Thank you, Anand, for reframing this moment -we on the side of democracy needed these words, since welcoming was not at the top of our list of feelings towards those you so graciously invited in.
Your essay is generous, that is true spirit of America, the core of our democracy, it is the ethos under which I was raised, that each of us contributes to and benefits from the well being of all. Thank you for sharing such uplifting words.
Wonderful essay! Let me pass on something from history that I think explains the chaos we are suffering today. Go back to Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, when he spoke of the King and his minions, “The more men have to lose, the less willing they are to venture. The rich in general are slaves to fear, and submit to courtly power with the trembling duplicity of a spaniel.”
We have a cabinet of billionaires, successful law firms & business tycoons who, likewise, are trembling spaniels when it comes to resisting the insane ideas that they willing to support.
We are living with GREED in a powerful position to make our lives a living hell and the sad part is that we gave them that power. Shame on us.
Let me add something from Winston Churchill. “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping he will eat them last.”
In a country as complex as ours, your message is one we need to hear. It’s hard not to have the anger and fear dominate, but as the sages tell us, love is all we ought to hold onto. I was raised in Brooklyn and my PS104 had “brotherhood” as a theme each year for plays and essays and paintings. It sunk in. I used to think it was just about race and religion, but now it’s politics, too. We’re all better off if we are kind, patient, and forgiving. Thanks for the reminder, Anand.
Dear Anand: I know that value self-evaluation and thoughtful criticism. So here goes. IF your audience for this essay is only those of us already engaged in this fight, then I agree that reminding us to be welcoming is very important. It’s the story of the Prodigal Son.
IF your audience is those to whom you are extending a welcoming hand, then I think the tone is too righteous and a little condescending. When I started reading it I thought I might forward it to a family member but by the time I finished it I had decided not to.
I think what you missed is: we were wrong, too. We blew it. We all need to come together to find a new way forward. Our old way wasn’t working. Their new way isn’t working. Let’s find a way together. What are their good ideas? What are ours? Let’s talk.
Anne, I'm feeling it too. I'm searching for a tone or message that will help my brother with his, in my opinion, biased and illogical viewpoints. In context, he's I'd say maga without the hat. I want to welcome him into a community that hears him, respects his pain, his grievances without judgment. But Anand's wisdom this morning too is helping consider my neighbors that have lapsed into a learned helplessness mode. How can I help us make a big tent that welcomes all?
Thanks for your reply. I agree that we need to find a stance that is eager to hear thoughtful points that are contrary to ours. We need to really know in our bones that our stance isn’t the right one for everybody. We have to be willing to change. Not about everything, but perhaps some important things.
Anne, yes, we have to hold the line on matters involving the rule of law and upholding the constitution, for example. Trump and the puppeteers managing him have turned this into an opportunity for oligarchy and fascism to displace our true democracy. That's what we're fighting now. The MAGA folks are more pawns now than anything. And they're reluctant to see the problems with where this can lead our nation.
Thank you for this, Anne. Yes. When Hillary made her comment revealing her true feelings about the people she referred to as a "basket of deplorables," those people heard her, and they knew exactly who she was talking about. And now they're the bulk of Trump's loyal MAGA supporters. To them, pretty much anybody who has a college degree is part of "the elite."
“When a man as uncouth and reckless as Trump becomes president by running against the nation’s elites, it’s a strong signal that the elites are the problem.”
-- Robert W. Merry (as quoted by David Brooks in the New York Times, 23 May 2017)
The word schadenfreude describes so much of what we all have experienced at least once. The only reason I know this is because I looked it up while reading this essay. And at my age, learning still takes place, (surprise), however retaining is another conversation for another day. Maybe?
Each party is certainly guilty of this behavior. Welcoming people back to democracy is a beautiful concept Anand and something that we all need to think about. I learned somewhere, back in the 70’s in a psychology class: A negative behavior treated positively will always have a positive outcome.
Thank you, Anand! I'm reading Loretta Ross' "Calling In" to try and train myself to speak productively to the other half of this country - this essay is a spectacular boost. I'm going to spend an evening with a Trump voter on the 24th, so I have three weeks to remind myself that, at some point in our lives, most of us have fallen for the proverbial Bad Boy and have had to come back down to earth. It's hard to let go of the anger every day, but in the end it's so much easier on me to choose compassion and lightness, and just move forward.
So happy to find someone trying to understand and talk to “the other side”! My date with a MAGA friend is tomorrow! I have read a couple of books on the topic. One of them was Anand’s book The Persuaders. I’m so glad you mentioned Calling In! I’ll read that as well. Wish me luck tomorrow!
Good luck! The author says she is still training herself, that her first impulse is to ZING, but then her second impulse reflects her values. I’m trying… I hope you have a lovely time with your friend.
What a relief from tension this essay is Anand. It ties in with what Sarah Kinzior said on a podcast yesterday, which was that the red state blue state idea isn’t real. There are people in every state who have not given in to hatred, there are relatives there that many of us have- we cannot cut off all of those people by wishing southern states would just get on with it and then secede from the union. Thank you for the generosity of spirit you continue to display. It keeps some of us from going over the brink and into being tempted to throw other people away.
Thank you, Anand, for reframing this moment -we on the side of democracy needed these words, since welcoming was not at the top of our list of feelings towards those you so graciously invited in.
Your essay is generous, that is true spirit of America, the core of our democracy, it is the ethos under which I was raised, that each of us contributes to and benefits from the well being of all. Thank you for sharing such uplifting words.
I am a fighter and a survivor!!! We as a people can beat this despicable man! No empathy, I will never consider him my President! Ever!
What a beautiful, empathetic, inspiring essay! Thank you, Anand!
Wonderful essay! Let me pass on something from history that I think explains the chaos we are suffering today. Go back to Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, when he spoke of the King and his minions, “The more men have to lose, the less willing they are to venture. The rich in general are slaves to fear, and submit to courtly power with the trembling duplicity of a spaniel.”
We have a cabinet of billionaires, successful law firms & business tycoons who, likewise, are trembling spaniels when it comes to resisting the insane ideas that they willing to support.
We are living with GREED in a powerful position to make our lives a living hell and the sad part is that we gave them that power. Shame on us.
Let me add something from Winston Churchill. “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping he will eat them last.”
Well said!
Thanks for the positivity. It may be warranted.
Yes, and may it be warranted! :-)
In a country as complex as ours, your message is one we need to hear. It’s hard not to have the anger and fear dominate, but as the sages tell us, love is all we ought to hold onto. I was raised in Brooklyn and my PS104 had “brotherhood” as a theme each year for plays and essays and paintings. It sunk in. I used to think it was just about race and religion, but now it’s politics, too. We’re all better off if we are kind, patient, and forgiving. Thanks for the reminder, Anand.
I'm calling it the Defiance. Not the 2017 resistance
Good morning and thank you for this, and all you do Anand.
Dear Anand: I know that value self-evaluation and thoughtful criticism. So here goes. IF your audience for this essay is only those of us already engaged in this fight, then I agree that reminding us to be welcoming is very important. It’s the story of the Prodigal Son.
IF your audience is those to whom you are extending a welcoming hand, then I think the tone is too righteous and a little condescending. When I started reading it I thought I might forward it to a family member but by the time I finished it I had decided not to.
I think what you missed is: we were wrong, too. We blew it. We all need to come together to find a new way forward. Our old way wasn’t working. Their new way isn’t working. Let’s find a way together. What are their good ideas? What are ours? Let’s talk.
Anne, I'm feeling it too. I'm searching for a tone or message that will help my brother with his, in my opinion, biased and illogical viewpoints. In context, he's I'd say maga without the hat. I want to welcome him into a community that hears him, respects his pain, his grievances without judgment. But Anand's wisdom this morning too is helping consider my neighbors that have lapsed into a learned helplessness mode. How can I help us make a big tent that welcomes all?
Thanks for your reply. I agree that we need to find a stance that is eager to hear thoughtful points that are contrary to ours. We need to really know in our bones that our stance isn’t the right one for everybody. We have to be willing to change. Not about everything, but perhaps some important things.
Anne, yes, we have to hold the line on matters involving the rule of law and upholding the constitution, for example. Trump and the puppeteers managing him have turned this into an opportunity for oligarchy and fascism to displace our true democracy. That's what we're fighting now. The MAGA folks are more pawns now than anything. And they're reluctant to see the problems with where this can lead our nation.
I definitely agree with that!
Thank you for this, Anne. Yes. When Hillary made her comment revealing her true feelings about the people she referred to as a "basket of deplorables," those people heard her, and they knew exactly who she was talking about. And now they're the bulk of Trump's loyal MAGA supporters. To them, pretty much anybody who has a college degree is part of "the elite."
“When a man as uncouth and reckless as Trump becomes president by running against the nation’s elites, it’s a strong signal that the elites are the problem.”
-- Robert W. Merry (as quoted by David Brooks in the New York Times, 23 May 2017)
Maybe your piece is why I awakened and couldn’t fall back to sleep this morning, Anand…
This is was what I needed to see this morning. Subscribed. Will be sharing far and wide.
The word schadenfreude describes so much of what we all have experienced at least once. The only reason I know this is because I looked it up while reading this essay. And at my age, learning still takes place, (surprise), however retaining is another conversation for another day. Maybe?
Each party is certainly guilty of this behavior. Welcoming people back to democracy is a beautiful concept Anand and something that we all need to think about. I learned somewhere, back in the 70’s in a psychology class: A negative behavior treated positively will always have a positive outcome.
Peace out ✌️
Thank you, Anand! I'm reading Loretta Ross' "Calling In" to try and train myself to speak productively to the other half of this country - this essay is a spectacular boost. I'm going to spend an evening with a Trump voter on the 24th, so I have three weeks to remind myself that, at some point in our lives, most of us have fallen for the proverbial Bad Boy and have had to come back down to earth. It's hard to let go of the anger every day, but in the end it's so much easier on me to choose compassion and lightness, and just move forward.
So happy to find someone trying to understand and talk to “the other side”! My date with a MAGA friend is tomorrow! I have read a couple of books on the topic. One of them was Anand’s book The Persuaders. I’m so glad you mentioned Calling In! I’ll read that as well. Wish me luck tomorrow!
Good luck! The author says she is still training herself, that her first impulse is to ZING, but then her second impulse reflects her values. I’m trying… I hope you have a lovely time with your friend.
And ps, Loretta Ross is featured in The Persuaders. Anand “introduced” us
💗💙💗💙💗💗💙💗
What a relief from tension this essay is Anand. It ties in with what Sarah Kinzior said on a podcast yesterday, which was that the red state blue state idea isn’t real. There are people in every state who have not given in to hatred, there are relatives there that many of us have- we cannot cut off all of those people by wishing southern states would just get on with it and then secede from the union. Thank you for the generosity of spirit you continue to display. It keeps some of us from going over the brink and into being tempted to throw other people away.