I think many of us are having similar discussions with friends and loved ones that you describe here. They're difficult and tense. I deeply appreciate your emphasis on the necessity of embracing vision, core principles, and recognizing the limits of so-called pragmatic politics. This is a politics that would have us determine what to do only by first consulting polls which is to say it is every committed to the fallacy of appealing the past, unaware of the basic truth that social progress is often born in radical defiance of a status quo portrayed by the powerful as god-sent, biological, or simply "determined." ( This is what I address in my recent piece https://jeffreynall.substack.com/p/let-it-be-a-tale-daring-to-dream )
Yet I can't help but to feel there is a questionable limit on the analysis presented here. Harris like any politician is best known by her record and her advisors. And both point to exactly the kind of tough on crime corporatist neoliberalism that has created the frightening and desperate political terrain that worries you and your friend and so many of us. Perhaps we need the vision to breaking with the duopoly and joining the many who for example simply cannot stomach voting for either of two parties that would facilitate the killing of their loved ones in Gaza. Perhaps this is the election year we refuse to place calculations over our most elementally human values, those capable of sparking the kinds of transformation we long for.
My thoughts exactly. Time to vote 3rd party as I have little hope that anyone within the duopoly has the compassion, creativity or strength of character to bring us through the political crisis in which we live. All they understand is fear.
The sad truth is that a third party candidate hasn't won in the U.S. Our system is not built for it. We need more change before a third party becomes a viable option. This is coming from someone who voted third party in the past.
The US manipulates, coerces, and threatens nations to allow them to continue meddling and infiltrating - like I explained in the video - Hasina herself knew this was happening and she mistakenly believed if she appeased the US, they could continue operating in Bangladesh and her position would be secure.
Wow. I found myself highlighting huge portions of this to write in my diary because, once again, you concisely write out what so many found feel.
It was the visionaries, not the pragmatists, that gave us the rights we hold so dearly. Well said. And… “ To place her on a pedestal without pushing her policies and rhetoric beyond the status quo is to betray the very dreams that elevate her.” Yes. This.
OMG I was so happy to hear about what happened in Bangladesh. They clothe about 97% of the world but yet they go throughout their day struggling and living in inhuman conditions! Also listen people are crying about Project 2025 WAKE UP AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND. We are already there!! Police are are already (wrongfully) shooting (black) people and getting away with it, people are getting priced out of their homes, regulations that were put in places to protect the safe of the public being overturned so companies can take more shortcuts and make record profits, landmark court ruling being overturned, our resources being depleted and polluted for AI. How do people not see this democracy is a joke, an illusion, a game. America has always been (and will always be) an oppressive country/entity. Nothing has changed it's just more discreet, sophisticated and modernized. These politicians selling us fake promises and every four years we (not me) buy into it. SMH
I had a similar discussion with a young friend about Kamala and she expressed how very disappointed she was with her. I said that what we had to do is make sure she wins now to stop any further damage and then on day 1 start pushing forward and hard we never stop fighting to go forward but we can’t slip back.
Even pragmatically, she's weakest to the left, not the center. Also, independent & swing voters want progressive policies. Bernie Sanders just did a poll. No election is a revolution, and we don't need to be counterrevolutionary in advance.
Why don’t countries kick out those NGO that are really just puppets of NED? Singapore kicked them out and recently HK changed its la allowing them to charge them so they left HK as soon as that law was enacted!
Soon the U.S. and the West will find a way to suppress people’s wish by supporting another despot or criminal. Look what happened to Egypt!!
I hope the people in Bengladesh are wise, patient, and resilient to stop and counter any white man and his accomplices from taking hold of their country!
My parents survived the Liberation War in 1971 in Bangladesh and they are both happy to see Sheikh Hasina (the daughter of the country's founding father) go, which says something about the kind of leader she is. When I first saw the protests going on in Bangladesh, I felt for the protestors because the status quo seemed too difficult to change but it's a good reminder - the power of many can change things.
This is so, so good. I shared this today because I think so many people feel this way but your voice has such a clarity that many people lack to put these feelings into words.
I think many of us are having similar discussions with friends and loved ones that you describe here. They're difficult and tense. I deeply appreciate your emphasis on the necessity of embracing vision, core principles, and recognizing the limits of so-called pragmatic politics. This is a politics that would have us determine what to do only by first consulting polls which is to say it is every committed to the fallacy of appealing the past, unaware of the basic truth that social progress is often born in radical defiance of a status quo portrayed by the powerful as god-sent, biological, or simply "determined." ( This is what I address in my recent piece https://jeffreynall.substack.com/p/let-it-be-a-tale-daring-to-dream )
Yet I can't help but to feel there is a questionable limit on the analysis presented here. Harris like any politician is best known by her record and her advisors. And both point to exactly the kind of tough on crime corporatist neoliberalism that has created the frightening and desperate political terrain that worries you and your friend and so many of us. Perhaps we need the vision to breaking with the duopoly and joining the many who for example simply cannot stomach voting for either of two parties that would facilitate the killing of their loved ones in Gaza. Perhaps this is the election year we refuse to place calculations over our most elementally human values, those capable of sparking the kinds of transformation we long for.
My thoughts exactly. Time to vote 3rd party as I have little hope that anyone within the duopoly has the compassion, creativity or strength of character to bring us through the political crisis in which we live. All they understand is fear.
The sad truth is that a third party candidate hasn't won in the U.S. Our system is not built for it. We need more change before a third party becomes a viable option. This is coming from someone who voted third party in the past.
The US manipulates, coerces, and threatens nations to allow them to continue meddling and infiltrating - like I explained in the video - Hasina herself knew this was happening and she mistakenly believed if she appeased the US, they could continue operating in Bangladesh and her position would be secure.
Wow. I found myself highlighting huge portions of this to write in my diary because, once again, you concisely write out what so many found feel.
It was the visionaries, not the pragmatists, that gave us the rights we hold so dearly. Well said. And… “ To place her on a pedestal without pushing her policies and rhetoric beyond the status quo is to betray the very dreams that elevate her.” Yes. This.
OMG I was so happy to hear about what happened in Bangladesh. They clothe about 97% of the world but yet they go throughout their day struggling and living in inhuman conditions! Also listen people are crying about Project 2025 WAKE UP AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND. We are already there!! Police are are already (wrongfully) shooting (black) people and getting away with it, people are getting priced out of their homes, regulations that were put in places to protect the safe of the public being overturned so companies can take more shortcuts and make record profits, landmark court ruling being overturned, our resources being depleted and polluted for AI. How do people not see this democracy is a joke, an illusion, a game. America has always been (and will always be) an oppressive country/entity. Nothing has changed it's just more discreet, sophisticated and modernized. These politicians selling us fake promises and every four years we (not me) buy into it. SMH
I had a similar discussion with a young friend about Kamala and she expressed how very disappointed she was with her. I said that what we had to do is make sure she wins now to stop any further damage and then on day 1 start pushing forward and hard we never stop fighting to go forward but we can’t slip back.
I think we need to push before Day 1. IMHO she will listen more now.
Even pragmatically, she's weakest to the left, not the center. Also, independent & swing voters want progressive policies. Bernie Sanders just did a poll. No election is a revolution, and we don't need to be counterrevolutionary in advance.
Why don’t countries kick out those NGO that are really just puppets of NED? Singapore kicked them out and recently HK changed its la allowing them to charge them so they left HK as soon as that law was enacted!
Soon the U.S. and the West will find a way to suppress people’s wish by supporting another despot or criminal. Look what happened to Egypt!!
I hope the people in Bengladesh are wise, patient, and resilient to stop and counter any white man and his accomplices from taking hold of their country!
A friend shared this, and I think you would be interested in it given what you wrote. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/moving-towards-life
The conflict between June Jordan & Audre Lorde (&Adrienne Rich) over Palestine. How their friendships were affected.
My parents survived the Liberation War in 1971 in Bangladesh and they are both happy to see Sheikh Hasina (the daughter of the country's founding father) go, which says something about the kind of leader she is. When I first saw the protests going on in Bangladesh, I felt for the protestors because the status quo seemed too difficult to change but it's a good reminder - the power of many can change things.
This is so, so good. I shared this today because I think so many people feel this way but your voice has such a clarity that many people lack to put these feelings into words.
Beautiful ❤️🔥