A reminder to fight for what's good and right
PLUS: More of my reaction to President Biden's primetime address
I have written about writing a few times on The Warning, and have mentioned how much I admire
’s talent for it. As I have previously said, I look forward to receiving and reading his Substack newsletter.What he wrote below today was profound to me. It is certainly true and definitely worth sharing. Here it is:
He references the following quote:
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
The origin of the quote that he references today, in slightly different wording, is actually from a 1956 Mary Worth comic strip by Allen Saunders. But most of us today remember it from John Lennon’s touching song to his son, “Beautiful Boy.”
That line always stays with me whenever I play the song. To me, it’s an urgent reminder of how silly and inconsequential so many of our plans are, and how little control we have over the trajectory of our lives.
There’s a Yiddish saying that is very similar: “Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht,” or “Man plans, and God laughs.” That saying is even a Public Enemy song. And, of course, there’s Robert Burns’ poem that warns: “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley,” or “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” In other words, we need to put our planning in perspective and accept the unexpected joys in life as blessings rather than obstacles.
Today, with two active wars being fought, election turmoil here, and a general degradation of reason and compassion, the quote reminds me not to be frustrated by what I can’t control, but to nevertheless fight for what’s good and right — because that’s something I can control.
More on my reaction to President Biden’s powerful speech in defense of freedom and democracy
In today’s video commentary, I talk about the importance of Joe Biden's speech from the White House rallying support in the United States for countries fighting for freedom and democracy in Israel and Ukraine, much like Franklin D. Roosevelt in World War II. I lay out how Biden is continuing the legacy of FDR in holding America as the shining beacon on the hill. I break down how if America doesn't support its allies now, it will be forced to send its own soldiers to defend our own freedom in the future:
Kareem is exceptionally intelligent and a very good writer! I, also, enjoy his newsletter!
Steve, you brilliantly brought the reality and gravity of death, and the sanctity of life, home by talking about your son and his friends and showing photos of the young WWII soldiers. I hope this is THE WARNING youtube that goes viral as millions of people need to watch this.
Giving the necessary aid to Ukraine and Israel is HOW we protect the lives of OUR young people for generations to come, so they don't have to go into the battle field themselves. You bring it home!
Your ability to discuss the kidnapping of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children by the Russians by personalizing this by asking "The Warning' viewer, parent or child, how they would feel, and what they would experience, is what is needed for people to be able to FEEL what is going on, including the horrors of people dying around them. You masterfully provoke the power of imagination. President Biden has also been able to personalize war and death. You both are heroes! Thank you.