Thank you Corbin for putting in words the thoughts I have had for a very long time. I’m 79 years old and have been watching this slide and this politeness kill the possibilities of this country. When I have tried to share these thoughts with friends of my age the reaction includes much eye rolling and looks saying “Here she goes again!”, or worse yet - “We’ve been here before and survived.” I have been a protester most of my life and am beginning to be afraid to march lately! (I can’t run very fast anymore and can’t afford a gas mask!) Please continue your fight because I’m very afraid for our country.🎈
Same here, Judy! Sounding the alarm, getting the eyerolls, and being dismissed. It's hard not to bring out the, "Told you so!" Thanks for succinctly putting into words my same experience. Keep fighting! Maybe we can't run as fast, but it's not a good look to drag around a bunch of old women. 😎✊🏼
This is exactly what reality calls for, but it will require a third party that hasn’t been bought and compromised as the two dominant parties have been. Trying to fix something so broken will delay a new start forever. “Vote blue no matter who” is a desperate gamble America cannot afford, based on wishful thinking which is what got us here.
A new thought from this old (80) geezer: follow Bernie's example, with a difference—be party-independent, caucus with the Dems, but pledge to a new "insider's club" (to be named) of progressives who recognize the reality that MMT is how our current federal financial system works. FEDERAL TAXES DO NOT FINANCE CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS. It all comes from "new money," no borrowing required either. Defeat Wall Street's gaslighting ("But how will we "PAY" for it?!") that we need a "balanced Federal budget" and that austerity equals "fiscal responsibility." Its how America defeated the Axis Powers, after all; we can defeat fascism again the same way, with economic knowledge and political will.
I am a fan and a paid subscriber. I send your columns far and wide, because I think it is what my friends need to hear. I want to suggest, however, that you construct some kind of a paywall. You should be paid for your thinking and your excellent writing, in my opinion.
I will suggest to people to whom I send it to get a paid subscription. I subscribe to quite a few Substacks, but yours is my favorite. You deserve wide circulation and to get paid for what you write.
You hit the nail on the head as usual. We can claw our way back but it takes a large consensus of people and politicians to get there. Fortunately, as you know, New Consensus has a plan called Mission For America which can be found at their website newconsensus.com. You gotta admire people who really want this country to succeed and keep trying to make that happen no matter how hard it is or how damn long it's taking. It'd be easier on everyone individually if more people pitched in like you're doing and like they're doing.
Fools errand. Any achievement toward an equitable society envisioned in the constitution has largely been forced and begruged and with reluctance with sullen resignation anticipating the opportunity to rescind any progress toward noble goals and punishing those that would aspire to attain a more equitable society. Our country is divided, has always been divided and I image will always be divided. Prove me wrong.
I used to think a third-party would make all the difference. But now I’m wondering why we need political parties in the first place? George Washington didn’t want them. And I can see absolutely no benefit of having political parties. If we could somehow get term limits in place, one term for elected official, I think that would obviate any need for membership in a political party.
I do appreciate that you’re coming up with solutions. Whether they are perfect or not they are far better than the ceaseless whining and complaining that I see on most posts. I think we’re past The “oooh Trump is so awful” stage. We need to start agreeing on what to do next.
It should be clear by now that Trump’s goal is not to RUN the federal government but to DESTROY the federal government and strip it for parts. He needs to be removed from office.
Modern Conservatives/Republicans consistently “confess” what they are doing by what they accused their opponents of. It’s a standard tactic to deflect attention and sow confusion.
Accordingly, yes, the Constitution DOES have an “enemy within”. Eight hundred military leaders just got a front-row seat to this. Will they now fulfill their oath to “support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic”?
Corbin Trent, I agree with you a million percent! I am so hungry for this unflinching honesty about our society and the articulation of worthy political goals. Thank you for putting into words what is wholesome and true--something to hold onto in the sea of excrement we're swimming in.
I would love to see you reach out to other talented leaders and visionaries and interview them on your Substack and start (or continue) to build connection, coalition, and strength with them. I love what Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani did, for example, joining forces in their mayoral primary campaign. I feel like media--good and bad--is siloed in our internet age. Everyone lives in their own personal internet. It makes it hard to build a broad movement based on these deep democracy values you articulate. Can Substack be used to bring the leaders and visionaries and their followers together and in conversation with each other?
I am of the view that quite a few folks authoring thoughtful essays should end up putting them together into a book, a collage of what went wrong and what to do about it.
How many more reams do we dedicate to what went wrong? I'm tired of gazing at the navel. Wtf went right?! Let's figure that out and build on success. Tired of floating in the jetsom
Psychological experiments tell a different story. Daniel Kahneman calls it two selves, the experiential self and the memory self. I prefer to skip the metaphor and accept this is how our brains work.
At the time we feel things are good, bad, indifferent, and we feel likewise some way in the midst. But we remember the experiences differently.
There never was a time when we were all civil. Let's throw in the Overton Window. What the public finds acceptable shifts and differs in time radically. Like David Lynch's Blue Velvet, a peaceful town can turn into a lynch mob.
Our brains have evolved to note salience and change. Risk and reward are weighted to favor the former, unless we focus. Fear is a stronger motivator, unless we fight the impulse.
Let's not be fooled. If we can help it. Start by resisting false fears and easy answers.
You want the focus to be on building, let us build a society that prioritizes truth over all else.
Not nosey-neighbor truth, that's a perversion.
Not scream-and-blame truth, that's a perversion.
Un-perverted truth that's quiet yet firmly, assertively spoken and revealed.
Truth is always right before us, but we just don't see it until we do. If truth is a societal foundation, we'll start seeing. It'll be a slippery slope up and out of the hell we are and have been in.
The key to embracing truth is to be prepared for the discomfort that comes with it. And the most difficult truth to face is every mistake we felt the need to hide: Hiding truth is what we should be ashamed of.
"Given the choice, I'll take satin over gloss, rough hewn over varnished, real over fake, truth over politeness." - Yours, Truly
There’s one place where democracy was not theater, that created citizens willing to do their share, and that served as a role model for our higher angels. It was our schools, where called-to-teach teachers gladly worked for spiritual rewards because making a difference satisfied their souls.
Four decades ago a lot of opportunists realized they could hijack what was democracy’s foundation and that’s when the sliding began.
Our teachers used to develop citizens. When that stopped under the command of self-serving power mongers the sliding was inevitable. It stopped because fascist-like dictators turned our schools into treasure chests with a society totally unaware of what they lost because education has always been taken for granted.
You’re correct that Trump took advantage of this slide but you’re missing how the slide happened because you, like most, do not understand that teachers were the souls that kept this nation from sliding and now instead of teachers we have fascist-like dictators’ puppets hollowing us out.
You can’t know the reason for this slide without knowing the heart of a teacher. That’s why you need to read my memoir A Graver Danger to understand we’re not like ordinary people. And when they tossed us aside, they tossed democracy aside.
It’s admirable that you care about democracy. But you’re not going to solve an ideal, which is what democracy is, without looking at this issue from a spiritual perspective since that’s what slid us from decency to selfishness.
Our schools were never perfect but at one time they were filled with teachers dedicated to creating citizens so democracy could prevail. Those types are pariahs to the opportunists who turned our democracy’s foundation into
their treasure chests.
We became more and more superficial as we lost more and more depth in our schools . We could get this back if we would listen to the voiceless teachers who’ve been trying to tell you this since 2002 at WhiteChalkCrime.com and at EndTeacherAbuse.org. These spiritual mobsters conveniently made the soul of our schools voiceless so no one would listen to teacher angst over our stolen schools.
You’re right we slid. You’re right Trump took advantage of the slide. But you’ve missed why. If you want to learn why, i can teach you. I can introduce you to how they did this to us.
You don’t have to just take it from me. Abraham Lincoln warned, “The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation, will be the philosophy of the government in the next.”
You must agree he had wisdom. He knew how not to slide.
Let me show you the philosophy of the schoolroom by taking you deep into the bowels of the corruption and ineptitude that is now holding up our democracy and you’ll know that we slid into the hollowness of what truly is our deep state of corruption - our education system - and you’ll know exactly what to do to save democracy.
Thank you Corbin for putting in words the thoughts I have had for a very long time. I’m 79 years old and have been watching this slide and this politeness kill the possibilities of this country. When I have tried to share these thoughts with friends of my age the reaction includes much eye rolling and looks saying “Here she goes again!”, or worse yet - “We’ve been here before and survived.” I have been a protester most of my life and am beginning to be afraid to march lately! (I can’t run very fast anymore and can’t afford a gas mask!) Please continue your fight because I’m very afraid for our country.🎈
Same here, Judy! Sounding the alarm, getting the eyerolls, and being dismissed. It's hard not to bring out the, "Told you so!" Thanks for succinctly putting into words my same experience. Keep fighting! Maybe we can't run as fast, but it's not a good look to drag around a bunch of old women. 😎✊🏼
This is exactly what reality calls for, but it will require a third party that hasn’t been bought and compromised as the two dominant parties have been. Trying to fix something so broken will delay a new start forever. “Vote blue no matter who” is a desperate gamble America cannot afford, based on wishful thinking which is what got us here.
A new thought from this old (80) geezer: follow Bernie's example, with a difference—be party-independent, caucus with the Dems, but pledge to a new "insider's club" (to be named) of progressives who recognize the reality that MMT is how our current federal financial system works. FEDERAL TAXES DO NOT FINANCE CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS. It all comes from "new money," no borrowing required either. Defeat Wall Street's gaslighting ("But how will we "PAY" for it?!") that we need a "balanced Federal budget" and that austerity equals "fiscal responsibility." Its how America defeated the Axis Powers, after all; we can defeat fascism again the same way, with economic knowledge and political will.
I am working out a strategy here: https://www.americasundoing.com/p/how-to-beat-maga-in-2026-2028-and
I am a fan and a paid subscriber. I send your columns far and wide, because I think it is what my friends need to hear. I want to suggest, however, that you construct some kind of a paywall. You should be paid for your thinking and your excellent writing, in my opinion.
I do think of it sometimes. However, I want to get as many eyes as possible in hopes that something clicks.
I will suggest to people to whom I send it to get a paid subscription. I subscribe to quite a few Substacks, but yours is my favorite. You deserve wide circulation and to get paid for what you write.
Another unspoken tactic for population intimidation is placing people in Nursing Facilities involuntarily and indefinitely
This is quietly accelerating in New York City, a Democratic stronghold.
You hit the nail on the head as usual. We can claw our way back but it takes a large consensus of people and politicians to get there. Fortunately, as you know, New Consensus has a plan called Mission For America which can be found at their website newconsensus.com. You gotta admire people who really want this country to succeed and keep trying to make that happen no matter how hard it is or how damn long it's taking. It'd be easier on everyone individually if more people pitched in like you're doing and like they're doing.
Fools errand. Any achievement toward an equitable society envisioned in the constitution has largely been forced and begruged and with reluctance with sullen resignation anticipating the opportunity to rescind any progress toward noble goals and punishing those that would aspire to attain a more equitable society. Our country is divided, has always been divided and I image will always be divided. Prove me wrong.
I am doing my best to prove you wrong.
I want nothing more than to be. I became a paid subscriber a testimony that I want to be proven wrong.
This link was missing in my email.
https://www.americasundoing.com/p/how-to-beat-maga-in-2026-2028-and
I used to think a third-party would make all the difference. But now I’m wondering why we need political parties in the first place? George Washington didn’t want them. And I can see absolutely no benefit of having political parties. If we could somehow get term limits in place, one term for elected official, I think that would obviate any need for membership in a political party.
I do appreciate that you’re coming up with solutions. Whether they are perfect or not they are far better than the ceaseless whining and complaining that I see on most posts. I think we’re past The “oooh Trump is so awful” stage. We need to start agreeing on what to do next.
Ranked choice voting makes party affiliation far less relevant.
I am a 93 year old woman and I KNOW that every word you spoke is the TRUUTH.
It should be clear by now that Trump’s goal is not to RUN the federal government but to DESTROY the federal government and strip it for parts. He needs to be removed from office.
Modern Conservatives/Republicans consistently “confess” what they are doing by what they accused their opponents of. It’s a standard tactic to deflect attention and sow confusion.
Accordingly, yes, the Constitution DOES have an “enemy within”. Eight hundred military leaders just got a front-row seat to this. Will they now fulfill their oath to “support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic”?
Lovely sentiments, I feel the passion, I embrace the message. Now what?
https://www.americasundoing.com/p/how-to-beat-maga-in-2026-2028-and
Corbin Trent, I agree with you a million percent! I am so hungry for this unflinching honesty about our society and the articulation of worthy political goals. Thank you for putting into words what is wholesome and true--something to hold onto in the sea of excrement we're swimming in.
I would love to see you reach out to other talented leaders and visionaries and interview them on your Substack and start (or continue) to build connection, coalition, and strength with them. I love what Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani did, for example, joining forces in their mayoral primary campaign. I feel like media--good and bad--is siloed in our internet age. Everyone lives in their own personal internet. It makes it hard to build a broad movement based on these deep democracy values you articulate. Can Substack be used to bring the leaders and visionaries and their followers together and in conversation with each other?
I am of the view that quite a few folks authoring thoughtful essays should end up putting them together into a book, a collage of what went wrong and what to do about it.
That’s not a bad idea.
It could be a book individually by author or a collection of essays by different authors--or both. Give folks a broader perspective.
How many more reams do we dedicate to what went wrong? I'm tired of gazing at the navel. Wtf went right?! Let's figure that out and build on success. Tired of floating in the jetsom
I took the bait.
Psychological experiments tell a different story. Daniel Kahneman calls it two selves, the experiential self and the memory self. I prefer to skip the metaphor and accept this is how our brains work.
At the time we feel things are good, bad, indifferent, and we feel likewise some way in the midst. But we remember the experiences differently.
There never was a time when we were all civil. Let's throw in the Overton Window. What the public finds acceptable shifts and differs in time radically. Like David Lynch's Blue Velvet, a peaceful town can turn into a lynch mob.
Our brains have evolved to note salience and change. Risk and reward are weighted to favor the former, unless we focus. Fear is a stronger motivator, unless we fight the impulse.
Let's not be fooled. If we can help it. Start by resisting false fears and easy answers.
Polite? Well, that's one way to put it.
You want the focus to be on building, let us build a society that prioritizes truth over all else.
Not nosey-neighbor truth, that's a perversion.
Not scream-and-blame truth, that's a perversion.
Un-perverted truth that's quiet yet firmly, assertively spoken and revealed.
Truth is always right before us, but we just don't see it until we do. If truth is a societal foundation, we'll start seeing. It'll be a slippery slope up and out of the hell we are and have been in.
The key to embracing truth is to be prepared for the discomfort that comes with it. And the most difficult truth to face is every mistake we felt the need to hide: Hiding truth is what we should be ashamed of.
"Given the choice, I'll take satin over gloss, rough hewn over varnished, real over fake, truth over politeness." - Yours, Truly
There’s one place where democracy was not theater, that created citizens willing to do their share, and that served as a role model for our higher angels. It was our schools, where called-to-teach teachers gladly worked for spiritual rewards because making a difference satisfied their souls.
Four decades ago a lot of opportunists realized they could hijack what was democracy’s foundation and that’s when the sliding began.
Our teachers used to develop citizens. When that stopped under the command of self-serving power mongers the sliding was inevitable. It stopped because fascist-like dictators turned our schools into treasure chests with a society totally unaware of what they lost because education has always been taken for granted.
You’re correct that Trump took advantage of this slide but you’re missing how the slide happened because you, like most, do not understand that teachers were the souls that kept this nation from sliding and now instead of teachers we have fascist-like dictators’ puppets hollowing us out.
You can’t know the reason for this slide without knowing the heart of a teacher. That’s why you need to read my memoir A Graver Danger to understand we’re not like ordinary people. And when they tossed us aside, they tossed democracy aside.
It’s admirable that you care about democracy. But you’re not going to solve an ideal, which is what democracy is, without looking at this issue from a spiritual perspective since that’s what slid us from decency to selfishness.
Our schools were never perfect but at one time they were filled with teachers dedicated to creating citizens so democracy could prevail. Those types are pariahs to the opportunists who turned our democracy’s foundation into
their treasure chests.
We became more and more superficial as we lost more and more depth in our schools . We could get this back if we would listen to the voiceless teachers who’ve been trying to tell you this since 2002 at WhiteChalkCrime.com and at EndTeacherAbuse.org. These spiritual mobsters conveniently made the soul of our schools voiceless so no one would listen to teacher angst over our stolen schools.
You’re right we slid. You’re right Trump took advantage of the slide. But you’ve missed why. If you want to learn why, i can teach you. I can introduce you to how they did this to us.
You don’t have to just take it from me. Abraham Lincoln warned, “The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation, will be the philosophy of the government in the next.”
You must agree he had wisdom. He knew how not to slide.
Let me show you the philosophy of the schoolroom by taking you deep into the bowels of the corruption and ineptitude that is now holding up our democracy and you’ll know that we slid into the hollowness of what truly is our deep state of corruption - our education system - and you’ll know exactly what to do to save democracy.