Easter’s message is not passive hope but defiance, a refusal to let cruelty, corruption, and war become the ordinary background noise of American life.
With every hideous step trump takes, I wonder "will THIS, now, break the MAGA coalition?". But it never does. I wonder who these people are?
I know that many pundits and pollsters feel that I (we) "hate" the MAGA people. I don't, and I don't know anyone who feels that we. What I do feel, however, is *extreme* disappoint in those people - who could vote in trump for a second time, and then continue to support him as monstrosity is piled on top of monstrosity. So, yes, who are these people?
MAGA diehards are a coalition of the greedy, the gullible, and the aggrieved.
The greedy and the gullible are obvious. The aggrieved are typically older white Americans who feel their lives haven’t turned out as well as they expected — they somehow got locked out of the American dream of increased wealth and status — and they eagerly welcome the scapegoats that Trump hands them as excuses for their failures.
The greedy aren’t likely to abandon Trump until he really destroys the economy. The gullible and the aggrieved have a cult-like devotion to Trump — they won’t admit they were wrong about him until he dies (and probably not even then).
And there’s a hard core of white supremacists and Christian nationalists among MAGA’s aggrieved — they’re extremely unlikely to change their bigoted views.
I tried to dialogue openly with MAGAs for years. All I got from them was a lot of obscene name-calling and a blanket refusal to acknowledge basic facts. I stopped hoping for them to change. They are merely a noisy minority who will fade from power when Trump dies or becomes too demented for public life.
People I went to school with, 50+ years ago, whose ethics once aligned with mine during the hippie days of my youth.
People I worked with at nursing centers, banks, and newspapers, who were (seemed) as astounded as I was that politicians like Reagan and Bush could be considered leaders.
People like my neighbors, who find the time between housework and appointments and errands to put banners in yards and bumper stickers on cars, all loudly supporting Trump.
People in my family who skirt around asking "Why don't you like President Trump? He's working so hard to improve our nation!"
People who were scout leaders with me. People whose kids were friends of my kids. People I went to church with.
That is the MAGA coalition: people who became so entrenched in an ideology - a cult - that the very idea of saying to themselves "I made a mistake, I was wrong" brings them to the Edge of a nervous breakdown.
Thank you, Mary, for using your gifts in ways that make a difference in this whirlwind of chaos and cruelty that's being spread around the world. Your faithfulness in posting must be exhausting, and I hope you know that it helps to read your words and calls for defiance that strengthens resolve in the hearts of those of us who struggle to know how to make a difference ourselves.
And the sycophantic bobbleheads of the Guardians Of Pedophiles continue to nod along as the government they are supposed to protect is driven to ruin. 3 republicans in the House and 20 in the Senate could save the world from a fascist U.S., but they refuse to do so. Eternal shame on the whole damn party.
One can understand and be angry when governments (like ours in the UK for instance) make stupid cruel decisions resulting from the law of unintended consequences, but Trump and his acolytes are deliberately acting from sheer wickedness - which makes one fear for the future of humanity. They have no moral compass at all.
Most of the world's religions have some scheme offered to beat death, and none of them have any proof that human belief can make that happen. However lots of money has been made by those who promote the idea. Salespeople for the afterlife are abundant. I am more interested in reality and how humans can make the best of the only life we get.
Your essays are powerful and truthful. There can be no sugarcoating of the dangers Trump and his collaborators pose to our nation and the world.
We can marvel forever at how our Congress and Supreme Court are failing us and the Republic, but the reality is Trump operatives will stop at nothing unless and until every person with power to set boundaries does so. That includes us: hounding our representatives and not enabling indifference among those who might hear our voice.
"Defiance is simply the refusal to let cruelty write the final version of reality" is the tag line under my signature tonight. Peace and Hope be with you, Mary.
The Apocalypse and Armageddon used to be just the titles of old movies ... now it's a very real fear. And there's no assurance or confidence that the good guys will win. There's numerous forms our downfall could take ... nuclear, environmental, economic, pandemic, lack of basic human needs. I am not the person I was before 2020. I was mostly trusting and optimistic and somewhat naive about the future. I am not now. Evil is a real thing and today it's powerfully active. I am SO relieved and enormously grateful that the 2nd pilot has been rescued. There is going to be an incredible amount of PTSD in the upcoming years that will embed itself in the DNA of future generations. I am SO relieved and absolutely amazed that the Artemis is doing what it's doing ... but I've never believed that humans have the right to occupy another astronomical body until we clean up our act on Earth. I haven't lost my recognition of and gratitude for what we CAN do. Lastly, there are vague murmurings that the US military needs to consider if they should accept or refuse the horrendous orders that trump is threatening Iran with today. trump sounds, because he is, like a broken person who does not have the morals and principals and clear thinking that such decisions require. We need the military and government to be heroic in a different way right now!! Thank you, Mary, for all you do. You are on my shortened 'trusted' list. I appreciate your writing gift, your mission, your wisdom, your knowledge, and what feels like a tribal friendship that you bring to us.
Thank you, Mary, for this incredibly powerful post.
American mainstream media is actively hiding the truth about what's happening in the Persian Gulf and Gaza from the American people. People who rely only on the major networks for information are appallingly ignorant of the true scale of the deception. If it weren't for independent journalists like you and Michael Sellers and international reporting we would no idea how far down the path to infamy Trump and Hegseth have already taken our country.
With every hideous step trump takes, I wonder "will THIS, now, break the MAGA coalition?". But it never does. I wonder who these people are?
I know that many pundits and pollsters feel that I (we) "hate" the MAGA people. I don't, and I don't know anyone who feels that we. What I do feel, however, is *extreme* disappoint in those people - who could vote in trump for a second time, and then continue to support him as monstrosity is piled on top of monstrosity. So, yes, who are these people?
MAGA diehards are a coalition of the greedy, the gullible, and the aggrieved.
The greedy and the gullible are obvious. The aggrieved are typically older white Americans who feel their lives haven’t turned out as well as they expected — they somehow got locked out of the American dream of increased wealth and status — and they eagerly welcome the scapegoats that Trump hands them as excuses for their failures.
The greedy aren’t likely to abandon Trump until he really destroys the economy. The gullible and the aggrieved have a cult-like devotion to Trump — they won’t admit they were wrong about him until he dies (and probably not even then).
And there’s a hard core of white supremacists and Christian nationalists among MAGA’s aggrieved — they’re extremely unlikely to change their bigoted views.
I tried to dialogue openly with MAGAs for years. All I got from them was a lot of obscene name-calling and a blanket refusal to acknowledge basic facts. I stopped hoping for them to change. They are merely a noisy minority who will fade from power when Trump dies or becomes too demented for public life.
People I went to school with, 50+ years ago, whose ethics once aligned with mine during the hippie days of my youth.
People I worked with at nursing centers, banks, and newspapers, who were (seemed) as astounded as I was that politicians like Reagan and Bush could be considered leaders.
People like my neighbors, who find the time between housework and appointments and errands to put banners in yards and bumper stickers on cars, all loudly supporting Trump.
People in my family who skirt around asking "Why don't you like President Trump? He's working so hard to improve our nation!"
People who were scout leaders with me. People whose kids were friends of my kids. People I went to church with.
That is the MAGA coalition: people who became so entrenched in an ideology - a cult - that the very idea of saying to themselves "I made a mistake, I was wrong" brings them to the Edge of a nervous breakdown.
When he's gone, will they wake up? I don't know.
I have my doubts, though...
I don’t know and I’m married to one?😩
Thank you, Mary, for using your gifts in ways that make a difference in this whirlwind of chaos and cruelty that's being spread around the world. Your faithfulness in posting must be exhausting, and I hope you know that it helps to read your words and calls for defiance that strengthens resolve in the hearts of those of us who struggle to know how to make a difference ourselves.
And the sycophantic bobbleheads of the Guardians Of Pedophiles continue to nod along as the government they are supposed to protect is driven to ruin. 3 republicans in the House and 20 in the Senate could save the world from a fascist U.S., but they refuse to do so. Eternal shame on the whole damn party.
One can understand and be angry when governments (like ours in the UK for instance) make stupid cruel decisions resulting from the law of unintended consequences, but Trump and his acolytes are deliberately acting from sheer wickedness - which makes one fear for the future of humanity. They have no moral compass at all.
He only understands leverage as power. The last thing Iran is going to do is open the Strait.
Most of the world's religions have some scheme offered to beat death, and none of them have any proof that human belief can make that happen. However lots of money has been made by those who promote the idea. Salespeople for the afterlife are abundant. I am more interested in reality and how humans can make the best of the only life we get.
So now trump is parroting hegseth?
Likely Hegseth who wrote it while t was hospitalized.
Your essays are powerful and truthful. There can be no sugarcoating of the dangers Trump and his collaborators pose to our nation and the world.
We can marvel forever at how our Congress and Supreme Court are failing us and the Republic, but the reality is Trump operatives will stop at nothing unless and until every person with power to set boundaries does so. That includes us: hounding our representatives and not enabling indifference among those who might hear our voice.
Thank you for your persistence and courage.
The man has clearly lost any sense of reality.
I can only assume that this post was screamed into his ‘phone in a fit of pique, rather than typed with his pudgy little fingers.
Thank you Mary for your hard work in helping your country survive the lunatics.
"Defiance is simply the refusal to let cruelty write the final version of reality" is the tag line under my signature tonight. Peace and Hope be with you, Mary.
My Dear Mr. President:
RE: Invoking “Glory be to GOD” with your recent Strait of Hormuz threat:
On the evening before the final day, I’d like to watch ‘Casablanca’ just one more time.
With that in mind, thanks for letting me know of your plans in advance.
Regards,
Defiance till death
That deranged post sounds more like Hogsbreath than Trump.
The Apocalypse and Armageddon used to be just the titles of old movies ... now it's a very real fear. And there's no assurance or confidence that the good guys will win. There's numerous forms our downfall could take ... nuclear, environmental, economic, pandemic, lack of basic human needs. I am not the person I was before 2020. I was mostly trusting and optimistic and somewhat naive about the future. I am not now. Evil is a real thing and today it's powerfully active. I am SO relieved and enormously grateful that the 2nd pilot has been rescued. There is going to be an incredible amount of PTSD in the upcoming years that will embed itself in the DNA of future generations. I am SO relieved and absolutely amazed that the Artemis is doing what it's doing ... but I've never believed that humans have the right to occupy another astronomical body until we clean up our act on Earth. I haven't lost my recognition of and gratitude for what we CAN do. Lastly, there are vague murmurings that the US military needs to consider if they should accept or refuse the horrendous orders that trump is threatening Iran with today. trump sounds, because he is, like a broken person who does not have the morals and principals and clear thinking that such decisions require. We need the military and government to be heroic in a different way right now!! Thank you, Mary, for all you do. You are on my shortened 'trusted' list. I appreciate your writing gift, your mission, your wisdom, your knowledge, and what feels like a tribal friendship that you bring to us.
Thank you, Mary, for this incredibly powerful post.
American mainstream media is actively hiding the truth about what's happening in the Persian Gulf and Gaza from the American people. People who rely only on the major networks for information are appallingly ignorant of the true scale of the deception. If it weren't for independent journalists like you and Michael Sellers and international reporting we would no idea how far down the path to infamy Trump and Hegseth have already taken our country.
RESIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that the religious war language that Trump has been snarling is Steve Miller. Trump is saying Steve Miller's words.