While I sit here writing this, I am trying to remain calm knowing that the mail-in ballots are still being counted and hoping that the orange monstrosity will not prevail. It’s hard, trying to maintain a level of calm but it’s necessary. Like many of you, more disturbing to me is the fact that we, obviously, live in a country where kindness doesn’t matter, care of your fellow human is lacking, and morals, well they seems to have been left on the side of the road for the street sweepers. That so many people voted for Trump is crushing. What have we become? When Biden is elected (remaining optimistic), where do we go from here as a fellow citizens? The sliver of light in my heart is knowing that there are people, like all of you, who do care, who have morals, and will continue to fight for the soul of our nation. Yet, I must be honest, and this isn’t easy for me, I have decided that I will never be able to look at those who voted for and support Trump, including family and close friends, the same. Their support and vote says what is truly in their heart and they won’t be able to convince me otherwise. So, to my friends here in this community, continue to have hope as we get through these next couple of days and breathe.
Im having the same struggle. My entire family minus my lone self is voting for Trump. They truly believe wholeheartedly, that if Biden is elected we will turn into communist China. I understand their fear. I am so glad that I found HCR and now have an understanding that this "socialist" idea has always been what Reps have accused the other party of, its nothing new. I just don't know how we get over this hurdle. How we help others understand that leveling the playing field is better for all of us.
Honest Education would help. If high schools taught the truth in history classes, as put forth in this letter, instead of the patriotic bullshit I got in the early '60s and is apparently still being fed to the ignorant non-critical thinkers today would be a start. (Yes, my redneck bro in Mississippi actually compared "communism" & "democracy" in one of his tirades to this "libtard.")
Yes! Yes! Yes! I recently finished "Lies My Teacher Told Me," by James Loewen. I believe education plays a huge role in this way. But how do we get kids interested in this stuff? I know there is so much I don't remember from high school. I was a good student but didn't care much about history because I didn't see how it was relevant to today. Boy was I wrong. Reading HCR's books and newsletters has shown me how crucial it is to understand how the past influences our present and the future.
I SO agree! I'm remembering from the 50s & really dont remember much from history or "social studies" - not all that interested. Which is sad - I have a great granddaughter - shes 14 - who is interested in - early history not only of this country but others. I have to hope shes not the exception. Another subject that I keep hearing is the lack of civics taught in schools. They did not have civics classes when I was in school - do you mean to tell me that for the past 60 some years - far too many kids (& now adults) didnt have the opportunity to actually learn how a government runs? Listening to Trumpists talk - It appears that way.
One particular thing that I learned THIS YEAR - for petes sake - was about the massacre in Tulsa OK! Then read about another in NC - and now I'm positive that there were far more than that. Juneteenth? Never heard of it. AND not just the absolute horrors done to black americans, but what was really done to our NATIVE Americans! Have read part of Howard Zinn's Peoples History of the US. I know I wont be able to do more than skim parts of it - its pretty long & very detailed. But the gist of it is how we - European whites - have destroyed so many & so much in the push to acquire!
Sorry for going on & on - but in this particular blog - feels like I'm with so many like-minded people.
Yes! I've also read part of "A People's History" I've had it on hold again at the library. Just became available today! I too just learned about the Tulsa massacre this year! I have to give credit to Trump in that sometimes it takes something as drastic as this to get people motivated to take action. I have never felt a more dire need to get involved and do my part! I am engaging for the first time on here and for the first time in months I'm feeling hopeful in that there is a community of like minded people that I can support and feel supported by. Regardless of the outcome of this election I am so glad to have this community!
I got my copy at the library too. Stopped buying books a couple years ago - have lots & I re-read them. But really adding more to the quantity already here just is not financially (or space wise) a good thing to do!
The Republicans hated Howard Zinn and called him a communist for years. Cousins in Richmond were taught that the Civil War was a draw. Looks like we will continue to dumb down the electorate through false patriotism and constant lies for a long time to come.
Yeah - I read that somewhere - probably that was an added reason to get the book! A draw, huh? As I said earlier - our education is sadly under-whelming (it appears) and has been, I guess. Read somewhere that history is written by the winners-seems to be true.
No! No! No! Wake up. Americans vote their pocketbook, not their conscience.
I spent a great portion of my working life as a stockbroker and Certified Financial Planner. Time and again I witnessed situations regarding inheritances where as long as mom was alive, all was well and good among siblings, everyone said they understood how things were supposed to be when mom died. Yes, Sally’s name was on a joint account with mom because Sally was the one living closest and tending to mom’s business, but that account would be shared equally when mom died—everyone understood. As long as the money wasn’t really on the line, everyone was always generous and magnanimous . Then, mom died money and all hell broke loose. Sally, who now had legal ownership of the previously joint tenant account, invariably rationalized mom wanted her to have that money as compensation for services rendered. Commonly the other siblings were effectively disinherited and familial bonds severed. My point is...when push comes to shove, most people are more influenced their pocketbook than their conscience even when it involves their families. Until the Democratic Party acknowledges this, they are always going to vulnerable to charges of being socialists. History is relevant, but human nature rules.
Or that could have been a dysfunctional family. My mom had a bunch of investments that dad set up in the '60s and when she died my sister who had guardianship cashed them all out to the tune of half a million. So, she sent me a quarter million (the only thing that let me retire on SS). Since sis took care of mom with Alzheimer's for years I tried to return some, but she informed me that she had gotten money from insurance for her care. I guess I am lucky that my sis also has integrity and is not a tRump supporter.
"most people are more influenced by their pocketbook than conscience"...A revelatory statement of the depth of family disfunction. There's a view - you could say a mandala with the 4 cardinal directions - that I've found helpful in understanding dynamics. Power - North - sits opposite to Love - South. Truth - East sits opposite to Wisdom in the West. Where a situation is governed mostly by Power, there is no love. Where a situation is governed mostly by Love, there is little manifestation, practical achievement you could say. Truth - brings balance to Power and Love. A healthy family environment functions on all 4 cylinders in harmony and balance. As for socialism, I'd like to know what you mean by that? Interestingly, there are at least a handful of highly performing countries ranking high on an index of societal happiness that enjoy hybrid socialist structures. Indeed, our Social Security and Medicare and library and public schools systems are all socialistic structures.
Good thoughts. Trying to get so many Trumpsters to understand the difference between socialism as a government and socialistic programs is mind-boggling
I can understand where the sibling that took care of Mom thought of compensation, that's called caregiver salary (which is usually pitiful anyway). My wife and I were lucky to have a sibling watching out for our parents and we compensated them (my sister-in-law) still. Mom should have had a will (or even a trust) and this issue talked out among the family way before Mom "croaked". That way everyone would get their "fair" share.
You missed my point. The point is...when the money is actually on the line, virtually everyone rationalizes their actions to grab all they can. In case you don’t know, ownership as joint tenants passes assets outside of a will or trust.
I absolutely agree, but one has to keep in mind that the curriculum in ‘public schools’, paid for by taxpayers, is determined by a State’s Department of Education which follows the mandates of the Federal Department of Education if the State hopes to receive federal funding it desperately needs to function. When the business community began to dictate the ‘model’ schools were to follow with ‘data-driven’ results (‘No Child Left Behind’ and ‘The Race to the Top’= endless standardised testing), teachers were forced to comply and ‘teach to the test’. Even before these times, teachers had to ‘teach to the curriculum’ as mandated by the State; any deviation ‘off script’ was grounds for a disciplinary visit to principal’s office (believe me, I was called into the principal’s office more times as a teacher than ever as a student!). Obviously, I wasn’t the most adept at ‘flying under the radar’, but I did my best to answer, honestly, my students’ questions and tell them the truth, but I was hobbled and hamstrung all the time.
The reason we, as kids, never learned about the injustices and atrocities our White government and citizenry perpetrated against women and people of colour, the truth of our violent racism and bigotry, is that the government didn’t want us to know. State-run public schools were/are in the Business of maintaining and perpetuating the status quo.
Something funny about this. I have a "friend" (knew him a long time ago, now just on fb) who teaches high school history. He's def a bit of a racist and he regularly RIPS Howard Zinn as a charlatan with an agenda who wrote a liberal bible of lies and manipulation. It's not that people are uneducated. It's that people are miseducated and confirmation bias is strong. I have absolutely no idea how to overcome that. There's ni getting through.
I can remember exactly two public school teachers who wouldn't have made the world a better place pushing them out the window. The rest are this undifferentiated mass I spent most of 12 years ignoring. Thank god for the main branch of the Denver Public Library and my father's "adult" card that let me check out 10 books at a time, every other Saturday.
Graduating 125 from the bottom of a class of 850 from high school, when I came back from the service my options were limited. I could get into Colorado State College (the "University" of Northern Colorado the past 50 years or so), the state teacher's school, where all you had to do was graduate from high school. I had no plans of being a teacher, but finally at the beginning of sophomore year, I took an "education" class, Education Psychology. The class was rote learning of the "perfesser's" text book, with "tests" being fill in the blanks from the book. Most of my fellow students were idiots. I was working in the school PR department, where I read a report that for 80% of the student body, the school was the one they could get into, not even #3 on their list, and that the majority were there with "C" averages from high school.
All my questions about why I had hated 12 years of public school were answered that quarter, seeing what they made teachers out of and how they went about it. Needless to say, I departed the end of the quarter and finished actual "higher education" in California.
How any actual "good" teacher ever came out of that system is beyond me. Then 40 years later, during a period of extended unemployment, I considered doing substitute teaching. I had to take the CBEST test (the test students have to take to graduate from high school). I didn't study for it, walked in, took the test on subjects I hadn't thought of since public school, walked out 90 minutes later (you had 4 hours to take it) and scored a 94 out of 100. The majority of the test-takers were recent college graduates, who had taken "prep" classes for the test. I learned there was a 50% flunk rate.
How anyone gets an "education" in the American public school system is a miracle. I educated myself in spite of the system down at that library, reading what interested me (thank goodness my grandmothers had been teachers, and taught me phonics at age 4 - since the Denver Public Schools adopted "word recognition" reading "education" the year I was in first grade - nobody ever came out of that as more than a semi-functional semi-literate. And that was nearly 70 years ago. The miseducation of America has been going on a looooonnnnnng time.
Oh, and we did have "civics" classes, in which I was the only one who didn't sleep through them.
Right. There are so many who want to influence history textbooks to canx out anything about slavery. Accordingly, history should be about true patriotism and rah-rah-rah.
It sure is dismaying to realize you are the one in your family who is alive in their Being today. And, your awareness of their distorted perspective is the start of a productive inquiry into your understanding of --how they have come to believe it. What sources do they draw their information from? Media? Family history? Friends? Internet? What is their fear about? Loss? Loss of what? Oppression? What does socialism look like to them? Communism? Do they understand social security, public schools, libraries, Medicare are all socialistic structures? As you glean information from them it becomes a repository of useful facts usable in the future to create meaningful, clear ways to convey and educate about socialism in ways that takes the fear away. You can contribute a lot to the public dialogue. Many of the young adults today are free of the paranoia old folks like myself (late 70's) were inculcated with. That is a good thing.
I am a sponge for information. Ive had a lot of trauma in my life that has made me question everything and for that I am grateful. When people started using the socialism word I looked up the meaning. I find we throw words around we don't even understand and I also happened on a great article about socialism and how the understanding of the word has changed over time.
My problem was that for every article I shared 4 were sent back at me "proving" the other side.
Family members started attacking me on Facebook, calling me names and basically saying I was a communist for believing that black lives matter, because the organization is marxist. I have had to stop all talk of politics with family. We get nowhere and it drives us further apart.
I've been told the youth of today are ignorant and that the paranoia you describe is valid and they have no idea what they are in for. I dont agree.
I've had the same experience. I start talking and my family looks at me like I look at QANON believers. They see me as the crazy one. I now leave the room or go inside to my safe place as soon as politics come up. There is no getting through.
Carl Jung, the great psychoanalyst, once said that in every family there is always one who can break the harmful family patterns. So take heart, Krista. You're the pioneer. It's tricky, but you may want to have a go of staying in there when politics comes up. But, sit back, get curious, maybe ask yourself - what can I learn here in terms of content but especially - a personal interest of mine - where and how did my family come up with their opinions? And, what do they use to support their opinions? Others' opinions? facts/research outcomes? family stories? experiences? media? internet sites? books? observations? travels? As soon as they get snarky, tell them, as much as you'd like to explore more with them and get to know them better, that you have a rule for yourself. The Self-Respect rule. It forbids you to judge others for their opinions and forbids yourself to stay in the presence of disrespect.
Good for you, Jennifer. You know your own mind. You searched and found information. Now you are in a strong independent position to discern opinion from fact. Clearly, you have an open, inquiring mind graced with life giving life broadening curiosity. You like to think for yourself instead of grafting on in whole cloth others' opinions and ideas. I just read this on a google site: "BLM openly dedicates itself creating the conditions for Black Liberation through the abolition of systems and institutions of white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy and colonialism'” Suggestions: Ask your family members if they're interested in an open dialogue? An open dialogue is one where the personhood of the "other" is respected, not judged, and name calling is off limits. If they say, "no" - well then, you know they're set in their ways. You could say, "that saddens me as I wish we could explore our ideas with each other."If their "no" persists, Save your energy for someone who is searching for answers. If they say "yes" but break the rules (call you names), say thanks and hang up, end of story. If they say "yes" - Let your curiosity guide your questions. I'm curious about these things; Do you think only white people should be in positions of power and call the shots? How come? How would they feel if they imagined themselves to be Black or Asian? How was colonialism painful for people of color? Is there a difference between communism and socialism? What is it? What do they think of Scandinavian socialistic structures? the Netherlands? Denmark's? The USA's socialistic forms (public schools, social security, Medicare, public libraries)? Do they see any efforts to maintain White Supremacy? How do they feel about labeling someone by their packaging?
When Hillary Clinton talked about Trump supporters as "deplorable", I think she was right on target. Those who voted for Trump in 2016 should have realized by now the failed experiment they supported; yet they vote again making the same mistake - deplorable.
I would add that any person who understands what's at stake who voted for Trump. I do believe the majority of American citizens are horrified, but the electoral college is allowing a few people who aren't to make this a nail biter.. that's what Heather is saying here.
"What we are seeing in this election is the result of voter suppression across the southern states, along with an Electoral College that has been corrupted from its original intent and is now artificially skewed toward rural states"
I haven't communicated with my redneck bro in Mississippi since Nov 9, 2016. I don't do well with abject stupidity. (OK, I worked with developmentally disabled ppl for 40 years but I was getting paid to do it and they were diagnosed with an excuse.)
I can feel myself shutting down in a way that is uncharacteristic of me. “I just don’t care anymore” is something I’ve never felt OR said. Is that what is meant by breaking one’s spirit?
That’s what I’m feeling too. An old “Managing personal relationships “ class taught me there are 4 levels of stress. For me, getting to “acquiescence “ is the last, and deepest stage. “Fine, just fine”.
Trying to buoy your spirits just a little: Have you read any of Louise Penny's novels? She's created a village of notable characters, one of whom is a wild, chaotic, drunken poet who writes brilliant poetry that nails deepest hurts beautifully and succinctly. The title of one of her books of poetry is" I'm F.I.N.E.", meaning "I'm f***ed up, insecure, neurotic and egotistical." It just might apply to the US these days (as well as any of us on any given day)
I like to save mine for the cottage -- real leisurely time -- so I had fallen behind by several books. Because I can't stand that I'll finally finish them all -- that is, that I'll catch up to her and have to wait for her next -- I decided to go back and reread all of them in order before embarking on the last ones. I've just begun "A Better Man."
I'll have to go very slowly, since there's only the one after that. Sigh.
My pleasure. Her series of detective novels are set in a mythical village in rural Quebec called Three Pines. The novels and her characters in the village are so loved that there are even bus tours to the area. While it's not necessary, do try to read the books in order so you can watch the characters and story lines develop.
As a boy I was raised on a farm in North Dakota, went to our Lutheran church every Sunday, graduated from high school, joined the Navy like my older brother and father before me, then went college. I wasn’t a perfect student, citizen or Lutheran. But I always, always tried to be a good person. I wasn’t always successful, but I tried to follow my values of decency, respect for others, compassion and empathy. Most of all I’ve always been proud of my country, my patriotism and time in Vietnam. But now it’s like everything I’ve ever believed in has been thrown out the window. Those values and beliefs completely destroyed. Destroyed, not only by family, old friends and neighbors, but by large swaths of our country. I don’t know what to do or where to turn. For me, I question my faith in God, if there ever was one. I have no faith in my country, our democracy and it’s now every man for himself. I will keep fighting for what is right, but I expect it’s a lost cause in a sea of GOP individualism destined to destroy anything and everything that does benefit their individual desire.
Your coment is so heartbreaking, and sadly true. I have to make myself remember that many of the trump voters have been conned, but then why do we have an electorate so con-able? I console myself this morning knowing that the election is not over until the Michigan lady sings.
As a lifelong Michigander, I am not confidant that MI will turn blue. I have known for years that “as Detroit votes, so goes Michigan”. I live in western Michigan, and feel such frustration that in every recent election, the Detroit area determines our political standing.
I found what I think you were looking for five years ago when I joined the Unitarian Universalist Church. Check out the indivisible ‘s. They are an incredible group sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist. The UU have no beliefs. They only have principles. I am extremely comfortable and feel at home with this group. They are almost to a one liberal and their view of the world.
Elaine, are the Indivisible's on FB or do they have a website? I've walked away from Western Christianity for good about 3 years ago and am now feeling like I'm ready to join a group of like minded people again, especially now. Thanks!
Tom. From what you've written, it seems to me you are a very good man, which is no small feat these days considering that DJT is our 'man of the hour.' I don't think there are any 'accidents' in the universe. You've have found your way to HCR and this wonderful group of 'wicked smart' people. You belong here!
You have obviously outgrown your 'prior' society, I think because you are meant to go beond the beliefs that the others in your life continue to cling to. My husband is very much like you. He is finding his 'niche' by mentoring young men who KNOW there is something better they need to learn about being a real man in these crazy times. Your life experiences and well-earned wisdom can guide others who are trying to delineate what is truly real and what is 'smoke and mirrors'. All of us have to grieve in our own way what we feel we have lost, ..what we have all worked so hard to achieve. As a good and decent man, please don't hide your greatness, your goodness, when it is so needed at this time. We need to grieve our shared loses, of our causes, our families and our friends. Please grieve, reboot and reimagine what you can do next. Again, don't hide your greatness. It is your birthright. You may doubt God, but I know He never doubts you, who you are, and what you are capable of doing in the future. I don't doubt your ability to find a way to do good. Stay close to those who love you and know the good man that you are is loved and validated by all who post here.
Thank you for posting that. My father was a Vietnam-era veteran as well. As he passed away in 2017, I truly wonder what he would make of all of this, as he was not shy with his opinions. One thing I learned from him that is very applicable now: eventually there comes a point where you just have to stop looking up, instead look down and work your own land with all your strength. Each of us has a plot of influence, regionality, natural interests, work (hopefully). Each of us, wherever we are on life's landscape, can keep moving our ball down the field. No one can stop you doing that.
That is some wisdom, right there. It goes right along with what I say about people getting into "politics". No one does until there is something local happening, that they object to, in their own back yard. I've been in local politics for over 20 years, and this is always what starts off a movement for change. Always. So it's sad to see how yesterday, voters didn't see America as their own back yard.
Tom, I can identify almost completely with your bewilderment and frustration. I went through a similar period many years ago.
Since others in “Heather’s Herd of Hope” are offering suggestions, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t contribute my recommendation. You might try the Bahá’í Faith at bahai.org or bahai.us for solutions.
I have found that their principle of “the independent investigation of truth” to be an excellent guideline for my search. A fragment of this precept can be found in this passage from Bahá’í Scripture on the subject of Justice:
“By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor.”
I pray that this information will be the source of grace and succor for you.
It is sickening so many Americans voted in favor of disease, hatred, injustice, violence and coercion; the indecency of it clearly illustrates how little many voters know and care about the principles outlined in our constitution.
Trump has just lit the fuse tonight, with his claim that he won and the vote counting in the states he "won" should stop (though it should continue in Arizona, so he can "win" like he was "winning" there earlier).
The great crisis is now upon us. If he can pull this off with the courts the Republicans have corrupted, he can achieve his original goal of destroying the country (all the "failure" and all the "wrong decisions" were a feature, not a bug - he was elected to destroy the country).
Quoting from Richard Hofstadter's "The Pseudo-Conservative Revolt" from 1954:
The pseudo-conservative, Adorno writes, shows “conventionality and authoritarian submissiveness” in his conscious thinking and “violence, anarchic impulses, and chaotic destructiveness in the unconscious sphere. . . . The pseudo conservative is a man who, in the name of upholding traditional American values and institutions and defending them against more or less fictitious dangers, consciously or unconsciously aims at their abolition.”
We are now at the most dangerous point in the history of the American Republic.
Your comment is much more cogent and erudite than the comment I posted, TC. I am so outraged I can hardly breathe. I knew we needed a landslide. I am so disheartened right now. Even if Biden wins, we are damaged in many ways. And if Mitch holds control in the Senate, the next 4 years will be a different kind of hell than we have already experienced, regardless of who is
POTUS - better with Biden than Trump, no doubt, but dark and frustrating, in any event.
Your outrage is real, and based on a solid view of reality, as you have outlined. If Biden wins and McConnell holds the Senate, nothing gets done. I wrote the following to a good friend who has worked in the "upper reaches" of government. He responded, "You're right" to this:
With what the traitor just did with his announcement that he "won," we are now in the greatest crisis in the history of the republic. Far worse than the civil war (which the South could never win if the North kept its nerve). If the corrupt Republican "just us" is allowed to do what the Federalist Society set it to do, our democratic constitutional republic is lost.
We are very close to civil war if this continues. I'm not saying that as an alarmist, but rather a realist.
You know, theres not a great deal of comfort in the likely fact that , when I lose my Medicare Advantage insurance, my son his disability, so many others with any type of social service help, we wont be the only ones, will we? Because thats what this twit has been trying for already - guess hes not realizing that an awful lot of his "base" depends on these very programs! Nope - hardly any comfort in that.
He doesn't care about his base. To him, they are contemptible marks. The superspreader rallies, with fans left so in the cold many ended the night in hospitals, were par for the course.
I do realize he doesnt care about anyone or anything but little Donnie. I I was sort of thinking maybe at that point his base would realize that nope he hasnt done anything for them. But by that time, we will all be down the drain!
I find it incomprehensible that so many Americans are CHOOSING hate. I went to bed hopeful because of Biden’s lead last night, even though it was modest, thinking that it would surely build by the time I looked again this morning. The numbers this morning showed a similarly modest lead. Then I read the comments here and discovered that trump is doing exactly what many of us feared by calling victory before votes are fully counted. Like so many others here have already said, I despair that so many Americans are voting for hate. The entire middle and southern sections of the country are solidly red on the news maps, only the coasts are blue. I don’t understand (and I apologize in advance for my language) how so many Americans can be so stupid as to vote against their best interests. The solidly red areas are the ones most negatively impacted by the current regime but yet they ask for more. It’s mind boggling. I cannot quite wrap my mind around moving to another country but I equally cannot wrap my mind around living in the United States of trump. Stunned beyond all belief and expectation.
I live in solidly red Missouri. It’s just as Heather has written. St Louis and Kansas City are blue, with majority of all rural areas red. The electoral college is winner take all. I’m telling you this again, because I know—all of the blue dots living in a red state are heartbroken and embarrassed by their state.
I am one of those blue people living in a completely red state. We have the mini tRump as our governor. I am just dejected that so many people here are so very naive and do vote against their best interests. I am so afraid for my son who makes between $30-$40K per year and that his taxes are going to go up next year, and then every two years after that. I can’t believe people in that tax bracket voted for these reds. I despise this senate and this orange menace.
Voting against their best interest is exactly what I've been saying. Trumps salesmanship has conned a huge part of our country. I wanted to be in Canada for the next few months but instead of Trump keeping people out of our country we've been locked in. Similarly to how Trump seems to be barracading himself in the White House.
Stay safe, eat comfort food. There are many smart Americans, and we can figure this out, even if we still have to deal with effing Mitch. The only thing keeping me here in the US is the thought that if I leave, I will have abandoned those who need help the most.
Heather, thanks for the recap. I must admit this is playing out as I expected. I think most of us imagined this even if we didn't say it. I am throughly disappointed in a Country that chooses bluster and cruelty over compassion. It appears all the bad actors will stay in place to continue to rule over us. Last I checked, we left the Senate in the hands of the Republicans. This will prove to be lethal. I shake my head and wonder why this is happening, but the truth may well be that the majority of the Country really doesn't care about their fellow neighbors, friends and family. I gave them too much credit. Regardless of how this will ultimately end, we lost.
Unless Dems are successful in down-ballot elections, adding not just to House and Senate seats but also to state legislatures where Republicans have gerrymandered Dems out of political existence (such a Wisconsin), nothing will get better. Indeed, it will get worse. The fact that the House was supposed to be proportional in its representation, but now is no longer; that the Electoral College skews the vote to such an extent that a criminal like the Cheeto can deliberately try to game the system; that a criminal like Moscow Mitch can retain his control over the Senate--which will result in a Biden presidency being cut off at the knees--all tells a story.
We are not a Democracy. We are not even a legitimately representative government. And the voting public is largely under-educated, ill-informed, and confused about how government works. Florida voted for the Cheeto but passed a $15 an hour minimum wage. That means that Florida doesn't understand what the Cheeto stands for. What this suggests to me is that we are dealing with a large swath of the American people whose racism and sexism also overwhelms any notion of patriotism. Because in my book no true patriot would vote for That Man.
You hit the nail on the head with under educated, ill informed and confused. I consider myself pretty well educated and smart and I am still overwhelmed and confused by the system. I wish there was a way to simplify it for people. I didnt start following politics til last year. So much I didnt know. And then when disinformation gets thrown in to a people who already question the system it ends up like this.
I did not know there were So many Americans that lack Any sense of a moral compass..But Now that is crystal clear..What a huge disappointment!!!..So many voting for Trump!
Basically then, the truth is that the United States of America is not a Democracy and never has been. And, this catchword, this lie is why so many young men of my generation have died or been maimed in useless wars from Vietnam onward as they fought against “Communism” to instill “Democracy” in other nations. (Not to mention that I had a Selective Service card in my wallet 3 years before I could put a Voter Registration card there). The truth is, our system is flawed and needs to be fixed.
Even after hearing your talk today and reading tonight’s message, I despair that Trump will find a way to prevail, and get another term to complete the destruction of our democracy. I am 70 and can’t fight as I might have a decade ago. I may not be around to see that my daughters and granddaughters make it past what I foresee may in their future.
We were disappointed that the results so far don't seem to suggest a national repudiation of the past four years. So many Americans want this drama s***show to continue?
I refuse to believe that Trump's authoritarian gambit will work. States are following their laws. All the votes will be counted, perhaps even the 300,000 that DeJoy hasn't delivered. If I'm wrong and Trump prevails, democracy and America as our ancestors conceived it are dead. Plan accordingly.
I expect you are correct. Michael, but he guaranteed unrest. protests, loss of trust in the democratic process and ample fuel for the conspiracy theorists for years to come. He told us he would do this, but to see him actually do it, AT THE WHITE HOUSE on election night, with a large supportive crowd made me feel ill and furious.
Democracy was built on the gluttony of rich white men who came here, pulverized the native Americans, destroyed their lands and bulldozed their way to ownership. That this has ever been a democracy is a fiction. Greed, lust and dogmatic “religion” to control women and “heathens”.....That is the seed we grow from. How could this be any different?
By the time you read this, Heather, you will know that shortly after you posted, Trump claimed victory at a large gathering (sans masks, of course) at the White House! I don’t know if you will get the full take on this outrage on Wednesday, because no station should replay that “s - - - show.” It was outrageous nonsense. He rambled through all the states that he has won (the ones not yet called), said this election was a fraud, said people need to stop voting(!), said “they will fight this,” but he is going straight to the Supreme Court, and on and on. Fortunately, at least CNN and MSNBC cut away after about 5 minutes and said that they had a responsibility to call out Trump’s lies. I am kicking myself for not turning off the television before I watched this travesty. I am now totally ramped up in a white hot rage.
A couple of you asked me to check in with you after my day working the polls in Florida in deep red Pasco County. So here are my thoughts. Yesterday was tough. There were maskless voters, some with an attitude. But the really crazy thing was that we had 5 poll watchers throughout the day, 2 Republicans and 3 Democrats. It was the Dems that were awful, questioning every decision we made (for example not offering a provisional ballot when the voter had absolutely no valid registration anywhere) and complaining to the supervisor every time they disagreed with something. Now I am looking at the littered landscape of our country and wondering what the hell happened? Where were the the independents that were supposed to tip the election to Joe? Why did suburban women still vote for tRump? And how did we not take more Senate seats? I’m depressed beyond belief.
Hi Heather and friends, regardless of the final outcome after all ballots are counted, I am still shocked (but not surprised) that so many people turned out to vote for Trump. I am afraid that similar to 2016, I am in echo chambers where it is clear his behavior is despicable: I thought four years was enough to build up evidence of his incompetence. When he neglected to publish a platform or discuss any substantial issues on the campaign, I assumed most people would think similarly: that a plan with Biden is better than no plan. That Republican leaders distanced themselves and did not bring their constituents with them, says to me there is a lack of faith in leadership at all levels. I love reading your posts, but I think I need to search for (and listen to) the problems that caused millions of Americans to want to tear up the system at any cost. I do not believe millions of people were manipulated by the media, or that Trump-fanaticism alone could be so prevalent. Did Biden's message to get us "back on track" signal to people that we would go back to accepting a system that reinforces discrimination, injustice and opaque politics? Is the unpredictable future with Trump better than life before 2016? I think I need to start asking: how have Trump's actions appeared as the backdrop in the lives of his supporters? (instead of my own)
It is shocking that so many have voted for him. But I've spent the past year in the opposite echo chamber (this group and a small corner of facebook have pretty much been my only line to sanity). I'm surrounded by Republicans so please allow me to offer my (unfortunately wordy) insight.
In my opinion, there are 3 types of people that voted for Trump in this 2nd round.
1.) The deeply entrenched bigots and nutjobs that feel validated by him and couldn't care less about policy. They see Trump as a hero and his misdeeds as a giant double middle finger to everything they hate.
2.) Those that aren't as overtly bigoted but they definitely care more about abortion, guns, money etc than they could ever care about equality, civility or any of the other values we see as being the minimum requirements for participation. They buy into the anti-left propaganda because it's an easy way to defend their choices and their passionate hatred of us. They see Trump as effective and any misdeeds as savvy gamesmanship that will ultimately get them what they want.
3.) Those that have actually been taken in by the media (I know, but it's true!). And I know this group well. They don't watch a lot of news and they don't seek out multiple sources so they actually believe it when Fox News tells them that the left has devolved into a mob of violent, lawless, deeply corrupt socialists that will turn the US into the next Venezuela. Or, at the very least, that a left-wing presidency will lead to widespread financial ruin through irresponsible, unchecked spending and massive tax hikes. They may not see Trump as a good guy but they hold their noses and vote for him because the alternative is much, much worse. (As a side note, I include in this last group those that unconsciously buy into right-wing propaganda because it allows them to deny their own racist/sexist leanings and fears that have been tweaked by Barack, Hilary and Kamala and BLM. Many of them are generally good people that just can't face this ugly part of their conditioning so they repress and look for other explanations.)
I think it's easy to underestimate the number of people that fit into the above categories and the deep-rooted fears that have driven them to vote like their lives depend on it. I like to think that most of them fit into category 3 because I can work myself up to some compassion and understanding for this group (they just don't know any better). And that compassion is the only thing I have to dampen my rage and fear for the future.
I just wish I knew how to come back from all of this.
Right at this moment - its very hard to have compassion or any kind of understanding for any of the 3 groups (you hit the nail on the head with your analogy). I guess the "not knowing any better" says it all - the thing is - they dont want to know better enough to actually TRY. Sad, isnt it?
It is hard. And I am, for sure, not there yet. But I'm working on it because I'm not sure how else to make it through. I'm not sure how to live in a country that would choose this. I'm not sure how to live in a family that would choose this.
At the very least, I'm fortunate that my son & daughter & granddaughter all feel the way I do - as do several of my friends. Otherwise? Not sure how I could manage. But HCR & all of you certainly fill any void there is!
I too am surrounded by Republicans in my family and workplace. Most are voting the party line. They are worried that Biden will tax them and create too many programs that "give things for free". They seem very worried about their money. A few are very concerned about Biden's age and "senility". I also think a few have an underlying fear of Kamala becoming president which translates as racism or sexism or both but that won't say that out loud.
I realize Biden is not perfect (altho do you know anyone who is?) but looking at these two - he sure is the most decent & empathetic. When did that become something bad? Senile? Heck hes younger than I am - losing your train of thought is far from senile. On the other hand, opening your mouth & just vomiting words - any words? Thats something to be encouraged by?
AND do any of these trumpists comprehend the number of people who have lost their jobs, their homes, likely their health insurance & I have to say we dont have any way of knowing right this minute how many more are presently. The idea that anyone thinks just telling landlords or apartment owners to - what wait till things are better? They have bills-mortgages-to pay too. For anyone to believe that a $1200 stimulus check is going to heal this - dream on. That will just be a pimple on a duck's A__ - so to speak.
The misogyny is real. However, a pretty progressive friend of mine was taken in by the right wing lies about Joe Biden’s “senility.” Another liberal friend sent me anti-mask propaganda reminiscent of anti-vaxx propaganda. Decent folks are getting tricked into believing these lies. It’s astonishing.
Thank you, Krista. I think you are spot on. I have been nursing some hateful feelings, but I know that compassion is the way through the rage and fear. I can’t sustain the rage especially towards my extended family who mostly fall in the third category. I have been thinking that at best folks who buy into the propaganda are fools or truly intellectually challenged. I heard someone speaking on the radio the other day, and I realized how incredibly manipulated she was by the rhetoric, the media algorithm that she is caught in. I also had a sense of her confusion and belief that anything outside her box is fake news, a notion that she accepted years ago and that everything is through that prism. I did have a sense of compassion for how she is manipulated but also an utter sense of despair. I am deeply concerned that we are going to have to go down the path of further ruin before people caught in the denial wake up. Compassion is the way through.
Krista Schriml I'd like to add one more type of Trump supporter to your list: Those who believe in the American Dream so much they expect to be among the wealthiest citizens someday soon. They look at DT as the guy who's holding open the golden gate to welcome them and is currently protecting their future rich self. Of course they don't seem to realize that Trump's order of operations significantly decreases the chances of attaining that dream. Everything about this president is designed to make rich people richer and not-rich people poor.
You're asking the right questions. Yesterday morning I was feeling confident the Blue Wave had arrived, and was even chuckling to myself about trump not bothering to come up with a platform or any plan for a second term. He must want to lose was my thinking. Wrong. Again. But there is obviously a deeper pathology at work here. Herr trump is so blatantly cruel and self serving, what makes people think he is a good leader for our country? It's a mystery to me.
I will say though, there was an enlightening piece on The New Yorker Radio Hour that I caught. They pointed out that despite his ham-handedness and general administrative incompetence, he has has been devastatingly effective in at least two areas - reducing immigration and rolling back environmental regulation. To a remarkable degree on both. So he knows where his strength lies. He caters to people's racism and xenophobia, and is the hand maiden for polluting industry. Obviously a powerful combination. Michael Moore calls him an evil genius. The evidence proves it out.
While I sit here writing this, I am trying to remain calm knowing that the mail-in ballots are still being counted and hoping that the orange monstrosity will not prevail. It’s hard, trying to maintain a level of calm but it’s necessary. Like many of you, more disturbing to me is the fact that we, obviously, live in a country where kindness doesn’t matter, care of your fellow human is lacking, and morals, well they seems to have been left on the side of the road for the street sweepers. That so many people voted for Trump is crushing. What have we become? When Biden is elected (remaining optimistic), where do we go from here as a fellow citizens? The sliver of light in my heart is knowing that there are people, like all of you, who do care, who have morals, and will continue to fight for the soul of our nation. Yet, I must be honest, and this isn’t easy for me, I have decided that I will never be able to look at those who voted for and support Trump, including family and close friends, the same. Their support and vote says what is truly in their heart and they won’t be able to convince me otherwise. So, to my friends here in this community, continue to have hope as we get through these next couple of days and breathe.
Im having the same struggle. My entire family minus my lone self is voting for Trump. They truly believe wholeheartedly, that if Biden is elected we will turn into communist China. I understand their fear. I am so glad that I found HCR and now have an understanding that this "socialist" idea has always been what Reps have accused the other party of, its nothing new. I just don't know how we get over this hurdle. How we help others understand that leveling the playing field is better for all of us.
Honest Education would help. If high schools taught the truth in history classes, as put forth in this letter, instead of the patriotic bullshit I got in the early '60s and is apparently still being fed to the ignorant non-critical thinkers today would be a start. (Yes, my redneck bro in Mississippi actually compared "communism" & "democracy" in one of his tirades to this "libtard.")
Yes! Yes! Yes! I recently finished "Lies My Teacher Told Me," by James Loewen. I believe education plays a huge role in this way. But how do we get kids interested in this stuff? I know there is so much I don't remember from high school. I was a good student but didn't care much about history because I didn't see how it was relevant to today. Boy was I wrong. Reading HCR's books and newsletters has shown me how crucial it is to understand how the past influences our present and the future.
I SO agree! I'm remembering from the 50s & really dont remember much from history or "social studies" - not all that interested. Which is sad - I have a great granddaughter - shes 14 - who is interested in - early history not only of this country but others. I have to hope shes not the exception. Another subject that I keep hearing is the lack of civics taught in schools. They did not have civics classes when I was in school - do you mean to tell me that for the past 60 some years - far too many kids (& now adults) didnt have the opportunity to actually learn how a government runs? Listening to Trumpists talk - It appears that way.
One particular thing that I learned THIS YEAR - for petes sake - was about the massacre in Tulsa OK! Then read about another in NC - and now I'm positive that there were far more than that. Juneteenth? Never heard of it. AND not just the absolute horrors done to black americans, but what was really done to our NATIVE Americans! Have read part of Howard Zinn's Peoples History of the US. I know I wont be able to do more than skim parts of it - its pretty long & very detailed. But the gist of it is how we - European whites - have destroyed so many & so much in the push to acquire!
Sorry for going on & on - but in this particular blog - feels like I'm with so many like-minded people.
Yes! I've also read part of "A People's History" I've had it on hold again at the library. Just became available today! I too just learned about the Tulsa massacre this year! I have to give credit to Trump in that sometimes it takes something as drastic as this to get people motivated to take action. I have never felt a more dire need to get involved and do my part! I am engaging for the first time on here and for the first time in months I'm feeling hopeful in that there is a community of like minded people that I can support and feel supported by. Regardless of the outcome of this election I am so glad to have this community!
I got my copy at the library too. Stopped buying books a couple years ago - have lots & I re-read them. But really adding more to the quantity already here just is not financially (or space wise) a good thing to do!
The Republicans hated Howard Zinn and called him a communist for years. Cousins in Richmond were taught that the Civil War was a draw. Looks like we will continue to dumb down the electorate through false patriotism and constant lies for a long time to come.
Yeah - I read that somewhere - probably that was an added reason to get the book! A draw, huh? As I said earlier - our education is sadly under-whelming (it appears) and has been, I guess. Read somewhere that history is written by the winners-seems to be true.
No! No! No! Wake up. Americans vote their pocketbook, not their conscience.
I spent a great portion of my working life as a stockbroker and Certified Financial Planner. Time and again I witnessed situations regarding inheritances where as long as mom was alive, all was well and good among siblings, everyone said they understood how things were supposed to be when mom died. Yes, Sally’s name was on a joint account with mom because Sally was the one living closest and tending to mom’s business, but that account would be shared equally when mom died—everyone understood. As long as the money wasn’t really on the line, everyone was always generous and magnanimous . Then, mom died money and all hell broke loose. Sally, who now had legal ownership of the previously joint tenant account, invariably rationalized mom wanted her to have that money as compensation for services rendered. Commonly the other siblings were effectively disinherited and familial bonds severed. My point is...when push comes to shove, most people are more influenced their pocketbook than their conscience even when it involves their families. Until the Democratic Party acknowledges this, they are always going to vulnerable to charges of being socialists. History is relevant, but human nature rules.
Or that could have been a dysfunctional family. My mom had a bunch of investments that dad set up in the '60s and when she died my sister who had guardianship cashed them all out to the tune of half a million. So, she sent me a quarter million (the only thing that let me retire on SS). Since sis took care of mom with Alzheimer's for years I tried to return some, but she informed me that she had gotten money from insurance for her care. I guess I am lucky that my sis also has integrity and is not a tRump supporter.
Rob Boyte, you and your sister are good people
I had the same experience, Rob, with my two sisters when my mom passed.
"most people are more influenced by their pocketbook than conscience"...A revelatory statement of the depth of family disfunction. There's a view - you could say a mandala with the 4 cardinal directions - that I've found helpful in understanding dynamics. Power - North - sits opposite to Love - South. Truth - East sits opposite to Wisdom in the West. Where a situation is governed mostly by Power, there is no love. Where a situation is governed mostly by Love, there is little manifestation, practical achievement you could say. Truth - brings balance to Power and Love. A healthy family environment functions on all 4 cylinders in harmony and balance. As for socialism, I'd like to know what you mean by that? Interestingly, there are at least a handful of highly performing countries ranking high on an index of societal happiness that enjoy hybrid socialist structures. Indeed, our Social Security and Medicare and library and public schools systems are all socialistic structures.
Good thoughts. Trying to get so many Trumpsters to understand the difference between socialism as a government and socialistic programs is mind-boggling
Plain Truth.
I can understand where the sibling that took care of Mom thought of compensation, that's called caregiver salary (which is usually pitiful anyway). My wife and I were lucky to have a sibling watching out for our parents and we compensated them (my sister-in-law) still. Mom should have had a will (or even a trust) and this issue talked out among the family way before Mom "croaked". That way everyone would get their "fair" share.
You missed my point. The point is...when the money is actually on the line, virtually everyone rationalizes their actions to grab all they can. In case you don’t know, ownership as joint tenants passes assets outside of a will or trust.
Great perspective and insight!
I absolutely agree, but one has to keep in mind that the curriculum in ‘public schools’, paid for by taxpayers, is determined by a State’s Department of Education which follows the mandates of the Federal Department of Education if the State hopes to receive federal funding it desperately needs to function. When the business community began to dictate the ‘model’ schools were to follow with ‘data-driven’ results (‘No Child Left Behind’ and ‘The Race to the Top’= endless standardised testing), teachers were forced to comply and ‘teach to the test’. Even before these times, teachers had to ‘teach to the curriculum’ as mandated by the State; any deviation ‘off script’ was grounds for a disciplinary visit to principal’s office (believe me, I was called into the principal’s office more times as a teacher than ever as a student!). Obviously, I wasn’t the most adept at ‘flying under the radar’, but I did my best to answer, honestly, my students’ questions and tell them the truth, but I was hobbled and hamstrung all the time.
The reason we, as kids, never learned about the injustices and atrocities our White government and citizenry perpetrated against women and people of colour, the truth of our violent racism and bigotry, is that the government didn’t want us to know. State-run public schools were/are in the Business of maintaining and perpetuating the status quo.
Something funny about this. I have a "friend" (knew him a long time ago, now just on fb) who teaches high school history. He's def a bit of a racist and he regularly RIPS Howard Zinn as a charlatan with an agenda who wrote a liberal bible of lies and manipulation. It's not that people are uneducated. It's that people are miseducated and confirmation bias is strong. I have absolutely no idea how to overcome that. There's ni getting through.
I can remember exactly two public school teachers who wouldn't have made the world a better place pushing them out the window. The rest are this undifferentiated mass I spent most of 12 years ignoring. Thank god for the main branch of the Denver Public Library and my father's "adult" card that let me check out 10 books at a time, every other Saturday.
Graduating 125 from the bottom of a class of 850 from high school, when I came back from the service my options were limited. I could get into Colorado State College (the "University" of Northern Colorado the past 50 years or so), the state teacher's school, where all you had to do was graduate from high school. I had no plans of being a teacher, but finally at the beginning of sophomore year, I took an "education" class, Education Psychology. The class was rote learning of the "perfesser's" text book, with "tests" being fill in the blanks from the book. Most of my fellow students were idiots. I was working in the school PR department, where I read a report that for 80% of the student body, the school was the one they could get into, not even #3 on their list, and that the majority were there with "C" averages from high school.
All my questions about why I had hated 12 years of public school were answered that quarter, seeing what they made teachers out of and how they went about it. Needless to say, I departed the end of the quarter and finished actual "higher education" in California.
How any actual "good" teacher ever came out of that system is beyond me. Then 40 years later, during a period of extended unemployment, I considered doing substitute teaching. I had to take the CBEST test (the test students have to take to graduate from high school). I didn't study for it, walked in, took the test on subjects I hadn't thought of since public school, walked out 90 minutes later (you had 4 hours to take it) and scored a 94 out of 100. The majority of the test-takers were recent college graduates, who had taken "prep" classes for the test. I learned there was a 50% flunk rate.
How anyone gets an "education" in the American public school system is a miracle. I educated myself in spite of the system down at that library, reading what interested me (thank goodness my grandmothers had been teachers, and taught me phonics at age 4 - since the Denver Public Schools adopted "word recognition" reading "education" the year I was in first grade - nobody ever came out of that as more than a semi-functional semi-literate. And that was nearly 70 years ago. The miseducation of America has been going on a looooonnnnnng time.
Oh, and we did have "civics" classes, in which I was the only one who didn't sleep through them.
Don't underestimate state teachers' colleges. Lyndon Johnson went to one of those.
*no* getting through {eye roll}
Right. There are so many who want to influence history textbooks to canx out anything about slavery. Accordingly, history should be about true patriotism and rah-rah-rah.
Agreed.
It sure is dismaying to realize you are the one in your family who is alive in their Being today. And, your awareness of their distorted perspective is the start of a productive inquiry into your understanding of --how they have come to believe it. What sources do they draw their information from? Media? Family history? Friends? Internet? What is their fear about? Loss? Loss of what? Oppression? What does socialism look like to them? Communism? Do they understand social security, public schools, libraries, Medicare are all socialistic structures? As you glean information from them it becomes a repository of useful facts usable in the future to create meaningful, clear ways to convey and educate about socialism in ways that takes the fear away. You can contribute a lot to the public dialogue. Many of the young adults today are free of the paranoia old folks like myself (late 70's) were inculcated with. That is a good thing.
I am a sponge for information. Ive had a lot of trauma in my life that has made me question everything and for that I am grateful. When people started using the socialism word I looked up the meaning. I find we throw words around we don't even understand and I also happened on a great article about socialism and how the understanding of the word has changed over time.
https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/243362/meaning-socialism-americans-today.aspx
My problem was that for every article I shared 4 were sent back at me "proving" the other side.
Family members started attacking me on Facebook, calling me names and basically saying I was a communist for believing that black lives matter, because the organization is marxist. I have had to stop all talk of politics with family. We get nowhere and it drives us further apart.
I've been told the youth of today are ignorant and that the paranoia you describe is valid and they have no idea what they are in for. I dont agree.
I've had the same experience. I start talking and my family looks at me like I look at QANON believers. They see me as the crazy one. I now leave the room or go inside to my safe place as soon as politics come up. There is no getting through.
Carl Jung, the great psychoanalyst, once said that in every family there is always one who can break the harmful family patterns. So take heart, Krista. You're the pioneer. It's tricky, but you may want to have a go of staying in there when politics comes up. But, sit back, get curious, maybe ask yourself - what can I learn here in terms of content but especially - a personal interest of mine - where and how did my family come up with their opinions? And, what do they use to support their opinions? Others' opinions? facts/research outcomes? family stories? experiences? media? internet sites? books? observations? travels? As soon as they get snarky, tell them, as much as you'd like to explore more with them and get to know them better, that you have a rule for yourself. The Self-Respect rule. It forbids you to judge others for their opinions and forbids yourself to stay in the presence of disrespect.
Good for you, Jennifer. You know your own mind. You searched and found information. Now you are in a strong independent position to discern opinion from fact. Clearly, you have an open, inquiring mind graced with life giving life broadening curiosity. You like to think for yourself instead of grafting on in whole cloth others' opinions and ideas. I just read this on a google site: "BLM openly dedicates itself creating the conditions for Black Liberation through the abolition of systems and institutions of white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy and colonialism'” Suggestions: Ask your family members if they're interested in an open dialogue? An open dialogue is one where the personhood of the "other" is respected, not judged, and name calling is off limits. If they say, "no" - well then, you know they're set in their ways. You could say, "that saddens me as I wish we could explore our ideas with each other."If their "no" persists, Save your energy for someone who is searching for answers. If they say "yes" but break the rules (call you names), say thanks and hang up, end of story. If they say "yes" - Let your curiosity guide your questions. I'm curious about these things; Do you think only white people should be in positions of power and call the shots? How come? How would they feel if they imagined themselves to be Black or Asian? How was colonialism painful for people of color? Is there a difference between communism and socialism? What is it? What do they think of Scandinavian socialistic structures? the Netherlands? Denmark's? The USA's socialistic forms (public schools, social security, Medicare, public libraries)? Do they see any efforts to maintain White Supremacy? How do they feel about labeling someone by their packaging?
Family, the gift that keeps on *living*!
When Hillary Clinton talked about Trump supporters as "deplorable", I think she was right on target. Those who voted for Trump in 2016 should have realized by now the failed experiment they supported; yet they vote again making the same mistake - deplorable.
I should revise my statement where supporters are "deplorable" to their "actions" are "deplorable".
I would add that any person who understands what's at stake who voted for Trump. I do believe the majority of American citizens are horrified, but the electoral college is allowing a few people who aren't to make this a nail biter.. that's what Heather is saying here.
"What we are seeing in this election is the result of voter suppression across the southern states, along with an Electoral College that has been corrupted from its original intent and is now artificially skewed toward rural states"
I do not know how to live in this country alongside so many people who have voted for a despicable authoritarian.
I don't know if I can take 4 more years. And this morning I shake my head in wonderment that there are so many people who believe in tRump.
I feel the same way. How do we continue our relationships with family and friends?
I haven't communicated with my redneck bro in Mississippi since Nov 9, 2016. I don't do well with abject stupidity. (OK, I worked with developmentally disabled ppl for 40 years but I was getting paid to do it and they were diagnosed with an excuse.)
And developmentally disabled people are not necessarily stupid. Just “differently abled”. Sorry about your brother.
I can feel myself shutting down in a way that is uncharacteristic of me. “I just don’t care anymore” is something I’ve never felt OR said. Is that what is meant by breaking one’s spirit?
That’s what I’m feeling too. An old “Managing personal relationships “ class taught me there are 4 levels of stress. For me, getting to “acquiescence “ is the last, and deepest stage. “Fine, just fine”.
Trying to buoy your spirits just a little: Have you read any of Louise Penny's novels? She's created a village of notable characters, one of whom is a wild, chaotic, drunken poet who writes brilliant poetry that nails deepest hurts beautifully and succinctly. The title of one of her books of poetry is" I'm F.I.N.E.", meaning "I'm f***ed up, insecure, neurotic and egotistical." It just might apply to the US these days (as well as any of us on any given day)
Heard that from my sister! She really loves Louise Penny' books.
Wonderful books! I stumbled on them one day when one of our librarians put one on the "my favorite books" table. I then read every single one.
I like to save mine for the cottage -- real leisurely time -- so I had fallen behind by several books. Because I can't stand that I'll finally finish them all -- that is, that I'll catch up to her and have to wait for her next -- I decided to go back and reread all of them in order before embarking on the last ones. I've just begun "A Better Man."
I'll have to go very slowly, since there's only the one after that. Sigh.
Yes, especially since for us, cottage time is over until at least April, if it's warm. Enjoy though, wonderful books.
Hadn't heard of her but going to look her up now. Thanks.
My pleasure. Her series of detective novels are set in a mythical village in rural Quebec called Three Pines. The novels and her characters in the village are so loved that there are even bus tours to the area. While it's not necessary, do try to read the books in order so you can watch the characters and story lines develop.
The audio versions are entertaining, also.
You will not be sorry. Such wonderful writing.
I know. It’s hard to take. Americans seem to have gone over the edge- 45% are absolute lunatics like the guy in the WH.
As a boy I was raised on a farm in North Dakota, went to our Lutheran church every Sunday, graduated from high school, joined the Navy like my older brother and father before me, then went college. I wasn’t a perfect student, citizen or Lutheran. But I always, always tried to be a good person. I wasn’t always successful, but I tried to follow my values of decency, respect for others, compassion and empathy. Most of all I’ve always been proud of my country, my patriotism and time in Vietnam. But now it’s like everything I’ve ever believed in has been thrown out the window. Those values and beliefs completely destroyed. Destroyed, not only by family, old friends and neighbors, but by large swaths of our country. I don’t know what to do or where to turn. For me, I question my faith in God, if there ever was one. I have no faith in my country, our democracy and it’s now every man for himself. I will keep fighting for what is right, but I expect it’s a lost cause in a sea of GOP individualism destined to destroy anything and everything that does benefit their individual desire.
Your coment is so heartbreaking, and sadly true. I have to make myself remember that many of the trump voters have been conned, but then why do we have an electorate so con-able? I console myself this morning knowing that the election is not over until the Michigan lady sings.
As a lifelong Michigander, I am not confidant that MI will turn blue. I have known for years that “as Detroit votes, so goes Michigan”. I live in western Michigan, and feel such frustration that in every recent election, the Detroit area determines our political standing.
MICHIGAN JUST FLIPPED BLUE!!!
I found what I think you were looking for five years ago when I joined the Unitarian Universalist Church. Check out the indivisible ‘s. They are an incredible group sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist. The UU have no beliefs. They only have principles. I am extremely comfortable and feel at home with this group. They are almost to a one liberal and their view of the world.
Elaine, are the Indivisible's on FB or do they have a website? I've walked away from Western Christianity for good about 3 years ago and am now feeling like I'm ready to join a group of like minded people again, especially now. Thanks!
Indivisible.org!
(indivisible.org) I get their emails - havent done more than read them but I know my niece is active there.
Thanks. I'll check it out, along with the local UU gathering.
Tom. From what you've written, it seems to me you are a very good man, which is no small feat these days considering that DJT is our 'man of the hour.' I don't think there are any 'accidents' in the universe. You've have found your way to HCR and this wonderful group of 'wicked smart' people. You belong here!
You have obviously outgrown your 'prior' society, I think because you are meant to go beond the beliefs that the others in your life continue to cling to. My husband is very much like you. He is finding his 'niche' by mentoring young men who KNOW there is something better they need to learn about being a real man in these crazy times. Your life experiences and well-earned wisdom can guide others who are trying to delineate what is truly real and what is 'smoke and mirrors'. All of us have to grieve in our own way what we feel we have lost, ..what we have all worked so hard to achieve. As a good and decent man, please don't hide your greatness, your goodness, when it is so needed at this time. We need to grieve our shared loses, of our causes, our families and our friends. Please grieve, reboot and reimagine what you can do next. Again, don't hide your greatness. It is your birthright. You may doubt God, but I know He never doubts you, who you are, and what you are capable of doing in the future. I don't doubt your ability to find a way to do good. Stay close to those who love you and know the good man that you are is loved and validated by all who post here.
Now it’s my turn to tear up, regroup and hold true for a better tomorrow. Thank you everyone.
Thank you for posting that. My father was a Vietnam-era veteran as well. As he passed away in 2017, I truly wonder what he would make of all of this, as he was not shy with his opinions. One thing I learned from him that is very applicable now: eventually there comes a point where you just have to stop looking up, instead look down and work your own land with all your strength. Each of us has a plot of influence, regionality, natural interests, work (hopefully). Each of us, wherever we are on life's landscape, can keep moving our ball down the field. No one can stop you doing that.
That is some wisdom, right there. It goes right along with what I say about people getting into "politics". No one does until there is something local happening, that they object to, in their own back yard. I've been in local politics for over 20 years, and this is always what starts off a movement for change. Always. So it's sad to see how yesterday, voters didn't see America as their own back yard.
I am in tears.
Ditto to that!
Tom, I can identify almost completely with your bewilderment and frustration. I went through a similar period many years ago.
Since others in “Heather’s Herd of Hope” are offering suggestions, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t contribute my recommendation. You might try the Bahá’í Faith at bahai.org or bahai.us for solutions.
I have found that their principle of “the independent investigation of truth” to be an excellent guideline for my search. A fragment of this precept can be found in this passage from Bahá’í Scripture on the subject of Justice:
“By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor.”
I pray that this information will be the source of grace and succor for you.
It is sickening so many Americans voted in favor of disease, hatred, injustice, violence and coercion; the indecency of it clearly illustrates how little many voters know and care about the principles outlined in our constitution.
So right, Daria. It astounds me that people voted to allow the continuance of hatred, lies and violence. I'm sick.
Perfectly stated, Daria. I so agree with you.
Terrifying isnt it?
Well said Daria. Agreed.
Trump has just lit the fuse tonight, with his claim that he won and the vote counting in the states he "won" should stop (though it should continue in Arizona, so he can "win" like he was "winning" there earlier).
The great crisis is now upon us. If he can pull this off with the courts the Republicans have corrupted, he can achieve his original goal of destroying the country (all the "failure" and all the "wrong decisions" were a feature, not a bug - he was elected to destroy the country).
Quoting from Richard Hofstadter's "The Pseudo-Conservative Revolt" from 1954:
The pseudo-conservative, Adorno writes, shows “conventionality and authoritarian submissiveness” in his conscious thinking and “violence, anarchic impulses, and chaotic destructiveness in the unconscious sphere. . . . The pseudo conservative is a man who, in the name of upholding traditional American values and institutions and defending them against more or less fictitious dangers, consciously or unconsciously aims at their abolition.”
We are now at the most dangerous point in the history of the American Republic.
Unprecedented" is an understatement.
Your comment is much more cogent and erudite than the comment I posted, TC. I am so outraged I can hardly breathe. I knew we needed a landslide. I am so disheartened right now. Even if Biden wins, we are damaged in many ways. And if Mitch holds control in the Senate, the next 4 years will be a different kind of hell than we have already experienced, regardless of who is
POTUS - better with Biden than Trump, no doubt, but dark and frustrating, in any event.
Your outrage is real, and based on a solid view of reality, as you have outlined. If Biden wins and McConnell holds the Senate, nothing gets done. I wrote the following to a good friend who has worked in the "upper reaches" of government. He responded, "You're right" to this:
With what the traitor just did with his announcement that he "won," we are now in the greatest crisis in the history of the republic. Far worse than the civil war (which the South could never win if the North kept its nerve). If the corrupt Republican "just us" is allowed to do what the Federalist Society set it to do, our democratic constitutional republic is lost.
We are very close to civil war if this continues. I'm not saying that as an alarmist, but rather a realist.
These are exactly my feelings as well. The word “despair” doesn’t even come close to describing my feelings this morning.
You know, theres not a great deal of comfort in the likely fact that , when I lose my Medicare Advantage insurance, my son his disability, so many others with any type of social service help, we wont be the only ones, will we? Because thats what this twit has been trying for already - guess hes not realizing that an awful lot of his "base" depends on these very programs! Nope - hardly any comfort in that.
He doesn't care about his base. To him, they are contemptible marks. The superspreader rallies, with fans left so in the cold many ended the night in hospitals, were par for the course.
I do realize he doesnt care about anyone or anything but little Donnie. I I was sort of thinking maybe at that point his base would realize that nope he hasnt done anything for them. But by that time, we will all be down the drain!
I am heartsick that McConnell and Graham won. If the Dems don't win the Senate, even if Biden wins he will be as hamstrung as was Obama.
If Biden wins he can run the government by Executive Order. I believe we have a precedent already set with Trump.
My feelings exactly!
The Greatest Con unleashed, right on schedule. Yes, incredibly dangerous and maddening. My Michigan vote hasn't even been counted yet.
I find it incomprehensible that so many Americans are CHOOSING hate. I went to bed hopeful because of Biden’s lead last night, even though it was modest, thinking that it would surely build by the time I looked again this morning. The numbers this morning showed a similarly modest lead. Then I read the comments here and discovered that trump is doing exactly what many of us feared by calling victory before votes are fully counted. Like so many others here have already said, I despair that so many Americans are voting for hate. The entire middle and southern sections of the country are solidly red on the news maps, only the coasts are blue. I don’t understand (and I apologize in advance for my language) how so many Americans can be so stupid as to vote against their best interests. The solidly red areas are the ones most negatively impacted by the current regime but yet they ask for more. It’s mind boggling. I cannot quite wrap my mind around moving to another country but I equally cannot wrap my mind around living in the United States of trump. Stunned beyond all belief and expectation.
I live in solidly red Missouri. It’s just as Heather has written. St Louis and Kansas City are blue, with majority of all rural areas red. The electoral college is winner take all. I’m telling you this again, because I know—all of the blue dots living in a red state are heartbroken and embarrassed by their state.
I am one of those blue people living in a completely red state. We have the mini tRump as our governor. I am just dejected that so many people here are so very naive and do vote against their best interests. I am so afraid for my son who makes between $30-$40K per year and that his taxes are going to go up next year, and then every two years after that. I can’t believe people in that tax bracket voted for these reds. I despise this senate and this orange menace.
Me too. Florida?
South Dakota. Our govenir stumped for trump for a month before the election at her taxpayers expense.
Voting against their best interest is exactly what I've been saying. Trumps salesmanship has conned a huge part of our country. I wanted to be in Canada for the next few months but instead of Trump keeping people out of our country we've been locked in. Similarly to how Trump seems to be barracading himself in the White House.
Stay safe, eat comfort food. There are many smart Americans, and we can figure this out, even if we still have to deal with effing Mitch. The only thing keeping me here in the US is the thought that if I leave, I will have abandoned those who need help the most.
Heather, thanks for the recap. I must admit this is playing out as I expected. I think most of us imagined this even if we didn't say it. I am throughly disappointed in a Country that chooses bluster and cruelty over compassion. It appears all the bad actors will stay in place to continue to rule over us. Last I checked, we left the Senate in the hands of the Republicans. This will prove to be lethal. I shake my head and wonder why this is happening, but the truth may well be that the majority of the Country really doesn't care about their fellow neighbors, friends and family. I gave them too much credit. Regardless of how this will ultimately end, we lost.
Unless Dems are successful in down-ballot elections, adding not just to House and Senate seats but also to state legislatures where Republicans have gerrymandered Dems out of political existence (such a Wisconsin), nothing will get better. Indeed, it will get worse. The fact that the House was supposed to be proportional in its representation, but now is no longer; that the Electoral College skews the vote to such an extent that a criminal like the Cheeto can deliberately try to game the system; that a criminal like Moscow Mitch can retain his control over the Senate--which will result in a Biden presidency being cut off at the knees--all tells a story.
We are not a Democracy. We are not even a legitimately representative government. And the voting public is largely under-educated, ill-informed, and confused about how government works. Florida voted for the Cheeto but passed a $15 an hour minimum wage. That means that Florida doesn't understand what the Cheeto stands for. What this suggests to me is that we are dealing with a large swath of the American people whose racism and sexism also overwhelms any notion of patriotism. Because in my book no true patriot would vote for That Man.
You hit the nail on the head with under educated, ill informed and confused. I consider myself pretty well educated and smart and I am still overwhelmed and confused by the system. I wish there was a way to simplify it for people. I didnt start following politics til last year. So much I didnt know. And then when disinformation gets thrown in to a people who already question the system it ends up like this.
I did not know there were So many Americans that lack Any sense of a moral compass..But Now that is crystal clear..What a huge disappointment!!!..So many voting for Trump!
Basically then, the truth is that the United States of America is not a Democracy and never has been. And, this catchword, this lie is why so many young men of my generation have died or been maimed in useless wars from Vietnam onward as they fought against “Communism” to instill “Democracy” in other nations. (Not to mention that I had a Selective Service card in my wallet 3 years before I could put a Voter Registration card there). The truth is, our system is flawed and needs to be fixed.
That’s what happens when criminals are let out of jail, put on boats and sent to “the new world” to create a government.
Even after hearing your talk today and reading tonight’s message, I despair that Trump will find a way to prevail, and get another term to complete the destruction of our democracy. I am 70 and can’t fight as I might have a decade ago. I may not be around to see that my daughters and granddaughters make it past what I foresee may in their future.
We were disappointed that the results so far don't seem to suggest a national repudiation of the past four years. So many Americans want this drama s***show to continue?
I refuse to believe that Trump's authoritarian gambit will work. States are following their laws. All the votes will be counted, perhaps even the 300,000 that DeJoy hasn't delivered. If I'm wrong and Trump prevails, democracy and America as our ancestors conceived it are dead. Plan accordingly.
I expect you are correct. Michael, but he guaranteed unrest. protests, loss of trust in the democratic process and ample fuel for the conspiracy theorists for years to come. He told us he would do this, but to see him actually do it, AT THE WHITE HOUSE on election night, with a large supportive crowd made me feel ill and furious.
Democracy was built on the gluttony of rich white men who came here, pulverized the native Americans, destroyed their lands and bulldozed their way to ownership. That this has ever been a democracy is a fiction. Greed, lust and dogmatic “religion” to control women and “heathens”.....That is the seed we grow from. How could this be any different?
Well spoken truth.
By the time you read this, Heather, you will know that shortly after you posted, Trump claimed victory at a large gathering (sans masks, of course) at the White House! I don’t know if you will get the full take on this outrage on Wednesday, because no station should replay that “s - - - show.” It was outrageous nonsense. He rambled through all the states that he has won (the ones not yet called), said this election was a fraud, said people need to stop voting(!), said “they will fight this,” but he is going straight to the Supreme Court, and on and on. Fortunately, at least CNN and MSNBC cut away after about 5 minutes and said that they had a responsibility to call out Trump’s lies. I am kicking myself for not turning off the television before I watched this travesty. I am now totally ramped up in a white hot rage.
I muted my tv as soon as he came on to speak because I had just opened Dr. R's letter and thought what she had to say was more worthy of my time.
I mute him or fast forward him every time - nothing he says is worthy of anyone's time.
You made the right choice, Lynell.
A couple of you asked me to check in with you after my day working the polls in Florida in deep red Pasco County. So here are my thoughts. Yesterday was tough. There were maskless voters, some with an attitude. But the really crazy thing was that we had 5 poll watchers throughout the day, 2 Republicans and 3 Democrats. It was the Dems that were awful, questioning every decision we made (for example not offering a provisional ballot when the voter had absolutely no valid registration anywhere) and complaining to the supervisor every time they disagreed with something. Now I am looking at the littered landscape of our country and wondering what the hell happened? Where were the the independents that were supposed to tip the election to Joe? Why did suburban women still vote for tRump? And how did we not take more Senate seats? I’m depressed beyond belief.
Annette- thank you for volunteering and for sharing your experience. I am asking the same question- what the hell happened?
Annette. As we all are, I am thankful for yor safety, and totally depressed by the state of this country. We all need one big hug!
Annette, long distance hug.
Thank you, Annette, for checking in. At least we know you're physically ok.
Annette, thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Hi Heather and friends, regardless of the final outcome after all ballots are counted, I am still shocked (but not surprised) that so many people turned out to vote for Trump. I am afraid that similar to 2016, I am in echo chambers where it is clear his behavior is despicable: I thought four years was enough to build up evidence of his incompetence. When he neglected to publish a platform or discuss any substantial issues on the campaign, I assumed most people would think similarly: that a plan with Biden is better than no plan. That Republican leaders distanced themselves and did not bring their constituents with them, says to me there is a lack of faith in leadership at all levels. I love reading your posts, but I think I need to search for (and listen to) the problems that caused millions of Americans to want to tear up the system at any cost. I do not believe millions of people were manipulated by the media, or that Trump-fanaticism alone could be so prevalent. Did Biden's message to get us "back on track" signal to people that we would go back to accepting a system that reinforces discrimination, injustice and opaque politics? Is the unpredictable future with Trump better than life before 2016? I think I need to start asking: how have Trump's actions appeared as the backdrop in the lives of his supporters? (instead of my own)
It is shocking that so many have voted for him. But I've spent the past year in the opposite echo chamber (this group and a small corner of facebook have pretty much been my only line to sanity). I'm surrounded by Republicans so please allow me to offer my (unfortunately wordy) insight.
In my opinion, there are 3 types of people that voted for Trump in this 2nd round.
1.) The deeply entrenched bigots and nutjobs that feel validated by him and couldn't care less about policy. They see Trump as a hero and his misdeeds as a giant double middle finger to everything they hate.
2.) Those that aren't as overtly bigoted but they definitely care more about abortion, guns, money etc than they could ever care about equality, civility or any of the other values we see as being the minimum requirements for participation. They buy into the anti-left propaganda because it's an easy way to defend their choices and their passionate hatred of us. They see Trump as effective and any misdeeds as savvy gamesmanship that will ultimately get them what they want.
3.) Those that have actually been taken in by the media (I know, but it's true!). And I know this group well. They don't watch a lot of news and they don't seek out multiple sources so they actually believe it when Fox News tells them that the left has devolved into a mob of violent, lawless, deeply corrupt socialists that will turn the US into the next Venezuela. Or, at the very least, that a left-wing presidency will lead to widespread financial ruin through irresponsible, unchecked spending and massive tax hikes. They may not see Trump as a good guy but they hold their noses and vote for him because the alternative is much, much worse. (As a side note, I include in this last group those that unconsciously buy into right-wing propaganda because it allows them to deny their own racist/sexist leanings and fears that have been tweaked by Barack, Hilary and Kamala and BLM. Many of them are generally good people that just can't face this ugly part of their conditioning so they repress and look for other explanations.)
I think it's easy to underestimate the number of people that fit into the above categories and the deep-rooted fears that have driven them to vote like their lives depend on it. I like to think that most of them fit into category 3 because I can work myself up to some compassion and understanding for this group (they just don't know any better). And that compassion is the only thing I have to dampen my rage and fear for the future.
I just wish I knew how to come back from all of this.
Right at this moment - its very hard to have compassion or any kind of understanding for any of the 3 groups (you hit the nail on the head with your analogy). I guess the "not knowing any better" says it all - the thing is - they dont want to know better enough to actually TRY. Sad, isnt it?
It is hard. And I am, for sure, not there yet. But I'm working on it because I'm not sure how else to make it through. I'm not sure how to live in a country that would choose this. I'm not sure how to live in a family that would choose this.
At the very least, I'm fortunate that my son & daughter & granddaughter all feel the way I do - as do several of my friends. Otherwise? Not sure how I could manage. But HCR & all of you certainly fill any void there is!
I too am surrounded by Republicans in my family and workplace. Most are voting the party line. They are worried that Biden will tax them and create too many programs that "give things for free". They seem very worried about their money. A few are very concerned about Biden's age and "senility". I also think a few have an underlying fear of Kamala becoming president which translates as racism or sexism or both but that won't say that out loud.
I realize Biden is not perfect (altho do you know anyone who is?) but looking at these two - he sure is the most decent & empathetic. When did that become something bad? Senile? Heck hes younger than I am - losing your train of thought is far from senile. On the other hand, opening your mouth & just vomiting words - any words? Thats something to be encouraged by?
AND do any of these trumpists comprehend the number of people who have lost their jobs, their homes, likely their health insurance & I have to say we dont have any way of knowing right this minute how many more are presently. The idea that anyone thinks just telling landlords or apartment owners to - what wait till things are better? They have bills-mortgages-to pay too. For anyone to believe that a $1200 stimulus check is going to heal this - dream on. That will just be a pimple on a duck's A__ - so to speak.
The misogyny is real. However, a pretty progressive friend of mine was taken in by the right wing lies about Joe Biden’s “senility.” Another liberal friend sent me anti-mask propaganda reminiscent of anti-vaxx propaganda. Decent folks are getting tricked into believing these lies. It’s astonishing.
Thank you, Krista. I think you are spot on. I have been nursing some hateful feelings, but I know that compassion is the way through the rage and fear. I can’t sustain the rage especially towards my extended family who mostly fall in the third category. I have been thinking that at best folks who buy into the propaganda are fools or truly intellectually challenged. I heard someone speaking on the radio the other day, and I realized how incredibly manipulated she was by the rhetoric, the media algorithm that she is caught in. I also had a sense of her confusion and belief that anything outside her box is fake news, a notion that she accepted years ago and that everything is through that prism. I did have a sense of compassion for how she is manipulated but also an utter sense of despair. I am deeply concerned that we are going to have to go down the path of further ruin before people caught in the denial wake up. Compassion is the way through.
Krista Schriml I'd like to add one more type of Trump supporter to your list: Those who believe in the American Dream so much they expect to be among the wealthiest citizens someday soon. They look at DT as the guy who's holding open the golden gate to welcome them and is currently protecting their future rich self. Of course they don't seem to realize that Trump's order of operations significantly decreases the chances of attaining that dream. Everything about this president is designed to make rich people richer and not-rich people poor.
Good analysis and a good question.
You're asking the right questions. Yesterday morning I was feeling confident the Blue Wave had arrived, and was even chuckling to myself about trump not bothering to come up with a platform or any plan for a second term. He must want to lose was my thinking. Wrong. Again. But there is obviously a deeper pathology at work here. Herr trump is so blatantly cruel and self serving, what makes people think he is a good leader for our country? It's a mystery to me.
I will say though, there was an enlightening piece on The New Yorker Radio Hour that I caught. They pointed out that despite his ham-handedness and general administrative incompetence, he has has been devastatingly effective in at least two areas - reducing immigration and rolling back environmental regulation. To a remarkable degree on both. So he knows where his strength lies. He caters to people's racism and xenophobia, and is the hand maiden for polluting industry. Obviously a powerful combination. Michael Moore calls him an evil genius. The evidence proves it out.
And being "remarkably effective" in those 2 areas that are just absolutely wrong! Too bad he wasnt effective in good things, right?