I have a hard time with optimism/hope in this climate. And not being an immigrant, LGBTQ, a Palestinian activist, a resident of Gaza or Ukraine WOULD make it easier to feel a glimmer of "things will be OK" but for many they are already horrific. And, the gutting of the federal workforce is not only tragic of federal workers, it will hit all of us when our social security/medicare processing goes awry, when our drinking water goes bad, when food production is tainted, when when when. is The oligarchs thrive on chaos and it seems that maximum chaos is this regime's MO.
I agree with "not being an immigrant...". Yes, I'm very aware of my luck. The goal is to make each victim feel alone, make bystanders afraid to help. But can the powerful really stop us from loving who we love and welcoming who we want to welcome in our local communities, our neighborhoods ,our homes? Fear is what will drive us to cautiously close our doors. I'm not sure how to combat fear -- I feel it mysel. The judges and poll workers and others facing harassment and bomb threats both inspire for their steadfastness, but also become examples of what powerful bullies are willing to do, and can get away with doing. I understand why people say community matters -- this feeling that we can stand up if we stand together, that there will be others there to support us should we, too, find ourselves harassed. Maybe that is the answer
Like you, my feelings waver. When I watch Rachel Maddow (my daily dose of TV news), I feel encouraged that Trump is constantly backing down, that he is, in fact, insane or demented or both, that he is not the monolith he seems but just a bloated blimp.
But when I try to go to political action meetings (last night it was Greenpeace) the sheer universality of this death-centered garbage going on all over the world reduces me to tears and panic, paralyzes me.
Meanwhile, I have been observing quietly for years that the things I love, which sustain me, are disappearing: the libraries, the arts, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, universities, shopping at Daedalus books and discount stores, consignment stores. I learned Daedalus had closed. And that the libraries where I live are beginning to ban books.
Some of those discount outlets online especially have been taken over by MAGA affiliated forces and the prices raised exponentially. The others have just closed. Food as well, as you no doubt have noticed.
I am not at all sure whether or how I will be able to survive in what is left of this country but I don't know where to go where it is not happening.
Greenpeace folks are historically fairly nuts. I say this as someone who has a lot aligned with their worldview but is also not about to blow up a bunch of Hummers as statement in the form of eco-terrorism.
True about so many of the good things disappearing. So distressing.
I will say seeing strip mall empty out has been darkly satisfying since that has been grim from the get go. Of course the newer iteration is to simply make every town a carbon copy... so when you travel you just end up seeing more of the same.
Someone on a podcast made a good point that if you pitched government the idea of a public library today you would get laughed out of the room.
People should not leave the country. That's definitely not the answer. Exception: if you feel you're in personal danger. This is definitely a stand your ground (on the Left/Progressive side) situation.
Well put Mark. I couldn't agree with you more. I believe you are correct in pointing out the residual affect of the pandemic. It seems to have primed the pump of impatience up here as well. Your point about "harking back" to the good old days, whether it was the Clinton years or the Gilded Age just doesn't work. To quote Thomas Wolfe "you can never go home again". You can just can't drop a 1990's pop tart in the toaster today and expect it to taste as fresh as it did back then. I love your Tesla reference, or is it Tesler?
Mark, I do have to take some exception to this idea of American democracy being a continuing experiment. I recognize that there is no perfect form of governing and all democracy should look at evolving with the times. In that sense it is an experiment and I would absolutely agree with you. However, if this is the continuing American experiment it akin at the present moment to putting your Bunsen burner under a beaker full of gasoline. As a Canadian I am seeing the erosion of a friendship between Canada and the U.S. that has historically been the envy of the world, at least since the end of the war of 1812 (you burned York, we burned Washington, D.C.), but the issue here is not simply Canada. Trump is alienating all the traditional U.S. allies and friends, bringing back the term the "Ugly American". All this to say, that sending postcard to the President may be a "feel-good" activity, but maybe its time you started "throwing the tea in Boston harbor".
You're right. The "how many Teslas do we need to throw in the Boston harbor" remarks some have made are apt.
I never thought the "Ugly American" concept really went away. It's partly why I've worried about international travel. Americans seem... annoying... pre-MAGA. There's a recent stat out suggesting Americans have become 50% more rude since the pandemic. I found this almost funny... as if we were a particularly polite people overall.
It's not unreasonable to suggest that "the experiment" is sort of over and now we need to try something different.
Many are speaking of the turn of the century as the end of liberal democracy and so we may want to make some adjustments sooner rather than later as opposed to being overly idealistic and thinking we're going to turn back the clocks on this and regain a fantasy version of what was going on during the Clinton Admin.
As a close neighbour, in Canada, I watch and share what is going on. I have no solutions. We’re also going through our piece of hell: threatened with sovereign extinction. Watch our leaders, up against it, but incredibly savvy and calm. Let’s see what they can do for Canada and beyond.
It would have been helpful if I clarified that, yes, these are terrible/inescapable times for anyone in a minority group. No one is really getting away unscathed by the Trump regime, even if they think they are.
As someone who struggles with quite a bit of mental illness, I'm trying to find a level of balance for myself between being vigilant and keeping up with the news, and thinking about how to be helpful, and possibly some ways of protecting my own sanity (which is challenging even in the best of times), being able to think my own thoughts.
It's really easy to get caught up in flood the zone tactics.
Like many, but perhaps not for the same reasons, I'm constantly struggling against burnout... and it's frankly dangerous to get caught up in every abhorrent action Trump & Co. (& MAGA followers) do to rile us up.
Trying to think about The Big Picture. Anyone with any amount of luxury to do so is in a decent position all things considered... and thought leverage that ability to do something more productive than handwringing.
I have a hard time with optimism/hope in this climate. And not being an immigrant, LGBTQ, a Palestinian activist, a resident of Gaza or Ukraine WOULD make it easier to feel a glimmer of "things will be OK" but for many they are already horrific. And, the gutting of the federal workforce is not only tragic of federal workers, it will hit all of us when our social security/medicare processing goes awry, when our drinking water goes bad, when food production is tainted, when when when. is The oligarchs thrive on chaos and it seems that maximum chaos is this regime's MO.
I agree with "not being an immigrant...". Yes, I'm very aware of my luck. The goal is to make each victim feel alone, make bystanders afraid to help. But can the powerful really stop us from loving who we love and welcoming who we want to welcome in our local communities, our neighborhoods ,our homes? Fear is what will drive us to cautiously close our doors. I'm not sure how to combat fear -- I feel it mysel. The judges and poll workers and others facing harassment and bomb threats both inspire for their steadfastness, but also become examples of what powerful bullies are willing to do, and can get away with doing. I understand why people say community matters -- this feeling that we can stand up if we stand together, that there will be others there to support us should we, too, find ourselves harassed. Maybe that is the answer
Ps) hi Dick! Nice to "see" you again
Like you, my feelings waver. When I watch Rachel Maddow (my daily dose of TV news), I feel encouraged that Trump is constantly backing down, that he is, in fact, insane or demented or both, that he is not the monolith he seems but just a bloated blimp.
But when I try to go to political action meetings (last night it was Greenpeace) the sheer universality of this death-centered garbage going on all over the world reduces me to tears and panic, paralyzes me.
Meanwhile, I have been observing quietly for years that the things I love, which sustain me, are disappearing: the libraries, the arts, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, universities, shopping at Daedalus books and discount stores, consignment stores. I learned Daedalus had closed. And that the libraries where I live are beginning to ban books.
Some of those discount outlets online especially have been taken over by MAGA affiliated forces and the prices raised exponentially. The others have just closed. Food as well, as you no doubt have noticed.
I am not at all sure whether or how I will be able to survive in what is left of this country but I don't know where to go where it is not happening.
Greenpeace folks are historically fairly nuts. I say this as someone who has a lot aligned with their worldview but is also not about to blow up a bunch of Hummers as statement in the form of eco-terrorism.
True about so many of the good things disappearing. So distressing.
I will say seeing strip mall empty out has been darkly satisfying since that has been grim from the get go. Of course the newer iteration is to simply make every town a carbon copy... so when you travel you just end up seeing more of the same.
Someone on a podcast made a good point that if you pitched government the idea of a public library today you would get laughed out of the room.
People should not leave the country. That's definitely not the answer. Exception: if you feel you're in personal danger. This is definitely a stand your ground (on the Left/Progressive side) situation.
My husband agrees. Let's see whether they decide to pick on Jews, like most other fascists though. His comments about Schumer were ominous.
Well put Mark. I couldn't agree with you more. I believe you are correct in pointing out the residual affect of the pandemic. It seems to have primed the pump of impatience up here as well. Your point about "harking back" to the good old days, whether it was the Clinton years or the Gilded Age just doesn't work. To quote Thomas Wolfe "you can never go home again". You can just can't drop a 1990's pop tart in the toaster today and expect it to taste as fresh as it did back then. I love your Tesla reference, or is it Tesler?
Mark, I do have to take some exception to this idea of American democracy being a continuing experiment. I recognize that there is no perfect form of governing and all democracy should look at evolving with the times. In that sense it is an experiment and I would absolutely agree with you. However, if this is the continuing American experiment it akin at the present moment to putting your Bunsen burner under a beaker full of gasoline. As a Canadian I am seeing the erosion of a friendship between Canada and the U.S. that has historically been the envy of the world, at least since the end of the war of 1812 (you burned York, we burned Washington, D.C.), but the issue here is not simply Canada. Trump is alienating all the traditional U.S. allies and friends, bringing back the term the "Ugly American". All this to say, that sending postcard to the President may be a "feel-good" activity, but maybe its time you started "throwing the tea in Boston harbor".
You're right. The "how many Teslas do we need to throw in the Boston harbor" remarks some have made are apt.
I never thought the "Ugly American" concept really went away. It's partly why I've worried about international travel. Americans seem... annoying... pre-MAGA. There's a recent stat out suggesting Americans have become 50% more rude since the pandemic. I found this almost funny... as if we were a particularly polite people overall.
It's not unreasonable to suggest that "the experiment" is sort of over and now we need to try something different.
Many are speaking of the turn of the century as the end of liberal democracy and so we may want to make some adjustments sooner rather than later as opposed to being overly idealistic and thinking we're going to turn back the clocks on this and regain a fantasy version of what was going on during the Clinton Admin.
My postcard is ready to mail. I am back and forth with my feelings. Doing what I can to protest & trying to live my normal life.
As a close neighbour, in Canada, I watch and share what is going on. I have no solutions. We’re also going through our piece of hell: threatened with sovereign extinction. Watch our leaders, up against it, but incredibly savvy and calm. Let’s see what they can do for Canada and beyond.
It's terrible the way this is straining North American relations (Canada - U.S. - Mexico). Totally unfair to our friends and trading partners.
No reasonable Americans voted for this.
I love Canada and Canadians and, sadly, it seems that often Canada would do better without having the troublesome U.S. as a neighbor.
It would have been helpful if I clarified that, yes, these are terrible/inescapable times for anyone in a minority group. No one is really getting away unscathed by the Trump regime, even if they think they are.
As someone who struggles with quite a bit of mental illness, I'm trying to find a level of balance for myself between being vigilant and keeping up with the news, and thinking about how to be helpful, and possibly some ways of protecting my own sanity (which is challenging even in the best of times), being able to think my own thoughts.
It's really easy to get caught up in flood the zone tactics.
Like many, but perhaps not for the same reasons, I'm constantly struggling against burnout... and it's frankly dangerous to get caught up in every abhorrent action Trump & Co. (& MAGA followers) do to rile us up.
Trying to think about The Big Picture. Anyone with any amount of luxury to do so is in a decent position all things considered... and thought leverage that ability to do something more productive than handwringing.