Listen now | Sincere question: How are you doing these days? I ask because almost everyone I talk with is feeling overwhelmed. Putin’s war in Ukraine and his threats to use nuclear weapons, Trump and his henchmen’s (and henchwomen’s) ongoing threats to democracy, the upcoming midterm elections, the bizarre economy, the climate crisis and the natural disasters it’s spawning.
Thanks Robert for reaching out to your audience...very much appreciated. Not being an American and neither living in the US, I am a bit more distant from it all. However, living in the free West, whatever happens in US affects our lives to and what makes us stressed about American politics is that we have little or no influence over it but do have to deal with the consequences. Before December 2015 American politics generally was not a direct worry for me because America seemed to be able to self correct However when visiting friends in Texas around Xmas 2015 all this changed . Because our hosts wanted to see it, I got to attend a broadcast of one of the GOP presidential primaries...never having heard of him before, it was the first time I heard Trump speaking........ cold chills went through my spine when I heard him speaking. However what was even worse was the enthusiast response to him by of the audience in the room, most of them people I had known for years, worked with all over the world ......and even worse it was fuelled by hatred against Democrats in general, and more particular, a black president. I thought I knew these people but how wrong was I. I remember telling my wife that Trump would be bad for America and us but that he had a good chance to win. Of course we all know the outcome and the how it affected and still does affect the world......In my perception it has gotten even worse since he was voted out and despite Biden' efforts. I find it impossible to grasp what is happening. Is the current reality in the US so bad that people prefer to be deceived by bullies, cheaters and fascists rather than tackle the problems together? I guess November will tell us but if one elects cheaters and bullies into government, don't be surprised if one gets cheated and bullied. In the mean time, I am focussing on where possible getting less dependent of what is happening in America, which is not that easy to be fair......
I believe you speak for many Americans thoughts and, feelings regarding the political climate in the United States. I honestly can’t stand to hear trumps voice nor do I want to look at him in the never ending 24/7 media. The only word I will use to describe him is repulsive. And, that is being too kind.
Pam, yes, "repulsive" for Trump is good. Childish (or perhaps infantile), ignorant, and unscrupulous come to mind but I think those all can be covered by repulsive. It is too bad our media couldn't start using that word when describing Trump.
Yes Ruth, it’s difficult to describe somebody so horrible, without seeming so horrible myself or to others. I don’t want to feel so negative about him or a political party, but he and the republicans make it too hard to not despise the open cruelty and disregard for our constitution, our humanity and, our democracy. But, I still believe they and their fascist movement are the minority. They just have the money to buy the media and unscrupulous politicians to amplify their cruet, anti democracy, fascist message.
The one skill Trump has is being a master manipulator. He honed in on the resentment the uneducated have for people who went to college, who have white-collar jobs, or who don't live paycheck to paycheck. He exploited their need to scapegoat others for their problems; immigrants are taking their jobs, people of color get benefits they don't, women get the promotion and become their supervisors.
Trump exploited their anger for his own gain. He doesn't care a whit about them. They don't realize he is using them and don't get it when he openly mocks them.
I'm sickened by him too. He's got some formula of tone and movements that mesmerizes his followers, the hands, the super creepy way he talks, it's not accidental.
Janet I feel the same. I try so hard to not think hateful thoughts about Trump and his minions, but it’s beyond difficult. Even if Trump dies the GOP has enough clones that I fear we will not be able to stop the crazy train!
I understand how you feel. And that is why he is so dangerous. I, too, want to feel empathy for him because I believe he is devoid of self awareness. But, it is why he has no business being a political party leader. I believe that is why he was and continues to be used by the Republican Party and Putin.
I practice Zen Buddhism. I can identify. My compassion goes to those he has injured, he gets none.. I find myself wishing very unZBuddhist curses on him and go do something else.
I feel the same way. I don't think anything will change him and he'll continue to lie and treat people horribly. A sad excuse/example of a human being.
Gingrich is just a more intelligent version of Trump, but with the same determination to give all American government power to corporate America, to the detriment of the middle and poor American classes! They want a version of a strong man like Putin or China’s president or Iran’s leader.
Like the guy in Gilbert and Sullivan "I have a little list/ of people who won't be missed ...." but I am short of a "Lord High Executioner" who needs practice.
Hans, thanks for your perspective. I have often wondered if Europe has the equivalent of what Mrs Clinton notoriously called the "deplorables". I have read that Europe has a significant hard core of anti-Semites, making it harder to find some convincing explanation for the size and anger of the poor white American underclass. As I wrote yesterday, if the best explanation of the present US political scene could be reduced to any single, simple cause, there would be fairly unanimous agreement about it; the fact that there is not seems to show that the explanation is much more complicated than we would like. My personal view is that inequality is the one thing that best explains most of our other problems, and the early Eurosettlers on our east coast brought it with them from Europe, where it was so well established that they were hardly aware of it. And even though we hear often about rising economic inequality, we never hear about the social inequality underlying it. The hardcore, true-believer Trumpists who will support Tchump no matter what belong to the lowest white class, who are barely aware, if at all, that they have been kept down since the very beginning of those east-coast colonies in the early 17th century. All they know is that promises. whether spoken or not, - for example, about jobs - have all been broken, they have good reason not to trust the federal government, and they are very, very angry. And that is exactly how the American oligarchs like it. Divide and conquer.
Rex, thank you for mentioning the low-income white people. I have read the history book by Nancy Isenberg entitled "White Trash," which tells the story of the landless people among the English settlers in North America. I have also read Dunbar-Ortiz's "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States." These works explain a lot about our social hierarchy. I do highly recommend Isenberg's book. I don't like that there really is a population of American Caucasians who feel forgotten or ignored by their country and their government. I would believe that some are "dirt poor," and being "white" does very little for them. They are poorly educated, and their "world" is narrow. They sense their interests are in competition with those of people of color. I do think this is so, but their ideas are not solutions to the problem.
Thanks, Roxanne. I have read Isenberg's White Trash, and it spoke to a curiosity I had had for years about how the European class system, especially that of Great Britain, was imported to America. The book showed that the class system was a central feature of American society from the start, but only in a single sentence, maybe in the final chapter, does Isenberg touch on how the class system is also a central feature of the American economic system. That is, IMHO, class and its inherent inequality are the central ugliness of American life, the fact that gives the lie to the so-called American Dream.
Interesting. My great aunt was a Rhodes Scholar in the 1930s, which was itself remarkable. But she left. The Oxford class system disgusted her. Nowadays we would call her a Progressive.
Thanks for your comment, Mary. I can only imagine what it was like for your great aunt. But I am reminded of an earlier thread about Tchump's outlook. I argued that he is much slimier than his class in general, but typical of his class in his assumptions about his innate superiority and inability to perceive his privilege. I imagine that your great aunt's Oxford experience was something like that.
Unfortunately Progressive ( or small p) has become a dirty word with some... a pejorative. I consider(ed) myself a progressive proudly because I am for mitigating inequality, more social programs, rights such as, voting, abortion, health care, access to higher education, excellent public education: the things that only government ( good government) can do or oversee. But progressivism has become allied with or accused of a constellation of things such that it gets accused of, excesses it is not responsible for or guilty of. Black lives Matter, for instance is a grass roots uprising- legitimate welcomed and supported by progressives. Of course progressives can be either wrong ( peace at all costs) or just too extreme for where the general population is at. I am a progressive. But regarding Putin's war on Ukraine, maybe not. Labels are a danger...lum[ping people when they can't really be lumped is not good either. I believe that progressivism and progressivists are absolutely necessary in a democracy and see it as our "growing tip".
I haven’t read those books, but have had friends who come from those roots. It was a matter of circumstance that pulled them out of that class and propelled them out of that class and into a profession. But don’t you think our “deplorable” are created by our national education system which is nonexistent. Our states are like separate countries with cultures g
I agree, Maggie mac, that our education system is failing poor whites, but I'm not sure that even the best education system would be enough to fix the problem, at least for the present generation. Maybe over several generations. Having listened to today's podcast on the hardhat riots of 1970, I am sure that education alone would not do the trick. The hardcore Trumpers are the descendants of the same poor whites who have been ignored, used and lied to for four centuries. They need the same opportunities that more privileged Americans - like me - take for granted.
Cultures and values some of which disparage education. I think other countries are more unified by cultural values of the entire country. Maybe I m wrong.
I have a BS in psychology. Research revealed about 40 or 50 years ago that the poor are more likely to blame other poor groups for their situation, while giving the wealthy a pass!
Both this research and an explanation of how the Supremes decided Citizens United are in the fourth book written by my former high-school friend Brian Rees titled How Reasonable Americans Could Support Trump. [Don't judge the book by its cover. Brian is on our side.]
I feel pretty much the same as you even though I speak English with a French accent.
All that is happening in the USA is likely to affect the whole world and we have absolutely NO say about it.
I am equally worried about American politics as I am about Russia even though we are likely to share more values with America than we are with Russia, China, Turkey or other authoritarian regimes.
In fact it seems to me that the US has the potential of becoming a duly elected such regime and this is very frightening.
Thank you. I so appreciate your looking in from the outside. I have become very pessimistic about our future and don’t see it becoming positive anytime soon unless we have huge election reform. So many emails come in requesting money to win - that should not be - it should be the vote. We cannot hope to regain Democracy if it hinges on greed. Maybe that’s our biggest problem. Is our society becoming so greedy and selfish everything depends on the all-might dollar?
Hans, you really are facing a dilemma. It is hard, I am sure, to live in a place where you see the train wreck about to happen, but can't do anything to stop it. A lot of us who see the kind of people Trump and his fans are but can't get their followers to stop gaping in pride and anticipation, feel a similar almost helplessness. We will keep trying though. I know you all will too.
As an American in Kentucky I shared your horror of Trump, and yet I told my sister shortly after the primaries I thought he would win (the Electoral College). As you know, Trump lost the popular vote by ?8? million votes. (I have been saying for 30 years that we needed to amend our Constitution to do away with the EC). Combine that with the Supreme Court ruling known as Citizen’s United, which ruled that corporate donations to PACs used to attack Democratic Candidates was “Free Speech” has produced disastrous results for American and world wide human beings! The third leg of this 3-legged stool, has been Mitch McConnell’s stacking of the USSupreme Court, with 6 ultra-conservative justices, out of 9 justices! I am praying the Supreme Court’s 6-3 overturning of has yanked enough women and their families out of their complacency to produce a huge Democratic wave in federal, state, and local governments across the US!
Thanks for your comment, CJ. As a personal note, my dad was born and raised on a farm near the tiny town of McQuady [which I believe no longer exists] in Breckenridge County in the far western tip of KY near MO, IL and IN [and TN], and I have scads of relatives there. My cousin Fred and his crew were out here in CA recently. They are the sweetest folks you can imagine. Agreed: the EC ought to go in the dustbin of history, there is ample reason to limit the Supremes' terms, and Citizens United was reasoned [badly] backward from its foregone conclusion. And I'll add another leg to the stool of reform: the Constitution.
My fear with a New Constitutional Congress is we will loss some of the hard fought rights Amendments have given us! With their corporate money and power, I fear a New Constitutional Congress would be dominated by the Ilya wealthy and corporate America!
I'm binge-watching NCIS and thousands of British murder mysteries to maintain a modicum of sanity. I don't watch Network television I don't watch the news. I do read your morning report and I read the Palmer report and the NPR newsletter and the Guardian report every morning. And that is enough news. I read a Poem a Day and I write short rom-coms which are often staged hither and thither. My husband is getting older and more and more disabled so we try to just sit out in our tiny back deck and look up into our beautiful oak tree every day. We send a little money to the six most flippable Senate races. This midterm election is the most important one in our lifetime. We are managing pretty well in these perilous times. Thanks for all you do.
I am near a wetland and see it daily, so I can relate to your appreciation for your Oak tree. Smoke from wild fires in our area this summer has caused me to focus even more on climate change. As a retired journalist, I am so glad to see you paying attention to several news outlets. I am especially concerned when people just give up on the news because it is depressing or disturbing. Wishing you a good week.
I'm a fan, admirer, and loyal subscriber, but I can't read your messages every day. You say that "they're sometimes alarming or grim, but they’re written from a set of values that I think we share." It's precisely BECAUSE we share those values that they're so depressing. Simon Rosenberg's "New, Bluer Election" cheers me up, but even if we do well in the midterms, I suspect we'll be tied up in challenges and lawsuits for a long time. My fondest wish for 2023 is that Merrick Garland puts Trump in prison for a long time. If that happens, we might actually see some Republicans recover their dignity and leave the cult behind.
Hope bloometh eternal, Jim. I'd still rather see the trumpster stripped of all his assets, but I really think 2023 will see at least some consequences for his crimes against America.
Robert: I absolutely love the story of your father -- hearing the music. What an exemplar for staying in the present and living fully while he/we can. Maybe I'll do another post later.....
Here's a snippet from The Second Coming, WB Yeats: ..."The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity" Thank goodness we, at least, do not lack conviction. Trumpers are certainly full of passionate intensity! And most Americans are probably just preoccupied with inflation. For myself, nature is my best anesthesia to the world including birdwatching, hiking, just sitting by the river. And the occasional You Tube puppy video. Got my ballot today. I'll spend a happy few minutes voting against Boebert.
Leslie, that is an interesting line to ponder. As much as I like Yeats, I am not sure he is right in this case. Some of the best people I have known had passionate conviction to truth, justice, and diversity. On the other hand, I am not sure anger and resentment necessarily count for passion. Maybe he was meaning the reverse, those who some call "best" have nothing and those seen as "worst" have the compassion. I am so glad you have the comfort of the outdoors. I live in an apartment complex where the owners have removed as much greenery as they could to make things look uniform. There is some grass, a few small trees, and a bush or two. When I moved in here 27 years ago, there were beautiful rhododendrons between balconies, ground cover on the banks up to the road, and tons of trees behind the buildings. Birds sang loudly and the insect sounds in summer were gorgeous. Now few birds remain here after they have raised their chicks in the rafters of the building. The rhododendrons are gone, and grass has replaced the pretty ground cover. I suspect a lot of places have ungreened like that, I guess to save time for the mowers. Then, there is the incinerator nearby that pumps stuff into the air that smells bad and contains who knows what. A disadvantaged city of color is in the direct path, we get what passes them by. I suspect it hasn't helped the birds much. Despite all that, I find walking outdoors a true deep pleasure. I guess even the small amounts of green can heal us.
That's a good analysis of those two lines. The final lines are "And what rough beast, it's hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?" Substitute America for Bethlehem and this embodies the Trumpist threat to me. And, fortunately, I live in the country where my neighbors are 3 beautiful horses, some goats and 2 friendly dogs. Everybody has chickens! In a half hour I can be in the Rockies. Now if we can only get rid of Boebert.
Hi Ruth, I'm so sorry that your apartment complex has been stripped of beauty. It makes me so grateful for the Senior Living where I am. We are surrounded by connected ponds and have been graced by a flock of feral Mallard ducks, They are feral not wild because they voluntarily live here year around. The new ducklings each spring bring endless delight. I also have a small assortment of doves, titmouses (little gray crested birds) scrub jays and other birds who visit my bird feeder daily, to my delight and my cats amusement.
Love the Dylan Thomas. But I don't think he wrote the last line. Interesting morning here. First a link from National Geographic introduced me to a soviet submariner who had to sign off on and was the only objector to firing a nuclear weapon during the Cuban missile crisis. Then, after reading, a link to another Russian who also held off on launching nuclear weapons in the weeks after the Korean Airliner was shot down for going over Russian territory in 1983. He had false alarms of a missile strike from us. Grim close call histories and horrors -- both supported by wikipedia accounts. But reading them has put me into a much more pacifist mood. So Peace.
Randy, maybe the lesson is that we need to teach our children from the beginning that life is precious and that thinking through a situation before choosing the deadly option is preferable and kind.
At the risk of seeming awfully high and mighty, I might criticize this entire social medium as mostly commiseration and very thin on constructive ideas. The urgency of the moment in US politics might seem to warrant a verbal slap in the face to those who merely seek the comfort of shared misery. But "rage, rage, rage" is more of the same. We ought to expect to see "irrelevant and immaterial" comments here. But we catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
BS. People report that they have registered dozens of new Democrats by themselves. IMHO tens of thousands are reached by republication. https://www.fieldteam6.org/volunteer-ops
Where I live registration is closed. Get out the vote. We need a ground game.
Daniel, thank you for the chance to revisit Thomas's poem. It is only now that I am older that I really appreciate the poem. I want to continue to "rage against the dying of the light" in more ways than one.
While shopping the other day, i saw an Asian woman with a small child admiring a new car that was for sale. On impulse, I stopped and said, "Nice car isn't it?" She agreed that it was. Whereupon I followed with, "See those letters on the front, BMW, they mean Break My Wallet." And we both cackled loudly with laughter. It felt good to connect with a complete stranger in that way. Not easy to do now-a-days.
Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC tonight discussed THE LEWIS POWELL MEMO in some depth in conjunction with interviewing Senator Whitehouse about his new book, THE SCHEME, which I plan to read.
Meanwhile, I do appreciate your postings very much.
Over here in the UK, led by an incompetent government in complete disarray, galloping inflation, food shortages, etc, all of which affect the most vulnerable disproportionately, it is more important than ever to hear the music under the noise of the media
Praise be all you good people, Truss is just about now gone..! Unlikely we'll see a general election, but at the moment, I just want to see at least some UK Government competence. Any competence at all would be an improvement..! In the meantime, I'm going to immerse myself in that emotionally so powerful Dylan Thomas poem further up this thread, soothed maybe with a bit of Vaughan Williams in the background, perhaps his achingly beautiful Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis...
I am almost paralyzed with mental exhaustion, thank you for asking. I hope you and most of your readers are doing better than I am. But rather than listening to a Dorsey, I'll settle for some good Hendrix, or Vanilla Fudge. Something to help me forget about 2022 for awhile...
Thank you Robert. I feel we are like minded and could be friends if we met. So thank you Robert for the clarity you bring some mornings and sharing your views of our crazy world. It can be a little unsettling some mornings, but it is the reality our world is in today. I appreciate the clarity you bring to my morning coffee. My wife and I make time for each other daily in our shared life and after 53 years still have a positive out look of our world. Joy is there if we share our life with the people we love. One of our daughters gave birth to twins a week ago which has brought more joy into our family. It's there, joy, one has to only stop and breath a breath of life. That's how I am seeing the world. Thanks for asking.
Jon and I also hit 53 years, in Sept. We were a lot more optimistic about the world 53 years ago, weren't we?? We try and find those moments in each day also to share the time we have left together. Thanks, Gerald. Carol
Honest answer: overwhelmed and anxious, angry much of the time. From polls on cable news it seems that democracy and reproductive rights have been replaced by worries about the price of gas.
Assuming polls are accurate, I am appalled that people are so shallow and short sighted. If we have no democracy, people will have a great deal more to worry about than gasoline. I feel terrible that I will be leaving my children and my innocent grandbabies in this mess.
Trump has made war on ( in historical order as best I can remember) Mexicans, Muslims, Chinese, blacks, and, recently, Jews.
Women who think for themselves are always in season for Trump attacks, verbal and physical. No members of these groups should ever vote Republican. It is obvious that Republicans will not ever consider their health or welfare.
Trump, the walking crime wave, wants to be President again of maybe 20% of the country and Republicans are backing him up.
If that happens, he will start finding fault with much of that 20% and, eventually, be left with his family, a few sociopaths like Roger Stone, and some of the Secret Service.
A MAGA government will not be able to run a functional society.
I am amazed, too, that people are so short sighted! You voiced my thoughts. It seems that a large segment of society is not concerned with democracy at all, just the price of groceries and gas. They will wake up when Social Secuity and Medicare end, and if birth control is outlawed. And when they try to vote the rational people back in they will discover the elections are REALLY rigged.
If I were to answer this question without thought at first my eyes begin to water. My heart is heavy. I feel burdened. I feel forgotten. I feel I'm rotting away ever so slowly ever nearer to my death each day. My mind is overwhelmed. I hurt for Ukraine. I hurt for America. I hurt for the gassed children in Syria. What did they ever do to anyone to deserve to die from chemicals as we all watch the PBS News Hour? I was eating dinner. My son and I were shocked and dismayed. I feel numb and I don't. I feel raw and angry. Too many people taking advantage of each other. Businesses skinning us alive charging $5 for frozen mac and cheese. Not a huge container. Toilet paper $30. The issues of bigotry and race. Well, the truth is there are many racists of all colors. There is such a thing as reverse racism. The very people calling out others racists ARE racists themselves. They just do it in secret with others like themselves.
I live on social security and my pension and I'm not making it lately. I had to take a couple of credit cards out to pay for groceries, meds, and my pet's visit to the vet. I'm cashed out. I'm a writer on Medium and have made $8. this month. This is not enough to live on.
I'm retired and am on oxygen 24/7 so it's not like I can go out and get a job.
I have lots to say, but no one wants to listen.
Whatever happened to the "Common Good"? Why is all of a sudden the "Common Good" a bad thing?
Why the hell would anyone want fascism? WHY?
Alright, alright, alright. If you want to help and give someone a thoughtful, intelligent, stocking stuffer gift, please consider giving them a gift subscription to Medium. I'm on Medium as a freelance writer. There are many great writers here. Why because we love to write. We love to read. And, if you do, or know someone who does, please, consider a gift subscription. It's $5. monthly or $50. a year. It would help me a great deal. Maybe I'll be able to buy something other than hamburger and maybe afford a new nightgown or two. Here's how: https://lsocha2018.medium.com/subscribe Here's one of my stories: https://medium.com/politically-speaking/f-k-my-bleeding-liberal-heart-3ee74f6f650d
Good morning, Lucy Socha. I am a Medium member and will make a point of watching for your stories and clapping. I see you have an impressive 2.3 thousand followers, so you are definitely pulling your weight (and I thank you).
Hi Raffey, How pleasant it is to hear from you! I have read a few of your stories. All excellent. You're welcome. I, especially, enjoy stories such as yours because it is rare knowledge. It is not something talked about enough. I hope you write and share a lot more. You're welcome!
Hi back, Lucy. Thank you for such a kind comment. You've tickled my fancy.
I've been a busy commenter on Medium. But yesterday, I published my very first, stand-alone article (I'll put link below). I refrained from publishing my work, because my views are rooted in my life and work in rural America. For years, I searched and searched, but could not find a rural progressive voice anywhere (not mainstream media, not social media, not podcasts, not anywhere). One rural progressive against all urban and rural conservatives is a dumb idea and a waste of time.
And then, last year, I stumbled on some other rural progressives on social media and the Guardian. I'm looking for an orchestra, not a solo act, so I was patient, kept up with their work, found their patterns and worked on my rhyme and rhythm. As I said, I published my very first article on Medium yesterday . I haven't bothered to figure out how writers get paid, but I'll worry about that later.
I love your written attitude. If you were my neighbor, we'd be gabbing on a regular basis. :)
Hi Kay, as I often say, Beau is the best rural voice in the country. Thank you for taking the time to tune in and listen. Oddly enough, I find Beau's reports soothing. I have a bearded son-in-law and another one of my own, plus a community loaded with those beards so I know beards do not make the man, or the mind. :)
I don't have a reference for it, but I have read that a sizeable part of the US population LONGS for an American caudillo, a strongman who will cut through the crap, shut the political windbags up and give us settlement, closure and simplicity. Those people see politics as nothing but a shitshow, nothing but self-serving BS and broken promises. And there is a lot of truth to that perspective. They have never believed in democracy because it has not benefitted them; they have always been near the bottom. So they don't care about our democratic institutions; in fact, they are so angry that they would love to see those institutions blown away, just for a change. They don't see how things could be much worse. [That was how Obama got elected. ] And if the nonwhites at the very bottom of the ladder could be punished and made to suffer more than they already do, so much the better as far as the proto-fascists are concerned; that would make them feel not quite so badly off. As LBJ said: "If you can convince the lowest, poorest white man that he is better than the most successful black man, he won't mind that you are picking his pocket. In fact, he'll empty his pockets for you."
LBJ said that? Yeah, I've heard it before, but it never sent a chill down my back as it does now. Wow! Still, I think Beto would do well for all of us and Bernie Sanders. I've always liked Bernie. What does society teach us these days? Society teaches us that money talks and talk is cheap. It, also, teaches us not to give up on Democracy. Democracy is solid, good, government. The only fair choice. The rule of law is being trampled on and raped by those who have no integrity whatsoever. We should not allow this.
Hey Rex, regarding your comment about Obama. I think you are right. At least that was my read of rural sentiments where I live and work.
A whole lot of people really did think that a black man would get in office and use his power to put the elites, experts and junk politicians in their place. These people were furious when Obama tried to get along with lawmakers. The way they saw it, Obama was betraying them, selling them out and sacrificing them to the wolves of wall street.
Bush's war in Iraq and Afghanistan had destroyed trust in the Republican Party. However, the Tea Party's goal of taking back the Republican Party, rather than the Democratic Party, was a backlash against Obama. They were punishing Obama, for betraying them.
8 years later, that sentiment elected Donald Trump.
Thanks very much, raffey, for validating my comment. It looks as though you believe, as I do, that, sad to say, aside from ACA, Obama's major legacy is Donald J. Trump.
Rex, you are right about a whole lot of people, but I do not share that opinion.
Obama exposed how deep and pervasive the rich and powerful had dug into American systems. By the time Obama got elected, the American systems were corrupted beyond repair. That is Bush's legacy, not Obama's.
Obama's legacy is stabilizing the systems enough to give us, the American people, a chance to correct course. Strategically speaking, the ACA was brilliant. By impacting every system in the country, the ACA forced change throughout every system. The elites are still howling with rage.
Unfortunately, we, the American people, had grown so dependent on politicians, we had no sense of our own power, let alone how to use it. As you say, people were looking for a "savior" and Donald Trump was happy to fill that order.
In 2020, people finally picked themselves up and voted. It was enough to throw Trump out of the White House. In 3 weeks, Americans have to decide if they are surrendering, or standing up and fighting for themselves.
The Culture War, was our second civil war and it wore us out and drained us dry. I do not believe Americans are willing to fight anymore. They want peace at any price. The price of peace, is Republican control of Congress and Trump's return to power. We have a long, painful and bloody road ahead of us.
Thanks for your reply, raffey. I could quibble about certain details of your reply, but overall, I agree with it: We do have a long, hard, and likely bloody road ahead of us.
I'm afraid so, Rex. I'm pacing myself and digging in for the long haul.
Before I leave this earth, I am determined to see the end of this Republic, and the birth of Democracy. Until then, I will be voting - nothing and no one can stop me.
How am I ? ... It takes a minute to mentally condense the "doge-ball" scenario each and every one of us must experience daily. I could be a lot better, if I am honest. that's the truth.
Thank you for your words of encouragement Prof. Reich! Difficult times with unprecedented cocktail of drivers. Adding week, populist ineffective leaderships across the globe in almost every country. This is not just a USA problem, it's global, it's quick and it effects everyone. I remember reading about the step-by-step declines similar to what we are experiencing today and it's difficult not to be concerned.
I call to the members of this group, where ever you are in the world, to be empowered, take leadership within their own environment and echo the messages you hear and read in this group, calmly and rationally educate the people around you.
Thank you so much Professor Reich for all of your posts. In these times I am inspired by them. What makes me sad is not so much the rubbish a certain party spews but the number of people who care more about their particular cause such as power over their opponents then then they do about democracy, the right to free and fair elections and our liberties that give us a shot at justice and fairness for all including economic justice. Your posts help us to carry on in spite of this. Thank you.
Excellent writing, thank you. I live in a wonderful community with which you are familiar Like everyone else, I am two steps from being absolutely overwhelmed. Music. art, being connected, nature, NPR and such, gets me through. These are really tough times. It certainly could be worse, though, and if TFG gets in, it will get much worse. We seem to be whistling in the wind.
Yes, it is good to receive a reminder to stop, listen and even dance once in a while. I get joy out of commuting (yes, commuting) on an electric bike. Even in the cold, the fresh air, the clear vision, the view, refreshes. And then there is the understanding that my commute did not contribute to climate disaster. So I smile when I arrive at work, and smile on the return home. Then I read about politics and I lose it... Oh well.
Thanks Robert for reaching out to your audience...very much appreciated. Not being an American and neither living in the US, I am a bit more distant from it all. However, living in the free West, whatever happens in US affects our lives to and what makes us stressed about American politics is that we have little or no influence over it but do have to deal with the consequences. Before December 2015 American politics generally was not a direct worry for me because America seemed to be able to self correct However when visiting friends in Texas around Xmas 2015 all this changed . Because our hosts wanted to see it, I got to attend a broadcast of one of the GOP presidential primaries...never having heard of him before, it was the first time I heard Trump speaking........ cold chills went through my spine when I heard him speaking. However what was even worse was the enthusiast response to him by of the audience in the room, most of them people I had known for years, worked with all over the world ......and even worse it was fuelled by hatred against Democrats in general, and more particular, a black president. I thought I knew these people but how wrong was I. I remember telling my wife that Trump would be bad for America and us but that he had a good chance to win. Of course we all know the outcome and the how it affected and still does affect the world......In my perception it has gotten even worse since he was voted out and despite Biden' efforts. I find it impossible to grasp what is happening. Is the current reality in the US so bad that people prefer to be deceived by bullies, cheaters and fascists rather than tackle the problems together? I guess November will tell us but if one elects cheaters and bullies into government, don't be surprised if one gets cheated and bullied. In the mean time, I am focussing on where possible getting less dependent of what is happening in America, which is not that easy to be fair......
I believe you speak for many Americans thoughts and, feelings regarding the political climate in the United States. I honestly can’t stand to hear trumps voice nor do I want to look at him in the never ending 24/7 media. The only word I will use to describe him is repulsive. And, that is being too kind.
Pam, yes, "repulsive" for Trump is good. Childish (or perhaps infantile), ignorant, and unscrupulous come to mind but I think those all can be covered by repulsive. It is too bad our media couldn't start using that word when describing Trump.
Yes Ruth, it’s difficult to describe somebody so horrible, without seeming so horrible myself or to others. I don’t want to feel so negative about him or a political party, but he and the republicans make it too hard to not despise the open cruelty and disregard for our constitution, our humanity and, our democracy. But, I still believe they and their fascist movement are the minority. They just have the money to buy the media and unscrupulous politicians to amplify their cruet, anti democracy, fascist message.
Ruth
The one skill Trump has is being a master manipulator. He honed in on the resentment the uneducated have for people who went to college, who have white-collar jobs, or who don't live paycheck to paycheck. He exploited their need to scapegoat others for their problems; immigrants are taking their jobs, people of color get benefits they don't, women get the promotion and become their supervisors.
Trump exploited their anger for his own gain. He doesn't care a whit about them. They don't realize he is using them and don't get it when he openly mocks them.
This is so true!
I'm sickened by him too. He's got some formula of tone and movements that mesmerizes his followers, the hands, the super creepy way he talks, it's not accidental.
I agree.
My feelings exactly. He spews lies and hatred so much that I have to turn it off.
Repulsive yes. Inside and out.
Janet, you described exactly how I feel about him. And his cruelty is beyond the pale.
Janet I feel the same. I try so hard to not think hateful thoughts about Trump and his minions, but it’s beyond difficult. Even if Trump dies the GOP has enough clones that I fear we will not be able to stop the crazy train!
Janet FYI he is not mentally ill. He has a personality disorder and is a text book sociopath. The differences he knows right from wrong.
I say this as a psychologist. He is a very dangerous man and will stop at nothing to feed his psychopathy.
I understand how you feel. And that is why he is so dangerous. I, too, want to feel empathy for him because I believe he is devoid of self awareness. But, it is why he has no business being a political party leader. I believe that is why he was and continues to be used by the Republican Party and Putin.
I practice Zen Buddhism. I can identify. My compassion goes to those he has injured, he gets none.. I find myself wishing very unZBuddhist curses on him and go do something else.
I feel the same way. I don't think anything will change him and he'll continue to lie and treat people horribly. A sad excuse/example of a human being.
Newt Gingrich has the same effect on me. I don't understand the attraction that women have for tfg...he has always given me the creeps. (shudder)
Gingrich is just a more intelligent version of Trump, but with the same determination to give all American government power to corporate America, to the detriment of the middle and poor American classes! They want a version of a strong man like Putin or China’s president or Iran’s leader.
I knew tfg was a walking disaster the first time I heard him give a speech. The man is an idiot!
Like the guy in Gilbert and Sullivan "I have a little list/ of people who won't be missed ...." but I am short of a "Lord High Executioner" who needs practice.
Hans, thanks for your perspective. I have often wondered if Europe has the equivalent of what Mrs Clinton notoriously called the "deplorables". I have read that Europe has a significant hard core of anti-Semites, making it harder to find some convincing explanation for the size and anger of the poor white American underclass. As I wrote yesterday, if the best explanation of the present US political scene could be reduced to any single, simple cause, there would be fairly unanimous agreement about it; the fact that there is not seems to show that the explanation is much more complicated than we would like. My personal view is that inequality is the one thing that best explains most of our other problems, and the early Eurosettlers on our east coast brought it with them from Europe, where it was so well established that they were hardly aware of it. And even though we hear often about rising economic inequality, we never hear about the social inequality underlying it. The hardcore, true-believer Trumpists who will support Tchump no matter what belong to the lowest white class, who are barely aware, if at all, that they have been kept down since the very beginning of those east-coast colonies in the early 17th century. All they know is that promises. whether spoken or not, - for example, about jobs - have all been broken, they have good reason not to trust the federal government, and they are very, very angry. And that is exactly how the American oligarchs like it. Divide and conquer.
Rex, thank you for mentioning the low-income white people. I have read the history book by Nancy Isenberg entitled "White Trash," which tells the story of the landless people among the English settlers in North America. I have also read Dunbar-Ortiz's "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States." These works explain a lot about our social hierarchy. I do highly recommend Isenberg's book. I don't like that there really is a population of American Caucasians who feel forgotten or ignored by their country and their government. I would believe that some are "dirt poor," and being "white" does very little for them. They are poorly educated, and their "world" is narrow. They sense their interests are in competition with those of people of color. I do think this is so, but their ideas are not solutions to the problem.
Thanks, Roxanne. I have read Isenberg's White Trash, and it spoke to a curiosity I had had for years about how the European class system, especially that of Great Britain, was imported to America. The book showed that the class system was a central feature of American society from the start, but only in a single sentence, maybe in the final chapter, does Isenberg touch on how the class system is also a central feature of the American economic system. That is, IMHO, class and its inherent inequality are the central ugliness of American life, the fact that gives the lie to the so-called American Dream.
Interesting. My great aunt was a Rhodes Scholar in the 1930s, which was itself remarkable. But she left. The Oxford class system disgusted her. Nowadays we would call her a Progressive.
Thanks for your comment, Mary. I can only imagine what it was like for your great aunt. But I am reminded of an earlier thread about Tchump's outlook. I argued that he is much slimier than his class in general, but typical of his class in his assumptions about his innate superiority and inability to perceive his privilege. I imagine that your great aunt's Oxford experience was something like that.
Unfortunately Progressive ( or small p) has become a dirty word with some... a pejorative. I consider(ed) myself a progressive proudly because I am for mitigating inequality, more social programs, rights such as, voting, abortion, health care, access to higher education, excellent public education: the things that only government ( good government) can do or oversee. But progressivism has become allied with or accused of a constellation of things such that it gets accused of, excesses it is not responsible for or guilty of. Black lives Matter, for instance is a grass roots uprising- legitimate welcomed and supported by progressives. Of course progressives can be either wrong ( peace at all costs) or just too extreme for where the general population is at. I am a progressive. But regarding Putin's war on Ukraine, maybe not. Labels are a danger...lum[ping people when they can't really be lumped is not good either. I believe that progressivism and progressivists are absolutely necessary in a democracy and see it as our "growing tip".
I haven’t read those books, but have had friends who come from those roots. It was a matter of circumstance that pulled them out of that class and propelled them out of that class and into a profession. But don’t you think our “deplorable” are created by our national education system which is nonexistent. Our states are like separate countries with cultures g
I agree, Maggie mac, that our education system is failing poor whites, but I'm not sure that even the best education system would be enough to fix the problem, at least for the present generation. Maybe over several generations. Having listened to today's podcast on the hardhat riots of 1970, I am sure that education alone would not do the trick. The hardcore Trumpers are the descendants of the same poor whites who have been ignored, used and lied to for four centuries. They need the same opportunities that more privileged Americans - like me - take for granted.
I agree with you on that Rex. I don’t think there’s a magic bullet. The study of history roves that.
Cultures and values some of which disparage education. I think other countries are more unified by cultural values of the entire country. Maybe I m wrong.
Rex, your articulate piece could not represent my thinking, my take on all this, any better. Thank you for your excellent post.
I have a BS in psychology. Research revealed about 40 or 50 years ago that the poor are more likely to blame other poor groups for their situation, while giving the wealthy a pass!
Both this research and an explanation of how the Supremes decided Citizens United are in the fourth book written by my former high-school friend Brian Rees titled How Reasonable Americans Could Support Trump. [Don't judge the book by its cover. Brian is on our side.]
Thank you for this info!
Hello Hans, Robert and all of you!
I feel pretty much the same as you even though I speak English with a French accent.
All that is happening in the USA is likely to affect the whole world and we have absolutely NO say about it.
I am equally worried about American politics as I am about Russia even though we are likely to share more values with America than we are with Russia, China, Turkey or other authoritarian regimes.
In fact it seems to me that the US has the potential of becoming a duly elected such regime and this is very frightening.
Wake up America before it is too late
My fear too!
Thank you. I so appreciate your looking in from the outside. I have become very pessimistic about our future and don’t see it becoming positive anytime soon unless we have huge election reform. So many emails come in requesting money to win - that should not be - it should be the vote. We cannot hope to regain Democracy if it hinges on greed. Maybe that’s our biggest problem. Is our society becoming so greedy and selfish everything depends on the all-might dollar?
That's why we call it "The Big Lie".
Hans, you really are facing a dilemma. It is hard, I am sure, to live in a place where you see the train wreck about to happen, but can't do anything to stop it. A lot of us who see the kind of people Trump and his fans are but can't get their followers to stop gaping in pride and anticipation, feel a similar almost helplessness. We will keep trying though. I know you all will too.
So great to hear your perspective Hans - thank you!
As an American in Kentucky I shared your horror of Trump, and yet I told my sister shortly after the primaries I thought he would win (the Electoral College). As you know, Trump lost the popular vote by ?8? million votes. (I have been saying for 30 years that we needed to amend our Constitution to do away with the EC). Combine that with the Supreme Court ruling known as Citizen’s United, which ruled that corporate donations to PACs used to attack Democratic Candidates was “Free Speech” has produced disastrous results for American and world wide human beings! The third leg of this 3-legged stool, has been Mitch McConnell’s stacking of the USSupreme Court, with 6 ultra-conservative justices, out of 9 justices! I am praying the Supreme Court’s 6-3 overturning of has yanked enough women and their families out of their complacency to produce a huge Democratic wave in federal, state, and local governments across the US!
Thanks for your comment, CJ. As a personal note, my dad was born and raised on a farm near the tiny town of McQuady [which I believe no longer exists] in Breckenridge County in the far western tip of KY near MO, IL and IN [and TN], and I have scads of relatives there. My cousin Fred and his crew were out here in CA recently. They are the sweetest folks you can imagine. Agreed: the EC ought to go in the dustbin of history, there is ample reason to limit the Supremes' terms, and Citizens United was reasoned [badly] backward from its foregone conclusion. And I'll add another leg to the stool of reform: the Constitution.
My fear with a New Constitutional Congress is we will loss some of the hard fought rights Amendments have given us! With their corporate money and power, I fear a New Constitutional Congress would be dominated by the Ilya wealthy and corporate America!
I'm binge-watching NCIS and thousands of British murder mysteries to maintain a modicum of sanity. I don't watch Network television I don't watch the news. I do read your morning report and I read the Palmer report and the NPR newsletter and the Guardian report every morning. And that is enough news. I read a Poem a Day and I write short rom-coms which are often staged hither and thither. My husband is getting older and more and more disabled so we try to just sit out in our tiny back deck and look up into our beautiful oak tree every day. We send a little money to the six most flippable Senate races. This midterm election is the most important one in our lifetime. We are managing pretty well in these perilous times. Thanks for all you do.
I have an 850 year old oak tree in my life. It is a reminder that my life is short and nature will endure. Both action-inspiring and calming!
I am near a wetland and see it daily, so I can relate to your appreciation for your Oak tree. Smoke from wild fires in our area this summer has caused me to focus even more on climate change. As a retired journalist, I am so glad to see you paying attention to several news outlets. I am especially concerned when people just give up on the news because it is depressing or disturbing. Wishing you a good week.
Judith Raunig-Graham
why all the violent programs....
I'm a fan, admirer, and loyal subscriber, but I can't read your messages every day. You say that "they're sometimes alarming or grim, but they’re written from a set of values that I think we share." It's precisely BECAUSE we share those values that they're so depressing. Simon Rosenberg's "New, Bluer Election" cheers me up, but even if we do well in the midterms, I suspect we'll be tied up in challenges and lawsuits for a long time. My fondest wish for 2023 is that Merrick Garland puts Trump in prison for a long time. If that happens, we might actually see some Republicans recover their dignity and leave the cult behind.
Hope bloometh eternal, Jim. I'd still rather see the trumpster stripped of all his assets, but I really think 2023 will see at least some consequences for his crimes against America.
It better. It’s been a long time coming, and the slow hand of justice in this case is a form of torture.
Robert: I absolutely love the story of your father -- hearing the music. What an exemplar for staying in the present and living fully while he/we can. Maybe I'll do another post later.....
"Staying in the present." Gestalt.
Do not go gentle into that good night
Dylan Thomas - 1914-1953
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
KICK SOME FASCIST ASS.
RAGE RAGE RAGE
Against the lying of the right.
Guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Daniel, I love it! "lying of the right." Maybe someone should make a parody of the whole poem.
Here's a snippet from The Second Coming, WB Yeats: ..."The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity" Thank goodness we, at least, do not lack conviction. Trumpers are certainly full of passionate intensity! And most Americans are probably just preoccupied with inflation. For myself, nature is my best anesthesia to the world including birdwatching, hiking, just sitting by the river. And the occasional You Tube puppy video. Got my ballot today. I'll spend a happy few minutes voting against Boebert.
Leslie, that is an interesting line to ponder. As much as I like Yeats, I am not sure he is right in this case. Some of the best people I have known had passionate conviction to truth, justice, and diversity. On the other hand, I am not sure anger and resentment necessarily count for passion. Maybe he was meaning the reverse, those who some call "best" have nothing and those seen as "worst" have the compassion. I am so glad you have the comfort of the outdoors. I live in an apartment complex where the owners have removed as much greenery as they could to make things look uniform. There is some grass, a few small trees, and a bush or two. When I moved in here 27 years ago, there were beautiful rhododendrons between balconies, ground cover on the banks up to the road, and tons of trees behind the buildings. Birds sang loudly and the insect sounds in summer were gorgeous. Now few birds remain here after they have raised their chicks in the rafters of the building. The rhododendrons are gone, and grass has replaced the pretty ground cover. I suspect a lot of places have ungreened like that, I guess to save time for the mowers. Then, there is the incinerator nearby that pumps stuff into the air that smells bad and contains who knows what. A disadvantaged city of color is in the direct path, we get what passes them by. I suspect it hasn't helped the birds much. Despite all that, I find walking outdoors a true deep pleasure. I guess even the small amounts of green can heal us.
That's a good analysis of those two lines. The final lines are "And what rough beast, it's hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?" Substitute America for Bethlehem and this embodies the Trumpist threat to me. And, fortunately, I live in the country where my neighbors are 3 beautiful horses, some goats and 2 friendly dogs. Everybody has chickens! In a half hour I can be in the Rockies. Now if we can only get rid of Boebert.
Hi Ruth, I'm so sorry that your apartment complex has been stripped of beauty. It makes me so grateful for the Senior Living where I am. We are surrounded by connected ponds and have been graced by a flock of feral Mallard ducks, They are feral not wild because they voluntarily live here year around. The new ducklings each spring bring endless delight. I also have a small assortment of doves, titmouses (little gray crested birds) scrub jays and other birds who visit my bird feeder daily, to my delight and my cats amusement.
Yes! You go, girl!
My favorite poem
Love the Dylan Thomas. But I don't think he wrote the last line. Interesting morning here. First a link from National Geographic introduced me to a soviet submariner who had to sign off on and was the only objector to firing a nuclear weapon during the Cuban missile crisis. Then, after reading, a link to another Russian who also held off on launching nuclear weapons in the weeks after the Korean Airliner was shot down for going over Russian territory in 1983. He had false alarms of a missile strike from us. Grim close call histories and horrors -- both supported by wikipedia accounts. But reading them has put me into a much more pacifist mood. So Peace.
Irrelevant and immaterial.
Consider self defense.
Two weeks to save our country.
Let's hope the anger/hopeless/helpless/furious feelings Americans have will drive them to the polls for real change.
Lets hope those who can have already voted or will vote.
It's all important.
Randy, maybe the lesson is that we need to teach our children from the beginning that life is precious and that thinking through a situation before choosing the deadly option is preferable and kind.
At the risk of seeming awfully high and mighty, I might criticize this entire social medium as mostly commiseration and very thin on constructive ideas. The urgency of the moment in US politics might seem to warrant a verbal slap in the face to those who merely seek the comfort of shared misery. But "rage, rage, rage" is more of the same. We ought to expect to see "irrelevant and immaterial" comments here. But we catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
BS. People report that they have registered dozens of new Democrats by themselves. IMHO tens of thousands are reached by republication. https://www.fieldteam6.org/volunteer-ops
Where I live registration is closed. Get out the vote. We need a ground game.
It's not just you.
Daniel, thank you for the chance to revisit Thomas's poem. It is only now that I am older that I really appreciate the poem. I want to continue to "rage against the dying of the light" in more ways than one.
While shopping the other day, i saw an Asian woman with a small child admiring a new car that was for sale. On impulse, I stopped and said, "Nice car isn't it?" She agreed that it was. Whereupon I followed with, "See those letters on the front, BMW, they mean Break My Wallet." And we both cackled loudly with laughter. It felt good to connect with a complete stranger in that way. Not easy to do now-a-days.
Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC tonight discussed THE LEWIS POWELL MEMO in some depth in conjunction with interviewing Senator Whitehouse about his new book, THE SCHEME, which I plan to read.
Meanwhile, I do appreciate your postings very much.
Yes, those brief interactions with strangers really do enhance the day-to-day.
This important to communicate to all people and follow with positive alternative visions of economics.
Over here in the UK, led by an incompetent government in complete disarray, galloping inflation, food shortages, etc, all of which affect the most vulnerable disproportionately, it is more important than ever to hear the music under the noise of the media
Take care...all will sort out. Look for the Opa! Moments.
Praise be all you good people, Truss is just about now gone..! Unlikely we'll see a general election, but at the moment, I just want to see at least some UK Government competence. Any competence at all would be an improvement..! In the meantime, I'm going to immerse myself in that emotionally so powerful Dylan Thomas poem further up this thread, soothed maybe with a bit of Vaughan Williams in the background, perhaps his achingly beautiful Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis...
Thank you Professor Reich for all you do and all you are. Your presence in this insane world we live in, for me, is the music I dance to gleefully.
I am almost paralyzed with mental exhaustion, thank you for asking. I hope you and most of your readers are doing better than I am. But rather than listening to a Dorsey, I'll settle for some good Hendrix, or Vanilla Fudge. Something to help me forget about 2022 for awhile...
Gosh, I haven’t heard “Vanilla Fudge”...in ages! That brings a smile to me, Flora!
Add some Cream, sit back, and enjoy.
Try “Shine on Brightly” by Procul Harum.
Thank you Robert. I feel we are like minded and could be friends if we met. So thank you Robert for the clarity you bring some mornings and sharing your views of our crazy world. It can be a little unsettling some mornings, but it is the reality our world is in today. I appreciate the clarity you bring to my morning coffee. My wife and I make time for each other daily in our shared life and after 53 years still have a positive out look of our world. Joy is there if we share our life with the people we love. One of our daughters gave birth to twins a week ago which has brought more joy into our family. It's there, joy, one has to only stop and breath a breath of life. That's how I am seeing the world. Thanks for asking.
Congratulations! I remember the optimism & resolve I felt when my girls were born.
Jon and I also hit 53 years, in Sept. We were a lot more optimistic about the world 53 years ago, weren't we?? We try and find those moments in each day also to share the time we have left together. Thanks, Gerald. Carol
What a lovely reminder to "stop and hear the music" - THANK YOU Robert Reich!!
Honest answer: overwhelmed and anxious, angry much of the time. From polls on cable news it seems that democracy and reproductive rights have been replaced by worries about the price of gas.
Assuming polls are accurate, I am appalled that people are so shallow and short sighted. If we have no democracy, people will have a great deal more to worry about than gasoline. I feel terrible that I will be leaving my children and my innocent grandbabies in this mess.
Trump has made war on ( in historical order as best I can remember) Mexicans, Muslims, Chinese, blacks, and, recently, Jews.
Women who think for themselves are always in season for Trump attacks, verbal and physical. No members of these groups should ever vote Republican. It is obvious that Republicans will not ever consider their health or welfare.
Trump, the walking crime wave, wants to be President again of maybe 20% of the country and Republicans are backing him up.
If that happens, he will start finding fault with much of that 20% and, eventually, be left with his family, a few sociopaths like Roger Stone, and some of the Secret Service.
A MAGA government will not be able to run a functional society.
I am amazed, too, that people are so short sighted! You voiced my thoughts. It seems that a large segment of society is not concerned with democracy at all, just the price of groceries and gas. They will wake up when Social Secuity and Medicare end, and if birth control is outlawed. And when they try to vote the rational people back in they will discover the elections are REALLY rigged.
I agree with your prediction.
All rational people have to vote for Democrats this time or there won’t be a next time.
The trumpster doesn't want a functional society GrAnnie, he wants endless adulation and the MAGA maggots supply it in spades.
Don't forget $$$$$ along w/ the adulation and power.
If I were to answer this question without thought at first my eyes begin to water. My heart is heavy. I feel burdened. I feel forgotten. I feel I'm rotting away ever so slowly ever nearer to my death each day. My mind is overwhelmed. I hurt for Ukraine. I hurt for America. I hurt for the gassed children in Syria. What did they ever do to anyone to deserve to die from chemicals as we all watch the PBS News Hour? I was eating dinner. My son and I were shocked and dismayed. I feel numb and I don't. I feel raw and angry. Too many people taking advantage of each other. Businesses skinning us alive charging $5 for frozen mac and cheese. Not a huge container. Toilet paper $30. The issues of bigotry and race. Well, the truth is there are many racists of all colors. There is such a thing as reverse racism. The very people calling out others racists ARE racists themselves. They just do it in secret with others like themselves.
I live on social security and my pension and I'm not making it lately. I had to take a couple of credit cards out to pay for groceries, meds, and my pet's visit to the vet. I'm cashed out. I'm a writer on Medium and have made $8. this month. This is not enough to live on.
I'm retired and am on oxygen 24/7 so it's not like I can go out and get a job.
I have lots to say, but no one wants to listen.
Whatever happened to the "Common Good"? Why is all of a sudden the "Common Good" a bad thing?
Why the hell would anyone want fascism? WHY?
Alright, alright, alright. If you want to help and give someone a thoughtful, intelligent, stocking stuffer gift, please consider giving them a gift subscription to Medium. I'm on Medium as a freelance writer. There are many great writers here. Why because we love to write. We love to read. And, if you do, or know someone who does, please, consider a gift subscription. It's $5. monthly or $50. a year. It would help me a great deal. Maybe I'll be able to buy something other than hamburger and maybe afford a new nightgown or two. Here's how: https://lsocha2018.medium.com/subscribe Here's one of my stories: https://medium.com/politically-speaking/f-k-my-bleeding-liberal-heart-3ee74f6f650d
Good morning, Lucy Socha. I am a Medium member and will make a point of watching for your stories and clapping. I see you have an impressive 2.3 thousand followers, so you are definitely pulling your weight (and I thank you).
Hi Raffey, How pleasant it is to hear from you! I have read a few of your stories. All excellent. You're welcome. I, especially, enjoy stories such as yours because it is rare knowledge. It is not something talked about enough. I hope you write and share a lot more. You're welcome!
Hi back, Lucy. Thank you for such a kind comment. You've tickled my fancy.
I've been a busy commenter on Medium. But yesterday, I published my very first, stand-alone article (I'll put link below). I refrained from publishing my work, because my views are rooted in my life and work in rural America. For years, I searched and searched, but could not find a rural progressive voice anywhere (not mainstream media, not social media, not podcasts, not anywhere). One rural progressive against all urban and rural conservatives is a dumb idea and a waste of time.
And then, last year, I stumbled on some other rural progressives on social media and the Guardian. I'm looking for an orchestra, not a solo act, so I was patient, kept up with their work, found their patterns and worked on my rhyme and rhythm. As I said, I published my very first article on Medium yesterday . I haven't bothered to figure out how writers get paid, but I'll worry about that later.
I love your written attitude. If you were my neighbor, we'd be gabbing on a regular basis. :)
Link to my first article on Medium
https://meraffey.medium.com/the-rural-urban-divide-which-side-are-you-on-cb135bde1b19
And just because, here are two more rural liberal voices.
Southerly is super good and super informative...
https://www.youtube.com/c/BeauoftheFifthColumn
Warning, please do not let a redneck beard scare you off, this guy is a seriously deep thinker and his team is awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/c/BeauoftheFifthColumn
I am sending you smiles.
Beau is great, you are right!
Hi Kay, as I often say, Beau is the best rural voice in the country. Thank you for taking the time to tune in and listen. Oddly enough, I find Beau's reports soothing. I have a bearded son-in-law and another one of my own, plus a community loaded with those beards so I know beards do not make the man, or the mind. :)
I don't have a reference for it, but I have read that a sizeable part of the US population LONGS for an American caudillo, a strongman who will cut through the crap, shut the political windbags up and give us settlement, closure and simplicity. Those people see politics as nothing but a shitshow, nothing but self-serving BS and broken promises. And there is a lot of truth to that perspective. They have never believed in democracy because it has not benefitted them; they have always been near the bottom. So they don't care about our democratic institutions; in fact, they are so angry that they would love to see those institutions blown away, just for a change. They don't see how things could be much worse. [That was how Obama got elected. ] And if the nonwhites at the very bottom of the ladder could be punished and made to suffer more than they already do, so much the better as far as the proto-fascists are concerned; that would make them feel not quite so badly off. As LBJ said: "If you can convince the lowest, poorest white man that he is better than the most successful black man, he won't mind that you are picking his pocket. In fact, he'll empty his pockets for you."
LBJ said that? Yeah, I've heard it before, but it never sent a chill down my back as it does now. Wow! Still, I think Beto would do well for all of us and Bernie Sanders. I've always liked Bernie. What does society teach us these days? Society teaches us that money talks and talk is cheap. It, also, teaches us not to give up on Democracy. Democracy is solid, good, government. The only fair choice. The rule of law is being trampled on and raped by those who have no integrity whatsoever. We should not allow this.
Hey Rex, regarding your comment about Obama. I think you are right. At least that was my read of rural sentiments where I live and work.
A whole lot of people really did think that a black man would get in office and use his power to put the elites, experts and junk politicians in their place. These people were furious when Obama tried to get along with lawmakers. The way they saw it, Obama was betraying them, selling them out and sacrificing them to the wolves of wall street.
Bush's war in Iraq and Afghanistan had destroyed trust in the Republican Party. However, the Tea Party's goal of taking back the Republican Party, rather than the Democratic Party, was a backlash against Obama. They were punishing Obama, for betraying them.
8 years later, that sentiment elected Donald Trump.
Thanks very much, raffey, for validating my comment. It looks as though you believe, as I do, that, sad to say, aside from ACA, Obama's major legacy is Donald J. Trump.
Rex, you are right about a whole lot of people, but I do not share that opinion.
Obama exposed how deep and pervasive the rich and powerful had dug into American systems. By the time Obama got elected, the American systems were corrupted beyond repair. That is Bush's legacy, not Obama's.
Obama's legacy is stabilizing the systems enough to give us, the American people, a chance to correct course. Strategically speaking, the ACA was brilliant. By impacting every system in the country, the ACA forced change throughout every system. The elites are still howling with rage.
Unfortunately, we, the American people, had grown so dependent on politicians, we had no sense of our own power, let alone how to use it. As you say, people were looking for a "savior" and Donald Trump was happy to fill that order.
In 2020, people finally picked themselves up and voted. It was enough to throw Trump out of the White House. In 3 weeks, Americans have to decide if they are surrendering, or standing up and fighting for themselves.
The Culture War, was our second civil war and it wore us out and drained us dry. I do not believe Americans are willing to fight anymore. They want peace at any price. The price of peace, is Republican control of Congress and Trump's return to power. We have a long, painful and bloody road ahead of us.
Thanks for your reply, raffey. I could quibble about certain details of your reply, but overall, I agree with it: We do have a long, hard, and likely bloody road ahead of us.
I'm afraid so, Rex. I'm pacing myself and digging in for the long haul.
Before I leave this earth, I am determined to see the end of this Republic, and the birth of Democracy. Until then, I will be voting - nothing and no one can stop me.
How am I ? ... It takes a minute to mentally condense the "doge-ball" scenario each and every one of us must experience daily. I could be a lot better, if I am honest. that's the truth.
Thank you for your words of encouragement Prof. Reich! Difficult times with unprecedented cocktail of drivers. Adding week, populist ineffective leaderships across the globe in almost every country. This is not just a USA problem, it's global, it's quick and it effects everyone. I remember reading about the step-by-step declines similar to what we are experiencing today and it's difficult not to be concerned.
I call to the members of this group, where ever you are in the world, to be empowered, take leadership within their own environment and echo the messages you hear and read in this group, calmly and rationally educate the people around you.
Thank you so much Professor Reich for all of your posts. In these times I am inspired by them. What makes me sad is not so much the rubbish a certain party spews but the number of people who care more about their particular cause such as power over their opponents then then they do about democracy, the right to free and fair elections and our liberties that give us a shot at justice and fairness for all including economic justice. Your posts help us to carry on in spite of this. Thank you.
Excellent writing, thank you. I live in a wonderful community with which you are familiar Like everyone else, I am two steps from being absolutely overwhelmed. Music. art, being connected, nature, NPR and such, gets me through. These are really tough times. It certainly could be worse, though, and if TFG gets in, it will get much worse. We seem to be whistling in the wind.
Grace Freundlich ; Yes! someone who is conscious! Robert Reich helps us all.
Yes, it is good to receive a reminder to stop, listen and even dance once in a while. I get joy out of commuting (yes, commuting) on an electric bike. Even in the cold, the fresh air, the clear vision, the view, refreshes. And then there is the understanding that my commute did not contribute to climate disaster. So I smile when I arrive at work, and smile on the return home. Then I read about politics and I lose it... Oh well.