How Three Geniuses See The Current Situation February 7, 2025 Garry Kasparov’s Take This will be dismissed as “hysteria” like many of my warnings about Trump and Musk that are coming true. But this doesn’t end with fights over top-secret documents, budget cuts, and unaccountable agents taking over. It ends with who has the guns when they won’t listen to the judges. There are many steps between here and there, of course. But eventually they remove enough judges, refuse any access or challenges, and simply ignore the law and court orders the way they’re ignoring Congress now. What then? → Putin refugee Kasparov (KAH-spar-off) — for 255 months the World Chess Champion — knows something about thinking a few moves ahead. Fareed Zakaria’s Take From Gaza to tariffs to gutting USAID, Trump’s team is struggling to explain away bad policies . . . With the abrupt dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Trump’s supporters scrambled to adjust. Secretary of State Marco Rubio quickly blasted the agency, saying it was out of control and unresponsive. This was the same agency he had repeatedly posted in favor of over the years, written about in his book with pride and admiration, and recommended for funding increases to President Joe Biden. . . . Trump’s White House is now a court, and his courtiers scurry around, aware that the mercurial monarch might change his mind at any time. “TikTok is terrible!” can suddenly become “TikTok is great!” — and they need to pivot quickly. It reminds one of the court of Henry VIII, who went from being the greatest defender of the Catholic Church to a vicious opponent because he wanted an annulment that the pope would not sanction. (One man who refused to play the game, Sir Thomas More, had his head chopped off.) The reason Trump forces aides and supporters to say things they know are false is to enforce a regime in which loyalty is paramount, overriding facts, overriding long-held convictions. . . . This might seem like an amusing spectacle, but there is a real cost. In the case of USAID, it will translate into death and despair for millions of the poorest people on the planet. → Zakaria (whose name I trust you can pronounce from having seen him every Sunday on TV) was — among so much else in his astonishing resume — named managing editor of Foreign Affairs at the age of 28. Elon Musk’s Take I freely admit he, too, is a genius. Only — it’s becoming all too clear — a genius whose values do not align with most of ours. And by “ours” I’m including most Republicans, who are not white supremacists; along with most Democrats and Independents. I have always found it troubling that the President of the United States kept a book of Hitler’s speeches by his bedside. But now this: The shadow president of the United States is a neo-Nazi. For real. Watch at least the first 90 seconds . . . and then I think you may want to go back and watch from the beginning. It’s even worse than we thought. Join Indivisible! Take action! Join Field Team 6!
Of Course It’s A Coup . . . February 6, 2025 . . . writes Timothy Snyder. And if we do not recognize it for what it is, it could succeed. He makes a compelling case worth reading in full. Get everyone you know to join Indivisible! “But wait,” I hear you say, in the midst of a busy day. “You mean now?” Yes, now, writes Garrett Graff: Today, right now, right here, is the easiest moment to draw the line against Donald Trump. Every day from here, it will get harder — the politics more inevitable, the destruction more irreversible, the sheer waste more costly, the downstream impacts on American life and the world beyond more catastrophic. Also worth reading in full if you need something to move you from anxiety to action.
Third Time’s A Charm February 5, 2025 The richest man on the planet, with Trump’s blessing, has withheld USAID food to starving children in your name and mine. In addition to being spectacularly cruel and immoral, they are playing right into the hands of Russia and China — and terrorists around the world who feed on people’s desperation. Separately, we are insulting Canada. Lawrence O’Donnell — we are no longer a nation of laws. So powerful. Watch! Another impeachment? “Third time’s a charm,” argues our own Professor deLespinasse, who acknowledges that, for it to succeed, it should be led by Republicans. We’re obviously not there yet . . . and may never be. But at the rate Trump’s going . . . and to the extent he may simply ignore the powers of the other two branches of government . . . those two humiliated, emasculated branches might — conceivably — decide to honor their oath to the Constitution. Especially if impeachment were endorsed by Mitch McConnell. You will recall that the last time Trump was impeached, the Senate voted 57 to 43 to convict. But the then majority leader rallied enough Republican votes to save Trump from the required two-thirds majority. His rationale: “we have a criminal justice system . . .” He didn’t foresee the cravenness of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, or the fecklessness of Merrick Garland, or the degree to which our justice system can fail us. Had Trump been impeached, the Constitution would have prevented his running for reelection. Maybe McConnell is feeling regret? Maybe he’d like to save democracy? Unlikely — but not entirely inconceivable. If you own OPRT — only, needless to say, with money you can truly afford to lose — you may have noticed that it’s more than doubled in the last three or four months. If the scheduled February 12 earnings report disappoints, the stock may tank; but either way I’m not selling mine. I think it could double from here in the next year or two . . . and perhaps double again after that.
Ready To Save The Country? February 4, 2025February 4, 2025 Writes Parker Molloy: In the past two weeks, Elon Musk — a man no one elected to any office — has gained unprecedented access to Social Security payment systems, fired federal workers, shuttered entire agencies, and installed his loyalists throughout the government. If this were happening in any other country, we’d call it what it is: a coup. . . . Worth reading in full if you’re not already horrified and ready to act. Once you are ready . . . . . . sign up with Indivisible. Their latest to-dos: Show up at your senators’ offices. This week, we’re asking Invisibles all over the country to plan visits to your closest US Senate offices to push your senators to take a stand against Trump’s lawless overreach. The ask will be slightly different if your senator is a Democrat or Republican. We’ve put together a full toolkit here explaining the strategy, messaging, and logistics. Dozens of visits have already been scheduled. See if there’s a visit happening near you. And if there’s nothing close by, grab some friends, organize a visit, and register it here. Call your Republican senators and demand they vote NO on Russell Vought’s confirmation.* Trump’s funding freeze wasn’t his idea. It wasn’t even Elon Musk’s idea. It was the brainchild of Russell Vought, who wrote an entire chapter of Project 2025 on how the OMB can bypass Congress (and ignore the Constitution) in order to implement MAGA’s extreme agenda. If confirmed to lead the OMB, Vought would control federal spending and abuse his power to choke off government programs and agencies that don’t align with MAGA ideology. The Senate will vote on his confirmation this week, so make sure they hear from you right away (calls are better than emails, but if you find your senators’ voicemail is full, you can also send them an email using this tool). Rally at the Department of the Treasury on Tuesday, February 4, at 5pm.This one is for folks who are in DC or who can get to DC — on Tuesday afternoon, a broad coalition of groups will be peacefully protesting the handing over of massive amounts of sensitive data and the payment systems for our entire federal government to an unaccountable, unelected far-right billionaire. Musk has been given seemingly unchecked power to remove career civil servants, sabotage agencies like USAID (risking millions of lives), and treat the US government like one of his corporate acquisitions. Pissed off? Show up. P.S. — With social media companies bending the knee to Trump, Project 2025 purging the government of dissenters, and corporate media companies caving in the face of speech-chilling lawsuits, it’s never been more important to invest in organizations you believe in that are willing to speak out and defy autocracy. Please consider chipping in with a monthly or one-time donation to help us keep up the fight. * Throughout the day, the Senate phone system has been crashing. Hopefully the issue is resolved by the time you read this, but if our call tools fail to connect, go to your senators’ websites, visit their contact sections, and you’ll find numbers for their in-state offices. You’ll be able to reach them via those numbers. If you want a pep talk to get you moving, watch this recording of the Zoom that 50,000 of us joined Sunday night. (Start here, with 28-year-old Congressman Maxwell Frost, and click and set the playback speed to 1.5X if you want to pick up the pace.) It’s all hands on deck. And how wonderful to be given a chance to help save democracy with cell phones and credit cards rather than muskets or bayonets. I count my lucky stars.
It Is A Coup February 3, 2025 Timothy Snyder makes the case: The people who now dominate the executive branch of the government are acting, quite deliberately, to destroy the nation. . . . Knowing what they themselves will do and when, they will have bet against the stock market in advance of Trump’s deliberately destructive tariffs, and will be ready to tell everyone to buy the crypto they already own. . . . The best people in American federal law enforcement, national security, and national intelligence are being fired. . . . The attempt by the oligarchs to destroy our government is illegal, unconstitutional, and more than a little mad. The people in charge, though, are very intelligent politically, and have a plan. I describe it not because it must succeed but because it must be described so that we can make it fail. This will require clarity, and speed, and coalitions. Here are a few ideas. . . . If like me you are horrified by his pardoning those who bludgeoned cops (not just commuting their sentences, in all but 14 cases, but pardoning them) . . . while purging the world’s premier law enforcement agency, installing a morally compromised drunk to head the Defense Department, and handing the national checkbook to Elon Musk . . . I urge you to read those ideas. Also, to read Heather Cox Richardson: Throughout now-president Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, it was clear that his support was coming from three very different factions whose only shared ideology was a determination to destroy the federal government. Now we are watching them do it. . . . Steve Bannon explained years ago how they were going to “flood the zone” and overwhelm the established order. And now it’s happening. This is no time to disengage. Impeachment can’t come soon enough. Sign on, in case you agree.
It’s The Messaging, Stupid January 31, 2025 Kris M: “This from Thom Hartmann is must reading. We need to understand what it means to be the opposition party and start actually opposing!” If Obama Had Sent a Mob to Kill a Cop, Republicans Would Never Let You Forget It The GOP would be screaming “Cop Killer” every single day — so why aren’t Democrats holding Trump to the same standard? . . . Next week the DNC will have a new chair, who will hopefully provide solid and aggressive leadership. Because the key to Democratic success over the next two (and four) years is pretty simple: Messaging. First, Democrats must frame the fight in simple, moral terms. From the Civil Rights era to the War in Vietnam, there was a time when my party knew how to do this; lately, it seems they’ve all fallen asleep (with a few rare exceptions). Instead of saying, “We need to expand social safety net programs,” they should say, as Lyndon Johnson often did, “No child in America should go to bed hungry.” Their next sentence should add, “But childhood hunger is just fine with Republicans trying to protect tax cuts for their Mar-a-Lago billionaires.” Second, Democrats should stop playing defense and instead seize the populist high ground. FDR knew how to do this and delighted in it. In one speech, referring to the morbidly rich of his day, he said, “They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred.” In today’s social media politics if you’re not fighting as if it’s war, you’re losing. Instead of arguing for “fair” taxation, say, “Trump wants to kill your healthcare and torch your kid’s school to pay for his billionaire tax cuts!” . . . He makes eight points — those are just the first two. Our team should read them all. Meanwhile . . . Trump, Without Citing Evidence, Blames D.E.I. and Democrats for Plane Crash “Despicable.” PS One of you who read yesterday’s ParkerVision post suggested that if it came to light that someone from the Obama administration did pressure the judge to throw out the unanimous $173 million jury verdict, then the case could be reopened. (The current cases are for separate patent claims.) So that could be another pile of money — plus 11 or 12 years’ interest. Not that I’m for a moment expecting this . . . but it’s fun to dream.
So THIS Is Interesting January 30, 2025 Or is, anyway, to those of us who own shares of ParkerVision. The plot, it seems, thickens. You may recall that a jury unanimously awarded PRKR $173 million in damages against Qualcomm in 2013. After all, they were shown internal emails from Qualcomm senior executives like this one, in 1999, that said: “The truth is ParkerVision have stumbled on something revolutionary.” And this one to Qualcomm’s CEO at the time: “This is critical technology we must land.” You can see it all laid out in this video I have linked to before. Rather than license PRKR’s technology — that ultimately came to reside in literally billions of cell phones — Qualcomm, in the jury’s unanimous view, stole it. It had taken a decade to get the case in front of a jury. Giants like Qualcomm can afford legal talent who are really good at delay. But there it was: $173 million for past use of the intellectual property, plus a royalty to be negotiated on all future use. The judge seemed fine with that. And then six months later, out of the blue, he threw out the verdict. What? What happened? Today, PRKR released what it says is the first of a four-episode “Against the Giants” video series. The larger significance — and why it might gain some traction, at least among inventors and patent attorneys — is that Qualcomm is not the only tech giant that squashes small inventors who cannot possibly afford decades of litigation to enforce their patents. Which, apart from being truly unAmerican and unfair, may affect our global competitiveness. According to “Episode 1” of “Against the Giants,” which I’ve just watched, Qualcomm was a frequent visitor to ParkerVision’s website. No great surprise there. But a couple of days after Qualcomm’s CEO hosted an Obama fundraiser, there was a visit from a computer in the White House. And a few days after that, the Obama-appointed judge threw out the verdict. I’d be amazed if the President had any direct involvement. He remains my hero. But was one of the aides with him that night persuaded by Qualcomm’s CEO that PRKR’s lawsuit threatened national security? We may not have heard the end of this. I asked ChatGPT just now: “what is the status of ParkerVision patents lawsuits?” ParkerVision has been involved in several patent enforcement actions. Here’s a brief update on the status of some of their key lawsuits: ParkerVision v. Qualcomm: The Federal Circuit recently reversed a previous non-infringement ruling and remanded the case back to the district court for further proceedings. This means the case will continue in the Florida district court. ParkerVision v. LG Electronics: This case has been stayed pending the final determination in the Qualcomm case. ParkerVision v. MediaTek: The case is currently pending, with a claim construction hearing scheduled for January 26, 2024, and a trial date set for April 14, 2025. ParkerVision v. Realtek: This case is also pending, with a claim construction hearing scheduled for January 26, 2024, and a trial date set for March 17, 2025. ParkerVision continues to actively pursue its patent enforcement actions to protect its patented technology. So then I asked: “what was the outcome of the January 26, 2024, MediaTek and RealTek construction hearings?” The January 26, 2024, claim construction hearings for the ParkerVision cases against MediaTek and Realtek resulted in favorable rulings for ParkerVision. The court adopted ParkerVision’s proposed claim constructions for most of the disputed terms in both cases. The stock could still go to zero. Or, conceivably, to 5 or, well . . . who knows? I own a ridiculous number of shares, some of which I plan to sell if and as the price rises in anticipation of these trials, but many of which I expect to hold on the chance that justice may finally, perhaps even spectacularly, at long last, in my lifetime, be done.
Chaos And Absurdity January 30, 2025 Quitting the World Health Organization just as a bird flu virus spreads across the globe may be neither a forward-thinking way to improve the nation’s health nor a great way to bring down the cost of eggs. Yet (in case you missed it) that’s what Trump has already rushed to do. So much nuts going on! As people see more chaos and absurdity, I think the President’s slumping approval rating may continue to sink. So far, they are stumbling at almost every turn. One thing is clear: This presidency is like none we’ve ever seen. Some think it could grow very dark, indeed. “How bad could it get?” asks Jonathan V. Last in Gangsters Paradise. “Well, people forget that once upon a time it was unthinkable that Vladimir Putin would kill a political rival.” Worth a read. And joining Indivisible. And Field Team 6. And staying engaged. BONUS It’s not clear from the ABOUT section of Fear & Loathing / Closer To The Edge who actually writes these posts. But he or she sure has a future: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. walked into his Senate confirmation hearing like a man stepping onto an ice rink wearing banana peels for shoes. He had one job: convince the world that he was not a bug-eyed conspiracy theorist who once hoarded a whale head and left a bear carcass in Central Park. Instead, he walked out as the leading cause of migraines among Democratic senators. This was supposed to be his moment of redemption, his big I’m-not-actually-insane speech. Instead, it turned into a political demolition derby featuring protesters screaming that he was a liar and a killer, Bernie Sanders interrogating him about baby clothes, Elizabeth Warren asking if he planned to run HHS like a side hustle, and a surreal moment where Kennedy had to confirm that he probably said Lyme disease was a military bioweapon. By the end of the day, Capitol Police had forcibly removed more people from the chamber than a dive bar on St. Patrick’s Day. Kennedy barely got through his opening statement before a woman exploded from the gallery like a jack-in-the-box filled with rage and science degrees. “YOU LIE!” she screamed, holding up a sign that read VACCINES SAVE LIVES before being swiftly tackled and dragged out by Capitol Police. Kennedy blinked rapidly, which is how you know he was hearing the voice of the worm that used to live in his brain whispering, Abort mission, Bobby. Abort mission. A brief moment of peace settled over the room, and then it happened again. “YOU’RE KILLING PEOPLE!” another protester howled, launching into a full-body rage spiral before security carried her out, legs kicking, like a screaming suitcase with opinions. Kennedy took a deep breath and tried to regain his footing, but Senator Ron Wyden had been waiting for this moment like a prosecutor with a personal vendetta. “Are you lying to us, Mr. Kennedy?” Wyden snapped, staring daggers at him. Kennedy forced a nervous smile, but it came out looking like he’d just been told he had to fight a horse for a parking spot. “That claim has been repeatedly debunked,” he said, attempting to sound reasonable despite an entire room full of people who were watching YouTube compilations of him saying the exact opposite. Wyden wasn’t buying it. “You signed a petition to restrict access to the COVID vaccine. Did you or did you not?” Kennedy mumbled something about the petition being “misrepresented” as the air in the room thickened with sweat, bad decisions, and organic supplements. Wyden was gearing up for a finishing blow when another protester detonated like a landmine. “YOU’RE A FRAUD!” she shrieked as security dragged her away in a full-body lock. Even the cops looked exhausted now. Then came Bernie Sanders, a man who has not been in the mood for nonsense since 1972. “Are you supportive of these baby onesies?” he demanded. The room froze. Kennedy’s brain crashed like a Windows 98 PC. “Excuse me?” Sanders lifted a printed-out photo of a baby bodysuit covered in anti-vaccine slogans. “These are being sold by the Children’s Health Defense, the organization you founded.” Kennedy looked like he had just accidentally eaten a ghost pepper and was trying to play it cool. “I—I don’t have oversight over that organization anymore,” he mumbled. Sanders cracked his knuckles like a man ready to fistfight a CEO and leaned in. “Are you supportive of these onesies?” Kennedy started sweating through his suit. Laughter rippled through the room. A Republican senator actually covered his face. Kennedy, now looking desperate for a fire alarm to pull, tried to pivot to his real passion: banning corn syrup. Sanders wasn’t having it. Then Elizabeth Warren took the mic, radiating pure prosecutorial energy. “Will you commit to not taking money from pharmaceutical companies while serving as Secretary of Health?” she asked, in the tone of a woman who already knew the answer but was going to enjoy watching him squirm. Kennedy grinned like a dog that just chewed up your furniture and is hoping you’ll laugh it off. “I don’t think they’d want to give me money,” he chuckled. Warren did not chuckle. “Will you commit to not profiting from lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies while serving as HHS Secretary?” Kennedy froze. The color drained from his face. “You’re asking me not to sue drug companies?” he said, voice rising. “No, I’m not going to agree to that.” Warren’s eyes gleamed like a hawk spotting a wounded rabbit. “So you’ll be suing the same companies you’re supposed to regulate?” Kennedy looked like he wanted to melt into his chair. Then came Michael Bennet, a man who had been waiting patiently to drop a grenade into Kennedy’s lap. “Did you say that Lyme disease was a militarily engineered bioweapon?” Bennet asked, deadpan. Kennedy hesitated. “I probably said that.” The audience gasped. Bennet cocked an eyebrow. “Did you say that pesticides turn children transgender?” Kennedy turned bone white. “I don’t recall saying that.” Bennet’s lip twitched. “But you do recall saying Lyme disease was a bioweapon?” Kennedy looked like he had been hit by a tranquilizer dart. Even the Republican senators were staring at their desks, avoiding eye contact. The hearing finally adjourned, but Kennedy is not in the clear yet. His next grilling is scheduled for tomorrow, and there’s no telling how much worse it can get. His opponents smell blood. His supporters are already crafting conspiracy theories about the deep state. And if the vote ends in a deadlock, Vice President JD Vance will cast the deciding vote. Yes, JD Vance—the political equivalent of a wet cardboard box—will determine if a man once partially controlled by a brain parasite will run America’s health system. The nation waits in suspense. Pass the whiskey.
Abraham Lincoln’s Message To 2025 January 28, 2025 We’re all for law and order, right? But Republicans now make an exception for bludgeoning the police, threatening to hang the Vice President, and defecating in the Capitol — that’s considered patriotic, not criminal. And they enthusiastically support a twice-impeached convicted felon who lied to the FBI and unquestionably obstructed justice. Here is Heather Cox Ricardson on Abraham Lincoln, before he became America’s first Republican president. His 1838 speech, given at the age of 28, In Praise of Law And Order. Lincoln was speaking directly to us in 2025. Thanks to all of you who have chipped in to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, the context and importance of which are described here. If you’re looking for additional ways to help, consider Indivisible’s to-do list for the week: 1. Tell your senators to vote NO on Trump’s most dangerous nominees. Senate Republicans disgracefully confirmed Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary on Friday by a historically small margin. If we can flip just one additional Republican to vote ‘no’ on Russell Vought, Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, or RFK Jr., we can block their nominations. And there’s reason to believe there’s growing opposition to some of these nominees. Let’s keep the pressure on. 2. Join Indivisible’s co-founders this Thursday at 3pm ET/12pm PT to process the news and dig into strategies for fighting back. With so much coming at us right now, it’s important to carve out time to come together in community and dig into what matters and what we can do about it. Indivisible’s Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin will lead the discussion and spend most of the hour answering audience questions. 3. NY Indivisibles: Tell Senator Schumer to Stop Surrendering to MAGA Extremists. Donald Trump is unleashing an authoritarian assault — pardoning violent January 6th criminals, dismantling rights, and enabling fascism — while Senator Schumer responds with calls for bipartisanship. This is not leadership. Senator Schumer must condemn Trump’s attacks on democracy, mobilize Senate Democrats to block extremism at every opportunity, and reject fantasies of common ground with MAGA extremists. Email Senator Schumer now and demand bold defiance, then help us spread the word using our social toolkit. P.S. — With social media companies bending the knee to Trump, Project 2025 purging the government of dissenters, and corporate media companies caving in the face of speech-chilling lawsuits, it’s never been more important to invest in organizations you believe in that are willing to speak out and fight back against autocracy. Fundraising has been off to a slow start this year, so please consider chipping in to support Indivisible’s work today P.P.S. — Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT as we kick off a new year of critical work for the Truth Brigade, Indivisible Civics’ grassroots-powered network of activists dedicated to disrupting disinformation. Whether you’re new to the work or a disinfo-fighting expert looking to channel your passion, all are welcome.
Be Happy! January 26, 2025January 27, 2025 I’m not entirely a Don’t Worry, Be Happy type, though it’s a pretty great song. (“In every life we haf some trahble! When you worry, ya make it double. Don’t worry! Be happy!”) There is, after all, a lot to be concerned about. Fascism and climate change spring to mind. (And bird flu, a toppy stock market, tariff and deportation policies that could spike inflation that could spike interest rates that could tank the toppy stock market, unintended consequences of artificial intelligence, disinformation, cyber terror, unprecedented levels of inequality that rend the social compact, the San Andreas Fault . . . ) Maybe the difference between worry and concern is that worry implies stress and unhappiness; concern suggests responsibility and purpose. As in: We need to fix this. Or at least the parts we can. Hence yesterday’s post asking your help with the April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Paul W. pushed back: “Judges should not be elected. They should not make policy. Political parties should not be involved. I don’t care or want to care who sits on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.” → Fair. Except that control of the House in 2026 could turn on Congressional redistricting in Wisconsin — so you might consider caring anyway. I was heartened to see Nate Silver give Democrats an 85% chance of winning back the House in 2026. A win in Wisconsin April 1 would definitely help. And he gives us a 40% chance of winning a trifecta in 2028! The House, the Senate, and the Presidency! Less than even odds but a real shot. So there’s reason to stay engaged. Two reasons, really. The obvious one: it helps us win. Less obviously: It animates the spirit and improves mental health. Purpose is a powerful thing. As is hope. David Hogg, 24-year-old survivor of the Parkland massacre, has hope in spades: Four years from now, it won’t be a Republican entering the White House. I feel completely confident in that. Because while Republicans would LOVE it if we gave up, we’re not going to. Instead, we’re going to make the Democratic Party the strongest it’s been in over half a century. How? By electing young leaders all over the country with a bold vision for the future. Leaders who fight for us, not the uber-rich. If you can, will you rush a donation to Leaders We Deserve to help us elect the next generation of leaders so we can win – resoundingly – in four years? Our work relies on your support. Thank you. And thanks to Glenn Sonnenberg, who recently posted this song on his wonderful blog. Gonna be a bright, bright sunshine-y day. And — oh, what the heck. If Trump can bafflingly try to repurpose one gay anthem (hey! I’m friends with one of the Village People!), then, in the spirit of defiance, I can offer another. If we pull together — and treat our Republican friends with respect as we offer our alternative — we will survive. BONUS Hope For Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.