This is the first time, I'm observing the 4th with a heavy heart. No amount of celebration-and fireworks will change this. Am I the only one thinking it maybe the last one? Being owned by the billionaires, doesn't sound like our 249 yrs of self-governing and independence from kings.
It won't be the last one. The MAGAt regime will continue the traditional celebration, but it will be a hollow shell. Or perhaps they'll change their emphasis to 14 June. With mandatory participation.
My sentiment exactly Joyce. As a photographer/animator I’ve always covered fireworks displays, DC was one of the nation’s finest… this country is now owned by the transnational criminal syndicate, there’s no celebration necessary anymore!!
The Canadians, the French, the Irish, the British ... everyone seems to be welcoming American refugees at the moment. 'don't know how long that's going to last.
Depends on the specific question. After the 14 years of chaotic self-serving rule by the faction-ridden and eventually incompetent & imploding Conservatives, the hope the Labour under Starner would herald a new era of responsible & compassionate evidence-based policies led by serious adults in the room have been dashed. One year after taking office, Starmer's govt is already a big disappointment to people hoping for dramatic improvements and systemic change.
that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—-
That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed,
that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Thank you for posting this. It often gets lost in the mudslinging of today’s society but that passage is incredible. It must have been so radical to read that at the time of its writing! To say that the king is equal to the common folk must have seemed crazy. Yet it isn’t crazy at all! We are still striving almost 250 years later to treat everyone equally and deliver on their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I am very sad for America today and I feel we have taken a massively cruel, stupid, and self-defeating step backwards…but reading that passage again gives me hope. It gives me hope because I know that when others read it and are reminded of the true values of America we can feel enough optimism to carry on and change the system.
The road ahead will be very difficult and it may get even worse, but we must work together to get this lunatic out of power.
Children of a lesser God - Trump, Miller, Noem, Bessant, Rubio, Musk, Bannon, Bondi, Roberts, Thomas, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Comey-Barrett, Hogsdeath, Alito, etc.
I understand. I feel terribly sad, too. But I choose to celebrate the vision of the Founders of a Republic: “ to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Liberty and Justice for all. The vision embraced by Lincoln and MLK. In spite of domestic enemies running the country (into the ground), this vision is worth celebrating, today more than ever!
Granted, but these days, the founding vision is just that -- a vision. In my lifetime -- born 1941 -- we've never had a president and his cultists worse than we have now. Yes, some presidents not bright and worse than others, but none as stupid, unpatriotic and evil. My prayer is that in 2026 we can make Democrats the majority in the House and that those Democrats will have the wisdom and courage to halt the political carnage. I don't think it's possible to flip the Senate in 2026. With luck, perhaps in 2028 we can elect a Democrat who has wisdom. Democrats aren't perfect, by any means, and they tend to favor fringe candidates, but we need to wipe out the spineless Republicans whose allegiance is only to Trump. That will be difficult because MAGAts are a formidable group, but that's America's only hope.
Dear John, I also think that voters have to show up in large numbers, throughout the country and Vote out all trump cult members.
Voters must unify and show up in numbers that will beyond any challenge demonstrating the unity against those who backed/ supported the cruelty , greed and traitor to our future generations of this budget action.
Happy Fourth of July everyone. I woke up to a propaganda email from the Social Security Admin. “applauding historic tax relief for Seniors”!!! I’m surprised his picture wasn’t on it. Not a good way to start the day. What country do we live in?
I, too, woke to this email and was appalled. All part of the disinformation campaign. At some point I’d like to understand better, given that some of the worst aspects of the bill kick in after midterms and after 2028, what powers a subsequent administration might have to kill or maim the Big, Terrible, Cruel Bill.
Somewhere in there we need to get rid of at least half the Republican senators and about ten representatives. Replace them with anyone who will vote with the Dems. This talk of "make the first Trump tax cuts permanent" makes me angry. Anything passed into law can be repealed.
That message made me feel like I was in a sleazy part of town and the iniquitous Frank Bisignano approached me to sell trump meme coins at an inflated price.
Remember when he stated openly in a previous campaign speech how he loved "the poorly educated"? Lower levels of critical thinking are key to the success of relentless propaganda and gaslighting. The ruthless assault on higher-education establishments is no coincidence. And, tragically, he and the MAGA enablers have demonstrated that it works.
I got one of those too. Made me nauseous, then angry. I’m supposed to be happy about what these stupid, grifting, cowardly cretins are doing with MY government??? There aren’t enough bad words in the dictionary to accurately describe my feelings. I won’t give in to any of it!
Thank you. I came of political age in 1968. The America I saw around me -- the war in Vietnam, the FBI persecuting dissenters, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, etc. -- was pretty ugly. Over the decades I've done what little I could to make it better, but I've never flown the U.S. flag.
All I’m filled with is sorrow because we’re letting this guy Humpty Dumpty lead us into the darkness and half the country doesn’t even know they’re being led!
I woke this morning feeling so depressed that all I wanted to do was sob--and then pack and head for the nearest airport with flights away from this depressing place. Can't flee yet, though; my two old dogs depend on me, still....
The only way you could consider our Alfred very smart is if you come to believe that he's smart enough to figure out that he has it made playing dumb. Courage and MacHeath have their own levels of stupidity. The only one you can say is provably intelligent is Figaro, who looks a lot like the Professor's cat.
Well, I'm wondering whether cats in numerous-cat households don't develop that human-cat bond that fosters greater intelligence.
You do give your cats wonderful names. My late husband gave our Siamese a similarly operatic name: Leporello. (And Leporello was smart, but not as smart as our tabby cat, rescued as a kitten from the streets of Manhattan. We once returned from a 36-hour trip away to find that she had caught a mouse and put it in Leporello's bowl -- she clearly considered him incapable of hunting for himself.)
Dunno why I chose Alfred, it just came to me. Courage is named that because he was the most terrified animal I have ever seen when we first saw him. MacHeath has four white feet. Figaro is named after the cat in Pinocchio. The latest addition is Scheherazade, who is something of an enigma. Her nickname around the house is "the demon."
Thank you for your insightful columns. Once upon a time I was a Republican but that was before Trump. Now Republicans support cruel and irresponsible policies and they are indifferent to the blatant corruption
of the Orange Man. Never say never, but I am never going to vote for a Republican again.
I switched back and forth all my voting life, but I had settled in as a Republican. Until I saw how Cheney and Rumsfeld destroyed Iraq. When the Baghdad museum was looted, I switched away and never looked back.
Good for you. I did the same, but settled as an independent in the 90’s. They all seemed the same; power and money was the driving force; no sense of public service or the greater good.
Please, tomorrow write something explaining how the jobs figures suddenly gain 147,000 from ADP report yesterday indicating the loss of 33,000 jobs! What's really going on in the labor market?
A day that should have been a celebration of all this country could be, is now a day of mourning for what it has become...
This is the first time, I'm observing the 4th with a heavy heart. No amount of celebration-and fireworks will change this. Am I the only one thinking it maybe the last one? Being owned by the billionaires, doesn't sound like our 249 yrs of self-governing and independence from kings.
It won't be the last one. The MAGAt regime will continue the traditional celebration, but it will be a hollow shell. Or perhaps they'll change their emphasis to 14 June. With mandatory participation.
I used to think they weren't poisoning our food to make us sick..."𝐛𝐮𝐭" this changed everything....
https://t.co/HidOLPsyiH
My sentiment exactly Joyce. As a photographer/animator I’ve always covered fireworks displays, DC was one of the nation’s finest… this country is now owned by the transnational criminal syndicate, there’s no celebration necessary anymore!!
Can we invite the British back?
The Canadians, the French, the Irish, the British ... everyone seems to be welcoming American refugees at the moment. 'don't know how long that's going to last.
Unrelated SPAM to infomercial. Seen before. Reported. Please go away.
This is an advertisement, not a comment. Take your ads elsewhere.
Reported as SPAM. Seen before.
But will they take us?
If you have enough time is the likely answer Erik!!
Ask
Is Keir Starmer the answer? (To be clear, this is sarcasm.)
Depends on the specific question. After the 14 years of chaotic self-serving rule by the faction-ridden and eventually incompetent & imploding Conservatives, the hope the Labour under Starner would herald a new era of responsible & compassionate evidence-based policies led by serious adults in the room have been dashed. One year after taking office, Starmer's govt is already a big disappointment to people hoping for dramatic improvements and systemic change.
True, he's a disappointment, but still vastly superior to Trump and his toadies.
Correct - he's a rational adult and serious politician with a career reflecting dedication and achievements in public service.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident:
that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—-
That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed,
that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Thank you for posting this. It often gets lost in the mudslinging of today’s society but that passage is incredible. It must have been so radical to read that at the time of its writing! To say that the king is equal to the common folk must have seemed crazy. Yet it isn’t crazy at all! We are still striving almost 250 years later to treat everyone equally and deliver on their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I am very sad for America today and I feel we have taken a massively cruel, stupid, and self-defeating step backwards…but reading that passage again gives me hope. It gives me hope because I know that when others read it and are reminded of the true values of America we can feel enough optimism to carry on and change the system.
The road ahead will be very difficult and it may get even worse, but we must work together to get this lunatic out of power.
Thank you
Children of a lesser God - Trump, Miller, Noem, Bessant, Rubio, Musk, Bannon, Bondi, Roberts, Thomas, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Comey-Barrett, Hogsdeath, Alito, etc.
There’s far too many traitors, and a military that’s spent millions on non- lethal weaponry to push that poignancy Edmund!
...for all *true* patriots, who love their country *and* the values and ideals its meant to stand for -
See Robert Reich's powerful statement of pain & outrage: https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/what-patriotism-requires
I understand. I feel terribly sad, too. But I choose to celebrate the vision of the Founders of a Republic: “ to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Liberty and Justice for all. The vision embraced by Lincoln and MLK. In spite of domestic enemies running the country (into the ground), this vision is worth celebrating, today more than ever!
Granted, but these days, the founding vision is just that -- a vision. In my lifetime -- born 1941 -- we've never had a president and his cultists worse than we have now. Yes, some presidents not bright and worse than others, but none as stupid, unpatriotic and evil. My prayer is that in 2026 we can make Democrats the majority in the House and that those Democrats will have the wisdom and courage to halt the political carnage. I don't think it's possible to flip the Senate in 2026. With luck, perhaps in 2028 we can elect a Democrat who has wisdom. Democrats aren't perfect, by any means, and they tend to favor fringe candidates, but we need to wipe out the spineless Republicans whose allegiance is only to Trump. That will be difficult because MAGAts are a formidable group, but that's America's only hope.
Dear John, I also think that voters have to show up in large numbers, throughout the country and Vote out all trump cult members.
Voters must unify and show up in numbers that will beyond any challenge demonstrating the unity against those who backed/ supported the cruelty , greed and traitor to our future generations of this budget action.
I, too, clearly celebrated... calling the United States of America an experiment (thank you Prof. Richardson for that concept)... a work in progress..
I'm sure Jack us right. Get some rest.
Black-and-white cats are ALWAYS right: just ask them! Remember: "Dogs" have owners, CATS have Staff!
Yup, and I'm staff to two of them! Double duty.
I can relate with the brave and weary fighters defending Ukraine!
Unrelated spam for an infomercial. Reported.
Yes, I think we all need a day of respite.
Happy Fourth of July everyone. I woke up to a propaganda email from the Social Security Admin. “applauding historic tax relief for Seniors”!!! I’m surprised his picture wasn’t on it. Not a good way to start the day. What country do we live in?
I, too, woke to this email and was appalled. All part of the disinformation campaign. At some point I’d like to understand better, given that some of the worst aspects of the bill kick in after midterms and after 2028, what powers a subsequent administration might have to kill or maim the Big, Terrible, Cruel Bill.
Somewhere in there we need to get rid of at least half the Republican senators and about ten representatives. Replace them with anyone who will vote with the Dems. This talk of "make the first Trump tax cuts permanent" makes me angry. Anything passed into law can be repealed.
Same here. Got the same propaganda email.
It’s all that, coupled with a death sentence bill Dr
That message made me feel like I was in a sleazy part of town and the iniquitous Frank Bisignano approached me to sell trump meme coins at an inflated price.
Ugh
I’ve been wondering the same thing, Diane. There are many countries we could go to but this is our country and I have to stay and help bring it back.
Yes, I felt the same way when I saw it. Remember Republican propagandists are running the show now.
The first thing I did when I saw that was to check the sender's address. I do not believe that actually came from the Social Security people.
The second thing I did was to say to myself "I'll believe that when I see it next April."
Remember when he stated openly in a previous campaign speech how he loved "the poorly educated"? Lower levels of critical thinking are key to the success of relentless propaganda and gaslighting. The ruthless assault on higher-education establishments is no coincidence. And, tragically, he and the MAGA enablers have demonstrated that it works.
I got one of those too. Made me nauseous, then angry. I’m supposed to be happy about what these stupid, grifting, cowardly cretins are doing with MY government??? There aren’t enough bad words in the dictionary to accurately describe my feelings. I won’t give in to any of it!
Here's what CBS claims is the truth - https://www.aol.com/does-big-beautiful-bill-eliminate-201000277.html
Same sentiment Diane, I received the text closely after the bill was passed!!
Yes this is not America 💔🇺🇸
Unfortunately, it is.
Show up on July 17th!!!
Will do!
Thank you. I came of political age in 1968. The America I saw around me -- the war in Vietnam, the FBI persecuting dissenters, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, etc. -- was pretty ugly. Over the decades I've done what little I could to make it better, but I've never flown the U.S. flag.
Unitl 2016, I considered 1968 to be the worst day in modern US history. 2024 exceeds them.
Perhaps a long walk will give us both a new lease on life. Or a solid meditation. Or a trip to a shop that makes banners for July 17th.
Purrrrrrrr
sadly
As opposed to our normal days of SPITE?
Guilty as charged!
All I’m filled with is sorrow because we’re letting this guy Humpty Dumpty lead us into the darkness and half the country doesn’t even know they’re being led!
I am taking a day off too and will not be watching the signing Happy Fourth!
You're earned it! Thanks for putting some sanity into my life.
Absolutely agree.
We all need a break after yesterday.
I woke this morning feeling so depressed that all I wanted to do was sob--and then pack and head for the nearest airport with flights away from this depressing place. Can't flee yet, though; my two old dogs depend on me, still....
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their pussycat. Or, in the words of one book, "Pet the cat, you'll feel better".
Last night was the inevitable empathy crisis. Zack kissed me back to sleep.
You seem so happy and free with your new gig. I miss your voice on the Times, but very happy for you!
Happy 4th! And big thanks for helping us see more clearly.
I agree with Jack. Wish you a quiet, restful day. Happy 4th of July!
Cats know.
Cats are very smart
I have five. Several of them are remarkably stupid.
Amended: "Most cats are very smart."
The only way you could consider our Alfred very smart is if you come to believe that he's smart enough to figure out that he has it made playing dumb. Courage and MacHeath have their own levels of stupidity. The only one you can say is provably intelligent is Figaro, who looks a lot like the Professor's cat.
Well, I'm wondering whether cats in numerous-cat households don't develop that human-cat bond that fosters greater intelligence.
You do give your cats wonderful names. My late husband gave our Siamese a similarly operatic name: Leporello. (And Leporello was smart, but not as smart as our tabby cat, rescued as a kitten from the streets of Manhattan. We once returned from a 36-hour trip away to find that she had caught a mouse and put it in Leporello's bowl -- she clearly considered him incapable of hunting for himself.)
Dunno why I chose Alfred, it just came to me. Courage is named that because he was the most terrified animal I have ever seen when we first saw him. MacHeath has four white feet. Figaro is named after the cat in Pinocchio. The latest addition is Scheherazade, who is something of an enigma. Her nickname around the house is "the demon."
Don’t tell them that!
What a great cat! Right now, July 4th does not seem to mean much except the country is going back to the king concept.
Where’s Goya when you need him
Thank you for your insightful columns. Once upon a time I was a Republican but that was before Trump. Now Republicans support cruel and irresponsible policies and they are indifferent to the blatant corruption
of the Orange Man. Never say never, but I am never going to vote for a Republican again.
I switched back and forth all my voting life, but I had settled in as a Republican. Until I saw how Cheney and Rumsfeld destroyed Iraq. When the Baghdad museum was looted, I switched away and never looked back.
Good for you. I did the same, but settled as an independent in the 90’s. They all seemed the same; power and money was the driving force; no sense of public service or the greater good.
You deserve it. Have a great day.
Hope your personal 4th is relaxing and fun, despite Rome burning around us.
Please, tomorrow write something explaining how the jobs figures suddenly gain 147,000 from ADP report yesterday indicating the loss of 33,000 jobs! What's really going on in the labor market?
Yeah, when I heard that yesterday, I thought "bullshit".
Well one thing MTN (Meidas Touch Network) highlighted is that "report" claims 100, 000 (ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND!) new teachers were hired.
In June.
With the dismantling of the Dept of Education.
With DOGE's elimination of 23,000 jobs (to date).
So -- there's your answer . THEY JUST MADE IT UP.
ZERO economic numbers will be reliable from here on out. Actually, ANY numbers that don't make them look like "winners" are suspect.
Too bad we don't have Congressional leaders to call them out for it.
Man thank you
I thought i was hallucinating
Have a restful day, Paul.
Happy 4th and enjoy…:)