Dear David: I took your advice and read Timothy Snyder On Freedom. From 1966 through the 90's I lived in eastern Europe and Vienna, as my father was in Canada's foreign service. Snyder's analysis of the 90's and its impact on our times is more brilliant and insightful than I was ever able to put together in my own head. And, when you grow up in that space, you put a lot of time and energy into figuring it out, or else you go crazy.
We had Havel to dinner. We smuggled mail (in the dip bag) for dissident artists in Russia. We watched cars flip on Kutuzovsky Prospekt to make way for Brezhnev's entourage. It was a surreal life.
We also watched people not lose hope. Demand justice. Just by being aware and alive and pushing. Artists declared mentally ill for their art, spending the requisite week a month in a psychiatric hospital, so they could continue to paint (that was the standard deal). The Cdn Embassy kept Georg Kostakis and his dissident Soviet art collection on the top floor, safe from the Soviet authorities.
It is possible to hold on to one's sanity and to one's commitment to justice in dark times. It is possible to find your allies, to create a circle of protection and action.
On page 148, Snyder calls them the "sadopopulists". If people read only one page, read that one. They, and their ilk, seek to persuade us that they are inevitable. That we have no individual autonomy, no right to self determination, forget about social mobility while you play the Hunger Games for health care, daycare and education. Look over there at the criminals, at the bicycle riders....insert scapegoat of the day.
Nothing is inevitable because we are human beings with agency who will not allow ourselves to fall into that trap. That is my daily mantra. I will resist. I will stay off social media to the extent possible, I will shop carefully, I will support people when they speak up, I will show up at rallies, I will sign petitions, I will find my people and use my voice, use my body, use my energy.
Totalitarianism is hell. Hell.
Your advice is excellent. Stay informed. Look after yourself. Look after others. Make a plan.
Keep up your great work. Your voice is powerful, David.
Sign me up for “review, renegotiation, and replacement”. Who’s actually working on that? When I reach out to parties and organisations to join the fight, the only reply I get is a plea for donations. I get it that all these groups need money to function, but is that really all they need? If so, where do those of us without money to give fit into the process of creating this just and inclusive dream?
I'd love to see the left parties in this country do a grassroots push and adopt an unabashedly left program. Failing that, I say look to local or provincial orgs doing good work in a policy field you care about. They're going to need all the support they can get.
David, I think the fact that there are no longer any left parties in Canada is one of the obstacles to mounting a counter-attack on fascism. The NDP is hardly even social democratic now, but even if it were, social democracy is simply compassionate capitalism with the view that government charity for the many is better than empowering the many. Add to that the fact the main stream labour movement appears to have bought into capitalism and just wants a bigger slice of the pie. People should still have hope (it’s the least we can do for Palestinians), people should still do whatever they are able, a movement is definitely needed and people should work on creating that, independent of capitalists and pseudo-leftists.
I found a great non-partisan group in the Ontario Health Care Coalition that has local 'chapters' across the province. They are focusing their work for justice on Ontario's health care disaster, the terrible experience of which is across rural/urban, income, and other divides. To me, health is central because, without it, we can do nothing. I encourage you to seek them out in your community. p.s. they don't plea for donations. they love them but don't ask.
It will just keep working for the rich to get richer as Trump deregulates the financial sector to line his pockets and kiss up to people richer than him.
On Jan 20, we watched the coronation of an oligarch who is a convicted felon. We can only expect him to act as such.
I'm currently in the midst of the reading list you suggested earlier. I've been following at least 7 economists for the past number of years. Varying perspectives (useful balance) but without a doubt, the root cause of all changes is neoclassical economics after a number of decades and a widening wealth gap. As the reality of climate change also presents itself, unless there is a considerable amount of innovation to replace the damaging use of fossil fuels, our trajectory will not 'change' but instead speed up because the economics of O&G are still compelling.
A deep concern as change accelerates - seemingly - is that we disengage and loose empathy. Seeking to build community should be our change response and we do have history as a lesson from the past that we are stronger together. We, as a country could use leadership that represents and delivers policy to support all rather than wealthy monopolists and that builds rather than rips apart.
This really means we need to hold politicians to account and absolutely dismiss the toddler sloganeers who can't articulate anything remotely comprehensive and promote devision.
Perhaps corporate consumerism and digital oligarchy are a worthwhile trade for Ethno-Nationalism and Jane Crow....In the United States Of America the old Segregationists have returned and the once cherished Pan-American values and laws are being thrown away, in an attempt to balkanize certain regions, in the name of Christian nationalism and/or something stranger and eerily familiar....It’s no surprise that isolationists quickly become imperialists. https://trkingston.substack.com/p/hello-transient-expressionism-part-768
Dear David: I took your advice and read Timothy Snyder On Freedom. From 1966 through the 90's I lived in eastern Europe and Vienna, as my father was in Canada's foreign service. Snyder's analysis of the 90's and its impact on our times is more brilliant and insightful than I was ever able to put together in my own head. And, when you grow up in that space, you put a lot of time and energy into figuring it out, or else you go crazy.
We had Havel to dinner. We smuggled mail (in the dip bag) for dissident artists in Russia. We watched cars flip on Kutuzovsky Prospekt to make way for Brezhnev's entourage. It was a surreal life.
We also watched people not lose hope. Demand justice. Just by being aware and alive and pushing. Artists declared mentally ill for their art, spending the requisite week a month in a psychiatric hospital, so they could continue to paint (that was the standard deal). The Cdn Embassy kept Georg Kostakis and his dissident Soviet art collection on the top floor, safe from the Soviet authorities.
It is possible to hold on to one's sanity and to one's commitment to justice in dark times. It is possible to find your allies, to create a circle of protection and action.
On page 148, Snyder calls them the "sadopopulists". If people read only one page, read that one. They, and their ilk, seek to persuade us that they are inevitable. That we have no individual autonomy, no right to self determination, forget about social mobility while you play the Hunger Games for health care, daycare and education. Look over there at the criminals, at the bicycle riders....insert scapegoat of the day.
Nothing is inevitable because we are human beings with agency who will not allow ourselves to fall into that trap. That is my daily mantra. I will resist. I will stay off social media to the extent possible, I will shop carefully, I will support people when they speak up, I will show up at rallies, I will sign petitions, I will find my people and use my voice, use my body, use my energy.
Totalitarianism is hell. Hell.
Your advice is excellent. Stay informed. Look after yourself. Look after others. Make a plan.
Keep up your great work. Your voice is powerful, David.
Thank you so much.
Sign me up for “review, renegotiation, and replacement”. Who’s actually working on that? When I reach out to parties and organisations to join the fight, the only reply I get is a plea for donations. I get it that all these groups need money to function, but is that really all they need? If so, where do those of us without money to give fit into the process of creating this just and inclusive dream?
I'd love to see the left parties in this country do a grassroots push and adopt an unabashedly left program. Failing that, I say look to local or provincial orgs doing good work in a policy field you care about. They're going to need all the support they can get.
David, I think the fact that there are no longer any left parties in Canada is one of the obstacles to mounting a counter-attack on fascism. The NDP is hardly even social democratic now, but even if it were, social democracy is simply compassionate capitalism with the view that government charity for the many is better than empowering the many. Add to that the fact the main stream labour movement appears to have bought into capitalism and just wants a bigger slice of the pie. People should still have hope (it’s the least we can do for Palestinians), people should still do whatever they are able, a movement is definitely needed and people should work on creating that, independent of capitalists and pseudo-leftists.
I found a great non-partisan group in the Ontario Health Care Coalition that has local 'chapters' across the province. They are focusing their work for justice on Ontario's health care disaster, the terrible experience of which is across rural/urban, income, and other divides. To me, health is central because, without it, we can do nothing. I encourage you to seek them out in your community. p.s. they don't plea for donations. they love them but don't ask.
Are we in late stage capitalism? Will it die or just water down?
I wish I knew. But it's definitely late stage.
It will just keep working for the rich to get richer as Trump deregulates the financial sector to line his pockets and kiss up to people richer than him.
On Jan 20, we watched the coronation of an oligarch who is a convicted felon. We can only expect him to act as such.
I guess we will see. I’m not rolling over and taking it. Sounds like you are.
Now is the time of monsters.
Great advice David. Thanks.
I'm currently in the midst of the reading list you suggested earlier. I've been following at least 7 economists for the past number of years. Varying perspectives (useful balance) but without a doubt, the root cause of all changes is neoclassical economics after a number of decades and a widening wealth gap. As the reality of climate change also presents itself, unless there is a considerable amount of innovation to replace the damaging use of fossil fuels, our trajectory will not 'change' but instead speed up because the economics of O&G are still compelling.
A deep concern as change accelerates - seemingly - is that we disengage and loose empathy. Seeking to build community should be our change response and we do have history as a lesson from the past that we are stronger together. We, as a country could use leadership that represents and delivers policy to support all rather than wealthy monopolists and that builds rather than rips apart.
This really means we need to hold politicians to account and absolutely dismiss the toddler sloganeers who can't articulate anything remotely comprehensive and promote devision.
Perhaps corporate consumerism and digital oligarchy are a worthwhile trade for Ethno-Nationalism and Jane Crow....In the United States Of America the old Segregationists have returned and the once cherished Pan-American values and laws are being thrown away, in an attempt to balkanize certain regions, in the name of Christian nationalism and/or something stranger and eerily familiar....It’s no surprise that isolationists quickly become imperialists. https://trkingston.substack.com/p/hello-transient-expressionism-part-768
It's relieved when we observe rather than absorb ✨
Optimize hypothalamus to see bigger perspective.