I don’t know what to do except vote , you can’t talk to people about Trump and what a state we are in , that we are teetering on the edge of totalitarianism , that our country is in trouble . I always work at the polls every election in my county and it’s mostly republicans voting the Dems have given up here . I tried to talk to my granddaughter last week when we were in the car together about Trump , she’s in her early 30’s and don’t vote , she said if she did vote she would vote for Trump because she can understand what he says when he talks and Biden mumbles , that’s not a reason to vote for someone . She has her head in the sand doesn’t have a clue to what’s going on and doesn’t want to know . Long story short she ended up saying I was attacking her now she is mad and won’t speak to me . So trying to talk to people is a losing battle a lot of people have turned a blind eye and don’t care they are living in their own bubble thinking about their own lives and survival not realizing that they might be living under an authoritarian government . I go to bed worried I get up worried about our country and I can’t do a thing about any of it but vote . God help us !
It’s very challenging ❤️ 🤗 don’t give up. Keep being sincere in explaining why you are so frightened and reassurance that you want what is best. Staying connected as best as is possible matters. Timothy Snyder in On Tyranny and Steven Hassan ( https://freedomofmind.com/help-a-family-member-out-of-extreme-belief/ )
have been helpful to me.
We just have to keep giving the truth our very best shot and hope that together by all doing our best it will be enough ❤️🙏
These conversations take time. It's virtually impossible to change a mind instantly (and if you believe you have, whether one's own or another's), that's highly unlikely; change was percolating in the sub-conscious for a while before awareness of change emerged).
From our side -"our" meaning pro-democracy voters who haven't given up - would you be willing, during initial engagements, mostly to be asking questions, nothing more, seeking to understand? Do you think could, upon hearing something that doesn't quite add up, seek clarification, always gently, never in a challenging tone? Maybe in a way that demonstrates your sincere desire to understand? Does it make sense to you that giving persons time and space to sort things out for themselves might let them arrive at your intended destination? What would you think about the idea of taking the posture of a "guide?"
We're scared , with good reason. In light of the fear, and the high stakes, we can enhance the odds of success in our engagements with loved ones by allocating abundant, abundant time (which is the most important element), both for individual sessions and over the course of several encounters. Also by being:
▪ well-rested.
▪ well-hydrated.
▪ satiated, not hungry. Try to ensure the other person is too. (Bonus: having these engagements around food, coffee, tea, etc = great idea!).
▪ reasonably at peace in the moment. Maybe some centering practices/relaxation techniques before engaging?
I've found that asking people questions that require them to really think about their positions helps them change their thinking. I did this when talking with people who were anti-masking.
I have found this to be the case as well. People don't respond well to lectures. However, they can hardly resist responding to sincerely asked questions. I quote from my own substack:
“But what made your second question a Socratic question?” she asked.
“Because I was asking him to consider his own assumptions. His own beliefs, if you will. I was asking him to consider how he defined what’s ‘alright’.” I paused to let her take that in, then added, “There’s this pretty cool explanation of the Socratic method by a philology scholar named Richard Robinson. He wrote: 'The aim of the elenchus is to wake men out of their dogmatic slumbers into genuine intellectual curiosity.'" (Richard Robinson, Plato's Earlier Dialectic, 1966).
“What is elenchus again?”
“It’s just another name for the Socratic Method of asking people questions to get them thinking critically about their own assumptions.”
It hasn't worked for me. Perhaps it's the level of MAGA that people are. They consider that their views are absolutely the truth. )E.g. Democrats are sex trafficking both children and immigrants across the border), and if we are "christians", the only way we can protect them is to vote repugnicant, preferably for the wonderful orange sadist who has been SO unfairly maligned by the Democrats. I just say, "There are two ways of looking at things, aren't there."
I agree that there will always be some beyond reach, but when confronted with these biases, it doesn't help to lecture or judge. You only show them how right they are (in their own minds). I tend to not waste too much energy on trying to persuade MAGA . I look for the independent who has given up on democracy and decided not to vote.
I would also like to quote from Gordon, who wrote the following in a comment above:
Gordon
Writes Gordon’s Newsletter
These conversations take time. It's virtually impossible to change a mind instantly (and if you believe you have, whether own or another's) that's highly unlikely; change was percolating in the sub-conscious for a while before awareness of change emerged).
From our side -"our" meaning pro-democracy voters who haven't given up - would you be willing, during initial engagements, mostly to asking questions, nothing more, seeking to understand? Do you think could, upon hearing something that doesn't quite add up, seek clarification, always gently, never in a challenging tone? Maybe in a way that demonstrates your sincere desire to understand? Does it make sense to you that giving persons time and space to sort things out for themselves might let them arrive at your intended destination? What would you think about the idea of taking the posture of a "guide?"
We're scared , with good reason. In light of the fear, and the high stakes, we can enhance the odds of success in our engagements with loved ones by allocating abundant, abundant time (which is the most important), both for individual sessions and over the course of several encounters. also by being:
▪ well-rested.
▪ well-hydrated.
▪ satiated, not hungry. Try to ensure the other person is too. (Bonus: having these engagements around food, coffee, tea, etc = great idea!).
▪ reasonably at peace in the moment. Maybe some centering practices/relaxation techniques before engaging?
I’m always aghast when the Radical Republicans get away with twisting the teachings of Christ UPSIDE DOWN, spitting hate instead of love. And then they walk from the podium dropping the mic 🎤 ❓#godislove
Did you see the article about a husband and wife who angrily walked up to their minister after the church service saying sarcastically, "And when did YOU get woke?!" His preaching that day was on the Sermon on the Mount. Really.
“Activating the indifferent” is definitely a major task before us! Secondly, “educating the misinformed” should be an objective as well! Changing the minds of those who unconditionally support a convicted criminal won’t be easy, but also must be included in our plan! We can’t afford to lose this fight!
Why do so many support someone so flawed? And dangerous? That's the question.
And how can you present an objective reality to people where so many news outlets are headline driven, profit driven. "Biden gave a good speech" will never be a headline. Biden tripped before his 45 minute talk? A ratings bonanza.. . . And there is no push back against Fox falsified by anyone other than Smartmatic. The blog identifying outrageous claims is brilliant but has small circulation. And the thoughtful people on Fox get drowned out ... as poignant as they are. Need nore tan a historian or a 2 minute TV block, or an isolated sound bite. Need a communications revolution. Imho.
I agree our "news" media is broken, as the new model favors ratings over content. I am deeply concerned as well about social media disinformation campaigns - which have already begun for the 2024 cycle.
Mary, Yes, even the MSM plays a huge role now. Clearly began in 2015 with their false "both-erism", the worst thing that happened to the U.S. in a very long time. Outrageous! And as you say, it's all for $$$$$$$. Some admit it out loud, like Les Moonves of CBS (I think was his channel).
JBR: They don't THINK he's flawed! The don't WATCH any news except for Faux, Newsmax, and Breibart. If we were getting all of our information from these sources, we would think the same way. Brainwashed is the word for it.
Dear KD. Thank you!!! Most appreciated. Just to elaborate, Fox has (IMHO) 20% incoherence, 60% utterly false or misleading, and 20% very insightful, intelligent, credible journalists. Brett Baier, Reliable Sources Howard Kurtz, Tarnov, and the former Cong from Tennessee. And prob others. I don't know why their voices are not really heard or appreciated. It would be an interesting project for a psychologist specializing in perception, cognitive dissonance, or something like that. Also, the propagandists shout, belittle those who are honest, ignore opposing views. Meanwhile, people who listen to (and revere no less), the fellow who insists that America is filled with Marxists (never actually defined other than as radical and woke, whatever the hell that means). are, IMHO, socially maladjusted., angry and bitter. Even if they hear the truth, they want to believe the most pernicious accusations about much of American society. I think of Fox as the network for listeners with severe anger management problems who hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest. A hallmark of that is on-going anger, disrespect, etc. A personality type. I think Simon and Garfunkel have a song about this.
One more thing: a minister was giving a sermon on The Sermon on the Mount. (If you're not familiar, an example of one line is "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 5:3-12.) This is NOT a joke: one parishioner and his wife angrily said, "When did YOU get woke?!"
Such an excellently written post. You ask all the right questions. I fear you are speaking to those of us who believe all this to be true, and would never vote for such a disgusting and purely evil man. However, I know already there are many who just don't care what Trump does, they will vote for him. I have already seen the banners for him hanging from fences here in Texas. I would also like to know what it is going to take to stop this man from ever walking into the White House again?
I know what’s in my mind, but won’t say it out loud because it’s illegal and I don’t want to appear to be condoning it. We have to believe in the legal system and that justice will be done. That is what separates us from them.
Mike, I too want to believe in our legal system, but as I watch what is currently happening in all court actions right now against Trump, I am losing that confidence quickly. Comments made by judges like if you were any other defendent you would be in jail awaiting trial. The failure to set gag orders and then actually throw him in jail as he breaks them. It leaves me not having great faith in the justice system right now.
I get it. I have no faith that we the people will prevail in Florida due to the biased judge. I remain encouraged with the DC case as it now stands. I also think he is going to be convicted in Georgia.
What we need is an honest press. They give him too much oxygen in the name of ratings, subscriptions and dollars. Even The New York Times doesn’t stand squarely on fair reporting.
Once folks have been sold a pack of lies it can be very hard for them to arrive at truth.
I have long advocated for public education to begin at the youngest ages to pass on the best neuroscience and care for our most important resource the human brain. Many of us grow up in dysfunctional homes where the best brain health is not understood let alone practiced.
Small basic facts at the earliest ages about the best care of our precious brains. Good sleep, protection from injury, healthy foods, how exercise benefits our brain. Then as we become old enough to handle more abstraction, we can learn how to stay grounded in the truth and not get swallowed up others deceptions:
“1. What do I know about the speaker's truthfulness?
2. Is the statement consistent with reality?
3. Can I verify the statement?
4. What do I gain by accepting and acting on the statement?
5. What do I lose by accepting and acting on the statement?
6. What does the speaker gain if I bought into the statement?
7. What is exaggerated or downplayed in the statement?
8. Does the idea seem too good to be true?
9. Would I advise my best friend to accept the statement without a question of doubt?”
Finland has been training children to spot dis/misinformation from the moment they begin to read. It goes a long way to dispelling the mountains of bs coming at you from every source. Good civics and social studies courses (which no longer exist) and reinstate the fair reporting act. Getting rid of plain old liars like Fox/OAN/Newsmax would go a long way. There’s still plenty of people who will fall into a rabbit hole and be lost; unfortunately, there’s nothing to be done for these folks. Like rehab, it only works if you want it to.
“Finland, which declared independence from Russia in 1917, is on the frontline of an online information war that has accelerated markedly since Moscow annexed Crimea and backed rebels in eastern Ukraine five years ago, Toivanen said.
Most campaigns, amplified by sympathetic far-right, nation-first and “alternative” Finnish news sites and social media accounts, focus on attacking the EU, highlighting immigration issues and trying to influence debate over Finland’s full Nato membership.
Resistance is seen almost as a civil defence question, a key component in Finland’s comprehensive security policy. Toivanen said: “We are a small country, without many resources, and we rely on everyone contributing to the collective defence of society.””
““The goal is active, responsible citizens and voters,” Kivinen said. “Thinking critically, factchecking, interpreting and evaluating all the information you receive, wherever it appears, is crucial. We’ve made it a core part of what we teach, across all subjects.”
The curriculum is part of a unique, broad strategy devised by the Finnish government after 2014, when the country was first targeted with fake news stories by its Russian neighbour, and the government realised it had moved into the post-fact age.
Successful enough for Finland to top, by some margin, an annual index measuring resistance to fake news in 35 European countries, the programme aims to ensure that everyone, from pupil to politician, can detect – and do their bit to fight – false information.”
The dark prescient lines, "Here we are now, entertain us. I feel stupid and contagious." from Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana keep running through my head as of late. To me it graphically portrays our immature, empty and nihilistic society. Nothing matters except appearances, money, getting ahead and letting good times roll. The serious and virtuous among us are ignored, mocked or worse, vilified in the quest for entertainment at the expense of everything else. The stupid truly are contagious. It seems we might have to go through some terrible things (as the pandemic wasn't enough) to wake people out of their self pleasuring stupor.
Even if trump loses the 2024 election the christo-fascist and monied would be autocrats will not stop as we have witnessed in the last few years. Sorry to be so gloomy but that's how I see it. Their colossal error overturning Roe and the onslaught of climate disasters (which they can't control) will be wild cards in their world domination plans. I plan to do what I can until then but I'll ride it out here in New England as well as I can. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
Thank you for posing these crucial questions, Steven. I’ve been thinking a lot about this for the last few years. I believe it’s going to take a few steps at least. The first thing that needs to happen in, my opinion, is that Americans need to be informed about the psyops campaign that has been targeting them for years. To do this, investigative journalists need to begin reporting on it. Also, the masterminds (hello retired Lieutenant General Mike Flynn and friends) need to be held responsible, by the courts and the media. Also, the vast network of chaos agents that are spreading the disinformation must be disabled... they are operating globally, so it won’t be easy. But it is necessary, since this fascist push is a worldwide threat, and we cannot separate ourselves from it.
I would be honored and grateful to join you in the fight, Steven. I’ve been serving this country for years, and will never stop fighting for its promise of freedom and democracy.
A better question Steven is "when will the corporate media wake up to Trump's increasingly unhinged Nazi rhetoric?" They did show a glimmer last week after the vermin comment, but have rushed right back to "both-sides do it" and "Biden is too old". Why? Profits from clicks and views, that's why. Democrats can message to the high heavens, but if the corporate media doesn't cover it, no one knows. Who heard that Biden gave a major speech on the economy and the environment last week? Heck, who heard that Biden sat down with Xi this week and the temperature between the US and China has been lowered 10 degrees. No one. Because Trump's screeds about the judges. Markwayne Mullins Fight Club. Marg Greene has no clue. These are the stories that dominate...because they are easy to write and get them clicks.
Thank you for being so clear and on point. I think the evidence is clear in Project 2025. The Ds need to hammer this home and make specific reference points to people already in place (MAGA Mike) and the billions in dark money from Koch, etc. The project will effectively destroy democracy and quite possibly ignite a civil war.
These are fraught times. It seems the only way to ignite the needed outrage and activism is to bring the big picture, the end of the American experiment, to the personal. The women’s reproductive rights issue has helped with that demographic... but what about others? The other issue is that real factual news is not easily accessed anymore. Local newspapers have been bought and gutted and have become expensive to get. Online news is rife with misinformation. And certain “sources” are patently propaganda. But soldier on we must. Parry with factual info when asked. A lot of words to say we have to message better, louder, and broader. Make it personal. Because it is.
It saps our strength and resolve when we focus on what is broken. Like Biden if we focus on building up the good wherever we can, we build confidence and have more chance of succeeding. DOJ has been very busy!! https://www.justice.gov/news/press-releases
I agree that we need to build up the good when and where we can. However, we also need to call out the hypocrisy and lies when it surfaces. Otherwise nothing will change. You can get as loud as you want screaming the positive from the rooftops, but those spreading the hypocrisy and lies will just get bullhorns. By addressing both, we will move forward.
In clarification Dave, my intention was never to say that we should ignore the deception and lawlessness. Rather we call it out methodically and pointedly by focusing our efforts in holding liars, cheats, vandals, thieves, and violence accountable to our laws. The long list of what DOJ is doing is remarkable. I spent a lot of time in 2021 & 2022 advocating to power to increase the DOJ budget and staff. The vast majority of us (not just MAGA) have as little clue about the depth of damage Trump, et. al. did to our democratic institutions as we do to the good that the Biden administration is doing.
You don’t put a fox to guard every henhouse for 4 long years without doing a heck of a lot of damage, and that doesn’t even address Putin, Citizen United,Mitch McConnell's and corporate media’s help.
Thank you for the clarification. I am glad that people like you are here to keep getting the word out there about what’s going on in our country. I’m interested in the 1930s and how Germany went from democracy to fascism, and I see a lot of similarities to the US today. We need to get people to see those indicators and what they led to in the past.
Me too!! I have been leaving multiple copies of On Tyranny in free book bins. They get picked up. A needle in a haystack perhaps but I prefer to think of it as a seed. ❤️
And that's the thing! Biden has been a very consequential president! But the foundation he is building isn't visible on the daily screen of everyone YET. And won't be, if Trump (or crony) is elected. They'd undo it all in a heartbeat.
Susan I think it is also true that the level of destruction of that foundation by Trump was largely not visible and so most folks haven’t an accurate clue how much is required to build it back. Most media is averse to nuance and details. Memes and screens are changing our brains in ways that create less of a market for complexity and shades of gray.
If we don’t face what is broken we will hand the election to Trump and then it is truly over.
Merrick Garland has been a joke.
DOJ has so far failed completely. And worse, Christianity is being given a pass while churches should be taxed for all the free representation religion is getting in our government.
The disgraces and violations against the American people are legion.
Democrats and Republicans sweeping it all under the rug is how we got into this mess
I think looking for saviors is how we got into this mess all along. We must all participate much more in every way possible to fix this nightmare: expand Democracy, fix the electoral college to be more representative, expand the courts, impeach corrupt judges. Etc
Our reality is that either a Democrat or a Republican will win the highest office in the land in the US. You can deny that reality and consider yourself falsely blameless when the worst bullies assume power and violate our humanity or you can admit that your greatest power is your vote and use it accordingly to bend the needle towards justice and peace for all of us.
Othering of both Democrats and Republicans and refusal to use one’s power (limited as it is) for good leads to anger, chaos, and more violence
Young people are not going to vote for Joe Biden and that isn’t just *my* problem, it is the number one threat we ALL face.
You don’t seem to be grasping why Trump is THEIR preferred candidate:
Trump vows to punish the very same Democrats who:
promised to:
-restore the DOJ (then didnt).
-to eliminate student debt (then didnt)
-to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan (then didn’t until last year!)
- to close Guantánamo Bay (then didnt)
-to stop dark money (then didnt)
- to overturn citizens united (then didnt)
-to overturn the patriot act, (then didn’t)
-to ban assault weapons and establish realistic gun laws, then didn’t as Obama stood crying, unable to fight even after 26 died at Sandy Hook Elementary!!
- to wage war on the 1000 bankers who knowingly committed major crimes against millions of home owners. Then didnt.
-to regulate real estate to prevent the homeless problem exploding in our cities. Then didnt.
At every chance the Democrats in office caved in!
Then Biden chose Merrick Garland for the department of justice and he has been a complete failure. I during the entire year of the January 6 hearings Garland did not open a single investigation into Donald Trump! Instead, All of the activity has been happening through the attorneys, general of New York, and Georgia.
Of course I am going to vote for Joe Biden.
But you are not fully appreciating the complete disaster that Joe Biden and the Democrats have created by letting the GOP Off the hook at every turn.
That’s why young people are fed up. The Democrats have failed also to instruct citizens on exactly how these problems can be fixed.
They see a nation, where capitalist billionaires are free
to commit any crime they want above the law,
mass shootings happen every day ,
minimum wage doesnt go up for 40 years and highflying Democrats talk about Obamacare which only made BIG PHARMA RICHER while the poor still cant afford dentists and healthcare.
while unchecked Republicans ban books, throw science away, and embrace silly Jesus stories over the needs of real people.
America isn’t worth anything to these young people.
It’s time for everyone to face just how bad our politics has been!
Some if not most have been attempted. Some SCOTUS overruled or stand as examples of what happens when voters in other states elect legislators with a different agenda; a WH inherits deliberately embedded personnel, policies & an handful of ashes from the previous administration.
It is fairly obvious that a very small majority in Congress (and losing the House narrowly) is not a mandate. People in general tend not to care about the pesky details of how things get done. Their (voters or not) response is often that voting changes nothing. These days there is general unhappiness after a long recession followed by a pandemic, therefore someone must be to blame. Weird that it is not the arsonists but Dems. But it is the typical of voters to blame the party in the WH. That’s why the GOP makes everything seem apocalyptic .
If folks decide their disappointment leads them to vote for the arsonists in some sort of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” approach, maybe there is more wrong than the Dems could fix — especially among young people who staked their claim on equal rights and a progressive agenda not fascism.
These are all the right questions. It creates inertia to be overwhelmed, so each of us must do whatever we can. Control what is within your ability to influence change, and stop spending energy on things you cannot by worrying.
Here is a roadmap for finding truth, and it lands well as a neutral heuristic for people, without any judgment or arguments:
You have answered your question here: "Or is the sheer thought of such a twisted plan so violent, so crazy, so certain to own the libs—so entertaining to them—that they want to see it all play out on live TV?" The apparent lack of understanding of history's lessons by tens of millions of Americans will doom our republic unless Democratic candidates and their supporters can whittle a simple, powerful, message and market it like there's no tomorrow. And even at that, it might be too late.
This is an important topic. I continue to think (out loud) and argue that the biggest issue is that Biden has yet to present a clear, compelling alternative “heuristic” framework within which ordinary people can easily understand what he and the Dems overall have set out to do.
Trump’s framework is very straightforward: You are right: the system is rigged by liberal and/or corrupt elites so that life is unfair -- and you’ll never get anything but the sh*t end of the stick. So I’m declaring a plague (and leading a veritable sh*t storm) on both (or all) their houses.
This means that I want all of you to join me in making this the world’s biggest-ever sh*t storm so that they can’t escape the fact that they totally stink and deserve to be flushed down the toilet.
Then we’ll make America what WE want it to be-- and then it will be great again.
Against this populist Trump framework, Biden & co need a more compelling alternative to win back the trust of the disenchanted and disaffected. What is that? It’s not a series of promises and programs.
It’s a whole new world. It’s a world of difference.
It’s a world of dignity. It’s a world within which the disenchanted and disaffected are ennobled and “centered.”
It’s a world of opportunity. It’s a world in which hoped-for opportunities are overtaken by unimagined opportunities.
It’s a world of wellbeing. It’s a world in which all of the base, avoidable insecurities, what FDR called the four fears, are eliminated. For good.
And together building this world of dignity, opportunity, and wellbeing must become the vision of a greater America within which “We, the People” find agency, meaning, purpose -- the good life.
This, or something like it must become an explicit overarching alternative frame of reference that makes a a world of near-term positive, powerful, concrete, and meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Perhaps, just perhaps, with enough brain power, imagination, and commitment, something like the forward-looking “Make a World of Difference “ can win out over the retro-facing, Make America Great Again.
That's really good, abd it really is what he HAS been doing. You're right it needs a marketer to spell it out because people aren't educated enough to realize the very substantial changes he's set in place: a fairer platform for laborers in many ways, government investment in new technologies that are creating all kinds of non-college jobs, health care protections like capped insulin prices...these are all things we and our neighbors NEED. But there's no hate involved, so it's hard to catch anyone's attention
Steven, Thank you for your essay today. If it doesn’t send a chill up everyone’s spine, nothing will. I’ve sent it to American friends and family asking them, on this special occasion to forward it. I also mentioned the availability of commenting. Alas, my Canadian family and friends have disconnected from Trump and I doubt that anyone would forward it.
I hope others will find this particular essay important enough to share it widely. If Trump is elected, the US will reach a point of no return, and the face of North America changed for ever.
-Indifference? Although of course there are exceptions, at times I think a great many of us just “have it too easy” compared to the challenges our parents and grandparents etc faced?
- From my perspective it seems those challenges created a deep sense of appreciation for simple rewards and successes, less selfishness, and more respect for necessary decisions?
-Personally I can’t stop trying to expose and correct the constant mountainous, and often dangerous lies on major social media from leaders and communication platforms. It takes hours every day and I have no idea if my efforts matter at all.
-I’m not sure the vast majority of our citizens understand the wide ranging disastrous impacts a Fascist Dictatorship would cause if Trump wins.
The far Right Conservative platforms spreads the lies people believe, then down-play the truthful corrections.
-Religion is falsely claimed by many Conservative leaders and platforms in order to to scrape for votes, and manipulate religious entities, and those looking for solace.
-We should be creating algorithms & technical tools to instantly alert locations of dangerous lies and instant truthful corrections!
Yikes am I talking about AI? (😵💫)
-It seems we need incredibly improved educational tools on how our Democracy and government work; Repeated at least three times in 6th grade -12. And the benefits!
-I was repeatedly taught the quadratic equation/formula year after year, and 50 years still remember it!
I don’t know what to do except vote , you can’t talk to people about Trump and what a state we are in , that we are teetering on the edge of totalitarianism , that our country is in trouble . I always work at the polls every election in my county and it’s mostly republicans voting the Dems have given up here . I tried to talk to my granddaughter last week when we were in the car together about Trump , she’s in her early 30’s and don’t vote , she said if she did vote she would vote for Trump because she can understand what he says when he talks and Biden mumbles , that’s not a reason to vote for someone . She has her head in the sand doesn’t have a clue to what’s going on and doesn’t want to know . Long story short she ended up saying I was attacking her now she is mad and won’t speak to me . So trying to talk to people is a losing battle a lot of people have turned a blind eye and don’t care they are living in their own bubble thinking about their own lives and survival not realizing that they might be living under an authoritarian government . I go to bed worried I get up worried about our country and I can’t do a thing about any of it but vote . God help us !
It’s very challenging ❤️ 🤗 don’t give up. Keep being sincere in explaining why you are so frightened and reassurance that you want what is best. Staying connected as best as is possible matters. Timothy Snyder in On Tyranny and Steven Hassan ( https://freedomofmind.com/help-a-family-member-out-of-extreme-belief/ )
have been helpful to me.
We just have to keep giving the truth our very best shot and hope that together by all doing our best it will be enough ❤️🙏
Yes. Don't give up!
And...
These conversations take time. It's virtually impossible to change a mind instantly (and if you believe you have, whether one's own or another's), that's highly unlikely; change was percolating in the sub-conscious for a while before awareness of change emerged).
From our side -"our" meaning pro-democracy voters who haven't given up - would you be willing, during initial engagements, mostly to be asking questions, nothing more, seeking to understand? Do you think could, upon hearing something that doesn't quite add up, seek clarification, always gently, never in a challenging tone? Maybe in a way that demonstrates your sincere desire to understand? Does it make sense to you that giving persons time and space to sort things out for themselves might let them arrive at your intended destination? What would you think about the idea of taking the posture of a "guide?"
We're scared , with good reason. In light of the fear, and the high stakes, we can enhance the odds of success in our engagements with loved ones by allocating abundant, abundant time (which is the most important element), both for individual sessions and over the course of several encounters. Also by being:
▪ well-rested.
▪ well-hydrated.
▪ satiated, not hungry. Try to ensure the other person is too. (Bonus: having these engagements around food, coffee, tea, etc = great idea!).
▪ reasonably at peace in the moment. Maybe some centering practices/relaxation techniques before engaging?
I wish you peace and am with you.
Hey Gordon. I just subscribed to your substack. I look forward to the day you write.
Thanks for the reply and the info .
I've found that asking people questions that require them to really think about their positions helps them change their thinking. I did this when talking with people who were anti-masking.
I have found this to be the case as well. People don't respond well to lectures. However, they can hardly resist responding to sincerely asked questions. I quote from my own substack:
“But what made your second question a Socratic question?” she asked.
“Because I was asking him to consider his own assumptions. His own beliefs, if you will. I was asking him to consider how he defined what’s ‘alright’.” I paused to let her take that in, then added, “There’s this pretty cool explanation of the Socratic method by a philology scholar named Richard Robinson. He wrote: 'The aim of the elenchus is to wake men out of their dogmatic slumbers into genuine intellectual curiosity.'" (Richard Robinson, Plato's Earlier Dialectic, 1966).
“What is elenchus again?”
“It’s just another name for the Socratic Method of asking people questions to get them thinking critically about their own assumptions.”
https://lynnmariesager.substack.com/p/navigating-a-whackadoodle-world-episode-0d9
You must be lots better at that than most of us! Thank you.
It takes practice, as all things do. You will fail as often as you succeed, but that doesn't mean you don't keep trying.
Actually it was hard. The temptation to write them off as dumb was strong.
It hasn't worked for me. Perhaps it's the level of MAGA that people are. They consider that their views are absolutely the truth. )E.g. Democrats are sex trafficking both children and immigrants across the border), and if we are "christians", the only way we can protect them is to vote repugnicant, preferably for the wonderful orange sadist who has been SO unfairly maligned by the Democrats. I just say, "There are two ways of looking at things, aren't there."
I agree that there will always be some beyond reach, but when confronted with these biases, it doesn't help to lecture or judge. You only show them how right they are (in their own minds). I tend to not waste too much energy on trying to persuade MAGA . I look for the independent who has given up on democracy and decided not to vote.
I would also like to quote from Gordon, who wrote the following in a comment above:
Gordon
Writes Gordon’s Newsletter
These conversations take time. It's virtually impossible to change a mind instantly (and if you believe you have, whether own or another's) that's highly unlikely; change was percolating in the sub-conscious for a while before awareness of change emerged).
From our side -"our" meaning pro-democracy voters who haven't given up - would you be willing, during initial engagements, mostly to asking questions, nothing more, seeking to understand? Do you think could, upon hearing something that doesn't quite add up, seek clarification, always gently, never in a challenging tone? Maybe in a way that demonstrates your sincere desire to understand? Does it make sense to you that giving persons time and space to sort things out for themselves might let them arrive at your intended destination? What would you think about the idea of taking the posture of a "guide?"
We're scared , with good reason. In light of the fear, and the high stakes, we can enhance the odds of success in our engagements with loved ones by allocating abundant, abundant time (which is the most important), both for individual sessions and over the course of several encounters. also by being:
▪ well-rested.
▪ well-hydrated.
▪ satiated, not hungry. Try to ensure the other person is too. (Bonus: having these engagements around food, coffee, tea, etc = great idea!).
▪ reasonably at peace in the moment. Maybe some centering practices/relaxation techniques before engaging?
I wish you peace and am with you.
Thank you so much, Lynn. I never try to discuss/lecture/preach anything. I just am "present", the same as I would be with any other person.
Yes, if people are deep into the cult there's no reasoning with them.
I’m always aghast when the Radical Republicans get away with twisting the teachings of Christ UPSIDE DOWN, spitting hate instead of love. And then they walk from the podium dropping the mic 🎤 ❓#godislove
Did you see the article about a husband and wife who angrily walked up to their minister after the church service saying sarcastically, "And when did YOU get woke?!" His preaching that day was on the Sermon on the Mount. Really.
I feel you.
“Activating the indifferent” is definitely a major task before us! Secondly, “educating the misinformed” should be an objective as well! Changing the minds of those who unconditionally support a convicted criminal won’t be easy, but also must be included in our plan! We can’t afford to lose this fight!
Why do so many support someone so flawed? And dangerous? That's the question.
And how can you present an objective reality to people where so many news outlets are headline driven, profit driven. "Biden gave a good speech" will never be a headline. Biden tripped before his 45 minute talk? A ratings bonanza.. . . And there is no push back against Fox falsified by anyone other than Smartmatic. The blog identifying outrageous claims is brilliant but has small circulation. And the thoughtful people on Fox get drowned out ... as poignant as they are. Need nore tan a historian or a 2 minute TV block, or an isolated sound bite. Need a communications revolution. Imho.
I agree our "news" media is broken, as the new model favors ratings over content. I am deeply concerned as well about social media disinformation campaigns - which have already begun for the 2024 cycle.
Mary, Yes, even the MSM plays a huge role now. Clearly began in 2015 with their false "both-erism", the worst thing that happened to the U.S. in a very long time. Outrageous! And as you say, it's all for $$$$$$$. Some admit it out loud, like Les Moonves of CBS (I think was his channel).
Thanks Brenda!. Loved your bio.
JBR: They don't THINK he's flawed! The don't WATCH any news except for Faux, Newsmax, and Breibart. If we were getting all of our information from these sources, we would think the same way. Brainwashed is the word for it.
Dear KD. Thank you!!! Most appreciated. Just to elaborate, Fox has (IMHO) 20% incoherence, 60% utterly false or misleading, and 20% very insightful, intelligent, credible journalists. Brett Baier, Reliable Sources Howard Kurtz, Tarnov, and the former Cong from Tennessee. And prob others. I don't know why their voices are not really heard or appreciated. It would be an interesting project for a psychologist specializing in perception, cognitive dissonance, or something like that. Also, the propagandists shout, belittle those who are honest, ignore opposing views. Meanwhile, people who listen to (and revere no less), the fellow who insists that America is filled with Marxists (never actually defined other than as radical and woke, whatever the hell that means). are, IMHO, socially maladjusted., angry and bitter. Even if they hear the truth, they want to believe the most pernicious accusations about much of American society. I think of Fox as the network for listeners with severe anger management problems who hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest. A hallmark of that is on-going anger, disrespect, etc. A personality type. I think Simon and Garfunkel have a song about this.
One more thing: a minister was giving a sermon on The Sermon on the Mount. (If you're not familiar, an example of one line is "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 5:3-12.) This is NOT a joke: one parishioner and his wife angrily said, "When did YOU get woke?!"
Chris Wallace and Shepherd Smith also left (were fired?), and another Wallace from the fairly distant past, Nicolle Wallace. (Which S&G song?)
And C Collons worked for Tucker.
The Boxer. Sort of.
Thank you. I don't remember that song. I'll google it.
What about the woman who thought the death of Roe was Biden’s fault and therefore he was against abortion because it happened during his presidency?
Such an excellently written post. You ask all the right questions. I fear you are speaking to those of us who believe all this to be true, and would never vote for such a disgusting and purely evil man. However, I know already there are many who just don't care what Trump does, they will vote for him. I have already seen the banners for him hanging from fences here in Texas. I would also like to know what it is going to take to stop this man from ever walking into the White House again?
I know what’s in my mind, but won’t say it out loud because it’s illegal and I don’t want to appear to be condoning it. We have to believe in the legal system and that justice will be done. That is what separates us from them.
Mike, I too want to believe in our legal system, but as I watch what is currently happening in all court actions right now against Trump, I am losing that confidence quickly. Comments made by judges like if you were any other defendent you would be in jail awaiting trial. The failure to set gag orders and then actually throw him in jail as he breaks them. It leaves me not having great faith in the justice system right now.
I get it. I have no faith that we the people will prevail in Florida due to the biased judge. I remain encouraged with the DC case as it now stands. I also think he is going to be convicted in Georgia.
What we need is an honest press. They give him too much oxygen in the name of ratings, subscriptions and dollars. Even The New York Times doesn’t stand squarely on fair reporting.
From your mouth to the people's ears. So hope this is true.
I am also very disgusted with the press and national legacy media who do not show what people need to be hearing and seeing on what Trump is saying.
Mike: Your lips to God's ear.
Yeah me too. Where is The Equalizer when you need him?
Once folks have been sold a pack of lies it can be very hard for them to arrive at truth.
I have long advocated for public education to begin at the youngest ages to pass on the best neuroscience and care for our most important resource the human brain. Many of us grow up in dysfunctional homes where the best brain health is not understood let alone practiced.
Small basic facts at the earliest ages about the best care of our precious brains. Good sleep, protection from injury, healthy foods, how exercise benefits our brain. Then as we become old enough to handle more abstraction, we can learn how to stay grounded in the truth and not get swallowed up others deceptions:
“1. What do I know about the speaker's truthfulness?
2. Is the statement consistent with reality?
3. Can I verify the statement?
4. What do I gain by accepting and acting on the statement?
5. What do I lose by accepting and acting on the statement?
6. What does the speaker gain if I bought into the statement?
7. What is exaggerated or downplayed in the statement?
8. Does the idea seem too good to be true?
9. Would I advise my best friend to accept the statement without a question of doubt?”
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/science-and-sensibility/201104/protect-yourself-liars-and-deceivers?amp
Finland has been training children to spot dis/misinformation from the moment they begin to read. It goes a long way to dispelling the mountains of bs coming at you from every source. Good civics and social studies courses (which no longer exist) and reinstate the fair reporting act. Getting rid of plain old liars like Fox/OAN/Newsmax would go a long way. There’s still plenty of people who will fall into a rabbit hole and be lost; unfortunately, there’s nothing to be done for these folks. Like rehab, it only works if you want it to.
Love it! Thank you!
Checked it out, very interesting:
“Finland, which declared independence from Russia in 1917, is on the frontline of an online information war that has accelerated markedly since Moscow annexed Crimea and backed rebels in eastern Ukraine five years ago, Toivanen said.
Most campaigns, amplified by sympathetic far-right, nation-first and “alternative” Finnish news sites and social media accounts, focus on attacking the EU, highlighting immigration issues and trying to influence debate over Finland’s full Nato membership.
Resistance is seen almost as a civil defence question, a key component in Finland’s comprehensive security policy. Toivanen said: “We are a small country, without many resources, and we rely on everyone contributing to the collective defence of society.””
““The goal is active, responsible citizens and voters,” Kivinen said. “Thinking critically, factchecking, interpreting and evaluating all the information you receive, wherever it appears, is crucial. We’ve made it a core part of what we teach, across all subjects.”
The curriculum is part of a unique, broad strategy devised by the Finnish government after 2014, when the country was first targeted with fake news stories by its Russian neighbour, and the government realised it had moved into the post-fact age.
Successful enough for Finland to top, by some margin, an annual index measuring resistance to fake news in 35 European countries, the programme aims to ensure that everyone, from pupil to politician, can detect – and do their bit to fight – false information.”
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/28/fact-from-fiction-finlands-new-lessons-in-combating-fake-news
Happy to do my bit!
This is excellent, thank you.
The dark prescient lines, "Here we are now, entertain us. I feel stupid and contagious." from Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana keep running through my head as of late. To me it graphically portrays our immature, empty and nihilistic society. Nothing matters except appearances, money, getting ahead and letting good times roll. The serious and virtuous among us are ignored, mocked or worse, vilified in the quest for entertainment at the expense of everything else. The stupid truly are contagious. It seems we might have to go through some terrible things (as the pandemic wasn't enough) to wake people out of their self pleasuring stupor.
Even if trump loses the 2024 election the christo-fascist and monied would be autocrats will not stop as we have witnessed in the last few years. Sorry to be so gloomy but that's how I see it. Their colossal error overturning Roe and the onslaught of climate disasters (which they can't control) will be wild cards in their world domination plans. I plan to do what I can until then but I'll ride it out here in New England as well as I can. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
I agree. Nowhere to run. So time to step up. Time to make clear that cowardice will result in tyranny of unimaginable consequences.
I joined my Democratic Town Committee after he won in 2016. I will continue working for Democrats in 2024, as I did in 2020.
Thank you for posing these crucial questions, Steven. I’ve been thinking a lot about this for the last few years. I believe it’s going to take a few steps at least. The first thing that needs to happen in, my opinion, is that Americans need to be informed about the psyops campaign that has been targeting them for years. To do this, investigative journalists need to begin reporting on it. Also, the masterminds (hello retired Lieutenant General Mike Flynn and friends) need to be held responsible, by the courts and the media. Also, the vast network of chaos agents that are spreading the disinformation must be disabled... they are operating globally, so it won’t be easy. But it is necessary, since this fascist push is a worldwide threat, and we cannot separate ourselves from it.
I would be honored and grateful to join you in the fight, Steven. I’ve been serving this country for years, and will never stop fighting for its promise of freedom and democracy.
A better question Steven is "when will the corporate media wake up to Trump's increasingly unhinged Nazi rhetoric?" They did show a glimmer last week after the vermin comment, but have rushed right back to "both-sides do it" and "Biden is too old". Why? Profits from clicks and views, that's why. Democrats can message to the high heavens, but if the corporate media doesn't cover it, no one knows. Who heard that Biden gave a major speech on the economy and the environment last week? Heck, who heard that Biden sat down with Xi this week and the temperature between the US and China has been lowered 10 degrees. No one. Because Trump's screeds about the judges. Markwayne Mullins Fight Club. Marg Greene has no clue. These are the stories that dominate...because they are easy to write and get them clicks.
Thank you for being so clear and on point. I think the evidence is clear in Project 2025. The Ds need to hammer this home and make specific reference points to people already in place (MAGA Mike) and the billions in dark money from Koch, etc. The project will effectively destroy democracy and quite possibly ignite a civil war.
These are fraught times. It seems the only way to ignite the needed outrage and activism is to bring the big picture, the end of the American experiment, to the personal. The women’s reproductive rights issue has helped with that demographic... but what about others? The other issue is that real factual news is not easily accessed anymore. Local newspapers have been bought and gutted and have become expensive to get. Online news is rife with misinformation. And certain “sources” are patently propaganda. But soldier on we must. Parry with factual info when asked. A lot of words to say we have to message better, louder, and broader. Make it personal. Because it is.
I fear the American people are so traumatized the Trump nihilism will actually appeal to them.
So many crimes have gone unpunished the sense of complete high level lawlessness is rampant.
Impunity is the new currency and Americans want to see violence against *anybody* as a way to vent frustration.
There were no WMDs! The war on terror was criminal.
Lawless Black ops and torture went unpunished.
1000 criminal bankers were free to walk after the financial crisis destroyed millions of lives.
Then trump crimes which are legion.
Yet, Trump is golfing today.
We do not have a real legal system. Thats why Americans are throwing it all away.
DOJ is a joke.
It saps our strength and resolve when we focus on what is broken. Like Biden if we focus on building up the good wherever we can, we build confidence and have more chance of succeeding. DOJ has been very busy!! https://www.justice.gov/news/press-releases
I agree that we need to build up the good when and where we can. However, we also need to call out the hypocrisy and lies when it surfaces. Otherwise nothing will change. You can get as loud as you want screaming the positive from the rooftops, but those spreading the hypocrisy and lies will just get bullhorns. By addressing both, we will move forward.
In clarification Dave, my intention was never to say that we should ignore the deception and lawlessness. Rather we call it out methodically and pointedly by focusing our efforts in holding liars, cheats, vandals, thieves, and violence accountable to our laws. The long list of what DOJ is doing is remarkable. I spent a lot of time in 2021 & 2022 advocating to power to increase the DOJ budget and staff. The vast majority of us (not just MAGA) have as little clue about the depth of damage Trump, et. al. did to our democratic institutions as we do to the good that the Biden administration is doing.
You don’t put a fox to guard every henhouse for 4 long years without doing a heck of a lot of damage, and that doesn’t even address Putin, Citizen United,Mitch McConnell's and corporate media’s help.
Thank you for the clarification. I am glad that people like you are here to keep getting the word out there about what’s going on in our country. I’m interested in the 1930s and how Germany went from democracy to fascism, and I see a lot of similarities to the US today. We need to get people to see those indicators and what they led to in the past.
Me too!! I have been leaving multiple copies of On Tyranny in free book bins. They get picked up. A needle in a haystack perhaps but I prefer to think of it as a seed. ❤️
Exactly. Offensive plus Defensive teams and players! 🏉⚽️⛹️♀️
And that's the thing! Biden has been a very consequential president! But the foundation he is building isn't visible on the daily screen of everyone YET. And won't be, if Trump (or crony) is elected. They'd undo it all in a heartbeat.
Susan I think it is also true that the level of destruction of that foundation by Trump was largely not visible and so most folks haven’t an accurate clue how much is required to build it back. Most media is averse to nuance and details. Memes and screens are changing our brains in ways that create less of a market for complexity and shades of gray.
If we don’t face what is broken we will hand the election to Trump and then it is truly over.
Merrick Garland has been a joke.
DOJ has so far failed completely. And worse, Christianity is being given a pass while churches should be taxed for all the free representation religion is getting in our government.
The disgraces and violations against the American people are legion.
Democrats and Republicans sweeping it all under the rug is how we got into this mess
Is it best to look for some savior? Does not the solution lie within us?
I think looking for saviors is how we got into this mess all along. We must all participate much more in every way possible to fix this nightmare: expand Democracy, fix the electoral college to be more representative, expand the courts, impeach corrupt judges. Etc
Our reality is that either a Democrat or a Republican will win the highest office in the land in the US. You can deny that reality and consider yourself falsely blameless when the worst bullies assume power and violate our humanity or you can admit that your greatest power is your vote and use it accordingly to bend the needle towards justice and peace for all of us.
Othering of both Democrats and Republicans and refusal to use one’s power (limited as it is) for good leads to anger, chaos, and more violence
Young people are not going to vote for Joe Biden and that isn’t just *my* problem, it is the number one threat we ALL face.
You don’t seem to be grasping why Trump is THEIR preferred candidate:
Trump vows to punish the very same Democrats who:
promised to:
-restore the DOJ (then didnt).
-to eliminate student debt (then didnt)
-to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan (then didn’t until last year!)
- to close Guantánamo Bay (then didnt)
-to stop dark money (then didnt)
- to overturn citizens united (then didnt)
-to overturn the patriot act, (then didn’t)
-to ban assault weapons and establish realistic gun laws, then didn’t as Obama stood crying, unable to fight even after 26 died at Sandy Hook Elementary!!
- to wage war on the 1000 bankers who knowingly committed major crimes against millions of home owners. Then didnt.
-to regulate real estate to prevent the homeless problem exploding in our cities. Then didnt.
At every chance the Democrats in office caved in!
Then Biden chose Merrick Garland for the department of justice and he has been a complete failure. I during the entire year of the January 6 hearings Garland did not open a single investigation into Donald Trump! Instead, All of the activity has been happening through the attorneys, general of New York, and Georgia.
Of course I am going to vote for Joe Biden.
But you are not fully appreciating the complete disaster that Joe Biden and the Democrats have created by letting the GOP Off the hook at every turn.
That’s why young people are fed up. The Democrats have failed also to instruct citizens on exactly how these problems can be fixed.
They see a nation, where capitalist billionaires are free
to commit any crime they want above the law,
mass shootings happen every day ,
minimum wage doesnt go up for 40 years and highflying Democrats talk about Obamacare which only made BIG PHARMA RICHER while the poor still cant afford dentists and healthcare.
while unchecked Republicans ban books, throw science away, and embrace silly Jesus stories over the needs of real people.
America isn’t worth anything to these young people.
It’s time for everyone to face just how bad our politics has been!
Some if not most have been attempted. Some SCOTUS overruled or stand as examples of what happens when voters in other states elect legislators with a different agenda; a WH inherits deliberately embedded personnel, policies & an handful of ashes from the previous administration.
It is fairly obvious that a very small majority in Congress (and losing the House narrowly) is not a mandate. People in general tend not to care about the pesky details of how things get done. Their (voters or not) response is often that voting changes nothing. These days there is general unhappiness after a long recession followed by a pandemic, therefore someone must be to blame. Weird that it is not the arsonists but Dems. But it is the typical of voters to blame the party in the WH. That’s why the GOP makes everything seem apocalyptic .
If folks decide their disappointment leads them to vote for the arsonists in some sort of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” approach, maybe there is more wrong than the Dems could fix — especially among young people who staked their claim on equal rights and a progressive agenda not fascism.
These are all the right questions. It creates inertia to be overwhelmed, so each of us must do whatever we can. Control what is within your ability to influence change, and stop spending energy on things you cannot by worrying.
Here is a roadmap for finding truth, and it lands well as a neutral heuristic for people, without any judgment or arguments:
"Disinformation: fighting back"
https://verbihundcafe.substack.com/p/disinformation-fighting-back
You have answered your question here: "Or is the sheer thought of such a twisted plan so violent, so crazy, so certain to own the libs—so entertaining to them—that they want to see it all play out on live TV?" The apparent lack of understanding of history's lessons by tens of millions of Americans will doom our republic unless Democratic candidates and their supporters can whittle a simple, powerful, message and market it like there's no tomorrow. And even at that, it might be too late.
This is an important topic. I continue to think (out loud) and argue that the biggest issue is that Biden has yet to present a clear, compelling alternative “heuristic” framework within which ordinary people can easily understand what he and the Dems overall have set out to do.
Trump’s framework is very straightforward: You are right: the system is rigged by liberal and/or corrupt elites so that life is unfair -- and you’ll never get anything but the sh*t end of the stick. So I’m declaring a plague (and leading a veritable sh*t storm) on both (or all) their houses.
This means that I want all of you to join me in making this the world’s biggest-ever sh*t storm so that they can’t escape the fact that they totally stink and deserve to be flushed down the toilet.
Then we’ll make America what WE want it to be-- and then it will be great again.
Against this populist Trump framework, Biden & co need a more compelling alternative to win back the trust of the disenchanted and disaffected. What is that? It’s not a series of promises and programs.
It’s a whole new world. It’s a world of difference.
It’s a world of dignity. It’s a world within which the disenchanted and disaffected are ennobled and “centered.”
It’s a world of opportunity. It’s a world in which hoped-for opportunities are overtaken by unimagined opportunities.
It’s a world of wellbeing. It’s a world in which all of the base, avoidable insecurities, what FDR called the four fears, are eliminated. For good.
And together building this world of dignity, opportunity, and wellbeing must become the vision of a greater America within which “We, the People” find agency, meaning, purpose -- the good life.
This, or something like it must become an explicit overarching alternative frame of reference that makes a a world of near-term positive, powerful, concrete, and meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Perhaps, just perhaps, with enough brain power, imagination, and commitment, something like the forward-looking “Make a World of Difference “ can win out over the retro-facing, Make America Great Again.
That's really good, abd it really is what he HAS been doing. You're right it needs a marketer to spell it out because people aren't educated enough to realize the very substantial changes he's set in place: a fairer platform for laborers in many ways, government investment in new technologies that are creating all kinds of non-college jobs, health care protections like capped insulin prices...these are all things we and our neighbors NEED. But there's no hate involved, so it's hard to catch anyone's attention
Yes, exactly . . . And especially hard to grab the attention of mainstream mass media.
Very well stated.
Thanks!
Steven, Thank you for your essay today. If it doesn’t send a chill up everyone’s spine, nothing will. I’ve sent it to American friends and family asking them, on this special occasion to forward it. I also mentioned the availability of commenting. Alas, my Canadian family and friends have disconnected from Trump and I doubt that anyone would forward it.
I hope others will find this particular essay important enough to share it widely. If Trump is elected, the US will reach a point of no return, and the face of North America changed for ever.
Thank you for your comments Steve.
This is a huge concern.
-Indifference? Although of course there are exceptions, at times I think a great many of us just “have it too easy” compared to the challenges our parents and grandparents etc faced?
- From my perspective it seems those challenges created a deep sense of appreciation for simple rewards and successes, less selfishness, and more respect for necessary decisions?
-Personally I can’t stop trying to expose and correct the constant mountainous, and often dangerous lies on major social media from leaders and communication platforms. It takes hours every day and I have no idea if my efforts matter at all.
-I’m not sure the vast majority of our citizens understand the wide ranging disastrous impacts a Fascist Dictatorship would cause if Trump wins.
The far Right Conservative platforms spreads the lies people believe, then down-play the truthful corrections.
-Religion is falsely claimed by many Conservative leaders and platforms in order to to scrape for votes, and manipulate religious entities, and those looking for solace.
-We should be creating algorithms & technical tools to instantly alert locations of dangerous lies and instant truthful corrections!
Yikes am I talking about AI? (😵💫)
-It seems we need incredibly improved educational tools on how our Democracy and government work; Repeated at least three times in 6th grade -12. And the benefits!
-I was repeatedly taught the quadratic equation/formula year after year, and 50 years still remember it!
Thank you