Uh Peter - why am I reminded of Michelle Obama's famous words during the 2016 HRC campaign - "when they go low, we go high"? However, if as 2024 continues to unfold, good economic news continues to roll in, and Democrats do not suffer any self-inflicted wounds, that can only improve our odds. While I continue to be horrified at the strength of the MAGA movement in America (what, about 35% or so?), I believe that it is not more than that. Nothing will move them. Were it to be a legal requirement to vote (as it is in Australia BTW), MAGA would be swamped. But that is not how it is. Convincing the 40 some-odd percent of people who don't show up to show up ought to be the key. It is the DNC's and Biden campaign's jobs to make that happen. As well as folks like us spreading the word as much as possible.
I agree that we need to continue to spread the truth loudly and boldly, but we cannot allow them to change us, to drag us into the dirt of their depravity. Going high means speaking truth, and continuing to speak truth despite their pathetic attempts to drown us out. Michelle ObamaтАЩs words matter because they encourage us to continue to follow in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers and Mothers who were working to establish better for all. While the messaging of Dems has often been too weak and timid, we can share the facts of the successes without betraying our integrity as they so often do with their lies.
Mine wasn't quite in the same spirit as Michelle Obama's well-chosen phrase. I'm trying to express an attitude completely independent of whatever тАЬtheyтАЭ may get up to.
When troops do battle against an enemy, they areтАФor should beтАФfighting FOR something.
As for hate, if I hate individuals or groups whose actions are hateful, IтАЩm letting myself be infected by their poison. This is obviously difficult to keep upтАФsometimes well-nigh impossibleтАФbut if when fighting enemies, we hate, not them but what they think, say and do, this attitude enables us to act coolly and responsibly and do whatever is needed to defeat them while minimizing the damage to ourselves that war necessarily incurs.
Note that I am speaking here, not of defense against some normal political rival or opponent, but of the fight we must wage against enemies who would destroy all that we stand for. It is they who have chosen to turn political action into war carried out by other means. Not so тАЬotherтАЭ, for that matter, when it comes to a small group of Representatives taking Congress hostage as commanded by a usurper who is an ordinary citizen like you and me. Urgent action to dislodge and neutralize the handful of TrumpтАЩs operatives in the House is therefore of the essence. These people act in the belief that the country belongs to them, not they to their country.
Failure to take the appropriate action to counter a threat can easily make us into the unwilling tools of an enemy, the means of carrying out that enemyтАЩs strategy. Thus, Al QaidaтАЩs long-term aims were secured by the Administration of President George W. Bush, through a totally gratuitous war against Iraq which has led to chaos throughout the Middle East and the strengthening of rival regional power Iran, as well as the absurd and counterproductive occupation of Afghanistan.
Currently, the Prime Minister of Israel and his coalition of extremists have rushed headlong into the inescapable trap set for them and are doing what IsraelтАЩs most determined enemies expected and intended of them. This man despised and underestimated the enemy, the ruthless enemy understood him and his allies of convenience all too well. The war aims of Hamas and other proxies of the Iranian regime look far ahead, WesternersтАФespecially too many Western politiciansтАФare short-sighted and focus on тАЬbusiness as usualтАЭ, so that they completely fail to see the purpose behind extreme provocations, in part because of a total inability to conceive of the self-sacrifice and sacrifice of their own people involved. Netanyahu, sidekicks and far-right extremists throughout Israel and the occupied territories are killing this generation of Hamas while recruiting those far more hardened and numerous fighters who will take their place.
In the United States, the task is to trace the interactions between external enemies and the enemy within the gates, especially who is paying for what, how, and to precisely what end, and to act decisively against both. So far, all such action has been sluggish, to put it mildly. We count too much on the gross errors of our adversaries and seem largely unaware of our own habit-bound tribal automatisms, our blindness, deafness and inability to think things out for ourselves.
Time to wake up. The Beast at bay may expose us all to unprecedented dangers.
Thank you, Peter Burnett. As always, you see and eloquently articulate the larger vision. I agree with everything you write.
How I wish our imperfect тАЬleadersтАЭтАФnot to mention our imperfect electorate тАФcould share your informed, enlightened perspective and, most importantly, figure out to act upon it.
At the very moment when you wrote, I too was wanting to express my appreciation for what youтАЩd written, having noticed how you dare think for yourselfтАФcogentlyтАФand your heart is in the right place. Fortunately, you are not the only person in this community to show these qualities, yet I do feel that your recent plain speaking stands out.
As for giving me a larger platform, this rickety soapbox is already proving too much for meтАФyet all I do is try to express my thoughts and feelings; the latter sparingly, although they often overcome me. WhatтАЩs more I have often been holding back, not wanting to add uselessly to the world's miseries. Fearing, too, that since my views are often so much out of keeping with the very cushioned and all too often standardized and sanitized ones I read elsewhere, what I write may not be understood. Or only after the event, when it is too late.
The worst thing that can befall anyone trying to present an idea is when everyone applauds and agreesтАж yet theyтАЩve not really grasped what theyтАЩre applaudingтАж
What has often cheered me in this forum is knowing that, even when I and another contributor agree tacitly to disagree, there has been a meeting of minds.
I have from time to time felt that HCRтАЩs pieces read too much like press releases for the White House; and I have worried that, despite her quite remarkable work of swift analysis of events, this daily commentaryтАФfor all the depth of historical precedents citedтАФis simply bound to contain standard elements, political Lego. There simply isnтАЩt time to think it all through, yet her actual performance often comes across as well-nigh superhuman.
Well, instead of complaining about the remarkable service HCR is offering us, is it not up to us to try to take the work further? Even when our contributions may seem too much like the work of dogs burying bones where no other mutt will ever find themтАж
WILL'S MESSAGE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE HAS BEEN DONE FOR "DIVIDE AND MISRULE".
HEREIN LIES THE ANTIDOTE.
LEAVE HATE TO THE HATERS AND ADVANCE, HEADS HELD HIGH, DRIVEN BY THE DESIRE TO GAIN FULFILMENT OF WHAT WE MOST DEEPLY WANT, WHAT WE MOST DEEPLY NEED.
THINK ABOUT IT.
Uh Peter - why am I reminded of Michelle Obama's famous words during the 2016 HRC campaign - "when they go low, we go high"? However, if as 2024 continues to unfold, good economic news continues to roll in, and Democrats do not suffer any self-inflicted wounds, that can only improve our odds. While I continue to be horrified at the strength of the MAGA movement in America (what, about 35% or so?), I believe that it is not more than that. Nothing will move them. Were it to be a legal requirement to vote (as it is in Australia BTW), MAGA would be swamped. But that is not how it is. Convincing the 40 some-odd percent of people who don't show up to show up ought to be the key. It is the DNC's and Biden campaign's jobs to make that happen. As well as folks like us spreading the word as much as possible.
I agree that we need to continue to spread the truth loudly and boldly, but we cannot allow them to change us, to drag us into the dirt of their depravity. Going high means speaking truth, and continuing to speak truth despite their pathetic attempts to drown us out. Michelle ObamaтАЩs words matter because they encourage us to continue to follow in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers and Mothers who were working to establish better for all. While the messaging of Dems has often been too weak and timid, we can share the facts of the successes without betraying our integrity as they so often do with their lies.
Thanks, James.
Mine wasn't quite in the same spirit as Michelle Obama's well-chosen phrase. I'm trying to express an attitude completely independent of whatever тАЬtheyтАЭ may get up to.
When troops do battle against an enemy, they areтАФor should beтАФfighting FOR something.
As for hate, if I hate individuals or groups whose actions are hateful, IтАЩm letting myself be infected by their poison. This is obviously difficult to keep upтАФsometimes well-nigh impossibleтАФbut if when fighting enemies, we hate, not them but what they think, say and do, this attitude enables us to act coolly and responsibly and do whatever is needed to defeat them while minimizing the damage to ourselves that war necessarily incurs.
Note that I am speaking here, not of defense against some normal political rival or opponent, but of the fight we must wage against enemies who would destroy all that we stand for. It is they who have chosen to turn political action into war carried out by other means. Not so тАЬotherтАЭ, for that matter, when it comes to a small group of Representatives taking Congress hostage as commanded by a usurper who is an ordinary citizen like you and me. Urgent action to dislodge and neutralize the handful of TrumpтАЩs operatives in the House is therefore of the essence. These people act in the belief that the country belongs to them, not they to their country.
Failure to take the appropriate action to counter a threat can easily make us into the unwilling tools of an enemy, the means of carrying out that enemyтАЩs strategy. Thus, Al QaidaтАЩs long-term aims were secured by the Administration of President George W. Bush, through a totally gratuitous war against Iraq which has led to chaos throughout the Middle East and the strengthening of rival regional power Iran, as well as the absurd and counterproductive occupation of Afghanistan.
Currently, the Prime Minister of Israel and his coalition of extremists have rushed headlong into the inescapable trap set for them and are doing what IsraelтАЩs most determined enemies expected and intended of them. This man despised and underestimated the enemy, the ruthless enemy understood him and his allies of convenience all too well. The war aims of Hamas and other proxies of the Iranian regime look far ahead, WesternersтАФespecially too many Western politiciansтАФare short-sighted and focus on тАЬbusiness as usualтАЭ, so that they completely fail to see the purpose behind extreme provocations, in part because of a total inability to conceive of the self-sacrifice and sacrifice of their own people involved. Netanyahu, sidekicks and far-right extremists throughout Israel and the occupied territories are killing this generation of Hamas while recruiting those far more hardened and numerous fighters who will take their place.
In the United States, the task is to trace the interactions between external enemies and the enemy within the gates, especially who is paying for what, how, and to precisely what end, and to act decisively against both. So far, all such action has been sluggish, to put it mildly. We count too much on the gross errors of our adversaries and seem largely unaware of our own habit-bound tribal automatisms, our blindness, deafness and inability to think things out for ourselves.
Time to wake up. The Beast at bay may expose us all to unprecedented dangers.
Thank you, Peter Burnett. As always, you see and eloquently articulate the larger vision. I agree with everything you write.
How I wish our imperfect тАЬleadersтАЭтАФnot to mention our imperfect electorate тАФcould share your informed, enlightened perspective and, most importantly, figure out to act upon it.
You should have a larger platform.
Thank you, Marcia.
At the very moment when you wrote, I too was wanting to express my appreciation for what youтАЩd written, having noticed how you dare think for yourselfтАФcogentlyтАФand your heart is in the right place. Fortunately, you are not the only person in this community to show these qualities, yet I do feel that your recent plain speaking stands out.
As for giving me a larger platform, this rickety soapbox is already proving too much for meтАФyet all I do is try to express my thoughts and feelings; the latter sparingly, although they often overcome me. WhatтАЩs more I have often been holding back, not wanting to add uselessly to the world's miseries. Fearing, too, that since my views are often so much out of keeping with the very cushioned and all too often standardized and sanitized ones I read elsewhere, what I write may not be understood. Or only after the event, when it is too late.
The worst thing that can befall anyone trying to present an idea is when everyone applauds and agreesтАж yet theyтАЩve not really grasped what theyтАЩre applaudingтАж
What has often cheered me in this forum is knowing that, even when I and another contributor agree tacitly to disagree, there has been a meeting of minds.
I have from time to time felt that HCRтАЩs pieces read too much like press releases for the White House; and I have worried that, despite her quite remarkable work of swift analysis of events, this daily commentaryтАФfor all the depth of historical precedents citedтАФis simply bound to contain standard elements, political Lego. There simply isnтАЩt time to think it all through, yet her actual performance often comes across as well-nigh superhuman.
Well, instead of complaining about the remarkable service HCR is offering us, is it not up to us to try to take the work further? Even when our contributions may seem too much like the work of dogs burying bones where no other mutt will ever find themтАж