And... we are going to win because of the obvious and immensely incredible public clusterfuck that no sane or even insane person can possibly see as beneficial to anyone, including the fascists, and the gullible, delusional cultists.
Thanks Sky Blue! And it's important that we don't let our anxiety or frustration trick us into betraying who we really are. We want peace, love, and prosperity, and that needs to be reflected in our thoughts, words, and actions!
I agree with you Walter as all authoritarians fail in the end. They can't win against "We the People". It won't happen overnight but it is already showing cracks. I think it might just self implode with them turning against each other. We just have to hang in there and help each other thru the rough times and continue peaceful protests and not let them force us to violence. As you say peaceful is the way to protest not violence.
I also think that the militarization of the police in the US has made armed resistance a completely doomed project, so civil disobedience is the only recourse. Gum up the works.
Thank you, Walter. Fantastic way to start my morning. I am waking up in Hawaii today. The Hawaiian people set a great example for what it means to live a good life. They call it Living Aloha.
If you Google it, the AI engine says “Living Aloha" is a Hawaiian concept encompassing a way of life characterized by love, compassion, and harmony. It goes beyond a simple greeting and embodies a deep connection to nature, respect for others, and a spirit of generosity and kindness. It's about fostering positive relationships, appreciating the present moment, and sharing a sense of unity and interconnectedness.
I try to Live Aloha every day. We need to be anti-authoritarian for sure, but we need to be pro-good. MAGA is only 35 or 40 percent of the population. That leaves 60 or 65 percent that are good at their core and want to live a happy life, free of all of the negativity generated by this regime.
I love the way you think about the world, this country, our possibilities and the future. With that, I’ll say Aloha, my brother. Resistance is key. And “pro-good” is how we will get there.
For sure, Walter. I have cumulatively spent a couple of years on vacation in Hawaii during the past 40 years. It is my “happy place.”
My recommendation is to go there, especially the Big Island (Hawaii) and Kauai. I would be happy to tell you all about it. Your wife and kids will love the time you spend together there. And you will definitely then understand what Living Aloha is all about.
Powerful column today. I totally agree. The Civil Rights movement had the moral center and that is why it ultimately succeeded. It is important that we maintain our integrity and our morals. We can speak with conviction, be passionate about our rules of law, our constitutional rights and our beliefs that people should not be treated the way they are being treated by this insane, sociopathic president and his admin.,but we must maintain our belief in nonviolence, no matter what.
I agree with what you say. The bible says the meek will inherit the earth.
I grew up in a pacifist family. We as children were never hit but faced behavioural consequences.
I call myself a pacifist.
My father in his early years was a trained nurse and was called up to do his National Service.
He attended the recruitment office as per the request and made the following statement.
“ I am happy to do my National Service. But I will not carry a gun and use it to kill someone.
I am prepared to carry a pistol to preserve my life if someone is trying to kill me”
This was accepted. In true British form, he was posted with a doctor to the middle east and were the special sexually transmitted disease envoy to the middle east troops.
He did his Service and never fired his pistol.
The moral of this story is that everyone has the right to defend themselves or be defended if they are under immediate threat of significant harm or death.
Everyone has a right is special circumstances to protect themselves.
One could also say there is also an obligation to assist a person under immediate threat to remove that threat wherever this is safe to do so.
It is the reasonable and humane thing to do.
We as pacifists should not have to peacefully watch as murders kill someone. That is to do nothing. This constitutes negligence.
I think fighting can take many forms but to make regimes fall, peaceful agitation and inspiring a new vision for the country are critical.Most people want to live free and prosperous lives away from fear and suffering and they don't understand that this adminstration would never deliver on their greatest hopes for our nation. The power isn't on our side to take on the violence that this administration espouses whether we want to or not. That really only leaves peaceful resistance and building systems that are truly resilient. If we can envision it we can make it happen and unravel any push to cause mass suffering just by doing the opposite. So many people try to match Trump's hate with their own but that only leaves scorched earth. We need better strategies to undo the harm this regime intends and is enacting. That takes vision and creativity. If people can see it, they can do it. True democracy acknowledges the greatest for everyone not the few and the system is broken but this is an opportunity to build something better despite all the hate and anger. People have unmet grievances but this adminstration cannot heal those harms and cannot remedy their suffering only collective action in solidarity with each other can we make a better world!
We need to decide how we want America to be and we need to articulate that! We need to be creative imaginative and to think big! American can be once more a beautiful place.
I'm not advocating for violence because I'm not capable of it, But history does not bear out your argument. How long did mankind live under the heel of monarchy? How long has Putin had unlimited dictatorial power over the Russian people? How about Turkey, Hungary, China, Iran?
if Hitler hadn't underestimated Russia, we'd all be speaking German. Authoritarianism is unfortunately humanity's natural state. I wish mankind had evolved beyond, but apparently we haven't..
The sociopaths are ascendant and emboldened And I fear this'll be another very long chapter in the book of mankind- assuming there'll be anyone left to write it.
I've often questioned how six million European Jews could have been rounded up and executed so easily in the Holocaust.
Like you I abhor violence, But I do wonder what you or I would do if the new Gestapo comes for our families.
Again, I do not advocate violence. I am not capable and feel certain we would lose anyway. I do not have an answer, but I do not share your optimism.
I wouldn’t do anything violent, either. Partly because I’m not stupid and I don’t want to go to prison. Also because I have a conscience, and I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror every morning.
And when bad things happen to innocent victims—like children of MAGAts who have to go along with their parents’ bullshit (because they’re children—duh), I’ll do what I can to help them.
Even the adult MAGAts themselves—if they need something like food, drinkable water, a safe place to sleep, medical attention—I would help them with those things. In my worldview those are basic human rights that even the worst people on earth deserve.
But anything more than that? The MAGAts had better not come crying to me, until they openly renounce their ugly beliefs and do something tangible to make restitution for the damage they caused.
And when bad things happen to them that I didn’t cause….Don’t ask me to pretend to be sorry. I won’t openly gloat and celebrate; but forgive me if I choose to say nothing at all.
Thanks for this fine piece. I desperately hope you're right. Nothing can shake my belief in kindness, and in the basic goodness of the human soul. Or in the ultimate victory of light over darkness. But watching recent developments in the U.S. and tragedies elsewhere is hard. Not sure what to do but keep peacefully protesting, and getting into good trouble.
And... we are going to win because of the obvious and immensely incredible public clusterfuck that no sane or even insane person can possibly see as beneficial to anyone, including the fascists, and the gullible, delusional cultists.
Hoping so anyhow.
Great piece, Walter. Knowledge of history is powerful and it teaches us that Trump and the oligarchs are “doomed to fail”.
Oh Walter... thank you for laying it all out in black and white.
I believe as you do, too. Not because I have my head in the sand, but quite the opposite.
I have seen the wonderful, generous, patient, and kind side of human nature WAY more times than the cruel side we are presented with the daily MSM.
People came out to help me every time I needed them... even without my asking.
Again, Walter, thank you for your eloquent and succinct evaluation!
Thanks Sky Blue! And it's important that we don't let our anxiety or frustration trick us into betraying who we really are. We want peace, love, and prosperity, and that needs to be reflected in our thoughts, words, and actions!
I agree with you Walter as all authoritarians fail in the end. They can't win against "We the People". It won't happen overnight but it is already showing cracks. I think it might just self implode with them turning against each other. We just have to hang in there and help each other thru the rough times and continue peaceful protests and not let them force us to violence. As you say peaceful is the way to protest not violence.
I sincerely hope that you are right.
I also think that the militarization of the police in the US has made armed resistance a completely doomed project, so civil disobedience is the only recourse. Gum up the works.
Thank you, Walter. Fantastic way to start my morning. I am waking up in Hawaii today. The Hawaiian people set a great example for what it means to live a good life. They call it Living Aloha.
If you Google it, the AI engine says “Living Aloha" is a Hawaiian concept encompassing a way of life characterized by love, compassion, and harmony. It goes beyond a simple greeting and embodies a deep connection to nature, respect for others, and a spirit of generosity and kindness. It's about fostering positive relationships, appreciating the present moment, and sharing a sense of unity and interconnectedness.
I try to Live Aloha every day. We need to be anti-authoritarian for sure, but we need to be pro-good. MAGA is only 35 or 40 percent of the population. That leaves 60 or 65 percent that are good at their core and want to live a happy life, free of all of the negativity generated by this regime.
I love the way you think about the world, this country, our possibilities and the future. With that, I’ll say Aloha, my brother. Resistance is key. And “pro-good” is how we will get there.
Absolutely! I think i need to take a vacation in Hawaii to recharge my batteries!
For sure, Walter. I have cumulatively spent a couple of years on vacation in Hawaii during the past 40 years. It is my “happy place.”
My recommendation is to go there, especially the Big Island (Hawaii) and Kauai. I would be happy to tell you all about it. Your wife and kids will love the time you spend together there. And you will definitely then understand what Living Aloha is all about.
Your words give me strength and hope. Thank you!
Those are two powerful weapons.
VERY POWRFUL!
Thanks Norma!
Powerful column today. I totally agree. The Civil Rights movement had the moral center and that is why it ultimately succeeded. It is important that we maintain our integrity and our morals. We can speak with conviction, be passionate about our rules of law, our constitutional rights and our beliefs that people should not be treated the way they are being treated by this insane, sociopathic president and his admin.,but we must maintain our belief in nonviolence, no matter what.
I agree with what you say. The bible says the meek will inherit the earth.
I grew up in a pacifist family. We as children were never hit but faced behavioural consequences.
I call myself a pacifist.
My father in his early years was a trained nurse and was called up to do his National Service.
He attended the recruitment office as per the request and made the following statement.
“ I am happy to do my National Service. But I will not carry a gun and use it to kill someone.
I am prepared to carry a pistol to preserve my life if someone is trying to kill me”
This was accepted. In true British form, he was posted with a doctor to the middle east and were the special sexually transmitted disease envoy to the middle east troops.
He did his Service and never fired his pistol.
The moral of this story is that everyone has the right to defend themselves or be defended if they are under immediate threat of significant harm or death.
Everyone has a right is special circumstances to protect themselves.
One could also say there is also an obligation to assist a person under immediate threat to remove that threat wherever this is safe to do so.
It is the reasonable and humane thing to do.
We as pacifists should not have to peacefully watch as murders kill someone. That is to do nothing. This constitutes negligence.
I think fighting can take many forms but to make regimes fall, peaceful agitation and inspiring a new vision for the country are critical.Most people want to live free and prosperous lives away from fear and suffering and they don't understand that this adminstration would never deliver on their greatest hopes for our nation. The power isn't on our side to take on the violence that this administration espouses whether we want to or not. That really only leaves peaceful resistance and building systems that are truly resilient. If we can envision it we can make it happen and unravel any push to cause mass suffering just by doing the opposite. So many people try to match Trump's hate with their own but that only leaves scorched earth. We need better strategies to undo the harm this regime intends and is enacting. That takes vision and creativity. If people can see it, they can do it. True democracy acknowledges the greatest for everyone not the few and the system is broken but this is an opportunity to build something better despite all the hate and anger. People have unmet grievances but this adminstration cannot heal those harms and cannot remedy their suffering only collective action in solidarity with each other can we make a better world!
Excellent visionary take!
We need to decide how we want America to be and we need to articulate that! We need to be creative imaginative and to think big! American can be once more a beautiful place.
I repeal my consent
I'm not advocating for violence because I'm not capable of it, But history does not bear out your argument. How long did mankind live under the heel of monarchy? How long has Putin had unlimited dictatorial power over the Russian people? How about Turkey, Hungary, China, Iran?
if Hitler hadn't underestimated Russia, we'd all be speaking German. Authoritarianism is unfortunately humanity's natural state. I wish mankind had evolved beyond, but apparently we haven't..
The sociopaths are ascendant and emboldened And I fear this'll be another very long chapter in the book of mankind- assuming there'll be anyone left to write it.
I've often questioned how six million European Jews could have been rounded up and executed so easily in the Holocaust.
Like you I abhor violence, But I do wonder what you or I would do if the new Gestapo comes for our families.
Again, I do not advocate violence. I am not capable and feel certain we would lose anyway. I do not have an answer, but I do not share your optimism.
History does bear out my argument, I already offered the examples.
I hope you’re right.
I wouldn’t do anything violent, either. Partly because I’m not stupid and I don’t want to go to prison. Also because I have a conscience, and I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror every morning.
And when bad things happen to innocent victims—like children of MAGAts who have to go along with their parents’ bullshit (because they’re children—duh), I’ll do what I can to help them.
Even the adult MAGAts themselves—if they need something like food, drinkable water, a safe place to sleep, medical attention—I would help them with those things. In my worldview those are basic human rights that even the worst people on earth deserve.
But anything more than that? The MAGAts had better not come crying to me, until they openly renounce their ugly beliefs and do something tangible to make restitution for the damage they caused.
And when bad things happen to them that I didn’t cause….Don’t ask me to pretend to be sorry. I won’t openly gloat and celebrate; but forgive me if I choose to say nothing at all.
Thanks for this fine piece. I desperately hope you're right. Nothing can shake my belief in kindness, and in the basic goodness of the human soul. Or in the ultimate victory of light over darkness. But watching recent developments in the U.S. and tragedies elsewhere is hard. Not sure what to do but keep peacefully protesting, and getting into good trouble.
✌️ and ❤️
The hippies were and are right!