Thanks for this outstanding and thoughtful analysis! I think of Joseph Campbell's saying that we must say "yes" to all that we encounter in life. Not that we agree with it but rather that we positively address it, as you have been doing with your writing, as opposed to hiding our heads under the covers. I also think of Winston Churchill who said "Never, never, never, never give up"! Thanks for all that you do, Steven! Sincerely, Andrew Kricun
Great thoughts and very timely. We must have hope to move ahead, and as an optimist, I feel we are heading in the right direction. Trump is declining in popularity and it is going to be an interesting two years as the MAGAs and the Tea Partiers fight it out against a number of real Republicans in the House. It will be a cluster, but this will be their swan song, because they have no plan and few policies that make any sense. So, 2024 looks very positive, and will be the end of Trumpism, and it looks more likely that we will never need to worry about Trump because he will have been convicted of something(s),
I am new to your blog. I am so impressed with your writing and insight about the mood of the country just before the election. The Steven Beschloss blog is the smartest money I have spent this year.
Well, here goes ! Democracy is but a highfalutin word used in a political speech unless it is explicitly applied to living, breathing people. trump has thousands believing that by following him, they will be saving democracy in the United States. But why do they think they will be rewarded if fascism takes over? Would need permission to change jobs, move to a different city,have children they don't want or can't afford,if don't obey, imprisoned even if not guilty & heaven help all but the white Anglo Saxons . How would their life be enhanced if they did find Nancy? Or Joe Blow's life made better if the big lie rectified? He will not experience power or profit.
Climate change is only the concern it seems, of thinkers . People go to the beach in the summer, ski in the winter, trump makes a snowball. Authoritarian leaders are not interested in the possibilities of a catastrophic future, only the selfishness of the power they possess in the here and now. Let the "little people" shiver and sweat. They cannot be like Nixon who enjoyed a fireplace while the air conditioning was running. Grief, hope will not bring action.
It is not only Europeans who believe America's stance will be forever shining. Five thousand immigrants cross the border illegally and daily, believing in America enough to leave their country of birth and their family members. Two million have made it in 2022, but sometimes hope can lead to grief.
Hope does not always win. Cancer is not usually cured. Alzheimer's progresses. It will not buy a steak for a poor old person instead of half a pound of bologna.It will not stop a homeless family living in a car from going to a cardboard box on the sidewalk. It will not stop an abusive husband or even a lottery ticket buyer to broadly smile.
The mindset of many is that even should hope lead to the continuance of American democracy, they will find another outlet for their complaints and beliefs, find another reason for rebellion. And it may well be rebellion against the very people, policies they were promoting when they realize there was no advantage for them. We can hope till the cows come home that they will see the light in time, but only when those cows reach the barn will they realize their grief was real but their hope, misplaced.
Steven, I find myself reading this dispatch a month after its date of origin. As always, your words move me profoundly. They are particularly relevant now, as relentless rain and flooding overwhelms the State of California, and tornadoes have caused havoc, destruction and loss of life in America's south. The symptoms of climate change are ever-present and undeniable. We have been down this road before, and yet people seem woefully unprepared to deal with the consequences. TFG (the former guy) was a serial denier of reality, debunking climate change, and calling the coronavirus a hoax. His followers chose to believe his flawed agenda, in the face of events and issues they cannot understand. After all, Trump told them that he alone could fix things. Trump was America's failed experiment; the results of which caused long-lasting and deleterious repercussions. His legacy is a virtual license to hate, fuelled by incessant tweets, until he was finally banned from Twitter's platform. The time is NOW, to step up and be champions for democracy, as well as advancing efforts to protect the Earth. It is everyone's terra firma.
Eloquent, sound, and inspiring. Thank you, Steven.
I think you have the balance right -Alarm without hope is pretty useless.
Thanks for this outstanding and thoughtful analysis! I think of Joseph Campbell's saying that we must say "yes" to all that we encounter in life. Not that we agree with it but rather that we positively address it, as you have been doing with your writing, as opposed to hiding our heads under the covers. I also think of Winston Churchill who said "Never, never, never, never give up"! Thanks for all that you do, Steven! Sincerely, Andrew Kricun
“Freedom, in any case, is only possible by constantly struggling for it.” - Albert Einstein
Great thoughts and very timely. We must have hope to move ahead, and as an optimist, I feel we are heading in the right direction. Trump is declining in popularity and it is going to be an interesting two years as the MAGAs and the Tea Partiers fight it out against a number of real Republicans in the House. It will be a cluster, but this will be their swan song, because they have no plan and few policies that make any sense. So, 2024 looks very positive, and will be the end of Trumpism, and it looks more likely that we will never need to worry about Trump because he will have been convicted of something(s),
I am new to your blog. I am so impressed with your writing and insight about the mood of the country just before the election. The Steven Beschloss blog is the smartest money I have spent this year.
Well, here goes ! Democracy is but a highfalutin word used in a political speech unless it is explicitly applied to living, breathing people. trump has thousands believing that by following him, they will be saving democracy in the United States. But why do they think they will be rewarded if fascism takes over? Would need permission to change jobs, move to a different city,have children they don't want or can't afford,if don't obey, imprisoned even if not guilty & heaven help all but the white Anglo Saxons . How would their life be enhanced if they did find Nancy? Or Joe Blow's life made better if the big lie rectified? He will not experience power or profit.
Climate change is only the concern it seems, of thinkers . People go to the beach in the summer, ski in the winter, trump makes a snowball. Authoritarian leaders are not interested in the possibilities of a catastrophic future, only the selfishness of the power they possess in the here and now. Let the "little people" shiver and sweat. They cannot be like Nixon who enjoyed a fireplace while the air conditioning was running. Grief, hope will not bring action.
It is not only Europeans who believe America's stance will be forever shining. Five thousand immigrants cross the border illegally and daily, believing in America enough to leave their country of birth and their family members. Two million have made it in 2022, but sometimes hope can lead to grief.
Hope does not always win. Cancer is not usually cured. Alzheimer's progresses. It will not buy a steak for a poor old person instead of half a pound of bologna.It will not stop a homeless family living in a car from going to a cardboard box on the sidewalk. It will not stop an abusive husband or even a lottery ticket buyer to broadly smile.
The mindset of many is that even should hope lead to the continuance of American democracy, they will find another outlet for their complaints and beliefs, find another reason for rebellion. And it may well be rebellion against the very people, policies they were promoting when they realize there was no advantage for them. We can hope till the cows come home that they will see the light in time, but only when those cows reach the barn will they realize their grief was real but their hope, misplaced.
Steven, I find myself reading this dispatch a month after its date of origin. As always, your words move me profoundly. They are particularly relevant now, as relentless rain and flooding overwhelms the State of California, and tornadoes have caused havoc, destruction and loss of life in America's south. The symptoms of climate change are ever-present and undeniable. We have been down this road before, and yet people seem woefully unprepared to deal with the consequences. TFG (the former guy) was a serial denier of reality, debunking climate change, and calling the coronavirus a hoax. His followers chose to believe his flawed agenda, in the face of events and issues they cannot understand. After all, Trump told them that he alone could fix things. Trump was America's failed experiment; the results of which caused long-lasting and deleterious repercussions. His legacy is a virtual license to hate, fuelled by incessant tweets, until he was finally banned from Twitter's platform. The time is NOW, to step up and be champions for democracy, as well as advancing efforts to protect the Earth. It is everyone's terra firma.