I've left both the Republicans and Democrats and am now giving the Libertarians a shot. Watching the Democrats continuing gutting of the working class while morphing into blood thirsty neocons has been a sight to behold these past two decades. This and their absolute present day hard-on for the CIA and FBI convinces that they've out-republicaned the Republicans. Even the celebrated "Squad" got in line behind the forces of darkness.
Voting Blue is not going to save us. Abandon this delusion.
Ralph recently announced he's voting for the Democrats! When I was a budding journalist, Nader's fight to protect consumers gave me an opportunity to write about it for the Saint Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press. His heart is in the right place always but he was up against capitalists on steroids!
Biggest waste I ever had as a voter was pulling the lever for Obama in '08. Didn't even get the furniture arranged in the Oval Office before opening up the treasury vault for the banks and Wall Street. McCain would have never gotten away with that.
A bigger betrayal was that he appointed a Sec’y of Education who worked closely with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to ensure that every public school in the US adopted the devastating Common Core curriculum and testing materials. School districts were “invited” to adopt that curriculum, sight unseen, OR lose all of their federal Title VI funding, thanks to the Democratic-controlled senate and all of our mainstream media. Volunteer in any public school 4th grade classroom to fully understand the harm done. (A college student recently told me that the year Common Core was implmented was the year she stopped understanding math. None of the students understand that the curriculum is the problem. It’s a very clever scheme in which the students memorize lots of facts and skills but never learn the bigger picture of how they fit together or why they’re useful. Hence, after a while it’s impossible to remember all the facts or see the point in learning the skills.) Note that Obama’s eloquent memoir about his first four years in office doesn’t mention that huge education overhaul which to this day undermines the future of our middle class. I take that as an indication that he’s fully aware that it wasn’t a positive step forward. I’m not sure that McCain would have been a better choice, but I share your disillusionment with Obama because for me, our children’s future should be safeguarded.
Thanks. This info confirms how he allowed people to steer the ship of state off course. Now we must deal with a President who has a hard time saying 'no' to fossil-fuel emitters and Wall Street, etc.: comparisons of him to LBJ and FDR are totally absurd. He is a player out for his own interests despite his personal tragedies: he's grasping for adoration. Sad. His votes regarding women and crime from his past tells me about the man. But maybe he thinks he's practicing atonement now. We'll see.
He sold out within three weeks about Big Pharma and not getting them to negotiate prices for Medicare, etc.; plus, he allowed drones to bomb innocents in countries where there wasn't even a declaration of war, like Pakistan. I was told by an insider that he was being used by the White ol' boys--sorry to say and I was sorry to learn it. Life can be very tricky and tough.
Between the two visions you offer so starkly there is also a sleeping giant of ordinary people who do not feel as activated as we do, who do not see this epic moment for what it is. Or, if they do, they are still too busy and overwhelmed to show up for it in concrete ways. They will vote our way, to be sure, but this moment is about so much more than voting. It’s about working, showing up, standing not just in theory and in dashed off online opinions and likes, but on actual legs. I have spent many years framing the potential moment in encouraging terms, with a sense of vision/possibility/transformative power, just as you do more beautifully than anyone; but trying to wrangle volunteers to do even the bare minimum (phone calls, letters to the editor, showing up for a fun, well-planned 1-hour zoom for a state senator hosted by a famous comedy writer) is proving difficult among my busy, financially comfortable peers.
I think there are some cobwebby corners of my own psyche where I’m harboring deep resentment of people who know what is happening and do little, especially when you work hard trying to make participation fun, easy, welcoming, and as straightforward as Amazon 1-click ordering.
If we don’t physically feed our children, they will starve. If we don’t physically feed our democracy, it will wither and die. Enlightened consciousness is necessary but not sufficient. We have to do the work. Around me, I see only red signs this go-round bc Dems are ? Tired, busy? We’ve won the last few rounds by a hair, but it’s not looking good right now. People aren’t even bothering to pick up yard signs.
I have never written such an uninspiring set of words in my life, but I think people get too much energy from inspiration and not enough (prodding? Shaming?) to do something beyond think and feel.
Oh gosh, I just Re-read this and I think it sounds like a criticism of this post, which it most emphatically is not. Marianne, I derive more comfort, inspiration, and work-energy from you than almost anyone, and you (also more than almost anyone!) live your words every day, from sister giant (2xattendee) through the presidential campaign to your books, lectures. Nonprofit work, all of it. My frustration is with those who feel filled up by perspectives like yours enough to go about their ordinary business, rather than taking them as the catalyst to action that they must be. ♥️
For the apathetic, there the miracle will arise. It is our prayers and our intentions enfolding them that will lift them or not, impede the miracle; my own daily heart/ soulkeeping must be clear foremost. Rightful action.
Curious why none of the democrats speak out for animals? Factory farming is so horrendous. Intelligent creatures without room to turn around. They don't even have a "yoga mat" amount of space. That's how they live their entire lives. Is that kind? Is this normal? Then when rescuers videotape this they get arrested under ag-gag laws. How is this right? How do we tolerate this???
Is there really a choice any longer? Or, have we passed that point, sedated by television, Faux news, and other propaganda? I guess we'll find out between now and 2024.
You speak truth with precision and clarity. Thank you for this write, Marianne. Our national ambition of being a true democracy for all is worth protecting and pursuing.
Waking up in California this morning (while my home in Florida teeters on the brink of destruction from many directions) your words give me a moment of peace and hope, which is what I have enjoyed hearing from you over at least the past 30 yrs. Thank you and L’Shana Tova.
It's not just ups and downs throughout history but also evolution's arrow is in the direction of greater awareness and freedom -- we wouldn't kill Indians or own slaves anymore, or even have women so subjugated that I'd never be writing this had women's lib not come along. But, for all that so many of us are ready for a next move into becoming one humanity, there are physical forces to deal with that could help. The oligarchy runs the world to its advantage, so the place to look is to what we-the-people could do to end-run around government, but we aren't even talking about what creative moves we could come up with to help move the world. How about that? What would you do, Marianne, if you ran the world?
Great question Suzanne Taylor. Just think of how Greta Thunberg helped raise awareness about our climate crisis with her powerful, truthfully direct statements. Also, I think your right about doing an end-run! Right on. There's a point when all the political hoopla and bureaucracy stifles real progress, or so it seems.
Dear Marianne, read a few of the comments and am grateful to see that a number of people feel as I do. I believe deeply you have a misunderstanding of Republicans.
I agree with JKoz and many others. Left, democrat my whole life. No longer. Many below are more eloquent than I. But I am so sorry you feel that the democrats are the way to go. And sad.
So much craziness - mandated jabs. You do know that in order to enter the US Oct. 6, 2022 a foreign national needs to be vaccinated (like my CA son-in-law)? Why when shots are apparently russian roulette of a serious nature? Illegal! For this alone, for not stopping the shots, for continuing to push them, for something that does not provide anything but $$ to makers/accomplices, ignoring the damages, ignoring the real science, CENSORING, using my tax dollars to do so.... That alone would keep me from voting dem. And how about how righteous ..... California censoring doctors wtf?
Speaking of Russia - what insanity. Especially when there was a time for peace. Russia? Why?
All the woke stuff with transgender and children. Have you seen the books they are putting in elementary schools? I've only seen the ones in CA. Assuming same - more pornographic seriously than I'm comfortable with for an teen much less elementary children. Only folks I see standing up against this are the conservatives. Not necessarily republicans.
In fact I don't think the majority of people are either these days. I think people are fed up! And the democratic party is the top of my list. Sorry Marianne - I just put your daily mediation in my journal. My work for God is effortless... Bless Your Heart! but I'm disappointed you feel this way about the election.
Thank you for your excellent summation of the perils we face. No political party is perfect, but it is imperative that we support the Democratic party at this time that Trump has taken over the Republican party. Liz Cheney is an outstanding public official, and to preserve her integrity, she has announced that she will resign from the Republican party if Trump is the nominee. Whether you like the Democratic party or not, we must not take the chance of him becoming the American version of Hitler. Third parties, however good, can only dilute the votes necessary to keep him from winning.
Agree, George Erb. Anyone who watched the recent Ken Burns documentary about the holocaust can see the parallels with what's happening in many countries, like ours. We can never be complacent when there's a rise of authoritarianism.
I think you sell yourself short. You summed it up perfectly. We can’t afford to look away from all the things you just listed (and more).
Republicans aren’t perfect and I have been voting independent for years hoping and praying for a strong 3rd party to break us out of the 2 party hold. But unfortunately, and at this point, too much is at stake. We are again left voting for the lesser of 2 evils--or in this case the party for free speech, a balanced press--assuming we can even get that back--safety, law and order, respect for parents and their right to protect what is being done to and taught to their children, personal responsibility and holding ALL people equally accountable AND AGAINST what is going on in our schools to our young people, in Higher Education that is more about social justice than education and on and on...
The Democratic Party has become the party of revisionists--revising history and redefining terms all while still using some of those same terms in order to fool those they hope to fool. You can’t claim to be the party of Democracy and then work with big tech to censor dissenting or opposing opinions and/or beliefs. We don’t have a free country if the bulk of our media is in support of and employeed by those from the Democratic Party and/or with huge conflicts of interest. And what has America become when our own government would have us believe that parents should be declared terrorists for simply rising up for their rights and the right to protect their children. What has America become when a person is elected President while claiming to NOT understand why America is so great OR while claiming to be the one to unite us while choosing to demonizes about half its population?
And what about the lying through words and semantics. They claim that CRT is not being taught in schools while refusing to admit that the Tennant’s of CRT are being taught, just under a different name or names. Abortion was never a constitutional right and to claim that it was is purposefully misleading and an attempt to garner votes from the generations that have been taught next to nothing about our constitution. And what about this lie about taking away voting rights when one dares to suggest--and rightly so--that those that vote have and present a valid ID AND more importantly that they be US citizen? And I am by no means a supporter of Trump and wish he would just step away. But where is the media so bent on counting the lies told by Trump, around the lies being told by Biden and his administration? Where was our justice system when for 9 months rioters--never bought the “mostly peaceful protests” claim by the media--were allowed to destroy and/or confiscate property and assault law enforcement without being held accountable. But when a small group of equally misled conservatives storm the Capital they are called insurrectionists WHILE not being charged with insurrection? None of this and more is Democracy.
ACIM teaches us about forgiveness, yet there are those in the Democratic Party demanding that people now own and pay for the sins of those from the past at a time when things were different, yet always evolving as life does. It cautions against living in the past, instead encouraging living in the present. It teaches us against seeing ourselves as victims, yet this Democratic Party is bent on pushing as well as elevating victimhood. It directs us all to follow Holy Spirit and our own inner guidance, yet this Democratic Party has mandated a novel “vaccine” for all, to include young children--despite the science--and while even denying religious exemption. A Party that now chooses to ignore and censor growing proof that they do not work or that they are causing harm, while still pushing and/ or requiring them.
ACIM teaches that it is always about us--the individual, yet this Democratic Party encourages its population to find blame outside of itself--to include the color of one’s skin. Above all else it teaches us that there are only 2 choices--love and fear. And this new Democratic Party is all about the fear. Next up climate change. The whole truth about that too be damned.
Surely we can create better than all that.
The Republican Party is really just the other side of the same broken coin. But it could give us the time we need to regroup towards something better while staving off what the Democratic Party is purposing and the agenda it is moving forward on. And it is not “Democracy.”
I’m so surprised by your recent posts, including this one! smug, arrogant and selfish IS by definition antidemocratic, and that’s for sure how the leaders of the Democratic Party have been running the Party. Take Biden’s speech in which he arrogantly declared ALL maga supporters, which are many of those who disagree with his policies, as terrorists. That was an authoritarian and antidemocratic speech, far more scary than any speech I know of from any previous President. Terrorist is a very scary label in this country, meant to intimidate and SILENCE his opposition. I’ve never previously voted Republican, but I have many longtime friends who are Republican and support the idea of returning America to the democracy we believed we had in the 60s and 70s. Restoring our democracy clearly falls under the vision of maga these days. I’d like to put on a maga t-shirt just to support their right to their opinions of what would be best for our country. Unfortunately, I believe that wearing such a t-shirt could put me at risk of physical harm, not only due to Biden’s speech but also the bias in our news media during the past few years. Shame on those who hate, SILENCE, and want to do other harm to others who vote for the opposition. Please note that most of the authoritarian mandates during the pandemic came from Democratic governors. That includes the mandates that closed nearly all small businesses while explicitly/indefensibly allowing people to continue shopping (e.g., for clothing) at Target and Walmart. 100,000 small businesses failed due to those mandates. Please also remember that fascism in the 1930s came from the left/socialist party, not from the right. I don’t plan to vote for the Democrats this fall. That party desperately needs a complete leadership overhaul. When was the last time any of them campaigned on anything except “I’m better than that jerk running against me”?
Arrogance is “an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing way”, as in adding “superdelegates” whose sole purpose is to be superior to the voters. (Since 2016 they’ve used more hidden ways to achieve their “superior” political outcomes.). In my opinion it’s also not possible to be both selfish and democratic at the same time. Smug - i.e., highly self-satisfied - implies blindness to their follies. Not a party I want to vote for. I also think it’s dangerous to demonize the whole Republican party. In this context, I’m praying that the Democrats won’t maintain their majority in the Senate this November.
Read Naomi Wolff’s assessment of the recent supreme court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade. You used to say something like the good political ideas are both conservative and progressive.
"American history has been dotted with tragedy but it has also been dotted with miracles. It is our turn to stand on the precipice now. It is ours to decide - for us, in our time - which one it will be"... Every day we have this choice ... between the lower and the higher ... between self-interest ... and the interest of our community, our society and our world ... Wonderful Writing!
I hope and pray that Americans will vote blue this November. Not only are women's reproductive freedoms imperiled, but it may also be our last chance to save our voting rights.
This is an excellent assessment of both our overall history and the choices before us. Self-centeredness has been rife in both parties, yet compassion and good will are the hallmarks of the vast majority of people in this country, regardless of their view of the world. I, too, will vote Democratic, this time, as save for one Republican candidate for state senate, the slate is "All-Trump, all the time". The media is following along, and we are besieged by robo-e-mails, probably from foreign actors, telling us that Fascist candidates WILL be elected in November, whether we like it or not. Yes, it is time for people to act from their hearts, en masse.
the purpose of those robo-emails is to scare you into voting for the democrats. Those messages won’t work on me, and it’s telling that I don’t receive those emails. Don’t be so sure that they’re from foreign actors.
Don’t let fear of Republicans guide your vote. Get to know some Trump supporters and see how many of them are actually fascist. Be open to what their great fear of the Democrats is. Our only hope is to eliminate the fear on both sides. In a climate of fear, fascism wins. Those who want to take control know that, and they are sowing fear on both sides. Let’s not let fear win.
Good points, and I know many Trump supporters, considering most of them as friends. I just don't agree with much of what he says. Similarly, I am put off by extremism on the other end, as well. Fear does not win in this household.
I am truly disappointed, Marianne, in your - in my judgement - negative tone of this commentary from yesterday. I believe I feel as concerned about the future of our democracy as you do and choose to take positive steps with a positive “voice” to do as much as I can to influence positive results in response to the movement that is trying to undermine our way of life. Good luck to you in your way of trying to combat the deterioration of our society.
I've left both the Republicans and Democrats and am now giving the Libertarians a shot. Watching the Democrats continuing gutting of the working class while morphing into blood thirsty neocons has been a sight to behold these past two decades. This and their absolute present day hard-on for the CIA and FBI convinces that they've out-republicaned the Republicans. Even the celebrated "Squad" got in line behind the forces of darkness.
Voting Blue is not going to save us. Abandon this delusion.
I understand your frustration, but please don't waste your vote. I made that mistake once by voting for Ralph Nader!
Ralph recently announced he's voting for the Democrats! When I was a budding journalist, Nader's fight to protect consumers gave me an opportunity to write about it for the Saint Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press. His heart is in the right place always but he was up against capitalists on steroids!
Yes he did! I just saw that article yesterday! Ralph gets it.
Biggest waste I ever had as a voter was pulling the lever for Obama in '08. Didn't even get the furniture arranged in the Oval Office before opening up the treasury vault for the banks and Wall Street. McCain would have never gotten away with that.
A bigger betrayal was that he appointed a Sec’y of Education who worked closely with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to ensure that every public school in the US adopted the devastating Common Core curriculum and testing materials. School districts were “invited” to adopt that curriculum, sight unseen, OR lose all of their federal Title VI funding, thanks to the Democratic-controlled senate and all of our mainstream media. Volunteer in any public school 4th grade classroom to fully understand the harm done. (A college student recently told me that the year Common Core was implmented was the year she stopped understanding math. None of the students understand that the curriculum is the problem. It’s a very clever scheme in which the students memorize lots of facts and skills but never learn the bigger picture of how they fit together or why they’re useful. Hence, after a while it’s impossible to remember all the facts or see the point in learning the skills.) Note that Obama’s eloquent memoir about his first four years in office doesn’t mention that huge education overhaul which to this day undermines the future of our middle class. I take that as an indication that he’s fully aware that it wasn’t a positive step forward. I’m not sure that McCain would have been a better choice, but I share your disillusionment with Obama because for me, our children’s future should be safeguarded.
Thanks. This info confirms how he allowed people to steer the ship of state off course. Now we must deal with a President who has a hard time saying 'no' to fossil-fuel emitters and Wall Street, etc.: comparisons of him to LBJ and FDR are totally absurd. He is a player out for his own interests despite his personal tragedies: he's grasping for adoration. Sad. His votes regarding women and crime from his past tells me about the man. But maybe he thinks he's practicing atonement now. We'll see.
He sold out within three weeks about Big Pharma and not getting them to negotiate prices for Medicare, etc.; plus, he allowed drones to bomb innocents in countries where there wasn't even a declaration of war, like Pakistan. I was told by an insider that he was being used by the White ol' boys--sorry to say and I was sorry to learn it. Life can be very tricky and tough.
Thank you!
Between the two visions you offer so starkly there is also a sleeping giant of ordinary people who do not feel as activated as we do, who do not see this epic moment for what it is. Or, if they do, they are still too busy and overwhelmed to show up for it in concrete ways. They will vote our way, to be sure, but this moment is about so much more than voting. It’s about working, showing up, standing not just in theory and in dashed off online opinions and likes, but on actual legs. I have spent many years framing the potential moment in encouraging terms, with a sense of vision/possibility/transformative power, just as you do more beautifully than anyone; but trying to wrangle volunteers to do even the bare minimum (phone calls, letters to the editor, showing up for a fun, well-planned 1-hour zoom for a state senator hosted by a famous comedy writer) is proving difficult among my busy, financially comfortable peers.
I think there are some cobwebby corners of my own psyche where I’m harboring deep resentment of people who know what is happening and do little, especially when you work hard trying to make participation fun, easy, welcoming, and as straightforward as Amazon 1-click ordering.
If we don’t physically feed our children, they will starve. If we don’t physically feed our democracy, it will wither and die. Enlightened consciousness is necessary but not sufficient. We have to do the work. Around me, I see only red signs this go-round bc Dems are ? Tired, busy? We’ve won the last few rounds by a hair, but it’s not looking good right now. People aren’t even bothering to pick up yard signs.
I have never written such an uninspiring set of words in my life, but I think people get too much energy from inspiration and not enough (prodding? Shaming?) to do something beyond think and feel.
Oh gosh, I just Re-read this and I think it sounds like a criticism of this post, which it most emphatically is not. Marianne, I derive more comfort, inspiration, and work-energy from you than almost anyone, and you (also more than almost anyone!) live your words every day, from sister giant (2xattendee) through the presidential campaign to your books, lectures. Nonprofit work, all of it. My frustration is with those who feel filled up by perspectives like yours enough to go about their ordinary business, rather than taking them as the catalyst to action that they must be. ♥️
For the apathetic, there the miracle will arise. It is our prayers and our intentions enfolding them that will lift them or not, impede the miracle; my own daily heart/ soulkeeping must be clear foremost. Rightful action.
I pray for miracles and a new birth of freedom for America!
Curious why none of the democrats speak out for animals? Factory farming is so horrendous. Intelligent creatures without room to turn around. They don't even have a "yoga mat" amount of space. That's how they live their entire lives. Is that kind? Is this normal? Then when rescuers videotape this they get arrested under ag-gag laws. How is this right? How do we tolerate this???
Marianne had an animal welfare section on her issues pages in 2020 https://marianne2020.com/issues/animal-protection
Is there really a choice any longer? Or, have we passed that point, sedated by television, Faux news, and other propaganda? I guess we'll find out between now and 2024.
I think there is mass confusion happening globally due to social media and media outlets in general. We have lost a central voice!
You speak truth with precision and clarity. Thank you for this write, Marianne. Our national ambition of being a true democracy for all is worth protecting and pursuing.
Waking up in California this morning (while my home in Florida teeters on the brink of destruction from many directions) your words give me a moment of peace and hope, which is what I have enjoyed hearing from you over at least the past 30 yrs. Thank you and L’Shana Tova.
It's not just ups and downs throughout history but also evolution's arrow is in the direction of greater awareness and freedom -- we wouldn't kill Indians or own slaves anymore, or even have women so subjugated that I'd never be writing this had women's lib not come along. But, for all that so many of us are ready for a next move into becoming one humanity, there are physical forces to deal with that could help. The oligarchy runs the world to its advantage, so the place to look is to what we-the-people could do to end-run around government, but we aren't even talking about what creative moves we could come up with to help move the world. How about that? What would you do, Marianne, if you ran the world?
Great question Suzanne Taylor. Just think of how Greta Thunberg helped raise awareness about our climate crisis with her powerful, truthfully direct statements. Also, I think your right about doing an end-run! Right on. There's a point when all the political hoopla and bureaucracy stifles real progress, or so it seems.
Dear Marianne, read a few of the comments and am grateful to see that a number of people feel as I do. I believe deeply you have a misunderstanding of Republicans.
I agree with JKoz and many others. Left, democrat my whole life. No longer. Many below are more eloquent than I. But I am so sorry you feel that the democrats are the way to go. And sad.
So much craziness - mandated jabs. You do know that in order to enter the US Oct. 6, 2022 a foreign national needs to be vaccinated (like my CA son-in-law)? Why when shots are apparently russian roulette of a serious nature? Illegal! For this alone, for not stopping the shots, for continuing to push them, for something that does not provide anything but $$ to makers/accomplices, ignoring the damages, ignoring the real science, CENSORING, using my tax dollars to do so.... That alone would keep me from voting dem. And how about how righteous ..... California censoring doctors wtf?
Speaking of Russia - what insanity. Especially when there was a time for peace. Russia? Why?
All the woke stuff with transgender and children. Have you seen the books they are putting in elementary schools? I've only seen the ones in CA. Assuming same - more pornographic seriously than I'm comfortable with for an teen much less elementary children. Only folks I see standing up against this are the conservatives. Not necessarily republicans.
In fact I don't think the majority of people are either these days. I think people are fed up! And the democratic party is the top of my list. Sorry Marianne - I just put your daily mediation in my journal. My work for God is effortless... Bless Your Heart! but I'm disappointed you feel this way about the election.
Thank you for your excellent summation of the perils we face. No political party is perfect, but it is imperative that we support the Democratic party at this time that Trump has taken over the Republican party. Liz Cheney is an outstanding public official, and to preserve her integrity, she has announced that she will resign from the Republican party if Trump is the nominee. Whether you like the Democratic party or not, we must not take the chance of him becoming the American version of Hitler. Third parties, however good, can only dilute the votes necessary to keep him from winning.
Agree, George Erb. Anyone who watched the recent Ken Burns documentary about the holocaust can see the parallels with what's happening in many countries, like ours. We can never be complacent when there's a rise of authoritarianism.
I think you sell yourself short. You summed it up perfectly. We can’t afford to look away from all the things you just listed (and more).
Republicans aren’t perfect and I have been voting independent for years hoping and praying for a strong 3rd party to break us out of the 2 party hold. But unfortunately, and at this point, too much is at stake. We are again left voting for the lesser of 2 evils--or in this case the party for free speech, a balanced press--assuming we can even get that back--safety, law and order, respect for parents and their right to protect what is being done to and taught to their children, personal responsibility and holding ALL people equally accountable AND AGAINST what is going on in our schools to our young people, in Higher Education that is more about social justice than education and on and on...
The Democratic Party has become the party of revisionists--revising history and redefining terms all while still using some of those same terms in order to fool those they hope to fool. You can’t claim to be the party of Democracy and then work with big tech to censor dissenting or opposing opinions and/or beliefs. We don’t have a free country if the bulk of our media is in support of and employeed by those from the Democratic Party and/or with huge conflicts of interest. And what has America become when our own government would have us believe that parents should be declared terrorists for simply rising up for their rights and the right to protect their children. What has America become when a person is elected President while claiming to NOT understand why America is so great OR while claiming to be the one to unite us while choosing to demonizes about half its population?
And what about the lying through words and semantics. They claim that CRT is not being taught in schools while refusing to admit that the Tennant’s of CRT are being taught, just under a different name or names. Abortion was never a constitutional right and to claim that it was is purposefully misleading and an attempt to garner votes from the generations that have been taught next to nothing about our constitution. And what about this lie about taking away voting rights when one dares to suggest--and rightly so--that those that vote have and present a valid ID AND more importantly that they be US citizen? And I am by no means a supporter of Trump and wish he would just step away. But where is the media so bent on counting the lies told by Trump, around the lies being told by Biden and his administration? Where was our justice system when for 9 months rioters--never bought the “mostly peaceful protests” claim by the media--were allowed to destroy and/or confiscate property and assault law enforcement without being held accountable. But when a small group of equally misled conservatives storm the Capital they are called insurrectionists WHILE not being charged with insurrection? None of this and more is Democracy.
ACIM teaches us about forgiveness, yet there are those in the Democratic Party demanding that people now own and pay for the sins of those from the past at a time when things were different, yet always evolving as life does. It cautions against living in the past, instead encouraging living in the present. It teaches us against seeing ourselves as victims, yet this Democratic Party is bent on pushing as well as elevating victimhood. It directs us all to follow Holy Spirit and our own inner guidance, yet this Democratic Party has mandated a novel “vaccine” for all, to include young children--despite the science--and while even denying religious exemption. A Party that now chooses to ignore and censor growing proof that they do not work or that they are causing harm, while still pushing and/ or requiring them.
ACIM teaches that it is always about us--the individual, yet this Democratic Party encourages its population to find blame outside of itself--to include the color of one’s skin. Above all else it teaches us that there are only 2 choices--love and fear. And this new Democratic Party is all about the fear. Next up climate change. The whole truth about that too be damned.
Surely we can create better than all that.
The Republican Party is really just the other side of the same broken coin. But it could give us the time we need to regroup towards something better while staving off what the Democratic Party is purposing and the agenda it is moving forward on. And it is not “Democracy.”
I’m so surprised by your recent posts, including this one! smug, arrogant and selfish IS by definition antidemocratic, and that’s for sure how the leaders of the Democratic Party have been running the Party. Take Biden’s speech in which he arrogantly declared ALL maga supporters, which are many of those who disagree with his policies, as terrorists. That was an authoritarian and antidemocratic speech, far more scary than any speech I know of from any previous President. Terrorist is a very scary label in this country, meant to intimidate and SILENCE his opposition. I’ve never previously voted Republican, but I have many longtime friends who are Republican and support the idea of returning America to the democracy we believed we had in the 60s and 70s. Restoring our democracy clearly falls under the vision of maga these days. I’d like to put on a maga t-shirt just to support their right to their opinions of what would be best for our country. Unfortunately, I believe that wearing such a t-shirt could put me at risk of physical harm, not only due to Biden’s speech but also the bias in our news media during the past few years. Shame on those who hate, SILENCE, and want to do other harm to others who vote for the opposition. Please note that most of the authoritarian mandates during the pandemic came from Democratic governors. That includes the mandates that closed nearly all small businesses while explicitly/indefensibly allowing people to continue shopping (e.g., for clothing) at Target and Walmart. 100,000 small businesses failed due to those mandates. Please also remember that fascism in the 1930s came from the left/socialist party, not from the right. I don’t plan to vote for the Democrats this fall. That party desperately needs a complete leadership overhaul. When was the last time any of them campaigned on anything except “I’m better than that jerk running against me”?
Smug, arrogant and selfish is not by definition anti-democratic.
Arrogance is “an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing way”, as in adding “superdelegates” whose sole purpose is to be superior to the voters. (Since 2016 they’ve used more hidden ways to achieve their “superior” political outcomes.). In my opinion it’s also not possible to be both selfish and democratic at the same time. Smug - i.e., highly self-satisfied - implies blindness to their follies. Not a party I want to vote for. I also think it’s dangerous to demonize the whole Republican party. In this context, I’m praying that the Democrats won’t maintain their majority in the Senate this November.
Read Naomi Wolff’s assessment of the recent supreme court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade. You used to say something like the good political ideas are both conservative and progressive.
"American history has been dotted with tragedy but it has also been dotted with miracles. It is our turn to stand on the precipice now. It is ours to decide - for us, in our time - which one it will be"... Every day we have this choice ... between the lower and the higher ... between self-interest ... and the interest of our community, our society and our world ... Wonderful Writing!
I hope and pray that Americans will vote blue this November. Not only are women's reproductive freedoms imperiled, but it may also be our last chance to save our voting rights.
This is an excellent assessment of both our overall history and the choices before us. Self-centeredness has been rife in both parties, yet compassion and good will are the hallmarks of the vast majority of people in this country, regardless of their view of the world. I, too, will vote Democratic, this time, as save for one Republican candidate for state senate, the slate is "All-Trump, all the time". The media is following along, and we are besieged by robo-e-mails, probably from foreign actors, telling us that Fascist candidates WILL be elected in November, whether we like it or not. Yes, it is time for people to act from their hearts, en masse.
the purpose of those robo-emails is to scare you into voting for the democrats. Those messages won’t work on me, and it’s telling that I don’t receive those emails. Don’t be so sure that they’re from foreign actors.
Don’t let fear of Republicans guide your vote. Get to know some Trump supporters and see how many of them are actually fascist. Be open to what their great fear of the Democrats is. Our only hope is to eliminate the fear on both sides. In a climate of fear, fascism wins. Those who want to take control know that, and they are sowing fear on both sides. Let’s not let fear win.
Good points, and I know many Trump supporters, considering most of them as friends. I just don't agree with much of what he says. Similarly, I am put off by extremism on the other end, as well. Fear does not win in this household.
Speaking the Truth to Christians. Thank you.
Momma Marianne, your leadership is the other way--the fifth term of FDR made manifest. Marianna 2024.
I am truly disappointed, Marianne, in your - in my judgement - negative tone of this commentary from yesterday. I believe I feel as concerned about the future of our democracy as you do and choose to take positive steps with a positive “voice” to do as much as I can to influence positive results in response to the movement that is trying to undermine our way of life. Good luck to you in your way of trying to combat the deterioration of our society.
Sincerely,
Elliot Redman