When we try to stay on the sidelines because it's easier and safer, the one most important motivator to take action is doing it with friends. Acting alone is frequently terrifying, but working together abates the fear and provides the energy we'll need to see this through. The President and the Democratic party have a crucial decision to make, and knowing that we will support them wholeheartedly will make the decision easier.
Thank you Dr. Hall, for your attempt to put voice to the silent majority. I have decided to use my car as my voice, and not only is it easy to spot, but it is covered in informative and common sense magnets. I’ve been warned by caring friends that it’s not safe to do this, but I feel that there are some things worth taking a risk for. This country is in such trouble that I no longer recognize it. When I speak with the older generation, they totally agree with me. I love this country, and I’m hoping that in the privacy of the voting booth, they will vote what’s best for the very survival of our beloved country. It might be the last chance we get to preserve our Republic, our democracy, and our very way of life!
Deborah, you have hit the nail on the head. When my friends or family members say their action to keep a Democrat in office is to only go as far as to vote, it raises my hackles. They are afraid that if they raise their pen or voice to support a Democrat, that there may be repercussions at their office or with family or friends. That’s why I try in my writing as you have done in yours, to show them graphically how a Trump administration will affect their quality of life.
We already experienced four years of a Trump administration! Low gas prices with oil independence, no escalation of food prices, a vigorous stock market and economy, world wide respect, Israel at peace, and best of all, secure borders! I’m sure there are more good accomplishments! Have you been blind, deaf and dumb??
Thank you for another terrific straight up honest post. Democrats are focusing on the threats Project 2025 hold. I went to the White House website and the websites of my two Senators (very blue) and did a simple search for "Project 2025". No results. Nada, Nothing.
Your Wiki link is helpful. Thank you!
This is not just a plug for my own writing, but I have written a series about Project 2025. I tried to provide a digest or simple recap of the nine sections of a document that is over 900 pages long. Hoping to spread the word about the looming fascism that this document is a playbook for.
For anybody thinking about it, Bill's series is excellent and much easier to get through than the 900 page original. It also guides us toward specific areas of personal interest and/or expertise.
We just returned from dinner with two other couples. Smart folks our age. Most of them had no idea what Project 2025 was. Holy shit. We have a lot of work to do !
Excellent post Deborah! I am so grateful that my partner and I joined up with our small county Democratic Party last election cycle and we have been engaged in attending meetings and creating events to support our federal, state and local candidates running for office in the upcoming election. I am also worked as a poll worker for the Presidential Primary for the first time this year and will work again this month and on August 1st Election Day for our TN elections.
We must do more than just be armchair warriors on social media. We are preaching to the choir with the set algorithms.
I love this quote: As Joan Baez said, “Action is the antidote to despair.”
Agreed we are preaching to the choir, unless we forward our Substack epistles to all social media sites. If our posts on Substack get one reader who might still be “on the fence” or a sworn silent Democrat to start writing and talking we have accomplished something worthwhile.
Absolutely Steven! I am one of the social media admins for our county party and we have a public page on several different sites. We share many substack articles there!
I’m also very happy with the turnout of an”All Candidate’s Forum” we hosted last Saturday which was open to the entire community regardless of party affiliation and we invited Federal & State candidates to come and talk about the issues they’re running on. We served appetizers and had door prizes donated from our local businesses. Gloria Johnson, of the TN Three was one of our speakers, along with several others running for Congress, Senator, State Representative and County Assessor. Such inspiring speeches and great audience participation in the Q&A portion of the event. Made me really proud that we mobilized some people to VOTE!
Thank you for the uplifting words and kind wishes. Life always presents challenges. When I was growing up civil rights workers were being murdered in the south. Campuses were ablaze over the Vietnam War and four students were murdered at Kent State.
Whatever challenges the 2020s present we need to face with heads held high. From another Dylan song because we’re not knocking on Heaven’s door yet.
I will not go down under the ground
"Cause somebody tells me that death's comin' 'round
Again, Leonard Leo shows up. Now we have the connection from Leo to Judge Thomas to Trump. The new Axis of Evil. Leo is the Republican version of George Soros. The men behind the screen, pulling the strings and moving the limbs of their puppets. As usual, we are faced with voting for the lessor of two evils. I'm tired of voting for evil and will spend my last days looking out the window at the birds sitting on the tree branches and the butterflys inhaling the pollen from the flowers. In my 85 yrs., these are the two worst candidates I've seen. The nation survived Carter, Nixon, Johnson, Jr. Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden, maybe it will survive whomever the next puppet is; maybe not.
I know that you’re not living in this country, but for those that have lived here through these Presidents, would someone please inform me of the terrible things that President Trump did, and why is it that when he left office we were on such solid ground compared to today.
It's not so much about what he did, it's about what he didn't do that he said he was going to do and the 30,000 lies he told in 4 yrs. The did do part is the money he bilked the tax payers out of by overcharging his security detail to stay in his hotels, his pandering to Putin, the money for the unbui;lt wall that went to a freind who had a constructipn company that had never built a wall and the parts that fell down after they built it. His refusal to do anything for 2 hrs. on Jan. 6th., when a mob formed in front of the Capital building. The hundreds of lies he's told since he's been campaigning. Biden isn't any better, he just goes about it differently and isn't the one making the decisions. A pox on both of their houses.
Would you care to list the 30,000 lies?? Of what you have stated, I would love to see the actual proof. What I know for a fact is that President Trump never took a salary the entire four years! Name one other President who did that!
You can go o the Washington Post for the list. trump didn't need a salary, he was making money from the fees he charged his security detail and others in the govt. to stay at his properties when he was there. He also made money from the sale of branded merchandise made in China. You can like him all you want, but he nor anyone else is your savior. And if you think that not taking a salary is a qualitfication to be the President, you have very low standards.
Have you read the 2525 manifesto to see what Trump and his backers want for the US? Maybe, after reading it, you will agree with their proposals, but, at least read it to know what they want.
You can dig up all the dirt you want. There are certainly no lack of rag newspapers and biased media. You were not living in this country during the Trump Presidency when there was pride and prosperity until they tried to break us with COVID. You have no idea of the struggles of the middle and lower class people over the exorbitant price of gas and food during this administration The majority of our military have confidence in Trump’s love of country and his ability to not only keep us safe, but also to promote peace throughout the world. That’s good enough for me. Shame on you for not even giving Trump credit for not taking a salary. You’ve given up your country to live elsewhere, something I could never do, for whatever reason!
It has nothing to do with digging up dirt, it's about looking at the actions and lack of actions as related to what was said and promised. The pride was on the part of Trump's supporters, those that weren't, weren't proud of him. The struggles over the price of gas were no differnent than they were under Carter. We're you living out of the country then? Are there statistics that show what the majority of the military think of Trump? Why would I give Trump credit for not taking a salary, when he made it up in retail sales and rent? I don't live in the US because I can't afford to live in the US, and at my age and health I can no longer work. I haven't given up my country, I'm still concerned about it's future.
It would take at least 4 times my SS to be able to live even moderately in the US Those who have a lot of money don't understand that. Maybe if I'd married someone who could provide me with eveything that I wanted, I'd think differently.
To be more exact I would call us a Federal Republic as our constitution calls for a sharing of power between the Federal Government and State Government
The only person who has stated that he wants to become a dictator is Trump. Others may aspire to that position but he's the only one who has voiced that desire. Look at the people he admires: Putin, Orban, Xi, Kim. All politicians want the same thing: Money, Power, and Control. The difference lies in how they go about attain them.
That is if there are enough "individual actions." The Democrats have a long row to hoe, and with Biden that row is a ditch. The Republicans are voting for revenge and revenge is a very strong emotion.
I love Biden. But it's time to put a new leader - preferably a "her" - at the top of the ticket. Major donors are holding back money from Biden. Younger people who lean towards diversity and social justice - who normally vote for a Democrat - are disillusioned.
Tonight's interview by Stephanopolis could be a game changer - one way or the other.
He is decent man with a true sense of empathy. He has signed more important legislation than any president since FDR.
He's not a convicted felon and he hasn't cheated contractors or sexually molested multiple women and bragged about.
And...despite continuing injustices for the working poor and the travesty of a few billionaires controlling everything including the Supreme Court...we have a booming economy with record highs in the markets, the lowest unemployment in 50 years - best and healthiest economy in the world by most measures.
Oh, and he is not buddies with Putin or Orban. He doesn't write loveletters to the butcher named Kim.
That's about 10 percent of the reasons, bit I need a coffee.
We appear to be living on two different planets! I know that my gas prices are very high, as well as my food prices. I know on my planet we are no longer oil independent, have safe borders, have businesses back to working full time. On the contrary, crime is up, antisemitism in full swing, and we’ve thrown our longtime ally Israel under the bus! We’re the laughing stock of the world because Biden belongs in a nursing home! Anyone being honest would agree watching the embarrassing debate. This man who you think is such a nice man is merely a puppet, and has his finger on the nuke button! Hope that gives you comfort, because it sure doesn’t do it for me! He is in the category of our worst President ever and one of the worst Senators judging by his record. He was picked because he’s easily handled. Democrats have to realize that this is no longer the Party of Roosevelt. You’ve been radically taken over, and you need to stand up and fight back!
Oy. Gas prices are not controlled by presidents. They are controlled by oil companies and their owners - amplified by the events of the world. But did you know that Biden has been releasing petroleum from our reserves when prices are higher and repurchasing when lower. He has actually made a profit for the US government.
Oy! Biden has thrown Israel under the bus? How? By providing enormous amounts of financial and weapons support? One shipment of giant civilian killing bombs was held up. If anything he has been too nice to the crook and murderer Netanyahu.
Oy, crime is not up, it is down! Dramatically down. Except in the mouths of Fox News liars.
Oy. Biden handled? I think you are indeed living on another planet. The only president that was laughed at on the world stage was Trump - at the UN as an example. Biden is viewed with respect all over the planet (my planet, anyway).
Well, I suppose a "her" is better than looking for some who's qualified and can garner votes due to their policies. Democrats seem to miss the target consistently. Diversity and Social justice has proved to be a disaster. When you hire or vote for someone because you're emotionally attached to them or an idea, chances are you and them are going to fail. Nothing is going to change the game, Biden is who and what he is and no amount of propping him up will change that. The debate showed the world who he is and the world isn't happy about it. At this point, if either party had a decent candidate they would win in a landslide. However it is what it is and the voters have to deal with it.
You had me up to the end. Yes, I wish Trump was younger, but considering that the country was doing great under his leadership , and the world was at peace, I firmly believe that he is the only one who can stop our downward spiral. He loves this country, is a fighter, and can’t be intimidated. He is what we need
There is a translation of the Tao by Stephen Mitchell that I keep at my bedstead. He alternates the feminine and the masculine - substituting he or she, him or her randomly. That inspires my usage- not some progressive ideal.
In that sense I agree with you. I also have that translation by Stephen Mitchell along with a couple of others. The Tao has been my companion since 1964, when I found a 1939 translation by Chu Ta Kao in a bookstore in Sydney, AU.
When we try to stay on the sidelines because it's easier and safer, the one most important motivator to take action is doing it with friends. Acting alone is frequently terrifying, but working together abates the fear and provides the energy we'll need to see this through. The President and the Democratic party have a crucial decision to make, and knowing that we will support them wholeheartedly will make the decision easier.
No sitting on the fence this time!
Thank you Dr. Hall, for your attempt to put voice to the silent majority. I have decided to use my car as my voice, and not only is it easy to spot, but it is covered in informative and common sense magnets. I’ve been warned by caring friends that it’s not safe to do this, but I feel that there are some things worth taking a risk for. This country is in such trouble that I no longer recognize it. When I speak with the older generation, they totally agree with me. I love this country, and I’m hoping that in the privacy of the voting booth, they will vote what’s best for the very survival of our beloved country. It might be the last chance we get to preserve our Republic, our democracy, and our very way of life!
Deborah, you have hit the nail on the head. When my friends or family members say their action to keep a Democrat in office is to only go as far as to vote, it raises my hackles. They are afraid that if they raise their pen or voice to support a Democrat, that there may be repercussions at their office or with family or friends. That’s why I try in my writing as you have done in yours, to show them graphically how a Trump administration will affect their quality of life.
We already experienced four years of a Trump administration! Low gas prices with oil independence, no escalation of food prices, a vigorous stock market and economy, world wide respect, Israel at peace, and best of all, secure borders! I’m sure there are more good accomplishments! Have you been blind, deaf and dumb??
Dr. Hall,
Thank you for another terrific straight up honest post. Democrats are focusing on the threats Project 2025 hold. I went to the White House website and the websites of my two Senators (very blue) and did a simple search for "Project 2025". No results. Nada, Nothing.
Your Wiki link is helpful. Thank you!
This is not just a plug for my own writing, but I have written a series about Project 2025. I tried to provide a digest or simple recap of the nine sections of a document that is over 900 pages long. Hoping to spread the word about the looming fascism that this document is a playbook for.
https://billalstrom.substack.com/p/the-coup-is-underway-a-summation
As Project 2025 authors explain, the document is a guide to how any Republican president would essentially become a dictator - not just Trump.
As Joyce Vance always concludes: "We're in this together."
For anybody thinking about it, Bill's series is excellent and much easier to get through than the 900 page original. It also guides us toward specific areas of personal interest and/or expertise.
Thanks Dave.
We just returned from dinner with two other couples. Smart folks our age. Most of them had no idea what Project 2025 was. Holy shit. We have a lot of work to do !
We do indeed. I suspect that most people don't even know there's anything of that sort going on. And a certain percentage don't care.
Excellent post Deborah! I am so grateful that my partner and I joined up with our small county Democratic Party last election cycle and we have been engaged in attending meetings and creating events to support our federal, state and local candidates running for office in the upcoming election. I am also worked as a poll worker for the Presidential Primary for the first time this year and will work again this month and on August 1st Election Day for our TN elections.
We must do more than just be armchair warriors on social media. We are preaching to the choir with the set algorithms.
I love this quote: As Joan Baez said, “Action is the antidote to despair.”
I wish you would channel your energies to saving not destroying this country!
Agreed we are preaching to the choir, unless we forward our Substack epistles to all social media sites. If our posts on Substack get one reader who might still be “on the fence” or a sworn silent Democrat to start writing and talking we have accomplished something worthwhile.
Absolutely Steven! I am one of the social media admins for our county party and we have a public page on several different sites. We share many substack articles there!
I’m also very happy with the turnout of an”All Candidate’s Forum” we hosted last Saturday which was open to the entire community regardless of party affiliation and we invited Federal & State candidates to come and talk about the issues they’re running on. We served appetizers and had door prizes donated from our local businesses. Gloria Johnson, of the TN Three was one of our speakers, along with several others running for Congress, Senator, State Representative and County Assessor. Such inspiring speeches and great audience participation in the Q&A portion of the event. Made me really proud that we mobilized some people to VOTE!
Way to go!
You could not be more right!
Thank you for the uplifting words and kind wishes. Life always presents challenges. When I was growing up civil rights workers were being murdered in the south. Campuses were ablaze over the Vietnam War and four students were murdered at Kent State.
Whatever challenges the 2020s present we need to face with heads held high. From another Dylan song because we’re not knocking on Heaven’s door yet.
I will not go down under the ground
"Cause somebody tells me that death's comin' 'round
An' I will not carry myself down to die
When I go to my grave my head will be high,
Let me die in my footsteps
Before I go down under the ground.
Again, Leonard Leo shows up. Now we have the connection from Leo to Judge Thomas to Trump. The new Axis of Evil. Leo is the Republican version of George Soros. The men behind the screen, pulling the strings and moving the limbs of their puppets. As usual, we are faced with voting for the lessor of two evils. I'm tired of voting for evil and will spend my last days looking out the window at the birds sitting on the tree branches and the butterflys inhaling the pollen from the flowers. In my 85 yrs., these are the two worst candidates I've seen. The nation survived Carter, Nixon, Johnson, Jr. Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden, maybe it will survive whomever the next puppet is; maybe not.
I know that you’re not living in this country, but for those that have lived here through these Presidents, would someone please inform me of the terrible things that President Trump did, and why is it that when he left office we were on such solid ground compared to today.
It's not so much about what he did, it's about what he didn't do that he said he was going to do and the 30,000 lies he told in 4 yrs. The did do part is the money he bilked the tax payers out of by overcharging his security detail to stay in his hotels, his pandering to Putin, the money for the unbui;lt wall that went to a freind who had a constructipn company that had never built a wall and the parts that fell down after they built it. His refusal to do anything for 2 hrs. on Jan. 6th., when a mob formed in front of the Capital building. The hundreds of lies he's told since he's been campaigning. Biden isn't any better, he just goes about it differently and isn't the one making the decisions. A pox on both of their houses.
Would you care to list the 30,000 lies?? Of what you have stated, I would love to see the actual proof. What I know for a fact is that President Trump never took a salary the entire four years! Name one other President who did that!
You can go o the Washington Post for the list. trump didn't need a salary, he was making money from the fees he charged his security detail and others in the govt. to stay at his properties when he was there. He also made money from the sale of branded merchandise made in China. You can like him all you want, but he nor anyone else is your savior. And if you think that not taking a salary is a qualitfication to be the President, you have very low standards.
Have you read the 2525 manifesto to see what Trump and his backers want for the US? Maybe, after reading it, you will agree with their proposals, but, at least read it to know what they want.
You can dig up all the dirt you want. There are certainly no lack of rag newspapers and biased media. You were not living in this country during the Trump Presidency when there was pride and prosperity until they tried to break us with COVID. You have no idea of the struggles of the middle and lower class people over the exorbitant price of gas and food during this administration The majority of our military have confidence in Trump’s love of country and his ability to not only keep us safe, but also to promote peace throughout the world. That’s good enough for me. Shame on you for not even giving Trump credit for not taking a salary. You’ve given up your country to live elsewhere, something I could never do, for whatever reason!
It has nothing to do with digging up dirt, it's about looking at the actions and lack of actions as related to what was said and promised. The pride was on the part of Trump's supporters, those that weren't, weren't proud of him. The struggles over the price of gas were no differnent than they were under Carter. We're you living out of the country then? Are there statistics that show what the majority of the military think of Trump? Why would I give Trump credit for not taking a salary, when he made it up in retail sales and rent? I don't live in the US because I can't afford to live in the US, and at my age and health I can no longer work. I haven't given up my country, I'm still concerned about it's future.
It would take at least 4 times my SS to be able to live even moderately in the US Those who have a lot of money don't understand that. Maybe if I'd married someone who could provide me with eveything that I wanted, I'd think differently.
I look at this coming election not to choose the lesser of two evil men but to choose between maintaining a Democracy or a Autocracy.
There hasn't been a democracy since Ancient Greece. You can't maintain what you don't have. The US is not a Demcracy, it's a Constitutional Republic.
To be more exact I would call us a Federal Republic as our constitution calls for a sharing of power between the Federal Government and State Government
I see it as choosing between keeping a Republic and becoming a Communist/Dictatorship! This could very well be our last free election.
The only person who has stated that he wants to become a dictator is Trump. Others may aspire to that position but he's the only one who has voiced that desire. Look at the people he admires: Putin, Orban, Xi, Kim. All politicians want the same thing: Money, Power, and Control. The difference lies in how they go about attain them.
You really need to improve your reading and your sources. If I didn’t find it sad I could almost find it comical!
Timely and important post Deborah.
My post tomorrow also addresses the political situation and its dangers.
We need to do what we can, trusting that individual actions will add up to make the difference.
That is if there are enough "individual actions." The Democrats have a long row to hoe, and with Biden that row is a ditch. The Republicans are voting for revenge and revenge is a very strong emotion.
We’re not voting for revenge, but to save our way of life and very existence!
I love Biden. But it's time to put a new leader - preferably a "her" - at the top of the ticket. Major donors are holding back money from Biden. Younger people who lean towards diversity and social justice - who normally vote for a Democrat - are disillusioned.
Tonight's interview by Stephanopolis could be a game changer - one way or the other.
What in the world do you love about Biden???
He is decent man with a true sense of empathy. He has signed more important legislation than any president since FDR.
He's not a convicted felon and he hasn't cheated contractors or sexually molested multiple women and bragged about.
And...despite continuing injustices for the working poor and the travesty of a few billionaires controlling everything including the Supreme Court...we have a booming economy with record highs in the markets, the lowest unemployment in 50 years - best and healthiest economy in the world by most measures.
Oh, and he is not buddies with Putin or Orban. He doesn't write loveletters to the butcher named Kim.
That's about 10 percent of the reasons, bit I need a coffee.
We appear to be living on two different planets! I know that my gas prices are very high, as well as my food prices. I know on my planet we are no longer oil independent, have safe borders, have businesses back to working full time. On the contrary, crime is up, antisemitism in full swing, and we’ve thrown our longtime ally Israel under the bus! We’re the laughing stock of the world because Biden belongs in a nursing home! Anyone being honest would agree watching the embarrassing debate. This man who you think is such a nice man is merely a puppet, and has his finger on the nuke button! Hope that gives you comfort, because it sure doesn’t do it for me! He is in the category of our worst President ever and one of the worst Senators judging by his record. He was picked because he’s easily handled. Democrats have to realize that this is no longer the Party of Roosevelt. You’ve been radically taken over, and you need to stand up and fight back!
Oy. Gas prices are not controlled by presidents. They are controlled by oil companies and their owners - amplified by the events of the world. But did you know that Biden has been releasing petroleum from our reserves when prices are higher and repurchasing when lower. He has actually made a profit for the US government.
https://www.investopedia.com/us-scores-four-billion-dollar-windfall-on-oil-reserve-sales-6950935
https://www.energy.gov/ceser/articles/biden-harris-administration-continues-secure-good-deal-taxpayers-replenishment-7
Oy! Biden has thrown Israel under the bus? How? By providing enormous amounts of financial and weapons support? One shipment of giant civilian killing bombs was held up. If anything he has been too nice to the crook and murderer Netanyahu.
Oy, crime is not up, it is down! Dramatically down. Except in the mouths of Fox News liars.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/24/what-the-data-says-about-crime-in-the-us/sr_24-04-23_crime_3/
Oy. Biden handled? I think you are indeed living on another planet. The only president that was laughed at on the world stage was Trump - at the UN as an example. Biden is viewed with respect all over the planet (my planet, anyway).
Well, I suppose a "her" is better than looking for some who's qualified and can garner votes due to their policies. Democrats seem to miss the target consistently. Diversity and Social justice has proved to be a disaster. When you hire or vote for someone because you're emotionally attached to them or an idea, chances are you and them are going to fail. Nothing is going to change the game, Biden is who and what he is and no amount of propping him up will change that. The debate showed the world who he is and the world isn't happy about it. At this point, if either party had a decent candidate they would win in a landslide. However it is what it is and the voters have to deal with it.
You had me up to the end. Yes, I wish Trump was younger, but considering that the country was doing great under his leadership , and the world was at peace, I firmly believe that he is the only one who can stop our downward spiral. He loves this country, is a fighter, and can’t be intimidated. He is what we need
There is a translation of the Tao by Stephen Mitchell that I keep at my bedstead. He alternates the feminine and the masculine - substituting he or she, him or her randomly. That inspires my usage- not some progressive ideal.
In that sense I agree with you. I also have that translation by Stephen Mitchell along with a couple of others. The Tao has been my companion since 1964, when I found a 1939 translation by Chu Ta Kao in a bookstore in Sydney, AU.