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The news cycle is wonky and has often left me wanting. Don’t get me wrong, the Biden administration’s shift into communications stealth-mode is not necessarily the wrong choice for this country in its recovery. But, I sometimes wonder how so many of us, who are still reeling from that long excursion to crazy-town during the Trump years, can wind down a little more in a healthy way. It also seems inevitable that Trump will be the Republican nominee for president in 2024, which means we can expect his nightmare political machine to start back up sometime in the new year.
Where does this leave us all politically, and more importantly, where does this leave us all emotionally? I am quite satisfied with how Biden is steering the national ship and except for a few rogue Democrats in Congress, I am fairly content with how Democrats continue to maneuver under the adage “slow and steady wins the race.” This might be because a part of me still gets anxious with any sudden governmental movement, but I also believe the pendulum has to swing wide to bring the balance back to center.
My question for you today is: what is on your mind most now? We are still in the throes of a pandemic, and the next mutation could be another threat…or not. We have all somewhat learned how to tread water in this state of half-awareness, that is no doubt another lingering side effect from Trump’s nightmarish reign. There is also the issue of his inevitable attempt at a resurgence.
I would also like to know what you have chosen to put your energy into now that things have settled slightly, while the ever-present Republican threats still remain? Are you having trouble settling into any kind of rhythm? What is your focus on these days? What are your hopes for the future? What do you wish you could change?
As the new year approaches, let’s take stock of where we are, and where we were, so that we can better discern where we want to go. The next several years will no doubt be filled with that faster, unrelenting pace we all had to learn to master after 2016, but is this our new normal? Will we all just be perpetually in and out of phases where we speed up only to slow down? Or, is the goal some kind of balance? How can we balance our politics, when it is merely a symptom of every other aspect of our lives being lived in the extreme? Our health, the environment, our hopes…will we ever recover some semblance of normal?
Be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you are feeling as we close out 2021. Are you feeling the same way? What do you wish would change and why? What are your goals (political, social, or personal) for 2022?
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Maybe it's counterintuitive, but from a political standpoint I'm actually feeling more anxious than at any point since January 6th. As we learn more about how close the Orange Asscactus came to succeeding in his coup attempt, I almost wish that I wasn't such a news junkie. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. As well, I am increasingly frustrated by what I perceive as the complete lack of urgency about voting rights legislation on the part of the Democrat politicians. Yes, this country has many pressing issues right now, but if nothing is done with respect to the issue of voting rights before the next election, it will become too late once the Republicans cement in these gerrymandered congressional districts and suppress the Democrat voters right out of existence. Oh, and if you think that a national "voter integrity" law won't be high on the Republicans' priority list after the 2022 midterm election, you're fooling yourself. Watch how quickly Moscow Mitch does away with the filibuster for this issue if/when he takes over again as Senate Majority Leader (Joe Manchin and Kristen Sinema will profess to be shocked when it happens, I'm sure).
As for me personally and outside the political anxiety, I am just trying to live my life--I do my job, I engage with those who are close to me, and I try my best to not let the politics "ruin everything else". It's the best we can do, I think.
I’m tired. I’m tired of seeing bad news all the time. I’m tired of worrying about my family getting ill. I’m tired of telling stubborn, rude students to pull up their masks. I’m tired of people feeling their “freedom” is more important than being kind to their neighbors.
I don’t know what the fix is. That may be part of the problem. There is no foreseeable end to this stress. I am very much looking forward to my school’s winter break so I can relax and spend time with my family. I am hoping that will give me the recharge I need to keep doing what I do. Maybe next year will be better. One can only hope…
I’m worried about the endless gun violence and school shootings. I don’t think even our elected democrats are doing enough to stop it. There needs to be an amendment that overrides the Second Amendment and resolves the issues surrounding it. More guns and less protections will only make things worse. The rhetoric coming out of our elected officials is like lighting a stick of dynamite. Empty Greene give weapons away meant to blow holes through lives, not hunt deer. Boebert makes sexualized videos dancing around with weapons meant to kill masses of people and then the tastelessness and disregard by Massie to put out his holiday card just days after another school shooting mimicking the wish for more ammo makes me nauseous. Last Christmas we had the same photos by many more elected officials.
We need permanent legislation to handle this. The 2A argument will always be used to take away more lives while crying about freedom.
We’ve worked hard for 40 years and retired just before/during The Pandemic. We had plans to travel that have been put on pause and we have hunkered down, limiting our social interaction for safety. Vaccinated and boostered now, we feel that we can begin to come out of our bubble. Our thoughts about what our lives should be about have been modified though, we feel the need to help others in some way, however small it may be. And we are also worried about our democracy. The way every attempt by Dems to make this a better country is blocked while offering no policy of their own, while working to limit and gerrymander voting, is frustrating. We also feel that the filibuster should be eliminated to allow the passing of what the majority of Americans want and need. It feels that we’re reaching a tipping point and we’re running out of time.
I am struck dumb by the short sighted folks and participants who resume life as usual.
That leaves me feeling like an alien.
I have been feeling unrelenting grief and regret, remembering all the things that we did not protect.
Such as our environment and it's inhabitants. We witness yearly, monthly and daily the results, extinction on all levels.
The insidious erosion of decency, human kindness, respect, Democracy, all the protective measurements for our life and liberty, undermined by corporations, politics, corruption here and globally.
I do not feel the least bit hopeful for our children or grand children.
If we do not get back on track and soon.
If we just obsess, concerning ourselves with the news rather than being a part of active change,
There will be nothing left.
It's that simple.
All of our memories and dreams have and had everything to do with hope.
Going forward, I feel apart from our nightmare reality.
The Senate is mainly occupying my political mind lately. I know that we don't usually see the details of the strategies and horse-trading that actually accomplishes things there, but I cannot fathom how there is any other priority right now apart from voting rights.
The new anti-voting laws and measures and recently the new round of state-level gerrymandering will absolutely win the House and then the country for the Republicans if these bills aren't passed.
As I said, I know we don't have all of the information, often until after things happen, but from my perspective it seems as though the Democrats are still politely playing by the old rules despite the Republicans constantly stabbing them and setting fire to the arena, then loudly blaming the blood and fire on the Left.
Oh how naive I was. I was *convinced* that tfg would "win" the election, and when they (finally) called it for Joe, I was so relieved. And yet. I had this little tingle of apprehension that I couldn't quite understand. Looking back on all that has transpired over the past year, I now understand that apprehension. I almost lost my lunch when I read "it also seems inevitable that Trump will be the Republican nominee for president in 2024..." but, sadly, I think you are right. How. How could an entire political party look at that pile of butterscotch pudding and say "Yep! He's our guy!" And how could (less than) half the country actively go along with it? (That last part was rhetorical, of course. I don't expect coherent answers from people who literally think tfg is either the Second Coming or has been sent by God. I mean, really? THAT'S your choice for Messiah?) So what is it? Do the Democrats suck at messaging? Are the news outlets to blame? Is there something else at play? It's probably all of the above. Because when tfg dominates the headlines even after being out of office for almost a year, something is broken. And whatever it is, Democrats better hurry up and fix it because voters have very short, selective memories: they will very quickly forget what a mockery tfg and his cronies made of the executive branch, and what an embarrassment he was, but they will easily remember how they thought the Democrats "did nothing" ("Why won't they end the filibuster?" "Why won't they pass voting rights?" "Why won't they add another justice to the Supreme Court?" "Why won't they cancel student loans?" "Why isn't tfg in jail?" etc, etc, etc) and vote against their best interest, simply because they believe the other side will get things done. I am not hopeful for the midterms. ... So that's how I'm feeling. Thanks for asking! 👍
Today my partner and I are closing on a new home. We've lived together 13 years, weathered a lot of storms both individually and collectively in each of our 6 plus decades of living and this feels like a commitment to weather whatever comes next together. We're moving 45 minutes away to be closer to my daughter and return to the county where I spent 2/3 of my life. Prior to this decision, we considered moving to a Blue state or even moving to Europe. Before I put an offer on this new house, I researched every neighbor on the street to see their political affiliation. This is what it's come to-we don't want to live where we have to look at tfg's name assaulting our psyche every time we look out the window or walk down our street. We don't want to question the sanity of neighbors who feel the need to advertise their devotion to a Putin wannabe. With our new move comes a new ISP. The cost of the new ISP is ridiculously high (and they are the only one in the area) so it seems like a good time to finally cut the cable cord. This means no more watching MSNBC-and binge watching Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell when bad news runs rampant. This feels like a good thing. I'll continue to subscribe to newsletters from Marc Elias, Heather Cox Richardson and of course, you, dear Amy, to keep updated on the latest. I'll listen to podcasts. I'll read magazines like the New Yorker and the Atlantic and soon, the local daily newspaper. With this move, I plan to strengthen connections with people from my past and forge new connections with all those who care about humanity. I have the same concerns about the future of our democracy and our planet that all of us here share. If Congress doesn't figure out a way to end partisan gerrymandering and federally strengthen laws to uphold voting rights before the 2022 elections, the future of our United States looks bleak. I always wondered how Hitler got so much power and was able to do all the terrible things he did and get others to go along with it. I naively believed it could never happen here. For today, I'm choosing to focus on a walk in the woods with my dog, the squirrels burying nuts in my backyard, the sun that's doing her best to burn through the gloom on a December day in NE Ohio. I take comfort in knowing that there are a lot of us in this together, working for the good.
please give ppl another way of donating besides paypal. or apple pay. I made a donation once before, but I sure didn't use paypal. Now I just can't make a 1 time donation.
Yes, I notice if I go to the link to make a one-time tribute now I am only offered PayPal. I’m sure I signed up with my own credit card. I don’t even see the Apple pay option.
I don't see it either, but it does come up on other substack writers. I know I used my credit card when I did 'tribute'. I believe writers and artists should always be PAID. Help us out here Amee... :-)
Go to the “top” of the insurgent chain of command and prosecute every last one of them up to and including Hawley, Trump, Cruz et. al. This is of top importance for all Americans. Do it first or We the People will have no future choices.
Politically I feel very messed with, We busted our asses to get BIDEN in and I believe so many people believe well that’s that. It is a Gross misunderstanding of what is really happening and I do not believe the Democratic Populous understands how deep the maliciousness of Maga Goes. I really believe this experiment will end.
Personally I am as involved with my family as much as I am able and they are funny, smart, hilarious raising kids of their own as we the legends participate and tgey find out we are funnier than they ever thought. They are selective politically and while that is healthy it is also dangerous. Civics not taught as vibrantly in their generation. We grab the chances for get togethers based on tge Pandemic and each other’s health. Personally I am navigating a new puppy, I was trying to adopt a middle aged guy but ended up again with a corgi puppy after a devastating loss of a beautiful boy due to illness in early fall.
I am very much concerned about climate change I live on beautiful Narragansett Bay, we’re we re- create, we marvel at, she feeds us and I don’t think COP26 accomplished a meaningful dent maybe a pucker. People have to change
Perhaps as old as I am and disabled I have changed many times as we all have, change back to nondisposables.
One recap I am positive about is Amee, I read all her Shero’s and am
Better informed and am really really glad someone has Passion about good journalism and truth.
So it’s a mad crazy world Syria is turning into a Narcostate, Putin just happens to be building up an army by lone country, people still shopped widely on Black Friday and Americans are divided . We go on and see who steps up again, it will be women
What is on your mind most now? Trump, though I'm dismayed to say this, but also not surprised.
Below is what I think I've learned. I have no power to change any of this other than to vote; it's up to Democrats and Democratic and progressive candidates to be the counterinsurgents in this existential fight for US democracy, and that can happen only when they go on the offensive, get down and dirty, even nasty in explaining to the voters how dire their situations will be if it's Trump II and a full Republican-controlled Congress. Think, living in a fundamentalist-dominant culture.
Lying is good because it works.
Facts have no currency or power in an autocracy.
What we have seen so far is only highlights of what's to come from Republicans if they reclaim the Senate and House in 2022; then they will go full authoritarianism and the majority of citizens in the US will become captives of the minority of people who are highly motivated by fear of losing power for good and the lies they will concoct to create fear will be the tools they use.
The ongoing tragedy is that people who could prevent this simply by voting likely will not turn out in sufficient numbers to stop Republicans at every level of government, even school boards, from imposing bizarrely anti-intellectual and fantastical rules, laws, and principles on them. And where voting rights have been stripped, and are being stripped, from people who are anathema to Republicans, the election outcomes are already determined.
Maybe it's counterintuitive, but from a political standpoint I'm actually feeling more anxious than at any point since January 6th. As we learn more about how close the Orange Asscactus came to succeeding in his coup attempt, I almost wish that I wasn't such a news junkie. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. As well, I am increasingly frustrated by what I perceive as the complete lack of urgency about voting rights legislation on the part of the Democrat politicians. Yes, this country has many pressing issues right now, but if nothing is done with respect to the issue of voting rights before the next election, it will become too late once the Republicans cement in these gerrymandered congressional districts and suppress the Democrat voters right out of existence. Oh, and if you think that a national "voter integrity" law won't be high on the Republicans' priority list after the 2022 midterm election, you're fooling yourself. Watch how quickly Moscow Mitch does away with the filibuster for this issue if/when he takes over again as Senate Majority Leader (Joe Manchin and Kristen Sinema will profess to be shocked when it happens, I'm sure).
As for me personally and outside the political anxiety, I am just trying to live my life--I do my job, I engage with those who are close to me, and I try my best to not let the politics "ruin everything else". It's the best we can do, I think.
I feel this.
This is exactly the comment I would have written. I am more anxious now than at any time in the last 5 years.
I’m tired. I’m tired of seeing bad news all the time. I’m tired of worrying about my family getting ill. I’m tired of telling stubborn, rude students to pull up their masks. I’m tired of people feeling their “freedom” is more important than being kind to their neighbors.
I don’t know what the fix is. That may be part of the problem. There is no foreseeable end to this stress. I am very much looking forward to my school’s winter break so I can relax and spend time with my family. I am hoping that will give me the recharge I need to keep doing what I do. Maybe next year will be better. One can only hope…
I’m worried about the endless gun violence and school shootings. I don’t think even our elected democrats are doing enough to stop it. There needs to be an amendment that overrides the Second Amendment and resolves the issues surrounding it. More guns and less protections will only make things worse. The rhetoric coming out of our elected officials is like lighting a stick of dynamite. Empty Greene give weapons away meant to blow holes through lives, not hunt deer. Boebert makes sexualized videos dancing around with weapons meant to kill masses of people and then the tastelessness and disregard by Massie to put out his holiday card just days after another school shooting mimicking the wish for more ammo makes me nauseous. Last Christmas we had the same photos by many more elected officials.
We need permanent legislation to handle this. The 2A argument will always be used to take away more lives while crying about freedom.
We’ve worked hard for 40 years and retired just before/during The Pandemic. We had plans to travel that have been put on pause and we have hunkered down, limiting our social interaction for safety. Vaccinated and boostered now, we feel that we can begin to come out of our bubble. Our thoughts about what our lives should be about have been modified though, we feel the need to help others in some way, however small it may be. And we are also worried about our democracy. The way every attempt by Dems to make this a better country is blocked while offering no policy of their own, while working to limit and gerrymander voting, is frustrating. We also feel that the filibuster should be eliminated to allow the passing of what the majority of Americans want and need. It feels that we’re reaching a tipping point and we’re running out of time.
Sadly, I feel it even goes deeper for me.
I am struck dumb by the short sighted folks and participants who resume life as usual.
That leaves me feeling like an alien.
I have been feeling unrelenting grief and regret, remembering all the things that we did not protect.
Such as our environment and it's inhabitants. We witness yearly, monthly and daily the results, extinction on all levels.
The insidious erosion of decency, human kindness, respect, Democracy, all the protective measurements for our life and liberty, undermined by corporations, politics, corruption here and globally.
I do not feel the least bit hopeful for our children or grand children.
If we do not get back on track and soon.
If we just obsess, concerning ourselves with the news rather than being a part of active change,
There will be nothing left.
It's that simple.
All of our memories and dreams have and had everything to do with hope.
Going forward, I feel apart from our nightmare reality.
And I want to retreat.
But, there is no yesteryear to return to.
The Senate is mainly occupying my political mind lately. I know that we don't usually see the details of the strategies and horse-trading that actually accomplishes things there, but I cannot fathom how there is any other priority right now apart from voting rights.
The new anti-voting laws and measures and recently the new round of state-level gerrymandering will absolutely win the House and then the country for the Republicans if these bills aren't passed.
As I said, I know we don't have all of the information, often until after things happen, but from my perspective it seems as though the Democrats are still politely playing by the old rules despite the Republicans constantly stabbing them and setting fire to the arena, then loudly blaming the blood and fire on the Left.
Oh how naive I was. I was *convinced* that tfg would "win" the election, and when they (finally) called it for Joe, I was so relieved. And yet. I had this little tingle of apprehension that I couldn't quite understand. Looking back on all that has transpired over the past year, I now understand that apprehension. I almost lost my lunch when I read "it also seems inevitable that Trump will be the Republican nominee for president in 2024..." but, sadly, I think you are right. How. How could an entire political party look at that pile of butterscotch pudding and say "Yep! He's our guy!" And how could (less than) half the country actively go along with it? (That last part was rhetorical, of course. I don't expect coherent answers from people who literally think tfg is either the Second Coming or has been sent by God. I mean, really? THAT'S your choice for Messiah?) So what is it? Do the Democrats suck at messaging? Are the news outlets to blame? Is there something else at play? It's probably all of the above. Because when tfg dominates the headlines even after being out of office for almost a year, something is broken. And whatever it is, Democrats better hurry up and fix it because voters have very short, selective memories: they will very quickly forget what a mockery tfg and his cronies made of the executive branch, and what an embarrassment he was, but they will easily remember how they thought the Democrats "did nothing" ("Why won't they end the filibuster?" "Why won't they pass voting rights?" "Why won't they add another justice to the Supreme Court?" "Why won't they cancel student loans?" "Why isn't tfg in jail?" etc, etc, etc) and vote against their best interest, simply because they believe the other side will get things done. I am not hopeful for the midterms. ... So that's how I'm feeling. Thanks for asking! 👍
Today my partner and I are closing on a new home. We've lived together 13 years, weathered a lot of storms both individually and collectively in each of our 6 plus decades of living and this feels like a commitment to weather whatever comes next together. We're moving 45 minutes away to be closer to my daughter and return to the county where I spent 2/3 of my life. Prior to this decision, we considered moving to a Blue state or even moving to Europe. Before I put an offer on this new house, I researched every neighbor on the street to see their political affiliation. This is what it's come to-we don't want to live where we have to look at tfg's name assaulting our psyche every time we look out the window or walk down our street. We don't want to question the sanity of neighbors who feel the need to advertise their devotion to a Putin wannabe. With our new move comes a new ISP. The cost of the new ISP is ridiculously high (and they are the only one in the area) so it seems like a good time to finally cut the cable cord. This means no more watching MSNBC-and binge watching Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell when bad news runs rampant. This feels like a good thing. I'll continue to subscribe to newsletters from Marc Elias, Heather Cox Richardson and of course, you, dear Amy, to keep updated on the latest. I'll listen to podcasts. I'll read magazines like the New Yorker and the Atlantic and soon, the local daily newspaper. With this move, I plan to strengthen connections with people from my past and forge new connections with all those who care about humanity. I have the same concerns about the future of our democracy and our planet that all of us here share. If Congress doesn't figure out a way to end partisan gerrymandering and federally strengthen laws to uphold voting rights before the 2022 elections, the future of our United States looks bleak. I always wondered how Hitler got so much power and was able to do all the terrible things he did and get others to go along with it. I naively believed it could never happen here. For today, I'm choosing to focus on a walk in the woods with my dog, the squirrels burying nuts in my backyard, the sun that's doing her best to burn through the gloom on a December day in NE Ohio. I take comfort in knowing that there are a lot of us in this together, working for the good.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
please give ppl another way of donating besides paypal. or apple pay. I made a donation once before, but I sure didn't use paypal. Now I just can't make a 1 time donation.
Yes, I notice if I go to the link to make a one-time tribute now I am only offered PayPal. I’m sure I signed up with my own credit card. I don’t even see the Apple pay option.
I don't see it either, but it does come up on other substack writers. I know I used my credit card when I did 'tribute'. I believe writers and artists should always be PAID. Help us out here Amee... :-)
Agreed
Go to the “top” of the insurgent chain of command and prosecute every last one of them up to and including Hawley, Trump, Cruz et. al. This is of top importance for all Americans. Do it first or We the People will have no future choices.
Politically I feel very messed with, We busted our asses to get BIDEN in and I believe so many people believe well that’s that. It is a Gross misunderstanding of what is really happening and I do not believe the Democratic Populous understands how deep the maliciousness of Maga Goes. I really believe this experiment will end.
Personally I am as involved with my family as much as I am able and they are funny, smart, hilarious raising kids of their own as we the legends participate and tgey find out we are funnier than they ever thought. They are selective politically and while that is healthy it is also dangerous. Civics not taught as vibrantly in their generation. We grab the chances for get togethers based on tge Pandemic and each other’s health. Personally I am navigating a new puppy, I was trying to adopt a middle aged guy but ended up again with a corgi puppy after a devastating loss of a beautiful boy due to illness in early fall.
I am very much concerned about climate change I live on beautiful Narragansett Bay, we’re we re- create, we marvel at, she feeds us and I don’t think COP26 accomplished a meaningful dent maybe a pucker. People have to change
Perhaps as old as I am and disabled I have changed many times as we all have, change back to nondisposables.
One recap I am positive about is Amee, I read all her Shero’s and am
Better informed and am really really glad someone has Passion about good journalism and truth.
So it’s a mad crazy world Syria is turning into a Narcostate, Putin just happens to be building up an army by lone country, people still shopped widely on Black Friday and Americans are divided . We go on and see who steps up again, it will be women
What is on your mind most now? Trump, though I'm dismayed to say this, but also not surprised.
Below is what I think I've learned. I have no power to change any of this other than to vote; it's up to Democrats and Democratic and progressive candidates to be the counterinsurgents in this existential fight for US democracy, and that can happen only when they go on the offensive, get down and dirty, even nasty in explaining to the voters how dire their situations will be if it's Trump II and a full Republican-controlled Congress. Think, living in a fundamentalist-dominant culture.
Lying is good because it works.
Facts have no currency or power in an autocracy.
What we have seen so far is only highlights of what's to come from Republicans if they reclaim the Senate and House in 2022; then they will go full authoritarianism and the majority of citizens in the US will become captives of the minority of people who are highly motivated by fear of losing power for good and the lies they will concoct to create fear will be the tools they use.
The ongoing tragedy is that people who could prevent this simply by voting likely will not turn out in sufficient numbers to stop Republicans at every level of government, even school boards, from imposing bizarrely anti-intellectual and fantastical rules, laws, and principles on them. And where voting rights have been stripped, and are being stripped, from people who are anathema to Republicans, the election outcomes are already determined.