I find myself these days living with a kind of nonstop internal anxiety. Maybe we all do. It isnāt a normal state for me - I usually find my calm center pretty easily. The climate is a big part of it for sureā¦that sits on all our shoulders day and night.
But being an American, I find myself checking the headlines way more often than usual or is probably healthy because of this Trump impeachment. The odds that he will be sent out of office are very slim - probably nil actually. But evidence keeps emerging that establish that he is every bit the sleazy crook I have known him to be since the 80s. It has been surreal that this grifter and con man became President of the United States since he was obviously playing the people who voted for him - those people who he claims he gives a voice. That is total baloney. His tax cuts and all the rest of his policies are standard Republican monopolist. He just talks like he is a man of the people. What a phony. Until he is gone this world is far more dangerous.
So will the US Congress step up and do its job? Not likely.
America is on the decline. It is so weird to have come of age as America stood atop everyone and everything and in my own lifetime to see it dribbled away bit by bit from greed and paranoia. Donāt get me wrong - America never should have had such a preeminent place to begin with. But these days we continue to talk like we are the pillar of democracy and fairness when in fact we start and perpetrate wars with a racist climate denier at the head. Like I said - the man has got to be sent away, and soon. And the whole Republican Party with him. At this point their policies make them the part of mass murderā¦just deferred over a longish period of time.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! This is indeed a very special week. Me too, Iām kind of nervous and anxious the last days.
The Trump impeachment which seems to be a farce. I guess you are absolutly right. World has gone more dangerous since he is President. I hope so much he wonāt be re-elected!
On January 27, 1945, the Soviet army liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp. Today I read so many comments of populists who see themselves as āthe Jews of todayā. They complain that they would be forbidden from giving their opinions. Opinions like ālet refugees die in the seaā or āall Muslims are a danger to Germanyā. Last week, I finished the book āThe Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitzā from Jeremy Dronfield. It is based on a true story and I see the parallels between the Nazi strategies in the 1930s and the behaviour of the nationalists today. I never thought that this would be possible.
On February 1th Brexit will comeā¦
But there is also good news. In Italy Salvinis candidate lost an election against the democratic candidate. It was only a less important election but if Salvinis candidate had won Salvini would have had the opportunity to initiate new elections in Italy.
And over here most Americans do not like how this is going, do not want Trump in office and do not want all this nonstop war. But this country is structured so that people in rural states with less population have as much power in electing the President and Senate majority as the more populous states. Thus, a vote in Montana is many times more valuable than a vote in California. This country has a big structural problem in its government that was put together in the 1700s. 70% of the people here live in less than half the states.
@johncoate ā As an outsider from āNew Franceā I was wondering if you have seen or read American Nations? I know for myself, it gave me better insight to the North American experience, and really demonstrate for me the current borders donāt quite match the cultural groupings.
Having had lived in both āYankeedomā, āMidlandsā, āFirst Nationsā and the āFar Westā in my career; it is surreal to see the differences involved and how it plays out politically. For example, in the recent Canadian election the āFar Westā was frozen out of government and āWexitā became a thing; just like āNew Franceā did in the 70ā80s.
Oh yeah I have seen that. I grew up and currently live on the Left Coast, but I have also lived in Greater Appalachia and Yankeedom. And I have traveled to every state except Alaska. Notably in the mid-70s I was an interstate truck driver so I really got a good tour of industrial America - much of which no longer exists. They donāt use terms like the Rust Belt for nothingā¦
I just got back from dinner with @MariaEuler after a long-ish chat with @hugi at the huset blivande. Was nice finally meeting @jakobskote in person too When was the birthday party again guys?
While walking around town with my mum looking for kitchen knives I ran into a childhood friend who was out walking around town with her mum who is also my own mumās bestie. Weirdly, mum and I had been chatting about them earlier in the day saying we should give them a call now that I am in town for a change. We all ended up chatting and giggling at a cafe for hours - just stepping right into it like no time had passed since last. Which was 25 years ago. It was super nice - a reminder of how easy it can beā¦
Speaking of old friends, Iām going on a walk in a few hours with a few I go way back withā¦friends from the Farm community I lived with, played in bands with, attended major life events - including funerals and memorials to fallen partners, and still am fortunate to have this tribe to this day. We donāt live together anymoreā¦but the bonds are still strong. Itās a great blessing. Hang onto the friends you value. Keep throwing logs on those fires.
Gorgeous full moon last night. I am glad I live in a beautiful place, but it can sometimes be disconcerting looking out the window at gorgeous scenery while reading about Antarctica reaching 18 degrees. Not to mention reading about Americaās fascist President. Iām glad that when I take my attention away from such events, I can gaze on something lovely. Hope it lasts.
@johncoate ā I had similar thoughts last night when I walked the dog for her nightly constitutional Twas a chilly -16ĀŗC with the Moon, stars, and the planet Venus in the southwest-ish; over a hard crust of snow and ice underfoot.
Enjoying and absorbing the beauty of this world is necessary for me to face and at least try to combat the reality of what we as a species are doing to this planet and to ourselves.
This link is a story about a Swedish artist and craftsman we reclaimed an old villa and converted it into a local paper making art coop. I have read numerous stories like this about Europe, but this is the first I have seen of it in Mexico.
Prediction: the standing US President is headed for re-election. Sorry, John.
(I am lousy at prediction. Philip Tetlock says you get better if you state your predictions explicitly and allow yourself and others to verify whether you got them right, so Iām trying that). Reasons:
No indication that much has changed since 2016.
Incumbent advantage. In the recent past, most presidents running for a second term did secure it.
No recession despite dubious policies.
Maturity of the āShadow stackā of Facebook + targeted advertising + troll armies + consultants in the style of Cambridge Analytica that have successfully campaigned for authoritarian strongmen.
A large voter turnout, especially with younger than age 40 voters, can upset that scenario.
But I look at the past many decades that I have been a voter and Democratic candidates who are inspiring orators (Kennedy, Clinton, Obama) win and ordinary orators lose. This has been true since 1952 with two exceptions: LBJ in 1964, after the Kennedy assassination and Carter in 1976 because post-watergate his message of honesty carried the day. Otherwise, no.
Democrats easily fall into coming across as sort of engineer/ managers fixing problems. That is fine because the problems are real but this is where the āwonkyā label comes from. Not inspiring. So they get beat.
This yearās field of candidates has no inspiring orators but there is one true fighter: Sanders.
I will predict one thing: it is going to be a rough bunch of months until November.
I would agree on everything except the last point. There is no love lost between Trump and social media giants. I think he got most out of the constant failed attacks on him by the democratic party. Free endless advertising and each time he wonā¦very bad strategy.
On top of that, democrats push forward some ridiculous candidates with no chance of winning like Joe Biden (corrupt, pervert, too old and unfortunately that info is not well hidden), instead of supporting Bernie Sanders or Tulsi Gabbard. They would both have a better chance of winning it but it seems like they donāt follow the uniform agendaā¦the ways in which the left leaning (or should i say fake left ) media is destroying them only hurts democrats more.
When was the birthday party again guys?
Twas a chilly -16ĀŗC with the Moon, stars, and the planet Venus in the southwest-ish; over a hard crust of snow and ice underfoot.
) media is destroying them only hurts democrats more.