Thank you, this perfectly encapsulates the feelings I've had the past few days, that there is real work to be done besides just not being awful ourselves.
I've been thinking about this essay all day and trying to formulate a response, just as I've been trying to think about Limbaugh's "legacy." I was in college in the early 1990s and was simultaneously aware of current events while lacking the context for thoughtful analysis. In retrospect, I see the negative influence of both Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich on, well, thoughtful analysis and nuance.
Thank you. I have no words because you have so encapsulated this situation with your own transparency and given us some things to ponder as we sit in our limiting beliefs. Sharing this far and wide and to some who will perhaps push back or not read at all. I have to try !
I'd totally forgotten about Air America but you have reminded me that I spent a lot of time in those days wondering why Democrats and/or liberals were just so bad at the kind of zingy, pointed messaging that right-wing Republicans seemed to shine at. Too earnest maybe?
Anyway, yes, all of this! I was talking with a friend the other day and I've never seen her so pessimistic about politicians and leadership. There are all the things you mentioned that fall under "why ARE so few Democrats interested in things that actually matter to people?" but chief among them right now is wondering where a national virus roadmap is and why we're all still crapshooting decision-making among family members and Covid bubbles and schools districts. Things are still unravelling and they shouldn't be.
Yes on both counts! I would 100% read a long piece on how/why Air America fell flat merely on a comedic level. And on your second point... if ever there was a time where it was obvious to focus on infrastructure and logistics that directly made people's lives easier and less scary... it's now!
One of the "wacky historical anomalies" that folks sometimes share here in Milwaukee is that we had the longest (and latest) stretch of socialist mayors in the country. The reason WHY the "sewer socialists" were so successful was right in their name-- they focused on building extremely high quality, people-serving but non-sexy infrastructure (sewers and roads and streetcars and good school buildings and a lovely park system).
I was Zooming with a college class yesterday and one of the students was in Houston dealing with going from place to place chasing power and heat. We were talking about how we design cities and spaces that ensures brittleness in the face of disaster, and I got to use one of my favorite quotes that's also true but shouldn't be, from Oregon Rep Earl Blumenauer talking at a Rail~Volution conference (Rail~Volution is a national public transit advocacy group, fun wonky infrastructure people!) a few years ago: "We spend all our money on failure." He meant cleaning up after hurricanes and fires and so on instead of investing federal money on resilience and climate preparation. Sounds like Milwaukee is an exception!
Thank you. I'll be honest that growing up Rush Limbaugh did not frequent the airwaves of my life (and facts like that alone have influenced who I am today). These words really resonated: "But where does my comparative right-ness actually get us? It doesn’t keep the lights on in Texas. It doesn’t keep a family from being evicted in the Bronx. It doesn’t keep a Navajo elder from getting poisoned by Yellowcake uranium." This makes me think of how we are also building vs. not solely interrogating systems (or lazer focusing on individuals). I believe that we can build in such a way that it forces systems to change as well.
Thank you, this perfectly encapsulates the feelings I've had the past few days, that there is real work to be done besides just not being awful ourselves.
I really appreciate that; I realized yesterday there was something about this that I had to process so glad I wasn't alone in that.
I've been thinking about this essay all day and trying to formulate a response, just as I've been trying to think about Limbaugh's "legacy." I was in college in the early 1990s and was simultaneously aware of current events while lacking the context for thoughtful analysis. In retrospect, I see the negative influence of both Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich on, well, thoughtful analysis and nuance.
I hear you!
Thank you. I have no words because you have so encapsulated this situation with your own transparency and given us some things to ponder as we sit in our limiting beliefs. Sharing this far and wide and to some who will perhaps push back or not read at all. I have to try !
Appreciate it, Ginny
I'd totally forgotten about Air America but you have reminded me that I spent a lot of time in those days wondering why Democrats and/or liberals were just so bad at the kind of zingy, pointed messaging that right-wing Republicans seemed to shine at. Too earnest maybe?
Anyway, yes, all of this! I was talking with a friend the other day and I've never seen her so pessimistic about politicians and leadership. There are all the things you mentioned that fall under "why ARE so few Democrats interested in things that actually matter to people?" but chief among them right now is wondering where a national virus roadmap is and why we're all still crapshooting decision-making among family members and Covid bubbles and schools districts. Things are still unravelling and they shouldn't be.
Yes on both counts! I would 100% read a long piece on how/why Air America fell flat merely on a comedic level. And on your second point... if ever there was a time where it was obvious to focus on infrastructure and logistics that directly made people's lives easier and less scary... it's now!
One of the "wacky historical anomalies" that folks sometimes share here in Milwaukee is that we had the longest (and latest) stretch of socialist mayors in the country. The reason WHY the "sewer socialists" were so successful was right in their name-- they focused on building extremely high quality, people-serving but non-sexy infrastructure (sewers and roads and streetcars and good school buildings and a lovely park system).
I was Zooming with a college class yesterday and one of the students was in Houston dealing with going from place to place chasing power and heat. We were talking about how we design cities and spaces that ensures brittleness in the face of disaster, and I got to use one of my favorite quotes that's also true but shouldn't be, from Oregon Rep Earl Blumenauer talking at a Rail~Volution conference (Rail~Volution is a national public transit advocacy group, fun wonky infrastructure people!) a few years ago: "We spend all our money on failure." He meant cleaning up after hurricanes and fires and so on instead of investing federal money on resilience and climate preparation. Sounds like Milwaukee is an exception!
... WAS an exception!! We definitely lost our way.
But yes... that's such a wonderful and true quote/explanation of the problem!
Was, sorry, yes :(. And of course there's always state and county pushback for municipalities trying to do the right things.
Thank you. I'll be honest that growing up Rush Limbaugh did not frequent the airwaves of my life (and facts like that alone have influenced who I am today). These words really resonated: "But where does my comparative right-ness actually get us? It doesn’t keep the lights on in Texas. It doesn’t keep a family from being evicted in the Bronx. It doesn’t keep a Navajo elder from getting poisoned by Yellowcake uranium." This makes me think of how we are also building vs. not solely interrogating systems (or lazer focusing on individuals). I believe that we can build in such a way that it forces systems to change as well.