Recognizing that he is losing the demographics he needs to win reelection, Trump has clearly decided that his best bet is to spur his base to turn out in vast numbers and vote. To that end, he has given up any pretense of appealing to any but his base. At the same time, he and members of his administration are pretending the coronavirus pandemic is ending.
Trump’s thin blue line flag: What an anti-American desecration of our flag and the republic for which it stands. He and his minions are rallying for another civil war? a coup? There will be so much crap for Democrats to clean up for the country, and so much for Lincoln Republicans to do to clean up their party.
Shouldn't have read this tonight. Hard to stomach. His abandonment of the American flag for something that better suits his purposes, reminds me of what I've read of Hitler during the buildup to declaring war on Poland. He is rolling over so much of our democracy and we are waiting patiently for the election and then hopefully for the transition of power. I feel like he has declared war on us, the US. Pence going ahead with rallies after his aides testing positive-unbelievable. On another note, the autumn leaves are beautiful...good to notice.
This letter make me feel like I just watched a very dramatic thriller film. Filled with anxiety. No offense, the facts are the facts, but Lordy! What a crap show. I am so sick of religious right shit to be blunt, that does not represent the majority of Americans or take into account other faiths or even those that are not religious. It’s so hypocritical. It’s so UnAmerican and dishonest it makes me want to puck. I feel like they are all in a cult, not that that has not been said before, but I mean, wtf! End of rant. 🤦♀️
Today my son’s GF (19) said, “We just have to make it to Election Day. It will get better.” She’s weary and scared, she wants normalcy. We all do, but I fear this is just the beginning of a long, hard, journey. We can pull it off though, of that I’m certain.
Tonight's letter is at the "Oh my God!" level! Didn't hear anything particularly new in the news today so thought it was going to be a quiet night. But, that is why I read Heather's Letters so I know what I've missed. This one made me feel like I did on an amusement ride where you started on the high point on one side of a large loop and did the loop ending up at the other side. At that point you realize the only way back to where you started was to do it all backwards. Then the car rolls back accelerating to the bottom of the loop coming up the other side and then finding yourself at the top of the loop upside down and backwards with your stomach someplace down at the bottom of the loop.
The thin blue line also refers to a police unwritten code of silence not to rat on any police misconduct.
I'd recommend going to choosedemocracy.us to prepare for the coup that seems more and more likely to happen. Several great articles on what to do now and when the coup happens. The best thing to do is keep it from happening but that is becoming less and less of an option at this point. Count every vote!
So many moving parts with so much at stake. Your summary and analysis helped me appreciate the breathtaking cynicism of Trump's position regarding the pandemic. The endless lies in the face of overwhelming evidence that a crushing new wave of infections has arrived are disorienting.
Your latest letter arrived in my in-box as I was finishing your excellent piece in The Atlantic about Amy Coney Barrett's embrace of so-called "originalism." It's by far the most I've learned about the concept. You brought it to life, so thank you (link below).
In a normal Senate hearing for a nominee, you should have been called as a witness. Americans would have come away understanding how far back the new court could turn back the clock and how much we take for granted could be lost. You nailed it.
By the way, playing in the background while I read was Leslie Stahl's "60 Minutes" interview with Trump. (Yes, I glanced away to watch Trump's body language.) So it's been a clarifying night for the maelstrom awaiting us in these climactic days.
Another sleepless night ending with an early morning semi-dream about Covid. That the WH has given up, that Pence will continue to travel as "necessary personnel" while he should be quarantining makes me sick. And angry. There are no words left to describe my intense rage and sadness at what has become of this country, and how divided we are. And what good does that anger do? Raises my blood pressure, and makes me continue to write postcards. Not sure my health can tolerate 4 more years. There are too many days left before Nov.3
McConnell noted: “A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”
Oh yeah? Watch and see how long it takes for us to start digging you goddamned southern traitors out by the roots next year, you goddamned tenth-generation Confederate traitor.
And so it goes.....dog whistles to his base, flags to beat the breast of not nationalism but oppression, trying to do as much damage as possible in the run-up to the election that he is very close to losing....yep he "loves" this country. Only as long as he can hoodwink people and make money from their inability to see. Watching the "60 Minutes" interview last night was a giant illustration of his pettiness and his unwillingness to think beyond himself. He had no words of inspiration to offer to anyone. Eight days seems like such an interminable time.
I find it fitting that trump's supporters rally around a bastardized perversion of the American flag. They are indeed a perversion of what America stands for.
This is a sincere question: How does the U.S. Constitution allow Secretaries Pompeo and Azar to support any international declaration on behalf of this country without congressional deliberation and approval?
Great column, Heather! While none of us can know what will happen on November 3 and over the following days/weeks/months, I think we need to prepare ourselves to be effective actors in a number of alternative scenarios. One such scenario is that Biden wins, and begins to put together the personnel for his administration. We need to carefully monitor who Biden brings into positions of highest influence, both within his Cabinet and in other positions of prominence. BlackWater, the largest money manager in the world (assets of $6 trillion) is heavily invested in the fossil fuel industry. The company has proven masterful at gaining positions of high influence in whatever administration is in power. The company is agnostic. Their interest is in controlling public policy, no matter which party is in power. I suggest that anyone concerned with this topic read Max Moran's excellent 10/23/20 article, "How BlackRock Is On Track to Infiltrate Biden Administration," <https://www.counterpunch.org>.
I find it interesting that he is still spurring his following to get out and vote. It very much looks like he feels his only chance of surviving is in increasing the level of participation of his followers, or decreasing the level of their discouragement. He is even admitting that he won't have a Senate majority to protect him. This doesn't somehow sound like a future dictator, highly organized and sure of the material ressources he commands, confident in his para-military's plans and capacities for coordinated, effective action and full of channelled passion and motivating rhetoric leading the charge for an efficient, armed take over of the State. If he had more in mind than puffed up self-glorification, continued clouds of chaos behind which the bully can hide his cowardice and auto-generated mirages of his fake reality, he would be playing martial tunes, making demonstrations of strength, showing an initial glimpse of his forces that will "control the situation", warning of imminent peril to the nation from "fifth columnists" and external forces and hold a totally panicked nation in an iron grip. His message would now be "Vote Trump or Else: You have no choice, I will save you".
Thank you, Heather - I think. I only say that because, as I read, I felt the stone in the pit of my stomach grow heavier and heavier. A sense of spiritual claustrophobia, which is the only way I can describe it, washed over me, and I felt utterly defeated.
When I came to the McConnell quote about 'what will be undone', it was worse. When I think of what he and his henchmen, in fealty to Trump and power, have already 'undone' - civility, unity, the common good, etc., it just leaves me totally flummoxed.
Trump’s thin blue line flag: What an anti-American desecration of our flag and the republic for which it stands. He and his minions are rallying for another civil war? a coup? There will be so much crap for Democrats to clean up for the country, and so much for Lincoln Republicans to do to clean up their party.
🇺🇸
Shouldn't have read this tonight. Hard to stomach. His abandonment of the American flag for something that better suits his purposes, reminds me of what I've read of Hitler during the buildup to declaring war on Poland. He is rolling over so much of our democracy and we are waiting patiently for the election and then hopefully for the transition of power. I feel like he has declared war on us, the US. Pence going ahead with rallies after his aides testing positive-unbelievable. On another note, the autumn leaves are beautiful...good to notice.
This letter make me feel like I just watched a very dramatic thriller film. Filled with anxiety. No offense, the facts are the facts, but Lordy! What a crap show. I am so sick of religious right shit to be blunt, that does not represent the majority of Americans or take into account other faiths or even those that are not religious. It’s so hypocritical. It’s so UnAmerican and dishonest it makes me want to puck. I feel like they are all in a cult, not that that has not been said before, but I mean, wtf! End of rant. 🤦♀️
Today my son’s GF (19) said, “We just have to make it to Election Day. It will get better.” She’s weary and scared, she wants normalcy. We all do, but I fear this is just the beginning of a long, hard, journey. We can pull it off though, of that I’m certain.
Tonight's letter is at the "Oh my God!" level! Didn't hear anything particularly new in the news today so thought it was going to be a quiet night. But, that is why I read Heather's Letters so I know what I've missed. This one made me feel like I did on an amusement ride where you started on the high point on one side of a large loop and did the loop ending up at the other side. At that point you realize the only way back to where you started was to do it all backwards. Then the car rolls back accelerating to the bottom of the loop coming up the other side and then finding yourself at the top of the loop upside down and backwards with your stomach someplace down at the bottom of the loop.
The thin blue line also refers to a police unwritten code of silence not to rat on any police misconduct.
I'd recommend going to choosedemocracy.us to prepare for the coup that seems more and more likely to happen. Several great articles on what to do now and when the coup happens. The best thing to do is keep it from happening but that is becoming less and less of an option at this point. Count every vote!
So many moving parts with so much at stake. Your summary and analysis helped me appreciate the breathtaking cynicism of Trump's position regarding the pandemic. The endless lies in the face of overwhelming evidence that a crushing new wave of infections has arrived are disorienting.
Your latest letter arrived in my in-box as I was finishing your excellent piece in The Atlantic about Amy Coney Barrett's embrace of so-called "originalism." It's by far the most I've learned about the concept. You brought it to life, so thank you (link below).
In a normal Senate hearing for a nominee, you should have been called as a witness. Americans would have come away understanding how far back the new court could turn back the clock and how much we take for granted could be lost. You nailed it.
By the way, playing in the background while I read was Leslie Stahl's "60 Minutes" interview with Trump. (Yes, I glanced away to watch Trump's body language.) So it's been a clarifying night for the maelstrom awaiting us in these climactic days.
(https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/originalism-barrett/616844/)
Another sleepless night ending with an early morning semi-dream about Covid. That the WH has given up, that Pence will continue to travel as "necessary personnel" while he should be quarantining makes me sick. And angry. There are no words left to describe my intense rage and sadness at what has become of this country, and how divided we are. And what good does that anger do? Raises my blood pressure, and makes me continue to write postcards. Not sure my health can tolerate 4 more years. There are too many days left before Nov.3
McConnell noted: “A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”
Oh yeah? Watch and see how long it takes for us to start digging you goddamned southern traitors out by the roots next year, you goddamned tenth-generation Confederate traitor.
I would love to hear Amy Coney Barrett's interpretation of the flag code, which forbids changes to the colors or configuration of our flag.
And so it goes.....dog whistles to his base, flags to beat the breast of not nationalism but oppression, trying to do as much damage as possible in the run-up to the election that he is very close to losing....yep he "loves" this country. Only as long as he can hoodwink people and make money from their inability to see. Watching the "60 Minutes" interview last night was a giant illustration of his pettiness and his unwillingness to think beyond himself. He had no words of inspiration to offer to anyone. Eight days seems like such an interminable time.
I find it fitting that trump's supporters rally around a bastardized perversion of the American flag. They are indeed a perversion of what America stands for.
This is a sincere question: How does the U.S. Constitution allow Secretaries Pompeo and Azar to support any international declaration on behalf of this country without congressional deliberation and approval?
Great column, Heather! While none of us can know what will happen on November 3 and over the following days/weeks/months, I think we need to prepare ourselves to be effective actors in a number of alternative scenarios. One such scenario is that Biden wins, and begins to put together the personnel for his administration. We need to carefully monitor who Biden brings into positions of highest influence, both within his Cabinet and in other positions of prominence. BlackWater, the largest money manager in the world (assets of $6 trillion) is heavily invested in the fossil fuel industry. The company has proven masterful at gaining positions of high influence in whatever administration is in power. The company is agnostic. Their interest is in controlling public policy, no matter which party is in power. I suggest that anyone concerned with this topic read Max Moran's excellent 10/23/20 article, "How BlackRock Is On Track to Infiltrate Biden Administration," <https://www.counterpunch.org>.
You said it would be rough these last weeks.....but wow.
I find it interesting that he is still spurring his following to get out and vote. It very much looks like he feels his only chance of surviving is in increasing the level of participation of his followers, or decreasing the level of their discouragement. He is even admitting that he won't have a Senate majority to protect him. This doesn't somehow sound like a future dictator, highly organized and sure of the material ressources he commands, confident in his para-military's plans and capacities for coordinated, effective action and full of channelled passion and motivating rhetoric leading the charge for an efficient, armed take over of the State. If he had more in mind than puffed up self-glorification, continued clouds of chaos behind which the bully can hide his cowardice and auto-generated mirages of his fake reality, he would be playing martial tunes, making demonstrations of strength, showing an initial glimpse of his forces that will "control the situation", warning of imminent peril to the nation from "fifth columnists" and external forces and hold a totally panicked nation in an iron grip. His message would now be "Vote Trump or Else: You have no choice, I will save you".
Thank you, Heather - I think. I only say that because, as I read, I felt the stone in the pit of my stomach grow heavier and heavier. A sense of spiritual claustrophobia, which is the only way I can describe it, washed over me, and I felt utterly defeated.
When I came to the McConnell quote about 'what will be undone', it was worse. When I think of what he and his henchmen, in fealty to Trump and power, have already 'undone' - civility, unity, the common good, etc., it just leaves me totally flummoxed.