The reaction that "we are mountains and rivers" is a fabulous sentiment. It intersected for me tonight with the gorgeous song by Josh Groban "You Raise Me Up" which I'll be playing at a memorial service for a dear friend a week from Saturday who died at the age of 96. A very persistent and lovely person. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czs82sDv6jg Take a listen and go stand on mountains and be more than you can be. It's up to all of us now.
The poetic reference aligns beautifully with your frequent ending commentary regarding hope, Rob. Beautiful visual imagery as well as symbolic. Stoic peace strengthens. Inspires one to take time to explore work of poets as source on energy, hope and inspiration… to join in and act!
Dear Tucker: President Biden is NOT the one who has been played by Vladimir Putin. That would be YOU, and all the other "useful idiots" on this side of the ocean.
Feb 18, 2022·edited Feb 18, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I write because your reference to the Fox News website and to the Tucker Carlson comment “Biden has been played by Putin” brought to mind the ancient Greeks, who rightly feared demagoguery and superficial manipulation, a rhetoric, from their vantage point, that mirrored a worldview that couldn’t be proven wrong because those who embraced it would admit no evidence to the contrary. Hence, the more earnest the so-called liberal narrative, the angrier the radical right of the Republican Party seems to become, not because so-called liberal spokespersons are getting it wrong, but because they are promoting narratives that the radical right doesn’t want expressed. Indeed, the one thing the far right appears to loathe more than so-called liberals is the truth. And the quickest way to be damned by them, say, as inept is to tell the truth.
Thank you for being such a voice of reason. We ARE the mountains and the rivers of democracy. I love this; just signed up for Sunday Zoom and invited friends.
My thoughts on the fate of Democracy are different. There is a Chinese saying about “ death by a thousand cuts” and I believe that the Republicans at a local, state and national level are cutting away at the fabric of Democracy through legislation, court decisions, social media and misinformation, attacks on school board members and outright threats to those they don’t agree with them. The rise in the amount of anti Semitic references like you have mentioned are troubling especially references to Hitler. Trump legitimized outrageous behavior and falsehoods and a disregard for the constitution and the rule of law. These actions and activities are all part of those one thousand “ cuts”. In the Chinese saying. D’s like me are tired of turning the other cheek and feel assaulted and want to intelligently fight back and take a stand. We have ignored climate change and that has impacted and polluted our mountains and water and I don’t want us to ignore or pollute Democracy.
Robert, I nominate you for two Nobel Prizes. "Factual Reporting that leads to Action" and "Peace of Mind Inspiration". Your last paragraphs take me into the weekend elegantly. No lack of frightening truth. No lack of resolve. But also a calm long view of life. ooommm.
We are engaged in the same war that began the day we dropped from the trees (probably even before). Since we learned how to walk on only two feet, we have fought each other. Some of us would rather put down our clubs and share something from the hunt. I think that is the long trend. Hope so. Happy weekend and as always, thank you.
HI Robert, today's newsletter was so funny, love the reference to Fox News being a source for Russian Propaganda. And the inspiring quote was calming..... I like the mix of humor and fact.
Rob, until today, I’ve always been inspired by your belief in our power to be successful in the 2022 elections. The implication that “mountains and rivers” should sustain us in defeat seems to have displaced your usual clarion call that “we can do this”. The efforts of many phone-bankers, letter-writers, poll watchers and others who rely on your usual can-do conviction are diminished by this apparent giving-over to the next time around.
Your wry humor always gives me a smile, even in these worrisome times. On another note:
In addition to being the mountains and rivers, we are also the artists who continue to inspire, challenge and bring joy to the world. Writers, painters, musicians (etc.), thank you!
I grow sad with each Tesla I pass on the road - and there are many, many of them here in the East Bay of San Francisco. I picture more and more money going into the pockets of Elon Musk which enables him to spend a lot of money on harmful and hateful political speech!
I'm doing my part to boycott Tesla, but that's meaningless since I couldn't afford one anyhow!
I think Putin went to China to work out a deal with peng. “You ok our doped athletes and we won’t invade The Ukraine until after the Olympics “. The Olympics is over tomorrow. That would put the invasion at dawn Monday. Midnight EST in the US. I pray not.
The reaction that "we are mountains and rivers" is a fabulous sentiment. It intersected for me tonight with the gorgeous song by Josh Groban "You Raise Me Up" which I'll be playing at a memorial service for a dear friend a week from Saturday who died at the age of 96. A very persistent and lovely person. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czs82sDv6jg Take a listen and go stand on mountains and be more than you can be. It's up to all of us now.
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary
When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until You come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up to more than I can be.
The poetic reference aligns beautifully with your frequent ending commentary regarding hope, Rob. Beautiful visual imagery as well as symbolic. Stoic peace strengthens. Inspires one to take time to explore work of poets as source on energy, hope and inspiration… to join in and act!
Dear Tucker: President Biden is NOT the one who has been played by Vladimir Putin. That would be YOU, and all the other "useful idiots" on this side of the ocean.
I write because your reference to the Fox News website and to the Tucker Carlson comment “Biden has been played by Putin” brought to mind the ancient Greeks, who rightly feared demagoguery and superficial manipulation, a rhetoric, from their vantage point, that mirrored a worldview that couldn’t be proven wrong because those who embraced it would admit no evidence to the contrary. Hence, the more earnest the so-called liberal narrative, the angrier the radical right of the Republican Party seems to become, not because so-called liberal spokespersons are getting it wrong, but because they are promoting narratives that the radical right doesn’t want expressed. Indeed, the one thing the far right appears to loathe more than so-called liberals is the truth. And the quickest way to be damned by them, say, as inept is to tell the truth.
Thank you for being such a voice of reason. We ARE the mountains and the rivers of democracy. I love this; just signed up for Sunday Zoom and invited friends.
My thoughts on the fate of Democracy are different. There is a Chinese saying about “ death by a thousand cuts” and I believe that the Republicans at a local, state and national level are cutting away at the fabric of Democracy through legislation, court decisions, social media and misinformation, attacks on school board members and outright threats to those they don’t agree with them. The rise in the amount of anti Semitic references like you have mentioned are troubling especially references to Hitler. Trump legitimized outrageous behavior and falsehoods and a disregard for the constitution and the rule of law. These actions and activities are all part of those one thousand “ cuts”. In the Chinese saying. D’s like me are tired of turning the other cheek and feel assaulted and want to intelligently fight back and take a stand. We have ignored climate change and that has impacted and polluted our mountains and water and I don’t want us to ignore or pollute Democracy.
Absolutely correct. We have been here before, we will be here again. Take hope and endure.
Robert, I nominate you for two Nobel Prizes. "Factual Reporting that leads to Action" and "Peace of Mind Inspiration". Your last paragraphs take me into the weekend elegantly. No lack of frightening truth. No lack of resolve. But also a calm long view of life. ooommm.
We are engaged in the same war that began the day we dropped from the trees (probably even before). Since we learned how to walk on only two feet, we have fought each other. Some of us would rather put down our clubs and share something from the hunt. I think that is the long trend. Hope so. Happy weekend and as always, thank you.
HI Robert, today's newsletter was so funny, love the reference to Fox News being a source for Russian Propaganda. And the inspiring quote was calming..... I like the mix of humor and fact.
I laughed out loud, today. Thanks!
Rob, until today, I’ve always been inspired by your belief in our power to be successful in the 2022 elections. The implication that “mountains and rivers” should sustain us in defeat seems to have displaced your usual clarion call that “we can do this”. The efforts of many phone-bankers, letter-writers, poll watchers and others who rely on your usual can-do conviction are diminished by this apparent giving-over to the next time around.
Your wry humor always gives me a smile, even in these worrisome times. On another note:
In addition to being the mountains and rivers, we are also the artists who continue to inspire, challenge and bring joy to the world. Writers, painters, musicians (etc.), thank you!
This opinion piece is encouraging - Susan Collins: Our Democracy Shouldn’t Rest on a Rickety Law
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/18/opinion/politics/susan-collins-eca-reform.html?referringSource=articleShare
We are the mountains and the rivers. Indeed.
I grow sad with each Tesla I pass on the road - and there are many, many of them here in the East Bay of San Francisco. I picture more and more money going into the pockets of Elon Musk which enables him to spend a lot of money on harmful and hateful political speech!
I'm doing my part to boycott Tesla, but that's meaningless since I couldn't afford one anyhow!
The only problem with Du Fu’s metaphor is that some of those rivers are actually drying up out west.
I think Putin went to China to work out a deal with peng. “You ok our doped athletes and we won’t invade The Ukraine until after the Olympics “. The Olympics is over tomorrow. That would put the invasion at dawn Monday. Midnight EST in the US. I pray not.