For this week’s podcast episode, I’m joined by Dr. Ian Marcus Corbin, a Harvard Medical School philosopher, who recently co-wrote "The Left Needs a Spiritual Renaissance. So Does America" with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). We talk about how America finds itself in a period of decline, what must happen to pull itself out of it, and what Democrats need to change to take on Trump. This is a brief clip from our conversation.
... comes from the character of "seeds" that were planted yesteryears ago. SEEDS of Hypocrisy can only produce FRUITS of Hpocrisy! From the birth of America, discriminatory practices in every aspect of life was levered against all Peoples of Color!
This nation was birthed in a cesspool of sinful corruption, marginalization and exploitation of indigenous native tribes of this land and enslaved Africans.
For centuries, America has boasted about it's self-righteousness like the early Pharisees! It's sad for America to admit to being a "supposedly" CHRISTIAN Nation that loves God Whom no one has ever seen, but simultaneously offend, misuse and abuse those we see every day.
America is reaping what it had sown?
Until Federal acknowledgment with legally omitted reparations have been fulfil toward the victims of America's brutal domestic violence against Native & Black American Citizens are resolved... there will never be PEACE & HARMONY among us!
Bernie Sanders, from all that I've observed and heard, is a human being often navigating successfully the treacherous waters of Babylon that is modern day American politics and culture.
What's the deal with @SteveSchmidt membership levels? I already paid something like $75 for a one-year subscription to his substack...and now there are two other levels - "founding" and "premium"? What gives? Are other people perplexed and a bit frustrated by the fact that they've paid for content but have apparently not paid enough to receive access to all of it?
I suggest that the decline began during Ronald Reagan’s presidency: the weakening of labor unions, the tax reductions for the rich, the nationwide reduced funding for public schools, the reduction in enforcement of anti-monopoly laws, the abolishment of the draft due to political pressure after the Vietnam War, and later the instant impact of NAFTA, the recession in 2008 to 2010 that caused thousands (millions?) of people to lose their homes while senior executives of banks received huge bonuses after their banks took excessive risks and had to be purchased by other banks because they were failing. I went to the University of California during the period 1960 to 1972, earning a BA, an MA, and a PhD. It was affordable then. I would be willing to pay additional state taxes to help pay for college for those who get very good grades in high school. I believe this country needs to require every young man and every young woman who is not handicapped to provide two years of some kind service, e.g., in the Army or the Navy or the Air Force or the Space Force or community service. I believe all banks, not just the very large banks, should be more closely overseen.
What I remember growing up in the 40s and 50s is the number of heroes that were constantly in the news. People who were examples for all to follow and admire. These were people larger than life, who could make you feel small, no matter how big and successful you were. How much their size was based on fact, admiration or media exposure is uncertain, but they were not fabrications; actual accomplishments were clearly documented. I am talking about national as well as world wide heroes.
These people of enormous accomplishments were from all walks of life, political, science, military, media, theatrical, religion, and sports. People such as Churchill, Roosevelt, Einstein, Salk, Eisenhower, Morrow, Cronkite, Gandhi, Williams, Feller, would all be on the list as well as many others. There was no shortage of supply.
I am sure there are an equal number of such people today, but they don’t get the acknowledgement as in the past. Part of this is due to changing values, the short attention span of people and the media, and the condensing of news into sound bites.
Those getting such attention today are short lived, superficial flashes in the pan, exploited for their commercial value rather than their accomplishments, intellect and talent. No one is dwarfed by their image. The hero of today is fashioned after the emergence of the anti-heroes forged by filmmakers and television sitcoms in the latter half of the 20th century. The idolization of the con man, the criminal outsmarting the law, and the rise to power by the maverick who exploits the norms while others have captured the current imagination through the exposure to the modern news and media cycles.
This absence of legitimate heroes and the dumbing down of America has produced a different kind of American. It more explains the Trump phenomena than anything else. Trump followers are not entrapped cult figures, who have been mesmerized, or foreign adversaries. They are home grown and groomed by the political system, the power brokers and the self-serving. It is who we have become, it is the new face of America. They follow Trump not because they idolize Trump or believe in some higher moral thoughts he expresses, they follow Trump because they are Trump in miniature. They act not out of devotion, but out of self image. This is why their thinking cannot be changed.
There is not much thinking to change, for all feelings and concerns have been turned inward and what is demonstrated is self-reflection. The roots are deep and spreading and, as most deep and spreading roots are, they are not easily seen unless one scratches the surface. For too long this country has not bothered to stop and scratch the surface to view the kind of plants taking root, while the seeds of self-destruction are being planted, we just water and move on. Along with this passive behavior, we have forgotten how to prune and shape what is planted, so that it blends in with the desired landscape.
Today, we are in need of the recognition of the true heroes that are among us on a regular and continuous basis. We need a leader who can catch lightning in a bottle, and has the will to harvest the true potential of the country, and begin to once again plant the seeds that will produce the kind of citizen envisioned by the founders. We need to return to the original principles upon which this country was built. Unless this can be done, the wild and uncontrolled growth of unwanted foliage planted will engulf American society like an invasive, unwanted, and twisted vine. We need to start scratching the surface now, and replant, before it is too late.
We were fortunate to find a transitional leader, but we now need a two term leader, who can take us the distance for a more lasting change.
I blame Trump for our downfall. He gave a pass for bigots to hate again. They are the ones that need to go back into the closets!
In a nutshell. "Win at all costs" ethics, convictions, and decency be damned. Thanks, Steve, for a wide array of subjects under The Warning banner.
The harvest or fruit that's showing up today
... comes from the character of "seeds" that were planted yesteryears ago. SEEDS of Hypocrisy can only produce FRUITS of Hpocrisy! From the birth of America, discriminatory practices in every aspect of life was levered against all Peoples of Color!
This nation was birthed in a cesspool of sinful corruption, marginalization and exploitation of indigenous native tribes of this land and enslaved Africans.
For centuries, America has boasted about it's self-righteousness like the early Pharisees! It's sad for America to admit to being a "supposedly" CHRISTIAN Nation that loves God Whom no one has ever seen, but simultaneously offend, misuse and abuse those we see every day.
America is reaping what it had sown?
Until Federal acknowledgment with legally omitted reparations have been fulfil toward the victims of America's brutal domestic violence against Native & Black American Citizens are resolved... there will never be PEACE & HARMONY among us!
Bernie Sanders, from all that I've observed and heard, is a human being often navigating successfully the treacherous waters of Babylon that is modern day American politics and culture.
What's the deal with @SteveSchmidt membership levels? I already paid something like $75 for a one-year subscription to his substack...and now there are two other levels - "founding" and "premium"? What gives? Are other people perplexed and a bit frustrated by the fact that they've paid for content but have apparently not paid enough to receive access to all of it?
I’m a paid subscriber. Are you saying to be able to listen to your podcast I need to up to a “premium?”
I suggest that the decline began during Ronald Reagan’s presidency: the weakening of labor unions, the tax reductions for the rich, the nationwide reduced funding for public schools, the reduction in enforcement of anti-monopoly laws, the abolishment of the draft due to political pressure after the Vietnam War, and later the instant impact of NAFTA, the recession in 2008 to 2010 that caused thousands (millions?) of people to lose their homes while senior executives of banks received huge bonuses after their banks took excessive risks and had to be purchased by other banks because they were failing. I went to the University of California during the period 1960 to 1972, earning a BA, an MA, and a PhD. It was affordable then. I would be willing to pay additional state taxes to help pay for college for those who get very good grades in high school. I believe this country needs to require every young man and every young woman who is not handicapped to provide two years of some kind service, e.g., in the Army or the Navy or the Air Force or the Space Force or community service. I believe all banks, not just the very large banks, should be more closely overseen.
An 83 Year Old Remembering
What I remember growing up in the 40s and 50s is the number of heroes that were constantly in the news. People who were examples for all to follow and admire. These were people larger than life, who could make you feel small, no matter how big and successful you were. How much their size was based on fact, admiration or media exposure is uncertain, but they were not fabrications; actual accomplishments were clearly documented. I am talking about national as well as world wide heroes.
These people of enormous accomplishments were from all walks of life, political, science, military, media, theatrical, religion, and sports. People such as Churchill, Roosevelt, Einstein, Salk, Eisenhower, Morrow, Cronkite, Gandhi, Williams, Feller, would all be on the list as well as many others. There was no shortage of supply.
I am sure there are an equal number of such people today, but they don’t get the acknowledgement as in the past. Part of this is due to changing values, the short attention span of people and the media, and the condensing of news into sound bites.
Those getting such attention today are short lived, superficial flashes in the pan, exploited for their commercial value rather than their accomplishments, intellect and talent. No one is dwarfed by their image. The hero of today is fashioned after the emergence of the anti-heroes forged by filmmakers and television sitcoms in the latter half of the 20th century. The idolization of the con man, the criminal outsmarting the law, and the rise to power by the maverick who exploits the norms while others have captured the current imagination through the exposure to the modern news and media cycles.
This absence of legitimate heroes and the dumbing down of America has produced a different kind of American. It more explains the Trump phenomena than anything else. Trump followers are not entrapped cult figures, who have been mesmerized, or foreign adversaries. They are home grown and groomed by the political system, the power brokers and the self-serving. It is who we have become, it is the new face of America. They follow Trump not because they idolize Trump or believe in some higher moral thoughts he expresses, they follow Trump because they are Trump in miniature. They act not out of devotion, but out of self image. This is why their thinking cannot be changed.
There is not much thinking to change, for all feelings and concerns have been turned inward and what is demonstrated is self-reflection. The roots are deep and spreading and, as most deep and spreading roots are, they are not easily seen unless one scratches the surface. For too long this country has not bothered to stop and scratch the surface to view the kind of plants taking root, while the seeds of self-destruction are being planted, we just water and move on. Along with this passive behavior, we have forgotten how to prune and shape what is planted, so that it blends in with the desired landscape.
Today, we are in need of the recognition of the true heroes that are among us on a regular and continuous basis. We need a leader who can catch lightning in a bottle, and has the will to harvest the true potential of the country, and begin to once again plant the seeds that will produce the kind of citizen envisioned by the founders. We need to return to the original principles upon which this country was built. Unless this can be done, the wild and uncontrolled growth of unwanted foliage planted will engulf American society like an invasive, unwanted, and twisted vine. We need to start scratching the surface now, and replant, before it is too late.
We were fortunate to find a transitional leader, but we now need a two term leader, who can take us the distance for a more lasting change.
Say what u will, yes Newt started it but Trump allowed many Americans to be free to spread the hate