Gene I am taking this post down for it was written as commands to me, not suggestions. Feel free to post in a far more collegial way. We are having a discussion, a conversation. In that process dictats or commands are not welcome.
Should the person who took the video of the Tufts kidnapping have intervened? There were several likely armed men there. I don’t know what I would have done, but it probably wouldn’t have been direct confrontation on my own.
Even if there are a bunch of people there, linking arms and saying “Hell no” isn’t an instinctive response. I am in no way an expert, but I am pretty sure nonviolent resistance has to be trained.
I think the person taking the video or another person attempted to stop it and saying to the masked men who abducted her that he could have bought a badge at the nearest convenience store. But he was the only one and I think there were six "agents" I will call them so outnumbered.
Often these situations happen so quickly that it's hard to act in-the-moment. In some cases, having the ability to record a video is invaluable because it spreads awareness and documents the event. If we can figure out how to coordinate this type of response simultaneously we could start to resist in more direct ways.
Yesterday, Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled that former president Jair Bolsonaro must stand trial alongside seven close allies. They are facing criminal prosecution over an alleged coup plot to overturn his 2022 election loss. Bolsonaro faces political oblivion and a possible jail sentence of more than 40 years.
The far-right populist, who governed Brazil 2019–2022, was charged last month after a two-year investigation into the fallout from the election loss to his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – a loss that Bolsonaro never formally conceded.
NOTE: Already in 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Court barred Bolsonaro from running for office for eight years after finding he'd "undermined democracy by making false claims" about Brazil's voting system.
Poland and Brazil stand out as beacons of hope in this depressing time. I'm also impressed by the positive demonstration of solidarity and patriotism shown by the Canadian people. Finally, It has been heartening to see mass civil disobedience in places like Turkey and Serbia, although the outcome of those fights is far from certain. It is worth emphasizing that people protesting in Ankara, Belgrade are exposing themselves to far greater risk than the median (naturalized!) person here. What will our excuse be to future generations if we capitulate in advance?
Brazil's entry in to the Oscar race won best foreign film, I'm Still Here, which is about the military junta that ruled Brazil in the 70s. Can't wait to see it.
Our Psychological and Political Pandemic DR. BANDY X. LEE
🔸️Mental pathology in a president is a public matter. The more severe the mental pathology the less one will recognize that one is even ill.
🔸️Every other job that deals with life or death has a mental fitness evaluation as a requirement, even before one takes the position.
🔸️Without mental fitness evaluations, the public needs to know the danger of certified madness in politics. When dangerous mental pathologies are allowed to spread like a pandemic, an Extinction Level Event is headed straight for Earth. The U.S. could be a shining example of how to stop dangerous mental pathologies before they worm their way into politics but it is now left with "emergency cleanup on aisle madness'.
Just yesterday here in NJ a big tanker truck rolled past me with a huge Bolsonaro sign adjoining a picture of trump....only thing missing was the idiot from Argentina. Soccer rivals, I guess....
Simon, I commented last night but realized my comment was directed only to you. So, in short, I wrote that your NO piece needs to be seen by everyone. You spoke truth to power and you did so eloquently and with fervor. I am sharing your link on Bluesky and with my Slack members. Your words are a roadmap for how we proceed, a roadmap for all Dems to follow.
On another note, this piece from today's Mercury News is sad, frustrating and infuriating. No person, regardless of party affiliation, should have to pay for private security for themselves and their families. This is so wrong! This article is gifted so everyone should be able to read what Rep Eric Swalwell and his family are going through because he has the guts to speak out against the 🟠💩, his policies and his corruption.
Thanks for sharing this article. Rep Swalwell shared a voice message on his Instagram account. Chilling - but some insight into what our fiercest and most vocal representatives face right now.
A Declaration of American Principles and Resolve (I rewrote Simon's declaration above, with a little help from Claude.ai)
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for a People to reaffirm the political bonds which have connected them to their democratic traditions, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to this preservation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all persons 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 People, 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 it, and to institute new safeguards for their future security.
The history of the present administration is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world:
He has sought to impose tariffs that burden our citizens with excessive costs, harm our economy's prosperity, and sever our beneficial alliances.
He has endeavored to align our nation's interests with adversarial powers while abandoning our traditional allies who have preserved our security and liberty for generations.
He has attempted to undermine our sacred treaty obligations to NATO and European partners, threatening the international order that safeguards peace.
He has withdrawn support for global health initiatives, causing immeasurable suffering among the world's vulnerable and diminishing America's moral standing.
He has endeavored to dismantle lawfully established federal institutions and programs without Constitutional authority, while permitting the exploitation of citizens' private information.
He has attacked our nation's scientific and research foundations, endangering America's competitive advantage and future prosperity.
He has sought to restrict healthcare access, undermine public health measures, and defund vital research institutions upon which our citizens' wellbeing depends.
He has promoted fiscal policies that deprive the public treasury while expanding deficits and eliminating essential services for working families.
He has worked to diminish established rights of women that have been recognized throughout the civilized world.
He has sanctioned extrajudicial detentions without due process, in violation of our most sacred Constitutional protections.
He has used the high Office of President for personal enrichment, fostering unprecedented corruption within our government.
We, therefore, the People of these United States, do solemnly publish and declare:
That we shall uphold the Constitution as our guiding covenant, defending its principles against all threats, foreign and domestic.
That we shall protect the integrity of our democratic institutions and the sanctity of our electoral processes.
That we shall preserve an independent judiciary as the bulwark of our liberties.
That we shall champion a free press, unfettered by intimidation or censorship.
That we shall safeguard equal justice under law for all persons, regardless of station or circumstance.
That we shall promote policies that strengthen our communities, uplift our citizens, and extend opportunity to all who seek it.
That we shall conduct our foreign affairs with wisdom and restraint, honoring our commitments and standing firm with our allies.
That we shall be stewards of our natural resources, preserving them for generations yet unborn.
That we shall advance knowledge, reason, and truth as the foundations of good governance.
That we shall remember always that public service is a sacred trust, not a vehicle for personal gain.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Corruption fits in nicely with his foreign policy as well. Take Gaza, Canada, Panama, anything you like. Fire all the competent workers and put in loyalist cronies who will fork the riches over to you and not tell.
Thanks for the encouraging news, AS, and I hope they really spelled his name like that. Time to move the goalposts in a good way? As important as it is to win, it would really help the cause nationwide if the in-the-tank media were forced to report that Crawford won by an even bigger margin than Protasiewicz (+11). Sounds like that's now within reach. :) Complacency? Not a chance. All of us canvassing should probably assume people have seen this poll and emphasize the importance of winning this one by as much as possible. Both for the cause, and to provide enough cushion in case the poll is off for any number of reasons
please add NO to denial of climate change and all that comes with believing all natural resources are something to being exploited for cash gain. I'm sure there is a better way to state it however.
Very important. What Zeldin is doing to the EPA is not getting the attention it deserves in the firehose of outrages but in the category of things that can't be repaired the environment is the prime example.
I've been donating to the Wisconsin Dems at least twice a month thanks to your encouragement. Trying to envision how good it will feel, and how strategically important it will be, to deny Musk the purchase of this election. Plus Ben Wikler is great.
I am finding that I alternate between feeling demoralized at what the administration is doing in their deliberate reckless destruction and being extremely clear about my values and and beliefs. Simon, your articulation of the importance of widespread condemnation and using our powerful voice to say NO and refuse is exactly what I was searching for. That's the puzzle piece that will allow me to be motivated by my values in a more constant way, to advocate for what I believe, for the strength of community and for democracy itself.
I am finding with all the depressing news by the minute that your hopefulness is essential. This allows personal space to act. This morning I was reading a very damning piece on the Democrats and that did NOT help....offering steps to take, does help. We are rereading MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING and this book speaks to this time.
To paraphrase what you said: [Hope] allows personal space to act.
I think this is quite profound. Yesterday I had a long conversation with a colleague who seems to feel so depressed that she isn't doing anything because she thinks it's pointless. I will forward today's page to her in the hope that it will give her some hope and open up a space for her to make her calls and take other actions.
I continue to hope that someone - preferably the DNC - will take on the task of creating and managing an online nationwide map that shows protests and other events - like DNC sponsored Town Halls - and future. Having such a visual tool will be powerful for all of us, and make every event an integral part of the growing resistance movement, rather than an isolated and ephemeral one off. Just look at the online map for the April 5 HandsOff protests at Indivisible. To have the country filled with dots, each one marking a scheduled protest, is empowering. To have as many past events as possible as well as ones to come all blanketing the map would be awesome! It would help to show judges, lawyers, elected R’s and D’s, cops, that there is power in our resistance.
To this end I posted this idea in several Substack chats - including this Substack - last week. I have also sent this idea to Jane Kleeb - vice-chair of the DNC - in an email, although I have no way of knowing if the email address I used is one that she or anyone else actually reads.
I have also started commenting on my Congressional Rep’s Facebook posts. There are strident naysayers to his increasingly proactive stance, and I want to reinforce his growing voice and activism.
I attended my rep’s in person Town Hall last week. Boisterous. Crowd generally positive but frustrated.
I will attend a local protest against ICE this weekend. It will call attention in particular to an incident where they broke down a household door with a battering ram, brandished weapons at a 16 year old and took a couple of people away.
I will be attending the April 5 HandsOff rally in Boston.
Continuing to raise money for Virginia with a States Project giving circle.
Heck, if I could get my friends to do even one thing, I'd be thrilled! But I love this idea. I can certainly commit to doing more.
Gene I am taking this post down for it was written as commands to me, not suggestions. Feel free to post in a far more collegial way. We are having a discussion, a conversation. In that process dictats or commands are not welcome.
Sorry, Simon, I meant it as suggestions and not commands.
Just say NO WAY IN HELL
I love this idea, but how?
Should the person who took the video of the Tufts kidnapping have intervened? There were several likely armed men there. I don’t know what I would have done, but it probably wouldn’t have been direct confrontation on my own.
Even if there are a bunch of people there, linking arms and saying “Hell no” isn’t an instinctive response. I am in no way an expert, but I am pretty sure nonviolent resistance has to be trained.
What if the videographer had called out to them instead of recording ? Or done both? They appeared to be in a building looking down at the scene
I think the person taking the video or another person attempted to stop it and saying to the masked men who abducted her that he could have bought a badge at the nearest convenience store. But he was the only one and I think there were six "agents" I will call them so outnumbered.
To my knowledge no groups have stopped any ICE abductions? The agents all are plain clothes so they may not be official.
ICE seems to know when to accost victims in isolated situations. 3-4 cars were staked out waiting for her
Yes, and women were involved too -- and they rushed her. Totally terrifying!
Often these situations happen so quickly that it's hard to act in-the-moment. In some cases, having the ability to record a video is invaluable because it spreads awareness and documents the event. If we can figure out how to coordinate this type of response simultaneously we could start to resist in more direct ways.
ENVIOUS OF BRAZIL!
Yesterday, Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled that former president Jair Bolsonaro must stand trial alongside seven close allies. They are facing criminal prosecution over an alleged coup plot to overturn his 2022 election loss. Bolsonaro faces political oblivion and a possible jail sentence of more than 40 years.
The far-right populist, who governed Brazil 2019–2022, was charged last month after a two-year investigation into the fallout from the election loss to his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – a loss that Bolsonaro never formally conceded.
NOTE: Already in 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Court barred Bolsonaro from running for office for eight years after finding he'd "undermined democracy by making false claims" about Brazil's voting system.
(My rewrite. More here:)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/26/bolsonaro-trial-coup-brazil-supreme-court
Poland and Brazil stand out as beacons of hope in this depressing time. I'm also impressed by the positive demonstration of solidarity and patriotism shown by the Canadian people. Finally, It has been heartening to see mass civil disobedience in places like Turkey and Serbia, although the outcome of those fights is far from certain. It is worth emphasizing that people protesting in Ankara, Belgrade are exposing themselves to far greater risk than the median (naturalized!) person here. What will our excuse be to future generations if we capitulate in advance?
Brazil's entry in to the Oscar race won best foreign film, I'm Still Here, which is about the military junta that ruled Brazil in the 70s. Can't wait to see it.
Our Psychological and Political Pandemic DR. BANDY X. LEE
🔸️Mental pathology in a president is a public matter. The more severe the mental pathology the less one will recognize that one is even ill.
🔸️Every other job that deals with life or death has a mental fitness evaluation as a requirement, even before one takes the position.
🔸️Without mental fitness evaluations, the public needs to know the danger of certified madness in politics. When dangerous mental pathologies are allowed to spread like a pandemic, an Extinction Level Event is headed straight for Earth. The U.S. could be a shining example of how to stop dangerous mental pathologies before they worm their way into politics but it is now left with "emergency cleanup on aisle madness'.
https://open.substack.com/pub/bandyxlee/p/our-psychological-and-political-pandemic?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=280c3q
Just yesterday here in NJ a big tanker truck rolled past me with a huge Bolsonaro sign adjoining a picture of trump....only thing missing was the idiot from Argentina. Soccer rivals, I guess....
Wow! If only... :-(
I like the No strategy. Simple, understandable, and gets to the heart of the matter. I have used similar phrasing amongst my own community.
Today HHS shared plans to cut 10K workers. Another NO to increasing death and decreasing medicines and health services in this country.
The "No's" translate smoothly into the list of outrages in the Letter to America.
It absolutely does!!!
Hold tight to your truths.
Do not let them slip away.
Stay strong through the storm.
https://www.dailyhaikuforyou.com
one haiku a day to offset the dark is helping.....
Monica, Washington DC
Here is one that has always resonated with me:
. The temple bell stops –
. but the sound keeps coming
. out of the flowers.
. – Bashō, tr. Robert Bly
Bashō, the master. Such a beautiful poem and thought.
This is beautiful and gives me good bumps. Thank you.
Simon, I commented last night but realized my comment was directed only to you. So, in short, I wrote that your NO piece needs to be seen by everyone. You spoke truth to power and you did so eloquently and with fervor. I am sharing your link on Bluesky and with my Slack members. Your words are a roadmap for how we proceed, a roadmap for all Dems to follow.
On another note, this piece from today's Mercury News is sad, frustrating and infuriating. No person, regardless of party affiliation, should have to pay for private security for themselves and their families. This is so wrong! This article is gifted so everyone should be able to read what Rep Eric Swalwell and his family are going through because he has the guts to speak out against the 🟠💩, his policies and his corruption.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/03/27/barabak-hes-been-an-outspoken-trump-critic-others-fear-the-price-he-and-his-family-pay/?share=esthwbs3tp0heohbacoe
Thanks for sharing this article. Rep Swalwell shared a voice message on his Instagram account. Chilling - but some insight into what our fiercest and most vocal representatives face right now.
A Declaration of American Principles and Resolve (I rewrote Simon's declaration above, with a little help from Claude.ai)
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for a People to reaffirm the political bonds which have connected them to their democratic traditions, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to this preservation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all persons 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 People, 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 it, and to institute new safeguards for their future security.
The history of the present administration is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world:
He has sought to impose tariffs that burden our citizens with excessive costs, harm our economy's prosperity, and sever our beneficial alliances.
He has endeavored to align our nation's interests with adversarial powers while abandoning our traditional allies who have preserved our security and liberty for generations.
He has attempted to undermine our sacred treaty obligations to NATO and European partners, threatening the international order that safeguards peace.
He has withdrawn support for global health initiatives, causing immeasurable suffering among the world's vulnerable and diminishing America's moral standing.
He has endeavored to dismantle lawfully established federal institutions and programs without Constitutional authority, while permitting the exploitation of citizens' private information.
He has attacked our nation's scientific and research foundations, endangering America's competitive advantage and future prosperity.
He has sought to restrict healthcare access, undermine public health measures, and defund vital research institutions upon which our citizens' wellbeing depends.
He has promoted fiscal policies that deprive the public treasury while expanding deficits and eliminating essential services for working families.
He has worked to diminish established rights of women that have been recognized throughout the civilized world.
He has sanctioned extrajudicial detentions without due process, in violation of our most sacred Constitutional protections.
He has used the high Office of President for personal enrichment, fostering unprecedented corruption within our government.
We, therefore, the People of these United States, do solemnly publish and declare:
That we shall uphold the Constitution as our guiding covenant, defending its principles against all threats, foreign and domestic.
That we shall protect the integrity of our democratic institutions and the sanctity of our electoral processes.
That we shall preserve an independent judiciary as the bulwark of our liberties.
That we shall champion a free press, unfettered by intimidation or censorship.
That we shall safeguard equal justice under law for all persons, regardless of station or circumstance.
That we shall promote policies that strengthen our communities, uplift our citizens, and extend opportunity to all who seek it.
That we shall conduct our foreign affairs with wisdom and restraint, honoring our commitments and standing firm with our allies.
That we shall be stewards of our natural resources, preserving them for generations yet unborn.
That we shall advance knowledge, reason, and truth as the foundations of good governance.
That we shall remember always that public service is a sacred trust, not a vehicle for personal gain.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Excellent. My only suggestion would be to change "administration" to "regime".
I am now more or loss consistently referring to the Trump Regime.
THAT IS FANTASTIC!
That's really good, don't change a word!
Can we make July 4, 2025, a day where everyone can sign their own "John Hancock" to this?
Spread the word at the Hands Off protests on April 5.
HandsOff2025.com
Then a big public and media announcement on the 18th of April in '25,
with details on where and how to sign.
https://poets.org/poem/paul-reveres-ride
Simon, please simplify even more.
NO to Trump's self-serving CORRUPTION and to his all-destructive INEPTITUDE.
Any chance you could do an interview with Jonathan Rauch?
His Atlantic article came out in February and a month later, has been borne out - https://archive.ph/2025.02.24-112402/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/corruption-trump-administration/681794/
He nails Trump as a patrimonialist - not oligharchist, monarchist or authoritarian - and thereby points the way to how to remove him.
I like that line very much!!!!!!!
he is a putinist!
Corruption fits in nicely with his foreign policy as well. Take Gaza, Canada, Panama, anything you like. Fire all the competent workers and put in loyalist cronies who will fork the riches over to you and not tell.
That's essentially patrimonialism. Stay on the good side of the Pater. Rauch's article delineates all Trump and Putin's patterns/ desires.
WISCONSIN – New Supreme Court poll
🔵 Crawford 50% (+8)
🔴 Schimel 42%
Socal #B - 500 LV - 3/26
https://bsky.app/profile/politicalpolls.bsky.social/post/3llecsw3ha22e
OK!!! Keep working. Thanks.
Thanks for the encouraging news, AS, and I hope they really spelled his name like that. Time to move the goalposts in a good way? As important as it is to win, it would really help the cause nationwide if the in-the-tank media were forced to report that Crawford won by an even bigger margin than Protasiewicz (+11). Sounds like that's now within reach. :) Complacency? Not a chance. All of us canvassing should probably assume people have seen this poll and emphasize the importance of winning this one by as much as possible. Both for the cause, and to provide enough cushion in case the poll is off for any number of reasons
Thanks for the catch! Corrected. Although Shimel is definitely a schlemiel.
Agreed, no one is being complacent about this race. If we work hard right through Election Day, think we may see a double-digit win, even a blow-out.
(On another note, I think there’s a tiny chance of a Democratic upset in FL-06.)
"Schlemiel" is exactly what i thought when i saw your spelling, and further, thought "how appropriate!"
I sent postcards to FL 6. Maybe that will put the Dems over the top 😁
Be wary of 500 person sample polls. The race is close. That is all we know. And we have to keep working as hard as we can.
Is Tom Bonier tracking the early vote?
I messaged Tom Bonier via Substack. Not sure whether he’ll reply.
Thanks. But that’s not what I’m looking for – and not what is most relevant right now.
please add NO to denial of climate change and all that comes with believing all natural resources are something to being exploited for cash gain. I'm sure there is a better way to state it however.
Very important. What Zeldin is doing to the EPA is not getting the attention it deserves in the firehose of outrages but in the category of things that can't be repaired the environment is the prime example.
I'd add something about making us more vulnerable to extreme weather disasters and recovery.
especially in face of T wanting to eliminate FEMA
Yes! And NOAA weather forecasts and warnings!!
absolutely Saw more cuts in the works at NOAA .
Would love to see focus on the election for two seats in Florida on 2 April. Can Dems pull another out like they just did in PA??
I've been donating to the Wisconsin Dems at least twice a month thanks to your encouragement. Trying to envision how good it will feel, and how strategically important it will be, to deny Musk the purchase of this election. Plus Ben Wikler is great.
I am finding that I alternate between feeling demoralized at what the administration is doing in their deliberate reckless destruction and being extremely clear about my values and and beliefs. Simon, your articulation of the importance of widespread condemnation and using our powerful voice to say NO and refuse is exactly what I was searching for. That's the puzzle piece that will allow me to be motivated by my values in a more constant way, to advocate for what I believe, for the strength of community and for democracy itself.
I am finding with all the depressing news by the minute that your hopefulness is essential. This allows personal space to act. This morning I was reading a very damning piece on the Democrats and that did NOT help....offering steps to take, does help. We are rereading MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING and this book speaks to this time.
To paraphrase what you said: [Hope] allows personal space to act.
I think this is quite profound. Yesterday I had a long conversation with a colleague who seems to feel so depressed that she isn't doing anything because she thinks it's pointless. I will forward today's page to her in the hope that it will give her some hope and open up a space for her to make her calls and take other actions.
Self reporting:
I continue to hope that someone - preferably the DNC - will take on the task of creating and managing an online nationwide map that shows protests and other events - like DNC sponsored Town Halls - and future. Having such a visual tool will be powerful for all of us, and make every event an integral part of the growing resistance movement, rather than an isolated and ephemeral one off. Just look at the online map for the April 5 HandsOff protests at Indivisible. To have the country filled with dots, each one marking a scheduled protest, is empowering. To have as many past events as possible as well as ones to come all blanketing the map would be awesome! It would help to show judges, lawyers, elected R’s and D’s, cops, that there is power in our resistance.
To this end I posted this idea in several Substack chats - including this Substack - last week. I have also sent this idea to Jane Kleeb - vice-chair of the DNC - in an email, although I have no way of knowing if the email address I used is one that she or anyone else actually reads.
I have also started commenting on my Congressional Rep’s Facebook posts. There are strident naysayers to his increasingly proactive stance, and I want to reinforce his growing voice and activism.
I attended my rep’s in person Town Hall last week. Boisterous. Crowd generally positive but frustrated.
I will attend a local protest against ICE this weekend. It will call attention in particular to an incident where they broke down a household door with a battering ram, brandished weapons at a 16 year old and took a couple of people away.
I will be attending the April 5 HandsOff rally in Boston.
Continuing to raise money for Virginia with a States Project giving circle.
Thank you for the tip to comment on my electeds’ social media platforms! I’ll start doing that too.
Thanks for the excellent idea of responding to elected's social media posts!
That's a great idea - you should send it to Ken Martin!
me in Austin - the more real time BIG presence we have, distracts from the echo chamber of the MAGA social media universe