" largely agrees with him, or he'd switch tactics.
As many have remarked since January 2017 -- the cruelty is the point.
I see Stephen Miller's hands all over these decisions of where and when to have rallies and/or accept the nomination.
Unfortunately, I think you are right about a lot of this. How will we ever recover?
"Instead of making an argument for policy, the Republicans are simply backing Trump. "
I had to read the paragraphs preceding that sentence twice. We have truly entered the realm of authoritarian regimes when the GOP backs a man and not a platform. They are basically admitting that the party holds no ideology other than Trump, and they aren't even trying to hide it anymore.
I don't know; this feels like a really big deal - when you add up the near-daily barrage over the last 3.5 years (appointing Jared/Ivanka to power positions, firing officials who investigate him, refusing to allow government officials to testify, placing unqualified Trump-friendly judges in federal courts, turning the military on peaceful protesters, not bothering to update the party platform,) it seems like we're pretty close to boiling the proverbial frog alive. If he wins in November, I truly believe it's the end of Democracy.
Yeah, it felt like a big deal to me, too, and perhaps I didn't articulate it well enough. While people today don't pay a ton of attention to them, the whole point of the convention is the platform. It's where party policy differences are compromised, and everyone with a stake gets a say. (This is why Sanders et al kept trying to rack up delegates-- to have more clout in the platform. It really matters.) Just days ago, the GOP kept saying it would work out the party tensions in the platform committee, and now, whoops!, no platform. Just Trump. It's astonishing.
Resonates somehow in my mind with having a vote to abolish voting...terrifying.
Voting for the man or, more rarely the woman, isn't so rare. The programme is often a figleaf little read by non-journalists. Hence the surprise and resistance if the elected person thereafterwards tries to implement the programme often against the interests of many who were initially electorally supportive. More frequent again is the vote against the person...andthen it's anybody but him/her. Joe Biden and the Democratic party have to be very careful what they promise.
I understand and agree that the vast majority of people vote for a candidate and not a platform (I only read platforms for the first time in 2016, and I've been voting a lot longer than that). But it seems like a platform guides the values and decision-making process of those in leadership positions, much like a company mission or vision statement. The fact that the GOP isn't explicitly stating, "This is what we value, believe, and will try to accomplish for the country in the next four years," and instead are willing to call it good enough because Trump's their guy...well, I find that very disconcerting.
Without a platform indicating what the party offers all that remains is a list of why we shouldn't vote for the other person/party. I'll give the Trump campaign this: it is running more than the smear Biden ads. In PA we get the "look at all the good I've done" ads in near equal proportion to the "Biden is bad" ads. The problem is that the upbeat ads are laughably false to anyone who consumes news outside of FoxNews or OANN. How refreshing would it be for a candidate to identify a list of problems facing our nation and offer ideas on how to tackle them?
Elizabeth Warren did.
To say the least
You are so correct!
Thank you, Heather, for your daily insights. Yet another day of news showcasing the autocratic government that Trump and his enablers are attempting to construct. Cannot imagine what they will build with four more years of this.
All, we cannot assume that the inept leadership that Donald Trump has exhibited in the last 3 1/2 years, particularly during a crisis filled 2020, will lead to his defeat in November.
The abomination known as the Electoral College makes it very possible for Trump to win again. The key is turning battleground states blue this Election Day. You’ll recall in 2016 Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million but won the presidency by winning battleground states by razor thin margins.
A volunteer opportunity called “Adopt a State” is an ideal effort for us to ensure the 2016 debacle is not repeated. It is led by ex-Obama staffers. Based on polling, they have identified 6 states - Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida and North Carolina - that are the keys to defeating Trump this time around.
Please consider joining this effort. You can dedicate as little or as much time as you want, all from the comfort of your home. They are holding virtual meetings this month to promote this effort. The attendance at the first two (over 15,000 in each) almost broke Zoom and the internet. But, given what’s at stake, the more the merrier. It’s never too late to jump in.
It’s not enough to just defeat Trump in November, the victory needs to be so overwhelming as to give the Biden administration a solid mandate to enact much needed social and governmental changes.
Link below:
https://votesaveamerica.com/adopt-a-state/
I wasn’t aware of this initiative Don, thanks for sharing. May I add - winning the Presidency alone will mean virtually nothing if the Democrats don’t win back the Senate. That, to me, is almost more of an imperative. I personally believe McConnell is evil incarnate, there is no bar that pestilential slug of a hypocrite will not stoop under. Utterly despicable. How many Bills is he sitting on at this point? How many judges has he pushed through, in doing his best to insure his job? Good grief.......
This. If McConnell stays in power, nothing else will matter.
I would qualify this to say, "in power as Senate Majority Leader." I think this is actually what you meant, but I also like to imagine a world where Moscow Mitch retains his seat but loses control of the Senate to the Democratic party which then goes all out to dismantle everything he's done, while the only thing he can do is watch it happen. They would of course have to start by eliminating the filibuster altogether, which would probably cause McTurtle's wattled throat to explode in impotent rage.
The interesting systemic thing for me out of all this is that the senate majority leader is the linchpin to the whole scheme who can halt all checks and balances. The majority leader's duties and powers are entirely customary as opposed to being written in the rules of the Senate.
So maybe the place to focus is on the Senate rules committee and on precisely defining the duties of the majority leader, the limits on them, and the conditions under which the Senate's sergeant and arms removes the majority leader from the senate and the minority whip takes control.
Mind you, McConnell is on the rules committee.
Heather - do you think McConnell WILL stay in power? (please say "NO!")
James, could not agree more! Thanks. Because of that, in addition to the Adopt a State initiative, I’m donating what I can to the Amy McGrath (McConnell’s opponent) and Jaime Harrison (Lyndsey Graham’s opponent). Hopefully other Rep. Senators will fall too, but these are two of the scummiest!! 👍
I had not heard of this. Thank you for sharing it.
So glad to get this opportunity, Don. I grew up in Michigan long ago, but live abroad now and took several steps to get involved in swinging Michigan all the way blue. I've been frustrated by the pandemic interrupting plans to canvass in Michigan in the summer, and that other programs either rely on being able to call folks, which is difficult from here, or to post letters just before voting in November. I look forward to hearing what I might do in this program.
There's a gif circulating on social media that reads: "If you've ever wondered how regular people stood by and watched Germany descend into Naziism, now you know."
Ever since I was old enough to learn what that is, and how it was carried out, I've wondered.
Many people are simply too wrapped up in their lives and don't want the disruption that opposition would imply, others see an advantage in the new direction, still more are simply afraid of the bully.
I think there is a great deal of naïveté as well. Americans have not seen much of death in the streets and people being disappeared! Collectively we can hardly believe it could happen here.....unless of course you are a poor minority!
Partly the result of downgrading and "simplifying" the teaching of history in our schools. The vietnam war was stopped in part by the people of the USA because the american dead and dying were on the news with Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather every night!
The military learned lessons from that experience, not for the betterment of all. Simply no reporters on the battlefield. Recall how folks were enthralled by the allegedly "smart weapons" from Iraq 1. All we ever saw of that battlefield. It's just a computer game folks don't worry.
Thatcher started it with the Falklands campaign
Yeah, this whole business of no photos of wars is deeply problematic. Many Americans don't even realize that we still have soldiers in the field right now.
You are absolutely right. The scud missiles. And the term "Shock and Awe".
I found the Washington Post's article highlighted the irony of the GOP's decision to recycle the 2016 platform quite well.
“The huge increase in the national debt demanded by and incurred during the current Administration has placed a significant burden on future generations.”
“The current Administration has exceeded its constitutional authority, brazenly and flagrantly violated the separation of powers, sought to divide America into groups and turn citizen against citizen.”
“The next president must restore the public’s trust in law enforcement and civil order by first adhering to the rule of law himself.”
“The current Administration has abandoned America’s friends and rewarded its enemies.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/11/gops-decision-keep-its-2016-platform-is-well-little-awkward-trump/
I'm guessing it will be Jared's one-page bullet list that takes the stage in Jacksonville. If the press briefing room notebook is any indicator of the per-page bullet point presidential comprehension limit, look for 3 or 4 points.
""...Republican leaders either can’t manage or can’t be bothered with the basics of our political system... "
It's been this way for a long, long time.
How far back do you track this, @Daria Wilson? Really curious!
@JJ Drinkwater, I didn't do a formal track but if you look at what Newt Gingrich, et al, instigated, I think you'll find that it has a powerful impact on where we are today. Is that in itself a long, long time? No. But it's long enough to have done deep and long lasting damage. As an aside, I would say that republicans from the 50s forward worked hard to craft an exclusionary party that rewarded wealth and was hell bent on keeping everyday people "in their place" as much as possible. PS, it's Wilber, not Wilson.
Newt Gingrich championed total opposition/power and abandoned any pretense of consensual approaches to politics...definitely the mentor of McConnel
Yesterday I wrote about the intentional use of the word "war" in political discourse and how that invokes conflict and becomes a call for militancy. Here is an example of how Ivanka slipped it in with her Twitter response to being canceled (Jane Mayer, New Yorker, June 11, 2020):
"It began last week, when a technical college affiliated with Wichita State University scrapped plans for a virtual commencement address by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, in a bow to student and faculty criticism of the President’s response to the nationwide protests over George Floyd’s killing. On Twitter, Ivanka blamed “cancel culture,” calling it 'antithetical to academia.' In a compromise brokered by the university, Ivanka’s remarks, instead of headlining the event, were demoted to being one in a menu of choices during the ceremony, on June 6th. If they wished, students could click on a link and see her dressed for the occasion, in a regal white sheath and turquoise earrings and brooch, as she addressed them as 'wartime' graduates.
Macron France has used the word "war" constantly in the campaign against Covid-19 and much of his communication, and of the government, uses military-speak. It has most decidedly not helped his poor credibility rating!
The use of the term "War on" is trite. We, as a culture have used the phrase "war on/against" ad nauseam over the last 50 years or more. Its overuse has trivialized the impact the word once had; so much so that I think many people shake their heads and sigh whenever they hear THE WAR ON (fill in the blank), dragged into use. Today, Trump is bored by the War on Coronavirus so he has to find another war to champion.
Switching gears slightly: Trump loves war. Everything with him is a war. He wishes he could lead one and if he has his way he will lead the country into one on its own soil; brother against brother, as it were. The sad thing will be watching his aged, bobble headed followers being murdered and robbed by his gun toting devotees because his mob, once they get started, won't care who's who.
He of the sore heels has never seen war. Therefore his use of the term is empty, with out a shred of meaning. Whoops did I just describe himself?
Yeah, his use of the word war is empty but look how eagerly he grasped the moniker "war time president" when he decided to take the war on coronavirus seriously, (though only for about 19 minutes). He is really, truly a dolt.
In American culture, we have "wars against......" This is a serious mistake... i.e. "War on Terror" War on Drugs", "War on Poverty" etc. War is the use of deadly force to solve a problem.... the problems of drugs and terrorists etc are problems that cannot be solved by force.... they were far more complicated than that. But hey it is easier to declare a war, and it makes you sound like a hero. Some sound "appreciative inquiry" and action research experiments would serve us better....
I agree completely.
Thank you for bringing that up, Deborah. I hadn't seen your previous post, and so see this example with fresh surprise. Ivanka's use of the term war is rank manipulation. It would seem first to be meant to excuse/invite more immediate use of military force on the streets, elevate Trump's rotten pandemic response, and ready the base to fight if their man loses. And the last likely intention seems key. We need to win big to undercut the likely GOP narratives against election results.
What a beautiful, welcome godsend you are.
Since December, I’ve read your essays in bed every night, eager to hear your fascinating observations and insight into this intolerable entropy. My political attention is scattered between here and England, my home countries—both vainly eager to outdo one another, it appears. Your work makes my grip on things that much easier. Thank you. Truly.
Happy to be a supporter. Been hoping to hear you monetize this for a while, either on Patreon or somewhere like here.
I join you on that as my interests follow my origins on this side of the pond (Northumberland) and much of my life on the other...Montreal annd Washington. Finding HCR's books and blog and the community around her helps deal with life in general and in France in Particular.
I was born (1957), raised and educated in Jacksonville FL. From my perspective Jax was the “Largest Blue Collar” town.
Pretty much who you know to get a good job.
As a child, going to Uncles and Aunts lot (in the “sticks”), we saw a klan rally in a pasture. Not knowing what it was, me and my cousin were curious. We were told not to go there because of our religion (Catholic) at the time.
My older brother did a essay on Walt Disney originally wanting to set up its FL center at the intersection of interstate 10 & 75 just west of Jacksonville. But Gillman pulp wood, would not sell them the land, in fear of driving up the local labor cost.
Hello Heather and thank you!
I understand that Americans have more than can be digested in a day of Trump's national flip flop policy. It as one international policy move that is really worth to consider. Trump has decided to go after employees at the ICC, International Criminal Court. This is outrageous and ill advised. I reckon that all of your allies will criticise USA for such a policy. Good friends will tell you when you are wrong, and now is the time to listen.
In my opinion it will be impossible to support US military operations if allies run the risk to be involved in un-punishable acts. USA does not have a good track record on averting and punishing war crimes.
https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/item.aspx?name=200611-icc-statement
Targeting the EMPLOYEES with sanctions, not the court itself. Talk about gobsmacked.
For context:
https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/11/trump-executive-order-sanction-international-criminal-court-employees-afghanistan-investigation-russia/
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/11/874699475/trump-greenlights-sanctions-against-international-criminal-court-investigators
I thought his Executive Order applied to anyone who collaborated with such an enquiry and not just employees!
Thank you. I had not seen this.
I think I'm most appalled by the placement on page A9 - NINE - of the NYTimes today.
Isolating the USA from its European allies in this fashion benefits one nation greatly - Russia.
I may very well have missed it, but I never heard General Mark Milley say the words, "I am sorry." I heard him say he should not have been there, should not have done it etc. I am old fashioned enough to believe an apology has the words "I am sorry" included.
Good catch! Furthermore, he limited his mea culpa to his own presence and never acknowledged that the presence of the rest of the military apparatus in, around, and over Lafayette Square that afternoon screamed political motivation.
Unfortunately sorry has no culture in the military, "I should not have done x, y, or z is the best you'll ever get.
thank you, I did not know that. does that explain the commander in chiefs lack of aplogies?
Trump is going to have to impose a pretty strong non-pursuit document on attendees in Jacksonville if the current covid 19 infection rate continues to accelerate in Florida. 55 dead and climbing by June 8th according to local newspapers
I honestly believe he wants them to get it. He has hit every oppressed group in some way.
One thing the pandemic has really shown up, to my mind, is Cheeto's willingness to sacrifice his own followers for his personal gain. They, like every other thing or person on this planet, exist only for his use, apparently. Do I sound bitter? I am!
Perfectly normal for a histerical narcisist egomaniac
Why bother to write a party platform when instead, you can simply hold rallies on the most threatening dates imaginable for black people. There’s the whole platform in one word: racism. Trump’s platform is racism, always has been, always will be. People simply weren’t quite ready for it to be stated outright in 2016, but now, they’re riled up and primed.
In our house, we suspect that Twitler's choice of Florida is also connected to his relationships with the Governor and it's two Senators, all three of whom are hard-core toadies of the President. We also suspect that, somehow, self-dealing money is involved.
On another front, the lack of a an updated platform clearly indicates that the GOP has surrendered, entirely, to becoming a cult of personality. There's no need for a lengthy platform document, because their candidate wouldn't (couldn't?) read it anyway. Based on that, they could easily put the GOP platform on a single note card with one bullet: "Our President For Life has the absolute right to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants."
Back in 1948, 72 years ago, Harry Truman commented that "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." And that collection of winners (who included among their number a Senator elected in the "Republican year" of 1946 who two years later would give his name to a variety of demagoguery that is still remarked on for what it did to the country) are the ones nostalgically thought of today as "good Republicans who could never be voted into office today" (which is actually true).
They have *always* been scum. Their three actually-good presidents - Lincoln, T. Roosevelt, and Eisenhower - were hated by the real party who saw them as outliers (and when you consider the rest, they really are).
President Truman is still right. "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." Hopefully they'll have a bumper crop from the hatealongs Old Blubber Neck is now holding, and a really big bumper crop of rotten apples come September, after the big Nuremberg Rally.
Like in Germany after the disappearance of Hitler, the vast majority of those "living with" in one way shape or form were still there. The incoming political authorities can't just use them os manure to improve flower growth. The film Soylant Green had something to say about that despite Charlton Heston. The trump supporters will will still be with us in Feb 2021 and we must wean them away from him
Yes, I agree. This is not something that is going to go away. This will take many generations to overcome.
And all of that in a time of probably massive recession in the world economy, hunger in the developing world, unemployment beyond belief and essential change to policies and activities affecting our climate. A tall order indeed if we don't find statesmen and women who are there for all the people and have a much better idea of where we all need to be on this planet and how we can live in harmony together. A very tall order indeed...but i feel that the process has started and the people are now making themselves heard. Chaotically perhaps but...
Yes, I agree. One thing coming out of this, that I've said since the beginning, is we are seeing a shift in humanity toward the better.