Joy Instead of Fear
As we stare collectively into the abyss of internecine conflict, it seems to make sense to take a step back and contemplate the season and all that comes with it. Instead of the bitter harvest of hate that threatens to consume the nation, fanned by authoritarian ambitions, let us focus instead on the gains that have come from personal toil and the bounty of our domestic lives.
Because even if politics seems a grotesque distortion of the public good, a wasteland of corruption and misinformation feeding a cesspool of cultural decline, there is proof that the horrible facade of decadent fearmongering, the pull of bloodlust and revenge we are seeing play out is fated for failure.
As notes in his post today:
AMERICA IS NOT PUTIN’S RUSSIA NOR ORBAN’S HUNGARY, ITS A VIBRANT DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC WITH A MILITARY SWORN TO PROTECT IT SINCE 1775.
As opposed to Hitler’s takeover of the Weimar Republic, Trump cannot count on the support of our military, nor even of key institutions such as the independent Justice Department he is attempting to convert into his own personal prosecutorial agency, not to mention the state governments of our 50 separate states.
In the meantime, Trump’s popularity is plummeting, with confidence in his handling of the economy and immigration, his supposed strengths, hitting all time, historic lows:
TRUMP’S 2025 NET APPROVAL RATING COMPARED TO OTHER RECENT PRESIDENTS. TRUMP’S ONLY COMPETITION IS HIS OWN PREVIOUS PRESIDENCY IN 2017
The above charts demonstrate a reality that Trump does understand, if he understands nothing else. He has an overall net approval rating of -17% and a -22% net approval on the economy.
A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IN 2026 WILL RESULT IN A PULSATING, POWERFUL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITY.
MAGA knows their time is running out. The incompetence and ineptitude of the circus clown they have put in charge of us is having predictably chaotic results, and the American people are not fools, at least not all of the time.
So let’s not shudder as we hear the threats from the JD Vances and Stephen Millers in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination, of labelling as terrorists liberal and progressive organizations and the Democratic party itself as an extremist group. That’s laughable, even pitiable as an attempt to move this country.
Let’s be gracious, Charlie Kirk was not our martyr, but he was also not a villain. There was something praiseworthy about his character, despite the vile implications of some of his ideas. As Ezra Klein notes, he was practicing politics the right way, which means in the spirit of civility and brotherhood that represents the best legacy of American culture. He should not have been murdered, and we should all be saddened by his death.
Today is a good day to get outside, breathe deeply in the crisp, clean air if you can, gather the last of the bean crop, join in a picnic or neighborhood fair, listen to some music. Go for a walk with someone who needs to talk. In the midst of this epidemic of hate and fear, the best medicine is always love and compassion. Harvest time is a feel good season, after all.
