I needed to read this today: "Imagination. Belief. Connection. These are what give us power. This is what they want to kill in us. This is what will get us to making hope something real."
I thought your description of what life has been like over the last four years was spot on, but the above quote is the real truth.
I am seeing a movement away from the dealmaking and coalition building of the Democratic Party that includes accepting support from corrupting corporate interests. Although in my 70s, I believe that a democratic movement must be headed by younger, idealistic people.
Democratic politicians have been too slow to wake up to the need for charismatic spokespeople and messaging. The Biden administration yet again tried to appeal to tuned out voters with incremental, long-term actions that would help them. In other words, Democrats typically lose by trying to appeal to voters by governing well rather than combining that with effective ongoing messaging.
We need to move away from existing to fight the fascist takeover toward building on a vision that provides a more encompassing fairness toward working people and the provision of a more effective social safety net that includes universal healthcare.
Ironically, this can be achieved if we move away from being distracted by the obscene noises of Trump and Musk and their imitators. Rather, we need to hold them accountable for failing to deliver what people need and be creative in reaching disaffected and tuned out voters.
I believe this has to be a movement that coalesces around a charismatic and populist leader. Otherwise, it will not have sustained power that scales. That movement must also grapple with our ongoing, historic failure to live up to our ideals in foreign policy.
Somewhere in all of this, we must avoid coalescing around people who can be corrupted into favoring their careers as politicians over the needs of the country.
I’m sensing a need for coalition building. Something I have to go back to the Vietnam war years (I was somebody who got clean for Gene back in ‘68) to have a good reference for. The war was too much for us. Nixon was just getting started. It was the year of Tet and the Chicago police riot. We were losing the thread of resistance. The Weather Underground was having its moment. Feels like that now.
I needed to read this today: "Imagination. Belief. Connection. These are what give us power. This is what they want to kill in us. This is what will get us to making hope something real."
I thought your description of what life has been like over the last four years was spot on, but the above quote is the real truth.
I am seeing a movement away from the dealmaking and coalition building of the Democratic Party that includes accepting support from corrupting corporate interests. Although in my 70s, I believe that a democratic movement must be headed by younger, idealistic people.
Democratic politicians have been too slow to wake up to the need for charismatic spokespeople and messaging. The Biden administration yet again tried to appeal to tuned out voters with incremental, long-term actions that would help them. In other words, Democrats typically lose by trying to appeal to voters by governing well rather than combining that with effective ongoing messaging.
We need to move away from existing to fight the fascist takeover toward building on a vision that provides a more encompassing fairness toward working people and the provision of a more effective social safety net that includes universal healthcare.
Ironically, this can be achieved if we move away from being distracted by the obscene noises of Trump and Musk and their imitators. Rather, we need to hold them accountable for failing to deliver what people need and be creative in reaching disaffected and tuned out voters.
I believe this has to be a movement that coalesces around a charismatic and populist leader. Otherwise, it will not have sustained power that scales. That movement must also grapple with our ongoing, historic failure to live up to our ideals in foreign policy.
Somewhere in all of this, we must avoid coalescing around people who can be corrupted into favoring their careers as politicians over the needs of the country.
I’m sensing a need for coalition building. Something I have to go back to the Vietnam war years (I was somebody who got clean for Gene back in ‘68) to have a good reference for. The war was too much for us. Nixon was just getting started. It was the year of Tet and the Chicago police riot. We were losing the thread of resistance. The Weather Underground was having its moment. Feels like that now.
Agree with every word. And thanks for being patient!