Friends, we often visit in this space about how this fight is as important on the local and state as well as the national level. Heavy on my heart this weekend is that the NRA is hoping to relocate to Texas, a leader in mass shootings, fresh off the May 6, Allen Outlet Mall that killed children and parents.
Specifically, the plan is that State Farm Inc., would sublease a space to the NRA in Richardson, TX, my home. Richardson is a city that has successfully navigated much change in the last 50 years, but this would give us a black eye, rightfully, and send a horrible message.
Yes, there's lots of organizing going on, to what avail I do not know. But if you could spare five minutes to send a quick email sentence or two to our Council members as to the message this sends to others around the country, I would be grateful.
Thanks, Cathy. Pinning to the top so other readers can respond to your call to email city council members in Richardson to prevent the NRA from relocating there.
I recently completed an 8-day cross country trip (I-90 east to west ) and I want everyone to know this is a beautiful vast country worth all of our interests to keep up our fight to preserve and strengthen our democracy . And that I thought i would see a lot of visual Trump propaganda in the form of apparel, flags, signs etc… and I didn’t! In Cody Wyoming I interacted with staff in a national grocery store wearing pride flag pins. Bozeman Montana Main St. most stores had pride flags. We are making a difference. If you are discouraged, I want to share there is hope at the local level. We must be loud and proud that President Biden is governing with a steady hand and smart policy and that we can support him by getting out the vote-
I have had the good fortune to drive across country numerous times, on various routes, and indeed we are so lucky to have such a vast expanse of beauty.
I have not driven across recently so I am glad to hear your report of rainbow flags and such!
And yes, GOTV! This weekend I am working with a group of friends writing postcards encouraging voters in Ohio to oppose a bill that would increase the requirement to pass amendments to the state constitution. The special election was called to make it more difficult for voters to pass the popular amendment enshrining abortion rights that will be on the Fall ballot in Ohio. (Republicans are determined to get their way by hook or by crook)
You can sign up to write postcards through “Tony the Democrat.” Just google it
Another good choice is Letters to Voters votefwd.org It costs a little more in materials and postage but for those of us whose hands find writing text into the small postcard space, these are easy as pie. The only writing other than salutation, signature (first name and initial) is a sentence the writer decides on to finish the first paragraph sentence about why I believe it's important to vote. I've done 80 for Ohio's August measure so far (to increase the required majority for approving a citizens' constitutional amendment initiative) and just downloaded another 20.
Anyone choosing this route should, if possible, buy first class stamps before it goes up from 63 cents to 66 cents tomorrow (Sunday).
I don’t want to be a Pollyanna (although she seems like a very nice person), but progress in defending democracy and advancing liberty have reduced the number of targets for the haters. A large majority of Americans support rights for our LBGT confreres, and for women’s bodily dominion. While Black Among are still targets of discrimination, progress toward equality continues. So the bigots are reduced to targeting the tiny minority of us who are trans or non-binary. (And we Jews get more attention as opportunities for hate diminish.). Haters make a lot of noise, but the are becoming more and more marginal. If we do our jobs, that will continue.
Living here in the Deep South...It’s hard to see the light. I travel weekly from my home in ATL to our rural working farm just south of Chattanooga (2hour drive). It takes me through most of MTG’s district. They are diehard extremists and proudly proclaim it in every yard, fence post and barn.
Thank you for letting us know there is hope in the bigger world.
I share your pain. I live on a ranch in the most conservative area of the one of the most conservative counties in Texas (Comal Co). It's so disheartening to be bound, for life, to this place. I come to Substack's newsletters for my own sanity and to maintain hope.
I both grew up in Georgia (as an orthodox Jew) and drove acoss the country (albeit 18 years ago). When I was in high school, I went to many different churches with my various friends to experience their spriritual foundations. At the Southern Baptist church, I was horrified that the minister preached, not to his congregation, but directly to the few of us who where there as guests. He told the assembly that "if you don't accept Jesus, you are nailing him to the cross every day" and that those who have accepted him are in a state of grace. To me, this meant that he was teaching his congregation that they are right, good, and OK with whomever they are, and that everyone else is a murderer and deserving of distain. Take that as you will, but, to me, it explains why MAGA works so well as a framework for those who were never taught to be critical thinkers, but only followers. As for my trip across the country, in Cody, Wyoming, we went to a rodeo. The first announcement was a "welcome" directed to visiting Californians; he said "Welcome to America, Californians!".
After years of ‘flying over’ the continental US, I decided in 2019 to take Amtrak’s Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland OR. It was wonderful; the words of America the Beautiful came to life. I saw the Mississippi and I stayed a night at a hotel in Glacier National Park in Montana. The people on the train were from all over and were open and warm. But here and there I noticed ditches filled with the detritus of human life among the sweep of fields and meadows and streams and mountains.
Maybe we clean up inside our houses but we sure don’t clean up what’s outside.
I wish I’d have had a chance to drive cross country and envy those who’ve made that trip.
While I have never driven across country, as a child I have taken the train from Chicago to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and from Chicago to Seattle, Washington, so together that is almost like crossing the country. I did not get off at every stop, but I was sleeping in a sleeper car, and going to the dinning room to eat, and met interesting people that way. I did creep myself out a bit, by reading a train murder mystery. I enjoyed looking out of the window. On the way to Seattle we passed a Native reservation at night and there was something going on. My mom told me it was a powwow. I have never seen a powwow at night since then. Perhaps these are ones people outside the reservation are not invited to. I also remember going through beautiful country. So, I recommend the train too.
I've driven across country several time, most recently (Fall 2001) in a round-trip road trip San Diego to NC and VA (with a stop in Swink Oklahoma to meet a VERY distant cousin) then up into New England, back down to VA and west via Pittsburgh to do some family history research "on the ground" and eventually back home, took about 8 weeks and stayed on U.S. highways once I entered New Mexico on I-10.
Probably the most memorable experience was early in the trip, in Alamagordo NM where I woke up the morning of Sept. 9 and turned on the morning news. Driving east from there through the vast western stretches and small towns was very reassuring as I thought about the terrorists who thought to intimidate Americans. They have no idea of the scale of the country or the nature of American westerners! I lost count of the American flag murals and flags I saw.
I still have a tiny American flag handed to me by a vet in a wheelchair as I sat at a stop light in Hot Springs Arkansas. Every time the red light stopped traffic, he wheeled out and handed flags to every driver he could reach before the light turned green.
Here's a fascinating piece about MAGA country in the New York Times by columnist David French. I encourage people to read it to understand a key element of what we are struggling against. I've pasted the opening paragraph. The link is free; it opens the story behind the paywall.
I’ve shared this fact with readers before: I live in Tennessee outside Nashville, a very deep-red part of America. According to a New York Times tool that calculates the political composition of a community, only 15 percent of my neighbors are Democrats. I’ve been living here in the heart of MAGA country since Donald Trump came down the escalator. This is the world of my friends, my neighbors and many members of my family. That is perhaps why, when I’m asked what things are like now, eight years into the Trump era, I have a ready answer: Everything is normal until, suddenly, it’s not. And unless we can understand what’s normal and what’s not, we can’t truly understand why Trumpism endures.
Stan, David French smartly captures the essential cognitive dissonance of MAGA. The primal fight/booze cruise combo tripped an important switch for me. They just wanna partay while they beat back those unattractive -- lifestyle-threatening -- lefties. Sooo Southern! When I lived in both TX and SC, I quickly learned the snarky/smarmy female phrase, "Well, bless her heart!" This is ALWAYS said by another woman with a supercilious air to put down someone "uppity." Southerners have a special talent to twist the world to mind-bending and self-serving ends. I witnessed it. MAGA is that core self-righteousness and self-absorption writ LARGE. (You now see how TRUMP plays directly to this power-hungry base of Whites, right?)
I too have lived in the deep south and currently live in the blue region of VA, but... it is VA. I have also heard the "Bless his/your heart" all my life and it bothers me that it is now "understood" to always be negative. It is not. Up until recently when it has begun to be used by non-Southerners who "know" what it "means", it was very often used just as it sounds; as a warm, comforting or sympathetic response to someone or a situation. Everything is in the tone and context, and this new "insider knowledge" has the outcome of being likely to increase offense when none was intended. I can't imagine any of the dear little old or not so old ladies I've heard use it meaning anything other than "bless your heart" dear one.
It seems obvious that we should learn not to take it personally and ignore it. To buy into it only furthers their sense of false pride in light of what is a shallow call to be heard.
To add to this, I just read my comment to my 98 year old mother who looked horrified and amazed and said "Oh goodness! Your Aunt Cleb and Gran-Gran said that a lot and they never meant anything mean by it! Walking southern cultural history there, folks. Gran-Gran was her mother in law so this is a sample from way back, too...
The biggest problem where MAGAs are concerned is “our side” completely over intellectualizes EVERYTHING. We do a great job of embracing the elitism like a warm hug. There is no need to over analyze it. It’s a cult, plain and simple. No more, no less.
Terrific insight in French's article. Reminds me of when I first started listening to Rush Limbaugh in the early 90s after I had moved to Florida. I could not understand the mix of misogyny, reality distortion, hate, humor, and glee the man purveyed. I listened because it was fascinating, and I was in a new culture I was trying to understand. Limbaugh bubbled up a hormonal cocktail inside his listeners that addicted them. None of the individual ingredients would have been satisfying, but he found just the right mix. Strange and unfortunate talent, but that's the way it was.
I've decided that the most important thing I can do for my grandchildren is to focus on climate change and reduction of fossil fuels. I'm involved in Third Act https://thirdact.org
“Experienced Americans” are the fastest-growing part of the population: 10,000 people a day pass the 60-year mark. That means that there’s no way to make the changes that must be made to protect our planet and society unless we bring our power into play.
We’re used to thinking that humans grow more conservative as they age, perhaps because we have more to protect, or simply because we’re used to things the way they are. But our generations saw enormous positive change early in our lives—the civil rights movement, for instance, or the fight to end massive wars or guarantee the rights of women. And now we fear that the promise of those changes may be dying, as the planet heats and inequality grows.
But as a generation we have unprecedented skills and resources that we can bring to bear. Washington and Wall Street have to listen when we speak, because we vote and because we have a large—maybe an overlarge—share of the country’s assets. And many of us have kids and grandkids and great grandkids: we have, in other words, very real reasons to worry and to work."
Amy Coney Barrett sold her home to an organization that had a case in the court too. So, I could add her to the list as well.
Chief [In]justice Roberts, wife is making millions with clients that have cases before the Supreme Court. We can add him to the list, plus the rulings he is making that do not follow good practice of the court. He is responsible. However, I thought that Thomas and Alito could be the bellweather cases. If they can be gotten, then the rest should be too.
Of course. He is cashing in vis-a-vis his wife and her consulting contracts with clients that appear before the courts. I have written him that he should resign for the integrity of the court to be upheld after asking Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch to resign. He is responsible for the court, so the buck stops with him.
Their bar status is not a job requirement for the Supreme Court, so it seems more symbolic than useful. I would prefer some investigating to determine whether any or all of them have committed prosecutable offenses, with prosecutions to ensue if appropriate. Maybe they can continue judging from prison, but since impeachment is completely fruitless, locking them up seems like the next best thing.
I saw Jake Sullivan discuss this terribly difficult issue and place it in perspective. The US can’t otherwise keep up with supplying Ukraine with the weaponry it needs to get it through the counteroffensive. Ukraine has been using these weapons already. The Russians have been using them offensively; the Ukrainians have been and will continue to use them defensively. All the allies, including those who signed the pledge not to use them, are in agreement with this decision. I hate it. I hate nuclear weapons too, but if Ukraine hadn’t gotten rid of theirs, Russia probably wouldn’t have attacked. This is an existential moment. War is hell.
It bothers me that Ukraine is running out of US-made conventional artillery shells. If the US can’t keep up with *Ukraine’s* needs, what does that say about *our* ability to conduct a large-scale military conflict?
Oh my God people don’t you remember being lied to about the gulf of Tonkin? About weapons of mass destruction? Aren’t you brokenhearted about all the homeless veterans here. Has US foreign policy ever been on the right side? not in my lifetime. Let the war end . climate change is the existential threat and that should be our war
I was once called unpatriotic because I was against the 2nd Bush's Iraq invasion. This was after 12 years of active duty service in the Army. You're either for us (and our unjustified war) or you're against us and people believed it.
I read a comprehensive analysis of the challenges the Ukrainian army is facing, trying to move toward and through the Russian defensive lines. Russia is well dug in, and it requires an enormous amount of standard munitions to disrupt miles of trenches. We can't produce or supply them fast enough. For the specific purpose of clearing trenches, cluster bombs are the most suitable tools, since they will take the place of multiple standard rounds. The cluster bombs used in southeast Asia had 30-40% dud rate, but the US claims the newer ones have about a 2% dud rate, and the US has stockpiles ready to go. Ukraine needs to clear the Russian army from its defensive lines. The eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, occupied by Russia, are littered with minefields and cluster bomblets that the Russians are using. Assuming the Ukrainian counteroffensive is successful (which I think it will be, based on the determination of the Ukrainians and their proven skill), mine and bomb clearing will be top of mind and a priority for the US, allies, and Ukrainians, once they retake their lands.
Emily, this is a good description of the challenge Ukraine faces and the thinking that may have gone into Biden’s decision. Unfortunately, most citizens won’t hear or see it that way. (Unless the war comes to
In part it says "His utter disregard for facts denigrates the legal profession...Mr. Giuliani’s effort to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential election has helped destabilize our democracy. His malicious and meritless claims have done lasting damage...We have considered in mitigation Mr. Giuliani’s conduct following the September 11 attacks as well as his prior service in the Justice Department and as Mayor of New York City. But all of that happened long ago. The misconduct here
sadly transcends all his past accomplishments. It was unparalleled in its destructive purpose and effect. He sought to disrupt a presidential election and persists in his refusal to acknowledge the wrong he has done. For these reasons, we unanimously recommend that Mr. Giuliani be disbarred."
As to the "mitigation" aspect: I have lived in NYC in 2001 and worked closely with local, state and national authorities in the aftermath of 9/11. All I remember of Giuliani in that time is that he didn't have a nervous breakdown and did his job. Certainly nothing exceptional. Coming out of this tragedy as "America's Mayor" is beyond me.
Than you, Stefan, for your comments and the link. I agree; this has all been done to America in plain sight. Rudy's downfall was predictable, with his shameless and insatiable limelight chasing.
This thorough and dispassionate dissection of Rudy's treasonous efforts draws yet another crystal-clear map for his prosecution by Smith and Willis. They undoubtedly are voracious readers!
I urge everyone to read Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter today in toto. It is a superb and encouraging assessment of today’s America, the Biden administration’s remarkable accomplishments, and the far right’s attack.
I heard that the UN is meeting next week to explain next steps for Ukraine to become a NATO member. While I'm all for Ukraine joining NATO, I'm wondering if the timing is problematic. If Ukraine becomes a NATO member, and if declaring war on one NATO member is tantamount to declaring war on all NATO members, then wouldn't that mean the USA is at war with Russia?
I believe it is a NATO meeting. While there is support for Ukraine to join NATO, it will not occur until the war is over. I’ve read a great deal about this. I saw yesterday that Turkey’s President was supportive. That is a good sign for the long term.
I hope the status of Hungary is part of the meeting. Orban has spent years setting up an illiberal democracy that has, shall we say, fascistic characteristics. If he isn't really on board with the philosophy behind NATO, why should he enjoy membership? Same questions apply to Hungary's EU and Schengen Convention memberships but this isn't the right forum for that.
Are you sure about a UN meeting to determine Ukraine’s membership in NATO? The UN and NATO are two distinct entities, even though there are similarities in their missions.
As far as the timing for the Ukraine joining NATO - your implication is correct regarding our responsibility (the responsibility of all NATO countries) but should we also reject Finland because Russia is building up troops along their extensive neutral border?
In my opinion, if the Ukraine falls, next comes Poland, and we will be in the same place anyway.
In regards to the recent Trump rally in Pickens, SC, and the number of people that attended, the media fell back into the old habit of quoting instead of verifying. Claims made by the Trump clan were 50,000 to 60,000 or even 75,000 attended.
Aerial photography totally disproved those claims. Actual attendance was more in the vicinity of 5,000 inside, and less than 10,000 outside the fenced area.
To put that in perspective, Clemson football games draw an average crowd of 80,694 to a game.
Credible statistics regarding attendance at past Trump rallies are hard to find; however, I did find a report that Trump once drew a crowd of 30,000 in Alabama during the 2016 election campaign.
The Trump campaign lies about attendance following nearly every rally. Whether those lies are intended to discourage and demoralize competing campaigns, or are made in an effort not to hurt Trump’s petty-narcissistic-fragile ego, I cannot say. However, in one of the reddest of red MAGA areas of the country, I found the low numbers for the Pickens rally to be heartening.
A credible argument can be made that he still has a hard core base of reverent supporters, but the support is not growing as reflected by attendance at his rallies, and may even be dwindling.
I think the respective party leaders are not doing their jobs. In my view, the job of the party leader is to vet, screen, encourage good candidates.
In the Republican Party, there seems no screening process. In the Democrat Party, there seems no selection process. Where is the successor to Joe Biden being selected and groomed?
Failure of Party leadership is harming our political process, which harms our country.
There are several comments here criticizing the fact that America is going to give Ukraine cluster bombs. It was not a decision made lightly.
Alexander Vindman is a decorated American army war hero, former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. army and former Director for European Affairs for the United States National Security Council. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Alexander Vindman's honesty and integrity, his service and loyalty to our country, his love of his native country, his gratitude to be living in America and his intimate knowledge of what is happening in the vicious and totally unjustifiable Russian War on Ukraine.
He explained today on "Velshi" how critical it is that Ukraine receives the cluster bombs now, so it does not run out of weapons. I trust his judgment about war in general and about the Russian War on Ukraine in specific. I also believe he has a real love and compassion for humanity.
I hate war. But I would not substitute my opinion, of what is needed for Ukraine to win this war of Russian aggression, for that of Alexander Vindman's. And it is critical that Ukraine win, both for Ukraine to keep what is rightfully theirs and for the survival of democracy.
Jul 8, 2023·edited Jul 8, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Hi my friends. I can use your help. I feel flummoxed over the support for RFK Jr. I’m a former journalist and co-author of a book that pre-dated the Covid catastrophe by about a year called “The End of Epidemics” that included a lot of information about the importance of vaccines. I’m married to a 76-year-old, liberal, anti-war contrarian who really likes RFK Jr. As a good faith gesture toward my significant other, I did a bunch of Googling and read a lot from RFK’s side of the parking lot, as well as David Talbot’s and others' defenses of him. Looking at RFK’s website, most of the things posted there sound pretty good to me.
The problem is obviously that while his website sounds fairly rational, things he’s said in public are completely and irretrievably irrational (SSRI’s leading to school shootings, the vaccine nonsense (which he appears to be ducking from a bit), Fauci and the Holocaust, going on Alex Jones' show, etc. The “watch out for THEM” argument that is the centerpiece of all conspiracy thinking is exactly the same in Kennedy’s fevered brain as it is for MAGAts.
Given the increasing lack of trust everywhere evident, along with the rise of AI (as Google's Eric Schmidt has mentioned too), I fear that we’re sinking into massive quicksand in which nothing can be believed and everything is up for grabs. This situation actually makes life easier for the likes of people like RFK Jr. and Alex Jones. And that is a terrible, terrible thing to consider.
How to discuss RFK Jr in a rational way? I admit to feeling a bit triggered.
I'm actually not interested in whether his policy positions are good or bad. From an electoral standpoint the only question is, does he have a path to 270 EVs? The answer is no. If he gets any votes, they'll overwhelmingly come from Biden voters IMO, and that will throw the election to trump. There's a reason his funding is coming from a handful of right-wing billionaires.
Don't forget that the 2020 election was decided, not by Biden's 8 million popular vote margin but by less than 100,000 strategically significant votes in a handful of states.
I'm sure everyone knows how despicable Moms for Liberty is. They have taken root in Sarasota, FL. and have intimidated school boards and parents everywhere. Let me introduce you to a local "hero", Brandt Robinson. He has taught HS history in Pinellas County for 26 years. He posts daily TikTok videos on Twitter https://twitter.com/BrandtRobinson/status/1677408882241552384 which challenge the governor and teach history at the same time. He has invited Moms for Liberty to sit in on his classes and at the last minute they have said "something has come up". He's been targeted and people have tried to get him fired. Yet he persists. He sat for a PBS interview and as soon as the link is posted I will publish it here. In the meantime, I encourage you to watch the short tweet (above) and then follow him on Twitter (as long as it exists).
I have 2 things that puzzle me, so here goes. One is why there doesn't seem to be much, if any, response from supporters of President Biden to the attacks from the former POTUS and his supporters when his age and mental and physical capabilities are attacked. Without going into detail, I think he's doing fine, more than fine. Sure he's 80 but he's accomplished some amazing successes. He's a steady, relatable leader.
As for the former POTUS, he's 3, only 3, years younger. He's obese, out of shape, often looks very red-faced and sweaty. Without even considering his bizarre behavior or track record, I just don't get why the attacks on President Biden aren't challenged. I know there are probably lots and lots of you who have a more sophisticated view than mine, but, I wonder about it so I thought, being Saturday and all, I'd ask.
The other thing is the pressure from former POTUS and his team on former AZ Gov. Doug Ducey and AZ House Speaker Rusty Bowers. I live in AZ and spent most of my career working in local government. This story, particularly the exceedingly cruel tactics used on Mr. Bowers and his family, was made very public in AZ months ago. It didn't make much of a ripple on the national news, at least what I saw, but now it's a big deal. Maybe that's because of the current investigation? I'm just curious. There was a picture of former Gov. Ducey signing the official approval of the election results while sending a call from the former POTUS to voicemail. I thought...great! He did the right thing. That's my greatest hope for politicians. Do the right thing. Thanks, Robert and everyone for sharing your hope, thoughts and wisdom.
Friends, we often visit in this space about how this fight is as important on the local and state as well as the national level. Heavy on my heart this weekend is that the NRA is hoping to relocate to Texas, a leader in mass shootings, fresh off the May 6, Allen Outlet Mall that killed children and parents.
Specifically, the plan is that State Farm Inc., would sublease a space to the NRA in Richardson, TX, my home. Richardson is a city that has successfully navigated much change in the last 50 years, but this would give us a black eye, rightfully, and send a horrible message.
Yes, there's lots of organizing going on, to what avail I do not know. But if you could spare five minutes to send a quick email sentence or two to our Council members as to the message this sends to others around the country, I would be grateful.
Cathy Murphree
Addresses at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bcSZamIMx30r6M2O11ZEabjty8ICTBBRS-7GZu3DCqY/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks, Cathy. Pinning to the top so other readers can respond to your call to email city council members in Richardson to prevent the NRA from relocating there.
I recently completed an 8-day cross country trip (I-90 east to west ) and I want everyone to know this is a beautiful vast country worth all of our interests to keep up our fight to preserve and strengthen our democracy . And that I thought i would see a lot of visual Trump propaganda in the form of apparel, flags, signs etc… and I didn’t! In Cody Wyoming I interacted with staff in a national grocery store wearing pride flag pins. Bozeman Montana Main St. most stores had pride flags. We are making a difference. If you are discouraged, I want to share there is hope at the local level. We must be loud and proud that President Biden is governing with a steady hand and smart policy and that we can support him by getting out the vote-
Locally, regionally and nationally.
I have had the good fortune to drive across country numerous times, on various routes, and indeed we are so lucky to have such a vast expanse of beauty.
I have not driven across recently so I am glad to hear your report of rainbow flags and such!
And yes, GOTV! This weekend I am working with a group of friends writing postcards encouraging voters in Ohio to oppose a bill that would increase the requirement to pass amendments to the state constitution. The special election was called to make it more difficult for voters to pass the popular amendment enshrining abortion rights that will be on the Fall ballot in Ohio. (Republicans are determined to get their way by hook or by crook)
You can sign up to write postcards through “Tony the Democrat.” Just google it
Yes I have written postcards too for the Ohio ballot issue!
Me, too, and will do more in coming weeks!
Another good choice is Letters to Voters votefwd.org It costs a little more in materials and postage but for those of us whose hands find writing text into the small postcard space, these are easy as pie. The only writing other than salutation, signature (first name and initial) is a sentence the writer decides on to finish the first paragraph sentence about why I believe it's important to vote. I've done 80 for Ohio's August measure so far (to increase the required majority for approving a citizens' constitutional amendment initiative) and just downloaded another 20.
Anyone choosing this route should, if possible, buy first class stamps before it goes up from 63 cents to 66 cents tomorrow (Sunday).
I don’t want to be a Pollyanna (although she seems like a very nice person), but progress in defending democracy and advancing liberty have reduced the number of targets for the haters. A large majority of Americans support rights for our LBGT confreres, and for women’s bodily dominion. While Black Among are still targets of discrimination, progress toward equality continues. So the bigots are reduced to targeting the tiny minority of us who are trans or non-binary. (And we Jews get more attention as opportunities for hate diminish.). Haters make a lot of noise, but the are becoming more and more marginal. If we do our jobs, that will continue.
Living here in the Deep South...It’s hard to see the light. I travel weekly from my home in ATL to our rural working farm just south of Chattanooga (2hour drive). It takes me through most of MTG’s district. They are diehard extremists and proudly proclaim it in every yard, fence post and barn.
Thank you for letting us know there is hope in the bigger world.
I share your pain. I live on a ranch in the most conservative area of the one of the most conservative counties in Texas (Comal Co). It's so disheartening to be bound, for life, to this place. I come to Substack's newsletters for my own sanity and to maintain hope.
Yes Bambi...I know my people are out here and that makes it all okay. I find comfort each day reading and connecting with everyone at Today’s Edition.
I both grew up in Georgia (as an orthodox Jew) and drove acoss the country (albeit 18 years ago). When I was in high school, I went to many different churches with my various friends to experience their spriritual foundations. At the Southern Baptist church, I was horrified that the minister preached, not to his congregation, but directly to the few of us who where there as guests. He told the assembly that "if you don't accept Jesus, you are nailing him to the cross every day" and that those who have accepted him are in a state of grace. To me, this meant that he was teaching his congregation that they are right, good, and OK with whomever they are, and that everyone else is a murderer and deserving of distain. Take that as you will, but, to me, it explains why MAGA works so well as a framework for those who were never taught to be critical thinkers, but only followers. As for my trip across the country, in Cody, Wyoming, we went to a rodeo. The first announcement was a "welcome" directed to visiting Californians; he said "Welcome to America, Californians!".
I agree. I saw several pride flags in the small coastal town of Skagway Alaska. Its a big country - really quite a wonderful country.
After years of ‘flying over’ the continental US, I decided in 2019 to take Amtrak’s Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland OR. It was wonderful; the words of America the Beautiful came to life. I saw the Mississippi and I stayed a night at a hotel in Glacier National Park in Montana. The people on the train were from all over and were open and warm. But here and there I noticed ditches filled with the detritus of human life among the sweep of fields and meadows and streams and mountains.
Maybe we clean up inside our houses but we sure don’t clean up what’s outside.
I wish I’d have had a chance to drive cross country and envy those who’ve made that trip.
While I have never driven across country, as a child I have taken the train from Chicago to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and from Chicago to Seattle, Washington, so together that is almost like crossing the country. I did not get off at every stop, but I was sleeping in a sleeper car, and going to the dinning room to eat, and met interesting people that way. I did creep myself out a bit, by reading a train murder mystery. I enjoyed looking out of the window. On the way to Seattle we passed a Native reservation at night and there was something going on. My mom told me it was a powwow. I have never seen a powwow at night since then. Perhaps these are ones people outside the reservation are not invited to. I also remember going through beautiful country. So, I recommend the train too.
Thank you for this information. I want to hear more people report what they notice on their road trips across the country.
I've driven across country several time, most recently (Fall 2001) in a round-trip road trip San Diego to NC and VA (with a stop in Swink Oklahoma to meet a VERY distant cousin) then up into New England, back down to VA and west via Pittsburgh to do some family history research "on the ground" and eventually back home, took about 8 weeks and stayed on U.S. highways once I entered New Mexico on I-10.
Probably the most memorable experience was early in the trip, in Alamagordo NM where I woke up the morning of Sept. 9 and turned on the morning news. Driving east from there through the vast western stretches and small towns was very reassuring as I thought about the terrorists who thought to intimidate Americans. They have no idea of the scale of the country or the nature of American westerners! I lost count of the American flag murals and flags I saw.
I still have a tiny American flag handed to me by a vet in a wheelchair as I sat at a stop light in Hot Springs Arkansas. Every time the red light stopped traffic, he wheeled out and handed flags to every driver he could reach before the light turned green.
I love this story
Thanks for this, Michelle. Very heartening!
Thank you for this!
Here's a fascinating piece about MAGA country in the New York Times by columnist David French. I encourage people to read it to understand a key element of what we are struggling against. I've pasted the opening paragraph. The link is free; it opens the story behind the paywall.
I’ve shared this fact with readers before: I live in Tennessee outside Nashville, a very deep-red part of America. According to a New York Times tool that calculates the political composition of a community, only 15 percent of my neighbors are Democrats. I’ve been living here in the heart of MAGA country since Donald Trump came down the escalator. This is the world of my friends, my neighbors and many members of my family. That is perhaps why, when I’m asked what things are like now, eight years into the Trump era, I have a ready answer: Everything is normal until, suddenly, it’s not. And unless we can understand what’s normal and what’s not, we can’t truly understand why Trumpism endures.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/06/opinion/maga-america-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=beDQJ_cNEwkMPAXudV4N_CdFOG5aux3yPI2AdswxCbu0DCTwKPINFTJJUtfBnjmNaQKYnweRL5vrAeTIOGNnpFoPeucNiUIxRRU-4TkYGk55VUxGyHZ-odIME4_Oo-jOf_5yZlcvEBx2uaxO612-ilXYXmShCmtJHjX4XdDyI5e5ZJuQHA669b5VpP7uQUJWqBk4P_sb5OMGYdaEBUU25fBMFWivxSyerUVLRuaLOE37CglhL0xhc-oIaEL7JynQoGUVJwUf9etL8WtudbHKpCw8ahXZnW_H8K9rILuQlYYlDQvEji27R_ZA0-ONV86YSXACvZMSR6rr8A&smid=url-share.
Stan, David French smartly captures the essential cognitive dissonance of MAGA. The primal fight/booze cruise combo tripped an important switch for me. They just wanna partay while they beat back those unattractive -- lifestyle-threatening -- lefties. Sooo Southern! When I lived in both TX and SC, I quickly learned the snarky/smarmy female phrase, "Well, bless her heart!" This is ALWAYS said by another woman with a supercilious air to put down someone "uppity." Southerners have a special talent to twist the world to mind-bending and self-serving ends. I witnessed it. MAGA is that core self-righteousness and self-absorption writ LARGE. (You now see how TRUMP plays directly to this power-hungry base of Whites, right?)
I too have lived in the deep south and currently live in the blue region of VA, but... it is VA. I have also heard the "Bless his/your heart" all my life and it bothers me that it is now "understood" to always be negative. It is not. Up until recently when it has begun to be used by non-Southerners who "know" what it "means", it was very often used just as it sounds; as a warm, comforting or sympathetic response to someone or a situation. Everything is in the tone and context, and this new "insider knowledge" has the outcome of being likely to increase offense when none was intended. I can't imagine any of the dear little old or not so old ladies I've heard use it meaning anything other than "bless your heart" dear one.
It seems obvious that we should learn not to take it personally and ignore it. To buy into it only furthers their sense of false pride in light of what is a shallow call to be heard.
To add to this, I just read my comment to my 98 year old mother who looked horrified and amazed and said "Oh goodness! Your Aunt Cleb and Gran-Gran said that a lot and they never meant anything mean by it! Walking southern cultural history there, folks. Gran-Gran was her mother in law so this is a sample from way back, too...
Stan,
Thanks for the link to that article … yikes! The comments are worth reading too!
The biggest problem where MAGAs are concerned is “our side” completely over intellectualizes EVERYTHING. We do a great job of embracing the elitism like a warm hug. There is no need to over analyze it. It’s a cult, plain and simple. No more, no less.
Many thx for this link, Stan. Really an enlightening article!
Great insights in this article, but what do we do to push back? How do we change the narrative?
Terrific insight in French's article. Reminds me of when I first started listening to Rush Limbaugh in the early 90s after I had moved to Florida. I could not understand the mix of misogyny, reality distortion, hate, humor, and glee the man purveyed. I listened because it was fascinating, and I was in a new culture I was trying to understand. Limbaugh bubbled up a hormonal cocktail inside his listeners that addicted them. None of the individual ingredients would have been satisfying, but he found just the right mix. Strange and unfortunate talent, but that's the way it was.
Trump is channeling him
Stan, thank you! My gosh, if that doesn’t explain a lot! As a friend of mine in Chattanooga loves to say, bingo!
Wow! This David French piece is very telling. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the link to David French’s article about the joy MAGA people have found. It explained a lot to me.
Thanks for sharing this Stan. David remains an apt and perceptive observer of the MAGA movement and this is one of his better pieces.
I've decided that the most important thing I can do for my grandchildren is to focus on climate change and reduction of fossil fuels. I'm involved in Third Act https://thirdact.org
“Experienced Americans” are the fastest-growing part of the population: 10,000 people a day pass the 60-year mark. That means that there’s no way to make the changes that must be made to protect our planet and society unless we bring our power into play.
We’re used to thinking that humans grow more conservative as they age, perhaps because we have more to protect, or simply because we’re used to things the way they are. But our generations saw enormous positive change early in our lives—the civil rights movement, for instance, or the fight to end massive wars or guarantee the rights of women. And now we fear that the promise of those changes may be dying, as the planet heats and inequality grows.
But as a generation we have unprecedented skills and resources that we can bring to bear. Washington and Wall Street have to listen when we speak, because we vote and because we have a large—maybe an overlarge—share of the country’s assets. And many of us have kids and grandkids and great grandkids: we have, in other words, very real reasons to worry and to work."
Yeah, except too many old Boomers are the same morons they were back in High School - as witness the number of them in the Red Had Brigade.
I would like to know what it would take to disbar [In]justices Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito.
Add Gorsuch to this list ... his sale of his home to a Big Law leader is highly irregular (aka bribery?). He should not skate here.
I would add more, like the US District [In]Justice Terry Doughty in Tennessee too.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4082646-biden-administration-to-appeal-order-barring-talk-with-social-media-companies/#:~:text=U.S.%20District%20Judge%20Terry%20Doughty,on%20social%2Dmedia%20platforms.%E2%80%9D
Amy Coney Barrett sold her home to an organization that had a case in the court too. So, I could add her to the list as well.
Chief [In]justice Roberts, wife is making millions with clients that have cases before the Supreme Court. We can add him to the list, plus the rulings he is making that do not follow good practice of the court. He is responsible. However, I thought that Thomas and Alito could be the bellweather cases. If they can be gotten, then the rest should be too.
Don't forget the corrupt chief of the cabal, John Roberts. What a skunk he is.
Of course. He is cashing in vis-a-vis his wife and her consulting contracts with clients that appear before the courts. I have written him that he should resign for the integrity of the court to be upheld after asking Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch to resign. He is responsible for the court, so the buck stops with him.
Their bar status is not a job requirement for the Supreme Court, so it seems more symbolic than useful. I would prefer some investigating to determine whether any or all of them have committed prosecutable offenses, with prosecutions to ensue if appropriate. Maybe they can continue judging from prison, but since impeachment is completely fruitless, locking them up seems like the next best thing.
To the end of his long life, W.B. Yeats quoted his father's friend, the Irish nationalist John O'Leary:
"There are some things a man cannot do, even to save a nation."
Cluster bombs are one of those things. Sixty years on, there is still shrapnel in limbs of humans and trees all over Southeast Asia. To no good end.
President Biden: Don't. Do. This.
I saw Jake Sullivan discuss this terribly difficult issue and place it in perspective. The US can’t otherwise keep up with supplying Ukraine with the weaponry it needs to get it through the counteroffensive. Ukraine has been using these weapons already. The Russians have been using them offensively; the Ukrainians have been and will continue to use them defensively. All the allies, including those who signed the pledge not to use them, are in agreement with this decision. I hate it. I hate nuclear weapons too, but if Ukraine hadn’t gotten rid of theirs, Russia probably wouldn’t have attacked. This is an existential moment. War is hell.
It bothers me that Ukraine is running out of US-made conventional artillery shells. If the US can’t keep up with *Ukraine’s* needs, what does that say about *our* ability to conduct a large-scale military conflict?
Oh my God people don’t you remember being lied to about the gulf of Tonkin? About weapons of mass destruction? Aren’t you brokenhearted about all the homeless veterans here. Has US foreign policy ever been on the right side? not in my lifetime. Let the war end . climate change is the existential threat and that should be our war
I was once called unpatriotic because I was against the 2nd Bush's Iraq invasion. This was after 12 years of active duty service in the Army. You're either for us (and our unjustified war) or you're against us and people believed it.
I read a comprehensive analysis of the challenges the Ukrainian army is facing, trying to move toward and through the Russian defensive lines. Russia is well dug in, and it requires an enormous amount of standard munitions to disrupt miles of trenches. We can't produce or supply them fast enough. For the specific purpose of clearing trenches, cluster bombs are the most suitable tools, since they will take the place of multiple standard rounds. The cluster bombs used in southeast Asia had 30-40% dud rate, but the US claims the newer ones have about a 2% dud rate, and the US has stockpiles ready to go. Ukraine needs to clear the Russian army from its defensive lines. The eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, occupied by Russia, are littered with minefields and cluster bomblets that the Russians are using. Assuming the Ukrainian counteroffensive is successful (which I think it will be, based on the determination of the Ukrainians and their proven skill), mine and bomb clearing will be top of mind and a priority for the US, allies, and Ukrainians, once they retake their lands.
Emily, this is a good description of the challenge Ukraine faces and the thinking that may have gone into Biden’s decision. Unfortunately, most citizens won’t hear or see it that way. (Unless the war comes to
an end soon.
It is well worth reading the 'III. Sanctions' chapter of the DC Disciplinary Council's recommendations to bar Rudy Giuliani beginning on page 34. Let's hope that Jack Smith reads it as well. https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-07-07-issuance-letter-and-hearing-committee-report-giuliani.pdf?utm_source=Democracy+Docket+Newsletters&utm_campaign=fec1b51f11-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_07_05_06_07_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-c02d905569-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=fec1b51f11&mc_eid=8411ab07e3
In part it says "His utter disregard for facts denigrates the legal profession...Mr. Giuliani’s effort to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential election has helped destabilize our democracy. His malicious and meritless claims have done lasting damage...We have considered in mitigation Mr. Giuliani’s conduct following the September 11 attacks as well as his prior service in the Justice Department and as Mayor of New York City. But all of that happened long ago. The misconduct here
sadly transcends all his past accomplishments. It was unparalleled in its destructive purpose and effect. He sought to disrupt a presidential election and persists in his refusal to acknowledge the wrong he has done. For these reasons, we unanimously recommend that Mr. Giuliani be disbarred."
As to the "mitigation" aspect: I have lived in NYC in 2001 and worked closely with local, state and national authorities in the aftermath of 9/11. All I remember of Giuliani in that time is that he didn't have a nervous breakdown and did his job. Certainly nothing exceptional. Coming out of this tragedy as "America's Mayor" is beyond me.
Than you, Stefan, for your comments and the link. I agree; this has all been done to America in plain sight. Rudy's downfall was predictable, with his shameless and insatiable limelight chasing.
This thorough and dispassionate dissection of Rudy's treasonous efforts draws yet another crystal-clear map for his prosecution by Smith and Willis. They undoubtedly are voracious readers!
I urge everyone to read Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter today in toto. It is a superb and encouraging assessment of today’s America, the Biden administration’s remarkable accomplishments, and the far right’s attack.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/july-7-2023
From Denialad: donbialostosky.substack.com
The Freedom Caucus has voted to ditch
MTG for calling Boebert “bitch”
And maybe too because Ms. Taylor Greene
Has been crowned as House king McCarthy’s queen.
Surprising to hear that the MAGA forum
Has such a delicate sense of decorum.
Apparently she hadn’t understood
That “saying things in terms that no one should”
“Publicly . . . about another member”
Could get her canned. Does anyone remember,
When she and Boebert were mean girl allies,
Their State of the Union heckling cries
At President Biden? Greene shouted “Liar!”
Without provoking Freedom Caucus ire.
Though Caucus members still cannot agree
On major issues facing the country,
They came together to give her the boot
For rude words she said in public dispute
With another member, who’s well known
For saying crude and mean things of her own.
Sounds just like a high school dustup to me,
A tempest in a pot of herd-al tea!
I heard that the UN is meeting next week to explain next steps for Ukraine to become a NATO member. While I'm all for Ukraine joining NATO, I'm wondering if the timing is problematic. If Ukraine becomes a NATO member, and if declaring war on one NATO member is tantamount to declaring war on all NATO members, then wouldn't that mean the USA is at war with Russia?
I believe it is a NATO meeting. While there is support for Ukraine to join NATO, it will not occur until the war is over. I’ve read a great deal about this. I saw yesterday that Turkey’s President was supportive. That is a good sign for the long term.
Here is a good resource
https://www.newsweek.com/watch-nato-summit-2023-ukraine-russia-war-sweden-stoltenberg-1810976?amp=1
I question Erdogan’s every move. He’s no less a fascist dictator wannabe himself.
Agree. I was surprised to see his supports Ukraine but I was very suspicious
I hope the status of Hungary is part of the meeting. Orban has spent years setting up an illiberal democracy that has, shall we say, fascistic characteristics. If he isn't really on board with the philosophy behind NATO, why should he enjoy membership? Same questions apply to Hungary's EU and Schengen Convention memberships but this isn't the right forum for that.
Thanks, Theressa. This article was most helpful.
Are you sure about a UN meeting to determine Ukraine’s membership in NATO? The UN and NATO are two distinct entities, even though there are similarities in their missions.
As far as the timing for the Ukraine joining NATO - your implication is correct regarding our responsibility (the responsibility of all NATO countries) but should we also reject Finland because Russia is building up troops along their extensive neutral border?
In my opinion, if the Ukraine falls, next comes Poland, and we will be in the same place anyway.
Just thinking out loud…
There was a lengthy news segment last night on PBS NewsHour discussing the upcoming meeting.
You can find it by googling “NATO leaders to discuss revamping of military plans at summit.“
Thanks, DW. You're right that it's not the UN but the NATO summit.
In regards to the recent Trump rally in Pickens, SC, and the number of people that attended, the media fell back into the old habit of quoting instead of verifying. Claims made by the Trump clan were 50,000 to 60,000 or even 75,000 attended.
Aerial photography totally disproved those claims. Actual attendance was more in the vicinity of 5,000 inside, and less than 10,000 outside the fenced area.
To put that in perspective, Clemson football games draw an average crowd of 80,694 to a game.
Credible statistics regarding attendance at past Trump rallies are hard to find; however, I did find a report that Trump once drew a crowd of 30,000 in Alabama during the 2016 election campaign.
The Trump campaign lies about attendance following nearly every rally. Whether those lies are intended to discourage and demoralize competing campaigns, or are made in an effort not to hurt Trump’s petty-narcissistic-fragile ego, I cannot say. However, in one of the reddest of red MAGA areas of the country, I found the low numbers for the Pickens rally to be heartening.
A credible argument can be made that he still has a hard core base of reverent supporters, but the support is not growing as reflected by attendance at his rallies, and may even be dwindling.
I think the respective party leaders are not doing their jobs. In my view, the job of the party leader is to vet, screen, encourage good candidates.
In the Republican Party, there seems no screening process. In the Democrat Party, there seems no selection process. Where is the successor to Joe Biden being selected and groomed?
Failure of Party leadership is harming our political process, which harms our country.
"Democratic Party."
There are several comments here criticizing the fact that America is going to give Ukraine cluster bombs. It was not a decision made lightly.
Alexander Vindman is a decorated American army war hero, former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. army and former Director for European Affairs for the United States National Security Council. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Alexander Vindman's honesty and integrity, his service and loyalty to our country, his love of his native country, his gratitude to be living in America and his intimate knowledge of what is happening in the vicious and totally unjustifiable Russian War on Ukraine.
He explained today on "Velshi" how critical it is that Ukraine receives the cluster bombs now, so it does not run out of weapons. I trust his judgment about war in general and about the Russian War on Ukraine in specific. I also believe he has a real love and compassion for humanity.
I hate war. But I would not substitute my opinion, of what is needed for Ukraine to win this war of Russian aggression, for that of Alexander Vindman's. And it is critical that Ukraine win, both for Ukraine to keep what is rightfully theirs and for the survival of democracy.
https://twitter.com/AVindman/status/1677151151068782592
Believe that we should give Ukraine supplies not just to fight but to WIN! It is risky but war is a horror.
Hi my friends. I can use your help. I feel flummoxed over the support for RFK Jr. I’m a former journalist and co-author of a book that pre-dated the Covid catastrophe by about a year called “The End of Epidemics” that included a lot of information about the importance of vaccines. I’m married to a 76-year-old, liberal, anti-war contrarian who really likes RFK Jr. As a good faith gesture toward my significant other, I did a bunch of Googling and read a lot from RFK’s side of the parking lot, as well as David Talbot’s and others' defenses of him. Looking at RFK’s website, most of the things posted there sound pretty good to me.
The problem is obviously that while his website sounds fairly rational, things he’s said in public are completely and irretrievably irrational (SSRI’s leading to school shootings, the vaccine nonsense (which he appears to be ducking from a bit), Fauci and the Holocaust, going on Alex Jones' show, etc. The “watch out for THEM” argument that is the centerpiece of all conspiracy thinking is exactly the same in Kennedy’s fevered brain as it is for MAGAts.
Given the increasing lack of trust everywhere evident, along with the rise of AI (as Google's Eric Schmidt has mentioned too), I fear that we’re sinking into massive quicksand in which nothing can be believed and everything is up for grabs. This situation actually makes life easier for the likes of people like RFK Jr. and Alex Jones. And that is a terrible, terrible thing to consider.
How to discuss RFK Jr in a rational way? I admit to feeling a bit triggered.
I'm actually not interested in whether his policy positions are good or bad. From an electoral standpoint the only question is, does he have a path to 270 EVs? The answer is no. If he gets any votes, they'll overwhelmingly come from Biden voters IMO, and that will throw the election to trump. There's a reason his funding is coming from a handful of right-wing billionaires.
Don't forget that the 2020 election was decided, not by Biden's 8 million popular vote margin but by less than 100,000 strategically significant votes in a handful of states.
I'm sure everyone knows how despicable Moms for Liberty is. They have taken root in Sarasota, FL. and have intimidated school boards and parents everywhere. Let me introduce you to a local "hero", Brandt Robinson. He has taught HS history in Pinellas County for 26 years. He posts daily TikTok videos on Twitter https://twitter.com/BrandtRobinson/status/1677408882241552384 which challenge the governor and teach history at the same time. He has invited Moms for Liberty to sit in on his classes and at the last minute they have said "something has come up". He's been targeted and people have tried to get him fired. Yet he persists. He sat for a PBS interview and as soon as the link is posted I will publish it here. In the meantime, I encourage you to watch the short tweet (above) and then follow him on Twitter (as long as it exists).
I have 2 things that puzzle me, so here goes. One is why there doesn't seem to be much, if any, response from supporters of President Biden to the attacks from the former POTUS and his supporters when his age and mental and physical capabilities are attacked. Without going into detail, I think he's doing fine, more than fine. Sure he's 80 but he's accomplished some amazing successes. He's a steady, relatable leader.
As for the former POTUS, he's 3, only 3, years younger. He's obese, out of shape, often looks very red-faced and sweaty. Without even considering his bizarre behavior or track record, I just don't get why the attacks on President Biden aren't challenged. I know there are probably lots and lots of you who have a more sophisticated view than mine, but, I wonder about it so I thought, being Saturday and all, I'd ask.
The other thing is the pressure from former POTUS and his team on former AZ Gov. Doug Ducey and AZ House Speaker Rusty Bowers. I live in AZ and spent most of my career working in local government. This story, particularly the exceedingly cruel tactics used on Mr. Bowers and his family, was made very public in AZ months ago. It didn't make much of a ripple on the national news, at least what I saw, but now it's a big deal. Maybe that's because of the current investigation? I'm just curious. There was a picture of former Gov. Ducey signing the official approval of the election results while sending a call from the former POTUS to voicemail. I thought...great! He did the right thing. That's my greatest hope for politicians. Do the right thing. Thanks, Robert and everyone for sharing your hope, thoughts and wisdom.