Plants Of The Gods October 13, 2021October 13, 2021 Bush 43 principal speechwriter Michael Gerson: The Trump nightmare looms again. “Catastrophe is in the front room,” he concludes. But it doesn’t have to be this way, if each of us does what he or she can — organizing, engaging friends and relatives, providing what resources we can. Take the Democrats-are-doomed narrative with a grain of salt, argues Eugene Robinson! Both columns, well worth reading. One thing for sure: this is no time to get stoned. (But if that interests you, check out Mark Plotkin’s Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast. Also, PBS Nova’s The Cannabis Question.)
Why I’m Not Leaving America October 10, 2021October 13, 2021 But first . . . CURED premiers tonight (Monday) on PBS, then streams free for 30 days on PBS.org and the PBS app. It won the American Historical Association’s award for the best historical documentary of 2021. How far we’ve come. Yet how far we’ve slipped. “After six decades fighting for social justice and enjoying the embodiment of the American Dream, this couple are moving on from a lost nation.” “The battle is lost,” Guy Sapperstein argues. “America is in terminal decline and nearly 75 million Americans seem to be willing to pull it down further. How can it be that so many millions voted for a man who started more than a score of businesses and every one failed, who cheated repeatedly on three wives before each marriage failed, who is despised by even members of his own family, who went out of his way nearly every day to show that he is a racist and a sexist, a man who has been caught, according to the Washington Post, in more than 30,000 lies in just the four years he was president, who cheated at nearly everything, including golf, how is it that such a man is held up as a paragon of virtue by nearly half of the electorate? Something has gone seriously off the rails.” Read it all to see who the Sappersteins are and why they’re moving to France. I’m not joining them, but before I tell you why, watch Bill Maher’s “slow moving coup” rant from Friday. I call it a rant, but that suggests it’s unhinged. What makes it so important is that it’s not unhinged. We find ourselves in a bizarre place. > Our “extremists,” like AOC, want crazy radical Marxist things like the same universal health care the rest of the First World enjoys. And mandatory vaccination (with limited exceptions) to defeat COVID the same way we defeated smallpox, polio, measles, and mumps. And a better balance between billionaires who pay no tax and workers who struggle to pay rent. In other words: the living hell that is Canada. > Their extremists, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, believe Jewish space lasers start wildfires. And march with torches chanting “Jews will not replace us.” And storm the Capitol with baseball bats and bear spray. Indeed, their leader . . . who for years kept a book of Hitler’s speeches by his bedside . . . admires the torch carriers (“some of them, very fine people”) and loves those who stormed the Capitol (“We love you, you’re very special.”) I repeat: watch Bill Maher. A friend writes: “Trump will not be satisfied until he gets a civil war going where people are actually shooting at each other. It’s clear by now that he only knows how to up the ante. A poke in his chest with one finger inspires a shove. A shove invites him to swing at the head with a two-by-four. This is not going to end well. I think back to when Bannon announced that they were there to ‘tear down the administrative state.’ They’ve done some impressive work to that end. If we can’t respond to this mess effectively, I’m not hopeful for the next generation or even the planet. Manchin and Sinema are clearly not alarmed enough to engage whatever morality the gods gave them.” I’m not leaving because: > I love it here. > All my friends are here. > It’s cold in Canada. > I can’t say more than a dozen words in French. > I’m an optimist: I’m hopeful Congress will pass voter-protection legislation and that the Supreme Court will not simply be a tool of Trump. I’m hopeful both infrastructure bills will be signed into law in time for voters to appreciate the benefits — as they came to appreciate radical Marxist things like “weekends” and “Medicare” and “rural electrification” and “Social Security” — and not want to elect Republicans to take them away. I’m hopeful we’ll pick up a few seats in the House and Senate, despite long odds. (What were the odds Georgia would send a black man and a Jew to the United States Senate? But we did the work, funded the effort — and won.) There are clearly “more of us than there are of them” — Democrats have won the popular vote in 7 of the last 8 elections — and most of “them” want much the same things we do (e.g.: universal background checks and taxes on corporations that pay none and citizenship for dreamers who’ve been here all their lives and cheaper prescription drug prices). Sure, they don’t want to “defund the police” — but neither do all but a handful of us! (Criminal justice reform would be good, though, as many Republicans agree.) More than that, most of “them” are really nice people. As are we. Where we get in trouble is when provocateurs stir up fear and resentment, coarsen the dialog, and set us against each other. (“I’d like to punch him in the face.”) Putin is having a field day. Because let’s face it: none of us is perfect. Most Germans were good people in the years before and after so many of them got swept up in the rallies and the mob and the war to make Germany great again (because they were, after all, the master race). Lindsay Graham is a really smart man, looking for love like the rest of us, who famously called Vice President Biden “as good a man as God ever created” and Trump, “a race baiting, xenophobic religious bigot.” Yet for years now he’s done everything he can to align himself with Trump against Biden. He was eloquent when he voted to impeach Clinton (because impeachment is about restoring dignity and integrity to the office of the Presidency, he said) . . . yet voted twice to acquit Trump. People can be misled. There are two wolves in each of us, as noted here before: An elderly Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me, it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil — he is fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, competition, superiority, and ego. “The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. “This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.” They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.” Lindsey and a lot of others, for the last little while, have been feeding the wrong wolf. If you’d like to help make the story turn out well, so we don’t all have to move to France, help. Have a great week!
A Letter From The Mayor Of Milford October 8, 2021October 7, 2021 But first . . . Reagan’s deputy solicitor general, who was also Bush 41’s deputy attorney general, argues: The Supreme Court Has Gone Off the Rails. Which is why I argue we should Depoliticize the Court. What red-blooded patriot could be against that? Check out Andrew Yang’s Forward. It’s filled with good ideas, but the most fundamental would reform the primary elections so moderates can run and win, depolarizing our badly divided country: Mail everyone a ballot, so it’s not just the most passionately strident on each side who vote. Institute “open” primaries, where people can rank their first five choices regardless of party affiliation. The white supremacist or Holocaust denier might still get 30% of the votes, but that would no longer be enough to win. And now . . . Dear friends, I’m writing to you and others, both near and far, with an update on my campaign for reelection as Milford’s Mayor. While it is a race for the mayor of a small municipality in Northeast Pennsylvania, the race has broader implications for our Congressional seat, which is one of the top targets for the Republican National Committee. The Pennsylvania 8th district went for Trump by 19 points in 2020 and 26 points in 2016. It is one of only seven in the country that went for Trump while electing a Democrat to the U.S. House. That Democrat, Matt Cartwright, is part of the U.S. House Democratic leadership team and we must win races like mine to build our organization and strength in each municipality to reelect him in 2022. My mayoral opponent comes from an old local family, her husband is a well-known local veteran, and they both are connected to ultra-conservative extremists. One of them is Teddy Daniels, who is the Republican candidate for Congress running against Matt Cartwright. Take a look at Daniels’ new TV ad and you’ll get a sense of what we’re up against. Daniels participated in the January 6 rally to overthrow the election results. A few days ago, he mocked the Capitol police officers who were injured, saying they “weren’t real cops,” criticizing them for getting emotional when describing that day and their injuries at a Congressional hearing. Last spring, Daniels interviewed my mayoral opponent, Lisa Emery, which you can see in this clip. They attack my “Mexican husband” (Xavier is a native-born American citizen, from Puerto Rico) and my flag display practices. I’m not kidding, they claimed I was flying a Mexican flag when, in fact, it was a flag of Ireland we had put up for St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s a Washington Post video from last year’s presidential race, that includes interview footage with both Lisa Emery, my opponent, and me. This weekend, Teddy Daniels, Steve Bannon and other ultra-right figures on the circuit are featured speakers at the Rod of Iron Freedom Festival, a local annual showcase for extremists, insurrectionists and others. I have no doubt Lisa Emery will be there campaigning. If there were debates, or a candidate forum or a daily newspaper covering the campaign, voters in Milford would be better informed about their choice. Unfortunately, my opponent refuses to participate. Our local League of Women Voters chapter sent out a candidate questionnaire and invited us both to participate in a forum on the mayor’s race they would sponsor. She did not even respond. That makes it even more important that I have the resources necessary for mailings, ads, videos and an effective election day turnout effort. This isn’t just about my reelection, it is about building the longer-term organizational infrastructure necessary to elect candidates in our region who believe in science, fair elections and aren’t driven by QAnon, conspiracy theories or other extreme ideologies. I’ve got a great record and enjoy a lot of support, including from rational Republicans–a lot of them–who reject what their party has become. (If you have Amazon Prime, there is a documentary now streaming, My Friend the Mayor, about my 2017 campaign, made by Dutch journalist Max Westerman). I am cautiously optimistic but realize we have a lot of work to do. Whatever you are able to do to help, or donate will be very much appreciated. If you live in Milford Borough, register to vote, update your registration and/or request a mail-in or absentee ballot. If you live in or near Milford, letters to the editor of the Pike County Dispatch and Pike County Courier are helpful. If you are able to donate, you can do so at this Act Blue link or by mailing a non-corporate check to “Sean Strub Campaign Committee”, P.O. Box 1233, Milford PA 18337. We’re carrying on the good fight here in Milford and very much appreciate your support! Sean Strub Have a great weekend!
He May Cure Your Diabetes AND Be A Great Mayor October 7, 2021October 6, 2021 Meet an unlikely vegan cookbook author . . . the next mayor of the great City of New York. Very cool. Worth the time to listen. Bodes well for New York. My wife yelled from upstairs and asked, “Do you ever get a shooting pain across your body, like someone’s got a voodoo doll of you and they’re stabbing it?” I replied, “No. . .” She responded: “How about now?” (Thanks, Mel.)
Thor October 5, 2021 A 22-year-old showed up a quarter century ago (I was on a book tour) and announced he was taking me to the best French restaurant in Philadelphia. Who was this ebullient, self-confident kid? Torn between my aversion to pretentious French restaurants and my weakness for free food, I assented . . . discounting virtually all his boasts, plans, and pronouncements over dinner (was he really a descendent of Símon Bolívar?) but enjoying the escargot . . . and guess what? He was for real. Friends ever since, the jaw drops at all he’s accomplished. Click here to meet Thor . . . who launches freedom balloons into North Korea, whose dad was imprisoned; whose mom was shot by Chavistas; whose imprisoned cousin, Leopoldo Lopez, may be Venezuela’s next president if the dictatorship can be overthrown . . . . . . and then here to attend this year’s Oslo Freedom Forum. Which took place Monday and Tuesday in Miami Beach (Oslo having until recently been closed for COVID). You save the airfare; you save the hotel; you save the not-inconsiderable registration fee; and you can watch in bits and pieces at your leisure. Meet beyond-courageous freedom fighters from Nigeria, Iran, and Belarus. Meet the Iraqi comedian whose brother’s remains had to be peeled from the walls so there was something to bury. Watch a talk on Surveillance Fusion that makes Orwell’s 1984 look frighteningly like 2025. Meet Gary Kasparov. Listen to beautiful music. Hear the plea of one of China’s 11 million Uyghurs, and the stories of imprisoned or exiled Hong Kongers. Meet the wife of one of Nicaragua’s political prisoners. Meet this year’s winner of the Vaclev Havel Prize For Creative Dissent (and hear the story of the bloody watch). Watch why Bitcoin is known as “freedom money” in many countries. And that was just Day One. Here is Day Two.
The Conservative Case For $4 Trillion October 4, 2021October 3, 2021 AFGHANISTAN Sons of Liberty founder Matthew VanDyke on Twitter: “I initially criticized #Biden for #Afghanistan, comparing it to Fall of Saigon. He proved me wrong. The past few weeks rescuing 123,000 in #Kabul was incredible and historic. The use of carrot-and-stick diplomacy on #Taliban was brilliant, the military achievements extraordinary.” Remember: the alternative was NOT keeping 2,500 Americans in Afghanistan. Had we done that — violating Trump’s agreement to leave — the Taliban would have resumed the war, so the alternative would have been to surge back tens of thousands of troops for another twenty or forty or eighty years. (“You’ve got the watches but we’ve got the time.”) Not an easy choice — we never should have gone in in the first place — but VanDyke is a lot closer to right, I think, than Biden’s critics. BUILD BACK BETTER Conservative David Brooks: This Is Why We Need To Spend $4 Trillion. Powerful. And here’s how to get a deal done: Have most of Build Back Better sunset after 5 or 6 or 7 years instead of 10, slashing the cost. As sunset loomed, voters would likely demand the wonderful things it provides be extended — along with the higher taxes that pay for those wonderful things. America was a good place for corporations and the uber-wealthy before the massive Reagan/Bush/Trump tax cuts. It will remain a good place even as the balance of good fortune shifts back somewhat toward the bottom 99%. MANDATES G.O.P. Seethes at Biden Mandate, Even in States Requiring Other Vaccines. Also . . . FOX’s Chris Wallace to Gov. Pete Ricketts: “To attend school in your state of Nebraska, children must be vaccinated against a number of diseases. They must be vaccinated against Diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis; polio; measles, mumps, and rubella; Hepatitis B; chickenpox. Why are those mandates that parents in your state must comply with and do comply with routinely—why is it that they’re not so objectionable and such a violation of personal freedom but Biden’s vaccine mandates are?” After the Republican governor responded that those other vaccines have a “long history” of use and that Americans “don’t know what to trust” with the COVID-19 vaccines, Wallace pointed out that the polio vaccine was quickly mandated after it first became available and Americans “viewed it as a blessing” at the time. Have a great week!
Code Red October 1, 2021September 30, 2021 But first . . . Michael T. Martin: “The debt ceiling ‘crisis’ makes no sense to me. As I understand it, it must be raised or the federal government will be required to VASTLY reduce spending. OKAY, so why doesn’t Biden explain this in a national address, pointing out it is solely a Republican-created crisis, and announce large movements of military forces from red states to blue, to ‘consolidate’? Same with other crucial Federal services: cut them harshly in Republican-led states, since it is the Republicans who want — unanimously — to shut things down. Why wouldn’t we do this?” → Maybe not the military — but yes. This is so nuts. A relic of World War I, as recounted last week. And wow . . . Joe Manchin’s own West Virginia constituents overwhelmingly hope Build Back Better is signed into law. Watch as they demonstrate in front of his yacht. Finally . . . Do The Democrats Have The Courage Of Liz Cheney? By Tom Friedman in the indispensable New York Times. . . . Nearly the entire G.O.P. caucus (save for Cheney and Representative Adam Kinzinger, who is also risking his all to join the Jan. 6 investigation, and a few other Republicans who defied Trump on impeachment) has shamelessly bowed to Trump’s will or decided to quietly retire.They are all complicit in the greatest political sin imaginable: destroying faith in our nation’s most sacred process, the peaceful and legitimate transfer of power through free and fair elections. Looking at how Trump and his cult are now laying the groundwork — with new laws, bogus audits, fraud allegations and the installation of more pliant state election officials to ensure victory in 2024 no matter what the count — there is no question that America’s 245-year experiment in democracy is in real peril. Just listen to Cheney. Addressing her fellow Republicans on “60 Minutes” Sunday, she noted that when they abet Trump’s delegitimization of the last election, “in the face of rulings of the courts, in the face of recounts, in the face of everything that’s gone on to demonstrate that there was not fraud … we are contributing to the undermining of our system. And it’s a really serious and dangerous moment because of that.” This is Code Red. And that leads me to the Democrats in Congress. I have only one question for them: Are you ready to risk a lot less than Liz Cheney did to do what is necessary right now — from your side — to save our democracy? . . . Read on. As if, with a build-up like that, you could possibly not. Have a great weekend!