Dec 18, 2023·edited Dec 18, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Thank you, Robert. It's crucial that we help shape the narrative. To do so, it would be helpful for commenters here to share contact info for various publications they have written to.
Good idea! NEW YORK TIMES: At the end of bylined stories there is a link to the reporter. Many if not most have a feedback link that says “email author.” There’s your chance.
Kessler's Pinocchio column is a new low in biased journalistic malpractice; in addition to not knowing the difference between "deficit" and "national debt", Kessler presents false equivalencies that normalize the threat to our democracy presented by Trump. Sorry, this is not serious or even competent journalism. Kessler and WAPO are playing with fire in joking casually about the threat of fascism, and the destruction of our American democracy. This, among other omissions (e.g. Kranish non-story on James Biden), is why the Post is rapidly losing what little credibility it has left, and former readers are finding other more-competent, truthful sources for news.
Would also like to know. Am thinking about creating a handy bulk address email group because the WaPo lists all of its managing editors under the category about responding to content. As I understand it...
As long as we are comparing Trump to Hitler, let's be aware of Hitler's original plan for the Jews. In 1941, he was going to deport them. To ghettos in the east. Or to Madagascar. But deportation proved to be complicated. In January, 1942, at the Wansee Conference, Nazi officials met to decide on the final solution. They decided to put the to work on fixing the roads. Those unable to work would get special treatment. Special treatment would be murder.
WWTD? A President Trump, finding it too complicated to deport all those undocumented immigrants he is looking for, may detain them in camps (which appears to be the goal of the Republicans in negotiations that connects border policy with support for Israel and Ukraine). And when he finds managing all those camps too complicated, what will Trump do?
While we are considering echos of Hitler and are conscious of what "special treatment" meant, consider the term that Putin insists on for the invasion of Ukraine. To him, the invasion is not a war. It is a "special military operation." A war would be a confrontation between entities that each had a claim to being a nation. Putin recognizes no such claim for Ukraine. Nor would he recognize anyone's claim to be a Ukrainian. Republicans blacking assistance to Ukraine, if they are successful, will be complicit in a horrendous aftermath if Russia wins this war.
I very much agree. I also think that since Trump only says unhinged things, the media considers it as not newsworthy anymore. Oh well, just another crazy Trump statement. No need to bore anyone.
This, “just another Trump unhinged moment” fails to recognize that the incompetent and erratic Trump was and will be the tool/instrument of the extreme right to achieve their goals. Anti-abortion and religious dogma are two examples. Trump doesn’t give a damn about abortion or religion as long as the Evangelical Christians Supremacy cheer him at his stupid rallies.
And that Stephen is a serious problem the further speaks to our need to shape the narrative. There is NO reason for people to not recognize that it can and will happen.
Why can we say that? Because, he has from day one of his administration told us what he was going to do and did it. Take the effort to ban certain groups from the MIDDLE EAST. He told us. He did it. He was curbed but not stopped.
Now he and his supporters are putting forth plans like the 2025 Project, plans to vet future Trump appointees for their loyalty (never mind, competence, e.g. Judge Cannon), he has talked about have the DOJ report to him and to root out any opponents.
These are just a few reason to believe it will happen.
And I will always repeat Justice Michael J. Luttig’s observation during the January 6th hearings, “They are going to do it again in 2024. How do I know? They are telling us.”
I agree we need to shape the narrative so for me the question is how do we do that and by whom? A part of me believes as we get closer to the election next year there will a an avalanche of information and chances to write the narrative. Some of us are not convinced Trump will actually be the candidate and the narrative could change
By the end of 1941, special Nazi SS units (Waffen SS) — following immediately behind German Wehrmacht army units invading Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia — had conducted numerous large-scale and smaller massacres (the Babn Yar massacre was in September 1941), murdering as many as 2 million Jews.
The Wansee Conference of 1942 was prompted mainly by the fact that killing Jews by shooting them or gassing them in mobile units was adjudged to be too expensive; the Nazis wanted more “economical” mass murder methods. The outcome was that the Nazis designed and constructed death camps like Auschwitz.
As I commented previously, I wrote to the editors of the WaPo immediately on seeing that horrible piece by Kessler. I appreciate your advice not to unsubscribe as it hadn't occurred to me! (My rage occasionally rises to levels that negatively impact my thinking ... :)) We can have more of an effect on the narrative by staying in the game -- which is why I believe many folks have stayed with Twitter in spite of the experience being similar to rolling in a giant lake of hog-farming waste...
It seems to me that the billionaire owners of major media are betting that if Trump takes office again that their money will keep them safe, but I don't think they're accounting sufficiently for both his mental illness in full flower and the radicalism of his associates. No one will be safe, especially journalists unless they completely toe the lines. And, I wish that one of them would at least mention the stark reality that Trump is only running for president -- and becoming increasingly desperate and unhinged -- because that's his only potential ticket out of prison. He could care less about any of the issues including the effects of immigration policy; he just wants to stay out of jail.
Absolutely. I am even beginning to entertain the thought he's not only becoming more unhinged himself but deliberately heating the frog pot to increase the depravity of his followers too far gone to even look around and realize they're in a pot. I think he is directly shooting for an insurrection again this time if he doesn't win a gerrymandered election, and although he won't be coming at it from within the office, he's going to have learned quite a bit about how half measures don't work. I'm beginning to be just a teenchy bit worried about this "couldn't happen" attitude. Biden needs a resounding victory. We need it.
I am still in eXTwitter, and it has become a sewer, with the pool of reasonable voices shrinking. I've reacquainted myself with blocking, and continue to dip in and out to ask politely phrased questions which oddly rarely get responses. If it's phrased earnestly but clearly, I usually don't attract too many troll leaches: "You say the violent footage on J6 was a tiny proportion of a peaceful protest but if someone came to your home and behaved well 99% of the time before breaking your furniture and leaving feces on your coffee table, would you feel offended?" gets no response but I believe it's possible to at least leave small grains in even the most tightly closed oyster brain. Hopefully.
Greatly respect what you're doing on Twitter; I think it's a mistake to abandon media in which we're uncomfortable (unless you just absolutely can't stand it ... ). It might also help to remember that a certain % of 'folks' on these platforms aren't really folks at all but progeny of troll farms etc. And, besides, if we leave these platforms to horrible content creators it just magnifies the intensity of what's being taken in by the audiences. I do believe in the effects of accumulation and if there continues to be moments of clarity and questioning among the debris -- like what you're providing -- they will accumulate and will have an effect.
Such a thoughtful insight. It offers one (me) some points to reflect upon at the very moment quitting X, if only because the newest owner has shown himself to be a publicly irresponsible ego. It is sad when contrasted with his apparent success in other arenas.
Thank you. I get leaving too. Some folk can do other things with their time that is more effective. I am limited right now due to having almost no discretionary time, and quick injections of person to person rationality on X can be worked in...
I was dubious when person after person left their government jobs after Trump came to office. I felt "but if you abandon the government who will be left to fight this?" In some offices, a few resisters may have made a difference, in some perhaps not, so it's probably very much on a case by case basis.
I'm a big fan of the accumulation theory of actions -- our individual acts may not seem like they're having an effect but as others pile on; a critical mass is eventually achieved (however large or small that might need to be: sometimes just a nudge-size is enough) to make a difference. Because I grew up in the 50s and was a hippie-adjacent in my teens/young adulthood I was able to see the beginnings of what were then considered bizarre new ways of doing things or thinking about things. Changes in the American Diet to include whole grains (my poor daughter had a completely sugar-free, whole-wheat cake for her 1st birthday) and somewhat suspect exotic items like bitter greens and/or vegetables from OTHER CULTURES! Now look at us, right? No large cultural change occurs overnight and accumulation and presentation of new/different behaviors is critical to achieving the critical mass needed. I wanted to cancel my WaPo subscription but after Robert's message today I've understood that was ... stupid. So, won't be doing that and instead continuing to send annoying emails to their managers!!! Good luck to you on Twitter!!
Based on recent conversations I have had with friends and acquaintances they seem to be tuned out on the reporting from Trump rallies and his comments and feel that the upcoming trials and possible convictions will have the most impact on the election. I also believe that there is media bias everywhere and part of the reason I believe is the over abundance of news that can’t be properly covered so they highlight stories that will gather the largest audience. Many of us are just plain maxed out and we need to take a deep breath and disconnect and focus on family and the holiday because beginning in January the craziness will start to get worst.
That is a fair comment and expresses feelings shared by tens of millions of Americans. Taking a news break can be a healthy thing to do. If it is what's best for you, do it--and enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
I feel so rude when I butt in and respond and then it looks like your agreement is to mine, just due to comment order, but the only other option seems to be to respond to Mr. Berg's comment by responding to yours or Meredith's, which isn't quite right either. Is there possibly a dashboard option for ordering comments, or a protocol I should be using that would work better? Recommendations?
People need to take breaks whenever they need to. If there are enough of us -- and I think there are -- who are talking back to the press (and all the other activist things...) someone else will slide into that vacant spot and carry on until they, too, need to step back for awhile. It's the only way to do long-distance-running type things unless you're an Olympics-class athlete? What would that look like for a social activist, eh? :)
I don't think the trials will be that decisive for those who have come to distrust the system. That includes those who believe it's entirely politically motivated because they only listen to FOX, OAN, Trump etc and those who, ironically, no longer trust the judicial system precisely because Trump and allies have gotten away with things so blatantly for so long - the very people we might be able to move.
I do think that home, family, holiday cheer and warm feelings toward our fellow humans is already fundamentally in opposition to the anger and resentment and ill will that powers so much of the ultra right movement. Embrace and enjoy while also feeling righteous about reinforcing yourself and good will among men and women! Happy holidays!
While all these letters offer some thoughts about how to navigate or survive I cannot help but think of a marathon runner or soldier on a battle field. Interesting to read the definitions of “sag wagon.”
We must be refreshed but keep running, not stay behind the wagon or expecting to be driven to the top of the hill. Be brief in refreshment and deep in commitment to keep going forward. I do not want to die along the road but do, with anxiety and courage, want to make it to the end to savor a victory that offers new options for healing our weary souls and reclaim a sense of justice.
I, for one, will experience moments of frustration and angst but will not be deterred from making the run to see a better future.
To all I say, have a happy holiday season and continue in on January 2, 2024 to let no stone be unturned to claim our shared humanity to continue what Joseph R. Biden and team have begun. Remember our engagement is the embodiment of democracy.
The "crime is rising" narrative is the GOP and media, MSM and other, proclaiming the thought fallacy: if you hear a lot about it, it must be common. As someone else mentioned, we never hear about the bazillion packages that are safely delivered everyday--just the porch pirates.
Consider and ask your friend--- if the media picked up on a story about a man biting a dog (the classic definition of "news") and it spread everywhere, with someone ferreting out every time it had happened, and speculating whether it is trend caused by the pandemic and/or required masks, and interviewing veterinarians and psychologists and professors of X or Y or Z, etc. etc.--would your friend start believing that there was a sudden rise in biting of dog crimes?
Thanks for the tips on the slanted stories. I'll be writing.
Follow up: The NYT has closed comments on the Matthew Schmitz article after one day. So I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out that while I don't mind op-eds that I disagree with but that I DO expect them to be supported by facts and valid reasoning. I then gave examples of the failure of that article to do either.
See my comment above: Am wondering if I can create a group-email in gmail that will let me just mass mail all the WaPo leadership in one fell swoop? I'll work on that ...
If a publication thinks it’s being hit by an organized letter-writing *campaign*, they’re likely to ignore the letters. Tons of individually-crafted communications are more likely to be counted.
I assume you know that from experience; so, what if one sends maybe 2-3 email letters as BCCs at time. Do you think that would get through? Thanks. Was an admin. ass't. for many years but retired 10 yrs. ago so I may be somewhat out of that loop...
If your goal is for it to be seen, I send it to individuals. That’s the most likely way it will get through. Plus LTEs have specific instructions for how to send.
I have been furious with WAPO countless times the past few years for the stilted narratives, manipulations of polling info, and downright slanting of news stories purposefully to put Biden in an unattractive light while at the same time normalizing the behavior of a former and criminal president who has stated his intention of an autocratic takeover. I once held WAPO in high regard which is why I chose to switch from the NYT. Once you were bought by Bezos I suspected this would happen, and it has. Be assured that I will blast you mercilessly on social media and in person. Below I include 2 recent examples, highlights by Robert Hubbell. There are countless more. I sincerely hope you can regain control of unbiased truth in your narratives. If not, please know that the fall of this democracy will rest on your laurels. I will not be renewing my subscription and will counsel all who I know to do the same.
Consider Robert's advice re canceling your subscription; that, too, is what I'd planned to do but am reconsidering. If we don't stay in the game, ala Twitter, we in essence cede it to the opposition. You can still say you're not going to renew; my guess is that they're not going to check...
Unfortunately, I have zero faith that the WaPo will miss my subscription. If I cancel it'll probably be a wash as someone who does appreciate their journalistic slant will take my place ... I know they definitely aren't going to read my letter and then check to see if I actually cancelled my subscription. NYT is to my mind even worse and I don't have a subscription to it so at least am spared having to be confronted with it everyday!
Isn’t another way of helping shape the narrative to share specific positive articles from other sources? For instance The American Prospect -/https://prospect.org/-- is a terrific progressive publication. It especially highlights Bidens unprecedented support for labor.
When you read that Trump says and then posts about immigrants "They’re poisoning the blood of our country”, it's practically impossible not to hear the surging racism in that. The fact that 2/3's of his wives are immigrants from Eastern Europe can't just go unmentioned.
This is a point I considered raising, but deleted at the last minute because I didn't want to sound like i was criticizing his wives for immigrating. Stated differently, the "blood" of his children is from immigrants--all of them. Because we are all immigrants in one way or another. America is great because of immigration and will remain great because of immigration.
Of course he and his children think those comments aren't referring to them in the same way every rich person thinks their money exempts them, every brown person who supports the GOP thinks their support exempts them, and as everyone who, as the saying goes, thinks "but I wasn't one of them" so some imagined special status exempts them as the haters come for an ever expanding pool of "others". Yes, I thought "he just called the blood of his own children poisoned".
Re: Matthew Schmitz opinion piece on the moderate Donald Trump.
Shame on the Times for making the choice to publish this inaccurate, distorted picture of Donald Trump as a moderate. To exonerate yourselves with the claim that you seek to provide readers with diverse viewpoints is a sad excuse for irresponsible journalism. At best, it is turning a blind eye to fact; at worst, it is tantamount to aiding and abetting the man who continues to lie, undermine our democratic institutions including the press and would return corruption and chaos to the White House. What were you really thinking?
Look--Trump shouldn't even be running for president. He should be in prison right now along with all the other insurgents he rallied to attack the Capitol on January 6. Their company should also include the known insurrectionists in congress as well as the 5 fascists sitting on the SCOTUS. As Commander in Chief, Biden should take "command" of the situation and arrest all of these proven traitors. If such a righteous action sparks a Civil War, so be it. We'll have one anyway if Trump gets back in the White House.
Way back in 1966, I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against fascists like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Victor Orbán, and all the miscreants and sycophants in their anti-democratic orbits, and now in the face of the absurd MAGA spectacle that's unfolded here in America over the last few years, I wonder if that oath really has any weight at all when treasonous actors like Trump and his minions are treated by our dominant media as legitimate candidates for office in a "democracy." What a sad joke!
The point is the time has come for more than "damning editorials in every media outlet in the nation" because most of those media platforms are complicit with Trump's MAGA blueprint for autocracy (Fox News, WaPo, CNN, etc.) in their endeavors to broadcast information designed to "normalize" fascism. The missing binder of raw intelligence on Trump's watch is a case in point, and should be reason enough to bring the rule of law to bear on the Orange Menace, Mark Meadows and all the other accessories to Trump's madness. They should at least be incarcerated until the matter is fully investigated. Unlawful retention of highly classified information is a crime if an ordinary American citizen was the culprit, but Trump and his minions are somehow exempt from the laws that apply to the rest of us. Allowing these criminals to continue their assault on the Constitution without forceful retribution by the DOJ is unconscionable and cowardly.
As for your accurate inference that the Washington Post is an example of the Fourth Estate that has betrayed its role as protector of the Constitution and promoter of democratic values with the Pinocchio story: Amen to that. The "Biggest Pinocchio of 2023" is the idea that the WaPo is a legitimate example of journalistic integrity. It abandoned that purpose long ago and is now a fascist propaganda machine owned by Jeff Bezos, another "normalizer" of fascism.
Speaking as a common citizen with scant knowledge of the law, I probably got it all wrong as far as what's legally possible, but maybe this outburst at the injustice at the heart of all that's going on will help shape the narrative to promote liberty and equality for all even if the proposed remedies are Quixotic. Anyway, thanks for continuing to direct the chorus of voices on this platform dedicated to keeping the fires of democracy burning. Semper Fi.
“Look -- Trump shouldn’t even be running for president.”
There is truth to that statement but the reality, as I see it, is that he is running to keep his fat a.. out of jail not to be president.”
He offers himself up to the highest bidder to be their mouthpiece and destroyer carrying out their decades of planning for anti-abortion, unregulated capitalism, white supremacy w/o history that seeks to offer truth, cutting taxes for the wealthy, clinging to the second amendment to hug their guns and ignore mass killings, etc. (Don’t need to go on.)
Watching Ana Cabrera on MSNBC. I was prompted to send this TwiXt:
@AnaCabrera @MSNBC
You just showed Iowa voters expressing anti-immigrant rhetoric echoing DJT. You said ‘That’s the voters’ ... But in fact, they're not “voters” - they all had Trump hats. Implying they represent “voters” is misleading. We support you but - Do better, please.
In discussing the xfire hurricane binder this weekend, one of our party cited instances of a significant number of US "assets" who died as a result of the production of the information in that binder. It would be interesting to run that suggestion to the ground to determine if the harm of leaked information from that "binder" already has occurred. If so, that is bad, indeed, and would suggest complicity between the binder-takers and our enemies.
The supposedly (ten?) inches of paperwork / over 2,000 pages that went missing (which sounds to me like several binders, surely?) in it's unredacted form contained information that had mostly already been made public but the methods of collection had not, and likely gave Putin access to information he used to identify leaks. Many of the rest of the classified documents recovered from Trump's property also have been reported to have contained human asset information, and I too have read that there was an unusually high loss of assets during that time period, so it's probably a case of not being able to determine if the loss came from sharing classified information in the Crossfire Hurricane files, from sharing classified documents when foreign nationals shared a roof with the files in the bathroom, on the stage, and in the storage room at Mar a Lago, or if the loss of human assets came from admitting Jared (who, you will recall, only got a security clearance after Trump insisted he get one) into the oval office during the morning briefings in general and one in particular where the identities of assets were shared. Jared is reported to have made a trip to UAE shortly thereafter and a crackdown on suspected UAE traitors quickly followed. All of that is out there in various news reports I might be able to dig back up, but you will probably be successful in looking into those issues.
I understand without evidence, one must in good conscience caution that the facts are unproven. In science however, temporal proximity, especially when reproducible or repeated, is generally interpreted as causal. Occam's razor is useful and legitimate and many of our technological and medical breakthroughs depend on functionally accepting it.
I for one am shocked that those responsible for conducting those morning briefings did not choose to withhold sensitive information like names. Surely there is discretion as to what is crucial and necessary to share, even with the President? What earthly need does the President have for such detailed specifics?
We seem to suffer from a dearth of common sense among some of those in our highest positions. As to the care taken with our most sensitive documents... if asked nicely, I'm sure my local librarians would be more than willing to share some of their methods for checking out, recalling, and keeping track of who has any items in their collection.
Whitney, I have also heard about informants and CIA agents going missing or being killed in large numbers during the trump administration, and in particular, since he left office. I’ve read about this in more than one place over the past several months, but I did not save links to those articles.
In reading your comment, Janet, I find myself shaking my head in disbelief that this could be. And in fear that it may be. On what planet are we living? And in what country?
I ask myself the same questions every day, Jean. I did a quick search after I posted this comment, and here is one of the articles that I found, published in October 2021:
I went back up and replied directly to Robert with some sources he could use, as he said he would be researching this. Donald Trump is a one-man criminal enterprise and wrecking ball, and literally a danger to planet earth, not just this country.
I am not a conspiracy theorist. I have seen this information in numerous reliable sources; I only just posted two that were easy to grab. I’ll wait to see what Robert says in the future.
What you say is SO critical. When I was in school in the 1940's in NYC my teachers uised to chide disruptive students with the adage, " the empty barrel makes the most noise." This seems to apply to the issue you raise. We hear too much from the MAGA folks, and not nearly enough about the good work Biden is doing. Thank you for brining this up.
There is little to be gained by raging and fuming at WaPo, the NYTimes or CNN, for their tacit support of Fascism. Your suggested tactic, and reader Jonathan's efforts, are far more productive. The time may come for vehemence and active resistance-should Trump somehow win in 2024, but for now, let us play the long game.
Thank you, Robert. It's crucial that we help shape the narrative. To do so, it would be helpful for commenters here to share contact info for various publications they have written to.
For example, the email address for reaching writers at the Washington Post is firstname.lastname@washpost.com. (glenn.kessler@washpost.com, or jennifer.rubin@washpost.com). This info is not usually displayed prominently (WaPo is the exception). Also, let's not ignore broadcast media personalities.
.
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
editorialboard@dallasnews.com
publisher@dallasnews.com
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Interim Editor-in-Chief Chris.Fusco@houstonchronicle.com
Managing Editor Jennifer Chang Jennifer.Chang@houstonchronicle.com
ORLANDO SENTINEL
Julie Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, jandersond@orlandosentinel.com
Roger Simmons, Managing Editor, rsimmons@orlandosentinel.com
Letters to Editor : insight@orlandosentinel.com
TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT
William Hatfield, Editor, whatfield@tallahassee.com
Letters to Editor: Letters@tallahassee.com
Good idea! NEW YORK TIMES: At the end of bylined stories there is a link to the reporter. Many if not most have a feedback link that says “email author.” There’s your chance.
Didn’t know about being directly in touch with the Times authors. Thanks for that tip.
Thank you very much, Jerry. As I said in my comment I intend to write to the Washington and I really appreciate the information!
Thank you very much, Jerry! Here are the directions for the NY Times and WAPO, including submission guidelines and requirements:
NY TIMES: https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014925288-Submit-a-Letter-to-The-Editor
WASHINGTON POST: https://helpcenter.washingtonpost.com/hc/en-us/articles/236004788-Send-a-letter-to-the-editor
I just wrote to WAPO using their on-line Contact Us form (https://helpcenter.washingtonpost.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=493668):
Kessler's Pinocchio column is a new low in biased journalistic malpractice; in addition to not knowing the difference between "deficit" and "national debt", Kessler presents false equivalencies that normalize the threat to our democracy presented by Trump. Sorry, this is not serious or even competent journalism. Kessler and WAPO are playing with fire in joking casually about the threat of fascism, and the destruction of our American democracy. This, among other omissions (e.g. Kranish non-story on James Biden), is why the Post is rapidly losing what little credibility it has left, and former readers are finding other more-competent, truthful sources for news.
Thanks, Jerry. I have been commenting to the WaPo writers. What do you think is best way to comment to editorial level above writers?
Would also like to know. Am thinking about creating a handy bulk address email group because the WaPo lists all of its managing editors under the category about responding to content. As I understand it...
Thanks for sharing this valuable information.
Thank you!
As long as we are comparing Trump to Hitler, let's be aware of Hitler's original plan for the Jews. In 1941, he was going to deport them. To ghettos in the east. Or to Madagascar. But deportation proved to be complicated. In January, 1942, at the Wansee Conference, Nazi officials met to decide on the final solution. They decided to put the to work on fixing the roads. Those unable to work would get special treatment. Special treatment would be murder.
WWTD? A President Trump, finding it too complicated to deport all those undocumented immigrants he is looking for, may detain them in camps (which appears to be the goal of the Republicans in negotiations that connects border policy with support for Israel and Ukraine). And when he finds managing all those camps too complicated, what will Trump do?
While we are considering echos of Hitler and are conscious of what "special treatment" meant, consider the term that Putin insists on for the invasion of Ukraine. To him, the invasion is not a war. It is a "special military operation." A war would be a confrontation between entities that each had a claim to being a nation. Putin recognizes no such claim for Ukraine. Nor would he recognize anyone's claim to be a Ukrainian. Republicans blacking assistance to Ukraine, if they are successful, will be complicit in a horrendous aftermath if Russia wins this war.
One of the problems with Trumps comments is the belief by many in can’t possibly happen.
I very much agree. I also think that since Trump only says unhinged things, the media considers it as not newsworthy anymore. Oh well, just another crazy Trump statement. No need to bore anyone.
This, “just another Trump unhinged moment” fails to recognize that the incompetent and erratic Trump was and will be the tool/instrument of the extreme right to achieve their goals. Anti-abortion and religious dogma are two examples. Trump doesn’t give a damn about abortion or religion as long as the Evangelical Christians Supremacy cheer him at his stupid rallies.
That's what many of the German Jews said, until it did.
See Sinclair Lewis - "It Can't Happen Here" written in 1935.
I read it in early 2016 and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. What is happening here is frighteningly similar to what Lewis wrote.
And that Stephen is a serious problem the further speaks to our need to shape the narrative. There is NO reason for people to not recognize that it can and will happen.
Why can we say that? Because, he has from day one of his administration told us what he was going to do and did it. Take the effort to ban certain groups from the MIDDLE EAST. He told us. He did it. He was curbed but not stopped.
Now he and his supporters are putting forth plans like the 2025 Project, plans to vet future Trump appointees for their loyalty (never mind, competence, e.g. Judge Cannon), he has talked about have the DOJ report to him and to root out any opponents.
These are just a few reason to believe it will happen.
And I will always repeat Justice Michael J. Luttig’s observation during the January 6th hearings, “They are going to do it again in 2024. How do I know? They are telling us.”
I agree we need to shape the narrative so for me the question is how do we do that and by whom? A part of me believes as we get closer to the election next year there will a an avalanche of information and chances to write the narrative. Some of us are not convinced Trump will actually be the candidate and the narrative could change
I don’t understand the Jews aiding thump. Do they really believe they’ll be exempt? They should heed the example of Max Naumann
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_German_National_Jews
Do they want to force their Jewish compatriots to be shipped to Israel? (That seems to be what Evangelists wish for)
Re Leonard Lubinsky’s post:
By the end of 1941, special Nazi SS units (Waffen SS) — following immediately behind German Wehrmacht army units invading Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia — had conducted numerous large-scale and smaller massacres (the Babn Yar massacre was in September 1941), murdering as many as 2 million Jews.
The Wansee Conference of 1942 was prompted mainly by the fact that killing Jews by shooting them or gassing them in mobile units was adjudged to be too expensive; the Nazis wanted more “economical” mass murder methods. The outcome was that the Nazis designed and constructed death camps like Auschwitz.
As I commented previously, I wrote to the editors of the WaPo immediately on seeing that horrible piece by Kessler. I appreciate your advice not to unsubscribe as it hadn't occurred to me! (My rage occasionally rises to levels that negatively impact my thinking ... :)) We can have more of an effect on the narrative by staying in the game -- which is why I believe many folks have stayed with Twitter in spite of the experience being similar to rolling in a giant lake of hog-farming waste...
It seems to me that the billionaire owners of major media are betting that if Trump takes office again that their money will keep them safe, but I don't think they're accounting sufficiently for both his mental illness in full flower and the radicalism of his associates. No one will be safe, especially journalists unless they completely toe the lines. And, I wish that one of them would at least mention the stark reality that Trump is only running for president -- and becoming increasingly desperate and unhinged -- because that's his only potential ticket out of prison. He could care less about any of the issues including the effects of immigration policy; he just wants to stay out of jail.
Absolutely. I am even beginning to entertain the thought he's not only becoming more unhinged himself but deliberately heating the frog pot to increase the depravity of his followers too far gone to even look around and realize they're in a pot. I think he is directly shooting for an insurrection again this time if he doesn't win a gerrymandered election, and although he won't be coming at it from within the office, he's going to have learned quite a bit about how half measures don't work. I'm beginning to be just a teenchy bit worried about this "couldn't happen" attitude. Biden needs a resounding victory. We need it.
I am still in eXTwitter, and it has become a sewer, with the pool of reasonable voices shrinking. I've reacquainted myself with blocking, and continue to dip in and out to ask politely phrased questions which oddly rarely get responses. If it's phrased earnestly but clearly, I usually don't attract too many troll leaches: "You say the violent footage on J6 was a tiny proportion of a peaceful protest but if someone came to your home and behaved well 99% of the time before breaking your furniture and leaving feces on your coffee table, would you feel offended?" gets no response but I believe it's possible to at least leave small grains in even the most tightly closed oyster brain. Hopefully.
Greatly respect what you're doing on Twitter; I think it's a mistake to abandon media in which we're uncomfortable (unless you just absolutely can't stand it ... ). It might also help to remember that a certain % of 'folks' on these platforms aren't really folks at all but progeny of troll farms etc. And, besides, if we leave these platforms to horrible content creators it just magnifies the intensity of what's being taken in by the audiences. I do believe in the effects of accumulation and if there continues to be moments of clarity and questioning among the debris -- like what you're providing -- they will accumulate and will have an effect.
Such a thoughtful insight. It offers one (me) some points to reflect upon at the very moment quitting X, if only because the newest owner has shown himself to be a publicly irresponsible ego. It is sad when contrasted with his apparent success in other arenas.
Thank you. I get leaving too. Some folk can do other things with their time that is more effective. I am limited right now due to having almost no discretionary time, and quick injections of person to person rationality on X can be worked in...
I was dubious when person after person left their government jobs after Trump came to office. I felt "but if you abandon the government who will be left to fight this?" In some offices, a few resisters may have made a difference, in some perhaps not, so it's probably very much on a case by case basis.
I'm a big fan of the accumulation theory of actions -- our individual acts may not seem like they're having an effect but as others pile on; a critical mass is eventually achieved (however large or small that might need to be: sometimes just a nudge-size is enough) to make a difference. Because I grew up in the 50s and was a hippie-adjacent in my teens/young adulthood I was able to see the beginnings of what were then considered bizarre new ways of doing things or thinking about things. Changes in the American Diet to include whole grains (my poor daughter had a completely sugar-free, whole-wheat cake for her 1st birthday) and somewhat suspect exotic items like bitter greens and/or vegetables from OTHER CULTURES! Now look at us, right? No large cultural change occurs overnight and accumulation and presentation of new/different behaviors is critical to achieving the critical mass needed. I wanted to cancel my WaPo subscription but after Robert's message today I've understood that was ... stupid. So, won't be doing that and instead continuing to send annoying emails to their managers!!! Good luck to you on Twitter!!
Based on recent conversations I have had with friends and acquaintances they seem to be tuned out on the reporting from Trump rallies and his comments and feel that the upcoming trials and possible convictions will have the most impact on the election. I also believe that there is media bias everywhere and part of the reason I believe is the over abundance of news that can’t be properly covered so they highlight stories that will gather the largest audience. Many of us are just plain maxed out and we need to take a deep breath and disconnect and focus on family and the holiday because beginning in January the craziness will start to get worst.
That is a fair comment and expresses feelings shared by tens of millions of Americans. Taking a news break can be a healthy thing to do. If it is what's best for you, do it--and enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
I feel so rude when I butt in and respond and then it looks like your agreement is to mine, just due to comment order, but the only other option seems to be to respond to Mr. Berg's comment by responding to yours or Meredith's, which isn't quite right either. Is there possibly a dashboard option for ordering comments, or a protocol I should be using that would work better? Recommendations?
People need to take breaks whenever they need to. If there are enough of us -- and I think there are -- who are talking back to the press (and all the other activist things...) someone else will slide into that vacant spot and carry on until they, too, need to step back for awhile. It's the only way to do long-distance-running type things unless you're an Olympics-class athlete? What would that look like for a social activist, eh? :)
I don't think the trials will be that decisive for those who have come to distrust the system. That includes those who believe it's entirely politically motivated because they only listen to FOX, OAN, Trump etc and those who, ironically, no longer trust the judicial system precisely because Trump and allies have gotten away with things so blatantly for so long - the very people we might be able to move.
I do think that home, family, holiday cheer and warm feelings toward our fellow humans is already fundamentally in opposition to the anger and resentment and ill will that powers so much of the ultra right movement. Embrace and enjoy while also feeling righteous about reinforcing yourself and good will among men and women! Happy holidays!
While all these letters offer some thoughts about how to navigate or survive I cannot help but think of a marathon runner or soldier on a battle field. Interesting to read the definitions of “sag wagon.”
We must be refreshed but keep running, not stay behind the wagon or expecting to be driven to the top of the hill. Be brief in refreshment and deep in commitment to keep going forward. I do not want to die along the road but do, with anxiety and courage, want to make it to the end to savor a victory that offers new options for healing our weary souls and reclaim a sense of justice.
I, for one, will experience moments of frustration and angst but will not be deterred from making the run to see a better future.
To all I say, have a happy holiday season and continue in on January 2, 2024 to let no stone be unturned to claim our shared humanity to continue what Joseph R. Biden and team have begun. Remember our engagement is the embodiment of democracy.
The "crime is rising" narrative is the GOP and media, MSM and other, proclaiming the thought fallacy: if you hear a lot about it, it must be common. As someone else mentioned, we never hear about the bazillion packages that are safely delivered everyday--just the porch pirates.
Consider and ask your friend--- if the media picked up on a story about a man biting a dog (the classic definition of "news") and it spread everywhere, with someone ferreting out every time it had happened, and speculating whether it is trend caused by the pandemic and/or required masks, and interviewing veterinarians and psychologists and professors of X or Y or Z, etc. etc.--would your friend start believing that there was a sudden rise in biting of dog crimes?
Thanks for the tips on the slanted stories. I'll be writing.
This is not only true but hysterically funny.
Follow up: The NYT has closed comments on the Matthew Schmitz article after one day. So I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out that while I don't mind op-eds that I disagree with but that I DO expect them to be supported by facts and valid reasoning. I then gave examples of the failure of that article to do either.
I wrote yesterday to the Post newsroom to complain about the James Biden 25 year old non-story, the Post’s news choice bias and their evident desire to restore Trump era corruption to the White House. It’s easy, friends. Just a click away. https://helpcenter.washingtonpost.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002940991-Leadership-of-The-Washington-Post-newsroom
See my comment above: Am wondering if I can create a group-email in gmail that will let me just mass mail all the WaPo leadership in one fell swoop? I'll work on that ...
If a publication thinks it’s being hit by an organized letter-writing *campaign*, they’re likely to ignore the letters. Tons of individually-crafted communications are more likely to be counted.
It won't get through their spam filter if you do that.
I assume you know that from experience; so, what if one sends maybe 2-3 email letters as BCCs at time. Do you think that would get through? Thanks. Was an admin. ass't. for many years but retired 10 yrs. ago so I may be somewhat out of that loop...
If your goal is for it to be seen, I send it to individuals. That’s the most likely way it will get through. Plus LTEs have specific instructions for how to send.
Thanks. I’ve saved the link.
(Also sent this to the writers)
To the editors,
I have been furious with WAPO countless times the past few years for the stilted narratives, manipulations of polling info, and downright slanting of news stories purposefully to put Biden in an unattractive light while at the same time normalizing the behavior of a former and criminal president who has stated his intention of an autocratic takeover. I once held WAPO in high regard which is why I chose to switch from the NYT. Once you were bought by Bezos I suspected this would happen, and it has. Be assured that I will blast you mercilessly on social media and in person. Below I include 2 recent examples, highlights by Robert Hubbell. There are countless more. I sincerely hope you can regain control of unbiased truth in your narratives. If not, please know that the fall of this democracy will rest on your laurels. I will not be renewing my subscription and will counsel all who I know to do the same.
Angry, disgusted, and disappointed,
Lisa Goodale Brinton
Consider Robert's advice re canceling your subscription; that, too, is what I'd planned to do but am reconsidering. If we don't stay in the game, ala Twitter, we in essence cede it to the opposition. You can still say you're not going to renew; my guess is that they're not going to check...
I'm in the same situation; had planned to cancel, but now think writing to them is a better plan.
My renewal is in January, and I definitely will not. NYT is just as guilty unfortunately
Unfortunately, I have zero faith that the WaPo will miss my subscription. If I cancel it'll probably be a wash as someone who does appreciate their journalistic slant will take my place ... I know they definitely aren't going to read my letter and then check to see if I actually cancelled my subscription. NYT is to my mind even worse and I don't have a subscription to it so at least am spared having to be confronted with it everyday!
Isn’t another way of helping shape the narrative to share specific positive articles from other sources? For instance The American Prospect -/https://prospect.org/-- is a terrific progressive publication. It especially highlights Bidens unprecedented support for labor.
Good point!
And send those links to editors of aforementioned sources 😈
Never thought of that! It's a simple but great suggestion: to insert a different and positive resource within the negative and non-factual...
When you read that Trump says and then posts about immigrants "They’re poisoning the blood of our country”, it's practically impossible not to hear the surging racism in that. The fact that 2/3's of his wives are immigrants from Eastern Europe can't just go unmentioned.
This is a point I considered raising, but deleted at the last minute because I didn't want to sound like i was criticizing his wives for immigrating. Stated differently, the "blood" of his children is from immigrants--all of them. Because we are all immigrants in one way or another. America is great because of immigration and will remain great because of immigration.
Of course he and his children think those comments aren't referring to them in the same way every rich person thinks their money exempts them, every brown person who supports the GOP thinks their support exempts them, and as everyone who, as the saying goes, thinks "but I wasn't one of them" so some imagined special status exempts them as the haters come for an ever expanding pool of "others". Yes, I thought "he just called the blood of his own children poisoned".
I think often of the poem by Martin Niemoller: They came for the socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist...
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists
At this moment in our (OUR -The United States) history we must speak out.
Nicely stated, Robert!
Oh, I can criticize Melania. She came on an Einstein visa...say what now?
And this today to letters@nytimes.com.
Re: Matthew Schmitz opinion piece on the moderate Donald Trump.
Shame on the Times for making the choice to publish this inaccurate, distorted picture of Donald Trump as a moderate. To exonerate yourselves with the claim that you seek to provide readers with diverse viewpoints is a sad excuse for irresponsible journalism. At best, it is turning a blind eye to fact; at worst, it is tantamount to aiding and abetting the man who continues to lie, undermine our democratic institutions including the press and would return corruption and chaos to the White House. What were you really thinking?
Good work!
OMG!! Matthew Schmitz hit the bullseye writing truth to power (or should it be “truth to profit?”)
Look--Trump shouldn't even be running for president. He should be in prison right now along with all the other insurgents he rallied to attack the Capitol on January 6. Their company should also include the known insurrectionists in congress as well as the 5 fascists sitting on the SCOTUS. As Commander in Chief, Biden should take "command" of the situation and arrest all of these proven traitors. If such a righteous action sparks a Civil War, so be it. We'll have one anyway if Trump gets back in the White House.
Way back in 1966, I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against fascists like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Victor Orbán, and all the miscreants and sycophants in their anti-democratic orbits, and now in the face of the absurd MAGA spectacle that's unfolded here in America over the last few years, I wonder if that oath really has any weight at all when treasonous actors like Trump and his minions are treated by our dominant media as legitimate candidates for office in a "democracy." What a sad joke!
The point is the time has come for more than "damning editorials in every media outlet in the nation" because most of those media platforms are complicit with Trump's MAGA blueprint for autocracy (Fox News, WaPo, CNN, etc.) in their endeavors to broadcast information designed to "normalize" fascism. The missing binder of raw intelligence on Trump's watch is a case in point, and should be reason enough to bring the rule of law to bear on the Orange Menace, Mark Meadows and all the other accessories to Trump's madness. They should at least be incarcerated until the matter is fully investigated. Unlawful retention of highly classified information is a crime if an ordinary American citizen was the culprit, but Trump and his minions are somehow exempt from the laws that apply to the rest of us. Allowing these criminals to continue their assault on the Constitution without forceful retribution by the DOJ is unconscionable and cowardly.
As for your accurate inference that the Washington Post is an example of the Fourth Estate that has betrayed its role as protector of the Constitution and promoter of democratic values with the Pinocchio story: Amen to that. The "Biggest Pinocchio of 2023" is the idea that the WaPo is a legitimate example of journalistic integrity. It abandoned that purpose long ago and is now a fascist propaganda machine owned by Jeff Bezos, another "normalizer" of fascism.
Speaking as a common citizen with scant knowledge of the law, I probably got it all wrong as far as what's legally possible, but maybe this outburst at the injustice at the heart of all that's going on will help shape the narrative to promote liberty and equality for all even if the proposed remedies are Quixotic. Anyway, thanks for continuing to direct the chorus of voices on this platform dedicated to keeping the fires of democracy burning. Semper Fi.
No, their oaths were worthless, yours was not.
“Look -- Trump shouldn’t even be running for president.”
There is truth to that statement but the reality, as I see it, is that he is running to keep his fat a.. out of jail not to be president.”
He offers himself up to the highest bidder to be their mouthpiece and destroyer carrying out their decades of planning for anti-abortion, unregulated capitalism, white supremacy w/o history that seeks to offer truth, cutting taxes for the wealthy, clinging to the second amendment to hug their guns and ignore mass killings, etc. (Don’t need to go on.)
Watching Ana Cabrera on MSNBC. I was prompted to send this TwiXt:
@AnaCabrera @MSNBC
You just showed Iowa voters expressing anti-immigrant rhetoric echoing DJT. You said ‘That’s the voters’ ... But in fact, they're not “voters” - they all had Trump hats. Implying they represent “voters” is misleading. We support you but - Do better, please.
In discussing the xfire hurricane binder this weekend, one of our party cited instances of a significant number of US "assets" who died as a result of the production of the information in that binder. It would be interesting to run that suggestion to the ground to determine if the harm of leaked information from that "binder" already has occurred. If so, that is bad, indeed, and would suggest complicity between the binder-takers and our enemies.
Thanks. I will research; the story sounds familiar, but we should have support for such claims (if it exists).
The supposedly (ten?) inches of paperwork / over 2,000 pages that went missing (which sounds to me like several binders, surely?) in it's unredacted form contained information that had mostly already been made public but the methods of collection had not, and likely gave Putin access to information he used to identify leaks. Many of the rest of the classified documents recovered from Trump's property also have been reported to have contained human asset information, and I too have read that there was an unusually high loss of assets during that time period, so it's probably a case of not being able to determine if the loss came from sharing classified information in the Crossfire Hurricane files, from sharing classified documents when foreign nationals shared a roof with the files in the bathroom, on the stage, and in the storage room at Mar a Lago, or if the loss of human assets came from admitting Jared (who, you will recall, only got a security clearance after Trump insisted he get one) into the oval office during the morning briefings in general and one in particular where the identities of assets were shared. Jared is reported to have made a trip to UAE shortly thereafter and a crackdown on suspected UAE traitors quickly followed. All of that is out there in various news reports I might be able to dig back up, but you will probably be successful in looking into those issues.
I understand without evidence, one must in good conscience caution that the facts are unproven. In science however, temporal proximity, especially when reproducible or repeated, is generally interpreted as causal. Occam's razor is useful and legitimate and many of our technological and medical breakthroughs depend on functionally accepting it.
I for one am shocked that those responsible for conducting those morning briefings did not choose to withhold sensitive information like names. Surely there is discretion as to what is crucial and necessary to share, even with the President? What earthly need does the President have for such detailed specifics?
We seem to suffer from a dearth of common sense among some of those in our highest positions. As to the care taken with our most sensitive documents... if asked nicely, I'm sure my local librarians would be more than willing to share some of their methods for checking out, recalling, and keeping track of who has any items in their collection.
Please move forward with your search/research.
Robert, I posted a comment in reply to Jean below, but here are some sources that may help:
https://www.cornellpolicyreview.com/the-executive-records-recovered-from-mar-a-lago-and-the-c-i-a-s-missing-informants/?pdf=6365
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/575384-cia-admits-to-losing-dozens-of-informants-around-the-world-nyt/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/17/trump-mar-a-lago-classified-documents-risk-human-sources/7953044001/
Whitney, I have also heard about informants and CIA agents going missing or being killed in large numbers during the trump administration, and in particular, since he left office. I’ve read about this in more than one place over the past several months, but I did not save links to those articles.
In reading your comment, Janet, I find myself shaking my head in disbelief that this could be. And in fear that it may be. On what planet are we living? And in what country?
I ask myself the same questions every day, Jean. I did a quick search after I posted this comment, and here is one of the articles that I found, published in October 2021:
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/575384-cia-admits-to-losing-dozens-of-informants-around-the-world-nyt/
This one was published by Cornell Policy Review:
https://www.cornellpolicyreview.com/the-executive-records-recovered-from-mar-a-lago-and-the-c-i-a-s-missing-informants/?pdf=6365
And, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Robert, if you see this, it might help with your research.
I went back up and replied directly to Robert with some sources he could use, as he said he would be researching this. Donald Trump is a one-man criminal enterprise and wrecking ball, and literally a danger to planet earth, not just this country.
At times, it's difficult to be hopeful the madness will ever end. I somehow trust you understand the feeling, Janet.
Yes, I do. That’s why I look forward to reading Robert’s newsletters every day.
I'm with you. I go to sleep at night in anticipation of reading (and listening) in the morning. Looking for news of hope.
For truth. Integrity. Wisdom.
And connection to this community of like-minded people. Grateful you're a part of it, Janet.
I am not a conspiracy theorist. I have seen this information in numerous reliable sources; I only just posted two that were easy to grab. I’ll wait to see what Robert says in the future.
What you say is SO critical. When I was in school in the 1940's in NYC my teachers uised to chide disruptive students with the adage, " the empty barrel makes the most noise." This seems to apply to the issue you raise. We hear too much from the MAGA folks, and not nearly enough about the good work Biden is doing. Thank you for brining this up.
the empty brain?
There is little to be gained by raging and fuming at WaPo, the NYTimes or CNN, for their tacit support of Fascism. Your suggested tactic, and reader Jonathan's efforts, are far more productive. The time may come for vehemence and active resistance-should Trump somehow win in 2024, but for now, let us play the long game.
You’ve given us good and helpful advice, Robert. Thanks!