Thank you for a thoughtful essay on your interview with Dr. El-Sayed. I love his compassionate and empathetic approach to politics, I agree it’s what we need in our leaders today if we are to survive Trumpism. The greatest presidents of American history have been people who listen and seek to help and serve as well as lead, such as Lincoln and FDR. I would definitely vote for him if I lived in Michigan.
I would love to ask the community a question that has been nagging me recently: why isn’t everyone, every single decent American, consumed with indignation, shame and horror at what’s happening to our country? Why isn’t every single decent American standing up against this regime? Even the good people I know, I can hardly get them to make one phone call to our representatives or senators, let alone go to a protest, or even talk about politics with someone they don’t know. Are they afraid, or embarrassed, or unaware of the danger we are in? For every twenty people I know who say things like, “yeah this is bad! It’s horrible,”there is only one who will actually take action, and I feel like it’s always me! It fills me with despair some days and I don’t want to be so negative. I suppose having hard days goes with the territory but please give me some advice, Ink community!
I share your distress and frustration. But in every crisis and in every epoch, there are going to be those that choose the sidelines. That said, I'm feeling a little more optimistic these days. I see coalitions of resisters emerging all over the country and, indeed, the world. It doesn't look like a mass movement yet because it isn't. That could be just over the horizon.
In 2020, I was struck by how many citizens, of all walks of life, took to the streets for weeks at a time to protest the murder of George Floyd. One horrific event galvanized the nation and the world. But then it stopped and that is because it was a spontaneous outpouring of anger, sadness, grief, and compassion without direction; there was no after-plan and more importantly, the collations that took to the streets did not coalesce; there were no "greater than the sum of its parts" that emerged. Organizations like BLM and others continue to fight, but a consensus that the struggle has only begun is lacking in the general public.
Partially, I blame it on our couch-potato, screen addicted, let-someone-else-do-it society. The notion of a general, nationwide strike would never occur to us. However, it's been employed in Europe for generations with great success. Americans lack a protest-pushback mind set; we've been lulled into thinking that our elected leaders will take care of things. We've also been brainwashed into thinking protests are un-American. If we continue to believe these two fictions, our country will be hoist on the horns of fate as prescribed by MAGA.
We need a new Zeitgeist which honors the fight for freedom from fascism. We need a new Zeitgeist that allows organizations across the country, of every strip, to wage a non-violent, non-sectarian war for all of us. It's the 1% or 2% that will profit from a MAGA nation. In a nation of 350 million, do the math. That will mean 25 million "winners" and 325 million losers. Time for a new Zeitgeist that recognizes this as a possibility.
Christiana, I have the same problem. I regularly update a big group of friends and relatives, but only a few of them actually do anything. I think it's a combination of feeling that the things that are happening aren't going to affect them and a feeling of helplessness. But Americans in general are pretty passive people. Our lives are convenient and easy compared with many other people's, and because of our geography we are pretty safe. We also don't have to learn to speak other languages. But also, with any endeavor, the response rate is generally pretty low. When a company conducts a marketing campaign they can expect maybe a one to two percent response rate. This statistic holds true for many other kinds of issues. I think it's a combination of inertia, being busy, and just a kind of paralysis. Maybe it's also just not being used to taking political action. How do we fix it? Make it really easy for people to act. Spoon feed them the information they need. Maybe once they get used to doing these things it will become easier. My two cents.
This is a wonderful summary of what Abdul said, Anand. Thank you. And as a lifelong progressive, I am rethinking my approach to what's going on in the US because of what this wonderful man said. For some time now I have been attempting to be friendly and outgoing to people I don't know (which is very difficult for me since I'm an introvert), almost as an experiment to see what happens to me personally and between us. Some are friendly back and some aren't. But given where I live--a reddish suburb of Los Angeles--I am absolutely sure that many of the "nice" ones voted for Trump. Still, I am trying to find common ground, whether it's through dogs, Girl Scout cookies, or even the weather. Now, having listened to Abdul, I am more determined than ever to see all of my neighbors as individuals and try to understand them. Sure, some of them will still rub me the wrong way, but I'm going to try to stop and understand what's driving them.
Regarding the immigrant experience, I believe it would be incredibly useful for our filmmakers to create movies that show us what that's like so we can develop more empathy, because right now that experience is abstract for many of us if we think about it at all. But if we could watch (and read about, but unfortunately most people don't read novels these days), people who have emigrated--understand where they came from and what their lives are like here--I really believe we could begin to understand and appreciate each other better. And BTW, Abdul's story about his grandmother saying he was lucky to leave Egypt really resonates with me. Yes, there is a huge amount wrong with the US, but not as much as with many other places. So instead of being so upset about living here, I am going to try to remember that we have so much to appreciate that many other people don't. Thank you both for opening my eyes. I don't live in Michigan but I will be supporting Abdul El-Sayed for the Senate.
Thank you--I'm trying, too. It really matters that we introverts reach out wherever we are able to. Insecurity is a HUGE problem along with a feeling of being unmoored. People seek belonging because it's a fundamental human need like food is, and when they feel jettisoned from the identity they have been used to, they often go after things like Q-anon. Many individual acts of friendship can bring great benefit to a society.
I'm grateful that you've admitted to being an introvert. It helps. Our society is so geared to extroverts that it can be awkward to be different. I have friends that I've known for decades who still don't get me. But anyway, to the subject at hand, yes, let's try to reach out and see what comes of it. Thank you for validating my idea!
I also thought this was an outstanding interview and I wish that the women who are running against him in the primary would simply drop out. Sorry, but he has the best message and should be the candidate. Also, we already have a woman from Michigan and we could use an immigrant man.
I loved reading this! El-Sayed is definitely onto something. My question is, why isn't his voice bigger? I understand if he's running for Senate in Michigan that he's likely focusing most of his efforts there...but his message needs to be broadcast far and wide. Thank you for introducing him to us, Anand. And I look forward to hearing much much more from him in the future.
I would love to hear you interview Stephen Porges, PhD, a neuroscientist dedicated to making a sense of safety a part of medical care, childbearing, education - life in general. His Polyvagal Theory delineates the difference between the reptilian and mammalian brain. Most of us are unaware of how many of our choices/actions are “reptilian reactivity” rather than thoughtful, empathic response. El-Sayed understands this. Thank you for giving visibility to such an important viewpoint.
I really loved the conversation, and I think you do an excellent job of summarizing it here. One other point Abdul made that really stayed with me was that a lot of the mealy mouthed "vanilla" moderation we get from Democratic leaders is a result of their having to work hard to avoid upsetting big donors and Super PACs and all that. He said that because he doesn't take money from corporate donors, he can say what he believes, and speak the truth. It really shows, in his words and his vision for a better America.
This was a great read; thank you very much! I sure hope Dr. El-Sayed's message resonates with more and more politicians who are trying to undo what Trump has wrought; as you say, it is not enough to undo it all; we really need to embrace a bold and inclusive vision for our future so that everyone feels safe and secure. "Let our best dreams be more powerful than their worst nightmare" (Valerie Kaur).
I feel like Sen.Booker said an iteration like DrEl-Sayed. He said morality is the goal, doing what is right. To me, that works but I also would like to campaign on Demanding Decency. I am an Elder. I matched on Washington during the VietNam War when we realized we were actively being indecent. As for our history, those that people the continent were grossly indecent. That to me is the American Dream: to act with decency. To choose being decent. To do the decent thing. Decades ago, in my elite county in the US, I served on a grand jury weekly for 6 months. I learned we have a permanent Underclass. Think about that. Decency wasn't applied to them - ever. So they voted for indecency and they liked it.
I was just thinking about the fact that this president is actually bringing the two sides together with his first 100 days of destruction. The massive termination of our cherished National Parks employees and our dedicated USAID Foreign Service Officers who are advocates for peace and harmony. I could go on and on, but these random cuts are destroying the fabric of our country for all of us.
As good as Dr. El-Sayed sounds from your summary, I wonder why he lost the primary? Why did Bernie Sanders not get the D nomination for president when he was several years younger? Why did Ds and others not choose Harris over t? It can't be just because she wasn't progressive enough. God forgive us if bigotry was why. Moderate D candidates who run against autocrats and radical rightists do not deserve rejection. The good must not be despised because it isn't perfect.
It takes a lot of work and a lot of time to change people's minds. The best people often don't win. Yes, may God forgive us, but may we keep moving forward and learning from our mistakes.
This was excellent. I love “Confront The Bully, Court The Posse” and “Don’t Prove Them Wrong, Get Them To Right”. Yes, it can be emotionally satisfying, to look down our upturned noses at Trump’s followers, but it is not a winning strategy. We can skip the “I told you so” , and go straight to the message that Trump’s policies are hurting all of us.
I also like the emphasis on “Winning The Peace”. Critique is crucial, but we are for: protecting the rights of all
Americans, an economy that works for all Americans, and an America that is safe and healthy for our children and grandchildren.
I am glad to hear someone has put forth a vision of what the future can be. I have been asking what is needed to make sure we fix the root issues that got us to this point. These points are good ways to start.
M K Ghandi Non-Violent Resistance (Saryagraha). And Reverend James Lawson Jr who was a Mentor and Leader with Rep John Lewis. Senator Cory Booker is of this school
It was a totally engrossing interview. All we need is the mind set to tackle all issues that gave rise to Trump, unfortunately too many party entrenched and the campaign industry attached to both parties like thing the way they are.
Thank you for a thoughtful essay on your interview with Dr. El-Sayed. I love his compassionate and empathetic approach to politics, I agree it’s what we need in our leaders today if we are to survive Trumpism. The greatest presidents of American history have been people who listen and seek to help and serve as well as lead, such as Lincoln and FDR. I would definitely vote for him if I lived in Michigan.
I would love to ask the community a question that has been nagging me recently: why isn’t everyone, every single decent American, consumed with indignation, shame and horror at what’s happening to our country? Why isn’t every single decent American standing up against this regime? Even the good people I know, I can hardly get them to make one phone call to our representatives or senators, let alone go to a protest, or even talk about politics with someone they don’t know. Are they afraid, or embarrassed, or unaware of the danger we are in? For every twenty people I know who say things like, “yeah this is bad! It’s horrible,”there is only one who will actually take action, and I feel like it’s always me! It fills me with despair some days and I don’t want to be so negative. I suppose having hard days goes with the territory but please give me some advice, Ink community!
I share your distress and frustration. But in every crisis and in every epoch, there are going to be those that choose the sidelines. That said, I'm feeling a little more optimistic these days. I see coalitions of resisters emerging all over the country and, indeed, the world. It doesn't look like a mass movement yet because it isn't. That could be just over the horizon.
In 2020, I was struck by how many citizens, of all walks of life, took to the streets for weeks at a time to protest the murder of George Floyd. One horrific event galvanized the nation and the world. But then it stopped and that is because it was a spontaneous outpouring of anger, sadness, grief, and compassion without direction; there was no after-plan and more importantly, the collations that took to the streets did not coalesce; there were no "greater than the sum of its parts" that emerged. Organizations like BLM and others continue to fight, but a consensus that the struggle has only begun is lacking in the general public.
Partially, I blame it on our couch-potato, screen addicted, let-someone-else-do-it society. The notion of a general, nationwide strike would never occur to us. However, it's been employed in Europe for generations with great success. Americans lack a protest-pushback mind set; we've been lulled into thinking that our elected leaders will take care of things. We've also been brainwashed into thinking protests are un-American. If we continue to believe these two fictions, our country will be hoist on the horns of fate as prescribed by MAGA.
We need a new Zeitgeist which honors the fight for freedom from fascism. We need a new Zeitgeist that allows organizations across the country, of every strip, to wage a non-violent, non-sectarian war for all of us. It's the 1% or 2% that will profit from a MAGA nation. In a nation of 350 million, do the math. That will mean 25 million "winners" and 325 million losers. Time for a new Zeitgeist that recognizes this as a possibility.
Christiana, I have the same problem. I regularly update a big group of friends and relatives, but only a few of them actually do anything. I think it's a combination of feeling that the things that are happening aren't going to affect them and a feeling of helplessness. But Americans in general are pretty passive people. Our lives are convenient and easy compared with many other people's, and because of our geography we are pretty safe. We also don't have to learn to speak other languages. But also, with any endeavor, the response rate is generally pretty low. When a company conducts a marketing campaign they can expect maybe a one to two percent response rate. This statistic holds true for many other kinds of issues. I think it's a combination of inertia, being busy, and just a kind of paralysis. Maybe it's also just not being used to taking political action. How do we fix it? Make it really easy for people to act. Spoon feed them the information they need. Maybe once they get used to doing these things it will become easier. My two cents.
This is a wonderful summary of what Abdul said, Anand. Thank you. And as a lifelong progressive, I am rethinking my approach to what's going on in the US because of what this wonderful man said. For some time now I have been attempting to be friendly and outgoing to people I don't know (which is very difficult for me since I'm an introvert), almost as an experiment to see what happens to me personally and between us. Some are friendly back and some aren't. But given where I live--a reddish suburb of Los Angeles--I am absolutely sure that many of the "nice" ones voted for Trump. Still, I am trying to find common ground, whether it's through dogs, Girl Scout cookies, or even the weather. Now, having listened to Abdul, I am more determined than ever to see all of my neighbors as individuals and try to understand them. Sure, some of them will still rub me the wrong way, but I'm going to try to stop and understand what's driving them.
Regarding the immigrant experience, I believe it would be incredibly useful for our filmmakers to create movies that show us what that's like so we can develop more empathy, because right now that experience is abstract for many of us if we think about it at all. But if we could watch (and read about, but unfortunately most people don't read novels these days), people who have emigrated--understand where they came from and what their lives are like here--I really believe we could begin to understand and appreciate each other better. And BTW, Abdul's story about his grandmother saying he was lucky to leave Egypt really resonates with me. Yes, there is a huge amount wrong with the US, but not as much as with many other places. So instead of being so upset about living here, I am going to try to remember that we have so much to appreciate that many other people don't. Thank you both for opening my eyes. I don't live in Michigan but I will be supporting Abdul El-Sayed for the Senate.
Thank you--I'm trying, too. It really matters that we introverts reach out wherever we are able to. Insecurity is a HUGE problem along with a feeling of being unmoored. People seek belonging because it's a fundamental human need like food is, and when they feel jettisoned from the identity they have been used to, they often go after things like Q-anon. Many individual acts of friendship can bring great benefit to a society.
I'm grateful that you've admitted to being an introvert. It helps. Our society is so geared to extroverts that it can be awkward to be different. I have friends that I've known for decades who still don't get me. But anyway, to the subject at hand, yes, let's try to reach out and see what comes of it. Thank you for validating my idea!
I also thought this was an outstanding interview and I wish that the women who are running against him in the primary would simply drop out. Sorry, but he has the best message and should be the candidate. Also, we already have a woman from Michigan and we could use an immigrant man.
I am really glad that you wrote this reflection because I kept thinking about the conversation after I heard it late yesterday.
Hope and resonance. Brilliance and presence. Strength and grace and fortitude. Plans that are life giving and meet people’s real needs.
This is what true leadership looks like.
Me too, exactly! A memorable interview! Thank you!
I loved reading this! El-Sayed is definitely onto something. My question is, why isn't his voice bigger? I understand if he's running for Senate in Michigan that he's likely focusing most of his efforts there...but his message needs to be broadcast far and wide. Thank you for introducing him to us, Anand. And I look forward to hearing much much more from him in the future.
I would love to hear you interview Stephen Porges, PhD, a neuroscientist dedicated to making a sense of safety a part of medical care, childbearing, education - life in general. His Polyvagal Theory delineates the difference between the reptilian and mammalian brain. Most of us are unaware of how many of our choices/actions are “reptilian reactivity” rather than thoughtful, empathic response. El-Sayed understands this. Thank you for giving visibility to such an important viewpoint.
My daughter did her Dissertation on the subject of Safety being a primary need of children!
Finally! A way forward! But we have to make the billionaires pay their damn taxes first. THAT’S WHAT’S KILLING US.
I really loved the conversation, and I think you do an excellent job of summarizing it here. One other point Abdul made that really stayed with me was that a lot of the mealy mouthed "vanilla" moderation we get from Democratic leaders is a result of their having to work hard to avoid upsetting big donors and Super PACs and all that. He said that because he doesn't take money from corporate donors, he can say what he believes, and speak the truth. It really shows, in his words and his vision for a better America.
This was a great read; thank you very much! I sure hope Dr. El-Sayed's message resonates with more and more politicians who are trying to undo what Trump has wrought; as you say, it is not enough to undo it all; we really need to embrace a bold and inclusive vision for our future so that everyone feels safe and secure. "Let our best dreams be more powerful than their worst nightmare" (Valerie Kaur).
I feel like Sen.Booker said an iteration like DrEl-Sayed. He said morality is the goal, doing what is right. To me, that works but I also would like to campaign on Demanding Decency. I am an Elder. I matched on Washington during the VietNam War when we realized we were actively being indecent. As for our history, those that people the continent were grossly indecent. That to me is the American Dream: to act with decency. To choose being decent. To do the decent thing. Decades ago, in my elite county in the US, I served on a grand jury weekly for 6 months. I learned we have a permanent Underclass. Think about that. Decency wasn't applied to them - ever. So they voted for indecency and they liked it.
Matched not matched
Marched. Ugh
I was just thinking about the fact that this president is actually bringing the two sides together with his first 100 days of destruction. The massive termination of our cherished National Parks employees and our dedicated USAID Foreign Service Officers who are advocates for peace and harmony. I could go on and on, but these random cuts are destroying the fabric of our country for all of us.
As good as Dr. El-Sayed sounds from your summary, I wonder why he lost the primary? Why did Bernie Sanders not get the D nomination for president when he was several years younger? Why did Ds and others not choose Harris over t? It can't be just because she wasn't progressive enough. God forgive us if bigotry was why. Moderate D candidates who run against autocrats and radical rightists do not deserve rejection. The good must not be despised because it isn't perfect.
It takes a lot of work and a lot of time to change people's minds. The best people often don't win. Yes, may God forgive us, but may we keep moving forward and learning from our mistakes.
This was excellent. I love “Confront The Bully, Court The Posse” and “Don’t Prove Them Wrong, Get Them To Right”. Yes, it can be emotionally satisfying, to look down our upturned noses at Trump’s followers, but it is not a winning strategy. We can skip the “I told you so” , and go straight to the message that Trump’s policies are hurting all of us.
I also like the emphasis on “Winning The Peace”. Critique is crucial, but we are for: protecting the rights of all
Americans, an economy that works for all Americans, and an America that is safe and healthy for our children and grandchildren.
I am glad to hear someone has put forth a vision of what the future can be. I have been asking what is needed to make sure we fix the root issues that got us to this point. These points are good ways to start.
M K Ghandi Non-Violent Resistance (Saryagraha). And Reverend James Lawson Jr who was a Mentor and Leader with Rep John Lewis. Senator Cory Booker is of this school
It was a totally engrossing interview. All we need is the mind set to tackle all issues that gave rise to Trump, unfortunately too many party entrenched and the campaign industry attached to both parties like thing the way they are.
So we gotta change their minds.