I've always described myself as a pragmatic optimist. While the negative gets our attention, the positive view wins in the long term. We all want well-being. My dream is that a well-being index WBI will replace GNP. Unchecked capitalism with its greater and greater income disparity will collapse into itself as it hollows out the middle class. If we think about our children having lives of well-being we'll stay on the right track. The media in its ratings based sensationalism does not reflect the majority of the people are good honest people who have empathy and care for others. The people that are frequent readers and commenters are those kind of people. We, the People, all of us this time.
Robert, I love your newsletter and I am so happy you have allowed so many concerned citizens to enjoy the newsletter that was originally created to help your children deal with the election of 2016. The Hubbell Report/Today’s Edition has helped me immeasurably over the past six years of craziness in this country. Thank you for providing important and sourced information in optimistic and positive package. I am very happy to continue my subscription and support your important efforts. Thank you! 🙏🏻
"Multiple states have now passed anti-abortion laws that plainly violate constitutional rights guaranteed by the Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade."
From the wide, international field of grim news, I am choosing to comment on the one in our own back yard, but not, sir, before this old English teacher commends you on finding exactly the right word to describe John Roberts. I don't expect the pleasure of seeing "feckless" first thing in the morning, and I thank you. I'm still smiling.
Now about the anti-abortion movement that seems to have moved, as have so many shadows, out into the open and to reside in the very soul of our government and those who lead it. Like many "movements" I've seen, this one exists for each of us as a personal and specific experience.
I had a first cousin who, many decades ago, got pregnant and had a back-alley abortion. A week later, she left for college, began to bleed, was flown to a major hospital in our southern state, and was saved from bleeding to death. There are so very many women and girls who didn't have that chance, who died in the filthy bedroom where they were butchered for a few dollars, who weren't airlifted out of their college towns to shining hospitals where doctors looked the other way and did their jobs for young white girls who "got into trouble." And, even so, with all that privilege, she survived but not unmarked.
I'll bet there are very few readers here who don't have stories like this. Those of us of a certain age remember very, very clearly life before Roe v Wade. Those years spanned our childhoods and young adulthoods. For us, life under Roe is the exception. One at a time, we know exactly and too well what a post-Roe world will look like.
Mr. H, thank you for your optimistic realism and sharp-edged pragmatism. And for "feckless."
“…they know that this is their last chance…”. How true and the reason for the energy and money going into the effort to rule for generations. How I wish the ones who oppose fascism had the same vigor, and megaphone. May we coalesce into a force to be reckoned with, without the need for another Pearl Harbor.
Happy Easter to you and yours, Robert, and to all readers who celebrate the holiday. (The chicken for my seder tonight is thawing on the kitchen counter.) And I gather that we are in the midst of Ramadan, so my best wishes to all readers who are observing that tradition. The confluence of these religious observances should tell even those of us who don't consider ourselves people of faith that the idea underlying faith does have much power for good.
You are exactly right today, Robert, as often. There have been times--many times--in my life when I don't know where to start on the challenges of the day. I've found it helpful to say to myself, "If you don't know where to start, start anywhere." It works. And I have often found times in pursuing my clients' cases where I did not know how I was going to get to the goal that my client sought. But I've found that if I just keep pushing, it generally works out. So let's keep pushing.
One small cavil I do have: I don't believe that Congress can impose a code of ethics on the Supreme Court. But the court can set one on itself, and it should. (It could start with the code of ethics that binds all other federal judges.) Indeed, the court should do that yesterday.
What a wonderful post! It reminded me of something Michael Moore once wrote ... it was about how choirs know how to take a breath, in between, because the rest of the choir would 'cover' it. I just mangled the quote, but you get the drift! Another thing came to mind: "There are more of us!" This weekend is a perfect chance to regroup, reflect, and rejoice. God bless you! xx's
Regarding the comment that most Americans are decent, honest, and tolerant--I agree. But I also think you could argue that pre-Hitler, most Germans were decent, honest, and tolerant. We need to study that history and be very careful not to let America repeat it, because there are too many similarities between the rise of Nazis and this moment in America for my comfort.
I'm tweeting this out today: "In their extremism lies the seeds of their defeat. In their intolerance lies the rejection of the “values” they seek to promote. In their hubris, they confuse momentary advantage with final victory." That's some good writing.
Damn, you've done it again! Robert, another wonderfully spirited, energizing, and forward-looking newsletter. It's an antidote to the toxins all around us. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!
As to debates, let’s have them topic by topic after running videos of what the Republican candidate has said .journalists could preside as usual.As a refinement, topics might each cover an aspect of the Constitution which could be projected on a split screen with the Rep candidate for each topic.
As Henry Miller, one of my favorite American writers, used to say in the face of misfortune, "Never despair! Always merry and bright!" That's the same ebullient message I get from TODAY'S EDITION, a perspective informed by "the moral impulse of the world," as you expansively put it, "toward greater freedom, liberality and tolerance." That's the universal, inspiring truth we can all take refuge in during these difficult times, enabling us to cultivate an acceptance of the vicissitudes and strengthen our resolve to resist the forces of oppression that history shows have never ultimately prevailed.
Whenever I think of today's corporate news and social media disinformation, money-grubbing hucksters or vile fascist characters like Mark Zuckerberg, Jared Kushner or Donald Trump, I invoke the short version of the serenity prayer before rereading eco-poet Gary Snyder's memorable statement published in his 1969 broadside FOUR CHANGES: "Since it doesn't seem practical or even desirable to think that direct bloody force will achieve much, it would be best to consider this a continuing 'revolution of consciousness' which will be won not by guns, but by seizing the key images, myths, archetypes, eschatology's, and ecstasies so that life won't seem worth living unless one is on the transforming energy's side."
As you rightly point out, "Most Americans are decent, honest and tolerant. They cherish liberty and respect the rights of others ...they are slow to anger but formidable when provoked." Your eloquent words today, divinely inspired in my opinion, are transmitted on the same frequency as Henry V's speech delivered to his troops on St. Crispin's Day before the Battle of Agincourt:
"This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered'd; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers." Henry's army faced a French force of superior numbers, but empowered by the King's words and their spirit of solidarity, they won the day!
Your transmission today is infused with the spirit of the Bard! Reading the following words I felt like I was standing in the ranks of Henry's army as he primed his men for battle.
"Likewise, we should not confuse this moment of retrenchment with defeat. The reason the minority is enacting extreme measures is that they know this is their last chance-ever-to codify religious dogma and embed inequality in our system of laws. Their efforts will not stand. Like the Jim Crow laws that are a stain on dozens of states and thousands of politicians, these too shall fail. Many civil rights leaders still with us fought for sixty years to secure the freedom we enjoy today. If it takes us two or three election cycles to reverse the tide and reclaim their victories, we must steel ourselves for that fight."
Beautifully and courageously said. And in this battle, we must change Shakespeare's immortal line to read: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers and sisters."
A few negative people can get more attention than many positive ---doesn't mean their better or know more, just more verbal. Thank you for being positive and writing your newsletter.
Todays newsletter captured exactly how I am feeling. I guess what is missing for me is what is the end game and how do we get there. It’s going to take more than blind faith for me and others. As I read everyday about states enacting abortion laws, political stunts like sending buses with immigrants to DC and the total uncontrollable activities of Judge Thomas and finally the RNC refusing to debate because they won’t have to answer to the media I get very worried and angry especially when I read about the latest political poll. I want to see the momentum move to the side of the people who believe in Democracy and the rule of law and the majority of the thinking about abortion, gun controls and climate change. We need to stop sitting idly by waiting for something to happen. We need to make something happen and we need to start now.
I am so uplifted by Robert's initial reasoning for hope and optimism here. This immediately went into a grave concern when I first heard from him about the RNC withdrawing from the CPD. This smacks of the road to authoritarianism as currently outlined by Viktor Orban of Hungary. I was shocked yesterday, to learn that part of Orban's success is that now the amount of time Orban's opponents ( for this last whole election cycle) got on state television to make their case to voters was exactly five minutes. Other TV stations in Hungary followed suit- endless time spent with promotion of Orban and his policies and a whole 5 MINUTES for any of his opponents. If you look at the "playbook" for Hungary's march into authoritarianism, you will see an outline of the Trump plan.
But I will press on as a resister. I just received my postcards and my list of 100 voters in Georgia where I will merely urge them to vote by sending them a postcard. It's a part of the Progressive Turnout Project's "Postcards for Swing States". I don't feel comfortable with phone banking and have found this to be a powerful action, if enough people participate. Their first postcard program this year is to highlight what Democrats have delivered. Sign up is until April 30th and postcards are to be mailed by May 31st. For the second action this year, starting in May, postcards will be sent to Democratic voters in states with key Senate elections. Volunteers will mail those postcards in October. More information can be found here. https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
Thank you again Robert and Jill, for all you do. Your reminder here that "Most Americans are decent, honest, and tolerant. They cherish liberty and respect the rights of others" will be my mantra now. Please have a wonderful weekend and I will look forward to hearing you on Monday. ( I listen to you on the Callin app before I even rise out of bed!) Thanks for keeping it real!
Thank you for this. Last night I co-hosted our 7th Open Democracy Book Club since we started In January 2021 on the anniversary of the Citizens United decision. We, 45 of us, discussed How Democracies Die by Steven Livitsky and Daniel Zibkatt and the NYT magazine article of March 20, 2022 ( Livitsky one of the six interviewees) “ Where Does American Democracy Go From Here?” A lot of wisdom in the room, along with anguish and optimism. Heroes of resistance for sure. As one of us ( Ken Barnes) said, “ if not now, when.. If not us then Who.” We’re on it.
I've always described myself as a pragmatic optimist. While the negative gets our attention, the positive view wins in the long term. We all want well-being. My dream is that a well-being index WBI will replace GNP. Unchecked capitalism with its greater and greater income disparity will collapse into itself as it hollows out the middle class. If we think about our children having lives of well-being we'll stay on the right track. The media in its ratings based sensationalism does not reflect the majority of the people are good honest people who have empathy and care for others. The people that are frequent readers and commenters are those kind of people. We, the People, all of us this time.
Robert, I love your newsletter and I am so happy you have allowed so many concerned citizens to enjoy the newsletter that was originally created to help your children deal with the election of 2016. The Hubbell Report/Today’s Edition has helped me immeasurably over the past six years of craziness in this country. Thank you for providing important and sourced information in optimistic and positive package. I am very happy to continue my subscription and support your important efforts. Thank you! 🙏🏻
"Multiple states have now passed anti-abortion laws that plainly violate constitutional rights guaranteed by the Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade."
From the wide, international field of grim news, I am choosing to comment on the one in our own back yard, but not, sir, before this old English teacher commends you on finding exactly the right word to describe John Roberts. I don't expect the pleasure of seeing "feckless" first thing in the morning, and I thank you. I'm still smiling.
Now about the anti-abortion movement that seems to have moved, as have so many shadows, out into the open and to reside in the very soul of our government and those who lead it. Like many "movements" I've seen, this one exists for each of us as a personal and specific experience.
I had a first cousin who, many decades ago, got pregnant and had a back-alley abortion. A week later, she left for college, began to bleed, was flown to a major hospital in our southern state, and was saved from bleeding to death. There are so very many women and girls who didn't have that chance, who died in the filthy bedroom where they were butchered for a few dollars, who weren't airlifted out of their college towns to shining hospitals where doctors looked the other way and did their jobs for young white girls who "got into trouble." And, even so, with all that privilege, she survived but not unmarked.
I'll bet there are very few readers here who don't have stories like this. Those of us of a certain age remember very, very clearly life before Roe v Wade. Those years spanned our childhoods and young adulthoods. For us, life under Roe is the exception. One at a time, we know exactly and too well what a post-Roe world will look like.
Mr. H, thank you for your optimistic realism and sharp-edged pragmatism. And for "feckless."
“…they know that this is their last chance…”. How true and the reason for the energy and money going into the effort to rule for generations. How I wish the ones who oppose fascism had the same vigor, and megaphone. May we coalesce into a force to be reckoned with, without the need for another Pearl Harbor.
Happy Easter to you and yours, Robert, and to all readers who celebrate the holiday. (The chicken for my seder tonight is thawing on the kitchen counter.) And I gather that we are in the midst of Ramadan, so my best wishes to all readers who are observing that tradition. The confluence of these religious observances should tell even those of us who don't consider ourselves people of faith that the idea underlying faith does have much power for good.
You are exactly right today, Robert, as often. There have been times--many times--in my life when I don't know where to start on the challenges of the day. I've found it helpful to say to myself, "If you don't know where to start, start anywhere." It works. And I have often found times in pursuing my clients' cases where I did not know how I was going to get to the goal that my client sought. But I've found that if I just keep pushing, it generally works out. So let's keep pushing.
One small cavil I do have: I don't believe that Congress can impose a code of ethics on the Supreme Court. But the court can set one on itself, and it should. (It could start with the code of ethics that binds all other federal judges.) Indeed, the court should do that yesterday.
What a wonderful post! It reminded me of something Michael Moore once wrote ... it was about how choirs know how to take a breath, in between, because the rest of the choir would 'cover' it. I just mangled the quote, but you get the drift! Another thing came to mind: "There are more of us!" This weekend is a perfect chance to regroup, reflect, and rejoice. God bless you! xx's
Regarding the comment that most Americans are decent, honest, and tolerant--I agree. But I also think you could argue that pre-Hitler, most Germans were decent, honest, and tolerant. We need to study that history and be very careful not to let America repeat it, because there are too many similarities between the rise of Nazis and this moment in America for my comfort.
I'm tweeting this out today: "In their extremism lies the seeds of their defeat. In their intolerance lies the rejection of the “values” they seek to promote. In their hubris, they confuse momentary advantage with final victory." That's some good writing.
Damn, you've done it again! Robert, another wonderfully spirited, energizing, and forward-looking newsletter. It's an antidote to the toxins all around us. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!
As to debates, let’s have them topic by topic after running videos of what the Republican candidate has said .journalists could preside as usual.As a refinement, topics might each cover an aspect of the Constitution which could be projected on a split screen with the Rep candidate for each topic.
As Henry Miller, one of my favorite American writers, used to say in the face of misfortune, "Never despair! Always merry and bright!" That's the same ebullient message I get from TODAY'S EDITION, a perspective informed by "the moral impulse of the world," as you expansively put it, "toward greater freedom, liberality and tolerance." That's the universal, inspiring truth we can all take refuge in during these difficult times, enabling us to cultivate an acceptance of the vicissitudes and strengthen our resolve to resist the forces of oppression that history shows have never ultimately prevailed.
Whenever I think of today's corporate news and social media disinformation, money-grubbing hucksters or vile fascist characters like Mark Zuckerberg, Jared Kushner or Donald Trump, I invoke the short version of the serenity prayer before rereading eco-poet Gary Snyder's memorable statement published in his 1969 broadside FOUR CHANGES: "Since it doesn't seem practical or even desirable to think that direct bloody force will achieve much, it would be best to consider this a continuing 'revolution of consciousness' which will be won not by guns, but by seizing the key images, myths, archetypes, eschatology's, and ecstasies so that life won't seem worth living unless one is on the transforming energy's side."
As you rightly point out, "Most Americans are decent, honest and tolerant. They cherish liberty and respect the rights of others ...they are slow to anger but formidable when provoked." Your eloquent words today, divinely inspired in my opinion, are transmitted on the same frequency as Henry V's speech delivered to his troops on St. Crispin's Day before the Battle of Agincourt:
"This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered'd; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers." Henry's army faced a French force of superior numbers, but empowered by the King's words and their spirit of solidarity, they won the day!
Your transmission today is infused with the spirit of the Bard! Reading the following words I felt like I was standing in the ranks of Henry's army as he primed his men for battle.
"Likewise, we should not confuse this moment of retrenchment with defeat. The reason the minority is enacting extreme measures is that they know this is their last chance-ever-to codify religious dogma and embed inequality in our system of laws. Their efforts will not stand. Like the Jim Crow laws that are a stain on dozens of states and thousands of politicians, these too shall fail. Many civil rights leaders still with us fought for sixty years to secure the freedom we enjoy today. If it takes us two or three election cycles to reverse the tide and reclaim their victories, we must steel ourselves for that fight."
Beautifully and courageously said. And in this battle, we must change Shakespeare's immortal line to read: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers and sisters."
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
A few negative people can get more attention than many positive ---doesn't mean their better or know more, just more verbal. Thank you for being positive and writing your newsletter.
Todays newsletter captured exactly how I am feeling. I guess what is missing for me is what is the end game and how do we get there. It’s going to take more than blind faith for me and others. As I read everyday about states enacting abortion laws, political stunts like sending buses with immigrants to DC and the total uncontrollable activities of Judge Thomas and finally the RNC refusing to debate because they won’t have to answer to the media I get very worried and angry especially when I read about the latest political poll. I want to see the momentum move to the side of the people who believe in Democracy and the rule of law and the majority of the thinking about abortion, gun controls and climate change. We need to stop sitting idly by waiting for something to happen. We need to make something happen and we need to start now.
Best to all for Easter, Passover and Ramadan
I am so uplifted by Robert's initial reasoning for hope and optimism here. This immediately went into a grave concern when I first heard from him about the RNC withdrawing from the CPD. This smacks of the road to authoritarianism as currently outlined by Viktor Orban of Hungary. I was shocked yesterday, to learn that part of Orban's success is that now the amount of time Orban's opponents ( for this last whole election cycle) got on state television to make their case to voters was exactly five minutes. Other TV stations in Hungary followed suit- endless time spent with promotion of Orban and his policies and a whole 5 MINUTES for any of his opponents. If you look at the "playbook" for Hungary's march into authoritarianism, you will see an outline of the Trump plan.
But I will press on as a resister. I just received my postcards and my list of 100 voters in Georgia where I will merely urge them to vote by sending them a postcard. It's a part of the Progressive Turnout Project's "Postcards for Swing States". I don't feel comfortable with phone banking and have found this to be a powerful action, if enough people participate. Their first postcard program this year is to highlight what Democrats have delivered. Sign up is until April 30th and postcards are to be mailed by May 31st. For the second action this year, starting in May, postcards will be sent to Democratic voters in states with key Senate elections. Volunteers will mail those postcards in October. More information can be found here. https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
Thank you again Robert and Jill, for all you do. Your reminder here that "Most Americans are decent, honest, and tolerant. They cherish liberty and respect the rights of others" will be my mantra now. Please have a wonderful weekend and I will look forward to hearing you on Monday. ( I listen to you on the Callin app before I even rise out of bed!) Thanks for keeping it real!
Thank you for this. Last night I co-hosted our 7th Open Democracy Book Club since we started In January 2021 on the anniversary of the Citizens United decision. We, 45 of us, discussed How Democracies Die by Steven Livitsky and Daniel Zibkatt and the NYT magazine article of March 20, 2022 ( Livitsky one of the six interviewees) “ Where Does American Democracy Go From Here?” A lot of wisdom in the room, along with anguish and optimism. Heroes of resistance for sure. As one of us ( Ken Barnes) said, “ if not now, when.. If not us then Who.” We’re on it.