After reading that the Washington Post will not endorse a presidential candidate this year, and then publisher Will Lewis’s laughable, slimy rationale, I sent this note to the editor:
That’s true. And disheartening. Japan’s defeat is a very interesting case. They’ve channelled their warrior spirit into global competition and excellence, while seeming to have reset culturally to ancient spiritual principles and applied them to democracy. Athens’ defeat led Socrates to ask the kind of questions that developed into a grand culture. Though the burghers didn’t like some of the questions and ended them with hemlock. And I’m sure at least some Japanese industrialists are a match for American ones.
Yes. If you go back to the Meiji restoration, the intense industrialization and militarization, the Russo-Japanese War, Korea, and eventually, weirdly enough, baseball, their society has evolved and adapted without, to a great extent, losing their traditional values. It's not one-to-one, of course. Little is. But what's happening here is a desire to contort traditional values to inhibit rather than promote progress. Bad stuff indeed.
Atrocious. I believe it’s even worse. I don’t really think it can be put into the context of history as you have so eloquently done. We’ve not just been inured to fiends, but being fiendish has become the new American dream. In a battle to become the most individualistic and the least caring, America’s moral compass has been smashed. I’ve just been to Japan where they’re 100 years ahead in access to technology and 1000 years behind in culture, with a shared aspiration to satisfy human needs. Recovery from this is doubtful. But putting America’s weaponry in the right hands is still critical.
I wrote a previous piece, They WANT to Go Back, because I saw the fundamental struggle as between adapting to a changing world, which this country is well equipped to do, or hanging on to a societal structure that erodes our ability to compete. I didn't want to go this big, but it really is going to be whether the United States chooses to become a declining power. Every previous declining society that had been pre-eminent has made the same choice to ossify rather than evolve.
Me Too! Though not so eloquently. The pushback this far has been gratifying. Now if we can turn our attention to the media manipulations of public sentiment with their “polling” fantasies designed to stoke the public blood thirst perhaps we can begin to restore some degree of sanity to the political processs - or am I dreaming?
Well, maybe a little. The polls are going to be wrong--the question is in which direction. The biggest problem is that the only way we're going to free ourselves of minority rule is for the majority to be engaged and committed. I hope it will happen this time because it's only going to get harder.
The thing is, people like Ruth Marcus cannot possibly need the paycheck. They all have other gigs. As to the NYT...they could certainly use an upgrade in their op-ed department, but Marcus ain't it.
And Bezos? Why would we possibly expect any different? He is just the latest incarnation of Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Henry Ford.
Sorry, Deborah. I just saw this…after 5 months. We are certainly in an unprecedented national crisis, and one, alas, with limited short-term alternatives. We who are not in government need to pressure those who are—the ones who feel as we do—to recognize they cannot simply keep doing as they have, but need to find more effective ways to persuade those who have abandoned democratic ideals that their choice will eventually backfire. As you know by now, i think that means changing the focus to local issues where services and support can be targeted directly to the people who need them.
That’s true. And disheartening. Japan’s defeat is a very interesting case. They’ve channelled their warrior spirit into global competition and excellence, while seeming to have reset culturally to ancient spiritual principles and applied them to democracy. Athens’ defeat led Socrates to ask the kind of questions that developed into a grand culture. Though the burghers didn’t like some of the questions and ended them with hemlock. And I’m sure at least some Japanese industrialists are a match for American ones.
Yes. If you go back to the Meiji restoration, the intense industrialization and militarization, the Russo-Japanese War, Korea, and eventually, weirdly enough, baseball, their society has evolved and adapted without, to a great extent, losing their traditional values. It's not one-to-one, of course. Little is. But what's happening here is a desire to contort traditional values to inhibit rather than promote progress. Bad stuff indeed.
Atrocious. I believe it’s even worse. I don’t really think it can be put into the context of history as you have so eloquently done. We’ve not just been inured to fiends, but being fiendish has become the new American dream. In a battle to become the most individualistic and the least caring, America’s moral compass has been smashed. I’ve just been to Japan where they’re 100 years ahead in access to technology and 1000 years behind in culture, with a shared aspiration to satisfy human needs. Recovery from this is doubtful. But putting America’s weaponry in the right hands is still critical.
I wrote a previous piece, They WANT to Go Back, because I saw the fundamental struggle as between adapting to a changing world, which this country is well equipped to do, or hanging on to a societal structure that erodes our ability to compete. I didn't want to go this big, but it really is going to be whether the United States chooses to become a declining power. Every previous declining society that had been pre-eminent has made the same choice to ossify rather than evolve.
Me Too! Though not so eloquently. The pushback this far has been gratifying. Now if we can turn our attention to the media manipulations of public sentiment with their “polling” fantasies designed to stoke the public blood thirst perhaps we can begin to restore some degree of sanity to the political processs - or am I dreaming?
Well, maybe a little. The polls are going to be wrong--the question is in which direction. The biggest problem is that the only way we're going to free ourselves of minority rule is for the majority to be engaged and committed. I hope it will happen this time because it's only going to get harder.
Jeff Bezos has had an opportunity to be a role model in many ways. He's failed in each of them.
I understand WaPo employees not resigning, assuming they need the paycheck. But this is a great opportunity for the NYT to poach the talent they want.
The thing is, people like Ruth Marcus cannot possibly need the paycheck. They all have other gigs. As to the NYT...they could certainly use an upgrade in their op-ed department, but Marcus ain't it.
And Bezos? Why would we possibly expect any different? He is just the latest incarnation of Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Henry Ford.
Thank you for your eloquent excellent passionate address!
Your words matter
We need words of clarity
strength and courage
so we can defend the life of our democracy
Thank you for rising and speaking
to strengthen us to keep
our beloved Relublic
Sorry, Deborah. I just saw this…after 5 months. We are certainly in an unprecedented national crisis, and one, alas, with limited short-term alternatives. We who are not in government need to pressure those who are—the ones who feel as we do—to recognize they cannot simply keep doing as they have, but need to find more effective ways to persuade those who have abandoned democratic ideals that their choice will eventually backfire. As you know by now, i think that means changing the focus to local issues where services and support can be targeted directly to the people who need them.
You're very welcome. I usually try not to write about things everyone else is, but this time I just had to.