Fingers crossed for your mountain cabin community, Robert. I was agin most things W during his Presidency, but I am now officially a fan for his forthright denunciation of domestic terrorists. Exactly the opposite is true with Manichin, who every day seems to get more melodramatic in his hesitancies and prevarications. Rubin nails most issues, and has become a beacon in dark times, as have you. Joe is fully Presidential.
Wishing you and your wife and so many others safety and good news.
Thank you always for your directness, centeredness and calm. Today I am especially thanking you for your reporting about the vaccine mandate. My husband's company is in a bit of turmoil at the moment over this and he found your reporting very informative and useful for pursuing these issues with his employees.
As for GW, amazingly well-stated but waaaay too late. I will always blame him and his cronies, as well as 45, for the disaster that ensued in Afghanistan. Words are cheap.
Interesting that the mainstream media has made so little of George Bush's astonishing words at the 9/11 memorial service. His words were damning of the Republican party, and yet it seems to have made little impression on them. I notice that there are those who dismiss it as too little, too late. But if you take them at their face value, they are words that Republicans need to hear. Alas, I fear they will fall on deaf ears.
Like others, I hope that you and your neighbors are spared by the fire.
As for GWB, it's nice to hear his words; I just wish he would admit that there's a straight line between his administration (and earlier Republican administrations) and 1/6/21.
On Afghanistan, while we may have had noble motives in trying to build a responsive, moderate Afghan state--and I supported the idea for a very long time--let's admit that we were taking sides in an internal Afghan political struggle. Our people--the ones who wanted a moderate, modernized Afghanistan--were up against the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, drug kingpins and others. And our people lost. Part of the reason they lost just might be that they were allied with a foreign power in a nation well known as the Graveyard of Empires. Maybe our nobility was not such a good thing in Afghanistan.
First, I wish you and your neighbors well as the fires spread. Hope your retreat is unscathed.
Second, I again applaud your reporting and observations. Thank you.
Third...a few thoughts:
The statements from George W. Bush are most welcome and refreshingly spot on. Thanks "W". But I don't understand why it takes a memorial service to say such obvious and powerful things. Where was he during the aftermath of Charlottesville? Where was he when "45" was running for President?
Those comments were excellent. But the irony of them coming out of the mouth of the most destructive President in the history of the nation can't be dismissed.
I hope that Manchin is using his "cut it in half" approach as a bargaining tool. While this Senator makes me crazy, I do agree that $3.5 is a lot of money. Perhaps he will negotiate up and we will retain the core, most important features. IMO, that would include Climate Change measures, child care and work force development.
Breyer? Let's all pray, or do whatever one does, that he will not wait too long to retire. The Senate is full of angry nutcases who could derail ANY nominee that President Biden might send them. Another Garland episode is quite possible. But maybe the Justice is simply enjoying his work?
Finally, the reader who wrote about the "freedom" and "women's rights" that we were attempting protect in Afghanistan sounds well intentioned but naively idealistic. The domination of women and the dynamics of regional conflict in this "country" are eons old. The development of a trusted, not corrupt, democratically elected central government (in this geography artificially carved out by Europeans in 1947) has to be organic. It can't be imposed on a society that doesn't have the will to develop such on it's own. And that is the obvious reason the entire adventure was more than wrong - it was ridiculous. Of course, our "military industrial complex" that made a fortune from their blood and our blood might disagree with me.
I love your emails, have told everyone I know to subscribe and can't thank you enough for all you've taught me in your clear and patient manner. Hoping to repay the favor in a small way by passing along info that I've just learned about by reading Nicole Cardoza's anti-racism email: referring to the 1/6 insurrectionists as "domestic terrorists" doesn't help the BLM cause. since anti-domestic terrorism laws were enacted after the OK City bombing, they've been used disproportionately against black and brown people. We're asked to refer to the 1/6 actors as insurrectionists or violent white supremacists. https://www.the-ard.com/archives/unpack-the-racial-disparities-in-counterterrorism-anti-racism-daily?rq=domestic%20terrorism
We need to realize that George W Bush has become irrelevant to all wings of the Republican party . That may explain why the media has not made as much of his remarks as should have been made. And like one of the commenters stated he should have been using his microphone throughout the Trump administration and should be talking out against Greg Abbott's voting laws and other miscarriages of Justice with that Texas tint or smell . Let's not forget he appointed Sam Alito and John Roberts and he was one of our worst presidents
As to Breyer, I certainly hope he will consider doing it in '22 or '23 and not wait for '24. However, we also need to consider how broken our SCOTUS politics is that we would be encouraging replacement of a fine mind like Breyer's and how annoyed we would feel in his position.
I am so thoroughly disgusted with Manchin that I cannot stand to watch or listen to him! He has financial backers from the coal industry and other interests but tries to portray himself as this fiscally concerned moderate Democrat. There's nothing "moderate" about him and I'd like reporters to start calling him a Conservative Democrat!
I just wish Biden and the Democrats had something they could do to neutralize Manchin and his veto power over the crucial Biden agenda - but that's just wishful thinking!
Dear Robert: I wish you and your cabin safety from the KNP fire. Since you are meeting with community members, may I interject something recently experienced with the Caldor Fire. My cousin has a cabin at Echo Lake. It was days before CalFire was even aware there were cabins at Echo Lake including Berkeley Camp. There was quite a network of people on Twitter and FB that have cabins there. Somehow, CalFire didn’t know about the cabins - perhaps they didn’t show up on the topo maps. But once they found out, they put out all effort to protect those cabins. It was touch and go and I’m not sure they are out of danger now. But please make CalFire aware of your cabins. Be safe
Fingers crossed for your mountain cabin community, Robert. I was agin most things W during his Presidency, but I am now officially a fan for his forthright denunciation of domestic terrorists. Exactly the opposite is true with Manichin, who every day seems to get more melodramatic in his hesitancies and prevarications. Rubin nails most issues, and has become a beacon in dark times, as have you. Joe is fully Presidential.
Best wishes in the fires from a fellow California mountain dweller.
Wishing you and your wife and so many others safety and good news.
Thank you always for your directness, centeredness and calm. Today I am especially thanking you for your reporting about the vaccine mandate. My husband's company is in a bit of turmoil at the moment over this and he found your reporting very informative and useful for pursuing these issues with his employees.
As for GW, amazingly well-stated but waaaay too late. I will always blame him and his cronies, as well as 45, for the disaster that ensued in Afghanistan. Words are cheap.
Here's hoping your mountain cabin and community are spared from the fire.
Interesting that the mainstream media has made so little of George Bush's astonishing words at the 9/11 memorial service. His words were damning of the Republican party, and yet it seems to have made little impression on them. I notice that there are those who dismiss it as too little, too late. But if you take them at their face value, they are words that Republicans need to hear. Alas, I fear they will fall on deaf ears.
Like others, I hope that you and your neighbors are spared by the fire.
As for GWB, it's nice to hear his words; I just wish he would admit that there's a straight line between his administration (and earlier Republican administrations) and 1/6/21.
On Afghanistan, while we may have had noble motives in trying to build a responsive, moderate Afghan state--and I supported the idea for a very long time--let's admit that we were taking sides in an internal Afghan political struggle. Our people--the ones who wanted a moderate, modernized Afghanistan--were up against the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, drug kingpins and others. And our people lost. Part of the reason they lost just might be that they were allied with a foreign power in a nation well known as the Graveyard of Empires. Maybe our nobility was not such a good thing in Afghanistan.
First, I wish you and your neighbors well as the fires spread. Hope your retreat is unscathed.
Second, I again applaud your reporting and observations. Thank you.
Third...a few thoughts:
The statements from George W. Bush are most welcome and refreshingly spot on. Thanks "W". But I don't understand why it takes a memorial service to say such obvious and powerful things. Where was he during the aftermath of Charlottesville? Where was he when "45" was running for President?
Those comments were excellent. But the irony of them coming out of the mouth of the most destructive President in the history of the nation can't be dismissed.
I hope that Manchin is using his "cut it in half" approach as a bargaining tool. While this Senator makes me crazy, I do agree that $3.5 is a lot of money. Perhaps he will negotiate up and we will retain the core, most important features. IMO, that would include Climate Change measures, child care and work force development.
Breyer? Let's all pray, or do whatever one does, that he will not wait too long to retire. The Senate is full of angry nutcases who could derail ANY nominee that President Biden might send them. Another Garland episode is quite possible. But maybe the Justice is simply enjoying his work?
Finally, the reader who wrote about the "freedom" and "women's rights" that we were attempting protect in Afghanistan sounds well intentioned but naively idealistic. The domination of women and the dynamics of regional conflict in this "country" are eons old. The development of a trusted, not corrupt, democratically elected central government (in this geography artificially carved out by Europeans in 1947) has to be organic. It can't be imposed on a society that doesn't have the will to develop such on it's own. And that is the obvious reason the entire adventure was more than wrong - it was ridiculous. Of course, our "military industrial complex" that made a fortune from their blood and our blood might disagree with me.
I love your emails, have told everyone I know to subscribe and can't thank you enough for all you've taught me in your clear and patient manner. Hoping to repay the favor in a small way by passing along info that I've just learned about by reading Nicole Cardoza's anti-racism email: referring to the 1/6 insurrectionists as "domestic terrorists" doesn't help the BLM cause. since anti-domestic terrorism laws were enacted after the OK City bombing, they've been used disproportionately against black and brown people. We're asked to refer to the 1/6 actors as insurrectionists or violent white supremacists. https://www.the-ard.com/archives/unpack-the-racial-disparities-in-counterterrorism-anti-racism-daily?rq=domestic%20terrorism
Thank you and be safe.
We need to realize that George W Bush has become irrelevant to all wings of the Republican party . That may explain why the media has not made as much of his remarks as should have been made. And like one of the commenters stated he should have been using his microphone throughout the Trump administration and should be talking out against Greg Abbott's voting laws and other miscarriages of Justice with that Texas tint or smell . Let's not forget he appointed Sam Alito and John Roberts and he was one of our worst presidents
As to Breyer, I certainly hope he will consider doing it in '22 or '23 and not wait for '24. However, we also need to consider how broken our SCOTUS politics is that we would be encouraging replacement of a fine mind like Breyer's and how annoyed we would feel in his position.
I am so thoroughly disgusted with Manchin that I cannot stand to watch or listen to him! He has financial backers from the coal industry and other interests but tries to portray himself as this fiscally concerned moderate Democrat. There's nothing "moderate" about him and I'd like reporters to start calling him a Conservative Democrat!
I just wish Biden and the Democrats had something they could do to neutralize Manchin and his veto power over the crucial Biden agenda - but that's just wishful thinking!
Dear Robert: I wish you and your cabin safety from the KNP fire. Since you are meeting with community members, may I interject something recently experienced with the Caldor Fire. My cousin has a cabin at Echo Lake. It was days before CalFire was even aware there were cabins at Echo Lake including Berkeley Camp. There was quite a network of people on Twitter and FB that have cabins there. Somehow, CalFire didn’t know about the cabins - perhaps they didn’t show up on the topo maps. But once they found out, they put out all effort to protect those cabins. It was touch and go and I’m not sure they are out of danger now. But please make CalFire aware of your cabins. Be safe