“Patience is not sitting and waiting, it is foreseeing. It is looking at the thorn and seeing the rose, looking at the night and seeing the day. Lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full.” - Rumi
Indeed. I left all social media this year and occasionally miss my friend’s pictures of their good times and grandkids etc. I do not miss the toxic cesspool it has become. I’m glad I do not have to post what I am thinking, it is better for everyone including me. I am learning patience which is not my strong suit; patience in waiting for Merrick Garland and DOJ to build the case so they won’t lose not just against that yellow miscreant but against all the other enablers; patience waiting for the still sane in this country to see that the GOP nothing to offer but racism, sexism, misogyny and antisemitism - no true policy or platform. Their usual fiscal conservatism has gone the way of pet rocks as well. It is obvious they only care about money when it comes to Russia or immigrants from poor countries. They don’t care if rich immigrants sneak in now do they?
Hi Steven. It's great to hear from you again and soak in your wisdom. You are so correct about the slower and steadier pace we are living in now. It took some time for me to actually unwind; and now it feels so good to be out of that frenzied world. I must admit that I have been 1 of those getting stressed about when, or whether DOJ or Special Counsel would ever start moving, I realize that you ave made many good points about this. Slow and steady and methodical is the way to go. Although it would have been nice to have some hints from Merrick Garland, I can now understand that he was being careful to not leak anything that could hamper the ultimate case. While it seemed like forever as I was living in the past 2 years, we are here now in 2023; and we survived waiting for what will or won't happen, though I do fervently hope that we will see indictments of the former occupant of the WH and his accomplices. Also, as I reflected on how much I was really using social media, I decided that it was way too much. I have not posted on FB in 2 weeks, except for sharing good news about an award a hospital where I volunteer in a post. This time I am determined to stay off FB except for reasons like I just mentioned. Also, I delete emails from twitter urging me to check out what 1 of the people I follow has just said. Thank you for having this space for us. I miss the wisdom of @tribelaw, but not enough to go on twitter and get all worked up about the latest outrage in that segment of our society that is always outrageous. I deleted the twitter app from my iPhone. It actually feels good and refreshing to be away from that stuff. It also frees up time to just take in the news from other sources and still have extra time to read a book, newspaper, or knit or watch a good documentary on tv. Right now I'm loving Atlantic Crossing on PBS passport. This slow and steady pace is good for me; and this group is fantastic. Happy New Year 2023 to you, Steven, and to all of those who participate in this space.
I am grateful to have met you via MSNBC and Twitter. Your unique ability to engage us with our history is a living, breathing, exciting storytelling art.
There's no good reason I can see that Garland couldn't charge a new crime every two months forever. And not a single one of the cabal has been charged. From where I sit it appears he wants to protect orangehead and Republicans. In the meantime 2022 has slipped away.
Frantic is an apt description for what the past 7 plus years have provided ever since TFG can down that escalator. As defenders of democracy, we should be impatient and expect quick movement to cut out the cancer that has been growing since Reagan and metasticized with Gingrich and beyond. Yet, the cancer did not appear overnight and will not be cut out of the body politic overnight. There are victories and accountability happening. The Jan 6 trials show that any ordinary citizen taking part in insurrection will be found and face prison. Those laundering foreign money into US campaigns face consequences as we just saw with a McConnell aide. Election deniers going down to defeat, albeit by narrow margins, D holding and expanding the Senate Majority, D not getting wiped out in the house as some feared, these are all signs of improving health of the body politic. Yes, we should all demand swift Justice be served to to most powerful who led the attempted coup including TFG. But we all must understand that the powerful always protect each other (kinda like a mafia family ethos and very much looking like a RICO case) and those are the hardest and most difficult cases to prove and prosecute because of the powerful protecting each other. But cracks have been shown, evidence from the J6 committee is clear! We only get one shot at this...make it count. That is my positive take on patience in this context. The negative is that the simplest way is to elect those who have courage, ethics consistent with democratic principles, and throw the corrupt out. But too many people in this country have been brainwashed by propaganda, disinformation and don’t possess the ability to see reality and facts from fiction. Thus, we simply must proceed through the justice system and courts. We have not other recourse at the moment I fear.
Normally I would agree with you Mr. Beschloss, and I know that you've forgotten more about politics, govt, & politicians than I'll probably ever know. And I want to apologize for the novel I'm about to leave here in advance. But I have to. We get that democracies work slower bc the process must be followed. That's the reason for the patience you speak of in this piece. But that doesnt appear to be what is happening. Not as far as I can tell anyway, or many others that are in the business of knowing things.. I'm not privy to inside information, and obviously have no way of knowing what is or isnt happening to be absolutely certain. I have to count on is my own ability to figure things out, as much as is possible, usung various means available to me, and by what we are seeing and what we are not. Not comprehensive, but according to former US Attorneys, judges, law professors etc., retired military Generals, former IC professionals, and at least 2 of the best experts we have on authoritarian regimes, we know that in normal times democratic processes take time, and those processes stay the same in abnormal times. But they dont take the same amount of time to get done. Think covid stimulus. Not a single person in the business of knowing, that have access to ppl in diff govt agencies depending on their own area of expertise, not one believes that Doj has done what it should have been, and isnt doing it now. The AG could have, and should have hired boat loads of new ppl to work on it. The watergate committee had 74 or 75 ppl investigating. The newly appt special council has 20 and I assume each has a small staff. I dont have much faith, if any that trump will be held accountable. But if by some miracle he is? That is not acceptable. If there was a chance that govt was serious about this, that chance was once again thrown out of the window by the J6 committee. After observing diff agencies, and officials in our current govt for 5 years and more hours than than a full time job, it becomes clear that it's broken. It's not hyperbole. Every institution we have is not functioning even at a basic level. Not saying they cant do anything, they can. I'm saying that they cant seem to do all of the tasks each perspective agency/dept is responsible for doing. Some of that is due to Trump....gutting certain depts, replacing the qualified with the loyal (to him), etc. If they dont have their depts in order by now, they should no longer have the job. The biggest problems with the biggest reach IMO are officials in both houses of congress that have been there 10 yrs or more. Gingrich and Pelosi have changed the rules, and concentrated power to such an extent that reps are for votes, and write legislation & hope it makes it to the floor for a vote. Its 2 or 3 ppl from leadership from both parties in a closed door meeting and when they come out it's been decided. Maybe bc the rot & decline have happened slowly & bc we arent there to see it ourselves, but still hold elections, I guess too many of us didnt see, or dont even know the signs. Turns out that our govt is so entrenched in rot that we've been ripe for the picking. All that was needed was ppl willing to step in and take it. If the gop hadnt utilized the russia style disinformation campaign (much more than just propaganda & evil) on conservative voters we'd likely survive this. Unfortunately the ppl that created and practiced their techniques until they worked well was the whole reason for using it at all. United we stand, divided we fall. I think if we could get enough democratic voters to read a few govt reports, a crash course on the history of coups and authoritarian regimes, & what democracy will and isnt likely to withstand, it may snap enough of us out of it to effectively organize. But some are scared from fear of far right counter-protesters. There are practiced techniques that aren't a guarantee, but have brought down dictatorships. But I've shared threads of links to a great place to start on social media many, many times over. I tried to warn ppl for 2 years that trump would try to stay even if he lost the election, and was told I'm crazy, an alarmist, but mostly ignored. I've tried warning ppl for the last year that those in positions of doing things that could help a lot are not doing anything. That DOJ wasnt either. Dismissed again. No one wants to say it, but freedom truly is not free when it's at risk. if no one is willing to risk death to save our democracy it won't be saved. That's not my opinion but those of experts. Ppl that are fearful of counter-protesters are not willing to risk losing their lives, I'm guessing. Theres a documentary on netflix and youtube called Winter On Fire. It visually teaches what ppl must be willing to do to have, or save a democracy. It covers the maidon revolution. Democracy doesnt co-exist with a large number of anti-democratic policies. I'd say any, but obviously it can withstand some.
I'm exhausted, and have been for a long time now, but im unable to give up. Im old now, and disabled. What I'm doing is the only thing I'm able to. If things are happening behind a mythical magic curtain, obviously that would be AMAZING. But too many ppl in diff areas of expertise and diff levels of access to information do not believe it is. I think since the documents found at Mar-a-lago, a few might think that maybe trump, but that isnt enough now. If it could have been done 3 or even 2 years ago , but not now. The gop dont need trump anymore. And unless the bulk of those responsible are held to account we dont stand a decent chance at making it. Our entire law enforcement apparatus is broken. Thats just 1 institution, all of them are struggling. They J6 committee didnt say that and they wont. Bc those having been on the hill for so long, and have not followed or enforced the rules , and are literally above the law. When laws are broken or crimes are committed by elected officials and the wealthy , and any are held accountable, their accountability is a fine. It's not equal to the consequences the avg american would see, and they dont go to jail, ever. The lifers have cemented the club rules of the "most privileged and powerful club" into the system. When they are caught breaking the law, even serious crimes, 99% of the time it's not even considered that they should face consequences. Those in leadership and many that arent believe that wealth equals merit. It is so entrenched in how things are done, that even when what's left of democracy is at risk , they could do the right thing but they wont. There were once legitimate reasons for some of the most privelages in society. Like in cases where it would do more harm to the public than its worth punishing the privileged person. For example if there were one business in a town that employed the majority of that town, and by sending the owner to prison for his crimes it would result in most of the town becoming unemployed, with real chance of finding work within a reasonable distance, causing the town to fall into poverty. That's how it was supposed to work. But officials in leadership having bent the rules until they cemented the ways of their world into the fabric. They dont get a pass for reasons having anything to do with society. The wealthy and ruling classes deserve to be above the law. Its true, this is the world they live in. They didnt create it, but theyve cultivated it into that. Bc dictatorships throw political opponents in prison, elected officials are spared from legal consequences bc they dont like how it looks. The appearance of having behaviors similar to dictatorships is what is most important to them. They dont care that they are above the law. The laws are for us, not them. That alone isnt a democracy. They do know that the risk to what's left of our democracy is dangerously high. They could do much toward saving democracy but they will noy. It's not our fault theyve corrupted govt, but it's our role and responsibility to dissent by any legal means afforded to us in the constitution ...which is protest. There are few in comparison that see it, and are trying to warn ppl. But there are many ppl that see it. But its beneficial to them personally so they wont out anyone in the "privelaged club", or their secret rules that are only secret to us. A good example of just 1 thing that lets me know none are doing what they should be. The entire law enforcement apparatus is broken. J6A committee knows this well, but they are unwilling to say it, or to anything to fix it. Just this afternoon on 1 of the cspan channels , I started watching when the show was already in progress. But 3 ppl on the screen; a man that is the chair of something having to do with DHS (sorry it's all I caught), the chief of LAPD, and no idea who the host was. She asked the DHS guy if anything has changed since knowing now that the secret service, DHS. DOJ, Fed, state, & local law enforcement, & all branches of the military have significant numbers of far-right extremists that hold beliefs that are directly in contrast to democracy. The man said "oh yes, there have been changes. Some ppl are talk about it now and that didnt happen before 1/6". That's it. The changes he was referring to was that ppl talk about it. After 2 years. This is NOT how a functioning govt behaves. Germany arrested their coups plotters before they could even attempt their coup plans. Of course their IC wasnt in on it, but still. THAT is how a functioning govt behaves. Failed coup attempts in other countries having experienced them, that go unpunished result in a "re-coup" if you will 100% of the time. 100% There is not a rep or senator on the hill that doesn't know that. I know that many of us know the things I've said, but i.say it bc iyrs worth it if just 1 person gets it, and organizes. I'm not here to rain on anyones parade, and for those on a short break: good for you. Bc they are necessary. But I see ppl waiting for the same govt officials responsible for breaking much of it, to turn around and save us. I understand that while there are little to no solid reasons to believe that anything will be done regarding 1/6, that we are hard wired to believe it will .bc the alternative is unbearable. But when everyone is waiting and doing nothing ....what happens the next time they try it again? Bc there will be a next time, and its sooner than any of us want to think. So maybe ppl can start organizing and preparing to protest (it wont work if only 1 or 2 days. Its imperative that ppl protest until changes are made,) before it happens so we can save ourselves. If we get a string of miracles and many are held accountable, the worst that will have happened is some missed work. That's not a small thing but it is compared to what our lives will be when they take it all. Plus the thought that it could happen and that we didnt even try is unbearable as well. Couple of excellent resources:
Search 198 non-violent actions -requires tweeking bc each country is different. But great ideas and skills.
And DR. Timothy Snyder has made lectures and a series of shorter talks available free of charge on YouTube. You can search Timothy D Snyder 20 lessons on Tyranny.
Americans are impatient. We grimace at slow customers at the grocery register. We dislike waiting for a restaurant table. We hate long red lights. We get antsy waiting for our turn at the doctor's office.. Nationally, the Chicago Tribune named Dewey president. The allies went forward with D Day though the weather was still dicey. And we are tired of waiting for trump to pay for his corruption and disregard for American democracy.
I am not much worried about Elon Musk. He has disagreed with trump over climate policy, Muslim discrimination. I don't care for his probable support for DeSantis-trump with a brain. But Musk is not running for office. Like everyone else, he has opinions, and he is by no means alone downplaying covid. If his take over of Twitter bothers you, don't participate. Probably lots of it is entered by foreign antagonists anyway. Buy a newspaper. He has been an entrepreneur since age 12. His brain never shuts down. It is his nature to act, create, imagine, try. The opposite of trump with his lack of imagination, intelligence, ideas, work. The wall was not even his idea. Musk was bullied. trump is a bully whose needle is stuck on 2020. The ones to worry about are Jordan, McCarthy, Greene, McConnell, no plans but to get Hunter Biden and prove the father made out from him when vice president.
Like time, these people ebb and flow. Time is simply the period between sun rise and sun set which it has done for 4.5 billion years. One day follows another. Dates are man made. ways to remember.
JFK was killed just yesterday, right? and 9/11 and 1/6. In Casablanca, they sing As Time Goes By. The Rolling Stones sing Time is on my Side (yes it is). The Bible says there is a time to be born and a time to die. Scarlett O'Hara said "......after all, tomorrow is another day." Time marches on.
“Patience is not sitting and waiting, it is foreseeing. It is looking at the thorn and seeing the rose, looking at the night and seeing the day. Lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full.” - Rumi
Indeed. I left all social media this year and occasionally miss my friend’s pictures of their good times and grandkids etc. I do not miss the toxic cesspool it has become. I’m glad I do not have to post what I am thinking, it is better for everyone including me. I am learning patience which is not my strong suit; patience in waiting for Merrick Garland and DOJ to build the case so they won’t lose not just against that yellow miscreant but against all the other enablers; patience waiting for the still sane in this country to see that the GOP nothing to offer but racism, sexism, misogyny and antisemitism - no true policy or platform. Their usual fiscal conservatism has gone the way of pet rocks as well. It is obvious they only care about money when it comes to Russia or immigrants from poor countries. They don’t care if rich immigrants sneak in now do they?
Hi Steven. It's great to hear from you again and soak in your wisdom. You are so correct about the slower and steadier pace we are living in now. It took some time for me to actually unwind; and now it feels so good to be out of that frenzied world. I must admit that I have been 1 of those getting stressed about when, or whether DOJ or Special Counsel would ever start moving, I realize that you ave made many good points about this. Slow and steady and methodical is the way to go. Although it would have been nice to have some hints from Merrick Garland, I can now understand that he was being careful to not leak anything that could hamper the ultimate case. While it seemed like forever as I was living in the past 2 years, we are here now in 2023; and we survived waiting for what will or won't happen, though I do fervently hope that we will see indictments of the former occupant of the WH and his accomplices. Also, as I reflected on how much I was really using social media, I decided that it was way too much. I have not posted on FB in 2 weeks, except for sharing good news about an award a hospital where I volunteer in a post. This time I am determined to stay off FB except for reasons like I just mentioned. Also, I delete emails from twitter urging me to check out what 1 of the people I follow has just said. Thank you for having this space for us. I miss the wisdom of @tribelaw, but not enough to go on twitter and get all worked up about the latest outrage in that segment of our society that is always outrageous. I deleted the twitter app from my iPhone. It actually feels good and refreshing to be away from that stuff. It also frees up time to just take in the news from other sources and still have extra time to read a book, newspaper, or knit or watch a good documentary on tv. Right now I'm loving Atlantic Crossing on PBS passport. This slow and steady pace is good for me; and this group is fantastic. Happy New Year 2023 to you, Steven, and to all of those who participate in this space.
I read this encouraging article after frustrating myself by reading tweet after tweet of toxic news this morning. Thank you for your sane thoughts.
Thank you, Gloria.
I am grateful to have met you via MSNBC and Twitter. Your unique ability to engage us with our history is a living, breathing, exciting storytelling art.
There's no good reason I can see that Garland couldn't charge a new crime every two months forever. And not a single one of the cabal has been charged. From where I sit it appears he wants to protect orangehead and Republicans. In the meantime 2022 has slipped away.
Frantic is an apt description for what the past 7 plus years have provided ever since TFG can down that escalator. As defenders of democracy, we should be impatient and expect quick movement to cut out the cancer that has been growing since Reagan and metasticized with Gingrich and beyond. Yet, the cancer did not appear overnight and will not be cut out of the body politic overnight. There are victories and accountability happening. The Jan 6 trials show that any ordinary citizen taking part in insurrection will be found and face prison. Those laundering foreign money into US campaigns face consequences as we just saw with a McConnell aide. Election deniers going down to defeat, albeit by narrow margins, D holding and expanding the Senate Majority, D not getting wiped out in the house as some feared, these are all signs of improving health of the body politic. Yes, we should all demand swift Justice be served to to most powerful who led the attempted coup including TFG. But we all must understand that the powerful always protect each other (kinda like a mafia family ethos and very much looking like a RICO case) and those are the hardest and most difficult cases to prove and prosecute because of the powerful protecting each other. But cracks have been shown, evidence from the J6 committee is clear! We only get one shot at this...make it count. That is my positive take on patience in this context. The negative is that the simplest way is to elect those who have courage, ethics consistent with democratic principles, and throw the corrupt out. But too many people in this country have been brainwashed by propaganda, disinformation and don’t possess the ability to see reality and facts from fiction. Thus, we simply must proceed through the justice system and courts. We have not other recourse at the moment I fear.
Normally I would agree with you Mr. Beschloss, and I know that you've forgotten more about politics, govt, & politicians than I'll probably ever know. And I want to apologize for the novel I'm about to leave here in advance. But I have to. We get that democracies work slower bc the process must be followed. That's the reason for the patience you speak of in this piece. But that doesnt appear to be what is happening. Not as far as I can tell anyway, or many others that are in the business of knowing things.. I'm not privy to inside information, and obviously have no way of knowing what is or isnt happening to be absolutely certain. I have to count on is my own ability to figure things out, as much as is possible, usung various means available to me, and by what we are seeing and what we are not. Not comprehensive, but according to former US Attorneys, judges, law professors etc., retired military Generals, former IC professionals, and at least 2 of the best experts we have on authoritarian regimes, we know that in normal times democratic processes take time, and those processes stay the same in abnormal times. But they dont take the same amount of time to get done. Think covid stimulus. Not a single person in the business of knowing, that have access to ppl in diff govt agencies depending on their own area of expertise, not one believes that Doj has done what it should have been, and isnt doing it now. The AG could have, and should have hired boat loads of new ppl to work on it. The watergate committee had 74 or 75 ppl investigating. The newly appt special council has 20 and I assume each has a small staff. I dont have much faith, if any that trump will be held accountable. But if by some miracle he is? That is not acceptable. If there was a chance that govt was serious about this, that chance was once again thrown out of the window by the J6 committee. After observing diff agencies, and officials in our current govt for 5 years and more hours than than a full time job, it becomes clear that it's broken. It's not hyperbole. Every institution we have is not functioning even at a basic level. Not saying they cant do anything, they can. I'm saying that they cant seem to do all of the tasks each perspective agency/dept is responsible for doing. Some of that is due to Trump....gutting certain depts, replacing the qualified with the loyal (to him), etc. If they dont have their depts in order by now, they should no longer have the job. The biggest problems with the biggest reach IMO are officials in both houses of congress that have been there 10 yrs or more. Gingrich and Pelosi have changed the rules, and concentrated power to such an extent that reps are for votes, and write legislation & hope it makes it to the floor for a vote. Its 2 or 3 ppl from leadership from both parties in a closed door meeting and when they come out it's been decided. Maybe bc the rot & decline have happened slowly & bc we arent there to see it ourselves, but still hold elections, I guess too many of us didnt see, or dont even know the signs. Turns out that our govt is so entrenched in rot that we've been ripe for the picking. All that was needed was ppl willing to step in and take it. If the gop hadnt utilized the russia style disinformation campaign (much more than just propaganda & evil) on conservative voters we'd likely survive this. Unfortunately the ppl that created and practiced their techniques until they worked well was the whole reason for using it at all. United we stand, divided we fall. I think if we could get enough democratic voters to read a few govt reports, a crash course on the history of coups and authoritarian regimes, & what democracy will and isnt likely to withstand, it may snap enough of us out of it to effectively organize. But some are scared from fear of far right counter-protesters. There are practiced techniques that aren't a guarantee, but have brought down dictatorships. But I've shared threads of links to a great place to start on social media many, many times over. I tried to warn ppl for 2 years that trump would try to stay even if he lost the election, and was told I'm crazy, an alarmist, but mostly ignored. I've tried warning ppl for the last year that those in positions of doing things that could help a lot are not doing anything. That DOJ wasnt either. Dismissed again. No one wants to say it, but freedom truly is not free when it's at risk. if no one is willing to risk death to save our democracy it won't be saved. That's not my opinion but those of experts. Ppl that are fearful of counter-protesters are not willing to risk losing their lives, I'm guessing. Theres a documentary on netflix and youtube called Winter On Fire. It visually teaches what ppl must be willing to do to have, or save a democracy. It covers the maidon revolution. Democracy doesnt co-exist with a large number of anti-democratic policies. I'd say any, but obviously it can withstand some.
I'm exhausted, and have been for a long time now, but im unable to give up. Im old now, and disabled. What I'm doing is the only thing I'm able to. If things are happening behind a mythical magic curtain, obviously that would be AMAZING. But too many ppl in diff areas of expertise and diff levels of access to information do not believe it is. I think since the documents found at Mar-a-lago, a few might think that maybe trump, but that isnt enough now. If it could have been done 3 or even 2 years ago , but not now. The gop dont need trump anymore. And unless the bulk of those responsible are held to account we dont stand a decent chance at making it. Our entire law enforcement apparatus is broken. Thats just 1 institution, all of them are struggling. They J6 committee didnt say that and they wont. Bc those having been on the hill for so long, and have not followed or enforced the rules , and are literally above the law. When laws are broken or crimes are committed by elected officials and the wealthy , and any are held accountable, their accountability is a fine. It's not equal to the consequences the avg american would see, and they dont go to jail, ever. The lifers have cemented the club rules of the "most privileged and powerful club" into the system. When they are caught breaking the law, even serious crimes, 99% of the time it's not even considered that they should face consequences. Those in leadership and many that arent believe that wealth equals merit. It is so entrenched in how things are done, that even when what's left of democracy is at risk , they could do the right thing but they wont. There were once legitimate reasons for some of the most privelages in society. Like in cases where it would do more harm to the public than its worth punishing the privileged person. For example if there were one business in a town that employed the majority of that town, and by sending the owner to prison for his crimes it would result in most of the town becoming unemployed, with real chance of finding work within a reasonable distance, causing the town to fall into poverty. That's how it was supposed to work. But officials in leadership having bent the rules until they cemented the ways of their world into the fabric. They dont get a pass for reasons having anything to do with society. The wealthy and ruling classes deserve to be above the law. Its true, this is the world they live in. They didnt create it, but theyve cultivated it into that. Bc dictatorships throw political opponents in prison, elected officials are spared from legal consequences bc they dont like how it looks. The appearance of having behaviors similar to dictatorships is what is most important to them. They dont care that they are above the law. The laws are for us, not them. That alone isnt a democracy. They do know that the risk to what's left of our democracy is dangerously high. They could do much toward saving democracy but they will noy. It's not our fault theyve corrupted govt, but it's our role and responsibility to dissent by any legal means afforded to us in the constitution ...which is protest. There are few in comparison that see it, and are trying to warn ppl. But there are many ppl that see it. But its beneficial to them personally so they wont out anyone in the "privelaged club", or their secret rules that are only secret to us. A good example of just 1 thing that lets me know none are doing what they should be. The entire law enforcement apparatus is broken. J6A committee knows this well, but they are unwilling to say it, or to anything to fix it. Just this afternoon on 1 of the cspan channels , I started watching when the show was already in progress. But 3 ppl on the screen; a man that is the chair of something having to do with DHS (sorry it's all I caught), the chief of LAPD, and no idea who the host was. She asked the DHS guy if anything has changed since knowing now that the secret service, DHS. DOJ, Fed, state, & local law enforcement, & all branches of the military have significant numbers of far-right extremists that hold beliefs that are directly in contrast to democracy. The man said "oh yes, there have been changes. Some ppl are talk about it now and that didnt happen before 1/6". That's it. The changes he was referring to was that ppl talk about it. After 2 years. This is NOT how a functioning govt behaves. Germany arrested their coups plotters before they could even attempt their coup plans. Of course their IC wasnt in on it, but still. THAT is how a functioning govt behaves. Failed coup attempts in other countries having experienced them, that go unpunished result in a "re-coup" if you will 100% of the time. 100% There is not a rep or senator on the hill that doesn't know that. I know that many of us know the things I've said, but i.say it bc iyrs worth it if just 1 person gets it, and organizes. I'm not here to rain on anyones parade, and for those on a short break: good for you. Bc they are necessary. But I see ppl waiting for the same govt officials responsible for breaking much of it, to turn around and save us. I understand that while there are little to no solid reasons to believe that anything will be done regarding 1/6, that we are hard wired to believe it will .bc the alternative is unbearable. But when everyone is waiting and doing nothing ....what happens the next time they try it again? Bc there will be a next time, and its sooner than any of us want to think. So maybe ppl can start organizing and preparing to protest (it wont work if only 1 or 2 days. Its imperative that ppl protest until changes are made,) before it happens so we can save ourselves. If we get a string of miracles and many are held accountable, the worst that will have happened is some missed work. That's not a small thing but it is compared to what our lives will be when they take it all. Plus the thought that it could happen and that we didnt even try is unbearable as well. Couple of excellent resources:
Search 198 non-violent actions -requires tweeking bc each country is different. But great ideas and skills.
And DR. Timothy Snyder has made lectures and a series of shorter talks available free of charge on YouTube. You can search Timothy D Snyder 20 lessons on Tyranny.
Such good luck to us. ☮
Americans are impatient. We grimace at slow customers at the grocery register. We dislike waiting for a restaurant table. We hate long red lights. We get antsy waiting for our turn at the doctor's office.. Nationally, the Chicago Tribune named Dewey president. The allies went forward with D Day though the weather was still dicey. And we are tired of waiting for trump to pay for his corruption and disregard for American democracy.
I am not much worried about Elon Musk. He has disagreed with trump over climate policy, Muslim discrimination. I don't care for his probable support for DeSantis-trump with a brain. But Musk is not running for office. Like everyone else, he has opinions, and he is by no means alone downplaying covid. If his take over of Twitter bothers you, don't participate. Probably lots of it is entered by foreign antagonists anyway. Buy a newspaper. He has been an entrepreneur since age 12. His brain never shuts down. It is his nature to act, create, imagine, try. The opposite of trump with his lack of imagination, intelligence, ideas, work. The wall was not even his idea. Musk was bullied. trump is a bully whose needle is stuck on 2020. The ones to worry about are Jordan, McCarthy, Greene, McConnell, no plans but to get Hunter Biden and prove the father made out from him when vice president.
Like time, these people ebb and flow. Time is simply the period between sun rise and sun set which it has done for 4.5 billion years. One day follows another. Dates are man made. ways to remember.
JFK was killed just yesterday, right? and 9/11 and 1/6. In Casablanca, they sing As Time Goes By. The Rolling Stones sing Time is on my Side (yes it is). The Bible says there is a time to be born and a time to die. Scarlett O'Hara said "......after all, tomorrow is another day." Time marches on.