I'm practically in tears reading this because it reflects almost perfectly what I've been thinking, what's been going through my head day after day. It's been bottled up inside for more years than I can say.
You're correct. There's no going back. Nothing has been learned. Nothing it seems, is being learned now. To what end will all of this end up? I have no idea.
I always try to be optimistic, but it's harder & harder each day. The physical pain within me, coupled with the pain of watching what has unfolded over many years and is unraveling now like a societal ball of yarn being played with by some psychotic kitten, is overwhelming. I suppose I'll just continue to watch this train wreck to it's inevitable conclusion. Nobody is paying attention.
I think there are a lot of people paying attention Bill, but they don't have leadership power at this point. I see them at the resistance protests I attend. Most of them are older and predominantly female. (I'm 73 btw)
Our leadership in DC, Dems and Repubs alike, do not know what constituents really think and want.
Average folks are becoming more and more informed, but still it's as if we are watching a movie. And we are still fighting amonst ourselves. We (average Dems and Pubs) will get closer as we proceed and join together as a resistance unit. I know my Repub neighbors, I know their hearts, and I know their upbringing. They are not all bad people, rather they have been misled through disinformation. When they are ready to join me I will welcome them, not out of the goodness of my heart but it is the only way we will save our liberty.
In regards to Walter's comments lamenting how do we get them to listen, my Repub neighbors are thinking the same thing in reverse. Their lives are driven by saving everyone, in a religious connotation. They ask will you come with me on this heavenly journey with Jesus and God by your side? Don't fall into the Devil's trap. (I live in the Bible Belt). They are just as strong in their beliefs about wanting to help us as we are in wanting to help them. But nothing will sever them from their perceived magical deity so the two bull headed sides keep warring.
I am not as good a writer as any of you guys on this string, but I have read all of your thoughts and I appreciate you. I feel honored to read your work. As an excuse I'll say I'm typing with one finger on a cell phone and I have to get on to a protest. Have a great day folks.
I think you expressed yourself wonderfully. When I encounter the bull headed religious groups, I say, "I'm a victim of Christian abuse" and that usually cracks the door open so we can communicate a bit. I say that every time they bring it up. They've normalized not talking about the abuse of religion, and we have to (bit by bit) bring that into the discussion. They are very good and twisting the conversation though. Thanks for taking the time to type out your comment on a cell phone (I dislike having to do that). :)
Oh, I applaud you for your comment and your efforts to get right out in front. Because the Dems and the GOP do not knew what we want I wish that protestors would use that precious space on their posters for those wants and not defamatory messages or sarcastic sayings. It's a moment caught on camera that is there for all time so my thought is let's make an impact.
And I, too, see us all finding enough common ground to join together in this fight.
And like you I'm always doing the one-finger swiping exercise so I ask for everyone's patience with my typos.🥴
You know you're getting old when you become "that guy." I am that guy, so I need to mention that Goldman wrote the screenplay for "A Bridge Too Far" as an adaptation of the novel written by Cornelius Ryan.
"I keep alternating my tactics. Sometimes I try to be gentle. Sometimes I try to be cruel. I'll plead with them. Then I mock them. I don't reach them. I barely scratch the surface. What's the answer?"
I'm definitely like that with my various attempts to understand Trumpism through my writing. I figure not many Trumpists read my stuff, so maybe it doesn't matter, but I keep alternating my tactics anyway. Nothing works.
In fact, it seems to be getting worse. Democrats are flat-footed, lazy, and uninterested, aside from a few obvious exceptions who seem to be screaming into the night in a place where no one else seems to dwell.
Thanks, Walter. I was very hesitant to offer the clarification because you’re very reliable. The only reason I knew about it was because one day I realized that I frequently mix him up with William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, and so when I looked up Goldman one day quite some time ago, I was surprised at how many screenplays he wrote, including an adaptation of one of my favorite sci-fi shorts, Flowers for Algernon.
I don’t have the kind of memory that allows me to remember who wrote the original novel, so I had to look that up for this comment, of course. I was just pretty sure that Goldman probably wrote an adaptation, since he did so many of them.
I also wasn’t trying to fact check you. I became curious and off I went into the rabbit hole.
It's always important to give credit to the original author, even though screenplay writing is an art of its own. Goldman did Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as well. He was probably able to coast along pretty easily after that :)
I don't understand how those who should be standing up for us and challenging the evil in the White House aren't more effective. I don't understand how laws can be broken, but no consequences imposed. I doln't understand how we got here . . .
TY, Walter!!! Hang in there… We all must ALL HANG ON & BE STRONG… WE MUST DO THIS!!! Giving Up or Giving In to the uneducated/insignificant Orange Bully, is SIMPLY NOT A PLAN TO HOLD OUR DEMOCRACY, EVER!!! The thought of him winning bcs we backed down is DISGUSTING, on every level!💙
You are articulating exactly how I feel! So many of us who believed in the goodness of Americans are disappointed. With Americans who voted for Trump out of greed (“Trump will be good for my 401k”), racism, sexism, antipathy to trans persons (those fucking commercials!), fear, hatred, or to “own the libs” (this is not grade school, idiots!) but MOST disappointed by the mostly white people who facilitated Trump’s win by STAYING HOME. For them, my disappointment is mixed with disgust. ONE thing you had to do to avoid what we are all now going to suffer through, and you couldn’t do it. ONE THING. But you just couldn’t get out and cast your vote, and now we are all descending into 1939.
We got here because Russia interfered in our politics and lots of stupid people fell for it, then the greedy rich got involved, because Trump is stupid and they played him.
They will rid themselves of him as soon as they can, and go on destroying our democracy, cause they need more money.....👿😈
Definitely! Most of us are immigrants by ancestry… alone. My grandparents were Russian & Ukrainian… Of course, they (if still alive) & myself & family will only side w/Ukraine…
I’m also a cancer patient… The majority of my Nurses, Lab Techs, etc. are from all over the world… Many are Jamaican, Hatian, Cuban, Columbian, etc… They are my friends… There was so much HOPE, prior to the 2024 Election… Afterwards, all the HOPE & POSITIVITY was SUCKED OUT… Full disclose, we’re all TERRIFIED!!! There’s also a very large LGBTQ Community in the Hospital… Many are Trans… They stand proud & strong & carry on… It’s a wonderful example of being unapologetically, real…
I was trolled last night by a Right Wing/LUNATIC… Stating that we are killing millions of unborn babies & chopping off penises of children in elementary school & doing sex changes, etc!?!
This female was literally repeating everything she believes thanks to The Chief Orange Natzi Cult!!! I finally told her to the nearest ER to be seen by a Psychiatrist… Or, to call her local Mental Health Hotline…His Cult, are as DELUSIONAL as he is…. This is going to be a an worse FIASCO! She used every curse word towards us liberals as she knew… I definitely hit a nerve, mentioning a Psychiatric Facility…
Just a little info on my maneuvering my way around here… Doing everything we can to stay positive & continue to support each other…
PS Horrified that FL, my R/Red State….has moron Ron DeSantis who wants to implement the DEATH PENALTY for Immigrants!?!? He’s an IMMIGRANT!!! His family is from ITALY!!! Marco Rubio & most R/delegates in FL are from CUBA/South America. etc.. This is a very HOT/HATE BASED situation all over… It truly DISGUSTS ME!
Donald & his cronies continue to BREED HATE & DIVISION!!!
FL has more NFL & NBA players that have had to move to Dem States for the Safety of themselves & their families…
A Bridge Too Far was directed by Richard Attenborough who eventually came to prominence when he directed Gandhi. (He is also the actor who portrays the elderly scientist in Jurassic Park.)
Yup! It's an interesting film mainly because you could have easily cut out about an hour of screen time. There are lots of shots of planes lining up to take off and things like that. The paratrooper scenes are pretty impressive. My wife asked, "How did they make this in the era before CGI." The answer is that they really flew the planes. They don't look like models (although I'm sure there are a few in there).
You probably know that the spaceships in the earlier Star Wars films are real miniature models photographed with a computer controlled moving camera known as a Dykstraflex while the models stated still. The very first CgiI spaceship is on a film called The Last Srarfighter and they had not actually figured out ambient light and si the surfaces look too "flat" and evenly lit.
(I have had 4 relatives who worked in folm so I have kept up with details)
Republicans lie when they say we have an immigrant problem. We don't. The president is a rude person who brags about sexual assault. He doesn't have integrity.
We don’t have an immigrant problem? Wide open borders for four years and you believe the 15mil people who crossed the border illigally, 90% of them war aged men, are all good, honest people? You claim Trump brags about sexual assault, but you ignore those who have been raped or murdered by migrants?
My family is an immigrant family. Your false claims lead to hostility and aggression against my family. I've been experiencing it for a decade. My kids have been assaulted by supporters of the president, never by immigrants.
My claims are accurate. It is the corporate media and dem party that has been lying about immigration for ten years. That is what has led to the supposed hostility to your kids, the gaslighting people have had to deal with…oh, that violence, that taking of your jobs, the sheer numbers, those trillions of dollars we have spent housing them, feeding them, giving them “free” health care…it is all in your head, racist.
I have an immigrant family too, so save your righteousness.
"My righteousness?" Why are you incapable of having a conversation without insulting people? Immigrants are not causing crimes. The supporters of the criminal president are committing a lot more crimes. Consider the men who attacked police officers who were released back into communities because of the J6 pardons. The hate speech against immigrants is unfounded. Immigrants are good people and they've been unfairly targeted by the corrupt Republican party. The only people taking our jobs are the members of DOGE.
Speaking of projection, your posts are typically one long series of insults. As to this sentence - “Immigrants are not causing crimes” - it is rather unbelievable you can even write such a sentence seriously. But keep saying such, as it is a primary reason Trump is back in the Whitehouse.
You're disrespectful. I'm telling you about my experiences. Also, let's not forget that the current criminal president just pardoned all the violent J6 criminals and released them into your communities. The current presidential administration is a threat to women and children.
He knew nothing about project 2025, now he is following it verbatim.
That he wont touch Medicaid. Now they plan to cut it.
Grocery prices will go down the first, now He's not concerned about inflation and we will have a little discomfort. (While he invites schmucks to MAL for million dollar dinners.
two trillion deficits is grift looting and bankrupting the country. We will see what Trump’s deficits look like, but ending the flow of tax payer dollars to Foreign and domestic, unaccountable NGO’s, to make the world woke and trans, and money to media organizations and writers foreign and domestic to manipulate voters, is likely at an end, for the good of the country.
I'm practically in tears reading this because it reflects almost perfectly what I've been thinking, what's been going through my head day after day. It's been bottled up inside for more years than I can say.
You're correct. There's no going back. Nothing has been learned. Nothing it seems, is being learned now. To what end will all of this end up? I have no idea.
I always try to be optimistic, but it's harder & harder each day. The physical pain within me, coupled with the pain of watching what has unfolded over many years and is unraveling now like a societal ball of yarn being played with by some psychotic kitten, is overwhelming. I suppose I'll just continue to watch this train wreck to it's inevitable conclusion. Nobody is paying attention.
I keep holding out hope that common sense will prevail. Maybe the only thing we'll lose will be American hubris.
We can hope. 🙏
I think there are a lot of people paying attention Bill, but they don't have leadership power at this point. I see them at the resistance protests I attend. Most of them are older and predominantly female. (I'm 73 btw)
Our leadership in DC, Dems and Repubs alike, do not know what constituents really think and want.
Average folks are becoming more and more informed, but still it's as if we are watching a movie. And we are still fighting amonst ourselves. We (average Dems and Pubs) will get closer as we proceed and join together as a resistance unit. I know my Repub neighbors, I know their hearts, and I know their upbringing. They are not all bad people, rather they have been misled through disinformation. When they are ready to join me I will welcome them, not out of the goodness of my heart but it is the only way we will save our liberty.
In regards to Walter's comments lamenting how do we get them to listen, my Repub neighbors are thinking the same thing in reverse. Their lives are driven by saving everyone, in a religious connotation. They ask will you come with me on this heavenly journey with Jesus and God by your side? Don't fall into the Devil's trap. (I live in the Bible Belt). They are just as strong in their beliefs about wanting to help us as we are in wanting to help them. But nothing will sever them from their perceived magical deity so the two bull headed sides keep warring.
I am not as good a writer as any of you guys on this string, but I have read all of your thoughts and I appreciate you. I feel honored to read your work. As an excuse I'll say I'm typing with one finger on a cell phone and I have to get on to a protest. Have a great day folks.
I think you expressed yourself wonderfully. When I encounter the bull headed religious groups, I say, "I'm a victim of Christian abuse" and that usually cracks the door open so we can communicate a bit. I say that every time they bring it up. They've normalized not talking about the abuse of religion, and we have to (bit by bit) bring that into the discussion. They are very good and twisting the conversation though. Thanks for taking the time to type out your comment on a cell phone (I dislike having to do that). :)
Oh, I applaud you for your comment and your efforts to get right out in front. Because the Dems and the GOP do not knew what we want I wish that protestors would use that precious space on their posters for those wants and not defamatory messages or sarcastic sayings. It's a moment caught on camera that is there for all time so my thought is let's make an impact.
And I, too, see us all finding enough common ground to join together in this fight.
And like you I'm always doing the one-finger swiping exercise so I ask for everyone's patience with my typos.🥴
Be well!
Christy 🇺🇲❤️🕊
You know you're getting old when you become "that guy." I am that guy, so I need to mention that Goldman wrote the screenplay for "A Bridge Too Far" as an adaptation of the novel written by Cornelius Ryan.
"I keep alternating my tactics. Sometimes I try to be gentle. Sometimes I try to be cruel. I'll plead with them. Then I mock them. I don't reach them. I barely scratch the surface. What's the answer?"
I'm definitely like that with my various attempts to understand Trumpism through my writing. I figure not many Trumpists read my stuff, so maybe it doesn't matter, but I keep alternating my tactics anyway. Nothing works.
In fact, it seems to be getting worse. Democrats are flat-footed, lazy, and uninterested, aside from a few obvious exceptions who seem to be screaming into the night in a place where no one else seems to dwell.
Ah, yes, I meant to clarify that it was the screenplay. Thanks for correcting my hasty language.
I keep thinking that when hard times hit a few more willing ears will be turned our way... but we'll see.
Thanks, Walter. I was very hesitant to offer the clarification because you’re very reliable. The only reason I knew about it was because one day I realized that I frequently mix him up with William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, and so when I looked up Goldman one day quite some time ago, I was surprised at how many screenplays he wrote, including an adaptation of one of my favorite sci-fi shorts, Flowers for Algernon.
I don’t have the kind of memory that allows me to remember who wrote the original novel, so I had to look that up for this comment, of course. I was just pretty sure that Goldman probably wrote an adaptation, since he did so many of them.
I also wasn’t trying to fact check you. I became curious and off I went into the rabbit hole.
It's always important to give credit to the original author, even though screenplay writing is an art of its own. Goldman did Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as well. He was probably able to coast along pretty easily after that :)
I don't understand how those who should be standing up for us and challenging the evil in the White House aren't more effective. I don't understand how laws can be broken, but no consequences imposed. I doln't understand how we got here . . .
Me either...
I feel every word of this.
Thank you Michelle!
TY, Walter!!! Hang in there… We all must ALL HANG ON & BE STRONG… WE MUST DO THIS!!! Giving Up or Giving In to the uneducated/insignificant Orange Bully, is SIMPLY NOT A PLAN TO HOLD OUR DEMOCRACY, EVER!!! The thought of him winning bcs we backed down is DISGUSTING, on every level!💙
Thank you! Yes, I'm not quitting!
Wow, you’ve expressed exactly what I feel, and what I’ve even said out loud many times. Thank you.
Thank you, I appreciate that. The better we know each other, the stronger we are!
You are articulating exactly how I feel! So many of us who believed in the goodness of Americans are disappointed. With Americans who voted for Trump out of greed (“Trump will be good for my 401k”), racism, sexism, antipathy to trans persons (those fucking commercials!), fear, hatred, or to “own the libs” (this is not grade school, idiots!) but MOST disappointed by the mostly white people who facilitated Trump’s win by STAYING HOME. For them, my disappointment is mixed with disgust. ONE thing you had to do to avoid what we are all now going to suffer through, and you couldn’t do it. ONE THING. But you just couldn’t get out and cast your vote, and now we are all descending into 1939.
Wow, another great piece of writing, thank you. This really touched me
The usual crap from the MAGA cult and their handlers.
We got here because Russia interfered in our politics and lots of stupid people fell for it, then the greedy rich got involved, because Trump is stupid and they played him.
They will rid themselves of him as soon as they can, and go on destroying our democracy, cause they need more money.....👿😈
Well said- thank you so much 🙏💞
This is wonderful! Scientifically, we know we are all made of the same elements. Doesn’t that make everything we see Family? I wish more of us got it.
We simply need to start chilling & give each other grace.. in these extremely stressed times!💙
I think you're right. We have to give immigrants grace too, they keep getting attacked for crimes they didn't commit.
Definitely! Most of us are immigrants by ancestry… alone. My grandparents were Russian & Ukrainian… Of course, they (if still alive) & myself & family will only side w/Ukraine…
I’m also a cancer patient… The majority of my Nurses, Lab Techs, etc. are from all over the world… Many are Jamaican, Hatian, Cuban, Columbian, etc… They are my friends… There was so much HOPE, prior to the 2024 Election… Afterwards, all the HOPE & POSITIVITY was SUCKED OUT… Full disclose, we’re all TERRIFIED!!! There’s also a very large LGBTQ Community in the Hospital… Many are Trans… They stand proud & strong & carry on… It’s a wonderful example of being unapologetically, real…
I was trolled last night by a Right Wing/LUNATIC… Stating that we are killing millions of unborn babies & chopping off penises of children in elementary school & doing sex changes, etc!?!
This female was literally repeating everything she believes thanks to The Chief Orange Natzi Cult!!! I finally told her to the nearest ER to be seen by a Psychiatrist… Or, to call her local Mental Health Hotline…His Cult, are as DELUSIONAL as he is…. This is going to be a an worse FIASCO! She used every curse word towards us liberals as she knew… I definitely hit a nerve, mentioning a Psychiatric Facility…
Just a little info on my maneuvering my way around here… Doing everything we can to stay positive & continue to support each other…
PS Horrified that FL, my R/Red State….has moron Ron DeSantis who wants to implement the DEATH PENALTY for Immigrants!?!? He’s an IMMIGRANT!!! His family is from ITALY!!! Marco Rubio & most R/delegates in FL are from CUBA/South America. etc.. This is a very HOT/HATE BASED situation all over… It truly DISGUSTS ME!
Donald & his cronies continue to BREED HATE & DIVISION!!!
FL has more NFL & NBA players that have had to move to Dem States for the Safety of themselves & their families…
Excellent response!💙🇺🇦
Thank you!
This reminds me of the type of writing that made the words of Bill Moyers shine. Keep it coming.
Thank you!
A Bridge Too Far was directed by Richard Attenborough who eventually came to prominence when he directed Gandhi. (He is also the actor who portrays the elderly scientist in Jurassic Park.)
Yup! It's an interesting film mainly because you could have easily cut out about an hour of screen time. There are lots of shots of planes lining up to take off and things like that. The paratrooper scenes are pretty impressive. My wife asked, "How did they make this in the era before CGI." The answer is that they really flew the planes. They don't look like models (although I'm sure there are a few in there).
You probably know that the spaceships in the earlier Star Wars films are real miniature models photographed with a computer controlled moving camera known as a Dykstraflex while the models stated still. The very first CgiI spaceship is on a film called The Last Srarfighter and they had not actually figured out ambient light and si the surfaces look too "flat" and evenly lit.
(I have had 4 relatives who worked in folm so I have kept up with details)
"Last night rather than watch the odious “presidential” debacle of lies,"
How can you know it was lies before it even happened, or after you didn't watch it?
I hear this all the time. Name a lie.
Republicans lie when they say we have an immigrant problem. We don't. The president is a rude person who brags about sexual assault. He doesn't have integrity.
We don’t have an immigrant problem? Wide open borders for four years and you believe the 15mil people who crossed the border illigally, 90% of them war aged men, are all good, honest people? You claim Trump brags about sexual assault, but you ignore those who have been raped or murdered by migrants?
My family is an immigrant family. Your false claims lead to hostility and aggression against my family. I've been experiencing it for a decade. My kids have been assaulted by supporters of the president, never by immigrants.
My claims are accurate. It is the corporate media and dem party that has been lying about immigration for ten years. That is what has led to the supposed hostility to your kids, the gaslighting people have had to deal with…oh, that violence, that taking of your jobs, the sheer numbers, those trillions of dollars we have spent housing them, feeding them, giving them “free” health care…it is all in your head, racist.
I have an immigrant family too, so save your righteousness.
"My righteousness?" Why are you incapable of having a conversation without insulting people? Immigrants are not causing crimes. The supporters of the criminal president are committing a lot more crimes. Consider the men who attacked police officers who were released back into communities because of the J6 pardons. The hate speech against immigrants is unfounded. Immigrants are good people and they've been unfairly targeted by the corrupt Republican party. The only people taking our jobs are the members of DOGE.
Speaking of projection, your posts are typically one long series of insults. As to this sentence - “Immigrants are not causing crimes” - it is rather unbelievable you can even write such a sentence seriously. But keep saying such, as it is a primary reason Trump is back in the Whitehouse.
You're disrespectful. I'm telling you about my experiences. Also, let's not forget that the current criminal president just pardoned all the violent J6 criminals and released them into your communities. The current presidential administration is a threat to women and children.
He knew nothing about project 2025, now he is following it verbatim.
That he wont touch Medicaid. Now they plan to cut it.
Grocery prices will go down the first, now He's not concerned about inflation and we will have a little discomfort. (While he invites schmucks to MAL for million dollar dinners.
Grift more!
two trillion deficits is grift looting and bankrupting the country. We will see what Trump’s deficits look like, but ending the flow of tax payer dollars to Foreign and domestic, unaccountable NGO’s, to make the world woke and trans, and money to media organizations and writers foreign and domestic to manipulate voters, is likely at an end, for the good of the country.