Paxton is a monster. What this must be doing not just physically, but psychologically, to the mother is barbaric. Paxton and his cronies have no right to inflict this kind of pain and suffering on another human being. These are sick, deranged, and immoral beings. If they are wrapping their cruelty in the name of Jesus they should all burn in hell.
I agree with you. He IS a monster. I hope women and others are paying attention to this situation which is cruel and unusual punishment imho and speak out loudly at the ballot box. I am past child bearing age but I have many friends and relatives who are not and I genuinely fear for them. One would have to think quite long and hard about sending someone female to school in a red state.
I imagine if this doesn’t drive women to vote in large numbers, then nothing will. I’m grateful that this horrible situation is getting a lot of national attention.
I agree but what a horrible way to get national attention. My heart breaks for this woman and her husband. She is being treated criminally and her only "crime" is being a woman who is having a life-threatening pregnancy.More from the war on women that is being waged mainly by men.
Same for Brittany Watts in Ohio - she went to the hospital twice for help, but ended up miscarrying at home in a toilet. Apparently that's a crime, because she's being charged with felony abuse of a corpse.
Voters may not care in Texas but Doctors do. I know several who have or are leaving, including my daughter who does reconstructive and oncological surgery.....but no longer in Texas at UT hospitals or women's hospital. No one should tolerate this cruelty or stupidity.
I'm glad she's able to leave. We have an acquaintance who is an accomplished nurse, and is getting ready to move from safe Colorado TO Texas (!!) for what is admittedly and amazing job opportunity, and she deserves the promotion - BUT they have a 6- or 7-year-old daughter. I just want to scream at her and shake her and ask why she would want her daughter to grow up in that state.
I wish everyone who would move out actually could move out, and that nobody would move there.
This is just another reason why I do not buy the Judeo-Christian ethic. Under Halacha, Jewish Law:
When the life of the mother is at risk abortion is allowed whether physical or psychological. While the situation can be complicated, that is the simple answer. But the life of the mother always comes first.
Ed, Ken Paxton is the furthest thing from a Christian that has ever existed. He and others like him wrap themselves in a cloak of fake Christianity. This is all about power and control. It has nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus. Paxton is also a one-man criminal enterprise, on top of being an immoral, lying hypocrite. The real, fundamental premise of Christianity is described in a comment by Tyler Taylor in this thread.
I was confused at first by the way you hyphenate the "Judeo-Christian" ethic on abortion. I think a lot of Christians, such as UUs and Quakers, and probably others, likely lean towards the Jewish approach, putting the mother first, while others are hard-line.
(I think even Pope Francis is leaning towards the life of the mother.
David, just as a clarification, Unitarian Universalism has gradually, over the last 100+ years, become more welcoming of all compassionate meaning-seekers. Christians are now a minority of its members. We UUs include at least as many Buddhists, pagans, agnostics, and atheists. People of all faith backgrounds are welcome, as by long as they can be respectful of the views of others and believe in the worth and dignity of all human beings (our First Principle.)
Thank you, Tyler. I was a UU member for a long time, but I moved to a different town and there is no UU congregation here. The closest one is over an hour away. I’ve also been a practicing Buddhist for years, and your explanation, at least to my mind, is spot on.
Saving the life of the mother often means that her other children still have their mother. Worth consideration if “pro-life” includes those already born.
In my youth in the sixties, it was Catholics who called abortion a sin. Methodists and other “mainline” Christian Protestants did not. Even Southern Baptists did not, in many cases. That changed in 1980, when ultra-conservatives took control of the leadership.
We may well be about the same age (I was born the first summer of the Eisenhower Admin), and I certainly remember that it was the Catholics who I viewed as my opponents on this issue when I became aware of it in the Kennedy/early Johnson years.
Well, it now extends beyond Paxton with the ruling by the Texas Supreme Court: Texas top court rules against woman who sought abortion for medical emergencyhttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-woman-who-sought-emergency-abortion-court-will-leave-state-care-2023-12-11/
Talk about outrageous. It is imperative that abortion rights plays a major role in the 2024 elections in Texas and other states where deprived men are acting like the Afghanistan Taliban.
Dec 11, 2023·edited Dec 11, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Hi Robert. I just wanted to note that I was in exactly the same position as Kate Cox in the late 80's.
This is the story of my abortion.
It’s 1988, and I’m living just south of San Francisco when I find myself pregnant. My then-husband and I receive the news happily. Other than bouts of morning sickness, everything goes swimmingly through the first trimester. If feel my baby move at around 4 months or so. I go for an amniocentesis test at the recommended 17 weeks.
The results are both devastating and unquestionable.
My baby girl has a severe genetic defect called Trisomy 13. Also called Patau syndrome, Trisomy 13 is a chromosomal condition that causes severe intellectual disability heart defects, brain or spinal cord abnormalities, very small or poorly developed eyes, additional fingers and toes, cleft lip, and weak muscles. Most infants with Trisomy 13 die within their first days or weeks of life, if they even make it that far.
As much as I want her, there is no question of carrying this baby to term. Not only because caring for this ill-fated child would be impossible under our circumstances, but because I was frightened by what happened to my own mother.
She became pregnant with her 3rd child when I was 2, and he died in utero at 8 months. Back in the 1950s, the only option available was for her to deliver the baby naturally. So she carried him, knowing he was dead, until he was born at 9 months. The experience drove her into terrible postpartum depression from which she never recovered. By the time I was 3 years old she’d devolved into paranoid schizophrenia. When I was 12, she was institutionalized. She received 35 shock treatments that did nothing to restore her mental health, and died when I was 17.
I too could easily be driven into unrecoverable depression myself if my situation continued. So I finally received my abortion at 22 weeks after a difficult search for a provider. My milk came in afterwards. I cried for weeks.
Forcing a woman to have even a <wanted> but seriously deformed baby can be devastating. Just imagine what it’s like for Kate Cox and other women in Texas and other Handmaid's-Tale states right now, with self-righteous so-called Christians attacking them at every turn.
Bronwyn, thank you for sharing your story. It is difficult but important for politicians hear stories of real women dealing with the realities of pregnancy and suffering inflicted by their reactionary religious fundamentalism.
I weep for you and for your mum, what sadness. I’m sorry! Life can be so unfair. Along with the ‘natural’ unfairness of life comes the Ken Paxtons of the world – always prepared to make life more difficult.
Thank you for sharing that heart breaking remembrance. More voters should be aware of past and present fallout of decisions that harm and destroy lives. Life threatening fetal anomalies and miscarriages are way more common than people think.
Thank you for sharing this very personal and heartbreaking story. It underscores the inhumanity of Paxton's actions, and The Texas Supreme Court's response thus far.
Oh I am so sorry to know how horrible this must have been for you and my heart breaks.
Is there any way you could send some op-eds to the larger news papers, and most certainly to the local paper in Texas. I hope that does not, in any way, sound cruel. It could certainly effect some voters. It would be a very powerful story in the press and TV networks.
I just sent it to the Houston Chronicle. I live in Vermont so they may not print it but a good thought. I have posted it on the WaPo comment section and in local papers here, and offered testimony prior to the ratification of the new amendment that enshrines gender and abortion rights here. It is a painful memory for me and Ms. Cox's story is so very close to mine -- I see her in tears and know <exactly> how she feels -- but she is also unbelieveably brave to share hers in this terrible time while she is going through this. I know she's getting all kinds of attacks from so-called Christians that I never received when I was living in the Bay Area in the 1980s, so I know her suffering at their hands is much worse. But still, we women need to share our stories and really nail Republicans to the wall on this issue.
I hope you pointed out in the op-ed you sent to texas papers the similarity between your story and that of Ms. Cox. That, I think, is the thing that will get your story printed in Texas, and that's certainly where your story will do the most good. Just don't let papers no you're sending it elsewhere.
If you feel by any chance that you could use an editor, I'm a good one--I have decades' experience in journalism--and I'll be happy to edit it. If so, you can send it to holzmandc@gmail.com.
Bronwyn, I just sent a message but now scrolled to this one. Bravo to you for sending this to the Houston Chronicle, which is my hometown paper. I sent them a letter to the editor a couple of days ago on this subject, but they haven't printed it yet. I'm thinking they often wait until they have a number of letters on the same subject, so let's stay tuned. To answer your question about leaving the state, abortion is safe and legal in next-door New Mexico.
I don’t think she is allowed to leave the state to receive a safe abortion elsewhere. I’m pretty sure that is actually part of this highly restrictive Texas anti-abortion law.
She did leave, Janet, right before the conservative TX Supreme Court denied her abortion again. Her attorney said she already had the abortion and was recovering, as well as she could. I hope she and her husband sue the crap out of each member of the court and Paxton too!
I know, I found that out literally minutes after I posted this. The Washington Post sent an alert. I knew that Paxton had ordered her to leave, but I don’t even know if it’s legal for him to do that.
Hi. Thanks for your comments. I got an email that my comment did not go through. I don’t know how to fix that or if my comment to you should go on Robert’s site.
I have had to change my browser to Chrome in order for me to be able to comment here. I don't know if that's your problem, but if you're not using Chrome, try switching!
Bronwen thank you for sharing. I'm sorry for your family pain & suffering. The fact that anyone should feel compelled to share such personal stories to defend the healthcare decisions of others, is criminal & heartbreaking. Years ago they were shared to support others going through these difficult choices & losses, not to defend their actions.
Thank you for taking time to share your terribly sad and heartbreaking story. It reminds me to stop, express thanks and support to women like you who share their stories, and then work harder to end forced birth.
Bronwyn, I'm so sorry you lost your mother in such a dreadful manner, and that you had to go through the horror of finding yourself with a similarly problematic pregnancy to that of your mother. I hope you're well beyond all that, and having a good life.
My hope is that everyone writing in this forum would send their remarks, opinions, and experiences, such as your very heartbreaking ones, to Ken Paxton's office. You might also consider calling the Texas Supreme Court at 512-463-1312. Maybe they will be impressed by the incredible numbers of people who are appalled and sickened by what this young family is facing, thanks to criminal creeps like Paxton.
Thank you for sharing this. I think sharing helps the many people who find themselves in this situation. People need to understand the consequences of not having an opinion to abort a pregnancy. Thank you for for speaking out.
I sat with a cup of coffee, only the Christmas tree lights on, and some instrumental Christmas music playing before I read your letter, Robert, trying to gather strength for the day. Our problems are real and complicated and those who “simple” answers to complex questions are a part of our problems. We must continue to spread the good news and the truth. And stay together. Thank you.
Such an excellent comment! It's hard to think and even harder to think about complicated and emotionally fraught issues -- so many people, exhausted by the day-to-day, don't try. Unfortunately that leaves them wide open to those offering simple, usually very flawed, and sometimes downright evil alternatives. I don't have a solution, really, other than to keep trying to weigh in when we can, if we can, on complex issues. Loved the way you started your day; I'm going to try something like that rather than hit the computer 1st thing!
Thank you re Kagan's comments: what an idiot. Sorry, Kagan, but whose side are you on, anyway? He's doing an excellent pro-MAGA promotion and I can't assume his intention is otherwise. And, Paxton. I'm not ashamed to live in Texas -- have lived here since I was 20 and I'm 75 now -- because the machine here has been something so well-funded and huge (including a very robust military-industrial juggernaut, oil&gas, and our old friends racism, misogyny, and the rest). Believe it or not, there are millions of Texans who have continued to vote and work to overcome, override these factors and so far we haven't been tremendously successful. Kagan might note? We continue to fight and will continue to fight for everyone's human rights, including those of our fellow Texans... If only I had a magic wand and could transform these White male Christian MAGAs into women for about a week. Oh, and make sure that during that week they find out they need reproductive healthcare...
Meredith, my new neighbors just moved to MN from Houston. Since we had a school board election coming up and they have school aged kids, I asked if they were interested in knowing how to register to vote and where background information on all the candidates could be found. The dad, who is Hispanic, asked for my opinion about how important this election was. I said, up front, that I’m a Democrat before talking about the candidates. A smile just lit up his face. The wife and brother-in-law laughed. Turns out they are long-time Democratic activists and delighted to be able to continue that work here. No, I wasn’t surprised; just grateful.
Y’all have a tough road to walk in Texas. Glad there are so many of you willing to do the tough work! Thank you.
Hi Meredith, I also live in Houston. Born here 78 years ago. I'm always happy to meet like-minded people. You describe our situation very eloquently. I love your last two sentences! When I emailed Paxton's office, I suggested that he make all his own future invasive medical procedures a public event for all to critique and judge.
Oooooh!! What a lovely visual image you presented to him!! I guess you could also contact FOX News and suggest a new form of 'news' (medical procedures that involved getting permission from a legislative group -- I'm thinking a format like a game show??). Guaranteed to have high ratings.There should be no shortage of men with prostate problems, for instance. I mean: really. Can we trust men to make medical (or any) decisions about their own bodies without legislative input???? P.S. I lived in Houston ~ 1970-1975. There some things I really like about it; a very diverse and cosmopolitan city...
Your game show idea is hilarious! Wish you still lived here -- we could meet at any one of the jillions of restaurants -- one of the bonuses of our very diverse city.
Ed, you're right these questions need to be asked & history properly sought. Unfortunately, the right who cares not one bit about antisemitism, or any discrimination much less genocide is acting the defender. It galls me they're sowing division, once again at our expense.
I am galled, also. But what is beginning to look like increasing domination, by antisemites, of the political left complicates political life for Jews.
The HONEST question is whether a university puts up with Hate Speech against any group. And many do, because hate speech is in fact protected by the First Amendment and even private universities can try to abide by the base tenets of American Democracy.
The question of what to do about hate speech in general is a serious one right now, and much debated and no conclusion has been reached after all that debate--nor can it possibly be in a grilling context such as Stefanik grandstanded. Do you really think there is an easy answer and that the question has never come up before? Is there something special about Anti-Semitism that makes IT punishable but not hate speech against blacks, Asians, LGBTQ or even women?
Well stated. The problem as I see it is that it should have been relatively easy for these college presidents to say that they condemn calls for genocide against Jews, or any other ethnic group, nationality, or race. They were trying too hard to tiptoe around students’ First Amendment rights. If we shut down discussion that we do not like, then we can expect the same to happen to us in return. This is why, for example, the ACLU has supported marches by the Ku Klux Klan on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It seems odious, but if we abide by US free speech rights, it makes sense, and it’s definitely going to be appalling to some people. In turn, those people who are appalled have a right to condemn such hate groups and speak out against them.
One can condemn hate speech without taking disciplinary action against it. At least one of the presidents tried--but that has got lost in the weakness of the general answers. As I recall Stefanik didn't ask if the presidents opposed hate speech--just if they would discipline students. Those are two completely different questions.
It is perfectly OK within the First Amendment to say you don't LIKE and abhor someone else's speech. What you can't do under current law/custom is prevent it with punishment.
Exactly, and in addition, I do believe the messenger does matter. I pointed this out in a reply to Ed. Stefanik is the last person on earth to be asking these questions, since she unequivocally supports Trump, who has got to be one of the most heinous racists, bigots, and misogynists to ever occupy the oval office. If she’s worried about antisemitism, racism, and bigotry, then why is she supporting someone who embodies all of this?
indeed. I've just finished an excellent book called "Fancy Bear goes Phishing" by Scott Shapiro. It is about how hackers operate--from viruses and worms to the whole GRU/Wikileaks hack of the DNC and emails. Would that someone could hack into Stefanik's private emails.
Actually, I do think the messenger does matter to some extent, because Stefanik is a supporter of Trump, and has been from day one. And Trump just loves MTG, one of the biggest antisemites to ever occupy a seat in Congress. So Stefanik supports one of the most heinous, disgusting racists and bigots that has ever occupied the oval office. It would’ve been a little more effective if someone other than Stefanik, perhaps a Democrat, was asking these questions, which were indeed very important questions to ask.
However, the *way* questions are asked, and the degree of respect shown to the persons responding to the questions, are exceedingly important but - with certain Republican House members - questions are 'asked' in a rude gotcha' manner, with witness being interrupted mid-response by, often, misleading 'feedback' putting into the witnesses' mouths words and meanings that aren't intended by the witnesses.
Ed, I think you may find this newsletter published today by Robert Reich to be very interesting. It gives more detail on the financial fallout of what happened at these congressional hearings. You may already read his newsletter so you can ignore this if that’s the case
I have a suggestion that has nothing to do with Ken Paxton (Yes, he is a monster!). It has to do with how we approach this comment section. I'm a retired teacher and I want to share with you a lesson I learned from one of the best administrators at a school I had the honor to teach at. He was the most thoughtful listener I believe I have ever worked for. Upset parents, teachers (I confess I was guilty at times), students, community leaders, etc., would go to his office and vent about all manner of issues they felt needed immediate attention and action. Vitriol and outrage would reign and demands would be made; well, sound familiar? His initial response to all of this was to sit back and listen. He didn't judge, engage, interrupt, argue, or even make suggestions. He. . . just. . . listened. He let people express themselves without judgment and tried to understand what it was they were saying. I noticed this technique in several of the teacher/parent/student conferences I was also present in and I asked him one day about his approach. He told me that it was important to realize that most of the people who were angry were NOT angry at him. They were really angry about something over which they felt they had no power to change. Further he stated that, "Sometimes it's important to take a punch and NOT punch back." They needed a chance to have their say; that the anger and pain that they displayed was really a measure of the hopelessness they felt. Often, after they had railed at him for a while, they would eventually notice that he was politely listening and NOT interrupting. They would usually calm down to a state at which a rational discussion could take place. Many times they would apologize for ranting at him; sometimes not. His next step was to put in his own words what he thought they were saying, after which people would often say, "No, that wasn't what I really meant. What I meant to say was. . .". After all parties came to an agreement about what the problem really was, oftentimes, what was needed was a change of behavior on the part of the person(s) on the other side of his desk, ALONG WITH the understanding that the involved school/teacher/administrator would be a willing and helpful assistant to them. I cannot tell you how many people in the community would tell me about the perception they got while in his office that he was directly and entirely focused on them, "I was the only person . . . etc." He didn't have a cushy job either. When he got to that school, he was told by the Superintendent that the district was prepared to close the school if he could not get the rampant drug, attendance, and violence problems under control. Several suicides had occurred within the student body, including one at the school's football stadium. Within four years it was the highest performing school in the school district. His last year there, every graduating senior walked through the line, shook his hand and placed a silver dollar in it. He was a truly amazing person and I was (am) much the better for having known him. In closing, I know that we may completely disagree with other comments made in this section. Let's try to be willing to "take a punch and not punch back." For now, try to just. . .listen. . .
This is such a fine comment that I am saving it and will share it with activist colleagues as an approach to establish dialogue with those who disagree with us.
My letter to the WAPO editor about Robert Kagan's first article was published! Of the 5 letters published about his piece, mine was the only one wholesale challenging his thesis. I blame the media for the hopelessness and fear that many people feel. My letter was edited (they took out my comment that his piece was drivel and that he was a fear mongerer), but it is below. And I have created several new readers for this newsletter of friends who have believed the medi hype that Trump 2024 is a forgone conclusion.
Robert Kagan looked at the odds of a Trump dictatorship in a vacuum, apparently not considering the results of every election since 2016, which have repudiated former president Donald Trump and MAGA politics. Mr. Kagan ignored the growing backlash against incompetent members of Congress and the very successful grass-roots efforts to get out the vote for 2024.
Democrats and the Biden administration are not the feckless bunch he portrayed them to be. Mr. Kagan has developed a parting-of-the-Red Sea theory of a Trump march to the White House. Wrong. MAGA Republicans are a vocal minority. How many of them showed up to rally in Florida when Mr. Trump went to court for his indictment? Very few. MAGA Republicans are learning that following Mr. Trump’s directions leads straight to a jail sentence.
Let us not forget that Paul Manafort changed the GOP platform on Ukraine in 2016 at Russia's behest. I may sound like a nutjob conspiracy theorist, but frankly, I imagine the GOP is doing TFG's bidding on this (and thus Russia's bidding) in withholding aid to Ukraine at this point. And, I believe that several of those GOP Senators and probably a number of GOP reps are Russian assets, or at least useful idiots, in any case. (Remember the July 4 trip to Moscow?) Russia is finally getting the GOP to do its bidding, somehow. (And read Rachel Maddow's book "Prequel" to see how this has happened before.)
Taking the 30,000 foot helicopter view...the thread that runs through TFG's first impeachment...Ukraine. And now that the GOP is full on MAGA, here they go again.
Since I am no legal scholar, my questions may be naive. But they are earnest and express the frustration of good people, particularly Democrats, who simply can’t believe what continues to happen in this country with the abuse of power.
1). Is there any limit to how many times Trump can ask that his cases be stayed, or ended, or whatever he wants so that he can get through the election in 2024? It seems he keeps asking for the same thing in all these cases. And even if it’s answered, there is always another level he can ask. Do his lawyers truly expect to get paid for all this nonsense?
2). Can the DOJ, or the President, do something to stop the murderous madness of Texas and Ken Paxton? This is so heinous, and here at Xmas, for a white extreme conservative leader to force this woman to the edge of death before she can receive help. Someone tell me how the Constitution, and the 14th Amendment in particular, allows women to be treated as chattel, and discriminated against with life-threatening consequences in terms of receiving healthcare. There is no way a decent society believes that individual states get to tell their citizens what civil rights they can enjoy - even if other states allow their citizens full rights. Does the GQP not understand the meaning of “free and EQUAL justice”? This should not stand.
If we are outraged at college presidents who misspeak about where their universities stand on antisemitism, can we not show similar outrage against this felon in Texas who has tried to overturn the 2020 election and now wants to prove his manhood by killing a young pregnant woman???? If all women don’t find this to be the most un-god like activity and an existential threat to womanhood, then perhaps I need to find a new home elsewhere.
I have told my kids that if Trump is re-elected, I'm moving to Ireland! But if we all did that, where would our country be? It's up to us to make sure he isn't re-elected, and that we win back the house and hold onto the Senate. It's a huge challenge, and we will be discouraged at times. But we get up each morning, read this Newsletter with our tea or coffee, and carry on with our postcards, etc.
Michael, I don’t assume that at all. My point really was to urge more men to stand up and be heard in this fight! Kate Cox obviously is the one who is most at risk in this particular situation. But, I am certain her husband, family, and friends must be mortified for her and are very angry at Ken Paxton. It is my opinion that if men spoke up as much as the women affected do, that is the only way that GQP leaders, typically white men of a certain age, will pay attention and begin to realize that they simply cannot continue to treat women this way in America in 2023!!!! The decision to ban abortions and make it painful to find alternatives impacts whole families and communities, and our shared humanity. I am hopeful that a movement will rise up as a result of this most atrocious action on Ken Paxton’s, and the abominable state of Texas’, decisions. A Million Person March regarding women’s rights would be the most beautiful sight I could imagine! Thank you for commenting, and making it clear that men are not immune from being outraged over this. Let’s all get vocal, loud, and visible!!!!
As a NeverTrump voter, I do not want to read commentaries that say Trump can not be beat in 2024. There is enough negativity going on in our country and the world, that predictions of doom and gloom are too depressing to read. We need encouraging words, not discouraging words. Kagen is wrong to use his platform to discourage Democrats from trying to win in 2024.
Kagan has willful blindness to what has been happening in America since Trump took the stage. In fact [with my EDITS], "the right combination of people HAS DEMONSTRATED AMAZING ENERGY, FOCUS AND COMMITMENT TO turn up and show a wisdom and courage [they have not shown - per Kagan] for the past eight years". We are not the weak-kneed cyphers he conjures. Instead, we are continually beating back whack-a-mole Republican efforts to block legal voting, force births / remove freedom from women, demonize LGBTQ+ and legal immigrants, ban books, attack the "free" media, and install White Supremacy ChristoFacism as our default government. Election after election results -- especially in RED states -- have delivered Democratic wins. Kagan's DC arrogance exposes his base motives: to generate clicks and comments rather than to edify and educate. At least Jennifer Rubin counters his ignorant and ill-researched premise.
The economy will be a major issue in 2024 and the challenge is how to position it with the average voter in layman’s terms. The voters between the ages of 18 -24 of which 50% live at home are the group most dissatisfied with the economy because they cannot afford reasonable housing and other items because of high costs. Retail prices for gas, eggs and many other food items have been reduced but housing, automotive and healthcare costs are higher. The question that never gets asked is “ what are the Republicans going to do for me to improve the economy for me? For the average voter the answer is nothing. One major accomplishment that never gets the attention it deserves is the number of new jobs created by the Biden administration. In 2024 the Democrats need to beat the drums on this issue and challenge Trump and the Republicans on what they propose doing. One more interesting fact that needs to be exploited is local Democratic candidates need to focus on the new jobs created in their communities and the economic impacts all created by Democrats with no Republican support.
Excellent points, Stephen! Also, I think/hope that as all of the infrastructure jobs are finally brought to struggling American towns, more of these young people will find great jobs.
Another thing that is happening around the country is that huge companies like Google are offering apprenticeships to young people without college degrees. My daughter actually works at Google and her job is to make sure the apprenticeship program is meeting the needs of specific young people with the ability to learn about the technology and then find a great job at big tech companies that pay well. Many companies are now doing this; these programs will result in smart young people finding good, well-paying jobs. We must advertise this stuff!
I agree. I’m hoping that Senator Casey’s Greedflation report gets some traction. People are reminded every time they go to the grocery store that costs are still higher than they were 1-2 years ago. Simple things like spaghetti costing 100% more or saltines 50% more. These stick in people’s minds (like mine).
Along the messaging lines…Here in SWFL, my county is getting $1.1 BILLION from the federal government for climate resiliency (Hurricane Ian). I’ve not really seen any messaging to have the current administration get credit for this.
Except Dems are now complete crap at messaging. They used to be good. The only one who is telling it like it is right now is Fetterman. And look at how he’s being treated. Even the Dems I like are “playing politics” to hold on to their seats rather than helping us. My HC premiums have gone up 37% in three years as a single LLC getting it through the exchange in a state with the highest rates. If the service was increasing by that much, ok, but it’s not, it’s decreasing. So, yes, for the average person, who doesn’t have investments, and is working two or three jobs to make it, the economy doesn’t seem great. And then there are those who are just brain washed.
Check out Tressie Cottom's Op-Ed in the NYT about the disconnect between macroeconomic indicators and on-the-ground realities of the economy. Working families need affordable childcare and affordable housing before they'll notice that inflation is ebbing and food/gas are not-too-expensive. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/opinion/economy-biden-vibes.html
If a person gets a job s/he is likely to think that *s/he* did it, not the Biden Administration.
I think the best Biden can hope for re employment is that, in general, people develop the feeling that things are going well and getting better. Statistics are, practically and thus politically, almost irrelevant.
Robert is so correct about this situation. It’s about grassroots participation. Each and every one of us. Doing historic preservation research where I live, there it is. The King did not permit gunpowder in the colonies. Just before the American Revolution, some folks built a powder mill on the creek running through their land. They did this before they built a house for their own family too! We all need to do the post-modern version of that.
Is it possible that Robert Kagan's editorials can have an opposite effect besides fear and a sense of inevitability? Is it possible that his opinions (which are like A-holes, everybody's got one) can motivate #Activistists and #Progressives to get scared, get up, and DO SOMETHING? Don't just Chop Wood, but write postcards, do text and phone banking, work with Field Team 6 to register Democrats.
We are the agents of change in this country, not overpaid editorial writers and certainly not Republicans. Find a local Indivisible group, if you on the east side of Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Eagle Rock, join https://civicsundays.us AND DO SOMETHIGNG. Remember what Walt Kelly said in a Pogo comic strip in 1972, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
You raise an age-old question. Many "Never Trumpers" read the newsletter and tell me "You are wrong to give people hope. You must scare the sh*t out of them."
I fundamentally disagree with that approach. Many people disagree with me (see Sheila's comment below agreeing with you.)
So, here's my solution: If you think it is better way to motivate people to scare them, go ahead. Knock yourself out. But don't criticize those of us trying to sustain people who want to give up and look away--people who will not be motivated by fearmongering. Many will simply pull the covers further over their heads and wait for this moment to pass if you insist and predicting doom.
I cannot resist the urge here to ask what General Washington should have said to his troops at Valley Forge. "You are all going to die unless you get really fired up and hate the British even more," or "Yes, we are in desperate circumstances, but if we stick together and support one another through this cold winter, we will survive to fight another day--and eventually win."
Robert, I believe you are correct. While we here are motivated to action, it takes an avalanche to move a small stone at the bottom of the hill. Kagan is part of that avalanche to move the Democratic voters to vote AND to become activists. We will do this, with patient perseverance starting in Spring 2024.
Dec 11, 2023·edited Dec 11, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
As I've said before, I love your Concluding Thoughts, Robert. They provoke great thoughts (or at least it feels that way).
Whenever we hear about the economy and how President Biden is not managing it well, it's always against peoples' wants and not some objective measure. What would be more helpful, and to which you alluded, would be a comparison against the objectives that were set to fix the economy. From what I can see, President Biden has hit it out of the park, despite the dysfunction in Congress, the unrest in the world, and the other domestic issues that the Defendant worsened before leaving office. That should be the story.
Paxton is a monster. What this must be doing not just physically, but psychologically, to the mother is barbaric. Paxton and his cronies have no right to inflict this kind of pain and suffering on another human being. These are sick, deranged, and immoral beings. If they are wrapping their cruelty in the name of Jesus they should all burn in hell.
It is unspeakable cruelty. There is no reason we should even know the name Kate Cox. This should be a private decision between a woman and her doctor.
I agree with you. He IS a monster. I hope women and others are paying attention to this situation which is cruel and unusual punishment imho and speak out loudly at the ballot box. I am past child bearing age but I have many friends and relatives who are not and I genuinely fear for them. One would have to think quite long and hard about sending someone female to school in a red state.
I imagine if this doesn’t drive women to vote in large numbers, then nothing will. I’m grateful that this horrible situation is getting a lot of national attention.
I agree but what a horrible way to get national attention. My heart breaks for this woman and her husband. She is being treated criminally and her only "crime" is being a woman who is having a life-threatening pregnancy.More from the war on women that is being waged mainly by men.
Same for Brittany Watts in Ohio - she went to the hospital twice for help, but ended up miscarrying at home in a toilet. Apparently that's a crime, because she's being charged with felony abuse of a corpse.
Please tell me you’re joking, but I have a feeling you’re not; this is just sick and deranged.
I wish I was; I just googled and there is a long list of articles. Assuming most are behind paywalls, here's the Yahoo version:
https://news.yahoo.com/black-woman-had-stillbirth-home-165831556.html
There is a Go Fund Me account set up for her:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-brittany-watts
Misogyny in its cruelest forms is having a revival in this country, and it’s very frightening.
Maybe just maybe voters will notice and be appalled.
Voters may not care in Texas but Doctors do. I know several who have or are leaving, including my daughter who does reconstructive and oncological surgery.....but no longer in Texas at UT hospitals or women's hospital. No one should tolerate this cruelty or stupidity.
Taking one’s scalpel, invaluable medical skills and departing TX is casting a vote that reverberates loudly. Applause for your daughter.
I'm glad she's able to leave. We have an acquaintance who is an accomplished nurse, and is getting ready to move from safe Colorado TO Texas (!!) for what is admittedly and amazing job opportunity, and she deserves the promotion - BUT they have a 6- or 7-year-old daughter. I just want to scream at her and shake her and ask why she would want her daughter to grow up in that state.
I wish everyone who would move out actually could move out, and that nobody would move there.
doubt it
This is just another reason why I do not buy the Judeo-Christian ethic. Under Halacha, Jewish Law:
When the life of the mother is at risk abortion is allowed whether physical or psychological. While the situation can be complicated, that is the simple answer. But the life of the mother always comes first.
Ed, Ken Paxton is the furthest thing from a Christian that has ever existed. He and others like him wrap themselves in a cloak of fake Christianity. This is all about power and control. It has nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus. Paxton is also a one-man criminal enterprise, on top of being an immoral, lying hypocrite. The real, fundamental premise of Christianity is described in a comment by Tyler Taylor in this thread.
I was confused at first by the way you hyphenate the "Judeo-Christian" ethic on abortion. I think a lot of Christians, such as UUs and Quakers, and probably others, likely lean towards the Jewish approach, putting the mother first, while others are hard-line.
(I think even Pope Francis is leaning towards the life of the mother.
David, just as a clarification, Unitarian Universalism has gradually, over the last 100+ years, become more welcoming of all compassionate meaning-seekers. Christians are now a minority of its members. We UUs include at least as many Buddhists, pagans, agnostics, and atheists. People of all faith backgrounds are welcome, as by long as they can be respectful of the views of others and believe in the worth and dignity of all human beings (our First Principle.)
Thank you, Tyler. I was a UU member for a long time, but I moved to a different town and there is no UU congregation here. The closest one is over an hour away. I’ve also been a practicing Buddhist for years, and your explanation, at least to my mind, is spot on.
Tyler, thank you very much for this information. Something I should have known, and am glad now to know!
Saving the life of the mother often means that her other children still have their mother. Worth consideration if “pro-life” includes those already born.
In my youth in the sixties, it was Catholics who called abortion a sin. Methodists and other “mainline” Christian Protestants did not. Even Southern Baptists did not, in many cases. That changed in 1980, when ultra-conservatives took control of the leadership.
We may well be about the same age (I was born the first summer of the Eisenhower Admin), and I certainly remember that it was the Catholics who I viewed as my opponents on this issue when I became aware of it in the Kennedy/early Johnson years.
Well, it now extends beyond Paxton with the ruling by the Texas Supreme Court: Texas top court rules against woman who sought abortion for medical emergencyhttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-woman-who-sought-emergency-abortion-court-will-leave-state-care-2023-12-11/
Talk about outrageous. It is imperative that abortion rights plays a major role in the 2024 elections in Texas and other states where deprived men are acting like the Afghanistan Taliban.
To clarify, I intended “depraved” men.
Thank you for the link. I am so tired of these soulless money-power people. They are a dispiriting bunch. Let’s dance them into oblivion.
Hi Robert. I just wanted to note that I was in exactly the same position as Kate Cox in the late 80's.
This is the story of my abortion.
It’s 1988, and I’m living just south of San Francisco when I find myself pregnant. My then-husband and I receive the news happily. Other than bouts of morning sickness, everything goes swimmingly through the first trimester. If feel my baby move at around 4 months or so. I go for an amniocentesis test at the recommended 17 weeks.
The results are both devastating and unquestionable.
My baby girl has a severe genetic defect called Trisomy 13. Also called Patau syndrome, Trisomy 13 is a chromosomal condition that causes severe intellectual disability heart defects, brain or spinal cord abnormalities, very small or poorly developed eyes, additional fingers and toes, cleft lip, and weak muscles. Most infants with Trisomy 13 die within their first days or weeks of life, if they even make it that far.
As much as I want her, there is no question of carrying this baby to term. Not only because caring for this ill-fated child would be impossible under our circumstances, but because I was frightened by what happened to my own mother.
She became pregnant with her 3rd child when I was 2, and he died in utero at 8 months. Back in the 1950s, the only option available was for her to deliver the baby naturally. So she carried him, knowing he was dead, until he was born at 9 months. The experience drove her into terrible postpartum depression from which she never recovered. By the time I was 3 years old she’d devolved into paranoid schizophrenia. When I was 12, she was institutionalized. She received 35 shock treatments that did nothing to restore her mental health, and died when I was 17.
I too could easily be driven into unrecoverable depression myself if my situation continued. So I finally received my abortion at 22 weeks after a difficult search for a provider. My milk came in afterwards. I cried for weeks.
Forcing a woman to have even a <wanted> but seriously deformed baby can be devastating. Just imagine what it’s like for Kate Cox and other women in Texas and other Handmaid's-Tale states right now, with self-righteous so-called Christians attacking them at every turn.
Bronwyn, thank you for sharing your story. It is difficult but important for politicians hear stories of real women dealing with the realities of pregnancy and suffering inflicted by their reactionary religious fundamentalism.
I weep for you and for your mum, what sadness. I’m sorry! Life can be so unfair. Along with the ‘natural’ unfairness of life comes the Ken Paxtons of the world – always prepared to make life more difficult.
Thank you for sharing that heart breaking remembrance. More voters should be aware of past and present fallout of decisions that harm and destroy lives. Life threatening fetal anomalies and miscarriages are way more common than people think.
Thank you for sharing this poignant and raw story of your own life.
Thank you for sharing this very personal and heartbreaking story. It underscores the inhumanity of Paxton's actions, and The Texas Supreme Court's response thus far.
Oh I am so sorry to know how horrible this must have been for you and my heart breaks.
Is there any way you could send some op-eds to the larger news papers, and most certainly to the local paper in Texas. I hope that does not, in any way, sound cruel. It could certainly effect some voters. It would be a very powerful story in the press and TV networks.
Sending you love and peace.
I just sent it to the Houston Chronicle. I live in Vermont so they may not print it but a good thought. I have posted it on the WaPo comment section and in local papers here, and offered testimony prior to the ratification of the new amendment that enshrines gender and abortion rights here. It is a painful memory for me and Ms. Cox's story is so very close to mine -- I see her in tears and know <exactly> how she feels -- but she is also unbelieveably brave to share hers in this terrible time while she is going through this. I know she's getting all kinds of attacks from so-called Christians that I never received when I was living in the Bay Area in the 1980s, so I know her suffering at their hands is much worse. But still, we women need to share our stories and really nail Republicans to the wall on this issue.
Still, I wonder, can she not leave the state?
I hope you pointed out in the op-ed you sent to texas papers the similarity between your story and that of Ms. Cox. That, I think, is the thing that will get your story printed in Texas, and that's certainly where your story will do the most good. Just don't let papers no you're sending it elsewhere.
If you feel by any chance that you could use an editor, I'm a good one--I have decades' experience in journalism--and I'll be happy to edit it. If so, you can send it to holzmandc@gmail.com.
Thanks, David, I'm a writer/editor myself (google me!) I know how to do this.
I'm so glad to hear that. Today has begun to get complicated. I hope your story runs. It will do a whole lot of good!
Yeah, I'm preaching to the choir up here in VT.
Bronwyn, I just sent a message but now scrolled to this one. Bravo to you for sending this to the Houston Chronicle, which is my hometown paper. I sent them a letter to the editor a couple of days ago on this subject, but they haven't printed it yet. I'm thinking they often wait until they have a number of letters on the same subject, so let's stay tuned. To answer your question about leaving the state, abortion is safe and legal in next-door New Mexico.
Hullo fellow Vermonter! I was wondering if Ms Cox will try and go elsewhere. Imagine having to do that?
I don’t think she is allowed to leave the state to receive a safe abortion elsewhere. I’m pretty sure that is actually part of this highly restrictive Texas anti-abortion law.
She did leave, Janet, right before the conservative TX Supreme Court denied her abortion again. Her attorney said she already had the abortion and was recovering, as well as she could. I hope she and her husband sue the crap out of each member of the court and Paxton too!
I said the same thing about suing him in another comment. I imagine that there are a number of lawyers who would love to take on that case.
I know, I found that out literally minutes after I posted this. The Washington Post sent an alert. I knew that Paxton had ordered her to leave, but I don’t even know if it’s legal for him to do that.
really? how sick is that?
It’s horrendous. But it’s a stipulation of the whole anti-abortion law in Texas. In fact, she was ordered by Paxton to not leave the state.
My thought exactly! She has to!
Hi. Thanks for your comments. I got an email that my comment did not go through. I don’t know how to fix that or if my comment to you should go on Robert’s site.
Received your comments!
I have had to change my browser to Chrome in order for me to be able to comment here. I don't know if that's your problem, but if you're not using Chrome, try switching!
I've long used Mozilla Firefox and have had no difficulties commenting.
I just Tried Firefox, and am able to comment. I do not even LIKE Chrome, but I thought I was forced to use it! Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for sharing such a personal and tragic story. 😥
Bronwen thank you for sharing. I'm sorry for your family pain & suffering. The fact that anyone should feel compelled to share such personal stories to defend the healthcare decisions of others, is criminal & heartbreaking. Years ago they were shared to support others going through these difficult choices & losses, not to defend their actions.
Thank you for taking time to share your terribly sad and heartbreaking story. It reminds me to stop, express thanks and support to women like you who share their stories, and then work harder to end forced birth.
Bronwyn, I'm so sorry you lost your mother in such a dreadful manner, and that you had to go through the horror of finding yourself with a similarly problematic pregnancy to that of your mother. I hope you're well beyond all that, and having a good life.
My hope is that everyone writing in this forum would send their remarks, opinions, and experiences, such as your very heartbreaking ones, to Ken Paxton's office. You might also consider calling the Texas Supreme Court at 512-463-1312. Maybe they will be impressed by the incredible numbers of people who are appalled and sickened by what this young family is facing, thanks to criminal creeps like Paxton.
Thank you, Bronwyn, for telling your story. Belated condolences to you and yours.
Thank you for sharing this. I think sharing helps the many people who find themselves in this situation. People need to understand the consequences of not having an opinion to abort a pregnancy. Thank you for for speaking out.
I sat with a cup of coffee, only the Christmas tree lights on, and some instrumental Christmas music playing before I read your letter, Robert, trying to gather strength for the day. Our problems are real and complicated and those who “simple” answers to complex questions are a part of our problems. We must continue to spread the good news and the truth. And stay together. Thank you.
Such an excellent comment! It's hard to think and even harder to think about complicated and emotionally fraught issues -- so many people, exhausted by the day-to-day, don't try. Unfortunately that leaves them wide open to those offering simple, usually very flawed, and sometimes downright evil alternatives. I don't have a solution, really, other than to keep trying to weigh in when we can, if we can, on complex issues. Loved the way you started your day; I'm going to try something like that rather than hit the computer 1st thing!
This is what I do every morning too! It sets me up right!
I do exactly what you do, Suzette!
Thank you re Kagan's comments: what an idiot. Sorry, Kagan, but whose side are you on, anyway? He's doing an excellent pro-MAGA promotion and I can't assume his intention is otherwise. And, Paxton. I'm not ashamed to live in Texas -- have lived here since I was 20 and I'm 75 now -- because the machine here has been something so well-funded and huge (including a very robust military-industrial juggernaut, oil&gas, and our old friends racism, misogyny, and the rest). Believe it or not, there are millions of Texans who have continued to vote and work to overcome, override these factors and so far we haven't been tremendously successful. Kagan might note? We continue to fight and will continue to fight for everyone's human rights, including those of our fellow Texans... If only I had a magic wand and could transform these White male Christian MAGAs into women for about a week. Oh, and make sure that during that week they find out they need reproductive healthcare...
Meredith, thanks for sticking with the struggle to defend liberty in Texas. We are grateful for your steadfast support for democracy!
Meredith, my new neighbors just moved to MN from Houston. Since we had a school board election coming up and they have school aged kids, I asked if they were interested in knowing how to register to vote and where background information on all the candidates could be found. The dad, who is Hispanic, asked for my opinion about how important this election was. I said, up front, that I’m a Democrat before talking about the candidates. A smile just lit up his face. The wife and brother-in-law laughed. Turns out they are long-time Democratic activists and delighted to be able to continue that work here. No, I wasn’t surprised; just grateful.
Y’all have a tough road to walk in Texas. Glad there are so many of you willing to do the tough work! Thank you.
Hi Meredith, I also live in Houston. Born here 78 years ago. I'm always happy to meet like-minded people. You describe our situation very eloquently. I love your last two sentences! When I emailed Paxton's office, I suggested that he make all his own future invasive medical procedures a public event for all to critique and judge.
Oooooh!! What a lovely visual image you presented to him!! I guess you could also contact FOX News and suggest a new form of 'news' (medical procedures that involved getting permission from a legislative group -- I'm thinking a format like a game show??). Guaranteed to have high ratings.There should be no shortage of men with prostate problems, for instance. I mean: really. Can we trust men to make medical (or any) decisions about their own bodies without legislative input???? P.S. I lived in Houston ~ 1970-1975. There some things I really like about it; a very diverse and cosmopolitan city...
Your game show idea is hilarious! Wish you still lived here -- we could meet at any one of the jillions of restaurants -- one of the bonuses of our very diverse city.
That Musk/Jones/Vivek/Tate "conversation" can only be something dreamed up by Stephen King to take place in the sewers.
And Stefanik is just the latest purveyor of "Have you stopped beating your wife."
You may not like Stefanik, the messenger, but someone needed to ask the questions.
Ed, you're right these questions need to be asked & history properly sought. Unfortunately, the right who cares not one bit about antisemitism, or any discrimination much less genocide is acting the defender. It galls me they're sowing division, once again at our expense.
I am galled, also. But what is beginning to look like increasing domination, by antisemites, of the political left complicates political life for Jews.
More than galling — it’s downright depressing.
Scary too!
The HONEST question is whether a university puts up with Hate Speech against any group. And many do, because hate speech is in fact protected by the First Amendment and even private universities can try to abide by the base tenets of American Democracy.
The question of what to do about hate speech in general is a serious one right now, and much debated and no conclusion has been reached after all that debate--nor can it possibly be in a grilling context such as Stefanik grandstanded. Do you really think there is an easy answer and that the question has never come up before? Is there something special about Anti-Semitism that makes IT punishable but not hate speech against blacks, Asians, LGBTQ or even women?
Well stated. The problem as I see it is that it should have been relatively easy for these college presidents to say that they condemn calls for genocide against Jews, or any other ethnic group, nationality, or race. They were trying too hard to tiptoe around students’ First Amendment rights. If we shut down discussion that we do not like, then we can expect the same to happen to us in return. This is why, for example, the ACLU has supported marches by the Ku Klux Klan on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It seems odious, but if we abide by US free speech rights, it makes sense, and it’s definitely going to be appalling to some people. In turn, those people who are appalled have a right to condemn such hate groups and speak out against them.
One can condemn hate speech without taking disciplinary action against it. At least one of the presidents tried--but that has got lost in the weakness of the general answers. As I recall Stefanik didn't ask if the presidents opposed hate speech--just if they would discipline students. Those are two completely different questions.
It is perfectly OK within the First Amendment to say you don't LIKE and abhor someone else's speech. What you can't do under current law/custom is prevent it with punishment.
Exactly, and in addition, I do believe the messenger does matter. I pointed this out in a reply to Ed. Stefanik is the last person on earth to be asking these questions, since she unequivocally supports Trump, who has got to be one of the most heinous racists, bigots, and misogynists to ever occupy the oval office. If she’s worried about antisemitism, racism, and bigotry, then why is she supporting someone who embodies all of this?
indeed. I've just finished an excellent book called "Fancy Bear goes Phishing" by Scott Shapiro. It is about how hackers operate--from viruses and worms to the whole GRU/Wikileaks hack of the DNC and emails. Would that someone could hack into Stefanik's private emails.
As for asking questions, I highly recommend the Substack piece TCinLA pointed out in today's Comments:
https://open.substack.com/pub/popehat/p/stop-demanding-dumb-answers-to-hard
(Before today I had not heard of this author Ken White. Robert, do you and Ken know each other?)
Thanks for this link, Eric.
Actually, I do think the messenger does matter to some extent, because Stefanik is a supporter of Trump, and has been from day one. And Trump just loves MTG, one of the biggest antisemites to ever occupy a seat in Congress. So Stefanik supports one of the most heinous, disgusting racists and bigots that has ever occupied the oval office. It would’ve been a little more effective if someone other than Stefanik, perhaps a Democrat, was asking these questions, which were indeed very important questions to ask.
However, the *way* questions are asked, and the degree of respect shown to the persons responding to the questions, are exceedingly important but - with certain Republican House members - questions are 'asked' in a rude gotcha' manner, with witness being interrupted mid-response by, often, misleading 'feedback' putting into the witnesses' mouths words and meanings that aren't intended by the witnesses.
Ed, I think you may find this newsletter published today by Robert Reich to be very interesting. It gives more detail on the financial fallout of what happened at these congressional hearings. You may already read his newsletter so you can ignore this if that’s the case
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/when-wealthy-donors-oust-university?r=2vk1c6&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I have a suggestion that has nothing to do with Ken Paxton (Yes, he is a monster!). It has to do with how we approach this comment section. I'm a retired teacher and I want to share with you a lesson I learned from one of the best administrators at a school I had the honor to teach at. He was the most thoughtful listener I believe I have ever worked for. Upset parents, teachers (I confess I was guilty at times), students, community leaders, etc., would go to his office and vent about all manner of issues they felt needed immediate attention and action. Vitriol and outrage would reign and demands would be made; well, sound familiar? His initial response to all of this was to sit back and listen. He didn't judge, engage, interrupt, argue, or even make suggestions. He. . . just. . . listened. He let people express themselves without judgment and tried to understand what it was they were saying. I noticed this technique in several of the teacher/parent/student conferences I was also present in and I asked him one day about his approach. He told me that it was important to realize that most of the people who were angry were NOT angry at him. They were really angry about something over which they felt they had no power to change. Further he stated that, "Sometimes it's important to take a punch and NOT punch back." They needed a chance to have their say; that the anger and pain that they displayed was really a measure of the hopelessness they felt. Often, after they had railed at him for a while, they would eventually notice that he was politely listening and NOT interrupting. They would usually calm down to a state at which a rational discussion could take place. Many times they would apologize for ranting at him; sometimes not. His next step was to put in his own words what he thought they were saying, after which people would often say, "No, that wasn't what I really meant. What I meant to say was. . .". After all parties came to an agreement about what the problem really was, oftentimes, what was needed was a change of behavior on the part of the person(s) on the other side of his desk, ALONG WITH the understanding that the involved school/teacher/administrator would be a willing and helpful assistant to them. I cannot tell you how many people in the community would tell me about the perception they got while in his office that he was directly and entirely focused on them, "I was the only person . . . etc." He didn't have a cushy job either. When he got to that school, he was told by the Superintendent that the district was prepared to close the school if he could not get the rampant drug, attendance, and violence problems under control. Several suicides had occurred within the student body, including one at the school's football stadium. Within four years it was the highest performing school in the school district. His last year there, every graduating senior walked through the line, shook his hand and placed a silver dollar in it. He was a truly amazing person and I was (am) much the better for having known him. In closing, I know that we may completely disagree with other comments made in this section. Let's try to be willing to "take a punch and not punch back." For now, try to just. . .listen. . .
This is such a fine comment that I am saving it and will share it with activist colleagues as an approach to establish dialogue with those who disagree with us.
I love this story. Learning to listen without judging is an art. It is a skill we should all try to master. Thank you.
Thanks, Robert, for your careful thoughts on the Israeli-Hamas war and related issues. It is a sad situation all around.
Today's column covers the main concerns that I (and many others) worry about. It is comforting that we are all in this together!
It is also comforting to be reminded of the thousands of grassroots groups already working to save our democracy, even in Ken Paxton's state of Texas.
My letter to the WAPO editor about Robert Kagan's first article was published! Of the 5 letters published about his piece, mine was the only one wholesale challenging his thesis. I blame the media for the hopelessness and fear that many people feel. My letter was edited (they took out my comment that his piece was drivel and that he was a fear mongerer), but it is below. And I have created several new readers for this newsletter of friends who have believed the medi hype that Trump 2024 is a forgone conclusion.
Robert Kagan looked at the odds of a Trump dictatorship in a vacuum, apparently not considering the results of every election since 2016, which have repudiated former president Donald Trump and MAGA politics. Mr. Kagan ignored the growing backlash against incompetent members of Congress and the very successful grass-roots efforts to get out the vote for 2024.
Democrats and the Biden administration are not the feckless bunch he portrayed them to be. Mr. Kagan has developed a parting-of-the-Red Sea theory of a Trump march to the White House. Wrong. MAGA Republicans are a vocal minority. How many of them showed up to rally in Florida when Mr. Trump went to court for his indictment? Very few. MAGA Republicans are learning that following Mr. Trump’s directions leads straight to a jail sentence.
This was pure fantasy.
Elizabeth Leggat, Brookline, Mass.
Fabulous!! Thanks for doing your part!!
Great letter, Betsy!!
Let us not forget that Paul Manafort changed the GOP platform on Ukraine in 2016 at Russia's behest. I may sound like a nutjob conspiracy theorist, but frankly, I imagine the GOP is doing TFG's bidding on this (and thus Russia's bidding) in withholding aid to Ukraine at this point. And, I believe that several of those GOP Senators and probably a number of GOP reps are Russian assets, or at least useful idiots, in any case. (Remember the July 4 trip to Moscow?) Russia is finally getting the GOP to do its bidding, somehow. (And read Rachel Maddow's book "Prequel" to see how this has happened before.)
you are not wrong. Don't forget that the NRA laundered rubles for Republicans back in 2015. A lot of dark rubles are paying these traitors. https://www.npr.org/2019/09/27/764879242/nra-was-foreign-asset-to-russia-ahead-of-2016-new-senate-report-reveals
Very good reminder!
Taking the 30,000 foot helicopter view...the thread that runs through TFG's first impeachment...Ukraine. And now that the GOP is full on MAGA, here they go again.
Since I am no legal scholar, my questions may be naive. But they are earnest and express the frustration of good people, particularly Democrats, who simply can’t believe what continues to happen in this country with the abuse of power.
1). Is there any limit to how many times Trump can ask that his cases be stayed, or ended, or whatever he wants so that he can get through the election in 2024? It seems he keeps asking for the same thing in all these cases. And even if it’s answered, there is always another level he can ask. Do his lawyers truly expect to get paid for all this nonsense?
2). Can the DOJ, or the President, do something to stop the murderous madness of Texas and Ken Paxton? This is so heinous, and here at Xmas, for a white extreme conservative leader to force this woman to the edge of death before she can receive help. Someone tell me how the Constitution, and the 14th Amendment in particular, allows women to be treated as chattel, and discriminated against with life-threatening consequences in terms of receiving healthcare. There is no way a decent society believes that individual states get to tell their citizens what civil rights they can enjoy - even if other states allow their citizens full rights. Does the GQP not understand the meaning of “free and EQUAL justice”? This should not stand.
If we are outraged at college presidents who misspeak about where their universities stand on antisemitism, can we not show similar outrage against this felon in Texas who has tried to overturn the 2020 election and now wants to prove his manhood by killing a young pregnant woman???? If all women don’t find this to be the most un-god like activity and an existential threat to womanhood, then perhaps I need to find a new home elsewhere.
I have told my kids that if Trump is re-elected, I'm moving to Ireland! But if we all did that, where would our country be? It's up to us to make sure he isn't re-elected, and that we win back the house and hold onto the Senate. It's a huge challenge, and we will be discouraged at times. But we get up each morning, read this Newsletter with our tea or coffee, and carry on with our postcards, etc.
Michael, I don’t assume that at all. My point really was to urge more men to stand up and be heard in this fight! Kate Cox obviously is the one who is most at risk in this particular situation. But, I am certain her husband, family, and friends must be mortified for her and are very angry at Ken Paxton. It is my opinion that if men spoke up as much as the women affected do, that is the only way that GQP leaders, typically white men of a certain age, will pay attention and begin to realize that they simply cannot continue to treat women this way in America in 2023!!!! The decision to ban abortions and make it painful to find alternatives impacts whole families and communities, and our shared humanity. I am hopeful that a movement will rise up as a result of this most atrocious action on Ken Paxton’s, and the abominable state of Texas’, decisions. A Million Person March regarding women’s rights would be the most beautiful sight I could imagine! Thank you for commenting, and making it clear that men are not immune from being outraged over this. Let’s all get vocal, loud, and visible!!!!
As a NeverTrump voter, I do not want to read commentaries that say Trump can not be beat in 2024. There is enough negativity going on in our country and the world, that predictions of doom and gloom are too depressing to read. We need encouraging words, not discouraging words. Kagen is wrong to use his platform to discourage Democrats from trying to win in 2024.
Kagan has willful blindness to what has been happening in America since Trump took the stage. In fact [with my EDITS], "the right combination of people HAS DEMONSTRATED AMAZING ENERGY, FOCUS AND COMMITMENT TO turn up and show a wisdom and courage [they have not shown - per Kagan] for the past eight years". We are not the weak-kneed cyphers he conjures. Instead, we are continually beating back whack-a-mole Republican efforts to block legal voting, force births / remove freedom from women, demonize LGBTQ+ and legal immigrants, ban books, attack the "free" media, and install White Supremacy ChristoFacism as our default government. Election after election results -- especially in RED states -- have delivered Democratic wins. Kagan's DC arrogance exposes his base motives: to generate clicks and comments rather than to edify and educate. At least Jennifer Rubin counters his ignorant and ill-researched premise.
Bravo!
The economy will be a major issue in 2024 and the challenge is how to position it with the average voter in layman’s terms. The voters between the ages of 18 -24 of which 50% live at home are the group most dissatisfied with the economy because they cannot afford reasonable housing and other items because of high costs. Retail prices for gas, eggs and many other food items have been reduced but housing, automotive and healthcare costs are higher. The question that never gets asked is “ what are the Republicans going to do for me to improve the economy for me? For the average voter the answer is nothing. One major accomplishment that never gets the attention it deserves is the number of new jobs created by the Biden administration. In 2024 the Democrats need to beat the drums on this issue and challenge Trump and the Republicans on what they propose doing. One more interesting fact that needs to be exploited is local Democratic candidates need to focus on the new jobs created in their communities and the economic impacts all created by Democrats with no Republican support.
Excellent points, Stephen! Also, I think/hope that as all of the infrastructure jobs are finally brought to struggling American towns, more of these young people will find great jobs.
Another thing that is happening around the country is that huge companies like Google are offering apprenticeships to young people without college degrees. My daughter actually works at Google and her job is to make sure the apprenticeship program is meeting the needs of specific young people with the ability to learn about the technology and then find a great job at big tech companies that pay well. Many companies are now doing this; these programs will result in smart young people finding good, well-paying jobs. We must advertise this stuff!
What a great program and your right it needs to be shouted to the roof tops. Send a letter to your local newspaper about this.
I agree. I’m hoping that Senator Casey’s Greedflation report gets some traction. People are reminded every time they go to the grocery store that costs are still higher than they were 1-2 years ago. Simple things like spaghetti costing 100% more or saltines 50% more. These stick in people’s minds (like mine).
Along the messaging lines…Here in SWFL, my county is getting $1.1 BILLION from the federal government for climate resiliency (Hurricane Ian). I’ve not really seen any messaging to have the current administration get credit for this.
Except Dems are now complete crap at messaging. They used to be good. The only one who is telling it like it is right now is Fetterman. And look at how he’s being treated. Even the Dems I like are “playing politics” to hold on to their seats rather than helping us. My HC premiums have gone up 37% in three years as a single LLC getting it through the exchange in a state with the highest rates. If the service was increasing by that much, ok, but it’s not, it’s decreasing. So, yes, for the average person, who doesn’t have investments, and is working two or three jobs to make it, the economy doesn’t seem great. And then there are those who are just brain washed.
Check out Tressie Cottom's Op-Ed in the NYT about the disconnect between macroeconomic indicators and on-the-ground realities of the economy. Working families need affordable childcare and affordable housing before they'll notice that inflation is ebbing and food/gas are not-too-expensive. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/opinion/economy-biden-vibes.html
Thanks I read this and I agree in part to what was written but it’s skit more complicated than that.
If a person gets a job s/he is likely to think that *s/he* did it, not the Biden Administration.
I think the best Biden can hope for re employment is that, in general, people develop the feeling that things are going well and getting better. Statistics are, practically and thus politically, almost irrelevant.
Tell that to the media, which is responsible for setting a national narrative, that affects people's perceptions of reality.
I have found this site helpful when trying to dispel the notion that Republicans are better for the economy than Democrats.
https://www.macrotrends.net/2481/stock-market-performance-by-president
Also Simon Rosenberg's Hopium right here on Substack!
Robert is so correct about this situation. It’s about grassroots participation. Each and every one of us. Doing historic preservation research where I live, there it is. The King did not permit gunpowder in the colonies. Just before the American Revolution, some folks built a powder mill on the creek running through their land. They did this before they built a house for their own family too! We all need to do the post-modern version of that.
Is it possible that Robert Kagan's editorials can have an opposite effect besides fear and a sense of inevitability? Is it possible that his opinions (which are like A-holes, everybody's got one) can motivate #Activistists and #Progressives to get scared, get up, and DO SOMETHING? Don't just Chop Wood, but write postcards, do text and phone banking, work with Field Team 6 to register Democrats.
We are the agents of change in this country, not overpaid editorial writers and certainly not Republicans. Find a local Indivisible group, if you on the east side of Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Eagle Rock, join https://civicsundays.us AND DO SOMETHIGNG. Remember what Walt Kelly said in a Pogo comic strip in 1972, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
You raise an age-old question. Many "Never Trumpers" read the newsletter and tell me "You are wrong to give people hope. You must scare the sh*t out of them."
I fundamentally disagree with that approach. Many people disagree with me (see Sheila's comment below agreeing with you.)
So, here's my solution: If you think it is better way to motivate people to scare them, go ahead. Knock yourself out. But don't criticize those of us trying to sustain people who want to give up and look away--people who will not be motivated by fearmongering. Many will simply pull the covers further over their heads and wait for this moment to pass if you insist and predicting doom.
I cannot resist the urge here to ask what General Washington should have said to his troops at Valley Forge. "You are all going to die unless you get really fired up and hate the British even more," or "Yes, we are in desperate circumstances, but if we stick together and support one another through this cold winter, we will survive to fight another day--and eventually win."
Robert, I believe you are correct. While we here are motivated to action, it takes an avalanche to move a small stone at the bottom of the hill. Kagan is part of that avalanche to move the Democratic voters to vote AND to become activists. We will do this, with patient perseverance starting in Spring 2024.
As I've said before, I love your Concluding Thoughts, Robert. They provoke great thoughts (or at least it feels that way).
Whenever we hear about the economy and how President Biden is not managing it well, it's always against peoples' wants and not some objective measure. What would be more helpful, and to which you alluded, would be a comparison against the objectives that were set to fix the economy. From what I can see, President Biden has hit it out of the park, despite the dysfunction in Congress, the unrest in the world, and the other domestic issues that the Defendant worsened before leaving office. That should be the story.