I especially think expounding on two of your points would be helpful
First, the training of people to laugh at cruelty as humor. I think this has been inserting into much media and politics over a few decades. You can especially the result in many members of the regime. They begin talking, get cruel and nasty and start grinning or chuckling. You are suppose to "get in on the joke" or be cowered at their bullying.
Second on the stealing of your joy. In my personal circumstances with medical and other issues, I have learned happiness in a choice. The majority of the time I can do it. I am having trouble with this regime. I think it is because of their flood the zone approach as well as their attempt to retrain you as to what happiness should be for you. I am working to get my joy back.
Long ago, probably in my twenties, I decided that the greatest sin one could commit was to ‘fuck up someone else’s path’. As a corollary, I decided that I wanted to be on a path of forgiveness, tolerance, and generosity as a way to enjoy the beauty of life without being sidetracked with useless anger. I learned to remind myself that my own ego was usually the stumbling block that unsettled my peace of mind.
At 80 I’ve become pretty good at recognizing that insults from others are most often born from their own lack of satisfaction with themselves. But one anger I can’t seem to conquer is the anger that rises up when I witness anyone deliberately trying to ‘fuck up someone else’s path’. It is the thing that bothers me the most about DJT and his entourage. They say and do the most egregiously cruel and confrontational things they can think up. I try to reach for the tool of understanding that they are the sum of their inborn nature and their life’s baggage, but I must admit that those mind fuckers still can get to me.
It's fantastic that Trump has made it so easy for us. A melange of creeps, erotic sadists, fast-talking liars, emotional retards, and other general incompetents has now aroused a healthy patriotic backlash.
This is a great development that really needs us to embolden an economic agenda to transform the basic conditions that led to their access to power. Gross inequality can be remedied, but only over all the money in the world. Democratizing corporations and creating public finance are easy to legitimize, but face the Promethean challenge of overcoming a mountain of misbegotten ideas about about how to make an economy work for everyone.
Thank you. Well said.
I especially think expounding on two of your points would be helpful
First, the training of people to laugh at cruelty as humor. I think this has been inserting into much media and politics over a few decades. You can especially the result in many members of the regime. They begin talking, get cruel and nasty and start grinning or chuckling. You are suppose to "get in on the joke" or be cowered at their bullying.
Second on the stealing of your joy. In my personal circumstances with medical and other issues, I have learned happiness in a choice. The majority of the time I can do it. I am having trouble with this regime. I think it is because of their flood the zone approach as well as their attempt to retrain you as to what happiness should be for you. I am working to get my joy back.
Again thank you for your writing.
I am 67.
I've never seen anything like this in my adult life.
Anyone who knows me knows I hate confrontation, but damn, I am SO angry at what is happening that I CANNOT sit by and do nothing!!!
We should ALL be angry enough to take to the streets!!!
I am so grateful to all of the folks on Substack who are speaking the truth with the voice of reason, and encouraging us all!!!!
Long ago, probably in my twenties, I decided that the greatest sin one could commit was to ‘fuck up someone else’s path’. As a corollary, I decided that I wanted to be on a path of forgiveness, tolerance, and generosity as a way to enjoy the beauty of life without being sidetracked with useless anger. I learned to remind myself that my own ego was usually the stumbling block that unsettled my peace of mind.
At 80 I’ve become pretty good at recognizing that insults from others are most often born from their own lack of satisfaction with themselves. But one anger I can’t seem to conquer is the anger that rises up when I witness anyone deliberately trying to ‘fuck up someone else’s path’. It is the thing that bothers me the most about DJT and his entourage. They say and do the most egregiously cruel and confrontational things they can think up. I try to reach for the tool of understanding that they are the sum of their inborn nature and their life’s baggage, but I must admit that those mind fuckers still can get to me.
Very insightful.
Thank you Mike, for the clarity of steps that can be taken when I am overwhelmed with all the current news.
remain human, to stay awake
Don't forget to forgive yourself,when you fall short.
Have you heard about trouble throughout the land
With the fascists and the left wing militants
Out of work executives are killing themselves
And the I.R.A. are killing everybody else
Don't panic, don't lose control
Keep your head, keep ahold
Act normal there's nothing wrong
Stay cool, just carry on
You gotta live life and be yourself
You can't live life for anyone else
You gotta live life that's all you do
Nobody gonna live your life for you
Don't get depressed when you read in the press
About world revolution and social unrest
Try not to panic when you switch on the news
And see crooked politicians and the unemployment queues
It's only life it's really fine
So don't you believe all you read in the headlines
Live life see it through
Carry on it's all you can do
You gotta live life for yourself, can't live for anyone else
You gotta live life, that's all you do
Nobody gonna live their life for you
Trendy intellectuals always take action
For every cause that's ever been in fashion
Weekend revolutionaries protest and sing
Because they're dedicated followers of any old thing
They got every solution for every revolution
They live in the slums just like the poor people do
But they'd rather sniff coke instead of glue
Right-wing fascists beat up the blacks
Then they salute the Union Jack
You can't pretend there's nothing wrong
It's not the end, so just carry on
Oh, life's a mother, oh, life's a mother
Oh, life's a mother, oh, life's a mother
You gotta live life for yourself, can't live life for anyone else
You gotta live life, that's all you can do
Nobody gonna live their life for you
Live life, you gotta live life
You gotta live life, you gotta live life
-Ray Davies
Wow, thank you! I couldn’t sleep. I read this, it was so comforting.
Wonderful.
It's fantastic that Trump has made it so easy for us. A melange of creeps, erotic sadists, fast-talking liars, emotional retards, and other general incompetents has now aroused a healthy patriotic backlash.
This is a great development that really needs us to embolden an economic agenda to transform the basic conditions that led to their access to power. Gross inequality can be remedied, but only over all the money in the world. Democratizing corporations and creating public finance are easy to legitimize, but face the Promethean challenge of overcoming a mountain of misbegotten ideas about about how to make an economy work for everyone.