Advertisement
Doug Muder outlines the grim details of accelerating corruption and autocracy in the Trump regime.
More and more, Trump makes everything political. There is no truth other than the story Trump wants to tell. There is no mission other than what Trump wants done.
Students of authoritarianism have been warning us about his dangerous tendencies since he first began campaigning. But, as Rachel Maddow noted Friday night, we are well past the time for warnings. “The dark days are not ‘coming’,” she said. “The dark days are here.” (The Weekly Sift, February 24)
Andrew Hidas believes that nominating Bernie Sanders would pave the way for four more years of Trump, because his positions go against “the foundational American myth of limitless horizons, unbridled freedom, and the self-made person.”
How much money is too much? Should there be an upper limit, beyond which it should be capped and confiscated as Sanders is suggesting? Who decides?
Every inch of that discussion is a slippery slope, with any absolute caps running counter to American history and psychology from our very first days. (Traversing, February 21)
Jordinn Nelson Long speaks to those who have a microphone—amplification and followers.
If all you have to say in a given moment is “we’re screwed,” set it down, back away, and go get some help for your heart. . . . You are talented and loved, and you have a responsibility here. I have said this before: despair is a fundamentalist gospel. Don’t preach it. Don’t bleed on those who follow you.
Don’t use your power, voice, and platform to participate in the murder of hope. It has always been our most dangerous tool. (Facebook, February 24)
Nelson Long also shares a pastoral message to her congregation about COVID-19.
For now, the bottom line is don’t work sick, don’t school sick, and don’t church sick, and practice the hand hygiene habits that help to keep us all healthy during flu season.
Expect more communication as we move forward together, not just about illness, but about the larger issue of collective health, physically and spiritually, particularly during this election year.
For now, sending love and a commitment to calm response. And an encouragement: this week, reach out to one or more of your neighbors. So that you know their names, and they know yours.
It is, I promise, still the best ‘security’ device we have. (Facebook, February 26)
Need something lighte r? Stop by the UU Hysterical Society Coffee Hour, and read through hundreds of 6-word stories about participants’ UU journeys—like, “Stopped by dog park, found chapel,” and “My husband dragged me. I stayed.” (Facebook, February 26)