Here’s what I said in full, in case it helps anyone else. And to those who point out that 45’s ascendancy to the cover “tracks” with Time’s pattern of awarding Hitler, Stalin, and other despicable humans with the same “title”, I say perhaps it’s their pattern that needs to change. 🤬
“Color me unsurprised that yet another formerly respectable publication has bent the knee to try and make us all accept the unacceptable and explain the inexplicable.
Your “Person of the Year” is a liar, a felon, an unapologetic white supremacist, a misogynist, a xenophobe, an adjudicated rapist, a bully, and a con artist.
Your “Person of the Year” embodies every single character trait I’ve tried to teach my three children NOT to have.
Your “Person of the Year” is the poster boy for the Seven Deadly Sins, has broken most if not all of the Ten Commandments, never goes to church, normalizes discrimination against the marginalized, yet not only fancies himself a Christian, but is also lauded by evangelicals.
Your “Person of the Year” has broken countless norms of our democracy, including his refusal to accept the results of the free and fair 2020 election, and his attempt to incite an insurrection at the United States Capitol - the seat of our democracy - for the first time in our history.
Your “Person of the Year” is the opposite of everything I’ve been taught to value in my 62 years - those messages and lessons of acceptable behavior as defined by my parents and immediate family, my schools and my teachers, my church and my church leaders, my universities and my professors, my jobs and my bosses, my hometowns and their leaders, my country and its representatives. Since birth, these institutions and individuals have consistently driven home the FUNDAMENTAL importance of honor, integrity, morality, honesty, ethics, and decency in driving everything we do - of being a respectable person of principle - of being humble and honorable, of treating people the way you want to be treated, and of having the courage of our convictions.
I’d like to choose that courage now, and say that you are so fundamentally and inherently wrong to normalize the most abhorrent human imaginable, who has done and will continue to do immeasurable damage to our country, has corrupted its institutions, and is on a path to destroy its fragile and vaunted democracy all in service of his own disgusting and insatiable ego.
Your “Person of the Year” is an insult to millions of Americans like me who care about basic decency, democracy, and the rule of law. “For better or worse” you say in your explanation of why THIS person is “your” person, selling your soul without even the slightest sense of shame. The thing is, you could’ve elected not to mention his name at all, kind of like I’ve done in this letter, and turned the attention to someone else - where it would’ve actually been a recognized and respectable honor - someone who DESERVED such acclaim, who would make us all say YES; yes indeed.
In these fraught times we need a hero. We need the decent. We need the honorable. We need the KIND. We need individuals and institutions willing to defend our nation instead of the indefensible. We need to fight for what is RIGHT, and stop amplifying the awful. Yet here we go AGAIN, placating a narcissistic sociopath with a “title” he so desperately craves but will never EVER deserve.
So is it me who’s gotten life wrong for 62 years, or is it you, in celebrating this MAGA king - this bully - this thug - this disgusting enabler of the hateful underbelly of our society - with an “award” that if I had to guess, he probably paid for?
I’ll take a stab at the answer, leaning into all the lessons I’ve learned since birth, while applying every ounce of honesty I can muster, and say:
Katharine. Thank you! I just emailed TIME and pasted your letter--noting I was not the author but that you communicated my sentiments perfectly.
I'm a big fan of us sharing our letters in these comments. This is an example of a writing project I could have spent a lot of time on but come nowhere close to your letter--I would rather "second" yours and give you credit. I hope that's okay.
Katherine, I have also sent your letter, with a few opening & closing comments (like why not Biden, Harris, or Taylor Swift!?), and have encouraged my husband to send it too. Thanks again!
Dear Cathy and Katharine, Cathy's idea is perfect -- I will do the exact same thing this minute and email it to TIME, giving Katharine the credit. Thank you, Katharine, for so eloquently and powerfully putting into words what so many of us feel.
You inspired me. While not nearly as eloquent as yours, here is what I sent:
I am dismayed that Time magazine has fallen so low as to name Donald Trump as its Person of the year and to add, in your statement, that he brings a “time of great promise” to this country and all its people. His own statements are evidence of his intent to hurt many Americans and people who reside here. He has been proven to be a fraud, a misogynist, a racist, a sexual assaulter, a liar and yet you treat him as a hero who will bring “success and prosperity to everyone”.
I grew up believing Time Magazine had integrity, because my father, born in 1917, relied on themagazine to inform him of world and national events and introduced it to me as such. I am relieved that he does not have to see his beloved Time honor such a dishonorable person.
And, your Person of the Year is awaiting sentencing for thirty-four felony convictions. "Convict Breaks All Norms" could be your tagline. That so many Americans are so patently ignorant in leading us all down this road to potential ruin is, and will remain to me, unfathomable. Already, their "cheap eggs" dream appears to be over according to their Penis Envy President in his Mr. Big Time interview.
Katharine, I'll be emailing TIME with your letter, also noting that I'm not the author but that I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed. Thank you!
Katherine, I, too, am wowed by your eloquence. I am about to send your letter, with a few additions (you know,"what about Biden, Harris, Swift?!?, etc.) Thanks for giving us your letter - it's fantastic, and saves me time in the early morning, when I have to head off to work.
You’re very kind Jocelyn. There’s SO MUCH I left out, but I figured they’d stop reading after the first paragraph anyway. Another random obscure lady going off on some rant while they count their cash. I might be a nobody, but I refuse to stay silent in the face of unprincipled unacceptable “behavior”. It’s not even behavior - it’s MAGA’s whole world view I find abhorrent. Starting with the very idea that some people are superior to others. How arrogant can you be? Why stop at white skin? Why not include blonde hair and blue eyes? Blahhhh So much is WRONG right now - especially that the people who CAN actually affect change and stand up to this BS refuse to do so. Beyond pathetic. People say they’re “principled” until their principles no longer feed their bank account I guess. Spoiler: that’s not being principled
I feel the same: "So much is WRONG right now - especially that the people who CAN actually affect change and stand up to this BS refuse to do so." It's mind boggling that so many are willingly turning our country over to a vengeful, self absorbed dictator.
And so it is left to the individuals and the institutions that you mentioned, and those of us who learned those lessons, to carry them forward. Your letter is unquestionably the best collection of comments on the subject I have read, thank you so much, Katharine.
Wow Richard - what a nice thing to say. I have to admit I’ve recently wondered if I am indeed the one who’s gotten life wrong. It’s not a fun place to “go” when you try to sort through the toxic roller coaster otherwise known as the last 10 years. I think I’ve mostly been profoundly disappointed that so few people actually have the courage of their convictions. That’s been an ugly “reveal” about friends, family, and humans in general. 😥
Katherine, Your letter is brilliant and gut-punchingly succinct. Thank you! With your okay, I too will copy-and-paste this and send it to TIME. I am profoundly grateful to you.
Outstanding letter and action. On point. Thank you very much, KH, for sharing your letter. The consistent focus on an inter-human ethic voiced clearly and passionately every day in this forum matters immensely.
Thank you, Katherine for sharing your letter and link. And thank you, Robert, for the highlighting Katherine's letter and Time's post on Twitter. Just sent an email to Time referencing both of your material.
Robert, if the Syrian rebels can oust Assad, WE THE PEOPLE can get rid of DJT and his brethren! We do not need to perform a “Mangione” but we can stick together, arm in arm. Will they shoot to kill us all? That’s over 300 million people in our country. I sincerely doubt it. We must show up in numbers and scare them into thinking twice about their decisions. And The Project 2025 people can go straight to hell.
Robert - Thanks for your evaluation of David French's piece. I respect the guy but was dubious about his interpretation of Wray's cravenness. This looks to me too much like Wray hoping to buy some legal peace after he's gone. Seeing the Time cover provided some much needed humor. I remember a quote from one of Dale Carnegie's books from long ago wherein a courtier said he "laid it on with a trowel" when flattering Queen Victoria. If Time hadn't long ago become an empty shell maybe I could work up some irritation but this really provides another demonstration of Trump's age and his psych issues. A non-political friend asked me earlier how Musk had become President. Hopefully more folks are going to be getting clued in on the tech-bros and their idiotic fantasies. A few years ago I read an interesting statement in a leading Psychology of Personality textbook. The author asserted the two easiest places to find folks with Anti-Social Personality Disorder were Death Row and Corporate Row. That's stuck with me ever since.
Suzan Seeking Solutions: create before the inauguration a competing magazine Newsweek?- Biden/Harris Administration to be considered for a Nobel Peace Prize for their leadership in the recovery from the world wide COVID epidemic. The healing of NATO and new coalitions in the southeast Asia... Describe the accomplishments so immediate when Biden and Harris were elected within their first year. At the same time create a Man of the Year Blacklist showing how many people were financially devastated by Trump's 6 bankruptcies, by his online college failure..etc. accurately describe Jan. 7th and list out how to provide advocacy for each state legislative Senators and Representatives to preserve healthcare, social security, medicare...etc. Identify the financial family relief that was created and provided for advocacy after inauguration. The success for each state of the infrastructure bill and please hurry!! Also share how corporations lay off workers in the month of December to improve the stock price for the wealthy and how corporations of the billionaires are now laying off workers before they even know how AI is going to affect their bottom line.
Suzan - suggest connecting with Deepak Puri over at Democracy Labs. He may be able to create your idea of the blacklist map. Deepak is here on substack.
Meds? Why? I want to keep my wits about me, not soften them. Be aware of opportunities to resist the POTUS Pandemic headed our way! Like many Americans, I used to enjoy alcohol, but no more. These years with this monster in our world gave me the enormous gift of being free of the stuff. Fabulous to be free of booze entirely, and with my savings going to my favorite Substack writer (there are so many good, and great ones) Robert Hubbell. You are my Man Of The Year. Feliz Navidad Sir!
Unfortunately 'Person of the Year' is quite appropriate for the felon, as it reflects the impact his coming back into power and completing the plot against America will have for the US as well as the rest of the world. He merits that recognition just as Hitler, Stalin and others did.
But combining the decision with this slimy, revolting accolade Times has outed itself as a spineless bootlicking sycophant. Too bad I don't have a subscription, so I can't cancel it now.
I think you got it exactly right, Stefan. He's notorious for sure, but the disgraceful qualification by Time serves to normalize the abnormal, and accept the unacceptable.
And what makes it worse is the fact that the owner of Times is Marc Benioff who heads Salesforce. Up to now I cherished him as a man of vision but now he seems to be reduced to a cheap acolyte, joining the likes of Bezos and Zuckerberg in trying to get brownie points with the mobster.
I think that's what all of this comes down to - business decisions, and managing risks. The difficulty, for these guys, is balancing the upside of making nice to the orange turd against the loss of goodwill with their customers. Sounds like a lose-lose to me, but I'm certainly in no position to be sure.
Robert Hubbell - sharing and saving this newsletter as one of my favorites
(even though the information is devastating
because we will "look back" at the "America that once was and what could have been.")
Reader Katharine H is my Joan of Arc in these times.
She is the pure, innocent child who declares "The Emperor has no clothes!"
The selfish bully djt indeed is what all decent parents should be discipling their own children, in love, NOT to behave like! He remains the horrible creature (I won't say human) his unrepentant narcissistic cruel self ever was. The hypocrisy will ALWAYS be astounding - a sexual predator with three wives and multiple children, multiple failed businesses and bankruptcies, an incorrigible liar and a white supremacist of the epitome of privilege, putting his name brand on cheap crap (most imported from China) and destroying every norm and institution of the nation born of the ideals that life, liberty and self-governance were possible instead of rule under a mad king.
Being on the cover of Time Magazine as Man (I specify that instead of person) of the Year
has always been a goal for djt, one he photoshopped himself into years ago. I'll grant him that over his lifetime, and as the priority over the past decade, he has made sure he is the daily headline, and now all algorithms amplify his (warped) perspective and propaganda talking points.
America is proving it is indeed a capitalistic society, and those with money are using it for power,
NOT to demonstrate (moral) values, not in consideration of humanity. The rich never say "Enough." In the end, they will be the most poor, for all they have is money - not character.
Keep working for the future you want to write, to create, to live in. All of us.
Biden needs to report on Russian interference ASAP! We are the victims of the Russian war on the USA. Putin admits he did it and demands quid pro quo from Trump. As far as I'm concerned the admission is dispositive and is actionalble and constitutes an emergency.
In 2023, U.S. Citizens and Russian Intelligence Officers Charged with Conspiring to Use U.S. Citizens as Illegal Agents of the Russian Government. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-citizens-and-russian-intelligence-officers-charged-conspiring-use-us-citizens-illegal “Today’s announcement paints a harrowing picture of Russian government actions and the lengths to which the FSB will go to interfere with our elections, sow discord in our nation and ultimately recruit U.S citizens to their efforts,” said Acting Assistant Director Kurt Ronnow of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “All Americans should be deeply concerned by the tactics employed by the FSB and remain vigilant to any attempt to undermine our democracy. The FBI remains committed to confronting this egregious behavior and ultimately disrupting our adversaries and those who act on their behalf.”
On Sept. 4, 60 days before the election, An indictment charging Russian nationals Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31, also known as Kostya, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, also known as Lena, with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering was unsealed today in the Southern District of New York. Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva are at large.
“The Justice Department has charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country’s free exchange of ideas in order to covertly further its own propaganda efforts, and our investigation into this matter remains ongoing.”
Threats to election workers, propaganda about violence, burning of ballots. Bomb threats.
Please move on from Putin. Trump is our problem. He is the culmination of a movement in this country that has been going on for decades, long before Putin was anywhere near power. Trump is brought to us by the GOP and the mostly American billionaires that own it. Is Putin an ally of MAGA? Of course. He knows where his bread is buttered. But it's not his plan for world domination.
In case you missed it, Mueller, who was a Republican, and prolably farbunget, still convivted a lot of Russian nationals plus Trump's campaign manager and national secuity advisor. Trump's first father in law was reporting to the Czech KGB, Trump illegally sought a Trump Moscow before the fall of the Soviet Union.
Trump's achilles heel is that Russian connection. We have only a dew days to act. This is a national security issue and it is worth a shot.
I also think the Senate option is worth a shot. At a minimum can force negotiations.
None of this news is surprising. The old orange guy has been very clear about who he is and what he has planned. I will fearlessly continue to resist his dishonesty with calls, emails, meetings, snail mail and whatever else I can do. He isn't even in office yet and he's talking about the dynasty (heavy on the nasty) that he foresees. He will do ANYTHING for money and power. He craves attention. His manipulations will continue. His actions say, "Hey, watch this! Look what I can do now!" Guess we'll just have to suffer and watch to see when he finally pushes too far.
Please keep on breathing, living, and loving I say fellow Hubbellians! We all appreciate Robert so I hope someone smiled...
Attending the event at the NC General Assembly definitely allowed me to not be so reactive. If I had not then I would definitely be in a distinctly worse frame of reference.
Locally Amazon at their RDU location just fired the worker that has nearly organized the 2nd unionized site (at least for a vote).
Robert is absolutely correct re: Wray capitulating. There is no other narrative. Maybe Wray believes that somehow he will not be harassed post his tenure. I doubt he was going to be harassed even if he was fired.
if you can email TIME or call your Senators, or both, and even a bit more, then great.
I think people need to think beyond Chtistopher Ray’s capitulation and devote more attention to the ‘principles’ at stake.
If one takes Wray at his word, his overarching principle was to avoid provoking the waves that would have been generated had he said nothing and continued about his job (irony intended) as FBI chief. Of course Trump would have fired him after next January 19, but I think Wray would have been challenging Trump to invent/articulate cause for the firing (refusal to get out of the way not being cause). Wray had a supposedly fixed term of office for a good reason; by meekly stepping aside, Wray took it upon himself to undermine the reason why the FBI Director was given a 10 year term of office. His action was therefore ethically unprincipled.
We need to change our rhetoric from Left vs Right, Liberal vs Conservative to BILLIONAIRES vs the WORKING FOLK. We need to expand our coalition. No more taking the bait of culture wars.
Robert, I really appreciate the mention. I hope others will take the opportunity to let Time know exactly how you feel. I wrote the editor here:
letters@time.com
Here’s what I said in full, in case it helps anyone else. And to those who point out that 45’s ascendancy to the cover “tracks” with Time’s pattern of awarding Hitler, Stalin, and other despicable humans with the same “title”, I say perhaps it’s their pattern that needs to change. 🤬
“Color me unsurprised that yet another formerly respectable publication has bent the knee to try and make us all accept the unacceptable and explain the inexplicable.
Your “Person of the Year” is a liar, a felon, an unapologetic white supremacist, a misogynist, a xenophobe, an adjudicated rapist, a bully, and a con artist.
Your “Person of the Year” embodies every single character trait I’ve tried to teach my three children NOT to have.
Your “Person of the Year” is the poster boy for the Seven Deadly Sins, has broken most if not all of the Ten Commandments, never goes to church, normalizes discrimination against the marginalized, yet not only fancies himself a Christian, but is also lauded by evangelicals.
Your “Person of the Year” has broken countless norms of our democracy, including his refusal to accept the results of the free and fair 2020 election, and his attempt to incite an insurrection at the United States Capitol - the seat of our democracy - for the first time in our history.
Your “Person of the Year” is the opposite of everything I’ve been taught to value in my 62 years - those messages and lessons of acceptable behavior as defined by my parents and immediate family, my schools and my teachers, my church and my church leaders, my universities and my professors, my jobs and my bosses, my hometowns and their leaders, my country and its representatives. Since birth, these institutions and individuals have consistently driven home the FUNDAMENTAL importance of honor, integrity, morality, honesty, ethics, and decency in driving everything we do - of being a respectable person of principle - of being humble and honorable, of treating people the way you want to be treated, and of having the courage of our convictions.
I’d like to choose that courage now, and say that you are so fundamentally and inherently wrong to normalize the most abhorrent human imaginable, who has done and will continue to do immeasurable damage to our country, has corrupted its institutions, and is on a path to destroy its fragile and vaunted democracy all in service of his own disgusting and insatiable ego.
Your “Person of the Year” is an insult to millions of Americans like me who care about basic decency, democracy, and the rule of law. “For better or worse” you say in your explanation of why THIS person is “your” person, selling your soul without even the slightest sense of shame. The thing is, you could’ve elected not to mention his name at all, kind of like I’ve done in this letter, and turned the attention to someone else - where it would’ve actually been a recognized and respectable honor - someone who DESERVED such acclaim, who would make us all say YES; yes indeed.
In these fraught times we need a hero. We need the decent. We need the honorable. We need the KIND. We need individuals and institutions willing to defend our nation instead of the indefensible. We need to fight for what is RIGHT, and stop amplifying the awful. Yet here we go AGAIN, placating a narcissistic sociopath with a “title” he so desperately craves but will never EVER deserve.
So is it me who’s gotten life wrong for 62 years, or is it you, in celebrating this MAGA king - this bully - this thug - this disgusting enabler of the hateful underbelly of our society - with an “award” that if I had to guess, he probably paid for?
I’ll take a stab at the answer, leaning into all the lessons I’ve learned since birth, while applying every ounce of honesty I can muster, and say:
I tend to think it’s you.”
Katharine. Thank you! I just emailed TIME and pasted your letter--noting I was not the author but that you communicated my sentiments perfectly.
I'm a big fan of us sharing our letters in these comments. This is an example of a writing project I could have spent a lot of time on but come nowhere close to your letter--I would rather "second" yours and give you credit. I hope that's okay.
That’s very kind of you- I appreciate. We need each other, and most importantly, we cannot remain silent.
Katherine, I have also sent your letter, with a few opening & closing comments (like why not Biden, Harris, or Taylor Swift!?), and have encouraged my husband to send it too. Thanks again!
Like why not "Anyone not named Trump"?
Dear Cathy and Katharine, Cathy's idea is perfect -- I will do the exact same thing this minute and email it to TIME, giving Katharine the credit. Thank you, Katharine, for so eloquently and powerfully putting into words what so many of us feel.
Gosh Claire I’m really flattered. Thank you. ❤️
I did the same. Thank you, Katharine.
Katherine,
Thank you SO MUCH for this eloquently scathing response to Time's appalling choice! I, too, may copy it in a letter to Time,along with my AMEN!
Most Shameful Magazine of the Year "TIME MAGAZINE" 2024
Most Shameful Speech Platform of the year.... with the possible exception of Project 2025.
You inspired me. While not nearly as eloquent as yours, here is what I sent:
I am dismayed that Time magazine has fallen so low as to name Donald Trump as its Person of the year and to add, in your statement, that he brings a “time of great promise” to this country and all its people. His own statements are evidence of his intent to hurt many Americans and people who reside here. He has been proven to be a fraud, a misogynist, a racist, a sexual assaulter, a liar and yet you treat him as a hero who will bring “success and prosperity to everyone”.
I grew up believing Time Magazine had integrity, because my father, born in 1917, relied on themagazine to inform him of world and national events and introduced it to me as such. I am relieved that he does not have to see his beloved Time honor such a dishonorable person.
I love this! Very well said!!
TIME owner who posted the congratulations on Twitter is Mark Benioff. Mark.Benioff@gmail.com
Just saw that TIME fact checked Trump’s interview. That’s something, I guess.
Your message is also very eloquent, and personal messages are always the best.
Thank you, Gayle. Excellent letter!
Thank you for speaking UP!
We are so much better than this!
You would hope!!
Katharine, Thanks for the contact. I just emailed: “TIME has joined the ranks of the tabloid press.”
Awesome Laura! Well done. 🙌🏼
And, your Person of the Year is awaiting sentencing for thirty-four felony convictions. "Convict Breaks All Norms" could be your tagline. That so many Americans are so patently ignorant in leading us all down this road to potential ruin is, and will remain to me, unfathomable. Already, their "cheap eggs" dream appears to be over according to their Penis Envy President in his Mr. Big Time interview.
Well said Jim! The cheap eggs argument makes me roll my eyes all the way into the very back caverns of my head. 🙄🙄🙄
Katharine, I'll be emailing TIME with your letter, also noting that I'm not the author but that I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed. Thank you!
Thanks for your support and kind words David!
You're most welcome, Katharine. But you provided the information others of us needed to let Time know how disgusted we are with them. Thank you!
Katherine, I, too, am wowed by your eloquence. I am about to send your letter, with a few additions (you know,"what about Biden, Harris, Swift?!?, etc.) Thanks for giving us your letter - it's fantastic, and saves me time in the early morning, when I have to head off to work.
You’re very kind Jocelyn. There’s SO MUCH I left out, but I figured they’d stop reading after the first paragraph anyway. Another random obscure lady going off on some rant while they count their cash. I might be a nobody, but I refuse to stay silent in the face of unprincipled unacceptable “behavior”. It’s not even behavior - it’s MAGA’s whole world view I find abhorrent. Starting with the very idea that some people are superior to others. How arrogant can you be? Why stop at white skin? Why not include blonde hair and blue eyes? Blahhhh So much is WRONG right now - especially that the people who CAN actually affect change and stand up to this BS refuse to do so. Beyond pathetic. People say they’re “principled” until their principles no longer feed their bank account I guess. Spoiler: that’s not being principled
I feel the same: "So much is WRONG right now - especially that the people who CAN actually affect change and stand up to this BS refuse to do so." It's mind boggling that so many are willingly turning our country over to a vengeful, self absorbed dictator.
Great letter, Katherine. You wrote so eloquently what is the truth.
Very kind of you Susan. Thanks very much.
Katherine,I love your letter and your dog,Steve! We all need to be like Steve!
💙Steve the Dog💙
“Pro-human Pro-truth Anti-injustice Anti-hate A wonderdog for underdogs”
https://linktr.ee/stevethedog2024
Thanks so much Kathy. Please think about following that good boy on instagram 🐾
Brilliant. Thank you!
Thanks so much Emily!
And so it is left to the individuals and the institutions that you mentioned, and those of us who learned those lessons, to carry them forward. Your letter is unquestionably the best collection of comments on the subject I have read, thank you so much, Katharine.
Wow Richard - what a nice thing to say. I have to admit I’ve recently wondered if I am indeed the one who’s gotten life wrong. It’s not a fun place to “go” when you try to sort through the toxic roller coaster otherwise known as the last 10 years. I think I’ve mostly been profoundly disappointed that so few people actually have the courage of their convictions. That’s been an ugly “reveal” about friends, family, and humans in general. 😥
Katherine, Your letter is brilliant and gut-punchingly succinct. Thank you! With your okay, I too will copy-and-paste this and send it to TIME. I am profoundly grateful to you.
Gosh Laurie that’s so nice - thanks very much!
Outstanding letter and action. On point. Thank you very much, KH, for sharing your letter. The consistent focus on an inter-human ethic voiced clearly and passionately every day in this forum matters immensely.
I think so too, Jane. Silence is complicity. ❤️
Thank you, Katherine for sharing your letter and link. And thank you, Robert, for the highlighting Katherine's letter and Time's post on Twitter. Just sent an email to Time referencing both of your material.
Thank you!!
Thank you for posting. I just sent a letter too.
Nice job Brad!! Thanks for doing that.
Kamala Harris is Person of the Year…hands down!
Robert, if the Syrian rebels can oust Assad, WE THE PEOPLE can get rid of DJT and his brethren! We do not need to perform a “Mangione” but we can stick together, arm in arm. Will they shoot to kill us all? That’s over 300 million people in our country. I sincerely doubt it. We must show up in numbers and scare them into thinking twice about their decisions. And The Project 2025 people can go straight to hell.
I love Kamala but I vote for reader Katherine H for Time Person of the Year! Great letter.
Robert - Thanks for your evaluation of David French's piece. I respect the guy but was dubious about his interpretation of Wray's cravenness. This looks to me too much like Wray hoping to buy some legal peace after he's gone. Seeing the Time cover provided some much needed humor. I remember a quote from one of Dale Carnegie's books from long ago wherein a courtier said he "laid it on with a trowel" when flattering Queen Victoria. If Time hadn't long ago become an empty shell maybe I could work up some irritation but this really provides another demonstration of Trump's age and his psych issues. A non-political friend asked me earlier how Musk had become President. Hopefully more folks are going to be getting clued in on the tech-bros and their idiotic fantasies. A few years ago I read an interesting statement in a leading Psychology of Personality textbook. The author asserted the two easiest places to find folks with Anti-Social Personality Disorder were Death Row and Corporate Row. That's stuck with me ever since.
French is so often wrong I rarely read what he has to say.
Suzan Seeking Solutions: create before the inauguration a competing magazine Newsweek?- Biden/Harris Administration to be considered for a Nobel Peace Prize for their leadership in the recovery from the world wide COVID epidemic. The healing of NATO and new coalitions in the southeast Asia... Describe the accomplishments so immediate when Biden and Harris were elected within their first year. At the same time create a Man of the Year Blacklist showing how many people were financially devastated by Trump's 6 bankruptcies, by his online college failure..etc. accurately describe Jan. 7th and list out how to provide advocacy for each state legislative Senators and Representatives to preserve healthcare, social security, medicare...etc. Identify the financial family relief that was created and provided for advocacy after inauguration. The success for each state of the infrastructure bill and please hurry!! Also share how corporations lay off workers in the month of December to improve the stock price for the wealthy and how corporations of the billionaires are now laying off workers before they even know how AI is going to affect their bottom line.
Suzan - suggest connecting with Deepak Puri over at Democracy Labs. He may be able to create your idea of the blacklist map. Deepak is here on substack.
How quaint. The days ahead are going to be rough. I advise meds.
Meds? Why? I want to keep my wits about me, not soften them. Be aware of opportunities to resist the POTUS Pandemic headed our way! Like many Americans, I used to enjoy alcohol, but no more. These years with this monster in our world gave me the enormous gift of being free of the stuff. Fabulous to be free of booze entirely, and with my savings going to my favorite Substack writer (there are so many good, and great ones) Robert Hubbell. You are my Man Of The Year. Feliz Navidad Sir!
This is great! Can you help with an example that we can use?
Unfortunately 'Person of the Year' is quite appropriate for the felon, as it reflects the impact his coming back into power and completing the plot against America will have for the US as well as the rest of the world. He merits that recognition just as Hitler, Stalin and others did.
But combining the decision with this slimy, revolting accolade Times has outed itself as a spineless bootlicking sycophant. Too bad I don't have a subscription, so I can't cancel it now.
I think you got it exactly right, Stefan. He's notorious for sure, but the disgraceful qualification by Time serves to normalize the abnormal, and accept the unacceptable.
And what makes it worse is the fact that the owner of Times is Marc Benioff who heads Salesforce. Up to now I cherished him as a man of vision but now he seems to be reduced to a cheap acolyte, joining the likes of Bezos and Zuckerberg in trying to get brownie points with the mobster.
Probably a good business decision.
I think that's what all of this comes down to - business decisions, and managing risks. The difficulty, for these guys, is balancing the upside of making nice to the orange turd against the loss of goodwill with their customers. Sounds like a lose-lose to me, but I'm certainly in no position to be sure.
I regret to say I agree with Stefan Schlüter: Trump appears to represent the US of 2024.
Robert Hubbell - sharing and saving this newsletter as one of my favorites
(even though the information is devastating
because we will "look back" at the "America that once was and what could have been.")
Reader Katharine H is my Joan of Arc in these times.
She is the pure, innocent child who declares "The Emperor has no clothes!"
The selfish bully djt indeed is what all decent parents should be discipling their own children, in love, NOT to behave like! He remains the horrible creature (I won't say human) his unrepentant narcissistic cruel self ever was. The hypocrisy will ALWAYS be astounding - a sexual predator with three wives and multiple children, multiple failed businesses and bankruptcies, an incorrigible liar and a white supremacist of the epitome of privilege, putting his name brand on cheap crap (most imported from China) and destroying every norm and institution of the nation born of the ideals that life, liberty and self-governance were possible instead of rule under a mad king.
Being on the cover of Time Magazine as Man (I specify that instead of person) of the Year
has always been a goal for djt, one he photoshopped himself into years ago. I'll grant him that over his lifetime, and as the priority over the past decade, he has made sure he is the daily headline, and now all algorithms amplify his (warped) perspective and propaganda talking points.
America is proving it is indeed a capitalistic society, and those with money are using it for power,
NOT to demonstrate (moral) values, not in consideration of humanity. The rich never say "Enough." In the end, they will be the most poor, for all they have is money - not character.
Keep working for the future you want to write, to create, to live in. All of us.
Biden needs to report on Russian interference ASAP! We are the victims of the Russian war on the USA. Putin admits he did it and demands quid pro quo from Trump. As far as I'm concerned the admission is dispositive and is actionalble and constitutes an emergency.
In 2023, U.S. Citizens and Russian Intelligence Officers Charged with Conspiring to Use U.S. Citizens as Illegal Agents of the Russian Government. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-citizens-and-russian-intelligence-officers-charged-conspiring-use-us-citizens-illegal “Today’s announcement paints a harrowing picture of Russian government actions and the lengths to which the FSB will go to interfere with our elections, sow discord in our nation and ultimately recruit U.S citizens to their efforts,” said Acting Assistant Director Kurt Ronnow of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “All Americans should be deeply concerned by the tactics employed by the FSB and remain vigilant to any attempt to undermine our democracy. The FBI remains committed to confronting this egregious behavior and ultimately disrupting our adversaries and those who act on their behalf.”
On Sept. 4, 60 days before the election, An indictment charging Russian nationals Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31, also known as Kostya, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, also known as Lena, with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering was unsealed today in the Southern District of New York. Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva are at large.
“The Justice Department has charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country’s free exchange of ideas in order to covertly further its own propaganda efforts, and our investigation into this matter remains ongoing.”
Threats to election workers, propaganda about violence, burning of ballots. Bomb threats.
Please move on from Putin. Trump is our problem. He is the culmination of a movement in this country that has been going on for decades, long before Putin was anywhere near power. Trump is brought to us by the GOP and the mostly American billionaires that own it. Is Putin an ally of MAGA? Of course. He knows where his bread is buttered. But it's not his plan for world domination.
In case you missed it, Mueller, who was a Republican, and prolably farbunget, still convivted a lot of Russian nationals plus Trump's campaign manager and national secuity advisor. Trump's first father in law was reporting to the Czech KGB, Trump illegally sought a Trump Moscow before the fall of the Soviet Union.
Trump's achilles heel is that Russian connection. We have only a dew days to act. This is a national security issue and it is worth a shot.
I also think the Senate option is worth a shot. At a minimum can force negotiations.
Yadayadayada. Guess what the Senate is not going to do anything about this.
That's like saying please move on from the stomach cancer because the pancreatic cancer is the real problem.
The risk is a totalitarian dictatorship.
Lousy analogy,
Criminal of the year is more appropriate.
None of this news is surprising. The old orange guy has been very clear about who he is and what he has planned. I will fearlessly continue to resist his dishonesty with calls, emails, meetings, snail mail and whatever else I can do. He isn't even in office yet and he's talking about the dynasty (heavy on the nasty) that he foresees. He will do ANYTHING for money and power. He craves attention. His manipulations will continue. His actions say, "Hey, watch this! Look what I can do now!" Guess we'll just have to suffer and watch to see when he finally pushes too far.
Please keep on breathing, living, and loving I say fellow Hubbellians! We all appreciate Robert so I hope someone smiled...
Attending the event at the NC General Assembly definitely allowed me to not be so reactive. If I had not then I would definitely be in a distinctly worse frame of reference.
Locally Amazon at their RDU location just fired the worker that has nearly organized the 2nd unionized site (at least for a vote).
Robert is absolutely correct re: Wray capitulating. There is no other narrative. Maybe Wray believes that somehow he will not be harassed post his tenure. I doubt he was going to be harassed even if he was fired.
if you can email TIME or call your Senators, or both, and even a bit more, then great.
I think people need to think beyond Chtistopher Ray’s capitulation and devote more attention to the ‘principles’ at stake.
If one takes Wray at his word, his overarching principle was to avoid provoking the waves that would have been generated had he said nothing and continued about his job (irony intended) as FBI chief. Of course Trump would have fired him after next January 19, but I think Wray would have been challenging Trump to invent/articulate cause for the firing (refusal to get out of the way not being cause). Wray had a supposedly fixed term of office for a good reason; by meekly stepping aside, Wray took it upon himself to undermine the reason why the FBI Director was given a 10 year term of office. His action was therefore ethically unprincipled.
Hitler was Time's Man of the Year in 1938. You all know how that went. Also, Trump was their Man of the Year in 2016 too.
Great and chilling observations.
2016 was the last time I looked at a Time magazine....Idiots!
We need to change our rhetoric from Left vs Right, Liberal vs Conservative to BILLIONAIRES vs the WORKING FOLK. We need to expand our coalition. No more taking the bait of culture wars.
From Denialad: donbialostosky.substack.com
Persons of the Year
Time just named Trump its Person of the Year—
One more coup in his quest to domineer.
A major media outlet in his thrall,
He’ll frame it on the Oval Office wall.
He joins a long line of those who’ve won fame
And infamy, among whom there’s one name
That I looked up to see if he’d appeared.
And sure enough, it was just as I feared;
The magazine had featured his soulmate
Adolph Hitler in 1938!
Katherine H BRAVO!