All, I removed two comments in which readers were directing comments to one another personally. Please don't do that. But the subject of their exchange was important: That rape as a weapon of war is not limited to Hamas. See the special report included here: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/sudan-politics-sexual-violence/
Thank you for flagging. I had posted about this the other day. What is happening in Sudan is massive and miserable and The Economist is one of the few Western media outlets that has managed to get a reporter in there.
I thought Bari Weiss was talking about Centuries ago when she wrote of how pregnant Jewish women were tortured during pogroms in Eastern Europe--fetuses cut out of their bellies and their heads bashed; then cats were sown into the womens' bellies and their hands cut off so they could do nothing about it.
I thought that kind of barbarous torture was HUNDREDS of years ago , and nothing that bad could/would ever be seen again in our "civilized" age. Hamas proved me wrong on October 7, 2023--and the world stayed silent. The world stayed silent because it was Israeli/Jewish women. Once again, one of the world's oldest hatreds found expression --in deafening silence.
Pramilla Jayapal was just sickening to listen to Sunday-- What Hamas did was terrible, but On Balance." Blessings on Dana Bash for stopping her as Pramilla weaved & bobbed; then Dana flatly stated in response to Pramilla's "whataboutism" -- "You don't see Israeli soldiers raping women."
I watched the UN session yesterday. The people that witnessed what happened could barely speak of the horror! Shame on the world. #MeTooUnlessYouAreAJew.
It’s an old book, but in this context still valuable: “On Aggression”, by the famous animal behaviorist (ethologist) Konrad Lorenz. Lorenz was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Your wife is right, John. I’ve volunteered for animal rescues and therapeutic riding centers, and adopted a discarded horse myself. I can assure you that the sentience of animals is profound and highly underrated.
Several years ago, while at NYTimes, she wrote a book on Antisemitism. History, present day expressions, and dangers to US Jews and society if not called out and countered.
Anti-vaxxers harm people daily. But her writings and studies on antisemitism are well done
Frankly, anti-vaxxers are impervious to stats and facts. True believers know what they know, and the rest is drug company marketing and lies. Spent my healthcare career with “true believers,” and they drive up the cost of healthcare for everyone—and harm others (anti-vaxxers especially harm pregnant women). They don’t care.
Thank you for ending with the reader comment. That was my experience too while traveling to Montana from the Bay Area this summer. I am now back in Montana and have seen only one Trump sign which my son-in-law tells me has been there for years. There is another sign here in Missoula you all might enjoy:
I once knew a Susan Troy who was the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. I wonder if this is the same Susan Troy? If so, hi, Susan. If not, everyone, including Susan please excuse this aside. Pat Phillips
You have only seen one Trump sign? When driving the highways and byways of Highway 93 and Highway 200 there are Trump signs all over. I live in Missoula. This is just Western Montana. Go East of the Divide and I'm sure there are tons.
I'm in Billings. I've seen some signs come down on my regular walking path, and I really want to ask them why. Have they been shamed by their kids? Did the embarrassment of such an awful leader sink in? The trumpie sentiment remains, but it is hopefully slithering back under the rocks from which it came. I'd like to see it go back to being emotionally unsafe to flaunt being a white supremacist.
My cynicism does still prevent me from predicting if Montanans have had enough of the R supermajority costing people a very large raise in the cost of living here.
We get so focused on the enemies we can see that we miss altogether the ones we can't. We are dealing today with the unseen enemies that were working beneath the surface while we thought we knew what was happening around us. We must stay alert.
Enemies like the funders and organizers of Project 2025? Yes, they have published their "manifesto." But they are also busy recruiting Trump loyalists to staff the civil servants slated to be removed under Schedule F. They are not too be ignored.
Ari Melber spent quite a bit of time on the dangers of a Trump dictatorship on his show yesterday. I only caught about twenty minutes as part of my self-imposed limits on news programming, but I was encouraged. There is also the fact that Liz Cheney’s book comes out today on the same subject. I know she was on Maddow last night, but again, I only allot so much time to MSNBC. I was also encouraged by a piece in The Guardian headlined, “A second Trump term will be far more autocratic than the first. He’s telling us.”
All that said, and as encouraging as it is, this shift in tone is worth nothing if we don't amplify it. We must have these conversations, even with our fellow liberals and progressives. Not just about the danger but how important the fight is. Too many friends of mine have given up, but for anyone who purports to care about other people, that’s a wrong answer. The same holds true for our more conservative friends who can't find it in themselves to work with Democrats. The arguments are all there. Trump keeps repeating them.
I honestly do feel better about the possibility that this election cycle will be more about democracy versus autocracy than the horse-race mentality. As much as I would like it to be about Biden’s accomplishments, that isn't where we are. It can be part of the conversation, but the existential nature of the 2024 election has to be the focus.
I watched Rachel Maddow's interview with Liz Cheney. It was respectful of their serious political differences. However, Liz Cheney spoke about presidential pardon power, and how Trump could use that to undermine the rule of law. Watching that person with whom I have overwhelming differences detail her deep concern for the country was terrifying. Liz Cheney is a strong, serious, forceful woman. She might have lost her House seat, but she did not lose her voice. We ignore her at our peril.
Exactly. The more MSNBC I watch, the less happy I am. It isn't their fault, and I like some of the shows and particularly some of their frequent panelists, but reading Substack newsletters in the morning, catching the occasional headline, and twenty to thirty minutes of news in the afternoon or evening is more than enough.
It's shameful to see the Democratic "progressive" left as fearful of the Looney Left as the Republicans are of MAGA. Watching Pramilla Jayapal try to dodge the question of Hamas sexual torture when Jake Tapper gave her the opportunity to step up and condemn the crimes was a real ding to her reputation and a clear demonstration of political cowardice. Being afraid of the "anti-colonial" Looney Left is like worrying about being hit by the Energizer Bunny. These semi-literate Acadamaniac morons and their predecessors of the past century since the Bolshevik Revolution have consistently harmed American progressivism. I now completely understand why the Socialist Party members who had to put up with the Stalinist scum in the 30s ended up seeing them as the main threat to progress. The current collection of junior idiots are even dumber than the Maoist morons and the "Marxist-Leninist Yutes" and Weathermen I had to deal with 60 years ago.
I had the impression that Jayapal was part of the Looney Left; perhaps what she was afraid of is the reaction of thinking people to her unconditional support of Hamas.
I was a part of the “looney left” until they came out against the very people that supported them the most. I will always vote democratic and thank goodness I do not have to make a choice between decency and less decency...So very disappointed by Pramilla. Was not expecting that of her
I'm not surprised. Remember the women's march from a few years ago organized by Linda Sansour...all women welcome except Jews.
Also look up Ayaan Hirsi Ali, from Somalia. She is now living in the US. She rails against the far left and the hatred the comes out of Ilhan Omar. Hirsi Ali admits she has had to do a lot to overcome her anti-Semitism. She also does not understand "queers for Hamas" or women suddenly converting to Islam. She claims women are treated as 1/2 a man and how LGTBQ+ would be murdered in Gaza and other places in the Middle East.
To see and hear these accounts stiffens my back and reinforces my resolve. I am confronting similar outrage locally and very disappointed. We must let our voices be heard and as another reader wrote amplify the shifting news reports.
Linda got booted from the Women's March group because she was actually treating Jewish women who also helped start it like garbage. She's not a good person.
I used to think I was progressive until these disappointments revealed themselves. Now I will stick with humanitarian. I will never write another postcard or campaign for the people who signed that letter to the White House again. People like AOC, Bowman, Jayapal, Castro, I expected more from...I'm done.
A few decades ago, “important” people (including Jews) declared antisemitism dead in the US. I remember being deeply disturbed by that narrow view. Today, most people know better.
It’s often said and written, these days, that antisemitism has increased (or has been increasing).
*No!*. It’s been present all along.
What’s new is that antisemites now have far fewer inhibitions about expressing and/or acting out their antisemitism.
Ironically, day before yesterday I cancelled my NYT and WaPo subscriptions so I could give them a snootful of comments about the quality of their reporting. I will wait to see further evidence of their change of heart before resubscribing.
Yes, a change in media coverage of Trump. And many thanks to people like you, Robert! Clearly, the voices and pens of folks like you and many others are being heard. Keep up the good work everyone. I am energized (once again) to get back to work on "truth to power" projects. Thank you, Robert!
It took me quite a while to find a way to send a comment on an article to The NY Times. I wasn’t interested in writing a letter to the editor, only in giving them support for the recent article on how dangerous a 2nd Trump administration would be.
I’ve been frustrated and angry at them for a long time, with their namby pamby approach to Trump, their false equivalences, their focus on the horse race, etc. So it was a welcome surprise to see this article.
The headline was very weak, but the article was actually quite good. I hope you’re right that this might represent the beginning of a turning point for the mainstream media in their coverage of Trump.
I felt it was important to let them know how much their subscribers want to see this new direction and how dissatisfied we are with what they’ve been doing up until now. I hope it gets read.
It is good to see the shift but I’d pose that we must continue to keep writing them. This shift must be on-going. No back sliding as we will soon be in 2024 when people may be expected to start paying more attention.
Not trying to scare readers. But on the other hand, reading The Heritage Foundation's own website about their Project 2025 is, to me, terrifying. Front page, it says: "For decades, the administrative state has had a stranglehold on Washington and has weaponized its power against conservative presidents to stymie their agendas. No longer. Through the Presidential Administration Academy, the conservative movement will be better equipped than ever before to take power on Day One of the next administration.” That would be Trump. And his band of loyalists. Loyal to king, not country IMHO. Here it is for all to read and shudder:
Trump is the front man for the Heritage Foundation. What a joke of a name. These people are trying to preserve the "heritage" of the Confederacy, as demonstrated by John Henry Hammond; he of the "mudsill" theory. The ordinary people were meant to stay poor, so that the morbidly rich could stand on them and profit from their labors. Vile people with vile ideas.
No. Not shaking in our boots but rather finding ways that we can work together to prevent Heritage Foundation’s adherents from implementing their dangerous agenda, in my opinion.
Fear can lead to inaction for me (and others). I think this community is very well informed and recognizes the danger. I propose, as has Robert and many other Substack authors, that, rather than quake in our boots, all of us do whatever we can to promote democracy. These include ( but aren’t limited to) sending postcards to voters. Calling or texting voters to remind them to vote. Being an election judge. Door knocking. Researching organizations that support Democracy and supporting them. (Robert wrote recently about the Civic Center’s efforts to recruit young voters - impressive group.) Supporting good candidates at home and in places like North Carolina. Sending letters to the editor. Sending letters to media outlets calling on them to stop treating Trump like he’s a regular candidate instead of the dire threat to democracy and the rule of law that he is. There is more but you get the gist.
Project 25 is terrifying. My only solution personally is action. It is the only thing that has helped me in the last 53 years - since the first Earth Day. The climate crisis is even more terrifying for me. Time to get busy doing something that is empowering.
Well said, Sheila, I have been donating to local and state campaigns all over the country. I’m paying attention and supporting progressive candidates in key races everywhere I can. Get loud. Get active. No whining or handwringing allowed.
So - here's another opportunity to tell media outlets / editors about the creeping fascism threatening all of us. You don't have to be suspicious. They tell you themselves on their own website.
My the Heritage Foundation and their Project 2025 are bone chilling. Thanks for the reality check even as we recognize the shift and positive engagement of many voters.
Robert - I couldn't resist writing a comment to the otherwise very good NYT article you mentioned, taking the headline writers to task. " . . . May Be More Radical . . . " MAY be?? I said, and lambasted that division of the paper accordingly. As I then scrolled down to other comments, the thread was littered with very similar scoldings as mine. It's fair to say that if that division of the Times - whoever edits/writes the headlines - sees the comments section, the message for them will not be subtle.
Why use a newspaper app when you can access articles directly online? Makes no sense to me. Link for comments easily found at end of each articIe except when NYT has no comments section for a specific article. I read articles from NYT and WaPo on my phone and on my laptop without any difficulty and without an app;
I just searched. It wasn’t easy. Went to the “Sections” and then found “Today’s Paper.” Clicked on that and scrolled until finding Editorial, Op-Ed, and Letters. Had to dig down. Not easy.
Thank you for putting front and center the use of rape by Hamas as a weapon of war. Failing to call it out only deepens shame, one of the intended consequences.
Interesting phrase, " In a functioning democracy, the people’s representatives express the will of their constituencies by voting on legislation. " This brings up something that I have wondered about.
When elected officials vote on something, do they make that decision on their personal beliefs or do they actually count the individual comments that come in from the people in their district/state to decide how to vote?
For example, it has been shown that a majority of people have a much different view on abortion than what seems to be the feeling of all the Republicans in Congress. Votes in a couple states bear that out. I'm sure some constituents see abortion differently than their elected officials do and therefore, when that official makes a statement or votes are they checking to see what people in their area actually feel, or are they going with the flow and voting "party over people"?
As an aside, but relevant to much of you today's edition, the interview with LIz Cheney last night on Rachel Maddow's show was really good. Rachel outlined how her thoughts and Liz's are completely at odds, even in terms of fishing, but upholding the republic was an area where they saw eye to eye.
The one question Rachel didn't, or didn't dare, ask Liz was if she was so against Trump would she vote for Biden? I'd love to see these two talk again.
“When elected officials vote on something, do they make that decision on their personal beliefs or do they actually count the individual comments that come in from the people in their district/state to decide how to vote?”
I believe individual comments can and do count although it must be a group effort. Recently our county commissioners(all GOP) voted to defund the Supervisor of Elections by the exact amount budgeted for sample ballots and for return postage for mail-in ballots. The commissioners were inundated with calls/emails and quickly reversed the vote.
Our Fl Senate President recently wrote an OpEd: “When Floridians talk, the state Senate will listen”🤔 I wrote to her and expressed that We The Floridians were not being heard with the legislature’s extreme abortion bill and no training,permit-less carry and also wrote Letter to Ed(published). I hope others here in the sunshine state 😎do the same.
Call, email, snail mail your legislators.📞✍️🧑💻. Every action counts !
Three kinds of groups influence representatives’ votes:
– The majority (or perceived majority) of constituents: people want to be re-elected.
– The majority of primary voters or party power brokers: people want to be renominated (otherwise, they can’t be re-elected.
– Donors, power brokers, and activists, who influence the above two groups.
Interactions among the three groups can be complicated, and can depend on time. For example, it’s far from unknown for candidates to change positions between primaries and general elections.
Cheney essentially said she will vote for Biden when she said everyone needs to vote only for candidates who support the constitutional order. However, right now, if she is going to be able to bring Republicans out of MAGA and back to Reality World, she can't be seen by them as a "complete turncoat" which is what publicly stating she would vote that way would be taken as.
I recently heard Adam Kinzinger speak in Boston—and he was amazing! Honest, direct, and clear about the dangers of Trump and those who support him. He said he is still a Republican because he believes in the need for a two-party system. However, he said—without hesitation—that he would vote for Biden. I am looking forward to reading his book, Renegade. He said he has lost lots of friends and even relationships with family members because of his actions while in Congress. I have to admire people like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who put country first!
The Washington Post reported today that she’s planning to run as a third-party candidate, possibly. If that’s her plan, then she can take everything she has said up to this point and just throw it out the window. Other Republicans, although very few of them, have endorsed Joe Biden. If Liz is so brave, she should endorse Joe Biden openly and stop with this third-party bullshit.
She said that awhile ago. Last night with Rachel, and again this afternoon with Nicolle her statements were "vote only for the candidate who can win who supports the constitution." That does not sound to me like someone going Third Party. If she does anything like that, I would expect it only during the primaries.
Well, if she wants to primary Trump, I’m all for it, because she will shred him to pieces. Between her and Rick Wilson, he’ll keel over and die from stress before we even get to the election. It doesn’t make sense for her to say the things she has in the past, as you point out here, and then jump in and be another Cornel West or Robert freaking crazy Kennedy Junior. I hope we’re both right.
I’m so glad I could make someone laugh, Jean, because some days I feel like I’m living in a twilight zone or a bad nightmare from which I cannot wake up.
I saw that interview and was relieved that Rachel did not put Liz on the spot so to speak with that question. Let her come out in support for Biden or even endorse him in her own good time. She deserves that courtesy,
I agree there has been a slight shift in media news stories partly because more people have stepped up and defined the threat. Watching Rachel and Liz Chaney (not a big fan of her policies ) they represented what has to happen to defeat Trump which is to put aside political differences and focus on the character and the constitution. The media shift has been only in those periodicals that are read by well educated urban voters and the Liz Chaney book and comments focused on real conservative voters of all
persuasions who respect Chaney’s political views. Those constituents are the ones we need to beat Trump. If only more Republicans felt the same way. I think Chaney will make a difference and to have her and Rachel on the same program talking to each other in my opinion is huge in many ways and shows us a road forward.
As Rachel pointed out to those who were paying attention - and as Cheney agreed - policy differences will always exist. But support of the constitutional order has to be first and foremost if the competition over policies is to be able to function. We need to see each other as opponents, rather than enemies. The enemies are the ones who want to destroy the democratic constitutional republic.
All, I removed two comments in which readers were directing comments to one another personally. Please don't do that. But the subject of their exchange was important: That rape as a weapon of war is not limited to Hamas. See the special report included here: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/sudan-politics-sexual-violence/
Thank you for flagging. I had posted about this the other day. What is happening in Sudan is massive and miserable and The Economist is one of the few Western media outlets that has managed to get a reporter in there.
I thought Bari Weiss was talking about Centuries ago when she wrote of how pregnant Jewish women were tortured during pogroms in Eastern Europe--fetuses cut out of their bellies and their heads bashed; then cats were sown into the womens' bellies and their hands cut off so they could do nothing about it.
I thought that kind of barbarous torture was HUNDREDS of years ago , and nothing that bad could/would ever be seen again in our "civilized" age. Hamas proved me wrong on October 7, 2023--and the world stayed silent. The world stayed silent because it was Israeli/Jewish women. Once again, one of the world's oldest hatreds found expression --in deafening silence.
Pramilla Jayapal was just sickening to listen to Sunday-- What Hamas did was terrible, but On Balance." Blessings on Dana Bash for stopping her as Pramilla weaved & bobbed; then Dana flatly stated in response to Pramilla's "whataboutism" -- "You don't see Israeli soldiers raping women."
I watched the UN session yesterday. The people that witnessed what happened could barely speak of the horror! Shame on the world. #MeTooUnlessYouAreAJew.
When I read about these atrocities, including what Hamas did/does, I wonder why the human species exists.
My wife feels the animal world is kinder.
The animal kingdom is MUCH kinder. Add in more balanced and fair. An animal won’t kill you for your Nikes or your car, only takes what it needs.
I don’t think we will ever evolve out of our primal, tribe brains.(well not all of us).
It’s an old book, but in this context still valuable: “On Aggression”, by the famous animal behaviorist (ethologist) Konrad Lorenz. Lorenz was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Your wife is right, John. I’ve volunteered for animal rescues and therapeutic riding centers, and adopted a discarded horse myself. I can assure you that the sentience of animals is profound and highly underrated.
Be careful re: Bari Weiss...she has been part of the anti-vaxxer group and is trying to redeem her reputation through her new blog.
Erica- that is not true. Weiss has NEVER been an anti-vaxxer.
She made a somewhat controversial statement that she was "done with Covid" in 2022, on the Bill Maher Show.
But she is not even remotely an anti-vaxxer
This article speaks to the controvery.
https://forward.com/opinion/481647/why-the-backlash-against-bari-weiss/
Several years ago, while at NYTimes, she wrote a book on Antisemitism. History, present day expressions, and dangers to US Jews and society if not called out and countered.
Don’t care about her other hobby horses.
It's not a hobby when you have a platform like hers. She actively harmed people in the throes of a global pandemic.
Anti-vaxxers harm people daily. But her writings and studies on antisemitism are well done
Frankly, anti-vaxxers are impervious to stats and facts. True believers know what they know, and the rest is drug company marketing and lies. Spent my healthcare career with “true believers,” and they drive up the cost of healthcare for everyone—and harm others (anti-vaxxers especially harm pregnant women). They don’t care.
She is not an anti-vaxxer
https://forward.com/opinion/481647/why-the-backlash-against-bari-weiss/
Thank you for ending with the reader comment. That was my experience too while traveling to Montana from the Bay Area this summer. I am now back in Montana and have seen only one Trump sign which my son-in-law tells me has been there for years. There is another sign here in Missoula you all might enjoy:
“Never trust an atom. They make up everything.”
I once knew a Susan Troy who was the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. I wonder if this is the same Susan Troy? If so, hi, Susan. If not, everyone, including Susan please excuse this aside. Pat Phillips
Susan, thank you for the smile in the midst of these deeply disturbing stories. I had to read it twice to get it!!
You’re welcome. It took me a couple of passes to get it as well.
Hello Susan,
You have only seen one Trump sign? When driving the highways and byways of Highway 93 and Highway 200 there are Trump signs all over. I live in Missoula. This is just Western Montana. Go East of the Divide and I'm sure there are tons.
I'm in Billings. I've seen some signs come down on my regular walking path, and I really want to ask them why. Have they been shamed by their kids? Did the embarrassment of such an awful leader sink in? The trumpie sentiment remains, but it is hopefully slithering back under the rocks from which it came. I'd like to see it go back to being emotionally unsafe to flaunt being a white supremacist.
My cynicism does still prevent me from predicting if Montanans have had enough of the R supermajority costing people a very large raise in the cost of living here.
We get so focused on the enemies we can see that we miss altogether the ones we can't. We are dealing today with the unseen enemies that were working beneath the surface while we thought we knew what was happening around us. We must stay alert.
Enemies like the funders and organizers of Project 2025? Yes, they have published their "manifesto." But they are also busy recruiting Trump loyalists to staff the civil servants slated to be removed under Schedule F. They are not too be ignored.
https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981
It makes me wonder how the Heritage Society retains its tax-favored status.
Ari Melber spent quite a bit of time on the dangers of a Trump dictatorship on his show yesterday. I only caught about twenty minutes as part of my self-imposed limits on news programming, but I was encouraged. There is also the fact that Liz Cheney’s book comes out today on the same subject. I know she was on Maddow last night, but again, I only allot so much time to MSNBC. I was also encouraged by a piece in The Guardian headlined, “A second Trump term will be far more autocratic than the first. He’s telling us.”
All that said, and as encouraging as it is, this shift in tone is worth nothing if we don't amplify it. We must have these conversations, even with our fellow liberals and progressives. Not just about the danger but how important the fight is. Too many friends of mine have given up, but for anyone who purports to care about other people, that’s a wrong answer. The same holds true for our more conservative friends who can't find it in themselves to work with Democrats. The arguments are all there. Trump keeps repeating them.
I honestly do feel better about the possibility that this election cycle will be more about democracy versus autocracy than the horse-race mentality. As much as I would like it to be about Biden’s accomplishments, that isn't where we are. It can be part of the conversation, but the existential nature of the 2024 election has to be the focus.
I watched Rachel Maddow's interview with Liz Cheney. It was respectful of their serious political differences. However, Liz Cheney spoke about presidential pardon power, and how Trump could use that to undermine the rule of law. Watching that person with whom I have overwhelming differences detail her deep concern for the country was terrifying. Liz Cheney is a strong, serious, forceful woman. She might have lost her House seat, but she did not lose her voice. We ignore her at our peril.
Just because someone is a Republican does not make them unpatriotic
Absolutely right but a Trump republican is an entirely different species.
Exactly. The more MSNBC I watch, the less happy I am. It isn't their fault, and I like some of the shows and particularly some of their frequent panelists, but reading Substack newsletters in the morning, catching the occasional headline, and twenty to thirty minutes of news in the afternoon or evening is more than enough.
It's shameful to see the Democratic "progressive" left as fearful of the Looney Left as the Republicans are of MAGA. Watching Pramilla Jayapal try to dodge the question of Hamas sexual torture when Jake Tapper gave her the opportunity to step up and condemn the crimes was a real ding to her reputation and a clear demonstration of political cowardice. Being afraid of the "anti-colonial" Looney Left is like worrying about being hit by the Energizer Bunny. These semi-literate Acadamaniac morons and their predecessors of the past century since the Bolshevik Revolution have consistently harmed American progressivism. I now completely understand why the Socialist Party members who had to put up with the Stalinist scum in the 30s ended up seeing them as the main threat to progress. The current collection of junior idiots are even dumber than the Maoist morons and the "Marxist-Leninist Yutes" and Weathermen I had to deal with 60 years ago.
I had the impression that Jayapal was part of the Looney Left; perhaps what she was afraid of is the reaction of thinking people to her unconditional support of Hamas.
I was a part of the “looney left” until they came out against the very people that supported them the most. I will always vote democratic and thank goodness I do not have to make a choice between decency and less decency...So very disappointed by Pramilla. Was not expecting that of her
I'm not surprised. Remember the women's march from a few years ago organized by Linda Sansour...all women welcome except Jews.
Also look up Ayaan Hirsi Ali, from Somalia. She is now living in the US. She rails against the far left and the hatred the comes out of Ilhan Omar. Hirsi Ali admits she has had to do a lot to overcome her anti-Semitism. She also does not understand "queers for Hamas" or women suddenly converting to Islam. She claims women are treated as 1/2 a man and how LGTBQ+ would be murdered in Gaza and other places in the Middle East.
To see and hear these accounts stiffens my back and reinforces my resolve. I am confronting similar outrage locally and very disappointed. We must let our voices be heard and as another reader wrote amplify the shifting news reports.
Linda got booted from the Women's March group because she was actually treating Jewish women who also helped start it like garbage. She's not a good person.
I knew something happened. Unfortunately she reflects a certain type of thinking.
I used to think I was progressive until these disappointments revealed themselves. Now I will stick with humanitarian. I will never write another postcard or campaign for the people who signed that letter to the White House again. People like AOC, Bowman, Jayapal, Castro, I expected more from...I'm done.
To your point— prominent white Nationalists have been very active in the anti-Zionist movement and their follower counts on social media have soared. Birds of a feather: https://www.threads.net/@yair_rosenberg1/post/C0egQK2gTTZ/?igshid=N2ViNmM2MDRjNw==
A few decades ago, “important” people (including Jews) declared antisemitism dead in the US. I remember being deeply disturbed by that narrow view. Today, most people know better.
It’s often said and written, these days, that antisemitism has increased (or has been increasing).
*No!*. It’s been present all along.
What’s new is that antisemites now have far fewer inhibitions about expressing and/or acting out their antisemitism.
Yair Rosenberg has a great piece in the Atlantic today "How To Be An Antisemite And Get Away With It" - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/12/anti-semitism-israel-gaza-celebrity-statements/676232/
In the discussion below, there is a fair amount of discussion below about Dana Bash's interview with Pramila Jaypal on CNN this weekend. The interview is here: https://www.google.com/search?q=dana+bash+interview+with+jayapal&oq=dana+bash+interview+with+jayapal&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDY3ODhqMGoxqAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:8a5bce8f,vid:1-CC53G5asI,st:0
The discussion of rape occurs after the 6:30 mark.
Ironically, day before yesterday I cancelled my NYT and WaPo subscriptions so I could give them a snootful of comments about the quality of their reporting. I will wait to see further evidence of their change of heart before resubscribing.
I cancelled both a while ago. It's a little hard to monitor them with a paywall keeping them aloof. I think I miss my NYT recipes the most.
I am so glad to hear someone else state that - I feel the same way Loved trying out those recipes.
Martha Stewarr has great recipes, too. Free to join.
I won't give them $.
Well, as Robert said, the tide may be turning on the MSM narrative. Here's a gifted WAPO article that you may find encouraging.
https://wapo.st/3GuB0f6
I still take WaPo because I like most of their editorial columnists. I have been reading them for many years.
I understand completely. I love Jennifer Rubin.
I was thinking specifically of her and E.J.Dionne.
Like I’ve been saying, truth wins out in the end, because it is, you know, true.
“In the long run, we are all dead.”
– John Maynard Keynes
Keynes was writing about economics writers who prattled about “… in the long run”, but his statement has wider applicability.
Sorry to be a bit of a grinch, today.
Yes, a change in media coverage of Trump. And many thanks to people like you, Robert! Clearly, the voices and pens of folks like you and many others are being heard. Keep up the good work everyone. I am energized (once again) to get back to work on "truth to power" projects. Thank you, Robert!
It took me quite a while to find a way to send a comment on an article to The NY Times. I wasn’t interested in writing a letter to the editor, only in giving them support for the recent article on how dangerous a 2nd Trump administration would be.
I’ve been frustrated and angry at them for a long time, with their namby pamby approach to Trump, their false equivalences, their focus on the horse race, etc. So it was a welcome surprise to see this article.
The headline was very weak, but the article was actually quite good. I hope you’re right that this might represent the beginning of a turning point for the mainstream media in their coverage of Trump.
I felt it was important to let them know how much their subscribers want to see this new direction and how dissatisfied we are with what they’ve been doing up until now. I hope it gets read.
It is good to see the shift but I’d pose that we must continue to keep writing them. This shift must be on-going. No back sliding as we will soon be in 2024 when people may be expected to start paying more attention.
Not trying to scare readers. But on the other hand, reading The Heritage Foundation's own website about their Project 2025 is, to me, terrifying. Front page, it says: "For decades, the administrative state has had a stranglehold on Washington and has weaponized its power against conservative presidents to stymie their agendas. No longer. Through the Presidential Administration Academy, the conservative movement will be better equipped than ever before to take power on Day One of the next administration.” That would be Trump. And his band of loyalists. Loyal to king, not country IMHO. Here it is for all to read and shudder:
https://www.heritage.org/press/project-2025-announces-latest-additions-presidential-administration-academy
Thank you! I will check out the reference. I always appreciate it when readers alert me to possible stories and provide links.
Extremely dangerous stuff from the Heritage Foundation, and especially so if Trump is at the helm of it all.
Trump is the front man for the Heritage Foundation. What a joke of a name. These people are trying to preserve the "heritage" of the Confederacy, as demonstrated by John Henry Hammond; he of the "mudsill" theory. The ordinary people were meant to stay poor, so that the morbidly rich could stand on them and profit from their labors. Vile people with vile ideas.
All Americans should be shaking in their boots
No. Not shaking in our boots but rather finding ways that we can work together to prevent Heritage Foundation’s adherents from implementing their dangerous agenda, in my opinion.
Fear can lead to inaction for me (and others). I think this community is very well informed and recognizes the danger. I propose, as has Robert and many other Substack authors, that, rather than quake in our boots, all of us do whatever we can to promote democracy. These include ( but aren’t limited to) sending postcards to voters. Calling or texting voters to remind them to vote. Being an election judge. Door knocking. Researching organizations that support Democracy and supporting them. (Robert wrote recently about the Civic Center’s efforts to recruit young voters - impressive group.) Supporting good candidates at home and in places like North Carolina. Sending letters to the editor. Sending letters to media outlets calling on them to stop treating Trump like he’s a regular candidate instead of the dire threat to democracy and the rule of law that he is. There is more but you get the gist.
Project 25 is terrifying. My only solution personally is action. It is the only thing that has helped me in the last 53 years - since the first Earth Day. The climate crisis is even more terrifying for me. Time to get busy doing something that is empowering.
Well said, Sheila, I have been donating to local and state campaigns all over the country. I’m paying attention and supporting progressive candidates in key races everywhere I can. Get loud. Get active. No whining or handwringing allowed.
And letters to the editors
Nobody really knows about Project 2025.
So - here's another opportunity to tell media outlets / editors about the creeping fascism threatening all of us. You don't have to be suspicious. They tell you themselves on their own website.
I bought a pitchfork and am building a guillotine. Just sayin’.
The fear of another 1790 abides
My the Heritage Foundation and their Project 2025 are bone chilling. Thanks for the reality check even as we recognize the shift and positive engagement of many voters.
Trump will be a kleptocracy wrapped in an autocracy. About 100 people in our country will wind up the winners.
Not trying to scare readers but I was terrified by Heather Cox Richardson’s new book and the extent to which this plot has been in effect!
Robert - I couldn't resist writing a comment to the otherwise very good NYT article you mentioned, taking the headline writers to task. " . . . May Be More Radical . . . " MAY be?? I said, and lambasted that division of the paper accordingly. As I then scrolled down to other comments, the thread was littered with very similar scoldings as mine. It's fair to say that if that division of the Times - whoever edits/writes the headlines - sees the comments section, the message for them will not be subtle.
Peter..where can I find the "comments" section on my digital NYTs app?
Why use a newspaper app when you can access articles directly online? Makes no sense to me. Link for comments easily found at end of each articIe except when NYT has no comments section for a specific article. I read articles from NYT and WaPo on my phone and on my laptop without any difficulty and without an app;
Thanks Judith
I read the online versions of the NYTs and WaPo. Now that I've found the blurb icon at the bottom of some articles, I'll comment digitally.
I just searched. It wasn’t easy. Went to the “Sections” and then found “Today’s Paper.” Clicked on that and scrolled until finding Editorial, Op-Ed, and Letters. Had to dig down. Not easy.
Robert,
Thank you for putting front and center the use of rape by Hamas as a weapon of war. Failing to call it out only deepens shame, one of the intended consequences.
Interesting phrase, " In a functioning democracy, the people’s representatives express the will of their constituencies by voting on legislation. " This brings up something that I have wondered about.
When elected officials vote on something, do they make that decision on their personal beliefs or do they actually count the individual comments that come in from the people in their district/state to decide how to vote?
For example, it has been shown that a majority of people have a much different view on abortion than what seems to be the feeling of all the Republicans in Congress. Votes in a couple states bear that out. I'm sure some constituents see abortion differently than their elected officials do and therefore, when that official makes a statement or votes are they checking to see what people in their area actually feel, or are they going with the flow and voting "party over people"?
As an aside, but relevant to much of you today's edition, the interview with LIz Cheney last night on Rachel Maddow's show was really good. Rachel outlined how her thoughts and Liz's are completely at odds, even in terms of fishing, but upholding the republic was an area where they saw eye to eye.
The one question Rachel didn't, or didn't dare, ask Liz was if she was so against Trump would she vote for Biden? I'd love to see these two talk again.
“When elected officials vote on something, do they make that decision on their personal beliefs or do they actually count the individual comments that come in from the people in their district/state to decide how to vote?”
I believe individual comments can and do count although it must be a group effort. Recently our county commissioners(all GOP) voted to defund the Supervisor of Elections by the exact amount budgeted for sample ballots and for return postage for mail-in ballots. The commissioners were inundated with calls/emails and quickly reversed the vote.
Our Fl Senate President recently wrote an OpEd: “When Floridians talk, the state Senate will listen”🤔 I wrote to her and expressed that We The Floridians were not being heard with the legislature’s extreme abortion bill and no training,permit-less carry and also wrote Letter to Ed(published). I hope others here in the sunshine state 😎do the same.
Call, email, snail mail your legislators.📞✍️🧑💻. Every action counts !
Three kinds of groups influence representatives’ votes:
– The majority (or perceived majority) of constituents: people want to be re-elected.
– The majority of primary voters or party power brokers: people want to be renominated (otherwise, they can’t be re-elected.
– Donors, power brokers, and activists, who influence the above two groups.
Interactions among the three groups can be complicated, and can depend on time. For example, it’s far from unknown for candidates to change positions between primaries and general elections.
Cheney essentially said she will vote for Biden when she said everyone needs to vote only for candidates who support the constitutional order. However, right now, if she is going to be able to bring Republicans out of MAGA and back to Reality World, she can't be seen by them as a "complete turncoat" which is what publicly stating she would vote that way would be taken as.
I recently heard Adam Kinzinger speak in Boston—and he was amazing! Honest, direct, and clear about the dangers of Trump and those who support him. He said he is still a Republican because he believes in the need for a two-party system. However, he said—without hesitation—that he would vote for Biden. I am looking forward to reading his book, Renegade. He said he has lost lots of friends and even relationships with family members because of his actions while in Congress. I have to admire people like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who put country first!
The Washington Post reported today that she’s planning to run as a third-party candidate, possibly. If that’s her plan, then she can take everything she has said up to this point and just throw it out the window. Other Republicans, although very few of them, have endorsed Joe Biden. If Liz is so brave, she should endorse Joe Biden openly and stop with this third-party bullshit.
She said that awhile ago. Last night with Rachel, and again this afternoon with Nicolle her statements were "vote only for the candidate who can win who supports the constitution." That does not sound to me like someone going Third Party. If she does anything like that, I would expect it only during the primaries.
Well, if she wants to primary Trump, I’m all for it, because she will shred him to pieces. Between her and Rick Wilson, he’ll keel over and die from stress before we even get to the election. It doesn’t make sense for her to say the things she has in the past, as you point out here, and then jump in and be another Cornel West or Robert freaking crazy Kennedy Junior. I hope we’re both right.
I'm just seeing your comment, Janet, and I'm crying from laughing so hard! 🙃
I’m so glad I could make someone laugh, Jean, because some days I feel like I’m living in a twilight zone or a bad nightmare from which I cannot wake up.
However, it is a bit late to be starting a primary challenge. So that’s why I’m confused by her statements.
I saw that interview and was relieved that Rachel did not put Liz on the spot so to speak with that question. Let her come out in support for Biden or even endorse him in her own good time. She deserves that courtesy,
I agree there has been a slight shift in media news stories partly because more people have stepped up and defined the threat. Watching Rachel and Liz Chaney (not a big fan of her policies ) they represented what has to happen to defeat Trump which is to put aside political differences and focus on the character and the constitution. The media shift has been only in those periodicals that are read by well educated urban voters and the Liz Chaney book and comments focused on real conservative voters of all
persuasions who respect Chaney’s political views. Those constituents are the ones we need to beat Trump. If only more Republicans felt the same way. I think Chaney will make a difference and to have her and Rachel on the same program talking to each other in my opinion is huge in many ways and shows us a road forward.
As Rachel pointed out to those who were paying attention - and as Cheney agreed - policy differences will always exist. But support of the constitutional order has to be first and foremost if the competition over policies is to be able to function. We need to see each other as opponents, rather than enemies. The enemies are the ones who want to destroy the democratic constitutional republic.
I agree but the enemies are those Republicans who lie to stay in power and are enablers of Trump. Read Lindsey Grahams comments on Liz Chaney.
"those who do not support the democratic constitutional republic." Professional Confederate Traitor Miz Linzey has been there forever.