One Big Beautiful Bill Passes

Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to approve the BBB in the Senate; today, the House passed the bill — despite the substantial changes in the Senate — by 218 to 214. The president will sign it tomorrow, July 4, the deadline he imposed.

Perhaps this will give the Democrats a needed boost. We'll have to await the 2026 midterm election to see whose narrative prevails: the Republican's extending the tax cuts and securing the border or the Democrat's taking from the poor (cutting Medicaid and SNAP) to give tax breaks to the rich.

Not content to wait for the midterms, I shared my views with Senator Britt and Representative Rogers:

The passage of the misnamed One Big Beautiful Bill Act is the low point of my 72 years as an American. A corrupt president and a sycophant, Republican-led Congress have enacted legislation that robs services from the poor and infirm to reward the richest Americans, who do not need financial support yet provide the money to line Congressional pockets.

With the passage of this legislation, your own Congressional Budget Office estimates at least 11 million will lose health insurance due to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act cuts. More than 3 million will lose SNAP benefits. These numbers belie the absurd Republican claim that the bill will only reduce waste and fraud.

Beyond Congress ignoring the adverse impact on so many Americans, the CBO estimates the bill will raise the federal debt by some $3.4 trillion to 124 percent of GDP. Increasing the debt used to be the third rail for Republicans — at least when a Democrat was president.

I cannot fathom your “proud” vote to support this legislation and your fealty to a corrupt, authoritarian administration that is desecrating the founding principles and Constitution. Given your disregard for the values that have been the bedrock of my life as an American. I will do all I can to elect non-MAGA representatives to the Senate and House who will faithfully serve in a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Kill The One Big Beautiful Bill

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act — yes, that's the actual name — is moving through Congress, approved by the House and now being considered by the Senate.

With so many provisions in the legislation, passing it in the House was a near miracle, aided by urging with threats from President Trump. The Senate has started changing the bill while being pushed to pass their version and send it back to the House for approval in time for the president to sign it by July 4.

With significant policy divisions among Republicans in the Senate and between the Senate and the House, passage is uncertain. Yet the president's coaxing and threats that moved it through the House have given it momentum. More coaxing and threats aimed at hesitant Republican Senators may well get the bill through the Senate, with the same strategy used to gain House approval of the Senate's bill.

Despite the odds of betting against the fealty of Congress, I've urged my Senators to vote "no."

Please vote against President Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” Big, yes. Beautiful, no.

The CBO estimates the version approved by the House will increase the debt by $2.8 trillion. Increasing the nation’s debt is supposedly antithetical to Republican orthodoxy, justifying a vote against the bill.

Attempting to minimize this increase, 8–11 million people will lose Medicaid benefits, millions more who receive SNAP assistance. This is hardly just waste, fraud, and abuse. The cuts will hurt the lowest-income Americans to benefit those with the highest incomes. Another reason to vote against the bill.

The provision to shield AI companies from state and local laws for 10 years will simply enable AI companies to exploit the public and the economy without accountability for the adverse effects, which will likely be irreversible. Historically, technology companies have not addressed the negative impact on society until forced by regulation, often too late. Consider the impact social media has on our children. Congress lacks the intelligence and the will to effectively manage AI. Our only hope lies with the states. Yet another reason to vote “no.”

There are numerous other adverse effects hidden within this bill that will take years to discover and will be difficult to undo.

I urge you to vote “no” and demonstrate that Congress is an equal branch of government, not simply a rubber stamp for the president.

Trump’s Tariff Strategy Seeking a Safe Harbor

Long a proponent of the benefits of tariffs, Donald Trump claims they will fund his proposed tax cuts and revive American manufacturing.

There is near-unanimous consensus among economists that tariffs are self-defeating and have a negative effect on economic growth and economic welfare, while free trade and the reduction of trade barriers has a positive effect on economic growth. Source: Wikipedia.

Despite the consensus among economists that tariffs are a hidden tax on American consumers, if Donald Trump believes something, it must be so. Well, it can be deemed so if you’re the most powerful person on the globe.

Yet the implementation of his tariff strategy has been highly erratic — on and off, stair-stepping up and down, country to country, product to product. Heather Cox Richardson, in her Letters from an American, reports, “Trump has changed tariff policies at least 50 times” through May 30.

The voyage of the HMS Trump Tariffs, created by ChatGPT.

Trump’s consistently inconsistent behavior has birthed an investment strategy based on TACO, for “Trump always chickens out.” Buy an investment when the price falls after a tariff announcement, then sell at a profit when Trump backs down and the price recovers.

I’m hoping this arm of Trump’s octopus will be cut off after a ruling from the U.S. Court of International Trade earlier this week said a president does not have “unbounded authority” to impose such global tariffs. The U.S. Court of Appeals has granted a temporary stay to allow the judges time to review the ruling and the administration’s arguments in favor of broad, unilateral tariff policiies. May it only be temporary.

Meanwhile, the trade winds keep blowing.

The Big Beautiful Bill

President Trump's so-called big beautiful bill to extend the tax cuts from his first administration and pay for them through cuts to federal spending — programs like Medicaid and SNAP — is struggling to be birthed by the House. Not hopeful that it will die in the House, I felt obligated to express my opposition to my Congressional representative:

Representative Rogers,

While House Republicans were holding middle-of-the-night hearings on the president’s so-called “big beautiful bill,” the CBO was analyzing the impact of the legislation, if passed:

The CBO estimates the tax provisions in the proposed bill will add some $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.

After decades of Republican arguments during Democratic administrations that the federal debt must be reduced, the Republican hypocrisy is unfortunate, although not surprising. The tax cuts of the Bush and first Trump administrations fueled the debt. Why should we expect the second Trump administration to change behavior?

It’s not what you say, but rather what you do.

The CBO analysis also projects that the top 10% of earners will receive about 65% of the tax cut benefits. The cuts to social programs like Medicaid and SNAP will cause households in the lowest quintile to lose about $1,035 in income next year. That’s substantial for low-income Alabamians, who are living on the margins.

Not surprisingly, the CBO analysis contradicts Republican claims that the bill will not cut benefits, that it will only eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.

As expected, you’re taking from the poor to further enrich the rich. We see no consideration of increasing the tax rate on the wealthiest Americans, who can afford to support the country that has enabled their success.

I urge you to have the courage to oppose this legislation. You were elected by the people of your district, not by President Trump.

---

Addensum: The House narrowly passed the bill on Thursday, May 22, by a vote of 215-214. All 212 Democrats present voted against the bill, joined by two Republicans. One Republican representative voted "present," and two did not vote. Mike Rogers supported the bill.

The bill moves on to the Senate.

The People’s Town Hall for Mike Rogers

Indivisible Auburn-Opelika held a town hall meeting for Representative Mike Rogers last night. Well over 100 of us showed up to listen to speakers and express our concerns and questions to the absent Congressman, represented by a cardboard figure.

The invited speakers described the impact of the Trump administration’s funding cuts locally, which have degraded university research, health policy, USAID program support in the U.S., disaster relief, and military preparedness.

I learned many specifics about how the administration’s actions are harming the state and local region and felt the satisfaction of showing up and being seen. “A people united cannot be defeated.”

After the event, I sent the following to Mike Rogers:

I was disappointed that you did not attend tonight’s town hall meeting in Opelika to hear and respond to your constituents’ concerns and questions. Since you weren’t there, I will relay my thoughts via this email.

I have a long, long list of concerns about President Trump’s administration and Republicans in Congress enabling his malfeasance. However, I’ll shorten my list to the following:

Despite the Republican talking points, the proposed budget that the House is developing will slash safety net programs like Medicaid. The cuts will hurt many Alabamians, pushing them even deeper into financial despair.

To propose such cuts to extend Donald Trump’s tax cuts without any tax increase on the richest Americans is unconscionable. Any member of Congress who votes for this draconian legislation seems either tone deaf or uncaring, arguably subservient to the oligarchs.

I ask you to vote against these cuts and, if you’re serious about reducing the deficit, to support tax increases on the wealthiest Americans.

Second, President Trump has called for ending the CHIPS and Science Act, claiming his tariffs will restore America’s manufacturing base, including semiconductors.

I’ve spent my 45-year career in the semiconductor industry and have witnessed the loss of U.S. leadership in the latest process technologies and wafer fabs. The CHIPS Act is a successful public-private partnership to establish process technology and manufacturing within the U.S. One focus is developing high-performance and trusted manufacturing capabilities for defense systems.

A new wafer fabrication facility is a multi-billion-dollar investment with a decades-long life cycle. Halting the investments started under the CHIPS Act because of the president’s ignorant, ill-conceived, and mercurial tariffs will undermine the country’s ability to invest in our semiconductor future.

Please oppose any legislation or executive order to curtail or cancel the CHIPS Act.

Restricting the Freedom to Think

We used to cherish freedom in this country, considering it a foundation for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No longer. Trump's America is looking more like Russia and China.

After decrying what they considered censorship of conservative ideas, conservatives are attempting to censor the ideas they find dissonant with their world views. They call these ideas divisive concepts, like racism and the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The library at the Naval Academy has now been purified.

Post by @garylerude@mindly.social

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Trump's Vulnerability Flows Downhill

In a recent Substack post, Timothy Snyder identifies a core weakness of President Trump that weakens America: his belief that everyone is ripping him off, or trying to unless he gets them first. It’s a zero-sum game.

This fueled his apparently long-held belief that a trade deficit is bad and tariffs are the solution, which led him to launch a trade war with virtually every country on the globe. Only the rising interest rate on 10-year Treasury notes prompted him to pause before we saw economic Armegadden.

Snyder’s article inspired me to write my Congressional representatives in Washington. I don’t expect to change their opinions, but I felt better hitting “send.”

Historian Timothy Snyder points to President Trump’s core vulnerability: He always thinks everyone is trying to rip him off. This deep-seated irrationality focused on the balance of trade caused the maelstrom around tariffs. Only the rising rates on 10-year Treasury notes prompted the president to largely retreat — except for tariffs on China, which won’t kiss the president’s ring.

Other than keeping reporters and cable and podcast pundits busy, the outcome of this insanity will be higher prices for consumers.

In a recent Substack article, Snyder writes, “We have thousands of years of political theory and indeed great literature to instruct us on this point: too much power brings out the worst in people — especially among the worst of people. As the founders understood, the purpose of the rule of law, of checks and balances, of regular elections, is to prevent precisely such a situation. Allowing our republic to be compromised has many costs, for example to our rights, and to our dignity. But it also has costs in a very basic economic sense. When you elevate the mad king, you elevate the madness.”

Are you willing to enable four years of madness?

Hands Off! Our Democracy

A throng of people, most carrying homemade signs, gathered and chanted at the G.W. Andrews Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Opelika last Saturday morning (April 5), one of more than 1,000 Hands Off! demonstrations protesting the policies of the Trump administration.

Hands off! was the appropriate epithet for opposing funding cuts to federal programs and the wholesale firing of federal employees.

I was so pleased to see this turnout and read of other protests around the country — even internationally.

Our Democracy Burns While the Republican Congress Watches

Inflicted by the daily horrors of the Trump administration, I finally channeled my anguish into words and sent the following to my Congressional Representative and Alabama's Senators.

Campaigning for president, Donald Trump promised to reduce inflation and the prices Americans pay for food and gas. He promised to end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on his first day in office and bring peace to the Middle East.

After being sworn in, however, Donald Trump rewound the clock to a pre-Copernican view that puts the U.S. at the center of the universe. Reflecting this philosophy, he has launched a delusional trade war that will increase prices and inflation and likely start a recession. We’ve already seen the market respond, with companies losing trillions in market value.

To help him dismember the federal government, the president appointed Elon Musk to lead DOGE. Musk — either a government employee or not, depending on who asks the question — was neither on the ballot nor approved by the Senate like the president’s cabinet and other key officials.

Musk’s strategy of moving fast and breaking things may have worked for Twitter, yet it is dangerous when applied to the complex federal government — like giving Musk a scalpel and inviting him to do brain surgery. The impact on many Americans will at least be disruptive, if not tragic. These are our fellow Americans who are being sacrificed to provide tax cuts for the wealthy.

Musk’s power to access federal computer systems and terminate personnel without due process is egregious, especially considering his decisions reflect tremendous conflicts of interest. SpaceX, Starlink, Tesla, X, cyber currency, and other Musk ventures benefit from this corruption. Add Musk flagrantly buying voters, if not votes, proves the Trump administration is converting America to a “democracy” of plutocrats.

The president has made corruption the coin of the realm, a quid-pro-quo currency of campaign contributions, meme coins, and intimidation in the form of executive orders, funding cuts, and social media threats.

Refusing to admit that Russia invaded Ukraine, as he refused to admit that he lost the 2020 election, the president showed his cards to Putin, displaying his longheld animosity for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and undermining the negotiating strength of the U.S.-European-Ukrainian alliance. Putin strung him along, ceding nothing. Only now does the president appear to be waking up, yet with a weak hand to play.

In the Middle East, the president’s peace plan is to evict more than a million Palestinians to who-knows-where, offering no compensation, so he can create a resort built atop the shallow graves of thousands of women and children.

Amidst all this chaos, the Republican-controlled Congress is content to let the administration neuter the legislative branch and convert America to an imperialist kingdom off to conquer Greenland, Panama, and Canada, while renaming landmarks to stroke the president’s ego.

The absurdity would be funny if not tragic.

Have you ever wondered what you would have done if you were in Congress when the Japanese were interned during World War II? You’re doing it now.

Starve the Poor to Feed the Wealthy

The New York Times headline reads

House Passes G.O.P. Budget Teeing Up Enormous Tax and Spending Cuts
The vote cleared the way to enact major elements of President Trump’s domestic agenda and escalated a bitter fight among Republicans over what federal programs to shrink to finance major tax cuts.

Before the vote, I sent the following email to my Congressional representative, Mike Rogers:

I am horrified by President Trump's agenda to dismember the federal government and Congress abdicating its role as co-equal to the executive branch.

To focus on a specific concern, the proposed cuts to Medicaid will impose unconscionable suffering on many Alabamian families — particularly children — while using those "found funds" to further enrich the wealthy. They need no financial assistance and should be paying far more in taxes to support the country that enabled them to become wealthy.

Please put your country above your fealty to the president.

Jeff Bezos Quick to Congratulate Trump

Jeff Bezos moved quickly to congratulate the former president, now elected to be the next president. In an unctuous post on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), Bezos fawned,

Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.

He’s hoping this will erase any doubt of his loyalty to the new administration. It’s a stronger signal than killing The Washington Posts’s endorsement of Kamela Harris, which he tried to justify as principled.

Perhaps a prudent business move, yet it reeks of unscrupulous opportunism.

Whither Goes America?

I moved my phone from the bedroom so I wouldn't be tempted to look at it during the night. Before going to bed, I checked a few races from our old state of New Hampshire.

At 5:25, my wife’s phone dinged, indicating a message from our daughter. I went back to sleep, not knowing whether she was relaying joy or horror.

Shortly after 7, I got up to see the outcome. My wife asked me to read the results to her. My daughter's text read, "Gutted this morning." My response: "Stunned. Deeply saddened. Fearful."

We walked downtown to pick up a coffee order at Mama Mochas and lamented the outcome with Papa Mocha.

I'm avoiding diving into the post mortem, instead cherrypicking the results from a few of the races. Shomari Figures won, a relief since he was behind when I went to bed. It seems many of the abortion referendums passed: Arizona, Missouri, Montana. That's some compensation for the losses in Florida and Nebraska.

Trying not to think much beyond today. Trying to contain my deep disappointment, keeping it from running into despair.

Yesterday, we volunteered with the NAACP, giving rides to the polls. This morning, I'm trying to recall the satisfaction of giving one person a voice, even if not sufficient to change the nation.

This morning, the NAACP chat group is processing the results. Someone shared this poem by Venice Williams, which reminds me of my privilege and the need to do more.

You are awakening to the
same country you fell asleep to.
The very same country.

Pull yourself together.

And,
when you see me,
do not ask me
"What do we do now?
How do we get through the next four years?"

Some of my Ancestors dealt with
at least 400 years of this
under worse conditions.

Continue to do the good work.
Continue to build bridges not walls.
Continue to lead with compassion.
Continue the demanding work
of liberation for all.
Continue to dismantle broken systems,
large and small.
Continue to set the best example
for the children.
Continue to be a vessel of nourishing joy.

Continue right where you are.
Right where you live into your days.

Do so in the name of
The Creator who expects
nothing less from each of us.

And if you are not "continuing"
ALL of the above,
in community, partnership, collaboration?
What is it you have been doing?
What is it you are waiting for?

Election Day — Finally

Last night, I posted the following to Mastodon:

The texts and emails keep coming, more urgently asking for contributions. I'm skeptical that dollars now will change the outcome — more likely contribute to the next race. The cards for 2024 are dealt. It's in the hands of the voters to play their tarot cards.

I've given money — more than I have ever contributed to political campaigns. I've written postcards and letters. Tomorrow, I'll help provide rides to the polls for those without transportation. Then, we await the future.

— Gary (@garylerude) 11/4/2024, 5:46:30 PM

This morning I voted around 9 — in and out in five minutes. The lady welcoming us at the door said the line was long during the first hour, and the turnout had been steady. Yet the organized process was efficiently keeping the line to just a few people deep.

Vote early and vote often.

I first heard that line associated with the corrupt Democratic machine in Chicago, when Richard Daley was mayor. According to Perplexity AI, it was actually used first in the 1850s by pro-slavery voters in Kansas. (See the footnote if you want to go down that path.)

I was able to double my vote today — legally — by providing a ride for someone with no transportation. I was one of a dozen who volunteered for a Lee County NAACP program to provide free rides for anyone needing transportation to vote. Although my rider and I did not discuss how either of us voted, I suspect we are supporting the same candidates.

Historical Footnote

John Van Buren is associated with the phrase “Vote early and vote often” due to historian James Morgan’s identification of him as its originator. This association is supported by Laurence Urdang and Janet Braunstein, although there is limited direct evidence linking him to the phrase. The phrase itself became popular in the mid-19th century, particularly among pro-slavery voters in Kansas who were trying to influence elections. Source: Perplexity AI

Washington Post Part 2 — Jeff Bezos Misses the Point

Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post has admitted he killed the paper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris. Responding to reader outrage and canceled subscriptions — 250,000 according to NPR — Bezos penned an opinion piece that ties presidential endorsements to the public’s distrust of the media.

The bitter pill he sees:

We (a newspaper) must be believed to be accurate… What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias.

While I feel that bitter pill of bias, it’s not because of the editorial team. Their opinions clearly state the bias and what informs it. It’s the “news” side that slants articles with pejorative words and headlines that go beyond a neutral reporting of facts or that create a “false equivalence” between two arguments that don’t have equal weight.

Ironically, Bezos acknowledges the decision won’t add much trust — quite the opposite — and the poor timing:

By itself, declining to endorse presidential candidates is not enough to move us very far up the trust scale, but it’s a meaningful step in the right direction. I wish we had made the change earlier than we did, in a moment further from the election and the emotions around it. That was inadequate planning, and not some intentional strategy.

Then why do it now? Why not wait until after the election, with a four-year runway to build support within and outside the paper?

Bezos’ argument is unconvincing, inviting speculation of Machiavellian motivations.

Thankfully, The New York Times did not equivocate:

You already know Donald Trump. He is unfit to lead. Watch him. Listen to those who know him best. He tried to subvert an election and remains a threat to democracy. He helped overturn Roe, with terrible consequences. Mr. Trump’s corruption and lawlessness go beyond elections: It’s his whole ethos. He lies without limit. If he’s re-elected, the G.O.P. won’t restrain him. Mr. Trump will use the government to go after opponents. He will pursue a cruel policy of mass deportations. He will wreak havoc on the poor, the middle class and employers. Another Trump term will damage the climate, shatter alliances and strengthen autocrats. Americans should demand better. Vote.

Washington Post Snuffs Out the Light Protecting Democracy

The Washington Post editorial board — more likely the management above it — has announced it will not endorse a presidential candidate in this year’s historic election.

William Lewis, publisher and CEO, wrote in a note from the publisher,

We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects. We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions — whom to vote for as the next president.

Lewis, with The Post for just a year, ironically justifies the decision by implying a long history of the Post not making endorsements in presidential elections:

We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.

Correction: In my original post, I wrote that the exceptions to not making endorsements were for Eisenhower in 1956 and Jimmy Carter in 1975. Fact checked by Perplexity Al,

The Washington Post has had a varied history of presidential endorsements since 1960:

1960-1972: The Post did not endorse presidential candidates during this period.

1976-2020: The Post endorsed presidential candidates in every election during this period. Specifically, the Post endorsed Jimmy Carter in 1976, marking the beginning of their modern endorsement era. From 1976 through 2020, the paper consistently endorsed presidential candidates. In 2020, the Post endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

I was too young to recall Eisenhower’s election, but I have followed every election since, beginning with Kennedy’s in 1960. This election is by far the most dangerous to American democracy of any in my lived experience. That The Post should ignore this and hide behind a so-called long tradition of independence is unconscionable.

Lewis also seems to confuse a newspaper’s editorial and news functions. The news side is supposed to be neutral, just reporting the facts, while the editorial side is supposed to argue positions, providing a variety of voices. The editorial board making a recommendation based on its collective judgment is expected. If that’s out of line, then the editorial board should not make recommendations on any topic.

Lewis argues we readers are best left to make up our own minds, implying we won’t if we see an endorsement from The Post. I assure you we will, although we will consider the collective wisdom of the editorial team, which offers much more access to and history with the candidates.

Lewis further claims the Post stands for “character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.” Donald Trump as president and candidate violates all these values, surely justification for the Post to take a stand.

At least acknowledging that the decision will be criticized, Lewis writes,

We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility.

It surely is an abdication of responsibility, and I suspect it’s a political move to appease a man who has promised revenge and retribution should he be reelected.

The Post should recognize the risk to the country after the chaos of Trump’s presidency, his denial that he lost, his demonizing rhetoric during this campaign, and the comprehensive plans of Project 2025. By not being clear about this choice, the management of The Washington Post is blowing out the light that you claim protects democracy.

I have cancelled my subscription to the newspaper.

Revisiting the Music of My Youth

Last night I had the chance to listen to a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s music sung by Sasha Masakowski, accompanied by five extraordinary musicians. The concert at Opelika’s The Sound Wall was a wonderful flashback to the music of my youth.

In high school I worked for an FM station, call letters KSRN. Our tag line was “Stereo 104.”

FM radio was a relatively new consumer product, offering much higher fidelity than the decades-old AM radio that was often plagued with static and interference. In 1961, the FCC authorized FM stereo broadcasts, complementing the stereo high-fi systems many people were adding to their homes. To attract listeners and advertisers, the early FM stations played to their strength and broadcast music.

KSRN adopted a format called “easy listening” or “middle-of-the-road.” Antonio Carlos Jobim was one of the staples of the playlist. One of the musicians introducing bossa nova to America, he became popular in the 1960s.

I rarely listen to FM radio these days. When I do, it’s an NPR station. The music I played at KSRN and grew to love is readily available on Spotify, accessible whenever I want to listen to my KSRN playlist.

Asides

To avoid interference at night, when AM radio transmissions would bounce off the atmosphere and propagate farther, local market stations had to reduce their transmitter power, which often limited their local coverage.

A key decision that accelerated consumer adoption of FM was FM/AM radios in cars, not just AM. After 60 years, the debate is now whether to remove AM radios from cars. Their susceptibility to interference is particularly troublesome for electric vehicle manufacturers.

A Broken America

I first noticed Donald Trump when he claimed Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. Seriously? It seemed like a racist publicity stunt.

Then, he came down the escalator and announced he was running for president, disparaging Mexico and Mexicans. Seriously?

When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best… They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. (Source: Time, Here’s Donald Trump’s Presidential Announcement Speech, June 16, 2015.)

Donald Trump’s campaign was a rant of negativity about the state of the country, claiming he alone could fix the ills and “make American great again.”

I didn’t take him seriously, wondering how anyone could. So I was stunned when he won and became president — he actually lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton, 65,853,514 (48.2%) to 62,984,828 (46.1%) but won in the Electoral College. Seriously?

Trump’s presidency was tempestuous, violating norms of civic discourse and ethical governance. He has refused to concede the 2020 election to Joe Biden and hatched illegal schemes to remain in office, culminating in the attack on Congress on January 6, 2021. Arguably, an attempted coup.

So I’m stunned that he’s back on the ballot after being impeached twice, convicted and accused in multiple indictments, and promising revenge and retribution if reelected.

That we’ve come to this crossroad truly reflects a broken America.

Post by @garylerude@mindly.social

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The Opposite of Namaste | Timber Hawkeye

This morning I finished reading The Opposite of Namaste and wrote this review for Goodreads. They have a nice feature enabling the review to also be posted on a blog.

The Opposite of Namaste by Timber Hawkeye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm a longtime fan of Timber Hawkeye, listening to his podcast and now completing this third book of wisdom. The "Opposite of Namaste" compiles short takes on living that inspire me to live aligned with positive values.

Each chapter is conversational, presenting ideas that are thought-provoking and often counter-intuitive: "Those who challenge us actually teach us more than those who agree with us." Or "Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING), becomes more enjoyable when we let go of the illusions we have about how the world 'should' be and how people 'should' behave."

While reading, I highlight inspiring passages, then review them at the end of each chapter to reinforce my retention. I find periodically sampling and reflecting on the passages in a chapter a helpful spiritual practice.

I recommend the book as a gift, particularly for young adults framing their worldviews.

View all my reviews

Hezbollah Will Likely Withstand Israel's Onslaught

First posted on Mastodon.

Little Hope for Peace

Truly Unfathomable

Unfathomable. I cannot imagine how the Republican party has fallen to such depths of depravity. The party of my youth that reflected conservative principles framing views of Federal governance, foreign policy, and the exconomy has abandoned policies for demonizing the other in a distorted view of Christianity.

I guess the moon is made of green cheese.

Reading this list in The Atlantic is both stunning and heartbreaking.