Continue to read NYT and New Yorker to keep abreast. Ended my nightly dose of Colbert, Seth Myers, and Jimmy Kimmel. Brave and darkly hilarious as they are, their anti-Trump comedy feels like lefty weakness against The Strongman. Keep my progressive friends close for comfort and camaraderie. Donate to the ACLU to keep the courts as strong as possible to respond to the "zone flooding" (or FUD as Mark has named it) in a measured and well-funded way. Maintain my writing practice and poetry circles. Cook and bake for my beloveds. Keep reminding myself this is a global takeover of the extreme right, so shake loose the self-satisfaction of American exceptionalism. Thanks for this posting, Mark
I thought it was 58 but that splitting hairs now isn't it?
I keep reminding myself we're not Germany and we're not Russia. Our system is set up differently. What we are likely to see if a "Limited Democracy" with the Oligarchy/Kleptocracy elements. Does that sound about right? I'm basing some of this on what I've read and listened to by Yuval Noah Harari and a few others who have well-balanced approaches that I trust.
Thanks, Mark. I so relate to this post. And am in awe of Heather Cox Richardson, who must lose sleep and read voraciously so that, when overwhelmed, I don't have to. I'm also in awe of the journalists who continue to follow what's happening and report on it, in spite of knowing, as they must, what became of their peers in Russia, Hungary, etc. What to do? When I have money to donate, I want to direct it toward independent news agencies (without journalists, how would we even know to be outraged or afraid, how would we know laws are being breached, institutions gutted?), and of course to charities that help shelter and protect the most vulnerable.
On a separate note, I recommend the podcast Landslide, which talks about how we got here, to this place where half of us have different facts from the other half. https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510376/landslide
Limited exposure, donations to blue candidates for seats in play, extricating myself from the gloom by performing small local acts of kindness, and writing every day. Well said words, Mark.
To avoid swallowing the polymorphous hate being dished out it is vital to share, share, share! Let thoughts out and keep em moving to avoid hardening inside us.
I don't know yet. At first it was pure head in sand. I could not turn on the news because I couldn't stand to hear the sound of Trump's voice. But as it has become larger and more out of control, I don't know what to do. It's happening very quickly. Zalinsky being called a dictator, Washington D.C. now Trump wants to govern that, Ukraine talks without Ukraine, DOGE, Musk as co-president. I don't know what to do. I'm mad at people who are surprised but voted for him. I'm mad at Republicans who backed him and continue to back him thinking this is o.k. How did he get so powerful? Why did they let him? Why did the American people let him? I didn't want him to. I guess I'm in the anger phase and I don't know what to do. I'm supposed to stand up. But I feel like to who do I stand up to? No one seems to listen. No one who makes the big decisions. I don't trust the Supreme Court. I don't trust the majority of the government. I don't know who to turn to. I don't know.
I appreciate you being so honest and open, Sara. My sense is with both feel similarly (and frustratingly) powerless and at a loss.
I was deeply disturbed as I went to bed last night just after hearing Kash Patel was confirmed as FBI Director. In theory, a 10-year appointment. Beyond being a loyalist, he seems to have become fairly unhinged (see "deep state" conspiracy theory). Not someone that should be in this position...at all.
The people Trump is appointing are not safe to trust with sensitive information. There is an added concern about foreign relations. We're being very unkind to longtime friends. We will pay for this and it's on Trump's head.
I record PBS news. Watch just enough of each segment so I know what’s going on and fast forward through the rest. As for the two newspapers I subscribe to? I’m a champion skimmer.
Limited exposure, for sure! Absolutely no discussion of the situation with my partner from dinner time on (this is very hard for him). I am leaning into beauty, which means more time in nature, more photography. and always, poetry. My weekly workshops are a source of joy. I love developing new workshops, because that demands concentration, and the opportunity to discover more sources of inspiration. I rely on Heather Cox Richardson for news and perspective. I try to put my money where it is likely to do the most good. We are in for the long haul. As writers, we must keep our voices strong and active.
Ooh, smart Donna! I'm BIG on the idea of avoiding conflict or difficult issues (if at all possible) after 8pm.
This has become a little tricky since I often talk to folks who live in different times zones. I do try to give myself some headspace after say 10pm to not read news (except for headlines...) ... I've limited notifications on my phone but I still want to know a base level of information in real time. AP News is quick to report. NPR has a bit of delay. Guardian sends "Breaking News" that isn't even breaking... or necessarily news... though oftentimes interesting. Guardian also is using AI to write articles (they jumped on that bandwagon distressingly quickly). NYT is fine but the alerts are pretty constant -- ditto Washington Post.
I recommend getting The Washington Post's Top 7 daily issues email. That is actually worth a quick perusal. Follows a variety of subjects... but yeah, there's too much out there and no all of us are meant to be on the ground reporters :)
We need to know the particulars in order to resist them. Heather Cox Richardson provides a good daily summary of the most important particulars. So do a few others. To resist, we need not to react to the facts with fear, trembling and collapse. It's a supreme test of practicing mindfulness. On a regular basis. Keep up with the facts, call senators and representatives and members of the finance and defense and other relevant committees daily. Make it an exercise, a discipline. I think I'm advocating finding ways to self-regulate rather than retreating into a mystified stupor as desired.
Very good timing for this post! I've been reading Heather Cox Richardson's Substack as my way of staying informed as a responsible citizen. The news has been so bad this week that I'm having second thoughts about continuing to read it..
This is the first week that I've read less of Heather's posts... apart from having a personal life situation to deal with... the weight of events is intensive and my media consumption is way out of hand.
First off Mark, I loved Princess Bride, one of the funniest movies. Wallace Shawn is my favourite "character comedian". I was so pleased to see him pop-up in Young Sheldon. As for the Trump parade, I agree. As a Canadian we are in a somewhat helpless position, watching our future slip through our hands courtesy of our southern neighbours. I have turned most of it off, as it really does lead to an increased level of stress and anxiety, sadly however, at some point someone(s) has to do something(s), so too much head in the sand becomes self-defeating. Even throwing Wallace Shawn into the story line will not add humour to a re-make of the the1930's.
Not really, Pierre Pollievre is the leader of the Conservative Party which is Canada's milder version of your Republican Party. He was far ahead in the polls prior to Trump's election, mainly because many of Trudeau's policies had caused some real economic problems here (lack of housing & housing affordability and a huge expansion of temporary workers visas in response the the COVID pandemic which exasperated the housing issue to name but 2 ).
Trudeau has been the PM for 10 years and that is basically the lifespan of any ruling party, or PM in Canada. He has resigned the leadership and the leading candidate to replace him is Mark Carney who was the Governor of the Bank of Canada and after that, the Governor of the Bank of England. He was also an high ranked executive in a US investment bank. Carney is fairly popular and has eaten into Pollievre's lead in the polls. The Liberal Party currently running the country is best described as central-left, The New Democratic Party (NDP) is the leftist party. It was a coalition between the two parties that stopped the Conservatives from bringing down the government over the past two years and causing an election. Long story short....Trump has hurt the Conservatives for 2 reasons: The Liberals & NDP paint Pollievre as the Canadian Trump (polls in Canada going back to 2016 show Trump has held close to a 70% unpopularity rating among Canadians) and given Carney's economic experience, he is seen by many as the best option to negotiating tariffs with Trump. Pollievre may still win in our upcoming election, likely not to occur before late spring or early summer, but he is likely to operate with a minority government, which in our parliamentary system will greatly curtail his power. Our parliamentary system of government, while a slower moving vessel than your American system, provides much better checks and balances and is less driven by money and partisanship.
Continue to read NYT and New Yorker to keep abreast. Ended my nightly dose of Colbert, Seth Myers, and Jimmy Kimmel. Brave and darkly hilarious as they are, their anti-Trump comedy feels like lefty weakness against The Strongman. Keep my progressive friends close for comfort and camaraderie. Donate to the ACLU to keep the courts as strong as possible to respond to the "zone flooding" (or FUD as Mark has named it) in a measured and well-funded way. Maintain my writing practice and poetry circles. Cook and bake for my beloveds. Keep reminding myself this is a global takeover of the extreme right, so shake loose the self-satisfaction of American exceptionalism. Thanks for this posting, Mark
I like hearing this, "shake loose the self-satisfaction of American exceptionalism"
You know it's bad when the comedic delivery (like Colbert) isn't even palatable...
Hartmann has a good piece today (Feb. 20) on the weak strongman.
Does it get into the risk of anarchy?
p.s. Can't wait for the mid-terms. Hitler took over in 53 days. We're on day 31.
I thought it was 58 but that splitting hairs now isn't it?
I keep reminding myself we're not Germany and we're not Russia. Our system is set up differently. What we are likely to see if a "Limited Democracy" with the Oligarchy/Kleptocracy elements. Does that sound about right? I'm basing some of this on what I've read and listened to by Yuval Noah Harari and a few others who have well-balanced approaches that I trust.
Thanks, Mark. I so relate to this post. And am in awe of Heather Cox Richardson, who must lose sleep and read voraciously so that, when overwhelmed, I don't have to. I'm also in awe of the journalists who continue to follow what's happening and report on it, in spite of knowing, as they must, what became of their peers in Russia, Hungary, etc. What to do? When I have money to donate, I want to direct it toward independent news agencies (without journalists, how would we even know to be outraged or afraid, how would we know laws are being breached, institutions gutted?), and of course to charities that help shelter and protect the most vulnerable.
On a separate note, I recommend the podcast Landslide, which talks about how we got here, to this place where half of us have different facts from the other half. https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510376/landslide
Very much sounds like you're doing all the right things as a concerned citizen.
This Landslide series looks interesting (albeit disturbing).
Limited exposure, donations to blue candidates for seats in play, extricating myself from the gloom by performing small local acts of kindness, and writing every day. Well said words, Mark.
To avoid swallowing the polymorphous hate being dished out it is vital to share, share, share! Let thoughts out and keep em moving to avoid hardening inside us.
I don't know yet. At first it was pure head in sand. I could not turn on the news because I couldn't stand to hear the sound of Trump's voice. But as it has become larger and more out of control, I don't know what to do. It's happening very quickly. Zalinsky being called a dictator, Washington D.C. now Trump wants to govern that, Ukraine talks without Ukraine, DOGE, Musk as co-president. I don't know what to do. I'm mad at people who are surprised but voted for him. I'm mad at Republicans who backed him and continue to back him thinking this is o.k. How did he get so powerful? Why did they let him? Why did the American people let him? I didn't want him to. I guess I'm in the anger phase and I don't know what to do. I'm supposed to stand up. But I feel like to who do I stand up to? No one seems to listen. No one who makes the big decisions. I don't trust the Supreme Court. I don't trust the majority of the government. I don't know who to turn to. I don't know.
I appreciate you being so honest and open, Sara. My sense is with both feel similarly (and frustratingly) powerless and at a loss.
I was deeply disturbed as I went to bed last night just after hearing Kash Patel was confirmed as FBI Director. In theory, a 10-year appointment. Beyond being a loyalist, he seems to have become fairly unhinged (see "deep state" conspiracy theory). Not someone that should be in this position...at all.
The people Trump is appointing are not safe to trust with sensitive information. There is an added concern about foreign relations. We're being very unkind to longtime friends. We will pay for this and it's on Trump's head.
I record PBS news. Watch just enough of each segment so I know what’s going on and fast forward through the rest. As for the two newspapers I subscribe to? I’m a champion skimmer.
There is value in skimming. I think we save ourselves some pain.
Recording is a wise idea.
Before, skipping commercials was the big enemy. Now, much worse...
Limited exposure, for sure! Absolutely no discussion of the situation with my partner from dinner time on (this is very hard for him). I am leaning into beauty, which means more time in nature, more photography. and always, poetry. My weekly workshops are a source of joy. I love developing new workshops, because that demands concentration, and the opportunity to discover more sources of inspiration. I rely on Heather Cox Richardson for news and perspective. I try to put my money where it is likely to do the most good. We are in for the long haul. As writers, we must keep our voices strong and active.
Ooh, smart Donna! I'm BIG on the idea of avoiding conflict or difficult issues (if at all possible) after 8pm.
This has become a little tricky since I often talk to folks who live in different times zones. I do try to give myself some headspace after say 10pm to not read news (except for headlines...) ... I've limited notifications on my phone but I still want to know a base level of information in real time. AP News is quick to report. NPR has a bit of delay. Guardian sends "Breaking News" that isn't even breaking... or necessarily news... though oftentimes interesting. Guardian also is using AI to write articles (they jumped on that bandwagon distressingly quickly). NYT is fine but the alerts are pretty constant -- ditto Washington Post.
I recommend getting The Washington Post's Top 7 daily issues email. That is actually worth a quick perusal. Follows a variety of subjects... but yeah, there's too much out there and no all of us are meant to be on the ground reporters :)
No alerts for me! Except for friends and family on text. I turn my phone at 10:20 and back on at 7:20, though I am generally up earlier.
We need to know the particulars in order to resist them. Heather Cox Richardson provides a good daily summary of the most important particulars. So do a few others. To resist, we need not to react to the facts with fear, trembling and collapse. It's a supreme test of practicing mindfulness. On a regular basis. Keep up with the facts, call senators and representatives and members of the finance and defense and other relevant committees daily. Make it an exercise, a discipline. I think I'm advocating finding ways to self-regulate rather than retreating into a mystified stupor as desired.
I think we're mostly on the same team here.
Mindfulness & Willpower
Very good timing for this post! I've been reading Heather Cox Richardson's Substack as my way of staying informed as a responsible citizen. The news has been so bad this week that I'm having second thoughts about continuing to read it..
This is the first week that I've read less of Heather's posts... apart from having a personal life situation to deal with... the weight of events is intensive and my media consumption is way out of hand.
I’m glad I’m not the only one.
First off Mark, I loved Princess Bride, one of the funniest movies. Wallace Shawn is my favourite "character comedian". I was so pleased to see him pop-up in Young Sheldon. As for the Trump parade, I agree. As a Canadian we are in a somewhat helpless position, watching our future slip through our hands courtesy of our southern neighbours. I have turned most of it off, as it really does lead to an increased level of stress and anxiety, sadly however, at some point someone(s) has to do something(s), so too much head in the sand becomes self-defeating. Even throwing Wallace Shawn into the story line will not add humour to a re-make of the the1930's.
Apologies to all Canadians on behalf of reasonable Americans.
Feel free to jack up the prices on maple syrup. Serious.
Yes, please do!
Thanks for that. Almost all my American friends say the same thing. My fear however, is that it will lead to a come back down south of "Aunt Jemima".
I have a friend in Canada who says it's united people against Canada's far right, which for a while had been gaining in the polls...
Not really, Pierre Pollievre is the leader of the Conservative Party which is Canada's milder version of your Republican Party. He was far ahead in the polls prior to Trump's election, mainly because many of Trudeau's policies had caused some real economic problems here (lack of housing & housing affordability and a huge expansion of temporary workers visas in response the the COVID pandemic which exasperated the housing issue to name but 2 ).
Trudeau has been the PM for 10 years and that is basically the lifespan of any ruling party, or PM in Canada. He has resigned the leadership and the leading candidate to replace him is Mark Carney who was the Governor of the Bank of Canada and after that, the Governor of the Bank of England. He was also an high ranked executive in a US investment bank. Carney is fairly popular and has eaten into Pollievre's lead in the polls. The Liberal Party currently running the country is best described as central-left, The New Democratic Party (NDP) is the leftist party. It was a coalition between the two parties that stopped the Conservatives from bringing down the government over the past two years and causing an election. Long story short....Trump has hurt the Conservatives for 2 reasons: The Liberals & NDP paint Pollievre as the Canadian Trump (polls in Canada going back to 2016 show Trump has held close to a 70% unpopularity rating among Canadians) and given Carney's economic experience, he is seen by many as the best option to negotiating tariffs with Trump. Pollievre may still win in our upcoming election, likely not to occur before late spring or early summer, but he is likely to operate with a minority government, which in our parliamentary system will greatly curtail his power. Our parliamentary system of government, while a slower moving vessel than your American system, provides much better checks and balances and is less driven by money and partisanship.