It Was The Worst of Times, It Was . . . December 9, 2021 When a shared national crisis can’t bring people together (Pearl Harbor, say, or a pandemic), a society may have passed the point of no return. The political divide in the United States has become irreconcilable, study says. Putin is winning, but I refuse to believe we can’t pull back from the edge. We have to! This is America! Still — as per yesterday — January 6 Was Practice — boy are we ever hanging on by a thread. Brian S.: “Gellman’s must-read article is masterful and certainly no exercise in hyperbole. Fascism is a real threat. We must face the fact that we are in the fight of our lives for democracy, decency, civility, kindness and protection for the many vulnerables in our vast country.” On a brighter note, the story of the German election — Can Germany’s New Chancellor Revive the Left in Europe? — gives both hope and a path forward. “Olaf Scholz wants to win back workers who defected to the populist far right. Success could make him a model for Social Democrats everywhere.” . . . Mr. Scholz, a Social Democrat, wanted to talk to the philosopher, Prof. Michael J. Sandel of Harvard, about why center-left parties like his had been losing working-class voters to populists, and the two men spent an hour discussing a seemingly simple theme that would become the centerpiece of the [successful] Scholz campaign: “Respect.” . . . Worth reading in full. Brighter still: The Summit of Democracy begins today! Unemployment is at record lows! Wages and worker bargaining power are on the rise! The market — and 401k’s — are at record highs! Child poverty has been cut in half! (Democrats delivered that. Republicans voted to block it.) Revitalized infrastructure is on the way! (Democrats delivered that. Republicans voted to block it.) Childcare and health care and insulin costs are about to fall! And lots more. (COMPANY opens tonight!) So be alarmed — but not despondent. Join your local chapter of the League of Women Voters! Join Field Team 6! Join Vote Forward! Fund the Party! BONUS Speaking of Company . . . did you see this great Sondheim interview, 33 years ago?