16 Comments
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Ray Gastil's avatar

All the performative and very real cruelty -- it's technically madness. Thanks for fighting the good fight Beth.

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Beth Arnold's avatar

The malice is mind-blowing. Thank you for reading. Love you. Mean it. Always.

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Farlow Blakeslee's avatar

Great piece! Lots of things I had not read about before

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Beth Arnold's avatar

Thank you. I appreciate it!

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Kathy Cox's avatar

I think it will have to be a slap in the face, e.g. another "Covid" to wake everyone up. Hopefully, people dying will provide a "course correction"!

Pretty sick...

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Beth Arnold's avatar

Yes. I agree. Something extreme. Though a lot of people are mad as hell and don’t want take it anymore.

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Adam Cheklat's avatar

Beth, i want to make being a decent human cool again. Think you can help?

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Beth Arnold's avatar

I'm with you. All of us who have empathy and care about others, who are resisting and protesting in whatever ways we can are showing that mettle. Yes?

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Adam Cheklat's avatar

Indeed.

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Beth Arnold's avatar

Do you know about the postcard protest? On March 15th, many people will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired. So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin. Prepare for March 15th, 2025, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump.

President Donald J. Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

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Katherine C. James's avatar

Thank you for this.

Have you read Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, An Unfinished Love Story? I read it just as Trump came into office. It was a profound reminder of how recent and how fragile the social programs are that I sometimes think of as having existed forever. All of the programs championed by JFK, and LBJ are post 1960 except for Social Security. USAID, Medicare, Medicaid, are all signs of our increased capacity to see us all as an interconnected whole with responsibility for each other in all of our variety. I thought we would expand upon those initial safety nets. It never occurred to me that we could dismantle it all as is being done now.

I understand the desire for people who feel they didn't get some distorted idea of what they see as their right to want to punish those who need help. I don't admire it or agree with it, but I understand it, particularly in a 24-hours cable news cycle and social media world. People believed in Trump's reality TV persona as real, and they think an immigrant they have never met is somehow keeping them from being Elon Musk, who must be one of the most empty and unhappy humans I've ever witnessed.

I hold out hope we can turn this around, though things presently look bleak.

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Beth Arnold's avatar

Thanks for your comment. I love Doris Kearns Goodwin. I haven’t read this book, but I would like to. LBJ pushed so many of these programs through with his Great Society. The 60’s were such an incredible time for social revolution.

The Internet has skewed so many things in our lives. Another huge part of this is the years and money that the GOP and Christian nationalists have spent strategizing, spending money and manipulating to get these people where they wanted them—where they are now. They demonize one group to the next as being problems. And if they’re people of color they’ll be targets for these white men.

I believe we can turn this around, but the question is how long it will take. If the destruction of Trump and company isn’t stopped, it may take a very long time to repair the damage.

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Elizabeth Evans's avatar

Thank you! When will we ever learn?

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Beth Arnold's avatar

Thanks for your comment. There is no aphrodisiac greater than power. And that’s what Trump wants. Power and fame.

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Elizabeth Evans's avatar

It’s an ugly power. Ugly “fame”.

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Beth Arnold's avatar

Grotesque!

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