Love this - great writing and excellent recognition of the essence of us as Americans. I've been feeling since the beginning of the rise of the resistance 2.0 that we Americans are NEVER going to bow to this autocratic effort. I almost snorted at the "father's love withheld" - he is very unwell. I read that great Ruth Whippman book, "Boy Mom" (I have an only son) and I truly believe we need to nurture boys and men so much more than they have gotten outta the patriarchy! We'll ALL be better off! Thanks for an awesome read!🙏🙏🙏
yes, I was coming here to say this. I was in suburban maryland (outside DC) and the amount of joy and fight coming from passing cars on Saturday was electric.
My husband grew up in a Navy family and graduated from the US Air Force Academy. Although he has been retired from military service for many years, I am sure he would be able to hop to it and march in formation better than the troops casually walking in Orange’s ill planned parade. If ya know ya know. A week earlier, I attended a rally to protest for cuts made to our veterans. I truly don’t think I would ever have seen so many veterans holding up political signs before the insurrection, especially not huge flags saying “Fuck Trump”. Incidentally, my pro-navy in-laws have been attending weekly protests. This is antithetical to their non-partisan training.
I love that this was the first thing I read this morning…so rich and measured and true and also I want korean tacos for breakfast! 😛Thank you, Anand. 🙏🏾🫶🏾
It has taken me time to protest with an American flag. The variety of ways people creatively, yet seriously protested at the No Kings Saturday included many American flags!
Now that the regime (Trump, Miller, Vought) is ramping up the green light for violence and strategically demonizing Democrats, etc. how do we keep the spirit of your written words here alive and integrated in daily life?
I have an ongoing dream of people organizing at a daily/weekly coordinated time where we come out of our homes to stand for freedom. With the same flair and energy of banging pots and pans on New Year’s Eve (in my sixties:). What flood the zone moments we could make!
Thank you again for the thoughtful inspiration you provide!
Why is no one reporting about the sponsors-buddies of trump-who paid for part of the DC military parade and had our military handing out their sponsors new drinks!
Buying our politicians, Supreme Court justices and now our military actions? Oligarchs must be crushed financially because their money buys everything in our governments. If that is the case now, they do not need our taxes and We the People will #TaxRevolt. Taxation without representation was one of the biggest reasons for our Revolutionary War 1773-81.
Thank you for this post. Being with other people on Saturday with 92 degrees at mile high in downtown Denver, I was renewed to see people of color, and other Americans, connecting with a common goal. The signs were great, people united and peaceful. It was noticeable that there were no uniformed law enforcement. I have heard this was true in other cities. I have faith in the American Spirit! The felon has no heart, no brain, and no soul. Truly a cowardly individual. This weekend we connected our true American soul. May every American call out the atrocities and hatred towards our elected representatives. May the good people of Minnesota find peace in the coming weeks.
this trump supporter was the only counter-protestor i saw, and the police forced him to stand on the other side of a creek far away from the crowd of thousands — all alone, he helplessly kept trying to shout "you are the minority!"
I was in a small town in rural Maine and 5% of the voters there showed up at a rally. The spirit was amazing! There were back to the land people and Republicans. People were there because they were not seeing the America they want to live in. I love how you describe the mish mash. On Saturday, in that small town, there was the annual Whoope Pie Festival and one of the winners? Fat free Yogi health nut whoopee pie.
LOVE this and it is so true. We are not a lock step bunch of folks. We shimmy, we slide, we twist, we swim, we do just about anything and everything but perform in lock step! I love the Duke putting his two cents in as well. True Brilliance!
Love this - great writing and excellent recognition of the essence of us as Americans. I've been feeling since the beginning of the rise of the resistance 2.0 that we Americans are NEVER going to bow to this autocratic effort. I almost snorted at the "father's love withheld" - he is very unwell. I read that great Ruth Whippman book, "Boy Mom" (I have an only son) and I truly believe we need to nurture boys and men so much more than they have gotten outta the patriarchy! We'll ALL be better off! Thanks for an awesome read!🙏🙏🙏
but those other marches on Saturday, thousands of them around the country, were pure fusion, an absolute kimchi taco burger pizza salad of expression.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vWXXDKQFZyo
yes, I was coming here to say this. I was in suburban maryland (outside DC) and the amount of joy and fight coming from passing cars on Saturday was electric.
My husband grew up in a Navy family and graduated from the US Air Force Academy. Although he has been retired from military service for many years, I am sure he would be able to hop to it and march in formation better than the troops casually walking in Orange’s ill planned parade. If ya know ya know. A week earlier, I attended a rally to protest for cuts made to our veterans. I truly don’t think I would ever have seen so many veterans holding up political signs before the insurrection, especially not huge flags saying “Fuck Trump”. Incidentally, my pro-navy in-laws have been attending weekly protests. This is antithetical to their non-partisan training.
Absolutely BRILLIANT observations and writing. THANK YOU!!
I love that this was the first thing I read this morning…so rich and measured and true and also I want korean tacos for breakfast! 😛Thank you, Anand. 🙏🏾🫶🏾
Thank you, thank you for capturing us, AMERICA, in this lovingly written piece and for reminding us of our shimmy and delights.
Makes me want to shimmy, this writing ♥️
Woo hoo! You're not wrong about any of it. We are cool cats who can't be herded. Wouldn't want it any other way!
Thank you Anand for this enjoyable analysis!
It has taken me time to protest with an American flag. The variety of ways people creatively, yet seriously protested at the No Kings Saturday included many American flags!
Now that the regime (Trump, Miller, Vought) is ramping up the green light for violence and strategically demonizing Democrats, etc. how do we keep the spirit of your written words here alive and integrated in daily life?
I have an ongoing dream of people organizing at a daily/weekly coordinated time where we come out of our homes to stand for freedom. With the same flair and energy of banging pots and pans on New Year’s Eve (in my sixties:). What flood the zone moments we could make!
Thank you again for the thoughtful inspiration you provide!
Why is no one reporting about the sponsors-buddies of trump-who paid for part of the DC military parade and had our military handing out their sponsors new drinks!
Buying our politicians, Supreme Court justices and now our military actions? Oligarchs must be crushed financially because their money buys everything in our governments. If that is the case now, they do not need our taxes and We the People will #TaxRevolt. Taxation without representation was one of the biggest reasons for our Revolutionary War 1773-81.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/15/us/politics/trump-military-parade-sponsors.html
This is wonderful! Thank you. You’ve captured the essence of America so perfectly. This weekend proved we all will and must keep shimmying!!!
Thank you for this post. Being with other people on Saturday with 92 degrees at mile high in downtown Denver, I was renewed to see people of color, and other Americans, connecting with a common goal. The signs were great, people united and peaceful. It was noticeable that there were no uniformed law enforcement. I have heard this was true in other cities. I have faith in the American Spirit! The felon has no heart, no brain, and no soul. Truly a cowardly individual. This weekend we connected our true American soul. May every American call out the atrocities and hatred towards our elected representatives. May the good people of Minnesota find peace in the coming weeks.
I love this image and description:
this trump supporter was the only counter-protestor i saw, and the police forced him to stand on the other side of a creek far away from the crowd of thousands — all alone, he helplessly kept trying to shout "you are the minority!"
https://bsky.app/profile/dame.is/post/3lrlkyevpys2t
We definitely shimmy, in all the colors of the rainbow and beyond.
I was in a small town in rural Maine and 5% of the voters there showed up at a rally. The spirit was amazing! There were back to the land people and Republicans. People were there because they were not seeing the America they want to live in. I love how you describe the mish mash. On Saturday, in that small town, there was the annual Whoope Pie Festival and one of the winners? Fat free Yogi health nut whoopee pie.
LOVE this and it is so true. We are not a lock step bunch of folks. We shimmy, we slide, we twist, we swim, we do just about anything and everything but perform in lock step! I love the Duke putting his two cents in as well. True Brilliance!