Thanks, David, for your clear-eyed (a term that is becoming popular these days) description of this time. especially your last paragraph, last sentences.
This year reminds me of the period I wrote about in "I Will Run Wild: the Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway." Popular memory has that time as one of darkness relieved only by the Doolittle Raid and the Battle of the Coral Sea, before the glorious dawn of Midway. In actuality, it was a time of people fighting as hard as they could with what was at hand, to oppose the enemy's relentless advance, keeping him off-balance sufficiently to buy time to take advantage of the moment offered at Midway when the Enterprise bombers arrived over the Japanese carriers. I was fortunate to be friends with Dick Best, the man who sank the Akagi at Midway and turned history, during the last 10 years he was here. I once asked him how they made it through that time. He replied, "We did the job that was there in front of us and did our best to ignore the alternative, which was unthinkable."
That's the best we can do now. Put our heads down and get to work. Write postcards, canvass and talk to people. Join a grassroots organization like Swing Left (among others - it's the one I joined because the local group meets a quarter mile from Le Chateau du Chat). Being part of "the crew of the carrier Enterprise" is good for morale. I know it helps mine.
"Act as if" things are going to work out. The alternative IS unthinkable.
We are, each of us, the product of a long line of ancestors going back to those who trekked out of southern Africa 80,000 years ago, who have faced far worse and prevailed. Do we want to fail them?
It's been chaotic since Trump rode the escalator, but this week has definitely rocked and shaked more than ever. I think it's suspicious that the investigation into the shooter has taken so long. It seemed to take a long time to get into the cell phone records and there has been no mention of the parents that I've seen. Just seems weird. The other thing haunting me is Clarence Thomas's, "Hey, here's an idea..." bone for Cannon. A bone that was very, if at all, indirectly related to the case at hand. I mean is that allowed? And Canon taking him up on it AND releasing her decision the day of the RNC gathering. What?
Thank you for this. Especially those final thoughts, "A more Zen person than I would urge you to embrace the uncertainty. I’m just trying to hold on for dear life.' And I've just finished reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "An Unfinished Love Story," which clearly detail the events of 1968. So much is so relevant today. History does indeed rhyme.
You are spreading what we call deza/despair and its journalistic malpractice! Maybe your illnesses and accidents are taking a toll, but it’s irresponsible to read your readers’ comments. For those of you looking for some upbeat truth, follow Bill Palmer, BaddCompany, TiminHonolulu, Tristan Snell and Zev Shalev. Tomi Ahonen is on Mastodon. Turn off cable news (all of it), get the Merlin app to ID birds. Volunteer in your community. Media is making you fear, it’s how they $$
Exactly. Biblical flood incoming. The Atlantic has an amazing piece on privatizing weather reporting and gutting NOAA in Project 2025.
I actually think choosing a VP who can only speak to the converted will lessen trump's chances in November. If there is anything that is going to drive women to the polls to vote Dem, it is JD Vance, particularly since trump himself obfuscates any position on women's health care.
Yes I want better media.Why didn’t any media follow up with Trump’s hospital visit? The media bias against Biden is becoming more obvious every day. Your reference to a debate debacle is disgusting. For any readers curious about CNN sabotage, read Zev Shalev with receipts how the sound was manipulated.when John Kirby commented he’d never heard Biden sound like he did in the debate was a tell.
This is my first day reading the morning memo. Your essay captures the past three weeks very well for me, as I spend my days reading news article and substacks. Josh should put his thought essays into a forum that allows comments as well. I am surprised that your essay hasn't received more comments.
John Ganz, writing today on Substack, has a brilliant summary and psychological profile if you will of JD Vance and those that he - and tRump - represent: The politics of national despair. And he ends with a memorable and pithy line that best evokes the tRump movement:
Staying on brand, IMO no small amount of attention or focus should go to planning for Trump being reelected. I suppose that should include what happens if, despite Republicans’ efforts at vote rigging and frauds, the Democrat candidate somehow wins the Electoral College. That latter aspect involves considering J6 proceedings in the House without Harris in place. (If Biden quits the race, he should resign as POTUS which leaves us without a veep and with the Speaker next in line.)
The rationale is that as the Roberts court has been making clear ever more every year, Trump or no Trump, we’re on a highway to hell. I used to think the Republican project is to take us back to the 1920s. I have been corrected and the correct era is shortly after Reconstruction. Electing the D POTUS candidate obviously will do little and electing Dems, as the long term record shows, delays some things, stops nothing except temporarily.
The above is not meant as a case to do something, not to fight or resist as best possible. It is let’s say a suggestion to put some energies into planning for what’s coming our way, maybe sooner, maybe later: a one party oligarchy with Xian heretics with excessive influence.
Well, David, we all know what happened in 1968, a fractured party put up "Happy warrior" HHH, who went down to the soon-to-be criminal Nixon, and gave us eight dark years of sordid government, including a foreign policy led by a unindicted war criminal. Can't believe the wheel has turned to give us 1968 redux...just impossible to understand how Biden is determined to be the architect of his own demise, and default to tRump/Vance.
Never been so depressed since Nixon v McGovern or Reagan v Mondale, lowest of the low points until now, but tRump v Biden will surpass easily.
Your writing captures the moment and our emotions. Sigh…breathe
Thanks, David, for your clear-eyed (a term that is becoming popular these days) description of this time. especially your last paragraph, last sentences.
Wow. Yes.
This year reminds me of the period I wrote about in "I Will Run Wild: the Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway." Popular memory has that time as one of darkness relieved only by the Doolittle Raid and the Battle of the Coral Sea, before the glorious dawn of Midway. In actuality, it was a time of people fighting as hard as they could with what was at hand, to oppose the enemy's relentless advance, keeping him off-balance sufficiently to buy time to take advantage of the moment offered at Midway when the Enterprise bombers arrived over the Japanese carriers. I was fortunate to be friends with Dick Best, the man who sank the Akagi at Midway and turned history, during the last 10 years he was here. I once asked him how they made it through that time. He replied, "We did the job that was there in front of us and did our best to ignore the alternative, which was unthinkable."
That's the best we can do now. Put our heads down and get to work. Write postcards, canvass and talk to people. Join a grassroots organization like Swing Left (among others - it's the one I joined because the local group meets a quarter mile from Le Chateau du Chat). Being part of "the crew of the carrier Enterprise" is good for morale. I know it helps mine.
"Act as if" things are going to work out. The alternative IS unthinkable.
We are, each of us, the product of a long line of ancestors going back to those who trekked out of southern Africa 80,000 years ago, who have faced far worse and prevailed. Do we want to fail them?
It's been chaotic since Trump rode the escalator, but this week has definitely rocked and shaked more than ever. I think it's suspicious that the investigation into the shooter has taken so long. It seemed to take a long time to get into the cell phone records and there has been no mention of the parents that I've seen. Just seems weird. The other thing haunting me is Clarence Thomas's, "Hey, here's an idea..." bone for Cannon. A bone that was very, if at all, indirectly related to the case at hand. I mean is that allowed? And Canon taking him up on it AND releasing her decision the day of the RNC gathering. What?
Thank you for this. Especially those final thoughts, "A more Zen person than I would urge you to embrace the uncertainty. I’m just trying to hold on for dear life.' And I've just finished reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "An Unfinished Love Story," which clearly detail the events of 1968. So much is so relevant today. History does indeed rhyme.
As long as we're paying attention, holding on for dear life can also be very Zen.
Can you get rid of the
"debacle debate" bushwa
David? Am so thoroughly sick
and tired of seeing this.
Pressed faces against the
glass? I've been looking in my
rear view mirror of history
since Jan. 6, 2020.
And Josh should definitely
open up on the site for
comments. Love his Editors
Blog.
You are spreading what we call deza/despair and its journalistic malpractice! Maybe your illnesses and accidents are taking a toll, but it’s irresponsible to read your readers’ comments. For those of you looking for some upbeat truth, follow Bill Palmer, BaddCompany, TiminHonolulu, Tristan Snell and Zev Shalev. Tomi Ahonen is on Mastodon. Turn off cable news (all of it), get the Merlin app to ID birds. Volunteer in your community. Media is making you fear, it’s how they $$
Exactly. Biblical flood incoming. The Atlantic has an amazing piece on privatizing weather reporting and gutting NOAA in Project 2025.
I actually think choosing a VP who can only speak to the converted will lessen trump's chances in November. If there is anything that is going to drive women to the polls to vote Dem, it is JD Vance, particularly since trump himself obfuscates any position on women's health care.
Holding on for dear life - that’s it in a nutshell!
Yes I want better media.Why didn’t any media follow up with Trump’s hospital visit? The media bias against Biden is becoming more obvious every day. Your reference to a debate debacle is disgusting. For any readers curious about CNN sabotage, read Zev Shalev with receipts how the sound was manipulated.when John Kirby commented he’d never heard Biden sound like he did in the debate was a tell.
This is my first day reading the morning memo. Your essay captures the past three weeks very well for me, as I spend my days reading news article and substacks. Josh should put his thought essays into a forum that allows comments as well. I am surprised that your essay hasn't received more comments.
John Ganz, writing today on Substack, has a brilliant summary and psychological profile if you will of JD Vance and those that he - and tRump - represent: The politics of national despair. And he ends with a memorable and pithy line that best evokes the tRump movement:
"Just you wait".
https://substack.com/home/post/p-146667771?r=1pdf3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Staying on brand, IMO no small amount of attention or focus should go to planning for Trump being reelected. I suppose that should include what happens if, despite Republicans’ efforts at vote rigging and frauds, the Democrat candidate somehow wins the Electoral College. That latter aspect involves considering J6 proceedings in the House without Harris in place. (If Biden quits the race, he should resign as POTUS which leaves us without a veep and with the Speaker next in line.)
The rationale is that as the Roberts court has been making clear ever more every year, Trump or no Trump, we’re on a highway to hell. I used to think the Republican project is to take us back to the 1920s. I have been corrected and the correct era is shortly after Reconstruction. Electing the D POTUS candidate obviously will do little and electing Dems, as the long term record shows, delays some things, stops nothing except temporarily.
The above is not meant as a case to do something, not to fight or resist as best possible. It is let’s say a suggestion to put some energies into planning for what’s coming our way, maybe sooner, maybe later: a one party oligarchy with Xian heretics with excessive influence.
Well, David, we all know what happened in 1968, a fractured party put up "Happy warrior" HHH, who went down to the soon-to-be criminal Nixon, and gave us eight dark years of sordid government, including a foreign policy led by a unindicted war criminal. Can't believe the wheel has turned to give us 1968 redux...just impossible to understand how Biden is determined to be the architect of his own demise, and default to tRump/Vance.
Never been so depressed since Nixon v McGovern or Reagan v Mondale, lowest of the low points until now, but tRump v Biden will surpass easily.