Thanks for the details on the trials and how some folks are really making a difference.
Just before the attack on Pearl Harbor, most of Europe was under fascist control. The Germans were butchering their way into Russia. The Japanese dominated Asia. Millions were being slaughtered. America was not in the war yet. Our military build up was beginning but not in high gear. Many Americans shouting "America First" did not want us involved. It really looked as if the Axis powers might win WWII. One attack and kaboom. Five days later Hitler made his biggest mistake by declaring war on the US.
Your voice in the face of daunting circumstances is a potent and positive force in an otherwise depressing "made to feel helpless" political atmosphere. Those that are just whining have discounted the surprises of history. We must build our resolve. The whining is unbecoming and not a winning strategy. Thank you.
Have a wonderful long holiday weekend. Wishing you and your family the best!
And a very, very happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Robert, and my thanks for your perseverance and for sharing your wisdom (for it is that) with us.
As for despair, I think of the immigrant from Sicily who wrote to his family from the new world, “Not only are the streets not paved with gold, but they expect us to pave them.” In every generation, people—most people—face daunting challenges, and there are always those who not only throw up their hands, but advise others to do likewise. But there are also those who take up the challenge. They move humankind forward. Onward, to victory, not just for ourselves, but for history.
I’m with you. I’m so sick of Democrats’ hand-wringing and despair and am sorry you have to take up so much of your precious newsletter space responding to it. I am taking a positive and activist position and encourage my friends to as well. What choice do we have?
I read Michelle Goldberg’s piece and felt demoralized. ENOUGH!!! Enough of the repetition of lawless attacks on democracy. My question is what do we as individuals do to pushback and fight for democracy?! Enough woe is us. How about some enthusiastic articles about what people are doing to protect democracy? News about the judgments against the Charlottesville defendants helped my morale. I have stopped watching cable news, except for occasional snippets. I can’t stand the gloomy handwringing; that doe NOT help. As someone said, “My desire to stay informed is in direct conflict with my need for sanity.”
Robert, I think your observations about the behavior and demeanor of the judge, and how obvious they were to all of us, could perhaps cause you to revisit something you said a couple a couple of days ago. In response to the Rittenhouse acquittal, you said "The judge seemed biased and committed error. But it is difficult to believe that a unanimous verdict of acquittal was the product of misconduct or bias, unless we hear differently from the jurors."
Perhaps you will agree that the jurors are usually the last to know why they vote the way they do. Twelve Angry Men shows the kind of biased reasoning that lurks in the heads of each juror. You, as an experienced litigator, know how jurors' reasoning can be influenced by very subtle things, and most jurors (if not the parties) revere the judge. All trial lawyers believe that the attitudes and mind-set of the judge is going to be a very influential thing.
We can never know whether the ringtone on a judge's phone could influence the deep minds of the jurors. I believe, however, through my own justified cynicism, that the judge knew better than to bring his phone into the courtroom, and may have even consciously desired to send an undeniable message tot hose jurors. Do I believe such a thing could happen? Of course! Do you, Robert?
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I am grateful for your daily words of wisdom and comfort. By the way, I have already purchased 500 envelopes to be used for “Vote Forward” letters next fall. Every reader should ask what he or she is doing to move the ball forward. This is the fight of our lives, so let’s get going!!!
I am so very tired of my fellow citizens thinking they are entitled to see everything accomplished to make our society an ideal of equality. If progressives of which I think I am one are going to retreat because they are not getting all that they want then they are fair weather . likewise I have little or no use for the blue dog democrats like Mancin or Synema, or the alleged "problem solver caucus that want to re-establish an unlimited SALT deductions helping only wealthy repbulican and democratic homeowners and increasing the deficit.
We need now to have only one battle cry to everyone we meet tot wit your first and foremost obligation is to vote. Every vote counts and failure to vote hurts all of us. refusal to get off your butts and vote hurts not only you but me and my children and grandchildren. Pick out some candidates and send some money, whatever you can afford. Follow their campaigns encourage others around you to do the same thing. Where in round one of the 2022 fight . We have eleven rounds to go. We need to get punching harder and harder emphasizing the positive things that have occurred on Biden's watch. It is a very positive record with little to apologize for.
After years of talking about it on Armistice Day , no American service person was part of an ongoing war. Joe Biden did that. I say job well done. Our economy is coming back stronger than ever. The most substantial infrastructure legislation has been signed into law. Every conceivable tactic is being used to get people vaccinated and safe. let's not forget that without an adequate medical excuse failure to get vaccinated is a sign that a person has no regard for me or any nearby citizen. In a word that person is saying i don't give a fig for whether you live or die. That is why Pope Francis asserts that People have a "moral obligation to take the covid-19 vaccination"
Between now and next November , we need to talk up Joe Biden and his team's accomplishments, sing the praises of Nancy Pelosi, the finest Speaker of the House in my eight decades and pray that the scales will fall from Mancin and Synema's eyes and they will begin to act like democrats.
We can and must win this fight for each of us, our children and grandchildren.
I've come to the conclusion that the media need Trump in the spotlight to ensure they will continue to get eyeballs and clicks. So they'll do anything to ensure that he becomes president again. This includes giving him more frequent and favorable coverage (under the guise of "equal time to candidates") and demoralizing Democrats into not voting (under the guise of "being a watchdog" or "waking us up"). The Times is among the worst offenders and Goldberg among its worst exhibits of the form. (The Morning newsletter is one exception at the NYT - I find it balanced, particularly in its pandemic coverage.)
I'll admit this is a cynical point of view, but to anyone who watches "Succession," tell me if Sunday's episode didn't seem all too real.
I'm glad there are alternatives such as this newsletter and HCR's newsletter, which bring needed perspective and balance to a landscape that increasingly lacks it.
I join your other readers in thanking you for reminding us of what is happening, what has not happened yet, and might not, of how much is unknown and how much what we all do now shapes how the future will be when it becomes the present. And I am forwarding your newsletter to everyone I know....Thanks, Robert - enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Some good news here, which promotes the well-known ‘attitude of gratitude’ celebrated in the season. I hope you, Jill, and the rest of the family laugh a lot tomorrow, and have a peaceful and restful holiday. Cheers!
Re your quote: "I blame the media, which has decided that alarmist and defeatist articles are more likely to drive revenues than honest reporting about the achievements of the Biden administration." I, too, blame the media. I write a letter to the NY Times almost every day, calling them out for their negative and alarmist coverage. I urge others to do the same. I've had a few letters published, but even if I don't get them published, I know they count. I understand that letters the Times publishes represent the letters they get. If they are 50-50, they'll publish one of each viewpoint, etc. So, write to your media! It isn't hard and if enough of us yell at them, they might get the message.
I have two thoughts about today's piece. 1. There is no question that much of the media including Michelle Goldberg and her newspaper, have decided the Democrats have lost the 2022 election and the one after that. This shows up in editorials and opinion pieces like Goldberg's, but also in news stories. Today, The NY Times assumed that Joe Biden's decision to tap the reserves to reduce the price of gasoline was for appearances sake than for substance, for instance. 2. I think it is a mistake to say that the press (the media, I guess) takes these positions to sell their product. I don't know what their motive is. We all see what the result is, though.
Maybe by “All in all, no one could have asked for a trial to go any better” Judge Moon meant "this trial" and "given that there were a band of baboons sitting in the witness stand"? Things can be relative.
Robert,
Thanks for the details on the trials and how some folks are really making a difference.
Just before the attack on Pearl Harbor, most of Europe was under fascist control. The Germans were butchering their way into Russia. The Japanese dominated Asia. Millions were being slaughtered. America was not in the war yet. Our military build up was beginning but not in high gear. Many Americans shouting "America First" did not want us involved. It really looked as if the Axis powers might win WWII. One attack and kaboom. Five days later Hitler made his biggest mistake by declaring war on the US.
Your voice in the face of daunting circumstances is a potent and positive force in an otherwise depressing "made to feel helpless" political atmosphere. Those that are just whining have discounted the surprises of history. We must build our resolve. The whining is unbecoming and not a winning strategy. Thank you.
Have a wonderful long holiday weekend. Wishing you and your family the best!
And a very, very happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Robert, and my thanks for your perseverance and for sharing your wisdom (for it is that) with us.
As for despair, I think of the immigrant from Sicily who wrote to his family from the new world, “Not only are the streets not paved with gold, but they expect us to pave them.” In every generation, people—most people—face daunting challenges, and there are always those who not only throw up their hands, but advise others to do likewise. But there are also those who take up the challenge. They move humankind forward. Onward, to victory, not just for ourselves, but for history.
I’m with you. I’m so sick of Democrats’ hand-wringing and despair and am sorry you have to take up so much of your precious newsletter space responding to it. I am taking a positive and activist position and encourage my friends to as well. What choice do we have?
Happy Thanksgiving!
I read Michelle Goldberg’s piece and felt demoralized. ENOUGH!!! Enough of the repetition of lawless attacks on democracy. My question is what do we as individuals do to pushback and fight for democracy?! Enough woe is us. How about some enthusiastic articles about what people are doing to protect democracy? News about the judgments against the Charlottesville defendants helped my morale. I have stopped watching cable news, except for occasional snippets. I can’t stand the gloomy handwringing; that doe NOT help. As someone said, “My desire to stay informed is in direct conflict with my need for sanity.”
Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🙏
Robert, I think your observations about the behavior and demeanor of the judge, and how obvious they were to all of us, could perhaps cause you to revisit something you said a couple a couple of days ago. In response to the Rittenhouse acquittal, you said "The judge seemed biased and committed error. But it is difficult to believe that a unanimous verdict of acquittal was the product of misconduct or bias, unless we hear differently from the jurors."
Perhaps you will agree that the jurors are usually the last to know why they vote the way they do. Twelve Angry Men shows the kind of biased reasoning that lurks in the heads of each juror. You, as an experienced litigator, know how jurors' reasoning can be influenced by very subtle things, and most jurors (if not the parties) revere the judge. All trial lawyers believe that the attitudes and mind-set of the judge is going to be a very influential thing.
We can never know whether the ringtone on a judge's phone could influence the deep minds of the jurors. I believe, however, through my own justified cynicism, that the judge knew better than to bring his phone into the courtroom, and may have even consciously desired to send an undeniable message tot hose jurors. Do I believe such a thing could happen? Of course! Do you, Robert?
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I am grateful for your daily words of wisdom and comfort. By the way, I have already purchased 500 envelopes to be used for “Vote Forward” letters next fall. Every reader should ask what he or she is doing to move the ball forward. This is the fight of our lives, so let’s get going!!!
I am so very tired of my fellow citizens thinking they are entitled to see everything accomplished to make our society an ideal of equality. If progressives of which I think I am one are going to retreat because they are not getting all that they want then they are fair weather . likewise I have little or no use for the blue dog democrats like Mancin or Synema, or the alleged "problem solver caucus that want to re-establish an unlimited SALT deductions helping only wealthy repbulican and democratic homeowners and increasing the deficit.
We need now to have only one battle cry to everyone we meet tot wit your first and foremost obligation is to vote. Every vote counts and failure to vote hurts all of us. refusal to get off your butts and vote hurts not only you but me and my children and grandchildren. Pick out some candidates and send some money, whatever you can afford. Follow their campaigns encourage others around you to do the same thing. Where in round one of the 2022 fight . We have eleven rounds to go. We need to get punching harder and harder emphasizing the positive things that have occurred on Biden's watch. It is a very positive record with little to apologize for.
After years of talking about it on Armistice Day , no American service person was part of an ongoing war. Joe Biden did that. I say job well done. Our economy is coming back stronger than ever. The most substantial infrastructure legislation has been signed into law. Every conceivable tactic is being used to get people vaccinated and safe. let's not forget that without an adequate medical excuse failure to get vaccinated is a sign that a person has no regard for me or any nearby citizen. In a word that person is saying i don't give a fig for whether you live or die. That is why Pope Francis asserts that People have a "moral obligation to take the covid-19 vaccination"
: https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-suggests-people-have-moral-obligation-take-coronavirus-vaccine
Between now and next November , we need to talk up Joe Biden and his team's accomplishments, sing the praises of Nancy Pelosi, the finest Speaker of the House in my eight decades and pray that the scales will fall from Mancin and Synema's eyes and they will begin to act like democrats.
We can and must win this fight for each of us, our children and grandchildren.
I've come to the conclusion that the media need Trump in the spotlight to ensure they will continue to get eyeballs and clicks. So they'll do anything to ensure that he becomes president again. This includes giving him more frequent and favorable coverage (under the guise of "equal time to candidates") and demoralizing Democrats into not voting (under the guise of "being a watchdog" or "waking us up"). The Times is among the worst offenders and Goldberg among its worst exhibits of the form. (The Morning newsletter is one exception at the NYT - I find it balanced, particularly in its pandemic coverage.)
I'll admit this is a cynical point of view, but to anyone who watches "Succession," tell me if Sunday's episode didn't seem all too real.
I'm glad there are alternatives such as this newsletter and HCR's newsletter, which bring needed perspective and balance to a landscape that increasingly lacks it.
I join your other readers in thanking you for reminding us of what is happening, what has not happened yet, and might not, of how much is unknown and how much what we all do now shapes how the future will be when it becomes the present. And I am forwarding your newsletter to everyone I know....Thanks, Robert - enjoy your Thanksgiving!
“Highbrow version of clickbait:”exactly!
Some good news here, which promotes the well-known ‘attitude of gratitude’ celebrated in the season. I hope you, Jill, and the rest of the family laugh a lot tomorrow, and have a peaceful and restful holiday. Cheers!
Your missives encourage and hearten us all. Keep it up!
Re your quote: "I blame the media, which has decided that alarmist and defeatist articles are more likely to drive revenues than honest reporting about the achievements of the Biden administration." I, too, blame the media. I write a letter to the NY Times almost every day, calling them out for their negative and alarmist coverage. I urge others to do the same. I've had a few letters published, but even if I don't get them published, I know they count. I understand that letters the Times publishes represent the letters they get. If they are 50-50, they'll publish one of each viewpoint, etc. So, write to your media! It isn't hard and if enough of us yell at them, they might get the message.
Thank you so much for all that you do! You have helped me more than you can imagine! I wish you all good things on this day of thanks.
I have two thoughts about today's piece. 1. There is no question that much of the media including Michelle Goldberg and her newspaper, have decided the Democrats have lost the 2022 election and the one after that. This shows up in editorials and opinion pieces like Goldberg's, but also in news stories. Today, The NY Times assumed that Joe Biden's decision to tap the reserves to reduce the price of gasoline was for appearances sake than for substance, for instance. 2. I think it is a mistake to say that the press (the media, I guess) takes these positions to sell their product. I don't know what their motive is. We all see what the result is, though.
Maybe by “All in all, no one could have asked for a trial to go any better” Judge Moon meant "this trial" and "given that there were a band of baboons sitting in the witness stand"? Things can be relative.