What a difference between the world we are observing today (after the real election fraud of TFG & Pootin in 2016) versus what we could be seeing had HRC not been cheated out of being our first woman President.
I suggest it would be many magnitudes better. The damage these two autocrats have done to democracy will take years to repair if repair is even possible. Damn.
The despicable Putin is targeting civilians on purpose- the despicable Trump sent his supporters on an attack against our own bastion of democracy. Kim, Orban, Xi and a too-long list of other tyrants would do no less given the circumstances. But there is one hopeful difference here in the US; Trump was turned out of office! There was never one like him before and we can never let there be another.
You're incredibly optimistic...a good thing. A good person. I believe we can change things with the right know-how. First, we need to get communication lines cleaned up...get rid of organizations like Fox News, Qanon, remove liars from the airwaves, etc. Second, we need to get people "cleaned up." By that I mean, educated properly with the ability to analyze and make good decisions. It's also likely most people need some "healing" of some sort emotionally. More later. Already up too late.
Yes, the Ukrainian people are showing the world that they are united and will fight back against tyrant Putin. Hopefully, Americans will unite against our own domestic tyrants, and preserve what we have left of our democracy.
I too was wrong about the 21st century. I thought electing our first Black president indicated a fundamental change in this country. I took Mitch McConnell’s words to be just political rhetoric. Sadly, Professor, neither of us reckoned with human nature. The capacity for evil and doing harm to our fellow human beings has not been overcome.
Thank you, Robert. While we watch the devastation of Ukraine and its brave people, we should be shaken and awaken to how much they care about defending Democracy, to the point of giving their lives. One word in your piece stood out for me: complacency. I hear complaints from friends and relatives who call to bemoan the state of the world, Ukraine, our Nation but they do nothing. Perhaps they feel powerless or are lazy or don't know how. My suggestion is to take action from something small like putting stamps on envelopes to writing to our legislators to aligning with an activist group like VoteFwd.org to get out the vote, or as In a response below, get people registered to vote. There is an orange serpent coiled in a dark place in the sunny state of Florida preparing to strike. He will succeed with the swish of his tail, bringing along his snakelets to shore him up IF we remain "complacent" and do not stand up to be heard. We cannot afford to remain complacent. We cannot turn from the reality of the news because it is too painful to watch. We must educate and inform. We must take a positive action. Register people to vote, write to those in power, write to those who don't vote. VoteFwd.org has lists by state of democrats who are undecided or don't vote. We are writing millions of letters to send out in October of this year in time for 2022 midterms. One of my favorite quotes: Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. - Margaret Mead
Robert you are absolutely correct in your current beliefs. Before Putin invaded Ukraine I had hopes as you believed, but deep down inside I saw with icky leaders like Putin and Trump destruction and anarchy were very possible.
Sobering to wake to this morning, and I agree, Mr. Reich. One of the few bright spots is the leadership of President Zelensky, a comedian no less. And it's a reminder that people like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver have played a beneficial role in our own discourse.
1) that improvement in material wellbeing due to globalization( transfer of technologies, productive investments, etc.. ) would deter human beings from risking war and would promote peace.
2) that the view of distress and suffering by immediately accessible videos/photos would create large/global scale empathy that stops agression at its core.
All wrong assumptions if political structures let bad actors become autocrats having full control of powerful hierarchies.
I never shared your optimism, Robert, being a child raised on the wrong side during WWII. I see our worldwide problems caused by the ready availability of cheap fossil fuels and the absence of real democracy of the people. Our representative democracy unfortunately does not represent the needs and wishes of the people; it is too often perverted by big money and large egos. After the era of cheap fossil fuels, I see a wonderful future created by bioregional communities living a sustainable life of sufficiency. The future will be local, if there is to be a future..
As we focus on Trump and Putin, let's don't lose sight of the actions of our lawmakers who continue to support Trump, continue to spread conspiracy theories, and continue to be obstructive as they vote for authoritarianism against democracy and the interests of the American people as a whole.
We need to stop shrugging our shoulders and looking away from corruption. Now we see what it can lead to. This real threat of a war with Putin and our own despicable tRump may just unite us as people were united in the past, like Vietnam war resisters, civil rights advocates and even those who lived through Word Wars! Sadly it has to get really bad before people finally Stand! Listen to Sly and the Family Stone in the song 'Stand!". Very inspiring.
The republican party has been working against democracy for a long time and the oddity of our Constitution allows them to keep getting elected. Even when they lose by overall convincing numbers, they are just a breath away from running the whole show.
They were ok with Putin until he invaded and they know they can't support the horrors of that invasion but they would support trump again. They don't want the people to be educated and keep killing bills that would help. Like Putin, they believe in total destruction. They just aren't dropping physical bombs.
If McCarthy becomes the majority leader, one his first priorities will be to impeach Biden, even though there's no reason for it. If they get the house and the senate, Biden will get even less than he can get now. Now it's Manchin and Sinema holding him up. The great senate moderates like Susan Collins will never have the courage to vote moderately.
I've been watching this cancer grow for a long time and I see the media still trying to do this even handedness, pretending that the republicans are a responsible party. I see them come on CNN to talk about Ukraine. Now they are fierce defenders but they supported trump withholding weapons. But they pound Biden for being weak and neither them nor their interviewers like Jake Tapper talk about the mess they left behind, the near destruction of NATO. Biden has done a masterful job putting it back together and never gets any credit for it.
As long as the republicans hold power, our democracy is in danger.
What a difference between the world we are observing today (after the real election fraud of TFG & Pootin in 2016) versus what we could be seeing had HRC not been cheated out of being our first woman President.
I suggest it would be many magnitudes better. The damage these two autocrats have done to democracy will take years to repair if repair is even possible. Damn.
The despicable Putin is targeting civilians on purpose- the despicable Trump sent his supporters on an attack against our own bastion of democracy. Kim, Orban, Xi and a too-long list of other tyrants would do no less given the circumstances. But there is one hopeful difference here in the US; Trump was turned out of office! There was never one like him before and we can never let there be another.
You're incredibly optimistic...a good thing. A good person. I believe we can change things with the right know-how. First, we need to get communication lines cleaned up...get rid of organizations like Fox News, Qanon, remove liars from the airwaves, etc. Second, we need to get people "cleaned up." By that I mean, educated properly with the ability to analyze and make good decisions. It's also likely most people need some "healing" of some sort emotionally. More later. Already up too late.
Yes, the Ukrainian people are showing the world that they are united and will fight back against tyrant Putin. Hopefully, Americans will unite against our own domestic tyrants, and preserve what we have left of our democracy.
Excellent analysis!
I too was wrong about the 21st century. I thought electing our first Black president indicated a fundamental change in this country. I took Mitch McConnell’s words to be just political rhetoric. Sadly, Professor, neither of us reckoned with human nature. The capacity for evil and doing harm to our fellow human beings has not been overcome.
Thank you, Robert. While we watch the devastation of Ukraine and its brave people, we should be shaken and awaken to how much they care about defending Democracy, to the point of giving their lives. One word in your piece stood out for me: complacency. I hear complaints from friends and relatives who call to bemoan the state of the world, Ukraine, our Nation but they do nothing. Perhaps they feel powerless or are lazy or don't know how. My suggestion is to take action from something small like putting stamps on envelopes to writing to our legislators to aligning with an activist group like VoteFwd.org to get out the vote, or as In a response below, get people registered to vote. There is an orange serpent coiled in a dark place in the sunny state of Florida preparing to strike. He will succeed with the swish of his tail, bringing along his snakelets to shore him up IF we remain "complacent" and do not stand up to be heard. We cannot afford to remain complacent. We cannot turn from the reality of the news because it is too painful to watch. We must educate and inform. We must take a positive action. Register people to vote, write to those in power, write to those who don't vote. VoteFwd.org has lists by state of democrats who are undecided or don't vote. We are writing millions of letters to send out in October of this year in time for 2022 midterms. One of my favorite quotes: Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. - Margaret Mead
Robert you are absolutely correct in your current beliefs. Before Putin invaded Ukraine I had hopes as you believed, but deep down inside I saw with icky leaders like Putin and Trump destruction and anarchy were very possible.
Sobering to wake to this morning, and I agree, Mr. Reich. One of the few bright spots is the leadership of President Zelensky, a comedian no less. And it's a reminder that people like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver have played a beneficial role in our own discourse.
I was assuming :
1) that improvement in material wellbeing due to globalization( transfer of technologies, productive investments, etc.. ) would deter human beings from risking war and would promote peace.
2) that the view of distress and suffering by immediately accessible videos/photos would create large/global scale empathy that stops agression at its core.
All wrong assumptions if political structures let bad actors become autocrats having full control of powerful hierarchies.
I never shared your optimism, Robert, being a child raised on the wrong side during WWII. I see our worldwide problems caused by the ready availability of cheap fossil fuels and the absence of real democracy of the people. Our representative democracy unfortunately does not represent the needs and wishes of the people; it is too often perverted by big money and large egos. After the era of cheap fossil fuels, I see a wonderful future created by bioregional communities living a sustainable life of sufficiency. The future will be local, if there is to be a future..
As we focus on Trump and Putin, let's don't lose sight of the actions of our lawmakers who continue to support Trump, continue to spread conspiracy theories, and continue to be obstructive as they vote for authoritarianism against democracy and the interests of the American people as a whole.
We need to stop shrugging our shoulders and looking away from corruption. Now we see what it can lead to. This real threat of a war with Putin and our own despicable tRump may just unite us as people were united in the past, like Vietnam war resisters, civil rights advocates and even those who lived through Word Wars! Sadly it has to get really bad before people finally Stand! Listen to Sly and the Family Stone in the song 'Stand!". Very inspiring.
The republican party has been working against democracy for a long time and the oddity of our Constitution allows them to keep getting elected. Even when they lose by overall convincing numbers, they are just a breath away from running the whole show.
They were ok with Putin until he invaded and they know they can't support the horrors of that invasion but they would support trump again. They don't want the people to be educated and keep killing bills that would help. Like Putin, they believe in total destruction. They just aren't dropping physical bombs.
If McCarthy becomes the majority leader, one his first priorities will be to impeach Biden, even though there's no reason for it. If they get the house and the senate, Biden will get even less than he can get now. Now it's Manchin and Sinema holding him up. The great senate moderates like Susan Collins will never have the courage to vote moderately.
I've been watching this cancer grow for a long time and I see the media still trying to do this even handedness, pretending that the republicans are a responsible party. I see them come on CNN to talk about Ukraine. Now they are fierce defenders but they supported trump withholding weapons. But they pound Biden for being weak and neither them nor their interviewers like Jake Tapper talk about the mess they left behind, the near destruction of NATO. Biden has done a masterful job putting it back together and never gets any credit for it.
As long as the republicans hold power, our democracy is in danger.
Slava Ukrayini!
Thank you for expressing what I know to be true.