Well Jacob is so right, fear is the big engine that those people work on. Now I am a French daughter of a dad who was lying to the nazis, he was arrested by the gestapo but he was an important person at the head of a small goverment financial agency, so he was looked as an ostage and after beeing sent in a deportation train to an extermination camp for three months, he was then sent to a political prisoners camp in Austria, that saved his life. He in fact had a German captain at the head of the camp who was anti-nazis and at night my father would listen with three other prisoners to the BBC radio because the German captain would leave open access to this office and when an American detachment came to free the camp my dad pleaded for the life of the German captain, with his friends. But army orders were that deportation camps captains were to be executed at once.
At the time my dad was arrested in Paris he had my siblings, 8 and 6 yrs old, but that didn't distract him for giving the nazis fake information.
Much later after I was born in 1946, one evening we asked him how he had the courage to do this, he said to us , it just comes in increments and suddenly you cannot, not decide for the right thing to do. And thence you take the first dangerous step, but then you can never go back on courage, courage's ultimate reward is more courage, it becomes very simple.
I think this is so true of courage, once you take the firs step it becomes very simple.
I wrote the above post because I ended spending the last 50 years of my life in United States, I am a dual citizen, and even though I am a buddhist, I intend even at 80 to resist non violently, what Donald Trump is doing. It is not hate against him, but really love for the good gentle things of life.
My dad had that when he pleaded for the German captain's life.
Enjoyed the interviews. Robert reminded me of a metaphor I used to use with my staff and my children. I would tell them the train only goes in 1 direction: forward. You have 2 choices. You can get on the train and let me know how I can support you to make the ride more enjoyable or you can get drug off the back of the train kicking and screaming. Either way, the train will continue to go forward.
I so agree with Robert P Jones. I think it is a really extraordinary opportunity and I think we shall catch it., my grand son will see this. it will be lots of work but I am so optimistic.
These were mervelous discussions, especislly the final interview with Robert P Jones. I proudly espouse Buddhism, but I was raised Christian in a hypocritical household.
Thank you for this. It is spokedpeople like you who give me hope in a moment when the invitation is to be hopeless.
Great interview. Let's hope there can be action towards this view.
There may be: Never Trumpers say the GOP will turn against Trump because he will have cost them the election. If that is true, we will know in November 2026.
Not January 2027.
Will the "knives be out"? No, the House and Senate have laws they can apply immediately after the election results are in:
Not only impeachment of Trump but of those who surround him, especially Hegseth, Blanche, Mullin, Patel, Kennedy. Take away Trump's power by removing his minions, and the dominoes begin to lean and topple.
There are easier laws to implement too, from no longer funding any kind of DC renovation to calling the question on the White House "ballroom" to far more consequential actions. These include:
-Stopping the curtailing of vaccines,
-No longer funding a military that is committing war crimes,
and most importantly of all,
-Disallowing an army of masked people to kidnap anyone off the street and imprisoning them in concentration camps where legal support, food, and healthcare have been virtually stripped of every person they say they want to remove from the country (but are using to fund the owners of those camps).
There will be no reason to wait. If people who left the GOP are right about leaders' willingness to take action, they can do it before they lose even more power.
If the GOP does not take these actions in the House and Senate, it will be because they do want an authoritarian takeover of the United States of America.
Would this not mean they do not believe in our Constitution? Would it not mean they are willing to stand for a president who just asked his followers to pledge their allegiance to him and to vow to cheat in the election? Will it not mean that people who have faith in the GOP as it now stands are absolutely mistaken, and they will need to see the light with a more poignant and piercing clarity?
Let's hope the light is close to them and easy to see. So much depends on it.
I was just saying that we will know if Democrats are serious about reining in Trump come January when they take the House and control the purse strings. If they choose to “work with Trump” and continue to fund his agenda, then we know they are true cowards (or like his agenda).
I’m sadly not optimistic but will continue to shame my electeds to do the right thing.
Well Jacob is so right, fear is the big engine that those people work on. Now I am a French daughter of a dad who was lying to the nazis, he was arrested by the gestapo but he was an important person at the head of a small goverment financial agency, so he was looked as an ostage and after beeing sent in a deportation train to an extermination camp for three months, he was then sent to a political prisoners camp in Austria, that saved his life. He in fact had a German captain at the head of the camp who was anti-nazis and at night my father would listen with three other prisoners to the BBC radio because the German captain would leave open access to this office and when an American detachment came to free the camp my dad pleaded for the life of the German captain, with his friends. But army orders were that deportation camps captains were to be executed at once.
At the time my dad was arrested in Paris he had my siblings, 8 and 6 yrs old, but that didn't distract him for giving the nazis fake information.
Much later after I was born in 1946, one evening we asked him how he had the courage to do this, he said to us , it just comes in increments and suddenly you cannot, not decide for the right thing to do. And thence you take the first dangerous step, but then you can never go back on courage, courage's ultimate reward is more courage, it becomes very simple.
I think this is so true of courage, once you take the firs step it becomes very simple.
I wrote the above post because I ended spending the last 50 years of my life in United States, I am a dual citizen, and even though I am a buddhist, I intend even at 80 to resist non violently, what Donald Trump is doing. It is not hate against him, but really love for the good gentle things of life.
My dad had that when he pleaded for the German captain's life.
Enjoyed the interviews. Robert reminded me of a metaphor I used to use with my staff and my children. I would tell them the train only goes in 1 direction: forward. You have 2 choices. You can get on the train and let me know how I can support you to make the ride more enjoyable or you can get drug off the back of the train kicking and screaming. Either way, the train will continue to go forward.
Two excellent guests. Interesting and engaging interviews. Inspiring.
I so agree with Robert P Jones. I think it is a really extraordinary opportunity and I think we shall catch it., my grand son will see this. it will be lots of work but I am so optimistic.
Souls are so powerful, we can always wake up again. We get tired of fear.
literally one of the best interviews on Substack. thank you
These were mervelous discussions, especislly the final interview with Robert P Jones. I proudly espouse Buddhism, but I was raised Christian in a hypocritical household.
Thank you for this. It is spokedpeople like you who give me hope in a moment when the invitation is to be hopeless.
These interviews were excellent. Thank you so much for both.
Excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed both interviews!
Great interview. Let's hope there can be action towards this view.
There may be: Never Trumpers say the GOP will turn against Trump because he will have cost them the election. If that is true, we will know in November 2026.
Not January 2027.
Will the "knives be out"? No, the House and Senate have laws they can apply immediately after the election results are in:
Not only impeachment of Trump but of those who surround him, especially Hegseth, Blanche, Mullin, Patel, Kennedy. Take away Trump's power by removing his minions, and the dominoes begin to lean and topple.
There are easier laws to implement too, from no longer funding any kind of DC renovation to calling the question on the White House "ballroom" to far more consequential actions. These include:
-Stopping the curtailing of vaccines,
-No longer funding a military that is committing war crimes,
and most importantly of all,
-Disallowing an army of masked people to kidnap anyone off the street and imprisoning them in concentration camps where legal support, food, and healthcare have been virtually stripped of every person they say they want to remove from the country (but are using to fund the owners of those camps).
There will be no reason to wait. If people who left the GOP are right about leaders' willingness to take action, they can do it before they lose even more power.
If the GOP does not take these actions in the House and Senate, it will be because they do want an authoritarian takeover of the United States of America.
Would this not mean they do not believe in our Constitution? Would it not mean they are willing to stand for a president who just asked his followers to pledge their allegiance to him and to vow to cheat in the election? Will it not mean that people who have faith in the GOP as it now stands are absolutely mistaken, and they will need to see the light with a more poignant and piercing clarity?
Let's hope the light is close to them and easy to see. So much depends on it.
I was just saying that we will know if Democrats are serious about reining in Trump come January when they take the House and control the purse strings. If they choose to “work with Trump” and continue to fund his agenda, then we know they are true cowards (or like his agenda).
I’m sadly not optimistic but will continue to shame my electeds to do the right thing.
TRULY GREAT INTERVIEWS!!!
THANK YOU!!!
I look forward to reading the books...
I’ve read Profiles in Courage. A must read. Great interview.
This book is so insightful. Conveys so much about why we are where we are
Anand is so right. It' s just the little inside voice stopping. It is how someone falls asleep in a way. Heartbreaking.
So they have no principles