Thank you always Robert!! Hi all, If you can help, every postcard could be a vote:
WE NEED HELP WITH POSTCARDS for PostcardsToVotersr.org so we can get through big lists for toss-up races for Congressional candidates Josh Riley for NY, Rep Yadira Caraveo for CO, and Rep. Matt Cartwright for PA, as well as for two Michigan Supreme Court seats (one needs to win to keep the majority, and the cards will help for Senate and Harris too!), James Skoufis for NY, Ashwin Ramaswami in GA, and Allie Phillips in TN.
Deadline to mail is Tuesday from a PO, unless you are in the state or an adjacent state and then it’s Wednesday!
I just wrote 200 postcards and I'm sort of postcarded out, especially as I work to deadlines. I could maybe take on 50 more, but I don't have the time to do hundreds. Is a small batch possible? Also, my printer is broken, so I can't download and print anything.
FYI, everyone--the post office is eliminating most of its blue drop boxes. I found that out when I drove the PO to drop off the cards. Just be aware you'll have to either go inside, or find another way to get them in the mail.
50 more would be amazing! Even 20 more would be wonderful! Sorry about your printer!
Have you joined PostcardsToVoters.org? You can get just 4 addresses at a time if you want. And the lists of addresses are great because they come from the campaigns. It's really easy to join. And now super easy to get addresses from Web Abby at Abby.PostcardsToVoters.org Thank you! I love that we volunteers are a super giant team so each person can do what works for them.
I like to mail from inside a PO but not good if all blue boxes disappear.
I just signed up to get the last nine names - that's how many cards I have left. :D They sure make you jump through hoops, though. I had to write and send a photo of a sample card before they'll "let" me participate. It seems a little heavy=handed to "approve" volunteers. Of course I did it, but . . . wow.
I have nine postcards left. I supposed I could just write the message on my own stationery. I don't think I have time to order most cards from Vote Forward; I'll have to use what I have here.
what ever happened to the postcard run for janelle in PA? she was the one i wanted to write for, and it recently disappeared, as did the one for will rollins.
PostcardsToVoters.org did not have Janelle Stelson up. She's a terrific candidate. She didn't sign up with PTV. for PA PTV volunteers completed BIG list for Chris Deluzio and are nearing end of list for Matt Cartwright in PA. We completed the list for Will Rollins last night...also tens of thousands for Will. Yay!! They are all fantastic candidates.
I cancelled my subscriptions to WaPo and Amazon Prime. I will look for ways to source items I need locally or from alternative mail order to shut Amazon out of my life. And minimize what I spend at WholeFoods. Infinitesimally small drop in the bucket I know. But. I am not going to be a part of Bezos empire any more.
The great blue wave coming very soon will give us the last laugh over Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Tax code change, monopolies broken up and corporations no longer allowed to buy governance over the people.
I think it was our former Massachusetts governor, Michael Dukakis, who started calling them Whole Paycheck. But I found out about that from Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers, aka the Cartalk guys.
Sigh...I canceled WaPo immediately, but loosing Prime will be tough. We live in the middle of nowhere and I rely on it for many items, but I'm telling myself that there will be greater inconveniences if djt is elected.
I have never had a prime membership, rarely order through Amazon since as others have said, there are usually other sources, and don’t shop at Whole Foods, because of Amazon labor practices. But have kept my WaPo subscription for the many good columnists like Jennifer Rubin.
An irony of this uproar is that, had the LA Times and WaPo owners left their editorial boards alone, the result would have been quiet “uh-huhs” from the left, little more. The owners made it into an issue by stepping into it.
Ellie I hope you are correct as I worry about AI taking space otherwise occupied by the likes of those named. Artificial Intelligence can cure almost any ill. The issue is who controls the platforms as based on recent history there is room for much concern.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I'm wondering if these actions by LAT and WaPo are less about their owners' own unaided decision and more like some behind the scenes extortion. We know trump is cheating, and we know that he's doing so from all directions. Could this be?
As I commented in Lucian Truscott's posting yesterday, (https://substack.com/home/post/p-150736842?source=queue), the publishers (Bezos) and plutocrats (Musk) think they are hedging their bets and protecting their wealth. Little do they realize: publishers and plutocrats did the same during the rise of the Third Reich only to be purged by Hitler in the Night of the Long Knives and thereafter.
Whatever explains it, it stands as a blatant failure of wealthy men who should not own the public space of journalism. We have a momentous fight ahead of us in the days to come. Let’s hope it only plays out in the courts for a win the men, women, and children of the United States of America can be proud to embrace.
Bob, your on to something, but the conspiracy runs deep, and it may not even need to be transactional or conscious. I think what is going on with WAPO and LATimes is partly cowardice, but really what could Trump now or - God forbid - in a coming presidency do to him? Even if he shuts down the paper? And maybe a bit of conspiracy, but Bezos and others seemingly LIKE Trump, or more accurately, they like the performative masculinity B.S. of "real men" in charge and they want a piece of that action. No editorial board is going to tell them what to do? And like so many bullies they are scared and pathetic, but, Man, does it feel good to prance ( like Musk) on the stage with the former President of the United States and get these yokels (i.e., all of us in the American electorate who think their votes actually matter) to vote for the tyranny that will leave them poorer, sicker, and more miserable. Like Trump, they see the rest of us as suckers who live for the day when we can have a self-driven car before the rest of the guys. They want to stand with the cartoon man Trump because for all their financial success, they are cartoon men too. I can imagine Bezos going to bed wondering, "Why didn't Trump ask me to prance on the stage with him? I thought I was his best friend." The men will not ever recognize their fear that a woman might be smarter, wiser, and a better leader than they are. There are profound but simple reasons why there are so few really powerful, smart, savvy women at the top of corporate America and in the halls of power. Bezos, Musk, and Trump, whatever their differences and even their on-again-and-off again hatred for and rivalry with one another will coalesce around each other because of what they love (themselves and the conviction that they are the smartest men in the world and they have earned every bit of their money and power) and what they hate (being told, "No, you're wrong. That's stupid. You're not right."), and fear (women, like Kamala Harris, Anne Applebaum, Hillary Clinton, Joy Reid, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Rubin, and millions of others who are smarter, tougher, and wiser, more successful, and see through their masks at the little boys on the street corner that they are; and the men for whom they have contempt -- the legions of men they see as "pencil-necked" weaklings -- the bureaucrats, academics, public servants, soldiers, and intellectuals like Anthony Fauci, Jack Smith, the Lincoln Project's Stuart Stevens, Tim Snyder, Robert Hubbell, Ta-Nahesi Coates, Eddie Glaude, David Hogg, John McCain, and millions of others who are physically, mentally, and spiritually tougher than they will ever be). And they have to find new ways to exert their power and reinforce their importance. Trump is adroit at seeing that weakness in other wannabe kings of the hill, and that and delusional mendacity are two of his greatest winning attributes. Electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can be one great step toward saving American women and American men from the evil that this fraudulent masculinity breeds not only in America, but around the world.
The difference I see between these people and most of us here, and these people and women in general, is that we and women want to take CARE of others, while they want to take ADVANTAGE of others. I don't want to gain at someone else's expense. I believe we should just take what we need and leave some for the rest. I don't begrudge someone's success, but I draw the line between care and advantage.
Thanks, Michael. I was aiming for a term other than the oft-heard "toxic masculinity," because that strikes me as too restrictive, as though all masculinity is toxic. Having served a men's college for 7 years as president, I saw some negative examples of masculinity, but I also saw the positive benefits of authentic, proud masculinity. Trump embodies a very toxic variety of fraudulent masculinity. Thanks for your close reading of my efforts and your many good comments on this substack.
I'm not sure how the extortion plays out Bob. "You have a really nice multi-million dollar newspaper here; be a shame if anything happened to it" just doesn't have the right ring. Trying to have one's cake and ensure an ongoing supply is more reasonable.
How about: "You betrayed me. I am destroying your newspapers, and you are going to prison for treason." That's in the recipe book for Fascist behavior. As Bob points out, the NPR article says it bluntly: "On the campaign trail and in interviews, Trump has suggested that if he regains the White House, he will exact vengeance on news outlets that anger him."
I understand that, but, absent the Presidency, what power does Trump have? He lacks the wealth that Bezos, Murdock, or Zuckerberg have, and if he is out of the political game the foreigners he considers friends will drop him like the hot mess he is. At least one of these yokels should have figured out that you don't beat a bully by giving in to him and Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his cowardice in the face of a strong adverse response to his behavior.
He doesn't plan to be "absent the presidency," and will cheat and create chaos to improve his chances. I'm suggesting that it's not out of the realm of possibility that his team made it clear that if they endorsed Vice President Harris and he wins, he'll make them sorry. Not endorsing her makes it look like tacit endorsement of him, so they may just be trying to hedge their bets and are playing into his tiny hands. It's not an excuse for sure, but perhaps a plausible explanation.
Pascal's Wager: I'll believe in God, because if there is a God I'll be fine. If there isn't a God, it won't make any difference. Also the motto of the conscienceless billionaires currently running our nation, i.e. if the orange sadist wins, so do I; if he loses, it won't make any difference.
A genuine deity wouldn't be offended by disbelief among mortals who had never seen said deity. The sort of deity that would smite people for non-belief is the one that's imagined by little people.
I divested from Amazon in April so here are my recommendations for shopping outside the Bezos orbit.
Instead of Amazon for essentials: order from Target. Their online store is growing, there are deals, and they’re marginally less evil than Amazon / Walmart.
Instead of Prime Video: there are a million streaming services these days with way better original content.
Instead of Audible: use your local library (mine loans them over Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy). Or buy them from Libro.fm or Bookshop.org where proceeds go to local bookstores
Instead of the Washington Post, subscribe to your local newspaper.
Instead of Whole Foods: most grocery stores have a wider range of specialty foods these days. But I also know some people who love Thrive Market & Imperfect Produce.
The absolute best thing you can do is buy from local businesses whenever you can. Get your dog food from the little pet shop down the street, your books from the indie bookstore, your produce from the farmer’s market.
Buying secondhand (at your local thrift store or via online reseller sites like Depop) and using your public libraries are two great low-to-no cost options.
Sure, it’s less convenient than adding to cart & 2-day shipping without leaving your house, but it’s important to invest in your community!
I also realize my suggestions are not affordable to everyone, and that’s okay. I am fully aware of my privilege so I try to practice what I preach. But it’s not your moral failing if you can’t do this.
And remember, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. My suggestions aren’t perfect. Just do your best without going broke and give yourself grace.
Thanks Erica. I do a lot of that already, and moving the things I buy from Amazon as a convenience will be pretty straightforward, the rest will take some research and that will be a worthwhile investment of my time.
My dog eats people food. Raw chicken thighs, beef liver, eggs, and the mix of vegetables that I feed myself. That's why she still looks healthy, and can still run fast at 12. Her forebears, fed roughly the same diet, have lived to 17.
But I'll be looking into Target and some of your other suggestions.
I will tell you can live without Amazon. I haven't ordered from them in over four years. There are a lot of sources out there. One just has to do a little more searching. (I didn't have Amazon Prime.) I told my friends I will order from Amazon again when a majority of the fulfilment centers are unionized.
I gave up buying at Whole Foods long ago. I don't miss it. The main problem I have is that, even though it is very limited, WAPO is the main source of local news for my part of MD. I can cancel my Amazon Prime membership, which will be symbolic more than anything else. Perhaps that is the main point of doing it? I looked through a list of corporations owned by Bezos that is published online. It is a very long list. Capitalism at its best.
Here's what i just posted in the WaPo: "Past news reporter here, and I just cancelled my subscription. My son has already cancelled (plus Prime); and my former husband, a well-known regional journalist, is considering cancelling. This is not easy for some of us! There, just had to get that off my chest.
"Oh yeah, someone wrote about this, that one of the really dark signs is when people and institutions give in to fascism BEFORE absolutely necessary ("Do not obey in advance"--Timothy Snyder). Eh, Bezos?"
I cancelled wapo, nyt, amazon prime. Elon musk is harder for me, i own a tesla and starlink is very important to us as we are about to circumnavigate on our sailboat next month (assuming trump doesn’t win and the entire world becomes very dangerous.) I signed two petitions about elon musk and his defense contracts - lame in the face of all he has done.
Thanks to Joe Biden for extending a formal apology to the Native American community for the awful Indian Boarding schools. And for appointing Deb Haaland (Pueblo) as Secretary of the Interior. Hope she stays on in the Harris administration.
Karen, I too hope Deb Haaland remains as she continues to fight for Native American rights.The tragedy of the Indian Boarding schools must never happen again…
“Abortion was never readily available to Native Americans, thanks to a federal law that has prohibited nearly all abortions at Indian Health Service clinics since 1976. That’s always meant traveling long distances for the procedure.
But now states with some of the largest Indigenous populations also have some of the strictest restrictions on abortion: places like North and South Dakota and Oklahoma, home to the Cherokee Nation, the second-largest tribe in the U.S. with over 300,000 enrolled members.”
Found it. Although it seems a little out of focus just like WA Post. Corporate media is not going to change. The town hall meeting with Kamala was more like an interview. Anderson Cooper kept trying to grill her instead of doing the Q&A. Maybe he wanted her to sway to music. Friday night’s rally was exceptional. So much enthusiasm. No empty sears and nobody slinking down the aisles to leave. She was on fire. IMO we continue to call out the media and maybe something will cause them to see the light. Step two is we are in this to win it. Volunteer if you are able. Keep talking about the differences in the choices. Vote early if you can. Most importantly, VOTE BLUE up and down the ballot. We want to press ahead and never go back!
I think Kierkegaard captures the essence of what it means to flunk the test Trump presents to each of us. Roughly quoting - "The greatest hazard of all, losing one's self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss - an arm, a leg, five dollars, a spouse, etc - is sure to be noticed." It utterly baffles me how so many millions can look at him, and not see what so many others can't stop seeing.
My concern, Greg, is that so many of the millions who behold the grotesque and ugly spectacle that trump presents completely understand what they are seeing -- and they like it.
I think they like it too. I’m in a local county political group where I am trying to share information that they would never see otherwise and the hateful way they speak to me and about immigrants etc demonstrates their love for the cruelty.
Jack, I'm afraid of that, too! I grew up in a small Midwestern town. Way too many of the folks I know are angry and bitter. Many of them have done quite well, too. I left the area but ended up working remotely with people from all over the states. Too many of the white males have that same attitude. I've tried to understand the steps they followed to get to MAGA-land. It seems like at some point someone just makes a leap of faith - to steal another phrase from Kierkegaard. Once they've drank the Kool-Aid it's like they have some sort of filtering that keeps you nice and snug. I understand that. I don't understand the anger and resentment that precedes it - how that developed. I tell myself that supposedly many Trump voters aren't MAGA. Presumably they are more reachable. But nonetheless, I do fear what you and Kathy fear!
I regret to say – and fear – that many people see in Trump something akin to their imagined selves. Like George Wallace of decades ago, Trump dares to say what ordinary (normal?) people are afraid to articulate.
Washington Post editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes produced a brilliant visual eulogy. If you cannot access the whole picture, you'll still get the idea:
LA Times owner did even worse than the first reporting. He not only vetoed the endorsement of Kamala Harris--without any published explanation; he killed a multi-part series on "The Case Against Trump" that was planned to precede the endorsement:
For those of you still on Twitter, Aaron Rupar is an invaluable source of realtime reporting on rallies and press events by the candidates. He also publishes Public Notice on Substack, but it lags behind his twitter feed.
Thank you for sharing these alternatives. Even before this refusal-to-endorse event, I felt we were seeing a real change in traditional news coverage, evidenced by:
—horrible, even technically inaccurate, headlines
—the choice of blah, weak words and sentences, in an attempt to sound neutral perhaps, but resulting in losing all meaning
—(TV) an increases amount of panel discussions devoid of participants with any more expertise than I have…sorta like filming a discussion with my friends and me. Nothing to learn,
I have found myself relying more and more on Substacks like Robert’s for straight, accurate NEWS, albeit not comprehensive.
Absolutely, misleading headlines were the thin edge of the wedge for me and prompted my first wave of media cancellations. The panel "discussions" on both CNN and MSNBC have sometimes been too infuriating to continue watching. On the bright side, my local newspaper is the Philadelphia Inquirer. In addition, I have free time to catch up on New Yorker articles which are so comprehensive and well researched that they remain relevant.
What a great question. Thank you Ellie. Christian Science Monitor, The Boston Globe, McClatchy newspapers such as The Charlotte Observer, The News and Observer ( Raleigh, NC ), Austin American Statesman. Atlantic magazine.
For political info closer to home check out www.StatesNewsroom.com to see if your state has a local press. I’m very impressed with the reporting and thorough legislative coverage by the Florida Phoenix. I know Colorado and Arizona both have affiliates in the States Newsroom.
When Victor Orbán began turning Hungary into a fascist dictatorship, he started, like Hitler, through the electoral process. He took over the media by auctioning them off to his oligarch cronies. Now, there’s hardly any opposition media of note in Hungary. You think it can’t happen here? Well, hold your horses. The media conglomerates are owned by our oligarchs, (here we refer to them as billionaires, but they are true oligarchs). They hate paying their fair share of taxes and can’t wait for Trump to win. And so, unlike an Orban taking over the media and selling them to his oligarch cronies, our oligarch owners are freely offering themselves to a would- be fascist (should he win) so they can get their way—no regulation, massive tax cuts, and free to purchase our politicians. Can’t happen here? It’s already happening. CNN is Fox-lite. The NYT, WAPO and LA Times plus the Wall Street Journal are heading the way of TASS and Al Ahram. It really doesn’t take long for freedoms and cherished institutions we took for granted and respected to collapse under oligarchy. Employees of these institutions are stuck. They have families and mortgages to take care of. Resignations will be few and they have no choice but to play along in order to survive. Brave new world indeed.
Thank you Robert. While I too “unsubscribed” to WaPo, I’m grateful for the opportunity to “subscribe” to you and other voices of democracy on Substack. Democracy does indeed “Thrive in the Light” of truth. You are deeply appreciated.
I think Susan Sheu and Rebecca Solnit shared forcefully on Facebook.
Ms. Sheu says:
So, once upon a time I was a professional writer, and I care a lot about writing and journalism and truth and integrity and all that nerdy old fashioned stuff. And I am also mad as hell like a lot of people I know and have canceled both my Los Angeles Times and Washington Post subscriptions. (I hear you when you say that the journalists need the money and will suffer more than the billionaire owners who made the faschy decisions to overrule their own editorial boards and refuse to allow their newspapers/media organizations endorse Harris for president. But I also think that journalists and editors should be taking immediate collective action, which might involve a little financial discomfort, and they should do it right now. In the mean time, I'm cutting off my small contribution to their complicit bosses' bottom line.)
I canceled my subscription to the Post as well. I don't see that there is any alternative. There aren't a lot of way to express one's opposition and disgust to what the Post is doing and to stand up to incipient fascism.
Freedom of the press has always been freedom for those who own the presses. The internet has changed that to some extent and the Post has unwittingly accelerated that change. The Post's many employees are caught in the wringer of that change due to no fault of their own, but right is right and the right thing to do in this situation is to stand up to wannabe dictators, bullies and cowardly billionaires who abdicate their responsibilities that come with their wealth. What is the point of having virtually infinite resources if you can't and won't say f**k you to power?
The Post employees are not potted plants. They could take collective action. While I am not blaming them, they are not powerless. Indeed, many of them have very high profiles. Bezos hates bad publicity. A writers' strike would be horrible publicity--worse than the cowardly decision not to endorse.
I cancelled the Washington Post. I read Collision of Power Trump, Bezos and the Washington Post by Martin (Marty) Baron (2023)and was impressed with Bezo not giving in to Trump. Today he did.
I cancelled the post for a second time. I signed back on as they seemed to be leaning toward realistic journalism. I then cancelled Amazon Prime. A commenter under Richard Reich Substack offered the following.
"You can stop ordering from Amazon entirely, usually very easily. Two steps:
1. Copy the name of what you are thinking of buying on Amazon. Include the brand name.
2. Then paste it into your search engine. You will usually get multiple options of the item. Most are the same price, some are less. And if you buy it directly from the actual manufacturer, you cut out the middleman for them."
This morning I was actually able to sleep until 4 am. Then I woke up to more horrible news: Netanyahu bombing Tehran. Don't both countries have the capability to manufacture nuclear weapons? Also, a report by Julian Borger in The Guardian, US edition, stated that Musk has been in regular contact with Putin for over two years. Is that treason? It's not like he was going to manufacture Teslas in Russia. He's doing that in Mexico now. Why wasn't Biden's national security team on to Musk's behavior? Now more than ever we need a smart, intelligent, healthy woman, VP Kamala Harris, as President with Governor Tim Walz at her side. How could any half way intelligent person vote for an avowed fascist who sundowns regularly and whose dementia is increasing daily and the man who wrote the introduction to Project 2025? Fortunately, as soon as it is light out I will be taking a walk with a neighbor who is a Psychologist. This will be calming. Don't believe the polls. Do whatever you can for the next ten days.
I was shocked when I read the WaPo's decision. Cancelled my subscriptions and I feel very good about it.
I watched the entire Charlemagne and Anderson Cooper interaction the other evening. I have always had tremendous respect for Anderson Cooper. I was very disappointed to say the least in how he handled the interview. I plan to watch the "talented" (Cooper's words) journalists on MSNBC.
Anderson Cooper also dissed MSNBC several times, saying, "There's a reason I am not on MSNBC" and referred to their on air talent as "blow dry anchors" --and then quickly corrected himself by saying, "I am one of them too."
One word – UNSUBSCRIBE! Robert, I'm glad you made that decision.
WaPo and LATimes - -outrageous and indefensible. Send a message - do it now! Following my decision months ago to unsubscribe from the NYTimes, I unsubscribed from both today.
We need to hasten the demise of legacy media - it is dangerous and failing to protect our democracy. I hear people say: there are good journalists who work there, ones I respect and want to read. Of course there are - but all of them, in good conscience, should resign and find other outlets -- Substack, on-line news sources, the Guardian etc. I hope the journalists will do the needful (like WaPo Editor-at-Large Robert Kagan) — resign, stand up for our democracy.
Thank you always Robert!! Hi all, If you can help, every postcard could be a vote:
WE NEED HELP WITH POSTCARDS for PostcardsToVotersr.org so we can get through big lists for toss-up races for Congressional candidates Josh Riley for NY, Rep Yadira Caraveo for CO, and Rep. Matt Cartwright for PA, as well as for two Michigan Supreme Court seats (one needs to win to keep the majority, and the cards will help for Senate and Harris too!), James Skoufis for NY, Ashwin Ramaswami in GA, and Allie Phillips in TN.
Deadline to mail is Tuesday from a PO, unless you are in the state or an adjacent state and then it’s Wednesday!
To join PTV, email postcards@TonyTheDemocrat.org If you already joined, PTV has a brand new easy-to-use webpage to get addresses and script. Go to Abby.postcardstovoters.org to get started!
I just wrote 200 postcards and I'm sort of postcarded out, especially as I work to deadlines. I could maybe take on 50 more, but I don't have the time to do hundreds. Is a small batch possible? Also, my printer is broken, so I can't download and print anything.
FYI, everyone--the post office is eliminating most of its blue drop boxes. I found that out when I drove the PO to drop off the cards. Just be aware you'll have to either go inside, or find another way to get them in the mail.
50 more would be amazing! Even 20 more would be wonderful! Sorry about your printer!
Have you joined PostcardsToVoters.org? You can get just 4 addresses at a time if you want. And the lists of addresses are great because they come from the campaigns. It's really easy to join. And now super easy to get addresses from Web Abby at Abby.PostcardsToVoters.org Thank you! I love that we volunteers are a super giant team so each person can do what works for them.
I like to mail from inside a PO but not good if all blue boxes disappear.
I just signed up to get the last nine names - that's how many cards I have left. :D They sure make you jump through hoops, though. I had to write and send a photo of a sample card before they'll "let" me participate. It seems a little heavy=handed to "approve" volunteers. Of course I did it, but . . . wow.
I have nine postcards left. I supposed I could just write the message on my own stationery. I don't think I have time to order most cards from Vote Forward; I'll have to use what I have here.
what ever happened to the postcard run for janelle in PA? she was the one i wanted to write for, and it recently disappeared, as did the one for will rollins.
PostcardsToVoters.org did not have Janelle Stelson up. She's a terrific candidate. She didn't sign up with PTV. for PA PTV volunteers completed BIG list for Chris Deluzio and are nearing end of list for Matt Cartwright in PA. We completed the list for Will Rollins last night...also tens of thousands for Will. Yay!! They are all fantastic candidates.
Belinda .. and everyone else, Vote Forward still has letters to write and mail before 10/29. We are writing for Will Rollins right now.
I cancelled my subscriptions to WaPo and Amazon Prime. I will look for ways to source items I need locally or from alternative mail order to shut Amazon out of my life. And minimize what I spend at WholeFoods. Infinitesimally small drop in the bucket I know. But. I am not going to be a part of Bezos empire any more.
The great blue wave coming very soon will give us the last laugh over Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Tax code change, monopolies broken up and corporations no longer allowed to buy governance over the people.
🤞🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏
From your mouth…
Oh, yes, please!!!
I cancelled WAPO and Amazon Prime and totally forgot Whole Foods. Thank you Sky 777 although that will be a tough one to replace.
Yeah, I've gotta cancel Amazon Prime. I have cancelled WaPo and the NYT and refuse to shop at Whole Paycheck but forgot about Prime.
I think it was our former Massachusetts governor, Michael Dukakis, who started calling them Whole Paycheck. But I found out about that from Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers, aka the Cartalk guys.
Sigh...I canceled WaPo immediately, but loosing Prime will be tough. We live in the middle of nowhere and I rely on it for many items, but I'm telling myself that there will be greater inconveniences if djt is elected.
An opportunity for Sprouts to go nationwide. I go there when I’m in Arizona. Would LOVE to have one here in MA.
Sh!t. I forgot about Whole Foods. That one will be hard to replace.
I know. We have options in our town, fortunately.
I have never had a prime membership, rarely order through Amazon since as others have said, there are usually other sources, and don’t shop at Whole Foods, because of Amazon labor practices. But have kept my WaPo subscription for the many good columnists like Jennifer Rubin.
We should get Jennifer Rubin on Substack so she can cut ties with Bezos
I'd gladly send the $$$ that I spent on WaPo to a former WaPo writers' Substack.
GREAT idea!! There are so many good writers, but their pens have been stopped by the fascist billionaires.
That would be great! She's terrific!
I no longer can drive, so Amazon has been a godsend for me. I can't let myself think about it.
There are others stores who deliver! Krogers/King Sooper for one.
Not everyone has that luxury. I live in the boonies and there are no delivery services here.
It's not groceries. Those are already delivered. It's about every single every other thing I use!
An irony of this uproar is that, had the LA Times and WaPo owners left their editorial boards alone, the result would have been quiet “uh-huhs” from the left, little more. The owners made it into an issue by stepping into it.
Ellie I hope you are correct as I worry about AI taking space otherwise occupied by the likes of those named. Artificial Intelligence can cure almost any ill. The issue is who controls the platforms as based on recent history there is room for much concern.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I'm wondering if these actions by LAT and WaPo are less about their owners' own unaided decision and more like some behind the scenes extortion. We know trump is cheating, and we know that he's doing so from all directions. Could this be?
Don’t know if it’s extortion but certainly mirrors Timothy Snyder’s obeying in advance.
target!
Hi, I see it not as extortion as much as greed. I have a hunch Elon Musk bribed them.
As I commented in Lucian Truscott's posting yesterday, (https://substack.com/home/post/p-150736842?source=queue), the publishers (Bezos) and plutocrats (Musk) think they are hedging their bets and protecting their wealth. Little do they realize: publishers and plutocrats did the same during the rise of the Third Reich only to be purged by Hitler in the Night of the Long Knives and thereafter.
In today's Weekender by TPM, Josh Kovensky writes "the oligarch only gets to play so long as the king is happy." (https://talkingpointsmemo.com/the-weekender/putins-little-finger)
Cowards.
Whatever explains it, it stands as a blatant failure of wealthy men who should not own the public space of journalism. We have a momentous fight ahead of us in the days to come. Let’s hope it only plays out in the courts for a win the men, women, and children of the United States of America can be proud to embrace.
Bob, your on to something, but the conspiracy runs deep, and it may not even need to be transactional or conscious. I think what is going on with WAPO and LATimes is partly cowardice, but really what could Trump now or - God forbid - in a coming presidency do to him? Even if he shuts down the paper? And maybe a bit of conspiracy, but Bezos and others seemingly LIKE Trump, or more accurately, they like the performative masculinity B.S. of "real men" in charge and they want a piece of that action. No editorial board is going to tell them what to do? And like so many bullies they are scared and pathetic, but, Man, does it feel good to prance ( like Musk) on the stage with the former President of the United States and get these yokels (i.e., all of us in the American electorate who think their votes actually matter) to vote for the tyranny that will leave them poorer, sicker, and more miserable. Like Trump, they see the rest of us as suckers who live for the day when we can have a self-driven car before the rest of the guys. They want to stand with the cartoon man Trump because for all their financial success, they are cartoon men too. I can imagine Bezos going to bed wondering, "Why didn't Trump ask me to prance on the stage with him? I thought I was his best friend." The men will not ever recognize their fear that a woman might be smarter, wiser, and a better leader than they are. There are profound but simple reasons why there are so few really powerful, smart, savvy women at the top of corporate America and in the halls of power. Bezos, Musk, and Trump, whatever their differences and even their on-again-and-off again hatred for and rivalry with one another will coalesce around each other because of what they love (themselves and the conviction that they are the smartest men in the world and they have earned every bit of their money and power) and what they hate (being told, "No, you're wrong. That's stupid. You're not right."), and fear (women, like Kamala Harris, Anne Applebaum, Hillary Clinton, Joy Reid, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Rubin, and millions of others who are smarter, tougher, and wiser, more successful, and see through their masks at the little boys on the street corner that they are; and the men for whom they have contempt -- the legions of men they see as "pencil-necked" weaklings -- the bureaucrats, academics, public servants, soldiers, and intellectuals like Anthony Fauci, Jack Smith, the Lincoln Project's Stuart Stevens, Tim Snyder, Robert Hubbell, Ta-Nahesi Coates, Eddie Glaude, David Hogg, John McCain, and millions of others who are physically, mentally, and spiritually tougher than they will ever be). And they have to find new ways to exert their power and reinforce their importance. Trump is adroit at seeing that weakness in other wannabe kings of the hill, and that and delusional mendacity are two of his greatest winning attributes. Electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can be one great step toward saving American women and American men from the evil that this fraudulent masculinity breeds not only in America, but around the world.
The difference I see between these people and most of us here, and these people and women in general, is that we and women want to take CARE of others, while they want to take ADVANTAGE of others. I don't want to gain at someone else's expense. I believe we should just take what we need and leave some for the rest. I don't begrudge someone's success, but I draw the line between care and advantage.
So well said Bob.
Good for you!! 👏👏
“Fraudulent masculinity” –
Thank you for the phrase, Patrick White.
Thanks, Michael. I was aiming for a term other than the oft-heard "toxic masculinity," because that strikes me as too restrictive, as though all masculinity is toxic. Having served a men's college for 7 years as president, I saw some negative examples of masculinity, but I also saw the positive benefits of authentic, proud masculinity. Trump embodies a very toxic variety of fraudulent masculinity. Thanks for your close reading of my efforts and your many good comments on this substack.
I'm not sure how the extortion plays out Bob. "You have a really nice multi-million dollar newspaper here; be a shame if anything happened to it" just doesn't have the right ring. Trying to have one's cake and ensure an ongoing supply is more reasonable.
How about: "You betrayed me. I am destroying your newspapers, and you are going to prison for treason." That's in the recipe book for Fascist behavior. As Bob points out, the NPR article says it bluntly: "On the campaign trail and in interviews, Trump has suggested that if he regains the White House, he will exact vengeance on news outlets that anger him."
Actually, Dave, I think it does. He's vowed to go after anyone who goes against him.
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/22/nx-s1-5161480/trump-media-threats-abc-cbs-60-minutes-journalists
I understand that, but, absent the Presidency, what power does Trump have? He lacks the wealth that Bezos, Murdock, or Zuckerberg have, and if he is out of the political game the foreigners he considers friends will drop him like the hot mess he is. At least one of these yokels should have figured out that you don't beat a bully by giving in to him and Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his cowardice in the face of a strong adverse response to his behavior.
He doesn't plan to be "absent the presidency," and will cheat and create chaos to improve his chances. I'm suggesting that it's not out of the realm of possibility that his team made it clear that if they endorsed Vice President Harris and he wins, he'll make them sorry. Not endorsing her makes it look like tacit endorsement of him, so they may just be trying to hedge their bets and are playing into his tiny hands. It's not an excuse for sure, but perhaps a plausible explanation.
Certainly plausible, I just prefer standing up to bullies and Bezos is certainly well positioned to do that.
Pascal's Wager: I'll believe in God, because if there is a God I'll be fine. If there isn't a God, it won't make any difference. Also the motto of the conscienceless billionaires currently running our nation, i.e. if the orange sadist wins, so do I; if he loses, it won't make any difference.
A genuine deity wouldn't be offended by disbelief among mortals who had never seen said deity. The sort of deity that would smite people for non-belief is the one that's imagined by little people.
Good summary!
Would not be surprised.
I divested from Amazon in April so here are my recommendations for shopping outside the Bezos orbit.
Instead of Amazon for essentials: order from Target. Their online store is growing, there are deals, and they’re marginally less evil than Amazon / Walmart.
Instead of Prime Video: there are a million streaming services these days with way better original content.
Instead of Audible: use your local library (mine loans them over Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy). Or buy them from Libro.fm or Bookshop.org where proceeds go to local bookstores
Instead of the Washington Post, subscribe to your local newspaper.
Instead of Whole Foods: most grocery stores have a wider range of specialty foods these days. But I also know some people who love Thrive Market & Imperfect Produce.
The absolute best thing you can do is buy from local businesses whenever you can. Get your dog food from the little pet shop down the street, your books from the indie bookstore, your produce from the farmer’s market.
Buying secondhand (at your local thrift store or via online reseller sites like Depop) and using your public libraries are two great low-to-no cost options.
Sure, it’s less convenient than adding to cart & 2-day shipping without leaving your house, but it’s important to invest in your community!
I also realize my suggestions are not affordable to everyone, and that’s okay. I am fully aware of my privilege so I try to practice what I preach. But it’s not your moral failing if you can’t do this.
And remember, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. My suggestions aren’t perfect. Just do your best without going broke and give yourself grace.
Thanks Erica. I do a lot of that already, and moving the things I buy from Amazon as a convenience will be pretty straightforward, the rest will take some research and that will be a worthwhile investment of my time.
My dog eats people food. Raw chicken thighs, beef liver, eggs, and the mix of vegetables that I feed myself. That's why she still looks healthy, and can still run fast at 12. Her forebears, fed roughly the same diet, have lived to 17.
But I'll be looking into Target and some of your other suggestions.
Unfortunately my local paper is the LA Times. But I hear you.
I will tell you can live without Amazon. I haven't ordered from them in over four years. There are a lot of sources out there. One just has to do a little more searching. (I didn't have Amazon Prime.) I told my friends I will order from Amazon again when a majority of the fulfilment centers are unionized.
Yes and Amazon free shipping is not. The shipping costs are built in to the product price.
Amen. Yes their labor practices are why I have stayed away from them for years.
You won't be alone. I'd already canceled WaPo, and losing Amazon completely will be a challenge, but it will be done.
I gave up buying at Whole Foods long ago. I don't miss it. The main problem I have is that, even though it is very limited, WAPO is the main source of local news for my part of MD. I can cancel my Amazon Prime membership, which will be symbolic more than anything else. Perhaps that is the main point of doing it? I looked through a list of corporations owned by Bezos that is published online. It is a very long list. Capitalism at its best.
I’m dropping a small bit into the same bucket.
Thank you, Sky 777, for your fortitude and moral backbone.
Bravo!! Good point, cancel Amazon Prime, didn't think of that. Did cancel NYTimes and WAPO - cowards. Gave extra money to the Guardian.
Here's what i just posted in the WaPo: "Past news reporter here, and I just cancelled my subscription. My son has already cancelled (plus Prime); and my former husband, a well-known regional journalist, is considering cancelling. This is not easy for some of us! There, just had to get that off my chest.
"Oh yeah, someone wrote about this, that one of the really dark signs is when people and institutions give in to fascism BEFORE absolutely necessary ("Do not obey in advance"--Timothy Snyder). Eh, Bezos?"
I'm gong to cancel Amazon Prime. that's an excellent idea!
I cancelled wapo, nyt, amazon prime. Elon musk is harder for me, i own a tesla and starlink is very important to us as we are about to circumnavigate on our sailboat next month (assuming trump doesn’t win and the entire world becomes very dangerous.) I signed two petitions about elon musk and his defense contracts - lame in the face of all he has done.
The billionaires have infiltrated in to virtually ALL of the things we use daily. It astounds me when I look at the big picture.
I do the same. Bezos doesn't need my few $ for his yachts and mansions.
Thanks to Joe Biden for extending a formal apology to the Native American community for the awful Indian Boarding schools. And for appointing Deb Haaland (Pueblo) as Secretary of the Interior. Hope she stays on in the Harris administration.
Karen, I too hope Deb Haaland remains as she continues to fight for Native American rights.The tragedy of the Indian Boarding schools must never happen again…
“Abortion was never readily available to Native Americans, thanks to a federal law that has prohibited nearly all abortions at Indian Health Service clinics since 1976. That’s always meant traveling long distances for the procedure.
But now states with some of the largest Indigenous populations also have some of the strictest restrictions on abortion: places like North and South Dakota and Oklahoma, home to the Cherokee Nation, the second-largest tribe in the U.S. with over 300,000 enrolled members.”
https://19thnews.org/2023/10/indigenous-people-abortion-access/
The man is STILL working his job! I love Joe Biden.
Send donations NOW to Peltola in Alaska and Nez in Arizona!
Found it. Although it seems a little out of focus just like WA Post. Corporate media is not going to change. The town hall meeting with Kamala was more like an interview. Anderson Cooper kept trying to grill her instead of doing the Q&A. Maybe he wanted her to sway to music. Friday night’s rally was exceptional. So much enthusiasm. No empty sears and nobody slinking down the aisles to leave. She was on fire. IMO we continue to call out the media and maybe something will cause them to see the light. Step two is we are in this to win it. Volunteer if you are able. Keep talking about the differences in the choices. Vote early if you can. Most importantly, VOTE BLUE up and down the ballot. We want to press ahead and never go back!
The camera makes a good point, Robert!
I think Kierkegaard captures the essence of what it means to flunk the test Trump presents to each of us. Roughly quoting - "The greatest hazard of all, losing one's self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss - an arm, a leg, five dollars, a spouse, etc - is sure to be noticed." It utterly baffles me how so many millions can look at him, and not see what so many others can't stop seeing.
My concern, Greg, is that so many of the millions who behold the grotesque and ugly spectacle that trump presents completely understand what they are seeing -- and they like it.
I think they like it too. I’m in a local county political group where I am trying to share information that they would never see otherwise and the hateful way they speak to me and about immigrants etc demonstrates their love for the cruelty.
Jack, I'm afraid of that, too! I grew up in a small Midwestern town. Way too many of the folks I know are angry and bitter. Many of them have done quite well, too. I left the area but ended up working remotely with people from all over the states. Too many of the white males have that same attitude. I've tried to understand the steps they followed to get to MAGA-land. It seems like at some point someone just makes a leap of faith - to steal another phrase from Kierkegaard. Once they've drank the Kool-Aid it's like they have some sort of filtering that keeps you nice and snug. I understand that. I don't understand the anger and resentment that precedes it - how that developed. I tell myself that supposedly many Trump voters aren't MAGA. Presumably they are more reachable. But nonetheless, I do fear what you and Kathy fear!
Good one. Each concession whittles us down until nothing remains.
I regret to say – and fear – that many people see in Trump something akin to their imagined selves. Like George Wallace of decades ago, Trump dares to say what ordinary (normal?) people are afraid to articulate.
It’s a great power.
CNN is watched now by fewer than 100,000 people at night, nationwide. What CNN does about anything can now be considered irrelevant.
That’s good to know. I no longer watch CNN.
TC you are amazing.
Washington Post editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes produced a brilliant visual eulogy. If you cannot access the whole picture, you'll still get the idea:
https://www.threads.net/@ckaufman04/post/DBkcrikvf0F?xmt=AQGzKGkcSZSD42q3PAABQCJBqWxECgIowDYkDfAXLivJig
WaPo link to write a Letter to the Editor:
https://thewashingtonpost.formstack.com/forms/submit_a_letter_to_the_editor
LA Times owner did even worse than the first reporting. He not only vetoed the endorsement of Kamala Harris--without any published explanation; he killed a multi-part series on "The Case Against Trump" that was planned to precede the endorsement:
https://www.threads.net/@waltisfrozen/post/DBkDAWoTHmh?xmt=AQGzKGkcSZSD42q3PAABQCJBqWxECgIowDYkDfAXLivJig
The LA Times staff published their open letter of protest:
https://www.threads.net/@indivisiblemnleg/post/DBkdD0tsa5T?xmt=AQGzKGkcSZSD42q3PAABQCJBqWxECgIowDYkDfAXLivJig
Social media suggestions for alternative media include:
Philadelphia Inquirer
The Guardian
The New Yorker
The Tennessee Holler
What other media do folks recommend?
For those of you still on Twitter, Aaron Rupar is an invaluable source of realtime reporting on rallies and press events by the candidates. He also publishes Public Notice on Substack, but it lags behind his twitter feed.
Aaron Rupar is also on the Twitter alternative, Threads. Here’s one of his timely posts of Trump calling the media “the enemy:”
https://www.threads.net/@aaron.rupar/post/DBmKDbSgOsT?xmt=AQGzKqSPP7TZwuJFpWlCmysxUcL3qwC2NJi2bntxuqtGuw
Thank you for sharing these alternatives. Even before this refusal-to-endorse event, I felt we were seeing a real change in traditional news coverage, evidenced by:
—horrible, even technically inaccurate, headlines
—the choice of blah, weak words and sentences, in an attempt to sound neutral perhaps, but resulting in losing all meaning
—(TV) an increases amount of panel discussions devoid of participants with any more expertise than I have…sorta like filming a discussion with my friends and me. Nothing to learn,
I have found myself relying more and more on Substacks like Robert’s for straight, accurate NEWS, albeit not comprehensive.
This next news landscape will be interesting.
Absolutely, misleading headlines were the thin edge of the wedge for me and prompted my first wave of media cancellations. The panel "discussions" on both CNN and MSNBC have sometimes been too infuriating to continue watching. On the bright side, my local newspaper is the Philadelphia Inquirer. In addition, I have free time to catch up on New Yorker articles which are so comprehensive and well researched that they remain relevant.
What a great question. Thank you Ellie. Christian Science Monitor, The Boston Globe, McClatchy newspapers such as The Charlotte Observer, The News and Observer ( Raleigh, NC ), Austin American Statesman. Atlantic magazine.
I cancelled NYT and Wapo knowing I will miss Jennifer Rubin and Margaret Renkl.
“The newspaper's refusal to endorse a presidential candidate is a mistake."
By E.J. Dionne Jr., David Ignatius, Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank, Eugene Robinson, Jennifer Rubin, Karen Tumulty and Perry Bacon Jr.
https://www.threads.net/@pulmyears/post/DBkO8swSRNP?xmt=AQGzKGkcSZSD42q3PAABQCJBqWxECgIowDYkDfAXLivJig
We can find other places to support these good writers, such as their Substacks and podcasts.
Those writers can all put their content on Substack.
If no sacrifice is required of you to do the right thing, the gesture is meaningless. Bravo to you!
If that were true, wouldn’t all religious ministers be obliged to resign?
A different perspective: reinforcing individual good behavior, even where it is not threatened, helps the overall cause of goodness.
Hate to be Devil's advocate but won't a Trump Presidency shut these brave outlets down?
Thx for these suggestions, Frankom. I'm saving them.
The Guardian has been my substitute after I cancelled the NYT. Very happy with their coverage of the US.
I also think I would enjoy less US-centric coverage.
The Atlantic magazine is excellent.
I like our
I like our Seattle Times local paper!
I
Where does it get its national and international news? From sources that are under criticism, here, or somewhere(s) else?
For political info closer to home check out www.StatesNewsroom.com to see if your state has a local press. I’m very impressed with the reporting and thorough legislative coverage by the Florida Phoenix. I know Colorado and Arizona both have affiliates in the States Newsroom.
You reminded me of the Media and Democracy Project, which has a similar list to look up your local media:
https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/journalism-directory
When Victor Orbán began turning Hungary into a fascist dictatorship, he started, like Hitler, through the electoral process. He took over the media by auctioning them off to his oligarch cronies. Now, there’s hardly any opposition media of note in Hungary. You think it can’t happen here? Well, hold your horses. The media conglomerates are owned by our oligarchs, (here we refer to them as billionaires, but they are true oligarchs). They hate paying their fair share of taxes and can’t wait for Trump to win. And so, unlike an Orban taking over the media and selling them to his oligarch cronies, our oligarch owners are freely offering themselves to a would- be fascist (should he win) so they can get their way—no regulation, massive tax cuts, and free to purchase our politicians. Can’t happen here? It’s already happening. CNN is Fox-lite. The NYT, WAPO and LA Times plus the Wall Street Journal are heading the way of TASS and Al Ahram. It really doesn’t take long for freedoms and cherished institutions we took for granted and respected to collapse under oligarchy. Employees of these institutions are stuck. They have families and mortgages to take care of. Resignations will be few and they have no choice but to play along in order to survive. Brave new world indeed.
Thank you Robert. While I too “unsubscribed” to WaPo, I’m grateful for the opportunity to “subscribe” to you and other voices of democracy on Substack. Democracy does indeed “Thrive in the Light” of truth. You are deeply appreciated.
Thank you Robert. Sobering times.
I think Susan Sheu and Rebecca Solnit shared forcefully on Facebook.
Ms. Sheu says:
So, once upon a time I was a professional writer, and I care a lot about writing and journalism and truth and integrity and all that nerdy old fashioned stuff. And I am also mad as hell like a lot of people I know and have canceled both my Los Angeles Times and Washington Post subscriptions. (I hear you when you say that the journalists need the money and will suffer more than the billionaire owners who made the faschy decisions to overrule their own editorial boards and refuse to allow their newspapers/media organizations endorse Harris for president. But I also think that journalists and editors should be taking immediate collective action, which might involve a little financial discomfort, and they should do it right now. In the mean time, I'm cutting off my small contribution to their complicit bosses' bottom line.)
May the force be with us. 🇺🇸💙
I canceled my subscription to the Post as well. I don't see that there is any alternative. There aren't a lot of way to express one's opposition and disgust to what the Post is doing and to stand up to incipient fascism.
Freedom of the press has always been freedom for those who own the presses. The internet has changed that to some extent and the Post has unwittingly accelerated that change. The Post's many employees are caught in the wringer of that change due to no fault of their own, but right is right and the right thing to do in this situation is to stand up to wannabe dictators, bullies and cowardly billionaires who abdicate their responsibilities that come with their wealth. What is the point of having virtually infinite resources if you can't and won't say f**k you to power?
The Post employees are not potted plants. They could take collective action. While I am not blaming them, they are not powerless. Indeed, many of them have very high profiles. Bezos hates bad publicity. A writers' strike would be horrible publicity--worse than the cowardly decision not to endorse.
You can thank the condition of taxation for oligarchs in the US. Just how different are they than the oligarchs in Russia?
I cancelled the Washington Post. I read Collision of Power Trump, Bezos and the Washington Post by Martin (Marty) Baron (2023)and was impressed with Bezo not giving in to Trump. Today he did.
I cancelled the post for a second time. I signed back on as they seemed to be leaning toward realistic journalism. I then cancelled Amazon Prime. A commenter under Richard Reich Substack offered the following.
"You can stop ordering from Amazon entirely, usually very easily. Two steps:
1. Copy the name of what you are thinking of buying on Amazon. Include the brand name.
2. Then paste it into your search engine. You will usually get multiple options of the item. Most are the same price, some are less. And if you buy it directly from the actual manufacturer, you cut out the middleman for them."
FOCUS...Still doing!
Thanks, Robert.
This morning I was actually able to sleep until 4 am. Then I woke up to more horrible news: Netanyahu bombing Tehran. Don't both countries have the capability to manufacture nuclear weapons? Also, a report by Julian Borger in The Guardian, US edition, stated that Musk has been in regular contact with Putin for over two years. Is that treason? It's not like he was going to manufacture Teslas in Russia. He's doing that in Mexico now. Why wasn't Biden's national security team on to Musk's behavior? Now more than ever we need a smart, intelligent, healthy woman, VP Kamala Harris, as President with Governor Tim Walz at her side. How could any half way intelligent person vote for an avowed fascist who sundowns regularly and whose dementia is increasing daily and the man who wrote the introduction to Project 2025? Fortunately, as soon as it is light out I will be taking a walk with a neighbor who is a Psychologist. This will be calming. Don't believe the polls. Do whatever you can for the next ten days.
I was shocked when I read the WaPo's decision. Cancelled my subscriptions and I feel very good about it.
I watched the entire Charlemagne and Anderson Cooper interaction the other evening. I have always had tremendous respect for Anderson Cooper. I was very disappointed to say the least in how he handled the interview. I plan to watch the "talented" (Cooper's words) journalists on MSNBC.
Anderson Cooper also dissed MSNBC several times, saying, "There's a reason I am not on MSNBC" and referred to their on air talent as "blow dry anchors" --and then quickly corrected himself by saying, "I am one of them too."
Another one bites the dust.
One word – UNSUBSCRIBE! Robert, I'm glad you made that decision.
WaPo and LATimes - -outrageous and indefensible. Send a message - do it now! Following my decision months ago to unsubscribe from the NYTimes, I unsubscribed from both today.
We need to hasten the demise of legacy media - it is dangerous and failing to protect our democracy. I hear people say: there are good journalists who work there, ones I respect and want to read. Of course there are - but all of them, in good conscience, should resign and find other outlets -- Substack, on-line news sources, the Guardian etc. I hope the journalists will do the needful (like WaPo Editor-at-Large Robert Kagan) — resign, stand up for our democracy.