Republicans are despicable for not calling out Trump. Nothing has changed. They keep in line for MAGA. The bullying tactics scare any that might have a spine.
Where is McConnell? Romney?
An inspiring leader ... where?
Jamie Raskin is about the most inspiring at this time. Getting cancer treatment he still shows. He still kicks arse.
I wonder if McConnell’s head injury is way worse than they are letting on, don’t forget that Kentucky has a democratic Govenor who can appoint a replacement if he can no longer “serve” ie block legislation.
I've been wondering the same thing. He has been uncharacteristically silent since his accident. And, yes, the KY Governor would absolutely put a Democrat in the Senate.
Unfortunate, this is no longer the case. Because we have a Democrat as governor and McConnell is not young, the Republican dominated legislature changed the rules a couple of years ago. I’m a little fuzzy on the details, but if there is a vacancy, the party of the Senator who died or resigned creates a list of three names as possible replacements and the governor has to pick one of those three to fill the vacancy.
Kentucky is not the only Republican state doing this. Ohio’s Republican Supermajority is trying to make it 60% for citizen initiatives to get on the ballot. The are really pushing their evil ways down our throats. Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely....
There are solutions to these assaults, they must be made to understand..They must be made an offer they cannot refuse..The time has long passed for action to be taken against these people trying to subvert our Democracy..Where in our leaders is the will to act?
Raskin is like John Lewis (z”l) - outspoken, principled - and every day I send him strength to survive this stupid* cancer.
Silence from the GOP equals complicity.
Today’s essay from you, Steve, has added to my angst. And as one alive just one year after Roosevelt’s statement, I fear my last years.
* It’s a cancer I share. “Non”, when first diagnosed, made it sound less awful! The dumb part: it differs in each of us. I want his to be gone or at least as just annoying as mine and not yet or for a long time, lethal.
Thank you. I push through every day - not with Jamie Raskin's strength but my own as best I can. I have so much anger (w/ the angst!) that it propels me forward.
Omg, Tracy, McConnell?! What are you talking about?! McConnell gave us Citizens United for the Koch Bros. McConnell has spent decades changing the courts to extremist right wing judges to deliver this country to the oligarchic class while, at the same time neutering Congress, YOUR REPRESENTATIVES SO THEY CAN'T REPRESENT YOU! His Russian buddy Oleg Derapaska (sp?) built a factory in Kentucky to help McConnell remain in power, and on, and on, and on.....You have no idea what McConnell has done to destroy the freedoms and rights in this country so it could be delivered to the autocratic/fascists. If things continue as the they are you won't be living in a democracy in 2025. NO KIDDING!
I am afraid McConnell's injury was much worse than first thought, but will he carry on or will he retire for medical reasons - (is Fetterman still in the hospital?) can we regain the Kentucky seat if he retires? Let's hope so - I certainly don't wish him any harm, but if he has been hurt by the fall let's not let it get worse by going to the cesspool of Washington. Stress is the worst thing for illness.
I do not feel optimistic about the future of the Great Society FDR envisioned. The rise of fascism is again at our doorstep and we have Quislings in our seats of government. Our future relies on our youth and they are distracted by tick tock videos. DOJ is about to indict a former President for one of his many crimes. It is the Stormy crime that will be politicized and taint all future prosecutions of Trump. However, DOJ needs to push forward and tone out the loud voice of dissention to prove to the world that America's rule of law is just and equal. The Justice department needs to be thorough and precise when they bring the most egregious charges against Trump because the political blow back will be deafening. Democracy can only survive if everyone is held accountable no matter how much wealth or influence that person holds. Hold Trump accountable for his many egregious acts and make an example of him. We need to stop the degradation of our institutions by wannabe despots.
When I read the four freedoms speech, I think of Norman Rockwell’s visual interpretation and all the parody versions of Freedom from Want. (Muppets, Technology or Disney, take your pick). The most powerful is the one man standing to speak at a town hall He is a working man in his flannel shirt and leather jacket. His words carry weight. He is a responsible citizen. He is not the craven Rs we see in Congress not willing to step up
Looking at the photo of China and Russia toasting their new world order vs the pro-Trump flag waivers. The former is chilling, the latter is distracting. We need to focus on both. The former we need to lead our allies the latter we need justice done
Do not be distracted by the ugly pro-Trump rhetoric: it will only become worse Stay focused on the larger picture outside our borders. That has longer-term implications
I find myself with tears in my eyes as I remember the horrific evils done to anyone who dares criticize the PRC which you have listed. And (if possible) even far worse thing have been done; I will not write them. Your point about FDR's statement, "in our lifetimes", being about to end chills me to the bone. I fear that things are worse than they were in the 1940's because our nation is so fractured, as the some of the worst dictators in history plot the downfall of the democracies (struggling to be a democracy, in our case) in the West.
I’m not sure our population is actually more divided now than pre-WWII. If you look back there was a frightful tension amongst lingering isolationists, the Bunde and more pragmatic, realistic & far seeing Americans. I say this based on my own father’s memories of how upset folks were with his age-mate uncle who joined up after December 7th, and how things/outlooks did not change for those small town isolationists until after Guadalcanal and the revelation of that young man’s death fighting in the Pacific arena for our country’s sovereignty, as well as historically accurate documentation of the power of the Bunde, and the lingering voices of reason who saw with far more clarity the gathering of forces of fascistic authoritarianism in Germany, Italy, Japan and so on. Our divisiveness today may seem different, but the vices of fascistic authoritarianism, racism, and blind prejudice based on greed, power lust and corruption are not a lot different in my own view.
We cannot possibly secure peace and freedom, or FDRs' vision, with the horrible excuses for humans that we have permeating our governing bodies.
It is up to all of us to see they are replaced with intelligent, fair-minded individuals concerned with making the world a better place, as opposed to condemning everything in sight for personal gain.
Among your best pieces, Steve. Nowhere else have I seen Trump's diatribe in its entirety including the allegation that Bragg is controlled by Soros, another anti-Semitic trope from this so-called friend of Israel. Further I had not been aware on Tom Lantos's Foundation, even though I knew of Tom. The Foundation's research into Chinese transplant surgery and the connection to it's abused populations is also new to me. Finally connecting to FDR's Four Freedoms and providing the appropriate excerpt is another excellent example of relating the present to our history, which you so frequently do. Congratulations.
The thought of a war doesn't sink in with the like of McCarthy and MTG, as they never really had to face one. All their devotion to POS45 and Putin, Xi included, would dissolve in a heart beat if they had to suit up to fight a war on American soil. Can you ever imagine a world where Barron Trump or Eric or Junior had to go into combat because bombs are falling within the continental United States? Nope. Your kids, my grandkids, black and brown kids, but never the grifters.
Yes, the greatest American of the 20th Century was and still is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. How ironic is it then that the very worst American of the 21st Century, Donald J. Trump, is still whining, moaning, bemoaning his pitiful but self-inflicted fate and planning to run once again for the Presidency which his behavior, corrupt practices, selfishness, and intellectual laziness caused him to lose in 2020. He should never again set foot on the White House lawn unless he does so in handcuffs and an orange jump suit as an example of the consequences of flawed ego and willingness to corrupt and be corrupted.
We have the two ‘Frontrunners’ calling each other elementary school names, neither have the foreign policy even close to what Biden has re-gained. The Republican establishment stakeholders are too limp dicked to step in and step up and shut this down.
Thank you for the history lesson, it is so timely. I did not know this. It is a good day when I learn something. If you combined all of the articles you write every morning into a book it would be a best seller! Think about it.
This is the first time I have read the four freedoms speech. Amazing. Thank you for bringing us such precious history. I have begun to pray that God will provide us such a leader in these times.
Trump is deranged. Keep showing us how much Steve.
Timothy Snyder said Ukrainians are fighting for the freedom of modern democracy. It is highly symbolic and significant for Chinese leader, Xi, to visit Moscow at the height of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Xi has barely survived the latest Chinese protests against covid restrictions which laid bare Xi’s vulnerability to economic conditions inside China. Xi may want to bolster his political prowess back home by showing support to his ideological partner, a cruel dictator from Russia. But China’s economic prosperity that will prolong Xi’s legacy solely depends on trades with successful democracies such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, US, and EU. The end result of this visit will say much about the longevity of Xi’s reign. If he opts to join Putin in the failing attempt to conquer Ukraine, the world will know soon and he will have to deal with a cost so much higher than what he has calculated for confrontation with Taiwan. It will destroy China and it will certainly put Xi in the same boat as Putin. Historically China is not prepared for such a step and Xi may not be as short sighted and ignorant as Putin. Xi may be well advised to refrain from sending bullets and armors to Russia even via a third safe country. The wide world is watching. Thankfully it is Biden not Trump at the White House.
It’s going to be quite interesting to see how the MAGA GOP processes the cognitive dissonance arising from the open alliance of China & Russia to topple the US & the western order. Their most hated foe (besides the radical leftist Soros cult of marxist socialist globalist communists) has teamed up with the nation that has funneled untold billions into their coffers.
I have read the Four Freedoms speech many times; it is an address for the ages, to be sure.
But I always flinch at the words "concentration camp," as if someone had hit a discordant note on an out-of-tune piano. Roosevelt's order created concentration camps - not death camps, like the Nazis created, but concentration camps nonetheless. He created them on American soil for American citizens who had done nothing wrong, solely because of their Japanese ancestry. This is a crime against humanity and a stain on his legacy.
I'd like to see an essay from Steve on that aspect of Roosevelt's presidency.
Exactly. It’s good to remember that no matter how “great” they were/are, our Presidents and fine leaders are human. Not perfect, by any means. Unfortunately, so many impatient people today seem to be demanding perfection or ideological purity. FDR made mistakes and was a flawed man. But he was the leader the moment required. The very same can be said of Joe Biden and probably Kamala Harris. As someone said recently, just ask yourself if Kamala Harris will be a better President than Donald Trump. Or even, DeSantis. The answer should be a resounding, “absolutely!”
Republicans are despicable for not calling out Trump. Nothing has changed. They keep in line for MAGA. The bullying tactics scare any that might have a spine.
Where is McConnell? Romney?
An inspiring leader ... where?
Jamie Raskin is about the most inspiring at this time. Getting cancer treatment he still shows. He still kicks arse.
I wonder if McConnell’s head injury is way worse than they are letting on, don’t forget that Kentucky has a democratic Govenor who can appoint a replacement if he can no longer “serve” ie block legislation.
I’m betting he had a stroke...
I've been wondering the same thing. He has been uncharacteristically silent since his accident. And, yes, the KY Governor would absolutely put a Democrat in the Senate.
He's probably sick once he realized what's he's done to our country for all these years.
Unfortunate, this is no longer the case. Because we have a Democrat as governor and McConnell is not young, the Republican dominated legislature changed the rules a couple of years ago. I’m a little fuzzy on the details, but if there is a vacancy, the party of the Senator who died or resigned creates a list of three names as possible replacements and the governor has to pick one of those three to fill the vacancy.
Kentucky is not the only Republican state doing this. Ohio’s Republican Supermajority is trying to make it 60% for citizen initiatives to get on the ballot. The are really pushing their evil ways down our throats. Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely....
There are solutions to these assaults, they must be made to understand..They must be made an offer they cannot refuse..The time has long passed for action to be taken against these people trying to subvert our Democracy..Where in our leaders is the will to act?
Oh, crap, I did not know that. Is that even legal? I thought it was in the US Constitution?
Raskin is like John Lewis (z”l) - outspoken, principled - and every day I send him strength to survive this stupid* cancer.
Silence from the GOP equals complicity.
Today’s essay from you, Steve, has added to my angst. And as one alive just one year after Roosevelt’s statement, I fear my last years.
* It’s a cancer I share. “Non”, when first diagnosed, made it sound less awful! The dumb part: it differs in each of us. I want his to be gone or at least as just annoying as mine and not yet or for a long time, lethal.
Wishing you strength and wellness...
Thank you. I push through every day - not with Jamie Raskin's strength but my own as best I can. I have so much anger (w/ the angst!) that it propels me forward.
My heart is with you, Joan. I can feel your strength and perseverance. Wishing you wellness and recovery.
Thank you for such warmth.
Omg, Tracy, McConnell?! What are you talking about?! McConnell gave us Citizens United for the Koch Bros. McConnell has spent decades changing the courts to extremist right wing judges to deliver this country to the oligarchic class while, at the same time neutering Congress, YOUR REPRESENTATIVES SO THEY CAN'T REPRESENT YOU! His Russian buddy Oleg Derapaska (sp?) built a factory in Kentucky to help McConnell remain in power, and on, and on, and on.....You have no idea what McConnell has done to destroy the freedoms and rights in this country so it could be delivered to the autocratic/fascists. If things continue as the they are you won't be living in a democracy in 2025. NO KIDDING!
I am afraid McConnell's injury was much worse than first thought, but will he carry on or will he retire for medical reasons - (is Fetterman still in the hospital?) can we regain the Kentucky seat if he retires? Let's hope so - I certainly don't wish him any harm, but if he has been hurt by the fall let's not let it get worse by going to the cesspool of Washington. Stress is the worst thing for illness.
I do not feel optimistic about the future of the Great Society FDR envisioned. The rise of fascism is again at our doorstep and we have Quislings in our seats of government. Our future relies on our youth and they are distracted by tick tock videos. DOJ is about to indict a former President for one of his many crimes. It is the Stormy crime that will be politicized and taint all future prosecutions of Trump. However, DOJ needs to push forward and tone out the loud voice of dissention to prove to the world that America's rule of law is just and equal. The Justice department needs to be thorough and precise when they bring the most egregious charges against Trump because the political blow back will be deafening. Democracy can only survive if everyone is held accountable no matter how much wealth or influence that person holds. Hold Trump accountable for his many egregious acts and make an example of him. We need to stop the degradation of our institutions by wannabe despots.
There is nothing that the Former Guy will/won't do that Republicans won't defend. Literally, nothing.
When I read the four freedoms speech, I think of Norman Rockwell’s visual interpretation and all the parody versions of Freedom from Want. (Muppets, Technology or Disney, take your pick). The most powerful is the one man standing to speak at a town hall He is a working man in his flannel shirt and leather jacket. His words carry weight. He is a responsible citizen. He is not the craven Rs we see in Congress not willing to step up
Looking at the photo of China and Russia toasting their new world order vs the pro-Trump flag waivers. The former is chilling, the latter is distracting. We need to focus on both. The former we need to lead our allies the latter we need justice done
Do not be distracted by the ugly pro-Trump rhetoric: it will only become worse Stay focused on the larger picture outside our borders. That has longer-term implications
I find myself with tears in my eyes as I remember the horrific evils done to anyone who dares criticize the PRC which you have listed. And (if possible) even far worse thing have been done; I will not write them. Your point about FDR's statement, "in our lifetimes", being about to end chills me to the bone. I fear that things are worse than they were in the 1940's because our nation is so fractured, as the some of the worst dictators in history plot the downfall of the democracies (struggling to be a democracy, in our case) in the West.
I’m not sure our population is actually more divided now than pre-WWII. If you look back there was a frightful tension amongst lingering isolationists, the Bunde and more pragmatic, realistic & far seeing Americans. I say this based on my own father’s memories of how upset folks were with his age-mate uncle who joined up after December 7th, and how things/outlooks did not change for those small town isolationists until after Guadalcanal and the revelation of that young man’s death fighting in the Pacific arena for our country’s sovereignty, as well as historically accurate documentation of the power of the Bunde, and the lingering voices of reason who saw with far more clarity the gathering of forces of fascistic authoritarianism in Germany, Italy, Japan and so on. Our divisiveness today may seem different, but the vices of fascistic authoritarianism, racism, and blind prejudice based on greed, power lust and corruption are not a lot different in my own view.
Thank you for that! xx
We cannot possibly secure peace and freedom, or FDRs' vision, with the horrible excuses for humans that we have permeating our governing bodies.
It is up to all of us to see they are replaced with intelligent, fair-minded individuals concerned with making the world a better place, as opposed to condemning everything in sight for personal gain.
GET THE WORD OUT. VOTE!
Among your best pieces, Steve. Nowhere else have I seen Trump's diatribe in its entirety including the allegation that Bragg is controlled by Soros, another anti-Semitic trope from this so-called friend of Israel. Further I had not been aware on Tom Lantos's Foundation, even though I knew of Tom. The Foundation's research into Chinese transplant surgery and the connection to it's abused populations is also new to me. Finally connecting to FDR's Four Freedoms and providing the appropriate excerpt is another excellent example of relating the present to our history, which you so frequently do. Congratulations.
The thought of a war doesn't sink in with the like of McCarthy and MTG, as they never really had to face one. All their devotion to POS45 and Putin, Xi included, would dissolve in a heart beat if they had to suit up to fight a war on American soil. Can you ever imagine a world where Barron Trump or Eric or Junior had to go into combat because bombs are falling within the continental United States? Nope. Your kids, my grandkids, black and brown kids, but never the grifters.
Yes, the greatest American of the 20th Century was and still is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. How ironic is it then that the very worst American of the 21st Century, Donald J. Trump, is still whining, moaning, bemoaning his pitiful but self-inflicted fate and planning to run once again for the Presidency which his behavior, corrupt practices, selfishness, and intellectual laziness caused him to lose in 2020. He should never again set foot on the White House lawn unless he does so in handcuffs and an orange jump suit as an example of the consequences of flawed ego and willingness to corrupt and be corrupted.
We have the two ‘Frontrunners’ calling each other elementary school names, neither have the foreign policy even close to what Biden has re-gained. The Republican establishment stakeholders are too limp dicked to step in and step up and shut this down.
Thank you for the history lesson, it is so timely. I did not know this. It is a good day when I learn something. If you combined all of the articles you write every morning into a book it would be a best seller! Think about it.
This is the first time I have read the four freedoms speech. Amazing. Thank you for bringing us such precious history. I have begun to pray that God will provide us such a leader in these times.
Trump is deranged. Keep showing us how much Steve.
Timothy Snyder said Ukrainians are fighting for the freedom of modern democracy. It is highly symbolic and significant for Chinese leader, Xi, to visit Moscow at the height of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Xi has barely survived the latest Chinese protests against covid restrictions which laid bare Xi’s vulnerability to economic conditions inside China. Xi may want to bolster his political prowess back home by showing support to his ideological partner, a cruel dictator from Russia. But China’s economic prosperity that will prolong Xi’s legacy solely depends on trades with successful democracies such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, US, and EU. The end result of this visit will say much about the longevity of Xi’s reign. If he opts to join Putin in the failing attempt to conquer Ukraine, the world will know soon and he will have to deal with a cost so much higher than what he has calculated for confrontation with Taiwan. It will destroy China and it will certainly put Xi in the same boat as Putin. Historically China is not prepared for such a step and Xi may not be as short sighted and ignorant as Putin. Xi may be well advised to refrain from sending bullets and armors to Russia even via a third safe country. The wide world is watching. Thankfully it is Biden not Trump at the White House.
It’s going to be quite interesting to see how the MAGA GOP processes the cognitive dissonance arising from the open alliance of China & Russia to topple the US & the western order. Their most hated foe (besides the radical leftist Soros cult of marxist socialist globalist communists) has teamed up with the nation that has funneled untold billions into their coffers.
Thank you Steve. Once again your writing is very powerful and to the point. I pray that you may become the conscience of our next president.
I have read the Four Freedoms speech many times; it is an address for the ages, to be sure.
But I always flinch at the words "concentration camp," as if someone had hit a discordant note on an out-of-tune piano. Roosevelt's order created concentration camps - not death camps, like the Nazis created, but concentration camps nonetheless. He created them on American soil for American citizens who had done nothing wrong, solely because of their Japanese ancestry. This is a crime against humanity and a stain on his legacy.
I'd like to see an essay from Steve on that aspect of Roosevelt's presidency.
Exactly. It’s good to remember that no matter how “great” they were/are, our Presidents and fine leaders are human. Not perfect, by any means. Unfortunately, so many impatient people today seem to be demanding perfection or ideological purity. FDR made mistakes and was a flawed man. But he was the leader the moment required. The very same can be said of Joe Biden and probably Kamala Harris. As someone said recently, just ask yourself if Kamala Harris will be a better President than Donald Trump. Or even, DeSantis. The answer should be a resounding, “absolutely!”