Welcome to the Second Gilded Age. Billionaires won. They own the dice, the pieces and the Monopoly board. We're all living on Baltic Ave now. Conventional persuasion failed. I'm going to look for ways to be subversive. In the meantime, I'm donating monthly to the ACLU, volunteering at the library (yay literacy!) and getting my news from trustworthy Substack writers, The Guardian, Daily Kos, Meidas Touch and a few others. No corporate media shall enter my brain pan.
Cancelling them all (I only subscribed for the election.. oh, and the sale price) felt surprisingly gratifying. It also freed up a few bucks to back some more talent here, and hopefully spend a few minutes not just scraping out a living but working to contribute as well.
This is my plan as well. One day at a time and no media outside of Substack. It hasn't made me magically feel better, but it is helping keep me off the ledge.
For anyone interested in the nitty gritty of the legal works plus other topics, Empty Wheel (https://www.emptywheel.net/) is a great resource. Mostly respectful comments too, with good moderation. I'm not affiliated with it in any way, other than being a regular reader/lurker.
The Bulwark has also been great since Trump's inception. Never Trumpers. They look very tired right now (most of them), but they are still doing excellent work (Substack and YouTube).
I signed up today to give monthly. As my dear old dad would have said, "Sue the bastards!" I'm funding the lawyers, and I hope the ACLU hires as many as they need to keep the Trump administration in court every damn day.
I find the Guardian a reputable space for news these days. It might be worth it to your readers to check it out. You can subscribe for the free or paid version. After a year of using the free version, I am now entering my second year the paid version.
Check out "Reasons to be Cheerful" for positive stories on the environment from around the world. There is amazing work being done, and you won't hear about it on MSM.
We must demand change within, while we continue the fight without. Many liberal and left of center policies are winners, as proven locally time and again. The voters are not responding to the message carriers…as hard a truth as that might be to accept. The right wing and corporate media effectively corrupt the electorate as to be predisposed to distrust national leftist candidates. Especially those not straight white males it seems.
And this is why a state like Missouri votes for reproductive liberty, an increase in the minimum wage, and other progressive ballot measures, but yet reinstalls Trump and Hawley, both of whom have the power to undo all of that. Does this make any sense? Not to me. The disconnect is truly astounding.
This morning I had a reply from someone with several initials (JJ...?) saying "No he's not. You're fear mongering". The reply isn't here, but it's important to respond. Trump has said he wants a national ban on abortion. The men around him say they want a national ban. Several GOP congressman say they want a national ban. Worse, Trump is on record saying there has to be some form of punishment for the women who have abortion. Before the election Republicans said abortion should be a state's decision. And most every state that allowed it on the ballot passed it. Florida had it 57% to 43% but the very Red state required 60%. Red states fight tooth and nail to keep it off ballots. And they do that because they know it would pass. The GOP says it should go to the states and then does everything it can to not allow citizens to decide. They knew if they could get Trump back in their problem would be solved. There was a time abortion was illegal and you could not get birth control. You couldn't even get a credit card by yourself. And if you wanted to have a tubal ligation, hospitals questioned whether your husband was aware. I, along with other women, fought, marched and voted for change. My mistake was thinking this was settled law. Instead the GOP slowly and insidiously changed the Supreme Court into Trump's court. Everything we fought for is being dismantled. When Trump tells you what he is going to do, believe him. This has been a major victory for the Christian Right. White women voted in the majority for Trump. Democrats sat home. Vanity Fair published an article how young women on social media are receiving threatening messages. Nick Fuentes crowed "your body is mine, bitch". A young woman showed a screenshot saying she was glad she had an IUD. The response from a male was "we'll rape you through your IUD". Find the article at Vanity Fair. I only wish I was fear mongering. I'm not.
Many of the voters don’t even expose themselves to the message carriers, other than social media inside their bubble. At some point we need a reckoning that breaks through that bubble. I don’t know what that looks like yet.
For 40+ years, the GOP and its propagandists have told the electorate that Government is the problem, and that Democrats = big government liberalism = evil. We have never effectively countered that.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein.
Most of the Trumpers I know do not trust the government (until they want something) and believe that the liberals just want "free stuff". Do not think they will object to dismantling the Civil
Service . They constantly talk about George Soros being responsible for everything
The hypocrisy is mind boggling.
I live in a Red state and watch
how rights are being taken away.
Trying not to worry while waiting for ----to hit the fan!
Before taking up the battle cry, I personally think it’s a time for a bit of reflection.
Trump and MAGA have had Democrats in a tailspin for nearly a decade. Turmoil begets turmoil.
We need a war plan.
Agreed that Merrick Garland failed and corporate media normalized Trump’s crimes and amplified his propaganda. Definitely part of the problem.
I’m questioning how well the two-party system is working.
Over the last 30 years, Super-PACs increased, dark money flowed. We also have social media platforms and newspapers owned by oligarchs.
Aside from all of this, we are dealing with a much different societal mindset.
Being openly hateful, racist and misogynistic seems to be okay with millions of Americans. Latinos don’t mind if their neighbors are rounded up like chattel for deportation
We definitely need a different playbook but I have more questions than answers before launching into fight, fight, fight.
Biden should have replaced him during the J6 hearings when Garland downplayed the corruption of Bill Barr in order to preserve the image of the DOJ and to appear apolitical.
We have to sort through the woulda / shoulda / coulda’s and get to some harsh and inconvenient truths before developing a plan to mobilize into strategic action rather than frantic pandemonium.
This is how Trump and MAGA continue to keep us off balance.
No it would not serve any purpose, but he is inept and a disgrace. He should be fired for those reasons alone. He is a hated man and a complete failure.
Anne Lamont did a post on Facebook about saying “I don’t know” about what is happening as a way to starting to figure both what happened and where we go from here. I think that is a good thing instead of relying on what we thought were truths.
I am relying on you, Heather C.R., Mary T., and a few others for insight. I have not turned on the TV since this happened, nor have I gone to the NYT or WaPo. I visit the IG feeds of a few journalists whose take I appreciate. I simply can't bear to be assaulted by it daily. I feel as if we now live in an occupied country.
I was numb the morning after; then I got a WhatsApp message from a friend in France with whom I practice French once a week. When we got on the line, I started sobbing, and I've had a couple of other grief attacks since, the first of which occurred when I couldn't find my keys.
I think I mentioned in one of my early comments here how moved I was when Joe Biden had candles lined up by the reflecting pool to honor those who died of COVID. There was deep relief, having a decent person in the White House again, especially knowing that the previous inhabitant was responsible for so many of those deaths. Now it's dread, picturing the MAGA gang in the Oval. Realizing that the traitors who smeared feces on the walls of the Capitol and hurt and killed our brave officers that TFG chose to leave unprotected will be set free and celebrated. I could vomit.
Well, on that note...Glad to be in touch with all of you, and thanks so much, Earl.
Yes, undoubtedly it will be tough, but also remember what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. I believe that ultimately we will be more resilient than ever. And I also think with wise voices such as yours, we will learn to question and reject the received wisdom and normalization that corporate media spouts.
Thank you, Lorraine. You captured it beautifully. I just don't think people get it. It's a beautiful day in Austin, and we were watching our team, UT Longhorns on television. The camera cut to the sidelines where Matthew McConaughey was. And he stood with his arms around the wrestler known as the Undertaker (huge Trumper) and the comic who headlined Trump's MSG rally and called Puerto Rico garbage. Big smiles, grinning like all is well. My chest constricted, I said some choice words and had to walk out so I could calm down. Then the announcers had the Undertaker up in the booth. They don't get it and they don't want to get it. Austin is a blue dot in a sea of red. It was like watching Nazis being treated like decent human beings. All I could think about was Earl's piece "You tell me who you are...".
Earl I listen to Brene Brown on audible. She is the sociology researcher who got famous for her Ted talk on vulnerability. Who knew that we needed to talk about that but the response worldwide shot her to the top of media fame. Her groundbreaking work is Atlas of the Heart. Anyone on here you included Earl need to listen to it on audible. Especially right now. So I listen in the car to another of her books going to the Y. She is talking right now about how we other. How we organize our neighborhoods and our lives in compartments around the other. What the Internet and politics has done is give all of the power to the individual. One MAGA man blew up a city block in Nashville on Christmas Day which we memory holed. My point is this we need to think whether we are single w no kids like I am or not online or not about community. We need to write in a journal or write a blog. We need to write about this. And we need to read on audible. We need to keep forming the community you formed in Wisconsin. You broke the legislature’s super majority. I am 75 years old and in the last five years have lost six major figures in my life. I am writing a memoir about my life as a flight attendant and my family. It will probably never be published. I write to write. I didn’t start writing until covid hit. My point is read write and stay engaged. I love your column Earl. Thanks for playing a major role in my life.
I’n an ex cop. (Yes. I like prosecutors better than convicted felons) I was a division head at state police academy. Garland failed at the most basic instruction we taught cadets:
When you arrive on the scene of a call, you are the best chance the citizen has for a good outcome. DO NOT LET EVENTS PLAY OUT AROUND YOU WHILE DOING NOTHING.
You are right on! I wrote a Substack yesterday similar, but you did a better job. We need to keep working, not sticking our heads in the sand. I am going to be 73 in a couple weeks, yet I am not going to let my age stop me from stepping up my game to help our country. We have to LISTEN to what our citizens want, and we have to STOP being selfish, hard work requires some sacrifice. If you choses to sit back and let others do the work YOU are the problem. I'm all in - I have children and grandchildren who will be here much longer than I, and I'm working for them. GET OFF YOUR ASSES and find someplace you can help.
I am an 82 year old and am completely frustrated, angry and motivated dem. Who do I listen to if not MSNBC that I am totally done with? I do not know how to find who to listen to? They are probably on youtube??? Where? Please help with this. I want to know what to do next but listening to MSNBC does not do it - they frustrate me even more. All except Lawrence and Nicolle. Where do I find my journalists and who are they?
Support NPR, because mark my words, Republicans are coming for it. It is straight-ahead news. It will frustrate me at times, but they have A LOT of needed bandwidth.
LegalAF on YouTube; Heather Cox Richardson; Read James Baldwin, MLK, listen to the sermons of Rev James Reeb - the former allies tend to lock in my already established values and principles. I have even gone back to Anne Frank. Heather McGhee is particularly insightful for Whites.
Meant also to add Mallory Mcmorrow who will start holding classes and or webinars to teach people about Rsistance, Opposition working through the system- her book “Hate Won’t Win”. In this urgent expansion of her viral speech, Michigan Senator Mallory McMorrow details her unlikely journey into politics with a front-row seat to democracy at its breaking point—then outlines the tangible, proven steps that anyone can take to build community, fight for what’s right, and create real, lasting change.
we already support NPR but will add to our monthly - I"ve now subscribed to all the suggested folks and cannot thank you all enough - these will keep me busy!!! how about moms rising - i did postcards for them this election?
Absolutely. I have worked with several of their journalists on a fair media project. NPR and American Media together give us the most trustworthy and comprehensive reporting.
Meidastouch network on YouTube, several commentator to subscribe to
Kept my sanity stabilized !
And Thom Hartmann show everyday live / YouTube and podcast - msnbc is irrelevant after listening to Hartmann
Ron flipkowski and Anthony Davis - 5 minute news, is a fave on Wednesdays - straight up unbiased fact based independent reporting without 9 people on the msm bickering about who right j wrong. It’s all about them, not the news, I need 1 or 2 news anchors only to focus
Raw news and politic with Gina is good to and has dry sinister wit
IHIP I’ve had it - Oklahoma
Pumps & jennifer , no flowery talk…f bombing right along with them
I’m going to suggest Ground News as well, as a place where we can also see what is reported on the right. If we’re going to break through the right wing bubble of disinformation, we need to know what it’s made of.
Thank you, Earl. It’s gonna take quite a while to bounce back from this heartbreak. I was going to cure some ballots today, hoping to secure more votes for Ruben Gallego. It’s ridiculously close! I just don’t have the energy today. I am learning through texting conversations with my son (which surprisingly continue!) that the whole Bro media really has the young guys thinking they have the facts. There isn’t a lot of talk, if any, about the fact that Republicans are poised to take his sister’s rights or his fiancee’s rights away from them. So, while I am listening to my favs on Substack, he is listening to Joe Rogan’s guests, and a host of other myopic young guys. I suspect some of these guys stroke the young white man’s ego because, you know, they’re such victims now (sarc!). Anyway, it’s clear my wise ol’ crone perspective is currently obliterated. And white belligerent assholes seem to have a better finger on the pulse of society. I don’t know how we fight this behemoth takeover of the Truth. I really don’t. I think I will eventually find my fighting energy again, maybe January when I have to hear his f-g voice again and see his taunting ugly bronzed face! I have no words if comfort right now.
Hi Suzanne, with regard to your son and his generation, the New Republic published this insightful article today about what right-wing media has done to the brains of white males and how to counteract it from our side. If we listened more to Fox News and Newsmax and other stations that are poisoning people’s minds with wise and propaganda, we would understand better what has happened; but for my part, it’s almost impossible for me to listen to one of these broadcasts for more than five minutes without feeling physically ill.
Janet, thank you. I’m with you. I’ll read. On a more positive note, he isn’t so far gone as to be a trumper. And I can tell he is as passionate about our country as I am. But I fear he is a pawn in their game; he thinks I am getting misconstrued. Maybe at times I am. I really don’t think he was hearing the threats (through his male filter) lime I was hearing or he was just chalking it up to fear-mongering from the left. He hasn’t fallen all the way in yet, but he is sure he is getting the facts.
I do too because in these exit interviews people point to silly things like the price of eggs or the price of gas or the economy is bad, which it isn’t, but these are talking points that they pick up from right-wing radio and news stations. They are not reaching these conclusions on their own. It’s been said time and time again, but Americans have a serious lack of critical thinking skills, since 51% of the voters who came out on November 5 voted for this evil ignoramus, who will definitely do them more harm than good.
I just upgraded to paid. My husband and I are White Independents (M-75; F-76). We lean slightly Right on some things, very Left on others. Our basic creed is "Live your life how you want and we'll live our life like we want!" Basically we're with Tim Walz "Mind your own damn business!" It is very hard living in a Red state like we do (Texas). We have been part of the resistance for years. And I can't begin to describe the profound drenching depression we feel from Kamala losing. But walking right beside that depression is deep fury at Democrats and anyone else blaming Kamala Harris for the loss. The woman could have walked on water and it would NOT have changed anything. 74 million, mostly white men and women, voted for a fascist white guy who jacked off his microphone, threatened violence, forgot where he was half the time and wants an anti-vax guy with a brain worm to run our health department and a drugged up billionaire who destroyed twitter to take over everything else. And I've got to say listening to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren crying we forgot the working class almost pushes me to a rage. This is such stupid bullshit. You know what turned on working class guys? Trans rights. Then you've got the protest Gaza vote for third party candidates. And as you said, the Right echo chamber poisoned the minds of these people. I don't think anyone realizes how bad this is going to be. This isn't politics as usual, this is Nazi Germany early days. And as you said, they've told me who they are.
Those trans rights commercials played EVERYWHERE, and were disgusting. The fucking Republican Party offers nothing but pain. It fuels them. They get off on it. I'm not wrong about this.
Kamala’s being Black was the red line for more than I ever imagined - and that makes me sick. I was naive enough to think we were past that when Barack was elected. Instead it made their resolve firmer that it wouldn’t happen again.
To quote that Podcast guy, Charlemagne: “ Bullshit Anderson” kind works well for me as a standard reply to all the corporate media pundits and the trump voter explanations and for trump’s support. So from here on out I will just reply “Bullshit Anderson.”
Welcome to the Second Gilded Age. Billionaires won. They own the dice, the pieces and the Monopoly board. We're all living on Baltic Ave now. Conventional persuasion failed. I'm going to look for ways to be subversive. In the meantime, I'm donating monthly to the ACLU, volunteering at the library (yay literacy!) and getting my news from trustworthy Substack writers, The Guardian, Daily Kos, Meidas Touch and a few others. No corporate media shall enter my brain pan.
Perfect plan of action.
Cancelling them all (I only subscribed for the election.. oh, and the sale price) felt surprisingly gratifying. It also freed up a few bucks to back some more talent here, and hopefully spend a few minutes not just scraping out a living but working to contribute as well.
I'll keep playing my skipped record: please support ProPublica. They broke to or three of the biggest stories of the last few years.
They are fantastic and reported on Clarence Thomas' corruption.
This is my plan as well. One day at a time and no media outside of Substack. It hasn't made me magically feel better, but it is helping keep me off the ledge.
For anyone interested in the nitty gritty of the legal works plus other topics, Empty Wheel (https://www.emptywheel.net/) is a great resource. Mostly respectful comments too, with good moderation. I'm not affiliated with it in any way, other than being a regular reader/lurker.
💯‼️
The Bulwark has also been great since Trump's inception. Never Trumpers. They look very tired right now (most of them), but they are still doing excellent work (Substack and YouTube).
Wish this could be read by everyone. I would gladly print this and leave it in every coffee shop and the library...
I just donated to ACLU! Best $ I’ve ever spent. So tired of giving it away to political orgs.
I signed up today to give monthly. As my dear old dad would have said, "Sue the bastards!" I'm funding the lawyers, and I hope the ACLU hires as many as they need to keep the Trump administration in court every damn day.
A great plan….the bullshit is already getting deep
I find the Guardian a reputable space for news these days. It might be worth it to your readers to check it out. You can subscribe for the free or paid version. After a year of using the free version, I am now entering my second year the paid version.
Absolutely.
I support both the Guardian and Propublica. Although right now I’m staying away from all news.
It's good to give yourself a break. The world turns whether we are paying attention or not. Everything's gonna be all right.
Yes! We need to support these GOOD news organizations, they are few & far between. Give if you can. They’re not asking for much.
Check out "Reasons to be Cheerful" for positive stories on the environment from around the world. There is amazing work being done, and you won't hear about it on MSM.
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/about/
Awesome, thank you! I sure will & will spread it far & wide.
Agreed. And the Beeb as well, usually.
Thank you for these words of encouragement. It is really hard to not get totally discouraged and want to crawl under a rock.
It's OK to crawl under a rock if that's what you feel you need to do. Prepare to run into a lot of Republicans there, though.
(Thanks for the kind words.)
🤣
We must demand change within, while we continue the fight without. Many liberal and left of center policies are winners, as proven locally time and again. The voters are not responding to the message carriers…as hard a truth as that might be to accept. The right wing and corporate media effectively corrupt the electorate as to be predisposed to distrust national leftist candidates. Especially those not straight white males it seems.
And this is why a state like Missouri votes for reproductive liberty, an increase in the minimum wage, and other progressive ballot measures, but yet reinstalls Trump and Hawley, both of whom have the power to undo all of that. Does this make any sense? Not to me. The disconnect is truly astounding.
Worse, Trump will do a national ban on it all.
This morning I had a reply from someone with several initials (JJ...?) saying "No he's not. You're fear mongering". The reply isn't here, but it's important to respond. Trump has said he wants a national ban on abortion. The men around him say they want a national ban. Several GOP congressman say they want a national ban. Worse, Trump is on record saying there has to be some form of punishment for the women who have abortion. Before the election Republicans said abortion should be a state's decision. And most every state that allowed it on the ballot passed it. Florida had it 57% to 43% but the very Red state required 60%. Red states fight tooth and nail to keep it off ballots. And they do that because they know it would pass. The GOP says it should go to the states and then does everything it can to not allow citizens to decide. They knew if they could get Trump back in their problem would be solved. There was a time abortion was illegal and you could not get birth control. You couldn't even get a credit card by yourself. And if you wanted to have a tubal ligation, hospitals questioned whether your husband was aware. I, along with other women, fought, marched and voted for change. My mistake was thinking this was settled law. Instead the GOP slowly and insidiously changed the Supreme Court into Trump's court. Everything we fought for is being dismantled. When Trump tells you what he is going to do, believe him. This has been a major victory for the Christian Right. White women voted in the majority for Trump. Democrats sat home. Vanity Fair published an article how young women on social media are receiving threatening messages. Nick Fuentes crowed "your body is mine, bitch". A young woman showed a screenshot saying she was glad she had an IUD. The response from a male was "we'll rape you through your IUD". Find the article at Vanity Fair. I only wish I was fear mongering. I'm not.
Many of the voters don’t even expose themselves to the message carriers, other than social media inside their bubble. At some point we need a reckoning that breaks through that bubble. I don’t know what that looks like yet.
For 40+ years, the GOP and its propagandists have told the electorate that Government is the problem, and that Democrats = big government liberalism = evil. We have never effectively countered that.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein.
Most of the Trumpers I know do not trust the government (until they want something) and believe that the liberals just want "free stuff". Do not think they will object to dismantling the Civil
Service . They constantly talk about George Soros being responsible for everything
The hypocrisy is mind boggling.
I live in a Red state and watch
how rights are being taken away.
Trying not to worry while waiting for ----to hit the fan!
Yes. And social media has compounded that problem. Many young people get their "news," etc. from it.
Before taking up the battle cry, I personally think it’s a time for a bit of reflection.
Trump and MAGA have had Democrats in a tailspin for nearly a decade. Turmoil begets turmoil.
We need a war plan.
Agreed that Merrick Garland failed and corporate media normalized Trump’s crimes and amplified his propaganda. Definitely part of the problem.
I’m questioning how well the two-party system is working.
Over the last 30 years, Super-PACs increased, dark money flowed. We also have social media platforms and newspapers owned by oligarchs.
Aside from all of this, we are dealing with a much different societal mindset.
Being openly hateful, racist and misogynistic seems to be okay with millions of Americans. Latinos don’t mind if their neighbors are rounded up like chattel for deportation
We definitely need a different playbook but I have more questions than answers before launching into fight, fight, fight.
Completely fair, Christi.
Garland should be fired right fucking now!
That would serve no purpose now.
Biden should have replaced him during the J6 hearings when Garland downplayed the corruption of Bill Barr in order to preserve the image of the DOJ and to appear apolitical.
We have to sort through the woulda / shoulda / coulda’s and get to some harsh and inconvenient truths before developing a plan to mobilize into strategic action rather than frantic pandemonium.
This is how Trump and MAGA continue to keep us off balance.
No it would not serve any purpose, but he is inept and a disgrace. He should be fired for those reasons alone. He is a hated man and a complete failure.
Anne Lamont did a post on Facebook about saying “I don’t know” about what is happening as a way to starting to figure both what happened and where we go from here. I think that is a good thing instead of relying on what we thought were truths.
There are many things that are completely obvious, however, and need to be repeated so as not to be normalized.
Agreed!
I completely agree. Garland failed miserably.
What could replace or modify the two party system
Ranked choice voting?
Bless your fierce words and indomitable spirit.
I am relying on you, Heather C.R., Mary T., and a few others for insight. I have not turned on the TV since this happened, nor have I gone to the NYT or WaPo. I visit the IG feeds of a few journalists whose take I appreciate. I simply can't bear to be assaulted by it daily. I feel as if we now live in an occupied country.
I was numb the morning after; then I got a WhatsApp message from a friend in France with whom I practice French once a week. When we got on the line, I started sobbing, and I've had a couple of other grief attacks since, the first of which occurred when I couldn't find my keys.
I think I mentioned in one of my early comments here how moved I was when Joe Biden had candles lined up by the reflecting pool to honor those who died of COVID. There was deep relief, having a decent person in the White House again, especially knowing that the previous inhabitant was responsible for so many of those deaths. Now it's dread, picturing the MAGA gang in the Oval. Realizing that the traitors who smeared feces on the walls of the Capitol and hurt and killed our brave officers that TFG chose to leave unprotected will be set free and celebrated. I could vomit.
Well, on that note...Glad to be in touch with all of you, and thanks so much, Earl.
This is going to be very, very tough no doubt about it, L.
Really, the most important thing is to stay connected in communities like this one.
Be good to yourself.
Yes, undoubtedly it will be tough, but also remember what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. I believe that ultimately we will be more resilient than ever. And I also think with wise voices such as yours, we will learn to question and reject the received wisdom and normalization that corporate media spouts.
That's for sure.
Back atcha, Earl.
Thank you, Lorraine. You captured it beautifully. I just don't think people get it. It's a beautiful day in Austin, and we were watching our team, UT Longhorns on television. The camera cut to the sidelines where Matthew McConaughey was. And he stood with his arms around the wrestler known as the Undertaker (huge Trumper) and the comic who headlined Trump's MSG rally and called Puerto Rico garbage. Big smiles, grinning like all is well. My chest constricted, I said some choice words and had to walk out so I could calm down. Then the announcers had the Undertaker up in the booth. They don't get it and they don't want to get it. Austin is a blue dot in a sea of red. It was like watching Nazis being treated like decent human beings. All I could think about was Earl's piece "You tell me who you are...".
Earl I listen to Brene Brown on audible. She is the sociology researcher who got famous for her Ted talk on vulnerability. Who knew that we needed to talk about that but the response worldwide shot her to the top of media fame. Her groundbreaking work is Atlas of the Heart. Anyone on here you included Earl need to listen to it on audible. Especially right now. So I listen in the car to another of her books going to the Y. She is talking right now about how we other. How we organize our neighborhoods and our lives in compartments around the other. What the Internet and politics has done is give all of the power to the individual. One MAGA man blew up a city block in Nashville on Christmas Day which we memory holed. My point is this we need to think whether we are single w no kids like I am or not online or not about community. We need to write in a journal or write a blog. We need to write about this. And we need to read on audible. We need to keep forming the community you formed in Wisconsin. You broke the legislature’s super majority. I am 75 years old and in the last five years have lost six major figures in my life. I am writing a memoir about my life as a flight attendant and my family. It will probably never be published. I write to write. I didn’t start writing until covid hit. My point is read write and stay engaged. I love your column Earl. Thanks for playing a major role in my life.
Man ... That one brought tears ... Thanks, Mary.
Huge fan of Brene Brown. She has helped my perspective immensely on many things. Didn’t think of resorting to her right now. Thanks so much!
Atlas of the Heart is almost required listening or reading.
Re: Garland
I’n an ex cop. (Yes. I like prosecutors better than convicted felons) I was a division head at state police academy. Garland failed at the most basic instruction we taught cadets:
When you arrive on the scene of a call, you are the best chance the citizen has for a good outcome. DO NOT LET EVENTS PLAY OUT AROUND YOU WHILE DOING NOTHING.
Garland was a deer caught in the headlights.
It seemed completely intentional. He wanted NO PART of doing his damn job.
Don’t disagree. My take is the most simple explanation. Your’s is a step farther but it is not unreasonable conclusion given the evidence.
You are right on! I wrote a Substack yesterday similar, but you did a better job. We need to keep working, not sticking our heads in the sand. I am going to be 73 in a couple weeks, yet I am not going to let my age stop me from stepping up my game to help our country. We have to LISTEN to what our citizens want, and we have to STOP being selfish, hard work requires some sacrifice. If you choses to sit back and let others do the work YOU are the problem. I'm all in - I have children and grandchildren who will be here much longer than I, and I'm working for them. GET OFF YOUR ASSES and find someplace you can help.
GET OFF YOUR ASSES and find someplace you can help.
*endorsed
I am an 82 year old and am completely frustrated, angry and motivated dem. Who do I listen to if not MSNBC that I am totally done with? I do not know how to find who to listen to? They are probably on youtube??? Where? Please help with this. I want to know what to do next but listening to MSNBC does not do it - they frustrate me even more. All except Lawrence and Nicolle. Where do I find my journalists and who are they?
Support NPR, because mark my words, Republicans are coming for it. It is straight-ahead news. It will frustrate me at times, but they have A LOT of needed bandwidth.
LegalAF on YouTube; Heather Cox Richardson; Read James Baldwin, MLK, listen to the sermons of Rev James Reeb - the former allies tend to lock in my already established values and principles. I have even gone back to Anne Frank. Heather McGhee is particularly insightful for Whites.
Meant also to add Mallory Mcmorrow who will start holding classes and or webinars to teach people about Rsistance, Opposition working through the system- her book “Hate Won’t Win”. In this urgent expansion of her viral speech, Michigan Senator Mallory McMorrow details her unlikely journey into politics with a front-row seat to democracy at its breaking point—then outlines the tangible, proven steps that anyone can take to build community, fight for what’s right, and create real, lasting change.
Thx soooooo much for all that you are doing.
we already support NPR but will add to our monthly - I"ve now subscribed to all the suggested folks and cannot thank you all enough - these will keep me busy!!! how about moms rising - i did postcards for them this election?
Absolutely. I have worked with several of their journalists on a fair media project. NPR and American Media together give us the most trustworthy and comprehensive reporting.
Guardian, as Diana said; Meidas Touch (Ben Meislas sp?); ProPublica.
thx i already have Meislas and lincoln project - will go toward the other two - thx so much
Brian Tyler Cohen on YouTube Tube. Glenn Kirschner- you tube.
Meidas Touch Network, Tennessee Brando, Legal AF, Politics Girl, Democracy Docket all on you tube.
Also the American Prospect, and Mother Jones is a good source of left-leaning information and opinions.
True!
Oops, Colleen, not Diana. Lol!
Brian Tyler Cohen, Pod Save America, Meidas Touch, Democracy Docket, Courier, and Politicon are all on YouTube
Also Deep State Radio
Meidastouch network on YouTube, several commentator to subscribe to
Kept my sanity stabilized !
And Thom Hartmann show everyday live / YouTube and podcast - msnbc is irrelevant after listening to Hartmann
Ron flipkowski and Anthony Davis - 5 minute news, is a fave on Wednesdays - straight up unbiased fact based independent reporting without 9 people on the msm bickering about who right j wrong. It’s all about them, not the news, I need 1 or 2 news anchors only to focus
Raw news and politic with Gina is good to and has dry sinister wit
IHIP I’ve had it - Oklahoma
Pumps & jennifer , no flowery talk…f bombing right along with them
Texas Paul
Tennessee Brando
2 states I needed to understand better
Start there
Couldn't agree more. Done with MSNBC!!!
Meidas Touch Network, Mary Trump Media, Brian Taylor Cohen, Talking Feds-Harry Litman, Robert Reich-There are many more!!
I’m going to suggest Ground News as well, as a place where we can also see what is reported on the right. If we’re going to break through the right wing bubble of disinformation, we need to know what it’s made of.
Diana Free Speech tv has many good programs. You can get to it by typing it in the header. Try Thom Hartmann- on from 11am-2:00 pm Central time M-F
Substack is a good place to stay!
Heather Coxe Richardson, Robert Reich, Joyce Vancek
Check out “ the Guardian for unbiased reporting
Two fatal mistakes made by Dems when in office during my lifetime: 1. NAFTA, and 2. The appointment of Merrick Garland as AG.
Can't disagree. 2016 was also a complete cluster.
👍🏼
Thank you, Earl. It’s gonna take quite a while to bounce back from this heartbreak. I was going to cure some ballots today, hoping to secure more votes for Ruben Gallego. It’s ridiculously close! I just don’t have the energy today. I am learning through texting conversations with my son (which surprisingly continue!) that the whole Bro media really has the young guys thinking they have the facts. There isn’t a lot of talk, if any, about the fact that Republicans are poised to take his sister’s rights or his fiancee’s rights away from them. So, while I am listening to my favs on Substack, he is listening to Joe Rogan’s guests, and a host of other myopic young guys. I suspect some of these guys stroke the young white man’s ego because, you know, they’re such victims now (sarc!). Anyway, it’s clear my wise ol’ crone perspective is currently obliterated. And white belligerent assholes seem to have a better finger on the pulse of society. I don’t know how we fight this behemoth takeover of the Truth. I really don’t. I think I will eventually find my fighting energy again, maybe January when I have to hear his f-g voice again and see his taunting ugly bronzed face! I have no words if comfort right now.
I get every single bit of this, my friend. You are a giant. But giants need rest, too.
And young men are by and large the stupidest people on Earth. I know this, because I was one. I was giant stupid.
Hard to believe, but thank you, friend. You give me hope in a rather dismal time. Not feeling very “giant” right now. 🥲💔
You've heard me say it, but one more time: Win or lose, there is nothing more important than being on the right side of the fight.
Some old boomers are especially stupid too, because I know a few of them in my red district.
Hi Suzanne, with regard to your son and his generation, the New Republic published this insightful article today about what right-wing media has done to the brains of white males and how to counteract it from our side. If we listened more to Fox News and Newsmax and other stations that are poisoning people’s minds with wise and propaganda, we would understand better what has happened; but for my part, it’s almost impossible for me to listen to one of these broadcasts for more than five minutes without feeling physically ill.
Janet, thank you. I’m with you. I’ll read. On a more positive note, he isn’t so far gone as to be a trumper. And I can tell he is as passionate about our country as I am. But I fear he is a pawn in their game; he thinks I am getting misconstrued. Maybe at times I am. I really don’t think he was hearing the threats (through his male filter) lime I was hearing or he was just chalking it up to fear-mongering from the left. He hasn’t fallen all the way in yet, but he is sure he is getting the facts.
Then it sounds like there is hope because he does not fall into the category of the totally brainwashed, and those people are very difficult to reach.
Thanks, Janet. And thanks for the New Republic article. I honestly think this is the biggest reason for the disconnect among us. Absolutely agree.
I do too because in these exit interviews people point to silly things like the price of eggs or the price of gas or the economy is bad, which it isn’t, but these are talking points that they pick up from right-wing radio and news stations. They are not reaching these conclusions on their own. It’s been said time and time again, but Americans have a serious lack of critical thinking skills, since 51% of the voters who came out on November 5 voted for this evil ignoramus, who will definitely do them more harm than good.
*of comfort
Oops, I forgot to attach the article in my first response so here it is.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thenewrepublic/p/why-does-no-one-understand-the-real?r=2vk1c6&utm_medium=ios
Not planning to watch the inauguration because I do not want to see or hear him.
I just upgraded to paid. My husband and I are White Independents (M-75; F-76). We lean slightly Right on some things, very Left on others. Our basic creed is "Live your life how you want and we'll live our life like we want!" Basically we're with Tim Walz "Mind your own damn business!" It is very hard living in a Red state like we do (Texas). We have been part of the resistance for years. And I can't begin to describe the profound drenching depression we feel from Kamala losing. But walking right beside that depression is deep fury at Democrats and anyone else blaming Kamala Harris for the loss. The woman could have walked on water and it would NOT have changed anything. 74 million, mostly white men and women, voted for a fascist white guy who jacked off his microphone, threatened violence, forgot where he was half the time and wants an anti-vax guy with a brain worm to run our health department and a drugged up billionaire who destroyed twitter to take over everything else. And I've got to say listening to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren crying we forgot the working class almost pushes me to a rage. This is such stupid bullshit. You know what turned on working class guys? Trans rights. Then you've got the protest Gaza vote for third party candidates. And as you said, the Right echo chamber poisoned the minds of these people. I don't think anyone realizes how bad this is going to be. This isn't politics as usual, this is Nazi Germany early days. And as you said, they've told me who they are.
First, thank you for your support. Honored.
Those trans rights commercials played EVERYWHERE, and were disgusting. The fucking Republican Party offers nothing but pain. It fuels them. They get off on it. I'm not wrong about this.
Thanks for all you are doing, Rita.
I forgot to add: America was never going to elect a Black woman.
Fact. Or any woman.
Kamala’s being Black was the red line for more than I ever imagined - and that makes me sick. I was naive enough to think we were past that when Barack was elected. Instead it made their resolve firmer that it wouldn’t happen again.
I know. I just knew she was going to win in a landslide.
Wrong police to try to make good history. Reverse occurred.
Good Points ALL this morning ☕ Earl, you've given us Excellent Advice and I Thank You 🙏 will reStack ASAP 💯👍
Thanks, Karen.
Thank you. I will keep this to read often
To quote that Podcast guy, Charlemagne: “ Bullshit Anderson” kind works well for me as a standard reply to all the corporate media pundits and the trump voter explanations and for trump’s support. So from here on out I will just reply “Bullshit Anderson.”
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