Hopefully Jordan’s bullying and doxxng will backfire in a spectacular and public way. He’s hoping that the Republican “holdouts” will cave to angry constituents calling for them to vote him in. I propose that people flood their offices with calls, encouraging them to stand their ground. Fight fire with water—and douse those flames!
In fact, we at www.FeathersOfHope.net have just published a list of 23 selected Republican Representatives with their DC and District phone numbers. You can find it here:
Great work, Jerry! I wholeheartedly agree that the Speaker needs to be a Republican as long as they hold the majority. I respectfully disagree with the suggestion that Democrats are as polarized as Republicans though...ideologically, perhaps, but not tactically.
I recommend that folks use Jess Craven's Resistbot feature from Friday, in addition to your suggestion about phone calls. Here's the post; Resistbot is at the end:
Hi Jerry, I just received some news that Republicans are one by one caving into the bully Jim Jordan, and that the likelihood of him being the next speaker is increasing. I hope this is wrong; this frightens me a great deal. This will create the kind of insane chaos in Congress that we can least afford right now. I hope you’re hearing something different through your contacts.
Thanks Judith, I just came upon that news myself within the last half hour. This is good to hear, and I seriously hope these remaining people do not cave in. What we are witnessing is the theater of the absurd. Only today’s Republican party could possibly behave this way. It’s shameful and embarrassing for all Americans.
I thought you might have by the time I posted that but there may be others who had not yet heard. Theater of the Absurd is right - I did my Masters of Library Science thesis on the French Theater of the Absurd and current events in the House and among certain Senate Republicans fit right in.
LOL, then that is why you understand this behavior so well. Seventeen is still a good number; more people holding strong than I expected. I guess three people caved in after the first round, but I’m feeling hopeful that Jordan is not ever going to be speaker of the house. I hope I’m right. Have a good night, Judith.
I keep hearing (maybe I should stop listening) that Jordan is gaining on the 217 votes he needs. That he's using threats, promises, and strongarm tactics proves what we already know: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN HE BE ALLOWED TO BE SPEAKER! I hope enough sane Republicans remain to keep the unthinkable from happening.
If by some chance this POS succeeds, I hope the Democrats will read the House Rules (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/HMAN-118/pdf/HMAN-118.pdf) and the House Practice guide, and exercise points of order and other legitimate parliamentary procedures to keep his worst instincts (which are most of 'em) in check.
Thanks, Carol, for inspiring me to call my (R) congresswoman urging her to vote NO to Jordan. This morning, my readings have been largely inspirational. A top contender is Jennifer Rubin’s column, which I’m hoping is accessible to all: https://wapo.st/46SPujQ.
I think that the big secret in Congress is that we no longer have a two-party system. There are three parties: Democrats, Republican, and MAGA. The latter two are only held together out of desperation. The Democrats are the true majority party. Of course, the sooner that fact is accepted, the better it will be. Unfortunately, I expect there will be a great deal more harm, to us and the countries who desperately need our support, before the GOP finally, predictably implodes, and the Democrats are left to repair all the damage.
There are really only two. Democrats and MAGA because the real conservative Republicans surrendered to MAGNA years ago. If they existed Jim Jordan would not be given a second thought.
They're not an official party, but they have separated themselves ideologically from the Republican party. We all know what their ultimate goal is, but that's irrelevant to my point. The only reason they haven't formed themselves as an official party, is because then, they would have no power at all.
President Biden's 60 Minutes interview segment ended with him saying
"We have enormous opportunities to make this a better world."
There is NO COMPARISON with what the Biden/Harris administration has been able to accomplish and their MORAL COMPASS
to the CHAOS, extremism and fearmongering of those now representing the GOP - as he said, this is NOT your grandfather's GOP.
The Biden/Harris administration offers transparency of the sort I have never seen before in politics - the White House Office of Public Outreach has numerous affinity groups that have provided regular briefings SINCE THE INAUGURATION.
When the Hamas attack occurred,
* The President was soon on the phone with Netanyahu outlining response AND RULES OF WAR
* The Vice President has traveled and established relationships with countries throughout the world, particularly reasserting the USA's prestige in Africa and India to counterbalance Russian and Chinese influence;
while trumpeting administration priorities on reproductive freedoms, voting access, gun safety, opposition to banning books or whitewashing the teaching of American history, livable wages and support for families including child care, and changes to immigration pathways.
She also continues to preside over the US Senate, and swore in Laphonza Butler, only the third Black female US Senator in history, to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat.
* The Second Gentleman, of Jewish faith himself, contributes input and addresses anti-Semitism both abroad and domestically, praising the steady leadership of President Biden,
* Secretary of State Blinken made a SERIES of personal meetings with leaders THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST. The State Department has arranged charter flights out of Israel for American citizens.
* Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin continues to coordinate military support to Ukraine and now Israel, deploying ships closer to the Middle East.
* Multiple government agencies are involved in planning to locate and recover any hostages taken by Hamas, and address victims' relatives concerns and requests.
The GOP, meanwhile,
# removed the Speaker of the House for the first time in our nation's history
# has been unable to elect a replacement Speaker
(of the two leading candidates -
neither admits the 2020 Election was valid,
and one is attached to white supremacist domestic terror associations
and the other to sexual abuse scandals)
# is not conducting any business in Congress as a result
# is facing a government shutdown by not passing a federal budget into 2024
# threatens to stop assistance to Ukraine
# has blocked military promotions, thus harming national security
# has blocked diplomats from being confirmed, thus harming global security
# continues to follow an increasingly deranged, multiply indicted candidate who appears to have given crucial national classified intel to foreign sources who paid to have close access to him,
aligns with the war criminal Putin over democratic allies,
and is fixated on nuclear capabilities, once suggesting using a bomb to attempt to divert a hurricane.
The Biden/Harris administration demonstrates steady, experienced resolve, and has proven to be the better option during these fraught times and events.
The current chaotic GOP appears to be incapable and perhaps uninterested in governing for the good of the country and world,
unable to perform the most basic of functions in Congress.
Yes we have an enormous opportunity to make this a better world. Unfortunately a substantial number of Americans want to tear down the world we live in and not make it better.
Yes, a number of Americans just want to burn everything down. I guess they don't realize one cannot live in a smoldering ruin in a place with no rules where NO ONE is safe.
I just came back from 17 days in England and had the opportunity to visit some former classmates who have lived abroad for 30 plus years. It was interesting discussing the Israeli attack by Hamas with them because they had a very different and more detailed understanding of the complicated history and politics involved in the dispute and hatred. The London Times and several French newspapers covered the story differently and in my opinion more objectivity because they were focused on the both the reasons Israel was so unprepared and were critical of the Israeli government and of course the savage and horrific attacks by Hamas. What made the coverage more objective was the inclusion of opinions and comments about the involvement of Iran and other countries and the interconnection between various other players. The coverage did not seem bias or political in nature. In my opinion most Americans do not have a full understanding of the attacks and are more focused on revenge and an “ eye for an eye” resolution. Because of this there is limited appreciation for the fantastic job the Biden Administration is doing. We need to change that by making sure we understand the entire situation and can communicate it to others.
Hi, Stephen. Thanks for your description of the European coverage of the attacks. My comments are directed to that coverage:
There is no "context" for the terrorist attack on Israel. It was evil, full stop. No "Buts" no "For the last 75 years," no "What about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.? If that describes the coverage in Europe, it is reprehensible.
If the coverage was intended to discuss WHAT COMES NEXT and the complexities that achieving peace entails, I take your point.
Robert, may I respectfully disagree. You can't pull out the 75 years, the rampant poverty Israeli policies have produced in Gaza, the massive injustice the settler movement brings to the West Bank Palestinians, the utter discouragement and hopelessness that Palestinian youth are faced with every day. What makes a young man think his life is more valuable being thrown away in a few hours of killing than in a lifetime of productivity? Perhaps he, through digesting 75 years of history of nothing except poverty and occasional war, determines that it will still be those choices when he is too old to make the choice. If we weren't giving the Israeli government a free pass on what Noam Chomsky called "mowing the grass", the slaughtering of young Palestinians under some war pretext, we could just wash our hands of the whole mess but we continue to support Israeli government positions with our power. We are complicit in this Israeli apartheid government.
Biden had a choice here; he could have held back all US aid to Israel until they made it plain that they weren't going to invade, to "mow the grass", but were going to address the poverty and hopelessness of the Palestinian people. But he didn't and now there are two US carrier groups that will be patrolling the eastern Med, making thousands of Americans into the targets Hezbollah will relish with their rockets and Iranian drones. Now we may well become the entity that helps expand this war into a regional conflict. And if that brings thousands of American deaths what will be our exit point?
I agree that there is no "context" for the murders and kidnappings of Israelis - many of whom were working in a harmonious way with Palestinian neighbors. No buts. Just evil.
But there is a lot of "context" surrounding the open air prison that Israel created in Gaza. Egypt shares responsibility. Put two million people into a small space and deprive them of water and hope - the results will not be good.
Israel under the sick and evil leadership of their version of Donald Trump has ignored the Palestinian suffering and then...ignored the warnings that there was soon to be payback.
There is no excuse for what Hamas did. In fact, I believe that there is no choice now. Hamas must be destroyed. Every tunnel, every member of that group destroyed.
But as you say: "What comes next?" Who will run Gaza? Who will provide the services of food, water, shelter, healthcare - the essentials of life itself. That's what Hamas did (poorly). A replacement regime is not an option - it is required and there should be arrangements being made right now. Perhaps that's why Biden included Abbas in his visit to Jordan. Let's hope.
And who will pay to rebuild Gaza - remove the rubble, build housing and infrastructure? There is a lot to digest and consider. In a weird and horrible way, the invasion of Gaza will remind us of our own invasions - which cost trillions - paid by Americans.
The answer is clear to me. Two choices. Palestinians are offered full Israeli citizenship with freedom of travel and political participation - or - they are given their own national status as an independent nation. More suffering and limbo are unsustainable.
Thanks for sharing this, Stephen. I had a similar experience talking with an Australian and an Italian while traveling in Italy after Tr*mp was elected.
Looking for a broader perspective is what encourages me to read The Guardian and to follow Amy Goodman on Democracy Now - The War and Peace Report [DEMOCRACYNOW.org]. She also airs on our local (Wash, DC) PBS TV stations, WHUR - the Howard University TV station, and WPFW the Pacifica (remember them?) radio station in DC.
I don't agree that MOST Americans are focused on "revenge," though it is taking time for people to understand the complexities of the situation. Hopefully, many Americans watched President Biden on "60 Minutes" and are starting to grasp the many factors involved.
Dear Robert and Jill, Gretchen and I read your newsletter every morning. We appreciate immensely your stalwart compassion and balance. Hang in there! You are both doing great work that will be appreciated and applauded for years to come.
Follow how the fear mongering by DeSantis, Trump and Ramaswamy against refugees compares with an incident in 1931 where a ship full of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany off Miami was denied entry in the U.S. and sent back to Europe to their death.
Interactive StoryMap: A Lesson in Compassion: Jewish Refugee Ship's Legacy
There's a huge difference. The Jews were literally sent back to their deaths. The year was 1939, not 1931. https://www.history.com/news/wwii-jewish-refugee-ship-st-louis-1939/. This was the Holocaust!--a genocide. Even the worst of what's going on in the home countries of people coming to the US is not comparable to the Holocaust.
As a Jew, I find this comparison offensive. The majority of people coming to the US are economic refugees.
Furthermore, there are excellent reasons that the US should stop growing, and I say that as someone who loathes the two politicians you mention, and Ramaswamy, and I consider Biden the best president of my lifetime (which began under Eisenhower). the average immigrant's greenhouse emissions rise threefold after arrival in the US--not surprising since they come from third world countries to the major industrialized nation with the greatest per capita GH emissions. Immigration to the US is a lose-lose for the planet.
Second, our country is already environmentally unsustainable and fast getting worse, partly because warming is making it less sustainable, partly because sprawl is making it less sustainable, and partly because we're using up our groundwater supply--the amount of groundwater is shrinking fast, according to the NYT, so that in the not distant future we won't have enough water to supply our farmland.
I've often observed that Texas and Florida and other southern states will be migrating to the north as climate changes destroy their states making living impossible. Not next week or next year, but it will happen.
One of the saddest things about this is that so many of these people who are desperate to leave their homes in Latin America are doing so because of the horrible conditions created by US policies dating back decades.
We've certainly had a lot of bad policies in Latin America. I remember when Allende was assassinated. I have more vivid memories of Orlando Letelier's murder, along with Ronnie Karpen Moffit. I lived in DC at the time, and I have memories of being out demonstrating.
A handful of years after that, I was writing an article on dream gardens for the Washington Post. (I don't know how they picked me but I was happy to do it--quite enjoyed doing it.) I went out with this up and coming landscape architect, Jim Van Sweden, to, among other places, the home of a high placed cabinet officer--this was probably early '80s. We talked to the person's wife. She seemed very nice, and after we left I remarked on that, and Van Sweden said to me something like "yes she really is, and it just kills me he (the cabinet officer) might be responsible for Allende's death!"
I am a postcard writer and currently preparing to mail out all of my encouragement cards to voters in Virginia. Unless I missed it, I don’t remember seeing a call for Louisiana postcards. I would have jumped on it. It absolutely saddens me that voter apathy put a Republican Trifecta in place in Louisiana. Shame, shame, shame. What are we missing in that so many people don’t feel it necessary to vote?
Postcards 4 VA just sent out an email showing a picture of the REPUBLICAN postcard that one of their writer’s husbands received! The GOP is copying us and sending postcards in Virginia! Ack!
Thanks again for what you do to help me start my morning feeling more inspired and informed. It is easy to feel overwhelmed these days with what is happening in the Middle East, Ukraine and here in the U.S.
Thanks also to you and Jill for the pictures of the Ecclipse. We couldn’t see anything in NY.
Robert, your introductory comments were especially helpful today to keep me (and hopefully many others) calm, stable, and focused on doing the critical work of building a healthy democracy right here in our country. I am deeply grateful for your wise perspective and guidance.
I watched the 60 Minutes interview with President Biden last night. Pelly commentated that "America's oldest president seemed tired from directing all this but..." Wouldn't any president worth their salt, no matter age, be tired from directing all this?!?!? I'm tired from just watching it! Indeed, though, the interview highlighted Biden's strength, clarity of purpose, moral leadership, and strong diplomatic team working with him. Now if the dimwitted Senate MAGArs would get off their high horse and confirm the long list of foreign service officials awaiting their intended posts, the work would be distributed as it's designed to be. And then there's Gym Jordan 🤬, to be polite.
On Saturday, however, we got to see up close and personal that the universe is still working!!! The eclipse!!! We didn't have solar glasses or bother to poke a hole in a piece of paper; we had the trees!!! Walking to and from the Burbank farmers market, there were a bazillion little eclipses all over the sidewalks and upside the buildings. The most spectacular was the image of tree leaves enveloping the tall white columns of a church school auditorium. Some days it's kinda nice to be alive.
I think that was the only unfair comment by Pelly. Otherwise, he played it down the middle, wit a couple of attempts at "gotcha' questions that Biden easily avoided.
Biden *was* obviously tired, as virtually anyone in his position would have been. However – and this generally escaped mention – his mind was clear, and he had excellent command of language.
As my wife and I watched the 60 Minutes interview we cringed over what we felt was Pelley's focus on Biden's age. This showed up first when Pelley's intro stated, “It had been a rough week and we could see it on him. Mr. Biden will be 81 next month. He has said that when he is tired his lifelong stutter can creep back in. But he wedged us into his schedule…"
Then at the end of the interview, just before asking Biden “Are you sure you want to run again?” Pelly’s lead in statement included the commentary, “America’s oldest president seemed tired from directing all this but he was very clear what he stood for….”
Robert, you have appropriately chastised the press for lazily dwelling on the Biden age issue in the past. While the actual Pelley interview was fair and Biden acquitted himself extremely well, gratuitous comments about age are damaging.
Excellent newsletter, Robert. Thank you! And I am so glad you invited us to go to the Common Ground event last night. I was not familiar with that group and what they are doing currently in Virginia. It was very inspirational to learn of the organization's recruiting black young people to phone bank and to hear some of those individuals' stories about how much doing so has meant to them. The leader of the group, Andrea, was very impressive, as were the results of their work in increasing the black vote. It was great to hear you and Jessica Craven and to see and hear Heather Booth's presentation, which included her personal history and experience as one of the "Janes" who aided desperate women in getting abortions before Roe. I have been glad to be writing letters with Vote Forward to young Virginians to encourage them to vote. I am even happier after attending that excellent program.
Thank you, Kathy, and thank you for doing so much yourself. I will be 82 soon and have less energy than I used to. So I was happy to be able to make a good donation to Common Ground last night and I will continue writing letters. But I very much hope others will respond to your suggestion.
While “defend(ing) democracy at home” is my top priority, I don’t accept the premise that its preservation necessarily would contribute (seeing that it never has) to engendering peace in the Middle East. Instead, I submit we start by characterizing the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, from 1948 to the present, for what it is—the quintessential conflict between right and right, expressly from each side’s perspective. I, further, would maintain, that as long as each side persists in pursuing the struggle in the name of what it believes to be right and just and moral, there will be no end to the violence. In the alternative, were both sides guided through a process that admittedly would entail gut-wrenching compromises by both, we potentially could see a break in this seemingly endless cycle of violence.
A great thought but the struggle started way before Israel became a state and is imbedded in the fabric of their culture. It will take a generational change similar to the one we need in this country.
Stephen, I cite 1948 because that marked the start of the modern conflict between the unequivocal, existential justification for establishing a Jewish state, on one hand, and the ensuing dispossession of Palestinian land on the other. Any settlement will necessitate agreed upon borders.
Okay, but your account ignores the fact that in 1948, when Israel declared independence, it accepted the constricting boundaries that had been set out.
Then *all* neighboring Arab nations, plus Iraq, invaded, with the *express* purpose of wiping Israel off the map.
I absolutely reject that invasion as a conflict between right and right. On the Arab side, it was a war of extermination; Arab leaders said so.
An additional historical note: there was no “Palestinian” national movement as such until 1955, when it was declared by Yasser Arafat. The description used before then was “Arab”.
Michael, I write largely to note that, in my view, the grievances of a people descended from those who either left or were expelled from present-day Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war are entirely legitimate. I further would add that this ethnonatiional group, distinct from other Arab nationalities, and intimately tied to the region of Palestine, simply seek a contiguous State of their own on Palestinian land that increasingly is being annexed as part of Israel.
I’ve always agreed that Palestinian Arabs should have their own state, probably on the West Bank and Gaza. I consider the actions of West Bank “settlers” have been monstrous. They should be (should have been) removed by Israeli authorities, much as Ariel Sharon removed Israeli settlers from Gaza. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough political will within Israel to accomplish it.
That being said, I doubt that it would erase or mollify the deep-seated animosity so many Palestinians have toward Israel.
Michael, While admittedly an oversimplification, I believe, if one were to ask everyday Israeli and Palestinian people what they want, she or he would learn the groups largely were seeking two different freedoms, one wanting freedom from terror the other, freedom from Israel. My point is perhaps the greatest obstacle to breaking the violence rests with leadership on both sides.
Regarding Jordan, and others, not willing to support Ukraine, why are they not reminded that WWll began with Germany invading Poland and believed Hitler when he had no further aspirations. Is it because many are ignorant of, refuse to learn from the past?
~The same reason members of our own Congress worked hard to promote anti-Semitic, pro-German sympathies in the lead-up to U.S. entering WWII. Congress members collaborating to overthrow our government and end American democracy for good.
This is something most of us did not learn about in school. If you haven't already listened, Rachael Maddow covers this extensively in her podcast "Ultra". We have been here before.
Ultra was very good, but her source material is even better. I highly recommend one of the source books, Hitler’s American Friends by Bradley Hart, if you haven't already. Some of it was truly horrifying and definitely not taught in schools.
Ignorance and the desire for power, I believe, is the main cause of their behavior. Also, some of them are deliberately invested in causing chaos. It's a dangerous mix!
The Democrats need to run white economic populists. Particularly men. that’s the country we live in and these are desperate times. And please don’t attack me for my opinion.
I will disagree with your opinion. White economic populism is losing at the national level and is winning at the state level only because Republicans have gerrymandered their control of state legislatures into permanent power. If white populism was so popular, then voter suppression would not be the primary means of achieving it. Don't conflate corruption and success.
I mean real populism, such as that expounded by Bernie Sanders and others. An example would be Kentucky’s popular Democratic governor, or Ohio’s popular Democratic senator. I refuse to regard Trump as a populist, and I embrace that term as an ideal; it means that you stand with the population.
Hopefully Jordan’s bullying and doxxng will backfire in a spectacular and public way. He’s hoping that the Republican “holdouts” will cave to angry constituents calling for them to vote him in. I propose that people flood their offices with calls, encouraging them to stand their ground. Fight fire with water—and douse those flames!
I totally agree, Carol!
In fact, we at www.FeathersOfHope.net have just published a list of 23 selected Republican Representatives with their DC and District phone numbers. You can find it here:
https://jerryweiss.substack.com/p/finding-republican-partners
.
As I posted on your site, Jerry:
Great work, Jerry! I wholeheartedly agree that the Speaker needs to be a Republican as long as they hold the majority. I respectfully disagree with the suggestion that Democrats are as polarized as Republicans though...ideologically, perhaps, but not tactically.
I recommend that folks use Jess Craven's Resistbot feature from Friday, in addition to your suggestion about phone calls. Here's the post; Resistbot is at the end:
https://open.substack.com/pub/chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions/p/chop-wood-carry-water-1013-b71
Well I need to get busy! Thank you!!!
I called all of the numbers on your site, Jerry! It felt good, anyway!
Hi Jerry, I just received some news that Republicans are one by one caving into the bully Jim Jordan, and that the likelihood of him being the next speaker is increasing. I hope this is wrong; this frightens me a great deal. This will create the kind of insane chaos in Congress that we can least afford right now. I hope you’re hearing something different through your contacts.
Janet, at tiimes like this it's best to keep in mind the old adage, "Those who know, don't say. Those who say, don't know."
Our task as activist citizens is to keep raising our voices, keep making those calls.
.
As of this evening (10/17), there remain 17 Republicans who did not vote for Jordan. He plans to try again tomorrow (Wednesday).
Thanks Judith, I just came upon that news myself within the last half hour. This is good to hear, and I seriously hope these remaining people do not cave in. What we are witnessing is the theater of the absurd. Only today’s Republican party could possibly behave this way. It’s shameful and embarrassing for all Americans.
I thought you might have by the time I posted that but there may be others who had not yet heard. Theater of the Absurd is right - I did my Masters of Library Science thesis on the French Theater of the Absurd and current events in the House and among certain Senate Republicans fit right in.
LOL, then that is why you understand this behavior so well. Seventeen is still a good number; more people holding strong than I expected. I guess three people caved in after the first round, but I’m feeling hopeful that Jordan is not ever going to be speaker of the house. I hope I’m right. Have a good night, Judith.
I like that saying, and I’ve never heard it before. 😊
Thanks for the link!
I keep hearing (maybe I should stop listening) that Jordan is gaining on the 217 votes he needs. That he's using threats, promises, and strongarm tactics proves what we already know: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN HE BE ALLOWED TO BE SPEAKER! I hope enough sane Republicans remain to keep the unthinkable from happening.
If by some chance this POS succeeds, I hope the Democrats will read the House Rules (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/HMAN-118/pdf/HMAN-118.pdf) and the House Practice guide, and exercise points of order and other legitimate parliamentary procedures to keep his worst instincts (which are most of 'em) in check.
Thanks, Carol, for inspiring me to call my (R) congresswoman urging her to vote NO to Jordan. This morning, my readings have been largely inspirational. A top contender is Jennifer Rubin’s column, which I’m hoping is accessible to all: https://wapo.st/46SPujQ.
yes, it's free. Thank you.
Tell them, "We need a SPEAKER, not a FOGHORN!"
...and hold the arsonists to account!
I think that the big secret in Congress is that we no longer have a two-party system. There are three parties: Democrats, Republican, and MAGA. The latter two are only held together out of desperation. The Democrats are the true majority party. Of course, the sooner that fact is accepted, the better it will be. Unfortunately, I expect there will be a great deal more harm, to us and the countries who desperately need our support, before the GOP finally, predictably implodes, and the Democrats are left to repair all the damage.
There are really only two. Democrats and MAGA because the real conservative Republicans surrendered to MAGNA years ago. If they existed Jim Jordan would not be given a second thought.
The Republican party exists, they're just impotent.
I wish I didn't agree with you, but I do.
MAGA isn't a party. It's a group of people set to destroy America. To push an authoritarian regime so Americans will bring them wealth and power.
They're not an official party, but they have separated themselves ideologically from the Republican party. We all know what their ultimate goal is, but that's irrelevant to my point. The only reason they haven't formed themselves as an official party, is because then, they would have no power at all.
President Biden's 60 Minutes interview segment ended with him saying
"We have enormous opportunities to make this a better world."
There is NO COMPARISON with what the Biden/Harris administration has been able to accomplish and their MORAL COMPASS
to the CHAOS, extremism and fearmongering of those now representing the GOP - as he said, this is NOT your grandfather's GOP.
The Biden/Harris administration offers transparency of the sort I have never seen before in politics - the White House Office of Public Outreach has numerous affinity groups that have provided regular briefings SINCE THE INAUGURATION.
When the Hamas attack occurred,
* The President was soon on the phone with Netanyahu outlining response AND RULES OF WAR
* The Vice President has traveled and established relationships with countries throughout the world, particularly reasserting the USA's prestige in Africa and India to counterbalance Russian and Chinese influence;
while trumpeting administration priorities on reproductive freedoms, voting access, gun safety, opposition to banning books or whitewashing the teaching of American history, livable wages and support for families including child care, and changes to immigration pathways.
She also continues to preside over the US Senate, and swore in Laphonza Butler, only the third Black female US Senator in history, to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat.
* The Second Gentleman, of Jewish faith himself, contributes input and addresses anti-Semitism both abroad and domestically, praising the steady leadership of President Biden,
* Secretary of State Blinken made a SERIES of personal meetings with leaders THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST. The State Department has arranged charter flights out of Israel for American citizens.
* Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin continues to coordinate military support to Ukraine and now Israel, deploying ships closer to the Middle East.
* Multiple government agencies are involved in planning to locate and recover any hostages taken by Hamas, and address victims' relatives concerns and requests.
The GOP, meanwhile,
# removed the Speaker of the House for the first time in our nation's history
# has been unable to elect a replacement Speaker
(of the two leading candidates -
neither admits the 2020 Election was valid,
and one is attached to white supremacist domestic terror associations
and the other to sexual abuse scandals)
# is not conducting any business in Congress as a result
# is facing a government shutdown by not passing a federal budget into 2024
# threatens to stop assistance to Ukraine
# has blocked military promotions, thus harming national security
# has blocked diplomats from being confirmed, thus harming global security
# continues to follow an increasingly deranged, multiply indicted candidate who appears to have given crucial national classified intel to foreign sources who paid to have close access to him,
aligns with the war criminal Putin over democratic allies,
and is fixated on nuclear capabilities, once suggesting using a bomb to attempt to divert a hurricane.
The Biden/Harris administration demonstrates steady, experienced resolve, and has proven to be the better option during these fraught times and events.
The current chaotic GOP appears to be incapable and perhaps uninterested in governing for the good of the country and world,
unable to perform the most basic of functions in Congress.
Yes we have an enormous opportunity to make this a better world. Unfortunately a substantial number of Americans want to tear down the world we live in and not make it better.
Yes, a number of Americans just want to burn everything down. I guess they don't realize one cannot live in a smoldering ruin in a place with no rules where NO ONE is safe.
That may be their intention, but I do not think they will succeed.
I just came back from 17 days in England and had the opportunity to visit some former classmates who have lived abroad for 30 plus years. It was interesting discussing the Israeli attack by Hamas with them because they had a very different and more detailed understanding of the complicated history and politics involved in the dispute and hatred. The London Times and several French newspapers covered the story differently and in my opinion more objectivity because they were focused on the both the reasons Israel was so unprepared and were critical of the Israeli government and of course the savage and horrific attacks by Hamas. What made the coverage more objective was the inclusion of opinions and comments about the involvement of Iran and other countries and the interconnection between various other players. The coverage did not seem bias or political in nature. In my opinion most Americans do not have a full understanding of the attacks and are more focused on revenge and an “ eye for an eye” resolution. Because of this there is limited appreciation for the fantastic job the Biden Administration is doing. We need to change that by making sure we understand the entire situation and can communicate it to others.
Hi, Stephen. Thanks for your description of the European coverage of the attacks. My comments are directed to that coverage:
There is no "context" for the terrorist attack on Israel. It was evil, full stop. No "Buts" no "For the last 75 years," no "What about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.? If that describes the coverage in Europe, it is reprehensible.
If the coverage was intended to discuss WHAT COMES NEXT and the complexities that achieving peace entails, I take your point.
Robert, may I respectfully disagree. You can't pull out the 75 years, the rampant poverty Israeli policies have produced in Gaza, the massive injustice the settler movement brings to the West Bank Palestinians, the utter discouragement and hopelessness that Palestinian youth are faced with every day. What makes a young man think his life is more valuable being thrown away in a few hours of killing than in a lifetime of productivity? Perhaps he, through digesting 75 years of history of nothing except poverty and occasional war, determines that it will still be those choices when he is too old to make the choice. If we weren't giving the Israeli government a free pass on what Noam Chomsky called "mowing the grass", the slaughtering of young Palestinians under some war pretext, we could just wash our hands of the whole mess but we continue to support Israeli government positions with our power. We are complicit in this Israeli apartheid government.
Biden had a choice here; he could have held back all US aid to Israel until they made it plain that they weren't going to invade, to "mow the grass", but were going to address the poverty and hopelessness of the Palestinian people. But he didn't and now there are two US carrier groups that will be patrolling the eastern Med, making thousands of Americans into the targets Hezbollah will relish with their rockets and Iranian drones. Now we may well become the entity that helps expand this war into a regional conflict. And if that brings thousands of American deaths what will be our exit point?
I agree that there is no "context" for the murders and kidnappings of Israelis - many of whom were working in a harmonious way with Palestinian neighbors. No buts. Just evil.
But there is a lot of "context" surrounding the open air prison that Israel created in Gaza. Egypt shares responsibility. Put two million people into a small space and deprive them of water and hope - the results will not be good.
Israel under the sick and evil leadership of their version of Donald Trump has ignored the Palestinian suffering and then...ignored the warnings that there was soon to be payback.
There is no excuse for what Hamas did. In fact, I believe that there is no choice now. Hamas must be destroyed. Every tunnel, every member of that group destroyed.
But as you say: "What comes next?" Who will run Gaza? Who will provide the services of food, water, shelter, healthcare - the essentials of life itself. That's what Hamas did (poorly). A replacement regime is not an option - it is required and there should be arrangements being made right now. Perhaps that's why Biden included Abbas in his visit to Jordan. Let's hope.
And who will pay to rebuild Gaza - remove the rubble, build housing and infrastructure? There is a lot to digest and consider. In a weird and horrible way, the invasion of Gaza will remind us of our own invasions - which cost trillions - paid by Americans.
The answer is clear to me. Two choices. Palestinians are offered full Israeli citizenship with freedom of travel and political participation - or - they are given their own national status as an independent nation. More suffering and limbo are unsustainable.
Thanks for sharing this, Stephen. I had a similar experience talking with an Australian and an Italian while traveling in Italy after Tr*mp was elected.
Looking for a broader perspective is what encourages me to read The Guardian and to follow Amy Goodman on Democracy Now - The War and Peace Report [DEMOCRACYNOW.org]. She also airs on our local (Wash, DC) PBS TV stations, WHUR - the Howard University TV station, and WPFW the Pacifica (remember them?) radio station in DC.
I don't agree that MOST Americans are focused on "revenge," though it is taking time for people to understand the complexities of the situation. Hopefully, many Americans watched President Biden on "60 Minutes" and are starting to grasp the many factors involved.
Stephen, do you perhaps have links to any of those articles? Thanks!
Dear Robert and Jill, Gretchen and I read your newsletter every morning. We appreciate immensely your stalwart compassion and balance. Hang in there! You are both doing great work that will be appreciated and applauded for years to come.
Best,
Damon White
Follow how the fear mongering by DeSantis, Trump and Ramaswamy against refugees compares with an incident in 1931 where a ship full of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany off Miami was denied entry in the U.S. and sent back to Europe to their death.
Interactive StoryMap: A Lesson in Compassion: Jewish Refugee Ship's Legacy
https://thedemlabs.org/2023/10/15/desantis-trump-ramaswamy-fearmonger-against-refugees-jewish-holocaust-lesson/
Hi, Deepak, thanks for doing this. A lesson from h story that we must not forget. All of us.
[technical note: the slide rotation is a bit too fast in spots.]
There's a huge difference. The Jews were literally sent back to their deaths. The year was 1939, not 1931. https://www.history.com/news/wwii-jewish-refugee-ship-st-louis-1939/. This was the Holocaust!--a genocide. Even the worst of what's going on in the home countries of people coming to the US is not comparable to the Holocaust.
As a Jew, I find this comparison offensive. The majority of people coming to the US are economic refugees.
Furthermore, there are excellent reasons that the US should stop growing, and I say that as someone who loathes the two politicians you mention, and Ramaswamy, and I consider Biden the best president of my lifetime (which began under Eisenhower). the average immigrant's greenhouse emissions rise threefold after arrival in the US--not surprising since they come from third world countries to the major industrialized nation with the greatest per capita GH emissions. Immigration to the US is a lose-lose for the planet.
Second, our country is already environmentally unsustainable and fast getting worse, partly because warming is making it less sustainable, partly because sprawl is making it less sustainable, and partly because we're using up our groundwater supply--the amount of groundwater is shrinking fast, according to the NYT, so that in the not distant future we won't have enough water to supply our farmland.
Third, within several decades, MILLIONS of Americans are going to become climate refugees. And you want to keep growing the population? Read the following: it will scare you https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/15/magazine/climate-crisis-migration-america.html
I've often observed that Texas and Florida and other southern states will be migrating to the north as climate changes destroy their states making living impossible. Not next week or next year, but it will happen.
California, Arizona, Nevada, and others as well.
One of the saddest things about this is that so many of these people who are desperate to leave their homes in Latin America are doing so because of the horrible conditions created by US policies dating back decades.
We've certainly had a lot of bad policies in Latin America. I remember when Allende was assassinated. I have more vivid memories of Orlando Letelier's murder, along with Ronnie Karpen Moffit. I lived in DC at the time, and I have memories of being out demonstrating.
A handful of years after that, I was writing an article on dream gardens for the Washington Post. (I don't know how they picked me but I was happy to do it--quite enjoyed doing it.) I went out with this up and coming landscape architect, Jim Van Sweden, to, among other places, the home of a high placed cabinet officer--this was probably early '80s. We talked to the person's wife. She seemed very nice, and after we left I remarked on that, and Van Sweden said to me something like "yes she really is, and it just kills me he (the cabinet officer) might be responsible for Allende's death!"
I am a postcard writer and currently preparing to mail out all of my encouragement cards to voters in Virginia. Unless I missed it, I don’t remember seeing a call for Louisiana postcards. I would have jumped on it. It absolutely saddens me that voter apathy put a Republican Trifecta in place in Louisiana. Shame, shame, shame. What are we missing in that so many people don’t feel it necessary to vote?
Win Races—WRITE! ✍🏼
Postcards 4 VA just sent out an email showing a picture of the REPUBLICAN postcard that one of their writer’s husbands received! The GOP is copying us and sending postcards in Virginia! Ack!
Can anyone send more postcards for VA?
Click here to get more addresses.➡️ https://open.substack.com/pub/chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions/p/chop-wood-carry-water-1013-b71?r=fqsxl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks again for what you do to help me start my morning feeling more inspired and informed. It is easy to feel overwhelmed these days with what is happening in the Middle East, Ukraine and here in the U.S.
Thanks also to you and Jill for the pictures of the Ecclipse. We couldn’t see anything in NY.
Robert, your introductory comments were especially helpful today to keep me (and hopefully many others) calm, stable, and focused on doing the critical work of building a healthy democracy right here in our country. I am deeply grateful for your wise perspective and guidance.
Well said Jacquie! I feel the same.
It's all we have ANY control over!
I watched the 60 Minutes interview with President Biden last night. Pelly commentated that "America's oldest president seemed tired from directing all this but..." Wouldn't any president worth their salt, no matter age, be tired from directing all this?!?!? I'm tired from just watching it! Indeed, though, the interview highlighted Biden's strength, clarity of purpose, moral leadership, and strong diplomatic team working with him. Now if the dimwitted Senate MAGArs would get off their high horse and confirm the long list of foreign service officials awaiting their intended posts, the work would be distributed as it's designed to be. And then there's Gym Jordan 🤬, to be polite.
On Saturday, however, we got to see up close and personal that the universe is still working!!! The eclipse!!! We didn't have solar glasses or bother to poke a hole in a piece of paper; we had the trees!!! Walking to and from the Burbank farmers market, there were a bazillion little eclipses all over the sidewalks and upside the buildings. The most spectacular was the image of tree leaves enveloping the tall white columns of a church school auditorium. Some days it's kinda nice to be alive.
I think that was the only unfair comment by Pelly. Otherwise, he played it down the middle, wit a couple of attempts at "gotcha' questions that Biden easily avoided.
Biden *was* obviously tired, as virtually anyone in his position would have been. However – and this generally escaped mention – his mind was clear, and he had excellent command of language.
YES!
I totally agree. And Biden's avoidance of "gotcha" questions is further indication of his acuity and total fitness for office. 😎
As my wife and I watched the 60 Minutes interview we cringed over what we felt was Pelley's focus on Biden's age. This showed up first when Pelley's intro stated, “It had been a rough week and we could see it on him. Mr. Biden will be 81 next month. He has said that when he is tired his lifelong stutter can creep back in. But he wedged us into his schedule…"
Then at the end of the interview, just before asking Biden “Are you sure you want to run again?” Pelly’s lead in statement included the commentary, “America’s oldest president seemed tired from directing all this but he was very clear what he stood for….”
Robert, you have appropriately chastised the press for lazily dwelling on the Biden age issue in the past. While the actual Pelley interview was fair and Biden acquitted himself extremely well, gratuitous comments about age are damaging.
Robert ---- leave the power lines ---- it makes the picture unique!!
Excellent newsletter, Robert. Thank you! And I am so glad you invited us to go to the Common Ground event last night. I was not familiar with that group and what they are doing currently in Virginia. It was very inspirational to learn of the organization's recruiting black young people to phone bank and to hear some of those individuals' stories about how much doing so has meant to them. The leader of the group, Andrea, was very impressive, as were the results of their work in increasing the black vote. It was great to hear you and Jessica Craven and to see and hear Heather Booth's presentation, which included her personal history and experience as one of the "Janes" who aided desperate women in getting abortions before Roe. I have been glad to be writing letters with Vote Forward to young Virginians to encourage them to vote. I am even happier after attending that excellent program.
Phonebanked 📞 for Va yesterday and the leader was a young, college student !
Va needs help ! Many opportunities on Mobilize.➡️ https://www.mobilize.us/dpva/
Thank you, Kathy, and thank you for doing so much yourself. I will be 82 soon and have less energy than I used to. So I was happy to be able to make a good donation to Common Ground last night and I will continue writing letters. But I very much hope others will respond to your suggestion.
Thanks for attending. I am going to do a summary when the recorded link is available.
I have written postcards with Common Ground. Great group!
While “defend(ing) democracy at home” is my top priority, I don’t accept the premise that its preservation necessarily would contribute (seeing that it never has) to engendering peace in the Middle East. Instead, I submit we start by characterizing the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, from 1948 to the present, for what it is—the quintessential conflict between right and right, expressly from each side’s perspective. I, further, would maintain, that as long as each side persists in pursuing the struggle in the name of what it believes to be right and just and moral, there will be no end to the violence. In the alternative, were both sides guided through a process that admittedly would entail gut-wrenching compromises by both, we potentially could see a break in this seemingly endless cycle of violence.
A great thought but the struggle started way before Israel became a state and is imbedded in the fabric of their culture. It will take a generational change similar to the one we need in this country.
Stephen, I cite 1948 because that marked the start of the modern conflict between the unequivocal, existential justification for establishing a Jewish state, on one hand, and the ensuing dispossession of Palestinian land on the other. Any settlement will necessitate agreed upon borders.
Okay, but your account ignores the fact that in 1948, when Israel declared independence, it accepted the constricting boundaries that had been set out.
Then *all* neighboring Arab nations, plus Iraq, invaded, with the *express* purpose of wiping Israel off the map.
I absolutely reject that invasion as a conflict between right and right. On the Arab side, it was a war of extermination; Arab leaders said so.
An additional historical note: there was no “Palestinian” national movement as such until 1955, when it was declared by Yasser Arafat. The description used before then was “Arab”.
Michael, I write largely to note that, in my view, the grievances of a people descended from those who either left or were expelled from present-day Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war are entirely legitimate. I further would add that this ethnonatiional group, distinct from other Arab nationalities, and intimately tied to the region of Palestine, simply seek a contiguous State of their own on Palestinian land that increasingly is being annexed as part of Israel.
I’ve always agreed that Palestinian Arabs should have their own state, probably on the West Bank and Gaza. I consider the actions of West Bank “settlers” have been monstrous. They should be (should have been) removed by Israeli authorities, much as Ariel Sharon removed Israeli settlers from Gaza. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough political will within Israel to accomplish it.
That being said, I doubt that it would erase or mollify the deep-seated animosity so many Palestinians have toward Israel.
Michael, While admittedly an oversimplification, I believe, if one were to ask everyday Israeli and Palestinian people what they want, she or he would learn the groups largely were seeking two different freedoms, one wanting freedom from terror the other, freedom from Israel. My point is perhaps the greatest obstacle to breaking the violence rests with leadership on both sides.
Regarding Jordan, and others, not willing to support Ukraine, why are they not reminded that WWll began with Germany invading Poland and believed Hitler when he had no further aspirations. Is it because many are ignorant of, refuse to learn from the past?
People who seek power for power’s sake eschew a broader vision for a narrow path of selfish goals.
***Power***
~The same reason members of our own Congress worked hard to promote anti-Semitic, pro-German sympathies in the lead-up to U.S. entering WWII. Congress members collaborating to overthrow our government and end American democracy for good.
This is something most of us did not learn about in school. If you haven't already listened, Rachael Maddow covers this extensively in her podcast "Ultra". We have been here before.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra
Ultra was very good, but her source material is even better. I highly recommend one of the source books, Hitler’s American Friends by Bradley Hart, if you haven't already. Some of it was truly horrifying and definitely not taught in schools.
Ignorance and the desire for power, I believe, is the main cause of their behavior. Also, some of them are deliberately invested in causing chaos. It's a dangerous mix!
The mere fact that they have to lie, bully, distort information, and incite fear and anger in their supporters to keep them is very telling in itself.
Absolutely!
The Democrats need to run white economic populists. Particularly men. that’s the country we live in and these are desperate times. And please don’t attack me for my opinion.
I will disagree with your opinion. White economic populism is losing at the national level and is winning at the state level only because Republicans have gerrymandered their control of state legislatures into permanent power. If white populism was so popular, then voter suppression would not be the primary means of achieving it. Don't conflate corruption and success.
I mean real populism, such as that expounded by Bernie Sanders and others. An example would be Kentucky’s popular Democratic governor, or Ohio’s popular Democratic senator. I refuse to regard Trump as a populist, and I embrace that term as an ideal; it means that you stand with the population.
I disagree. We need more diversity, not less.
Who would that be, as a "for instance"?
I miss you when you're away, and rejoice when you are back! What we need right now is HOPE!! And, lots of LOVE!