There are 245 days remaining until the American people decide who becomes the president of the United States and leads the Earth’s preeminent nation. I was thinking about time this morning in the quiet. No matter what, it presses forward. The seconds fall like drops of water in an unrelenting drizzle. They land and vanish prefacing the next and next. From them emerge the days and months, and ultimately, long life spans of human beings who witness the accumulation of time and can divide it into epochs where war, tragedy, suffering and destruction come and then abate. They have seen the cycles of hope and despair, and have come to understand the deep wisdom of teachings like those found in Ecclesiastes.
Tell that to the fascist court! Our republic is suffering a death by a thousand cuts.
It started with Bush v Gore. It metastasized with Citizen United, dark money in politics, extreme gerrymandering, gutting of the civil rights act, reversal of Roe v Wade, and most recently deciding section three of 14th amendment doesn’t apply to insurgents, unless our feckless and hapless legislative branch passes laws saying so; even though it’s clearly written in the constitution.
Ironically, the Originalists on the SC, collectively haven’t an original thought in their obtuse and parochial brains.
Robert, I agree with you on all points except as to when the down slide started.
Contrast a national ethos where our president beseeches citizens to “ask what you can do for your country” -to- a later President who admonished those same citizens to believe that government of “your country”, IS the problem. Reagan’s words were a clarion call to a crusade not to do “for your country” but what to do TO your country. He, in effect, advocated for a political autoimmune disorder.
Governance is a fearsome 3 headed fire breathing dragon that civilization can’t survive without and occasionally that beast harms those it is suppose to serve. The cool headed tamer makes changes to prevent getting singed again, while the reactionary seeks to kill the beast. Let’s all hope that this November the multitude of citizen tamers choose not to plunge the sword, but to secure the yoke.
Fair enough, and agree. I meant from the judiciary perspective, but points well taken.
We could even go back to Nixon and his Southern Strategy, which was the inevitable conclusion after the Civil Rights Act; the fascists and religious fanatics switched parties.
That said, you’re right; it was Reagan who welcomed the fascists, religious fanatics and white nationalists into the party, only to be outdone by Dubya…:)
Steve, thanks again for your ability to contextualize the current madness. I am a Boomer very much shaped by WWII. My parents met in DC as wartime naval officers. I invested 8 years of my 73 (and counting) years in active duty on Navy destroyers. When thanked for my service, my normal reply was “it was a privilege “. Not so sure about that anymore. Feeling a little bitter.
With each post from Mikey Weinstein from The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, I fear who is serving and what influence they have and the greater influence they may have. My father, a WWII veteran, would be livid.
My grandson (former Army Staff Sergeant with 9 military service) is always flummoxed and embarrassed when someone says "thank you for your service". I'll suggest your "it was a privilege" rejoinder to him. In 2024 the US has 2.86M military strength personnel including 1.29M active duty compared to the 16M who served during WWII but our population has grown from 138.4M in 1944 to 341.2M (per Worldometer). From 11.5% to less than 1% wearing the uniform. Serving our country is a vanishing virtue and the ranks of our veterans who remind us of America's obligations and sacrifice are being rapidly depleted so THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!
Steve, I was surprised to hear that you were so young as compared to myself, thus you must be an old soul to be so wise. The problem I am having right now is that DJT keeps getting attaboys fr4om the likes of Main Stream Media, like the New York Times. The Poll they released late last week has been parroted on the news stations without much critique, and thus with repetition it becomes a bellowing fact. I am very concerned. I hope Haley stays in as long as she can, if for no other reason that to show, Trump is a pile of weakness.
One of Putin’s henchman said that Ukraine does not exist; that it is part of Russia; that the war will not end until the Ukraine leadership is killed; that The End will mean the end of Ukraine.
Dangerous days ahead for the world and I suspect we may see a nuclear strike there before the election.
We have to keep reminding Putin and Trump that a nuclear nation cannot walk over to a small peaceful neighbor and take it over by force and when they resist you can just nuke them. Because this is the reason why NATO has been enlarged and the democratic world coalesced and re-armed to prevent and push back against such naked aggression.
Good insights but...our Presidents are not elected by a majority vote. Instead votes are filtered through Electoral College. Isn't it time to discard a filter that has guaranteed mistrust?
Search for: Why did the Constitution create the Electoral College?
Why does the U.S. use the Electoral College instead of the popular vote?
The founders thought that the use of electors would give our country a representative president, while avoiding a corruptible national election.Feb 9, 2021
Great also Mary.
Some stats 74+million for Trump 81+ for Biden and a slim others 2+million. with 66% of the voters ( 👏first ever consensus) (good thing the fake electors didn’t get into it) …and now?
The Founding Father what would they think now…that there was a corruptible national election ? A corrupted National Party? A Corrupted Supreme Court/Judges/Congress?
Should there ought to be a vetting -have to go through like immigrants, child care workers , military for any President , congress person, and ethics of the law be upheld thereafter -no lying #1?
A lot of loopholes have been laid open, defining principle as apparently needed, as it’s interpret by far too many leave us in a mess.
. Perhaps the Founding Fathers were assuring there would never be a popular vote winner without the failsafe filter of a clique made up of powerful white male landowners.
I think principally they did a great job personally , how can the future be seen and avoid the pitfalls 100 years from now. We certainly roll ‘white male ‘ land (or rich) owners about statistics et al. The air about women was sure different then. I think enough reality about that is obvious,there best be enough sistas aware.
I posted on my FB feed the other day about growing up in the 50's and onward where the Big cause was fighting Communism and the Red Scare. Spies and the Iron Curtain. James Bond 007 books and films. How have we come to this state where x45 and his minions applaud Putin and support him in his quest to put the USSR back together again? How has x45 become so powerful people are afraid to go against him?
The human psyche is fickle, especially when it some to believing mode instead of thinking mode. The "Miracle" of history that is America may be that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness", but the psychic underpinning of this phrase has its root in creative intelligence and not a regurgitation of someone else's belief. Practice, and teach, to think more and believe less and history will not repeat itself. Believe more and think less has brought us to this point, as it did in Nazi Germany, and his doing now in Russia, China, and N Korea.
Steve, you have definitely, in this piece, captured this moment in time. Americans must vote and vote their consciences. I implore you to join in the Biden campaign and help; also, please help with the Lincoln Project. It seems however, that the grifter in chief is imploding. His last public statement was a mixture of gaffes, misstatements and incoherent babbling causing Morning Joe and others to mock him. It may be that the pressure of the Carroll and New York Attorney general judgments are wearing him down. I am hopeful that he will be out of contention after the porn star trial when he is found guilty. Then we can all go back to being self satisfied Americans with the country we have!
I think we have to remember how patient Religious Zealots are. It took them a long time to end Roe, but they were patient about it. Look at the Taliban. If you want an example of patience, it is the Taliban. They share that patience with our own homegrown zealots, many of whom now hold key leadership positions in state houses and in Congress.
What has changed is American culture. Those of us who have been around awhile have watched it change from a mostly hard-working, resilient, independent-minded populace to an overwhelmingly entitled, lazy, victim-minded one. This is not a political statement - it cuts across political parties, genders, classes, ethnicities, and religions. Everybody wants something for nothing and everybody is willing to step on the heads of their neighbors to get it. The white-nationalists and Magats are the worst of us, but the whole country is complicit in allowing Trump to rise. And now we are suffering the consequences because we can't even seem to use our own judicial system to put him where he belongs. Both he and it are so corrupt that the truly decent people working within it are nearly powerless to hold him accountable.
Years before Trump emerged, my husband and I were already having conversations about how American culture was rotting from the inside out. We are not religious nor are we particularly moralistic people. These were just conversations based on what we were observing around us: a lack of accountability at all levels of society, a refusal by many to conform to even the most basic standards of civility and tolerance, and a general disregard for others. We must remember that Trump is a symptom, not the disease itself. This does not excuse anything he has said or done. It just means that his particular brand of evil must not be viewed as if it exists in a vacuum. Placed in its proper context, he is like the ugly, disgusting pustule that forms as a result of an infection. Many people do not recognize him as such because they too, are infected.
The Dying of the Light… is the rising of sickening intolerance, fear, ignorance, prejudice and FASCISM… Mussolini plus Adolf Hitler… then Stalin, now Putin - Trump.
This is so right, but unless it is recognized and talked about on a daily basis, avoiding disaster is not going to happen. Until the fingers stop pointing at the few, we will never be able to solve the problem we are all about to face. It is time for all to wake up and take the blame. It used to be what made America great. The fact that Trump refuses to admit a mistake tells you he is not good for America. Jerry
Spot on. We can't keep treating this with casual dismay or intermittent outbursts of rage. We need to apply a steady, reasoned effort with intent on deep change. Easier said than done I'm afraid.
What has changed? Most everything. Steve is 1,000% right… But America was inherently intolerant on day one… and those seeds and weeds were thriving as Hitler rose to power… and our fascists blocked FDR from helping Churchill… till the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor… we were saved by adversity.. SWEET ARE THE USES OF ADVERSITY… WHEN IN DISGRACE WITH FORTUNE AND MEN’S EYES… FASCISM is set in the human condition… tolerance needs help.
Thank you, Steve. I was born in 1955 and know well what my parents (father was in the Army Air Corps and mother was in the USO and her pinup was sent to servicemen for free from the Broadway show she was in) did to help protect democracy from the threat of fascism.
I’ve also studied what Hollywood did to pull America together, both during and after the war. If you look up the First Motion Picture Unit which was organized by Jack Warner of Warner Brothers, you can read the history of the amazing effort that kept America United. The film Don’t Be a Sucker that the entertainment industry produced after the war at the request of the US government explicitly showed that any effort to bring fascism to America after the war must be rejected. Frank Sinatra even had a role in that effort in the scene where he tells school kids that everyone is an American and that bigotry has no place here (foreshadowing his own real life efforts to combat racism in Las Vegas, when is good friend, Sammy Davis, Jr. and other Black performers were denied the right to stay in the hotels where they were performing.
We must not let the lessons of World War II vanish from America’s collective consciousness. And we must not let the miracle of what democracy is go, unspoken either.
A fascist society is not one where creative people get to lead us to a better future for all. It is one in which the only people who benefit are the fascist leaders and their friends.
I pray that Joe Biden draws this contrast in the starkest of terms in his upcoming State of the Union Address. And I pray he ends that address by describing in detail what kind of America we can have if we preserve democracy. He frequently says that in America there’s nothing we can’t do if we work together. But that is a very generalized statement. I pray he goes beyond generalities and paints a vision of an America reborn through the fullest use of democracy to create a world in which all truly have the opportunity to pursue life, liberty and happiness.
Quote: "Donald Trump is an American fascist, who seeks to topple the republic and the US Constitution. He declares he is above the law, that revenge is righteous, and tyrants are friends. The hour of crisis imagined by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison has fully arrived. " End quote.
Are we. in fact, "Earth's preeminent nation"? This moment in our history has been a long time in coming. I question our "preeminence". The Leonard Leo's (Federalist Society) have been working in the shadows for years, shaping our country into an anti-democratic, religious nation-state. It is about power and power-over, with the wealthy and powerful imposing their will upon the people. Yet, when one recognizes that nearly 70+ MILLION people voted for Trump, one must ask: "How and why?" The MEDIA has played a central role in defining us as blue, red or purple. The MEDIA has nurtured and energized the lines of division. The MEDIA has promoted Trump and those like him. The MEDIA has turned Trump into a national celebrity, however crude and anti-patriotic he may be. This is a wake-up moment. How many will wake up?
Howdy! Yep. I'm "still in the race". Every now and then I have to "pull back". Otherwise, all this chaos can become overwhelming. I've been working on a piece for my Substack, but the words are not coming as yet.
Howdy! I'm in a state of overwhelm and need to pull back for awhile (I needed to awhile ago, my health is faltering)...so I'm doubly glad you're back and keep working on your Substack. The comments you were writing before seem to be substantial!
Thank you for your words of encouragement. Sorry to learn about your poor health. These days I seem to be in a constant state of flux between dismay, anger, frustration combined with my refusal to give up hope. That one entire political Party, the Republican Party, would show itself to be the enemy of our republic is deeply sorrowing.
According to Barron’s, “ The Magnificent Seven, of course, won’t be the only casualty if Trump wins and implements his tariff plan. The group stocks, though, now make up nearly a third of the entire value of the U.S. stock market, which means traders are exposed to a high level of risk concentrated within just a handful of companies.”
How life is seen right now is divided, a word presented , that fit these times. I tried to compare with a limited compilation ( college four years) , and found a lot forgotten, a lot I never grasped ( or paid attention to), and Substack . Here I get to read opinions of people far more versed . The majority give historic analysis , books to read , a more thorough dissect of what happened -which education either omitted or laid haste to.
In general a consensus seems to me we are more than half way down the road to trouble but ‘factually’ the recovery from a world wide pandemic is led by America -on the other hand that’s questionable truth or accuracy from medias- newspaper ,TV , Congress, court system , corporate and individual beliefs. Two sided?
Are there any givens? Universal Laws ? The World according to Hoyle ? Garp? The Bible…whose ..Bible? Rights?
There is a lot of ‘bygones’ in play, questioned , and possibly tossed …for sure.
Is anyone sure?
I’m going to vote blue 💙..my husband too 💙…..and, eating Cheerios he says ‘I hope the glyphosate blip isn’t true or if so I can be part of the class action suit not spending a lot of money” …I know his humor is ,in FACT , intact..that’s my pretty establish given here.
Universal right and wrong? Perhaps its preference. I prefer elected public servants who want to help people. Others prefer dictators who want to steal from people. And get away with it. Biden is in the first group. Putin and Trump are in the second.
Is it preference? Do the majority of Russians/the world think Putin is their preferred? Even NATO , a presumed security for how many years is now in question.The US’s will appear 11/5/24 ,will that preference expressed be from ignorance /brainwash or a well informed percentage -the World has expressed trepidation. A neighbor said they wanted TFG elected so as we wouldn’t have a war, we disagreed and civil discourse why. Another said ,’what good has Biden done?’ again we discussed Bidens accomplishments..they couldn’t name or did it change their outlook..but neither of them vote so that’s a point of comfort…BUT…NOT VOTING is a preference that likely won’t nor has helped us. Some say the average 35-45% is the reason we’re where we’re at ..got to have more consensus?
Is preference ‘just’ an opinion? Based on fact? What’s it Worth ? Apparently a consensus can deem it’s worth? When 68% don’t want (whatever) is that a consensus -yet those who represent that 68% don’t in fact represent that in action does it say consensus doesn’t matter.
Someone stated a consensus that 160 or above is genius level, but does genius level expect common sense, leadership ability? Does claiming it?
Wonderful supposition Burke,thanks …love y’all , great stuff.🫶
“A vote is a miracle?”
Tell that to the fascist court! Our republic is suffering a death by a thousand cuts.
It started with Bush v Gore. It metastasized with Citizen United, dark money in politics, extreme gerrymandering, gutting of the civil rights act, reversal of Roe v Wade, and most recently deciding section three of 14th amendment doesn’t apply to insurgents, unless our feckless and hapless legislative branch passes laws saying so; even though it’s clearly written in the constitution.
Ironically, the Originalists on the SC, collectively haven’t an original thought in their obtuse and parochial brains.
Yet here we are!….:)
If Biden wins, it’s time to add more judges to the Supreme Court. At least three. Maybe five.
Why wait? Add them now while we have a democratic senate
Exactly. Why wait. The endless problem of Democrats; waiting for miracles instead of creating miracles!
You need 60 votes in the senate to pass that type of legislation…..:)
Agreed…:)
And try some for treason.
Robert, I agree with you on all points except as to when the down slide started.
Contrast a national ethos where our president beseeches citizens to “ask what you can do for your country” -to- a later President who admonished those same citizens to believe that government of “your country”, IS the problem. Reagan’s words were a clarion call to a crusade not to do “for your country” but what to do TO your country. He, in effect, advocated for a political autoimmune disorder.
Governance is a fearsome 3 headed fire breathing dragon that civilization can’t survive without and occasionally that beast harms those it is suppose to serve. The cool headed tamer makes changes to prevent getting singed again, while the reactionary seeks to kill the beast. Let’s all hope that this November the multitude of citizen tamers choose not to plunge the sword, but to secure the yoke.
Fair enough, and agree. I meant from the judiciary perspective, but points well taken.
We could even go back to Nixon and his Southern Strategy, which was the inevitable conclusion after the Civil Rights Act; the fascists and religious fanatics switched parties.
That said, you’re right; it was Reagan who welcomed the fascists, religious fanatics and white nationalists into the party, only to be outdone by Dubya…:)
WOW!
Steve, thanks again for your ability to contextualize the current madness. I am a Boomer very much shaped by WWII. My parents met in DC as wartime naval officers. I invested 8 years of my 73 (and counting) years in active duty on Navy destroyers. When thanked for my service, my normal reply was “it was a privilege “. Not so sure about that anymore. Feeling a little bitter.
With each post from Mikey Weinstein from The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, I fear who is serving and what influence they have and the greater influence they may have. My father, a WWII veteran, would be livid.
My grandson (former Army Staff Sergeant with 9 military service) is always flummoxed and embarrassed when someone says "thank you for your service". I'll suggest your "it was a privilege" rejoinder to him. In 2024 the US has 2.86M military strength personnel including 1.29M active duty compared to the 16M who served during WWII but our population has grown from 138.4M in 1944 to 341.2M (per Worldometer). From 11.5% to less than 1% wearing the uniform. Serving our country is a vanishing virtue and the ranks of our veterans who remind us of America's obligations and sacrifice are being rapidly depleted so THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!
Keep the faith Bernie. There’s so many more of us than them.
Thank you Steve, for being a guide post in the darkness of this gathering storm. I credit you with saving what remains of my sanity these days.
Steve, I was surprised to hear that you were so young as compared to myself, thus you must be an old soul to be so wise. The problem I am having right now is that DJT keeps getting attaboys fr4om the likes of Main Stream Media, like the New York Times. The Poll they released late last week has been parroted on the news stations without much critique, and thus with repetition it becomes a bellowing fact. I am very concerned. I hope Haley stays in as long as she can, if for no other reason that to show, Trump is a pile of weakness.
“Never Again. Never Forget.”
Unfortunately, some of us have forgotten. More so, some of our youth never knew and don't care.
It's up to us who do know and haven't forgotten to GET OUT THE VOTE.
One of Putin’s henchman said that Ukraine does not exist; that it is part of Russia; that the war will not end until the Ukraine leadership is killed; that The End will mean the end of Ukraine.
Dangerous days ahead for the world and I suspect we may see a nuclear strike there before the election.
We have to keep reminding Putin and Trump that a nuclear nation cannot walk over to a small peaceful neighbor and take it over by force and when they resist you can just nuke them. Because this is the reason why NATO has been enlarged and the democratic world coalesced and re-armed to prevent and push back against such naked aggression.
Good insights but...our Presidents are not elected by a majority vote. Instead votes are filtered through Electoral College. Isn't it time to discard a filter that has guaranteed mistrust?
archives.gov
https://www.archives.gov › electoral-college › history
Search for: Why did the Constitution create the Electoral College?
Why does the U.S. use the Electoral College instead of the popular vote?
The founders thought that the use of electors would give our country a representative president, while avoiding a corruptible national election.Feb 9, 2021
Great also Mary.
Some stats 74+million for Trump 81+ for Biden and a slim others 2+million. with 66% of the voters ( 👏first ever consensus) (good thing the fake electors didn’t get into it) …and now?
The Founding Father what would they think now…that there was a corruptible national election ? A corrupted National Party? A Corrupted Supreme Court/Judges/Congress?
Should there ought to be a vetting -have to go through like immigrants, child care workers , military for any President , congress person, and ethics of the law be upheld thereafter -no lying #1?
A lot of loopholes have been laid open, defining principle as apparently needed, as it’s interpret by far too many leave us in a mess.
So when did this MESS become so obvious?
Huh?
Speculative Clues, anyone?
. Perhaps the Founding Fathers were assuring there would never be a popular vote winner without the failsafe filter of a clique made up of powerful white male landowners.
I think principally they did a great job personally , how can the future be seen and avoid the pitfalls 100 years from now. We certainly roll ‘white male ‘ land (or rich) owners about statistics et al. The air about women was sure different then. I think enough reality about that is obvious,there best be enough sistas aware.
Happy Wednesday 🫶 haven’t heard ‘news’ yet.
I posted on my FB feed the other day about growing up in the 50's and onward where the Big cause was fighting Communism and the Red Scare. Spies and the Iron Curtain. James Bond 007 books and films. How have we come to this state where x45 and his minions applaud Putin and support him in his quest to put the USSR back together again? How has x45 become so powerful people are afraid to go against him?
The human psyche is fickle, especially when it some to believing mode instead of thinking mode. The "Miracle" of history that is America may be that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness", but the psychic underpinning of this phrase has its root in creative intelligence and not a regurgitation of someone else's belief. Practice, and teach, to think more and believe less and history will not repeat itself. Believe more and think less has brought us to this point, as it did in Nazi Germany, and his doing now in Russia, China, and N Korea.
Steve, you have definitely, in this piece, captured this moment in time. Americans must vote and vote their consciences. I implore you to join in the Biden campaign and help; also, please help with the Lincoln Project. It seems however, that the grifter in chief is imploding. His last public statement was a mixture of gaffes, misstatements and incoherent babbling causing Morning Joe and others to mock him. It may be that the pressure of the Carroll and New York Attorney general judgments are wearing him down. I am hopeful that he will be out of contention after the porn star trial when he is found guilty. Then we can all go back to being self satisfied Americans with the country we have!
I think we have to remember how patient Religious Zealots are. It took them a long time to end Roe, but they were patient about it. Look at the Taliban. If you want an example of patience, it is the Taliban. They share that patience with our own homegrown zealots, many of whom now hold key leadership positions in state houses and in Congress.
Remember, and vow to outlast them.
“Trump could never have risen when the World War II generation was here…. He would’ve been laughed out of the room.”
What an interesting statement. What has changed in America in a generation that so many Americans would embrace such a charlatan?
What has changed is American culture. Those of us who have been around awhile have watched it change from a mostly hard-working, resilient, independent-minded populace to an overwhelmingly entitled, lazy, victim-minded one. This is not a political statement - it cuts across political parties, genders, classes, ethnicities, and religions. Everybody wants something for nothing and everybody is willing to step on the heads of their neighbors to get it. The white-nationalists and Magats are the worst of us, but the whole country is complicit in allowing Trump to rise. And now we are suffering the consequences because we can't even seem to use our own judicial system to put him where he belongs. Both he and it are so corrupt that the truly decent people working within it are nearly powerless to hold him accountable.
Years before Trump emerged, my husband and I were already having conversations about how American culture was rotting from the inside out. We are not religious nor are we particularly moralistic people. These were just conversations based on what we were observing around us: a lack of accountability at all levels of society, a refusal by many to conform to even the most basic standards of civility and tolerance, and a general disregard for others. We must remember that Trump is a symptom, not the disease itself. This does not excuse anything he has said or done. It just means that his particular brand of evil must not be viewed as if it exists in a vacuum. Placed in its proper context, he is like the ugly, disgusting pustule that forms as a result of an infection. Many people do not recognize him as such because they too, are infected.
The Dying of the Light… is the rising of sickening intolerance, fear, ignorance, prejudice and FASCISM… Mussolini plus Adolf Hitler… then Stalin, now Putin - Trump.
The Dying of the Light
This is so right, but unless it is recognized and talked about on a daily basis, avoiding disaster is not going to happen. Until the fingers stop pointing at the few, we will never be able to solve the problem we are all about to face. It is time for all to wake up and take the blame. It used to be what made America great. The fact that Trump refuses to admit a mistake tells you he is not good for America. Jerry
Spot on. We can't keep treating this with casual dismay or intermittent outbursts of rage. We need to apply a steady, reasoned effort with intent on deep change. Easier said than done I'm afraid.
What has changed? Most everything. Steve is 1,000% right… But America was inherently intolerant on day one… and those seeds and weeds were thriving as Hitler rose to power… and our fascists blocked FDR from helping Churchill… till the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor… we were saved by adversity.. SWEET ARE THE USES OF ADVERSITY… WHEN IN DISGRACE WITH FORTUNE AND MEN’S EYES… FASCISM is set in the human condition… tolerance needs help.
Thank you, Steve. I was born in 1955 and know well what my parents (father was in the Army Air Corps and mother was in the USO and her pinup was sent to servicemen for free from the Broadway show she was in) did to help protect democracy from the threat of fascism.
I’ve also studied what Hollywood did to pull America together, both during and after the war. If you look up the First Motion Picture Unit which was organized by Jack Warner of Warner Brothers, you can read the history of the amazing effort that kept America United. The film Don’t Be a Sucker that the entertainment industry produced after the war at the request of the US government explicitly showed that any effort to bring fascism to America after the war must be rejected. Frank Sinatra even had a role in that effort in the scene where he tells school kids that everyone is an American and that bigotry has no place here (foreshadowing his own real life efforts to combat racism in Las Vegas, when is good friend, Sammy Davis, Jr. and other Black performers were denied the right to stay in the hotels where they were performing.
We must not let the lessons of World War II vanish from America’s collective consciousness. And we must not let the miracle of what democracy is go, unspoken either.
A fascist society is not one where creative people get to lead us to a better future for all. It is one in which the only people who benefit are the fascist leaders and their friends.
I pray that Joe Biden draws this contrast in the starkest of terms in his upcoming State of the Union Address. And I pray he ends that address by describing in detail what kind of America we can have if we preserve democracy. He frequently says that in America there’s nothing we can’t do if we work together. But that is a very generalized statement. I pray he goes beyond generalities and paints a vision of an America reborn through the fullest use of democracy to create a world in which all truly have the opportunity to pursue life, liberty and happiness.
Here is a link to a documentary about the First Motion Picture Unit of the USA led by Jack Warner of Warner Bros.
https://youtu.be/Lpz1rBd6UDU?si=BoL4dxnUvwIgNNMz
And here is “Don’t Be a Sucker,” the anti-fascism film the government produced in 1947 with Hollywood’s help
https://youtu.be/iQ0ct9bglYo?si=OEhULIIBvKp5g5vP
Quote: "Donald Trump is an American fascist, who seeks to topple the republic and the US Constitution. He declares he is above the law, that revenge is righteous, and tyrants are friends. The hour of crisis imagined by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison has fully arrived. " End quote.
Are we. in fact, "Earth's preeminent nation"? This moment in our history has been a long time in coming. I question our "preeminence". The Leonard Leo's (Federalist Society) have been working in the shadows for years, shaping our country into an anti-democratic, religious nation-state. It is about power and power-over, with the wealthy and powerful imposing their will upon the people. Yet, when one recognizes that nearly 70+ MILLION people voted for Trump, one must ask: "How and why?" The MEDIA has played a central role in defining us as blue, red or purple. The MEDIA has nurtured and energized the lines of division. The MEDIA has promoted Trump and those like him. The MEDIA has turned Trump into a national celebrity, however crude and anti-patriotic he may be. This is a wake-up moment. How many will wake up?
Hi, I'm glad to see you back here asking big questions again! Best, Lisa, feeling adrift in MT.
Howdy! Yep. I'm "still in the race". Every now and then I have to "pull back". Otherwise, all this chaos can become overwhelming. I've been working on a piece for my Substack, but the words are not coming as yet.
Howdy! I'm in a state of overwhelm and need to pull back for awhile (I needed to awhile ago, my health is faltering)...so I'm doubly glad you're back and keep working on your Substack. The comments you were writing before seem to be substantial!
Thank you for your words of encouragement. Sorry to learn about your poor health. These days I seem to be in a constant state of flux between dismay, anger, frustration combined with my refusal to give up hope. That one entire political Party, the Republican Party, would show itself to be the enemy of our republic is deeply sorrowing.
Yes, deeply sorrowing and distressing. I need to hang on to some hope, too.
According to Barron’s the only meaningful thing Trump did economically was to impose tariff on China. And today when Trump is expecting to win the nomination the stocks are tanking. We should keep reminding people that everyone lost except a few oligarchs when we had Trump as a president. https://www.barrons.com/articles/super-tuesday-election-trump-mag-7-apple-tesla-stock-8d9f7084?st=m1wnqr3t4mqrc8i
According to Barron’s, “ The Magnificent Seven, of course, won’t be the only casualty if Trump wins and implements his tariff plan. The group stocks, though, now make up nearly a third of the entire value of the U.S. stock market, which means traders are exposed to a high level of risk concentrated within just a handful of companies.”
Steve, yes! I love you, love your voice, your music, your message. You get it. You get me. Fire up, Steve.
Thanks,
Sandy
How life is seen right now is divided, a word presented , that fit these times. I tried to compare with a limited compilation ( college four years) , and found a lot forgotten, a lot I never grasped ( or paid attention to), and Substack . Here I get to read opinions of people far more versed . The majority give historic analysis , books to read , a more thorough dissect of what happened -which education either omitted or laid haste to.
In general a consensus seems to me we are more than half way down the road to trouble but ‘factually’ the recovery from a world wide pandemic is led by America -on the other hand that’s questionable truth or accuracy from medias- newspaper ,TV , Congress, court system , corporate and individual beliefs. Two sided?
Are there any givens? Universal Laws ? The World according to Hoyle ? Garp? The Bible…whose ..Bible? Rights?
There is a lot of ‘bygones’ in play, questioned , and possibly tossed …for sure.
Is anyone sure?
I’m going to vote blue 💙..my husband too 💙…..and, eating Cheerios he says ‘I hope the glyphosate blip isn’t true or if so I can be part of the class action suit not spending a lot of money” …I know his humor is ,in FACT , intact..that’s my pretty establish given here.
Universal right and wrong? Perhaps its preference. I prefer elected public servants who want to help people. Others prefer dictators who want to steal from people. And get away with it. Biden is in the first group. Putin and Trump are in the second.
Is it preference? Do the majority of Russians/the world think Putin is their preferred? Even NATO , a presumed security for how many years is now in question.The US’s will appear 11/5/24 ,will that preference expressed be from ignorance /brainwash or a well informed percentage -the World has expressed trepidation. A neighbor said they wanted TFG elected so as we wouldn’t have a war, we disagreed and civil discourse why. Another said ,’what good has Biden done?’ again we discussed Bidens accomplishments..they couldn’t name or did it change their outlook..but neither of them vote so that’s a point of comfort…BUT…NOT VOTING is a preference that likely won’t nor has helped us. Some say the average 35-45% is the reason we’re where we’re at ..got to have more consensus?
Is preference ‘just’ an opinion? Based on fact? What’s it Worth ? Apparently a consensus can deem it’s worth? When 68% don’t want (whatever) is that a consensus -yet those who represent that 68% don’t in fact represent that in action does it say consensus doesn’t matter.
Someone stated a consensus that 160 or above is genius level, but does genius level expect common sense, leadership ability? Does claiming it?
Wonderful supposition Burke,thanks …love y’all , great stuff.🫶