I could have gone with 'Outraged', but that feeling has been with me since Donald Trump was elected president. I was hoping when Biden became president things would mellow out. As I have found out since his election there will be no peace in the United States until the GOP comes to their senses or is it possible they will never come to their senses. Yes, I did go with 'Grateful to be alive' because I am. At 74 years old and living through the Covid pandemic (so far) and all the grief the GOP has been spooning down our throats..I am 'Grateful to be alive'!
We must replenish ourselves to keep resilient in wretched times.. Cynicism and despair are not constructive options in these crisis times- loving, positive relationships and actions are one antidote.
"Ours is not to finish the task but neither are we allowed to lay it down ." Pirke Avot, Talmud
I am 77, and I was a bit of several responses, but outraged was the one I chose. I've read some about how the Nazi's were able to take over Germany and I see so many parallels to our country now. We seem to be breaking up into red states vs blue states. The coastal states in the Northeast and Northwest are all blue. The rest mostly red but a few purple (mix). We are heading towards either civil war or a breakup.
I partially agree. Actually the 4 west coast States, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington are all solidly blue, most of the North east, excluding Maine and New Hampshire are blue, What we have in this Country are a few large metropolitan areas (including Washington, DC) that are largely populated with relatively well educated, people willing to accept responsibility, and reason. These metropolitan areas also contain the bulk of the population. They are too widely spread out to form a coherent Nation. [I believe it is something like 70% to 30%, but could be as low as 60% to 40% city vs rural.] Civil war or breakup is not practical. What the current generation (20 to 50 year olds) will have to work on is to better educate those misinformed souls in the minority. Teach them critical thinking skills. Give them the necessary tools (internet, at least a few media (primarily television) sites that broadcast only demonstrable truths, and hope to have a cohesive Country again. Demagogues,like the trumpster, get elected by promising pie in the sky, giving them tangible "enemies", while enriching themselves at the greedy corporate troughs. Unless we get through to everyone that the REAL culprits are the super wealthy and corporations, this Country is sunk.
You seem to believe that all people living in rural areas are ignorant and have no internet connection! Believe it or not, my friend who is a farmer in Michigan went to U of M Law school and has the internet AND can use his critical thinking skills quite well. Stereotypes are not helpful.
And FYI there are many poor and uneducated people living in my state of CA.
Mea culpa. You are right of course, and I am over generalizing. I too live in CA and for a 15 years taught school in a rural area. I was thinking mostly of the MAGA followers I see on TV (and occasionally read on this site). Of course, not all folks who live in essentially rural States are ignorant, just as not all people who live in cities have high intellect. But, I still stand by my statements that if we could somehow teach those residents of certain States, such as Mississippi, the art of critical thinking, or even independent thought, we might have a better Country.
Yes! Including White Supremacists who have come out of the shadows in rural Northern California since TFG was elected. Including next door to me which makes me want to escape. Polite and quiet, so they infiltrate communities slowly and without fanfare. Our progressive group is paying attention. Who else even notices?
If they stay below the radar your neighbors don't notice them. They quietly arm themselves. I hope you have a good law abiding Sheriff in your County and not a sympathizer.
I respectfully disagree. I worked in public and private schools all over Texas, and mostly in rural areas, for much of my adult life. The ratio of militant willful ignorance to the relatively sane is at best 10 to 1 in rural areas. I actually worked with school board members who couldn't read. When my wife and I retired, we moved to the West Coast.
Respectfully, too--I work in Compton and Watts in Los Angeles where many adults are illiterate. I believe that making assumptions about large groups is not helpful to the argument. On the right people accuse all people from Californians (myself included) as being granola eating idiots. ON the left rural people are considered ignorant "hicks".
I knew he had a chance about eight months before the election. The more outrageous the lies and BS, the more his base cheered him on. I was hoping people would realize he was a carnival barker, but many wanted to burn everything to the ground. Now, some of them realize what a mess they've made, even though you'll never hear them admit fault.
I woke up to NPR and heard he won. I wanted to projectile vomit. My stomach has been in an uproar ever since.
I unfortunately called this situation snowballing in 2014. Any normalcy, in my eyes, began to shatter. And I eventually lost hope regarding Biden/Harris. I was hoping for a FDR moment that never came. Anytime you mix fundamental religion vs peoples guaranteed rights, a collision is definite. I always thought that The Supreme Court would be impartial and study up on precedent, instead of deciding based upon their personal beliefs. I honestly think that the Conservative majority in the Court won’t be satisfied until they roll back anything related to progress.
I was hoping that Biden/Harris would have pulled a FDR. For Biden to be more assertive and not just make a speech and retreat. This country has been falling apart physically for decades, the western states need better fire deterrents, climate change issues are pertinent, kids are going without meals, and so much more. I wish Hilary Clinton was now in office, as I think she would be a more assertive and vocal on the issues at hand. But it’s just speculation on my part.
Ditto. At 72 years old, each day is a gift. So many of my friends and classmates are deceased. My problems are minor compared to others. As far as the problems here in the USA, I am upset , but happy I don't live in eastern Ukraine!
Your response is on the mark for me. I'll be 70 in 3 weeks so grateful to be alive. We went to the farmers market this morning, talked to friends, visited with other shoppers and "outraged" never came out of my mouth or entered my mind. However,, it talking with another senior we both said "I'm just glad to be here," a derivative of grateful. I'm worried about our country and, like you, have been around since pre-Roe. We know that the SC ruling will not eliminate abortion, but it sure does eliminate privacy and sets us against each other, even more than before.
Golly Gerald, I have to congratulate on your outlook. I think of Julian of Norwich ... "And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." I cling to that, but after this week, I'm still outraged!
The problem was that voters failed to vote for Democrats or independents in numbers large enough to provide a filibuster-proof majority - they voted for Republicans, cutting down the anticipated Democratic majority in the Senate which meant that the GOP could continue to block anything that might help Americans. If voters don't provide for a 60-seat filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the senate and a goodly majority in the House in 2022, we will not make any progress. When the GOP complains about how bad single party rule is we need to point out that we have had single party MINORITY rule, by the GOP, since Obama was in office. Enough!
I also considered "Outraged", but like you, it would be kind of like "so what's new?". I chose "exhausted" because that's the way I'm feeling more & more. I was momentarily uplifted by the excellent hearing the Jan 6th Committee is conducting.
Jaime! Keep watching the Committee on Jan 6th Hearings. Till now, they have been a shining beacon of hope for me and--I suspect--for a good many other people who want to learn the truth and find some reassurance that things might be better in the future. We did not always have to endure the deceit, cruelty, and incompetence of Trump and there is hope that we will escape from him in the future by voting T and his followers permanently out of office. There is nothing Trump can offer us that we need or want; his only contribution to our society and to the world is his effort to sow the seeds of hatred and division among us and that's a contribution we would do well to refuse. I am pleased with all the efforts of all members of the Committee...they have all done a great job and I believe Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger deserve special merit for doing their duty and putting their country and the search for truth far above the demands of their corrupt and un-American party.
I fully agree. Did you see how brilliantly Kinzinger conducted that last session? So much critical information was brought up! Schiff did a great job the previous session. And Cheney has been exceptional all the way through.
I think that all of the individual members of the Committee have done very well and some have really been outstanding (Cheney, Kinzinger, Schiff, Aguilar, Lofgren, and of course Bennie Thompson), I believe that they had to suspend further hearings until after the 4th because more information and video testimonies came in and they needed to update what they planned. Okay, let's go for the full truth and hope that it changes a few minds. I don't see how anyone can still support Trump but, on the other hand, I never understood why anyone supported him to begin with. Being president of the US is not a job you can stick in between rounds of golf, watching tv, eating Big Macs, and grifting...it's a job with major responsibilities for the well-being of people in the US and around the world. He's responsible in large part for most of our issues we face and did his bit to impede the efforts of Ukraine to be free and to prevent the nations of the world from dealing with obvious climate change. Then there are the economic issues....
I'm looking forward to several more sessions. I hope they expand the information about the seditious members of Congress involved in the Insurrection & coup attempt, which they touched upon last session.
I am with you about Trump. I saw that he was a con man first time I was exposed to him in the 1980s. He just wreaks of it. But some apparently love to be lied to & misled
Gerald! I went with "depressed" since that generally describes what I'm feeling now and what I first felt on seeing Donald Trump on tv as a candidate for president. (""why would anyone in his/her right mind ever vote for such an incompetent uninformed, insulting, hurtful, self-serving cad?" I asked myself after one of his early news conferences.) The fact of the matter is that Donald Trump represents a good many people (generally affluent white-males with bulging wallets and a thin, crumpled, torn sheet of paper that listed laws, principles and values of good governance now hidden in the bottom of the trash. Truth be told: There were always groups of people in the United States who "did not measure up," who were not affluent, white males, who were not judged by their educational attainments or their skills or their experiences or their role in making this a better world but were instead judged by who they were, if they were black or brown or Asian, if they worshipped a different deity--or no deity at all, if they were disabled in some way, if they were female. These people were automatically devalued and denied full rights as human beings and this was somehow right and proper and good in the minds of affluent white-males. This was the way the world was somehow supposed to be. For those of this persuasion, the overturn of Roe versus Wade is a restoration of the way life (and political/social life) is "'s'posed' to be. For many there is a possibility that those who were in power (and to some extent still are in power) will return to normal. What that will mean is that we will lose the best of what our people--all our people--have to offer, we will become less than we are right now and, by any standard we already had a way to go to achieve our full promise and a better life for everyone. In a sense, the nation of Ukraine stands head-and-shoulders above us and that is because they have pulled together and stand united with a president able to command their loyalty and perseverance. We cannot make the same claim as long as any of us are denied our full potential and our right to be who we are and receive what we have earned and contributed to the commonweal. IMHO.
I found myself once again yelling at my computer screen as I read the Dobbs majority opinion. One of the many things that struck me was the majority's insistence on States' rights and letting "the people" decide about abortion with their right to vote. And yet this same majority has eviscerated that right to vote at every opportunity, including supporting gerrymandering, gutting the Voting Rights Act, and making corporations "people" for purposes of election financing. Dobbs is a decision by predominantly white men, based on historical decisions by white men, supporting States rights in States run by white men in office due to gerrymandering, voter suppression, and political corruption.
The wealthy and their corpoations have been planning all of this from the day Rooosevelt died, and we have been dumbly sitting around thinking everything was ok, and playing with our RV’s and other toys, all the while “they” have been sticking it to us! It’s time to wake up American, Change it or lose it!!!
Albert, onne, wealthy industrialists have been around way before Roosevelt. and wealthy people and corporations will continue to be around-- no matter what we do or say. Two, many of us were NOT just sitting around dumbly. Have you forgotten the Civil Rights movement? Women's Rights. Gay rights?
Although I didn't pay a lot of attention to all things political until Trump started to run for president, I have avoided hands-on participation in that system, hoping my donations would be enough. Now that we're faced with this outrageous reversal of human rights for women, I am ready to protest -- even as I wear my orthopedic shoes to the march!
I can't say I contribute much to political parties or PACs or individual candidates (save for Bernie Sanders) but I do send my limited funds to UNICEF FOR UKRAINE, Doctors without BOrders, anything to do with Ukraine, the Flight 15 Fund for Newfoundland and Lewisporte, and Native American Funds. Plus funds for education and schools of music....I do not contribute to what I deem worthy causes solely for the sake of such causes but mainly for me, to tell myself that I will try to be a decent, kind, and empathetic person to make up for the fact that the voters of this supposed democracy not only inflicted the United States with Trump and his hate-program but also spread the Trump program to the wider world...we are now all paying the price for this. Please be sure and vote...and spare a bit of mercy for BIden...he inherited the whirlwind and, given the filibuster and the entire GOP white-male regime and opposition, he's doing the best he can. I still do not understand how anyone could have turned a blind eye to all T's failings and grifts but, well, I guess too many people put their own well-being and prosperity over a decent and secure life for all of us.
I do understand that President Biden and Vice President Harris inherited issues that started under trump and his administration. I did assume that Biden would have had an FDR type of mindset that would have connected with more Republicans who would have worked to actually make All of America and the people feel great/proud again. I realize that the current administration is tackling many issues at once. There are two Democrats who usually seem to be easily swayed by the Republicans. And the fact that trump stacked SCOTUS and actually twittered constantly, his grifter ways have come in handy. Whereas it seems that both Biden and Harris keep slipping in the polls and there’s the issue of the laptop. Right now, I hope that Biden and Harris keep a public presence regarding SCOTUS, the current financial crisis, Europe, and basically a condensed view of other major issues (Covid + ). And finally, that people take seriously to get out and vote blue as democracy is teetering, and we need more real leadership to navigate through these dark times.
Fortunately, Franklin Roosevelt had an entirely different Congress. While he had a lot of opponents, in and out of Congress, he did not have a Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy or any other scumbags to deal with. He also did not have to combat the "vast wasteland" of Fox and corporate TV. Yews, we had radio, but no one was glued to the radio for 10 to 12 hours a day. Comparing Biden to FDR is unfair. I too wish he had a more compliant Democratic majority in the Senate, and while I support him all the way, I also wish he would be a little less gentlemanly to his opposition and to the 'old Senate rules'. I'm also surprised that Kamala hasn't been her former combative self, but I suppose she has her reasons.
My response was actually my frustration at trump’s trail of destruction. I just wish both President Biden and Vice President would keep more of a public appearance as trump still is still on the political stage. Fake News (fox/newsmax/oan) is a vile and destructive trio who are going through tremendous means to discredit Biden/Harris and the administration. I will be voting blue in both my local primary and in November.
So very annoyed that Injustice Thomas is still on the bench, with his insurrectionist wife and his general racism and stupidity. I'm afraid that the other 5 Injustices will follow Thomas's lead and start wiping out not only the Right of Privacy, which goes back hundreds of years in the Common Law, but everything that's been built on it, like right to use contraception, right to same-sex marriage, and so on and so on.
These anti-big government Republicans are going to bring big government into every facet of our lives, our homes, our bedrooms.
If the majority on the Supreme Court is going to act against anything not specificaly mentioned in the Constitution, I can't help to note that women are not mentioned....
Yes, but the 9th Amendment was written by our clairvoyant founding fathers to cover all rights NOT EXPRESSLY mentioned. It is up to us to enforce compliance.
At 75 yrs old I should have gone with "Grateful To Be Alive" but I went with "Outraged!" We could only choose one. When something of great value is taken from you, the improper response is outrage and anger. I feel outrage and anger. The "rule of law" is an Ideal. Virtue is an Ideal. Equality is an Ideal. The recent action of the SCOTUS is a destruction of all of those Ideals, and I am Outraged. There is a protest at noon today in downtown Ft Worth that I am going to. It's gonna be 104 degrees. That ain't smart; that is Outrage! Most Republicans have no idea what is being stolen from them. On our "slow walk to autocracy," they will slowly discover what has happened. Putin fully understands the psychology of "Social Proof." (Influence ~Robert Cialdini). Trump has never heard of it but is an avid practitioner of lt. It is an old survival technique we learned from the herd animals that came before us. Yes, we are still scared and run-in herds for safety. And we call ourselves exceptional.
I do believe in the lessons of history that I learned. Any event, natural or created by humans, has its effects. The alienation of the Supreme Court, its divorce from the interests of the American public, will recoil and one way or another, its losing credibility with the nation will cost dearly.
I believe Justice Roberts is a true Conservative. Don’t put him in Alito or Thomas’ class-or Gorsch for that matter and then there’s Amy Comey Barrett and her need for “super precedents” before the Court should recognize stari decisis. That’s a new one.
And furthermore, they do not at all represent the majority of American’s views on these crucial rights and issues facing our nation. This is what makes me OUTRAGED the most – that these ultra conservative Maga Supreme Court judges, some appointed by Trump, are deciding the fate of our nation and shoving it down our throats.
I lived and worked in Belgium 1989 -2016, am now retired in Spain. Having become completely used to EU politics and attitudes, I look at the US and truly wonder what has happened to the nation. Seems it has been hijacked.
Thank you for your post. I am seriously considering leaving this country that I have lived in for 64 years. I cannot stand to see the faces of McConnell or Trump or McCarthy on the news, yet I feel like I cannot stop watching the news either. It’s absolutely disgusting the direction our nation is headed, and as much hope as I had in Biden, he is not bold enough to take the vital steps for the American people, even as Democrats are currently in control.
Why do you say “Democrats are currently in control”??? Nothing could be further from the truth! The Senate is SPLIT 50/50. THAT is not control. And, please, don’t say the VP can break a tied vote, urgo the Democrats are in control. When was there a tied vote on anything? You can’t get 50 Democrats to agree on the time of day and then you have Mitch McConnell who has vowed to stop Biden just like he did Obsma. Biden tried bold moves initially only to be shot down by Joe Manchin at every step. The President cannot work miracles although that’s what he’s expected to do. “Not bold enough”….really????
Outrage makes me tired. I take medication for the depression. I am certainly glad to be alive in order to fight the good fight. I’m working on getting charged up but being gentle with myself. I turned 21 the year Roe was decided. My daughters are probably too old for abortion. However, there are two precious granddaughters and all of my female students over 30 years of my career as an elementary teacher.
Nervous fatigue has also set in here in the UK with transport strikes,airports chaos and a government so bereft of ideas that it is outsourcing its migrant problems to Rwanda.The good news is that electors are not being fooled by spin anymore.Can we send Trump and Johnson to a desperately poor developing nation for their retirement?
Good morning all. Dr Reich, I believe the term that was escaping you this morning is "sacred cow." My regards to and sympathy for the women who have been disenfranchised by this "Dred Scott, episode II" SCOTUS. As with the LGBT community, I realize I have no personal standing on those issues. However, my >legitimate< outrage and disgust is with how the whole process has played-out since the '80s, and the most recent years in particular. >It has all< flown in the face of what we've >all< been led to believe we're entitled to as US citizens, making a mockery of "Life, Liberty, & Pursuit of Happiness." It seems that a powerful faction of the population find their happiness in "Schadenfreude," justifying themselves by hiding behind religious & economic holy books, while brandishing deadly firearms to make themselves feel safe. (We all >know exactly< why they believe they need personal protection. >So do they!<)
On a jollier note, I tip my coffee to Ms Lofthouse in saying: "Glad you're alive, too, Dr Reich! "Live Long and Prosper!"
When I was 12 I had a best friend who I will only refer to as M. We went to school and church together. Her father was a deacon in our church. Little did anyone know that her dirtbag father was having sex with her - until he impregnated her. She never even told me and I'm sure he threatened her with punishment if she did. When my parents caught wind of this I was forbidden to see her. I didn't understand it then, but I know now my parents were protecting me. I never saw her again and I'm sure she was sent away to have the baby. This was just about the time Roe v Wade became law. Since yesterday, I've had a vile taste in my mouth. NO ONE should be able to dictate the health of a woman. This is a very sad day for an alleged democracy - quite simply, we are now a banana republic. I have lost faith in government and can only wonder what they'll destroy next: gay marriage, obamacare et al.
I could have gone with 'Outraged', but that feeling has been with me since Donald Trump was elected president. I was hoping when Biden became president things would mellow out. As I have found out since his election there will be no peace in the United States until the GOP comes to their senses or is it possible they will never come to their senses. Yes, I did go with 'Grateful to be alive' because I am. At 74 years old and living through the Covid pandemic (so far) and all the grief the GOP has been spooning down our throats..I am 'Grateful to be alive'!
I am with you. I am 75 and grateful to be alive and willing to be of service if I can
I am outraged and grateful to be alive to fight on against those who are bent on destroying our democracy and made a mess of the supreme court.
We must replenish ourselves to keep resilient in wretched times.. Cynicism and despair are not constructive options in these crisis times- loving, positive relationships and actions are one antidote.
"Ours is not to finish the task but neither are we allowed to lay it down ." Pirke Avot, Talmud
AMEN!
ME, TOO!
AMEN!
I am 77, and I was a bit of several responses, but outraged was the one I chose. I've read some about how the Nazi's were able to take over Germany and I see so many parallels to our country now. We seem to be breaking up into red states vs blue states. The coastal states in the Northeast and Northwest are all blue. The rest mostly red but a few purple (mix). We are heading towards either civil war or a breakup.
I partially agree. Actually the 4 west coast States, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington are all solidly blue, most of the North east, excluding Maine and New Hampshire are blue, What we have in this Country are a few large metropolitan areas (including Washington, DC) that are largely populated with relatively well educated, people willing to accept responsibility, and reason. These metropolitan areas also contain the bulk of the population. They are too widely spread out to form a coherent Nation. [I believe it is something like 70% to 30%, but could be as low as 60% to 40% city vs rural.] Civil war or breakup is not practical. What the current generation (20 to 50 year olds) will have to work on is to better educate those misinformed souls in the minority. Teach them critical thinking skills. Give them the necessary tools (internet, at least a few media (primarily television) sites that broadcast only demonstrable truths, and hope to have a cohesive Country again. Demagogues,like the trumpster, get elected by promising pie in the sky, giving them tangible "enemies", while enriching themselves at the greedy corporate troughs. Unless we get through to everyone that the REAL culprits are the super wealthy and corporations, this Country is sunk.
You seem to believe that all people living in rural areas are ignorant and have no internet connection! Believe it or not, my friend who is a farmer in Michigan went to U of M Law school and has the internet AND can use his critical thinking skills quite well. Stereotypes are not helpful.
And FYI there are many poor and uneducated people living in my state of CA.
Mea culpa. You are right of course, and I am over generalizing. I too live in CA and for a 15 years taught school in a rural area. I was thinking mostly of the MAGA followers I see on TV (and occasionally read on this site). Of course, not all folks who live in essentially rural States are ignorant, just as not all people who live in cities have high intellect. But, I still stand by my statements that if we could somehow teach those residents of certain States, such as Mississippi, the art of critical thinking, or even independent thought, we might have a better Country.
Yes-- I agree. Thank you for clarifying. Best, d.
YES!
AMEN! NOT EVERYONE HAD THE SAME OPPORTUNITY! WHAT A SHAME!
Yes! Including White Supremacists who have come out of the shadows in rural Northern California since TFG was elected. Including next door to me which makes me want to escape. Polite and quiet, so they infiltrate communities slowly and without fanfare. Our progressive group is paying attention. Who else even notices?
If they stay below the radar your neighbors don't notice them. They quietly arm themselves. I hope you have a good law abiding Sheriff in your County and not a sympathizer.
TRUE!
Exactly what I worry about. The hidden world. Not sure about the Sheriff. But I think not a sympathizer.
WE DO!
I respectfully disagree. I worked in public and private schools all over Texas, and mostly in rural areas, for much of my adult life. The ratio of militant willful ignorance to the relatively sane is at best 10 to 1 in rural areas. I actually worked with school board members who couldn't read. When my wife and I retired, we moved to the West Coast.
Respectfully, too--I work in Compton and Watts in Los Angeles where many adults are illiterate. I believe that making assumptions about large groups is not helpful to the argument. On the right people accuse all people from Californians (myself included) as being granola eating idiots. ON the left rural people are considered ignorant "hicks".
I LIKE THAT!
TRUE! MOST OF THE POOR, ARE THE BEST PEOPLE YOU WOULD EVER WANT TO KNOW!
MARYLAND IS BLUE!
Hi, All. I’m 76, grateful to be alive, but I clicked Outraged.
TRUE!
Do you remember where you were when you found out Donald Trump was elected? It's like when Kennedy was shot.
I knew he had a chance about eight months before the election. The more outrageous the lies and BS, the more his base cheered him on. I was hoping people would realize he was a carnival barker, but many wanted to burn everything to the ground. Now, some of them realize what a mess they've made, even though you'll never hear them admit fault.
I woke up to NPR and heard he won. I wanted to projectile vomit. My stomach has been in an uproar ever since.
Yes, I was home from school that day watching the television...My emotions were intact and If I remember correctly I was stunned.
Me too. I had no idea that Margaret Atwood would be such a prophet. If you haven’t read her books start now and VOTE VOTE VOTE
I unfortunately called this situation snowballing in 2014. Any normalcy, in my eyes, began to shatter. And I eventually lost hope regarding Biden/Harris. I was hoping for a FDR moment that never came. Anytime you mix fundamental religion vs peoples guaranteed rights, a collision is definite. I always thought that The Supreme Court would be impartial and study up on precedent, instead of deciding based upon their personal beliefs. I honestly think that the Conservative majority in the Court won’t be satisfied until they roll back anything related to progress.
Ditto
What do Biden/Harris have to do with this outcome? We have Taliban in Congress and in SCOTUS.
I was hoping that Biden/Harris would have pulled a FDR. For Biden to be more assertive and not just make a speech and retreat. This country has been falling apart physically for decades, the western states need better fire deterrents, climate change issues are pertinent, kids are going without meals, and so much more. I wish Hilary Clinton was now in office, as I think she would be a more assertive and vocal on the issues at hand. But it’s just speculation on my part.
Kevin, my wishes are similar to yours. If Hillary Clinton had Manchin and Sinema in the alleged majority, she’d get as much done as Biden.
Ditto. At 72 years old, each day is a gift. So many of my friends and classmates are deceased. My problems are minor compared to others. As far as the problems here in the USA, I am upset , but happy I don't live in eastern Ukraine!
Your response is on the mark for me. I'll be 70 in 3 weeks so grateful to be alive. We went to the farmers market this morning, talked to friends, visited with other shoppers and "outraged" never came out of my mouth or entered my mind. However,, it talking with another senior we both said "I'm just glad to be here," a derivative of grateful. I'm worried about our country and, like you, have been around since pre-Roe. We know that the SC ruling will not eliminate abortion, but it sure does eliminate privacy and sets us against each other, even more than before.
Golly Gerald, I have to congratulate on your outlook. I think of Julian of Norwich ... "And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." I cling to that, but after this week, I'm still outraged!
Agree
The problem was that voters failed to vote for Democrats or independents in numbers large enough to provide a filibuster-proof majority - they voted for Republicans, cutting down the anticipated Democratic majority in the Senate which meant that the GOP could continue to block anything that might help Americans. If voters don't provide for a 60-seat filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the senate and a goodly majority in the House in 2022, we will not make any progress. When the GOP complains about how bad single party rule is we need to point out that we have had single party MINORITY rule, by the GOP, since Obama was in office. Enough!
Make that Clinton, and I'll agree. Remember Newt Gingrich? Not a dimes worth of difference with McConnell.
I also considered "Outraged", but like you, it would be kind of like "so what's new?". I chose "exhausted" because that's the way I'm feeling more & more. I was momentarily uplifted by the excellent hearing the Jan 6th Committee is conducting.
Jaime! Keep watching the Committee on Jan 6th Hearings. Till now, they have been a shining beacon of hope for me and--I suspect--for a good many other people who want to learn the truth and find some reassurance that things might be better in the future. We did not always have to endure the deceit, cruelty, and incompetence of Trump and there is hope that we will escape from him in the future by voting T and his followers permanently out of office. There is nothing Trump can offer us that we need or want; his only contribution to our society and to the world is his effort to sow the seeds of hatred and division among us and that's a contribution we would do well to refuse. I am pleased with all the efforts of all members of the Committee...they have all done a great job and I believe Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger deserve special merit for doing their duty and putting their country and the search for truth far above the demands of their corrupt and un-American party.
I fully agree. Did you see how brilliantly Kinzinger conducted that last session? So much critical information was brought up! Schiff did a great job the previous session. And Cheney has been exceptional all the way through.
I think that all of the individual members of the Committee have done very well and some have really been outstanding (Cheney, Kinzinger, Schiff, Aguilar, Lofgren, and of course Bennie Thompson), I believe that they had to suspend further hearings until after the 4th because more information and video testimonies came in and they needed to update what they planned. Okay, let's go for the full truth and hope that it changes a few minds. I don't see how anyone can still support Trump but, on the other hand, I never understood why anyone supported him to begin with. Being president of the US is not a job you can stick in between rounds of golf, watching tv, eating Big Macs, and grifting...it's a job with major responsibilities for the well-being of people in the US and around the world. He's responsible in large part for most of our issues we face and did his bit to impede the efforts of Ukraine to be free and to prevent the nations of the world from dealing with obvious climate change. Then there are the economic issues....
I'm looking forward to several more sessions. I hope they expand the information about the seditious members of Congress involved in the Insurrection & coup attempt, which they touched upon last session.
I am with you about Trump. I saw that he was a con man first time I was exposed to him in the 1980s. He just wreaks of it. But some apparently love to be lied to & misled
Gerald! I went with "depressed" since that generally describes what I'm feeling now and what I first felt on seeing Donald Trump on tv as a candidate for president. (""why would anyone in his/her right mind ever vote for such an incompetent uninformed, insulting, hurtful, self-serving cad?" I asked myself after one of his early news conferences.) The fact of the matter is that Donald Trump represents a good many people (generally affluent white-males with bulging wallets and a thin, crumpled, torn sheet of paper that listed laws, principles and values of good governance now hidden in the bottom of the trash. Truth be told: There were always groups of people in the United States who "did not measure up," who were not affluent, white males, who were not judged by their educational attainments or their skills or their experiences or their role in making this a better world but were instead judged by who they were, if they were black or brown or Asian, if they worshipped a different deity--or no deity at all, if they were disabled in some way, if they were female. These people were automatically devalued and denied full rights as human beings and this was somehow right and proper and good in the minds of affluent white-males. This was the way the world was somehow supposed to be. For those of this persuasion, the overturn of Roe versus Wade is a restoration of the way life (and political/social life) is "'s'posed' to be. For many there is a possibility that those who were in power (and to some extent still are in power) will return to normal. What that will mean is that we will lose the best of what our people--all our people--have to offer, we will become less than we are right now and, by any standard we already had a way to go to achieve our full promise and a better life for everyone. In a sense, the nation of Ukraine stands head-and-shoulders above us and that is because they have pulled together and stand united with a president able to command their loyalty and perseverance. We cannot make the same claim as long as any of us are denied our full potential and our right to be who we are and receive what we have earned and contributed to the commonweal. IMHO.
AMEN!
Amen! Me too at 70.
VOTE!!!
Yes. And. It’s safe to say that the folks engaged with this newsletter have been voting since whenever they became eligible.
Register more Democrats.
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YES and Thank You
I found myself once again yelling at my computer screen as I read the Dobbs majority opinion. One of the many things that struck me was the majority's insistence on States' rights and letting "the people" decide about abortion with their right to vote. And yet this same majority has eviscerated that right to vote at every opportunity, including supporting gerrymandering, gutting the Voting Rights Act, and making corporations "people" for purposes of election financing. Dobbs is a decision by predominantly white men, based on historical decisions by white men, supporting States rights in States run by white men in office due to gerrymandering, voter suppression, and political corruption.
Don't worry...I don't have a tv but I still do a lot of yelling and screaming at my computer whenever I tune into the livestreamed hearings!
Yes...spot on!
The wealthy and their corpoations have been planning all of this from the day Rooosevelt died, and we have been dumbly sitting around thinking everything was ok, and playing with our RV’s and other toys, all the while “they” have been sticking it to us! It’s time to wake up American, Change it or lose it!!!
Albert, onne, wealthy industrialists have been around way before Roosevelt. and wealthy people and corporations will continue to be around-- no matter what we do or say. Two, many of us were NOT just sitting around dumbly. Have you forgotten the Civil Rights movement? Women's Rights. Gay rights?
Although I didn't pay a lot of attention to all things political until Trump started to run for president, I have avoided hands-on participation in that system, hoping my donations would be enough. Now that we're faced with this outrageous reversal of human rights for women, I am ready to protest -- even as I wear my orthopedic shoes to the march!
Register more Democrats when you do. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
I can't say I contribute much to political parties or PACs or individual candidates (save for Bernie Sanders) but I do send my limited funds to UNICEF FOR UKRAINE, Doctors without BOrders, anything to do with Ukraine, the Flight 15 Fund for Newfoundland and Lewisporte, and Native American Funds. Plus funds for education and schools of music....I do not contribute to what I deem worthy causes solely for the sake of such causes but mainly for me, to tell myself that I will try to be a decent, kind, and empathetic person to make up for the fact that the voters of this supposed democracy not only inflicted the United States with Trump and his hate-program but also spread the Trump program to the wider world...we are now all paying the price for this. Please be sure and vote...and spare a bit of mercy for BIden...he inherited the whirlwind and, given the filibuster and the entire GOP white-male regime and opposition, he's doing the best he can. I still do not understand how anyone could have turned a blind eye to all T's failings and grifts but, well, I guess too many people put their own well-being and prosperity over a decent and secure life for all of us.
I do understand that President Biden and Vice President Harris inherited issues that started under trump and his administration. I did assume that Biden would have had an FDR type of mindset that would have connected with more Republicans who would have worked to actually make All of America and the people feel great/proud again. I realize that the current administration is tackling many issues at once. There are two Democrats who usually seem to be easily swayed by the Republicans. And the fact that trump stacked SCOTUS and actually twittered constantly, his grifter ways have come in handy. Whereas it seems that both Biden and Harris keep slipping in the polls and there’s the issue of the laptop. Right now, I hope that Biden and Harris keep a public presence regarding SCOTUS, the current financial crisis, Europe, and basically a condensed view of other major issues (Covid + ). And finally, that people take seriously to get out and vote blue as democracy is teetering, and we need more real leadership to navigate through these dark times.
Fortunately, Franklin Roosevelt had an entirely different Congress. While he had a lot of opponents, in and out of Congress, he did not have a Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy or any other scumbags to deal with. He also did not have to combat the "vast wasteland" of Fox and corporate TV. Yews, we had radio, but no one was glued to the radio for 10 to 12 hours a day. Comparing Biden to FDR is unfair. I too wish he had a more compliant Democratic majority in the Senate, and while I support him all the way, I also wish he would be a little less gentlemanly to his opposition and to the 'old Senate rules'. I'm also surprised that Kamala hasn't been her former combative self, but I suppose she has her reasons.
My response was actually my frustration at trump’s trail of destruction. I just wish both President Biden and Vice President would keep more of a public appearance as trump still is still on the political stage. Fake News (fox/newsmax/oan) is a vile and destructive trio who are going through tremendous means to discredit Biden/Harris and the administration. I will be voting blue in both my local primary and in November.
Have my aos splints/rollator and T-shirts ready. I have a feeling this is going to be a long summer. Just hoping everything stays peaceful
So very annoyed that Injustice Thomas is still on the bench, with his insurrectionist wife and his general racism and stupidity. I'm afraid that the other 5 Injustices will follow Thomas's lead and start wiping out not only the Right of Privacy, which goes back hundreds of years in the Common Law, but everything that's been built on it, like right to use contraception, right to same-sex marriage, and so on and so on.
These anti-big government Republicans are going to bring big government into every facet of our lives, our homes, our bedrooms.
If the majority on the Supreme Court is going to act against anything not specificaly mentioned in the Constitution, I can't help to note that women are not mentioned....
Yes, but the 9th Amendment was written by our clairvoyant founding fathers to cover all rights NOT EXPRESSLY mentioned. It is up to us to enforce compliance.
At 75 yrs old I should have gone with "Grateful To Be Alive" but I went with "Outraged!" We could only choose one. When something of great value is taken from you, the improper response is outrage and anger. I feel outrage and anger. The "rule of law" is an Ideal. Virtue is an Ideal. Equality is an Ideal. The recent action of the SCOTUS is a destruction of all of those Ideals, and I am Outraged. There is a protest at noon today in downtown Ft Worth that I am going to. It's gonna be 104 degrees. That ain't smart; that is Outrage! Most Republicans have no idea what is being stolen from them. On our "slow walk to autocracy," they will slowly discover what has happened. Putin fully understands the psychology of "Social Proof." (Influence ~Robert Cialdini). Trump has never heard of it but is an avid practitioner of lt. It is an old survival technique we learned from the herd animals that came before us. Yes, we are still scared and run-in herds for safety. And we call ourselves exceptional.
Absolutely!
I do believe in the lessons of history that I learned. Any event, natural or created by humans, has its effects. The alienation of the Supreme Court, its divorce from the interests of the American public, will recoil and one way or another, its losing credibility with the nation will cost dearly.
6 alt. right religious zealot radicals, these are NOT conservatives.
I believe Justice Roberts is a true Conservative. Don’t put him in Alito or Thomas’ class-or Gorsch for that matter and then there’s Amy Comey Barrett and her need for “super precedents” before the Court should recognize stari decisis. That’s a new one.
And furthermore, they do not at all represent the majority of American’s views on these crucial rights and issues facing our nation. This is what makes me OUTRAGED the most – that these ultra conservative Maga Supreme Court judges, some appointed by Trump, are deciding the fate of our nation and shoving it down our throats.
I lived and worked in Belgium 1989 -2016, am now retired in Spain. Having become completely used to EU politics and attitudes, I look at the US and truly wonder what has happened to the nation. Seems it has been hijacked.
Thank you, Judy. We have been hijacked, some by their own greed, the rest of us by inaction.
Thank you for your post. I am seriously considering leaving this country that I have lived in for 64 years. I cannot stand to see the faces of McConnell or Trump or McCarthy on the news, yet I feel like I cannot stop watching the news either. It’s absolutely disgusting the direction our nation is headed, and as much hope as I had in Biden, he is not bold enough to take the vital steps for the American people, even as Democrats are currently in control.
Why do you say “Democrats are currently in control”??? Nothing could be further from the truth! The Senate is SPLIT 50/50. THAT is not control. And, please, don’t say the VP can break a tied vote, urgo the Democrats are in control. When was there a tied vote on anything? You can’t get 50 Democrats to agree on the time of day and then you have Mitch McConnell who has vowed to stop Biden just like he did Obsma. Biden tried bold moves initially only to be shot down by Joe Manchin at every step. The President cannot work miracles although that’s what he’s expected to do. “Not bold enough”….really????
Outrage makes me tired. I take medication for the depression. I am certainly glad to be alive in order to fight the good fight. I’m working on getting charged up but being gentle with myself. I turned 21 the year Roe was decided. My daughters are probably too old for abortion. However, there are two precious granddaughters and all of my female students over 30 years of my career as an elementary teacher.
Nervous fatigue has also set in here in the UK with transport strikes,airports chaos and a government so bereft of ideas that it is outsourcing its migrant problems to Rwanda.The good news is that electors are not being fooled by spin anymore.Can we send Trump and Johnson to a desperately poor developing nation for their retirement?
Why do you so dislike "desperately poor developing nations? (:-) LOL
Good morning all. Dr Reich, I believe the term that was escaping you this morning is "sacred cow." My regards to and sympathy for the women who have been disenfranchised by this "Dred Scott, episode II" SCOTUS. As with the LGBT community, I realize I have no personal standing on those issues. However, my >legitimate< outrage and disgust is with how the whole process has played-out since the '80s, and the most recent years in particular. >It has all< flown in the face of what we've >all< been led to believe we're entitled to as US citizens, making a mockery of "Life, Liberty, & Pursuit of Happiness." It seems that a powerful faction of the population find their happiness in "Schadenfreude," justifying themselves by hiding behind religious & economic holy books, while brandishing deadly firearms to make themselves feel safe. (We all >know exactly< why they believe they need personal protection. >So do they!<)
On a jollier note, I tip my coffee to Ms Lofthouse in saying: "Glad you're alive, too, Dr Reich! "Live Long and Prosper!"
I hope you had a great birthday Robert. I'm very glad you were born too! So refreshing and with so much knowledge to share. Best, Denise
When I was 12 I had a best friend who I will only refer to as M. We went to school and church together. Her father was a deacon in our church. Little did anyone know that her dirtbag father was having sex with her - until he impregnated her. She never even told me and I'm sure he threatened her with punishment if she did. When my parents caught wind of this I was forbidden to see her. I didn't understand it then, but I know now my parents were protecting me. I never saw her again and I'm sure she was sent away to have the baby. This was just about the time Roe v Wade became law. Since yesterday, I've had a vile taste in my mouth. NO ONE should be able to dictate the health of a woman. This is a very sad day for an alleged democracy - quite simply, we are now a banana republic. I have lost faith in government and can only wonder what they'll destroy next: gay marriage, obamacare et al.
Bailey—Revolted at 90 but want to live to see Trump in jail. Let’s get out the vote in the meantime‼️