For those in search of rainbows and kittens today, the shelves are empty; the supply train has failed me. The reaction to the leak of the Supreme Court draft decision overthrowing Roe v Wade that showed up last week has reminded me of many events that have happened since Trump came riding down his golden escalator in June 2015. The left’s eruption of anger and bewilderment, the sense that no one saw it coming, just as no one saw Trump coming in 2015 despite the fact all the signs of such an event had been staring us in the face since the first video of Republicans attending Palin rallies in 2008 popped up in screen; it was all there, telling us what was going to happen. And then there he was, riding that escalator in Trump Tower and declaring himself a candidate for president.
Interesting take; my translation of it is that the anti-war movement was a huge motivator and driving force for the left. Who was most impacted by the draft? Simple math says “white guys”. When the war ended and the draft was gone, so was the energy. Abortion and birth control are “women’s issues”. So is gender equality. Sadly, although women are statistically greater than 50% of the population, we are not the culturally dominant gender, and our protests and demands are dismissed as “irrelevant”.
Democrats have status quo’d themselves into oblivion. I knew from the 80’s on there was a war on. Too bad the Democratic Party didn’t.
Random thought that I have never fully fleshed out: I sometimes wonder if all of the people on “our side” are actually on our side. For example, I know of many in my profession (lawyers) who claim to be fervent Democrats because they really have no truck with racism and hating people based on their religion, gender or sexual orientation. I believe them. But they are super suspicious of labor organizations, thinking that they just add cost or inefficiency or that they cheat workers. Or they have an unreasonable fear of budget deficits, especially when some social program is proposed, yet never complain when they get a tax cut. Democrats just don’t rally around a common set of issues.
Another thought: Democrats seem to be, by their nature, compromisers and Republicans seem to be, by their natures, unyielding. Today we are expressing shock and dismay that the Republicans on the Supreme Court lied about their views on stare decisis and Roe in order to get on the court. I cannot help but see a parallel to Capt. Louis Renault saying “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on” in Rick’s Cafe Americain. I wasn’t fooled by Roberts & Co., and I’m not that smart. Yet lots of Democratic Senators gave them a pass and lots of Democratic activists let it slide too. Democrats are just so willing to compromise or wait to fight another day. It’s an inclination that will be fatal to the Republic.
I noted with interest that characterization of Rahm Emmanuel in First Ladies. I’ve been re-thinking Barack Obama, too. Sadly. After reading you and your readers, I agree with your assessment, because I lived through it all and kept thinking stupidly with every meager victory that we were « okay now » until the water boiled and I was a dead frog. Now, like one of your readers, I’ve put my faith in women. Specifically women of color whom I’ve noticed always wisely doubt that « everything will be okay » and never ever take shit from anyone. In a way, they’re the only Dems who have been playing the long game. Look at Stacy Abrams, my Queen of the Universe. ❤️🤍💙 XI
Here’s my thought. Dems and Independents (talking general population now and not weasels in government) haven’t been complacent as much as busy with their lives and secure, as they should would and could be, that the government is functioning as it should in a democracy and we have two parties, and free elections and so on. It’s been interesting to me to see how many started squirming a bit during Trump’s last two years, how many started getting seriously worried and became faithful at the voting booth, how many remained complacent, and how many (especially ones that were protesting and yelling and organizing in the 60’s and 70’s) started yelling and organizing again and are realizing it takes a big messy shitstorm to get Dems going. We trust that democracy will just remain in place more than the Republicans do and that treason and subterfuge and lying and marginalization of a people are not really something of “today”. The absolute worst thought Dems have is “It just can’t be.” And then the insurrection, COVid, constant stress from DC tug of war, lack of goods, scarcity of goods, pay more for less, Ukraine, rotten to the core Putin, and now complete and total treason by Supreme Court and ONCE AGAIN, a marginalized group fighting for their choice and their freedom and their seat at the table with white, old, ugly men running the damn show.
The drama is old and boring, I’m really furious, I do not take freedom for granted, but dang if I’m rolling over. I believe a purge is coming on. I know the kittens and rainbows are hiding and that’s good. We’ve put them away before and we will do it now.
The Republican Party and those yanking their leashes have gone too far, have caught the car, and have to go farther to hold on to it.
And I do believe it will be young women, especially those of color, that will stamp their foot the loudest. Watch out, Repubs and whoever else you are that think that your greed rules our day.
You are not a warship. So go fuck yourselves anyway.
And if I am wrong, that’s ok. Light is never wrong and that is at the core of goodness. It will smite the darkness.
United! 🗽
And p.s…..TC, you can let that moment of shame go that has been insistent for so many years and replace it with what you know. Those men yelling pussy are the pussies mewling about their dicks. Women have vaginas that are as tough as Mother Earth. I can spot a man here and elsewhere that cherish women. It’s our greatest psychological need. And believe me when I say, I know when a man does that with generous grace. You are one of those. I can usually tell when a man has had women in his life that simply respect his thoughts, because that is a man’s greatest psychological need. This mass of men that are running the greed train are charlatans. I’d no sooner trust their shit to even know what it means to cherish a woman. They are afraid of women. And women such as Sinema, Stefanik, Blackburn, Coney Barrett? They’ve never been cherished. If they had, they would not betray or marginalize any group of people.
I adore every man in my life and on this forum that stands strong with women now because that is what a man does. Lends tender strength and helps open the can of whoop ass when it needs opening.
I live in Eastern Washington and am subjected to the Idaho political campaign ads now airing. I'm appalled at the spin & lies but amazed at how in lockstep the wording is. Right now it's the ads for Governor Little, Senator(Rep?) Crapo & 3 Republicans running on the same ad. This is an example of how the Republicans got & maintain power.
I cannot "Like" this post, TC. It is too bleak and depressing. But your recounting of how we got to this dystopian place in our history is spot on. Thanks for taking the time to write it for us.
Detailed and to the point TC - and depressing. Good start! Sitting on this side of the Atlantic I remember the days of the Vietnam war: Why shouldn't I, and everybody else living with the consequences of US policies, have a vote in US elections? Timothy Snyder, in The Way to Unfreedom, maintains that a lot of European "nations" are thinking of themselves as nations when they are actually former empires. Nationalist, ethnic homogeneity as substitute for the former multi ethnic? - I met a student from Mongolia once, who claimed the Mongols are very peaceful, they have not had a war for 800 years. Maybe that what it takes.
And now: What NATO is it that we are thinking of joining? Good enough, very good, the present support of the US to Ukraine. I'm afraid though Putin is thinking like the Republicans: war is not about winning the first battle, but the last, and in case of Russia not about the first war, but the second. Even if Russian military have to leave Ukraine entirely now, they can easily come back when Putin has his friend in the White House.
“It Can’t Happen Here “ a prescient book by Sinclair Lewis has been happening right before our eyes. That said, I don’t think it’s too late to turn it around if we can wake people up. My concern is the number of people that prefer to sleep and let some else take the reigns
Interesting take; my translation of it is that the anti-war movement was a huge motivator and driving force for the left. Who was most impacted by the draft? Simple math says “white guys”. When the war ended and the draft was gone, so was the energy. Abortion and birth control are “women’s issues”. So is gender equality. Sadly, although women are statistically greater than 50% of the population, we are not the culturally dominant gender, and our protests and demands are dismissed as “irrelevant”.
Democrats have status quo’d themselves into oblivion. I knew from the 80’s on there was a war on. Too bad the Democratic Party didn’t.
Random thought that I have never fully fleshed out: I sometimes wonder if all of the people on “our side” are actually on our side. For example, I know of many in my profession (lawyers) who claim to be fervent Democrats because they really have no truck with racism and hating people based on their religion, gender or sexual orientation. I believe them. But they are super suspicious of labor organizations, thinking that they just add cost or inefficiency or that they cheat workers. Or they have an unreasonable fear of budget deficits, especially when some social program is proposed, yet never complain when they get a tax cut. Democrats just don’t rally around a common set of issues.
Another thought: Democrats seem to be, by their nature, compromisers and Republicans seem to be, by their natures, unyielding. Today we are expressing shock and dismay that the Republicans on the Supreme Court lied about their views on stare decisis and Roe in order to get on the court. I cannot help but see a parallel to Capt. Louis Renault saying “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on” in Rick’s Cafe Americain. I wasn’t fooled by Roberts & Co., and I’m not that smart. Yet lots of Democratic Senators gave them a pass and lots of Democratic activists let it slide too. Democrats are just so willing to compromise or wait to fight another day. It’s an inclination that will be fatal to the Republic.
This was depressing. Also true.
I noted with interest that characterization of Rahm Emmanuel in First Ladies. I’ve been re-thinking Barack Obama, too. Sadly. After reading you and your readers, I agree with your assessment, because I lived through it all and kept thinking stupidly with every meager victory that we were « okay now » until the water boiled and I was a dead frog. Now, like one of your readers, I’ve put my faith in women. Specifically women of color whom I’ve noticed always wisely doubt that « everything will be okay » and never ever take shit from anyone. In a way, they’re the only Dems who have been playing the long game. Look at Stacy Abrams, my Queen of the Universe. ❤️🤍💙 XI
Here’s my thought. Dems and Independents (talking general population now and not weasels in government) haven’t been complacent as much as busy with their lives and secure, as they should would and could be, that the government is functioning as it should in a democracy and we have two parties, and free elections and so on. It’s been interesting to me to see how many started squirming a bit during Trump’s last two years, how many started getting seriously worried and became faithful at the voting booth, how many remained complacent, and how many (especially ones that were protesting and yelling and organizing in the 60’s and 70’s) started yelling and organizing again and are realizing it takes a big messy shitstorm to get Dems going. We trust that democracy will just remain in place more than the Republicans do and that treason and subterfuge and lying and marginalization of a people are not really something of “today”. The absolute worst thought Dems have is “It just can’t be.” And then the insurrection, COVid, constant stress from DC tug of war, lack of goods, scarcity of goods, pay more for less, Ukraine, rotten to the core Putin, and now complete and total treason by Supreme Court and ONCE AGAIN, a marginalized group fighting for their choice and their freedom and their seat at the table with white, old, ugly men running the damn show.
The drama is old and boring, I’m really furious, I do not take freedom for granted, but dang if I’m rolling over. I believe a purge is coming on. I know the kittens and rainbows are hiding and that’s good. We’ve put them away before and we will do it now.
The Republican Party and those yanking their leashes have gone too far, have caught the car, and have to go farther to hold on to it.
And I do believe it will be young women, especially those of color, that will stamp their foot the loudest. Watch out, Repubs and whoever else you are that think that your greed rules our day.
You are not a warship. So go fuck yourselves anyway.
And if I am wrong, that’s ok. Light is never wrong and that is at the core of goodness. It will smite the darkness.
United! 🗽
And p.s…..TC, you can let that moment of shame go that has been insistent for so many years and replace it with what you know. Those men yelling pussy are the pussies mewling about their dicks. Women have vaginas that are as tough as Mother Earth. I can spot a man here and elsewhere that cherish women. It’s our greatest psychological need. And believe me when I say, I know when a man does that with generous grace. You are one of those. I can usually tell when a man has had women in his life that simply respect his thoughts, because that is a man’s greatest psychological need. This mass of men that are running the greed train are charlatans. I’d no sooner trust their shit to even know what it means to cherish a woman. They are afraid of women. And women such as Sinema, Stefanik, Blackburn, Coney Barrett? They’ve never been cherished. If they had, they would not betray or marginalize any group of people.
I adore every man in my life and on this forum that stands strong with women now because that is what a man does. Lends tender strength and helps open the can of whoop ass when it needs opening.
Salud and Love!
I live in Eastern Washington and am subjected to the Idaho political campaign ads now airing. I'm appalled at the spin & lies but amazed at how in lockstep the wording is. Right now it's the ads for Governor Little, Senator(Rep?) Crapo & 3 Republicans running on the same ad. This is an example of how the Republicans got & maintain power.
Amen, brother.
I cannot "Like" this post, TC. It is too bleak and depressing. But your recounting of how we got to this dystopian place in our history is spot on. Thanks for taking the time to write it for us.
Truth....thank you, TC. And Phil Ochs, too! Still have his Pleasures of the Harbor LP.
(Sweden)
Detailed and to the point TC - and depressing. Good start! Sitting on this side of the Atlantic I remember the days of the Vietnam war: Why shouldn't I, and everybody else living with the consequences of US policies, have a vote in US elections? Timothy Snyder, in The Way to Unfreedom, maintains that a lot of European "nations" are thinking of themselves as nations when they are actually former empires. Nationalist, ethnic homogeneity as substitute for the former multi ethnic? - I met a student from Mongolia once, who claimed the Mongols are very peaceful, they have not had a war for 800 years. Maybe that what it takes.
And now: What NATO is it that we are thinking of joining? Good enough, very good, the present support of the US to Ukraine. I'm afraid though Putin is thinking like the Republicans: war is not about winning the first battle, but the last, and in case of Russia not about the first war, but the second. Even if Russian military have to leave Ukraine entirely now, they can easily come back when Putin has his friend in the White House.
“It Can’t Happen Here “ a prescient book by Sinclair Lewis has been happening right before our eyes. That said, I don’t think it’s too late to turn it around if we can wake people up. My concern is the number of people that prefer to sleep and let some else take the reigns
❤