Examining the reasons why.

Lately I've been going through old blog posts from around the time we were moving between Vermont and Montreal, before we'd made the decision to move permanently, as source material for a possible project. This morning I've been reading posts from the winter of 2004-2005, and it gives me no pleasure to see further evidence of why I named my blog "The Cassandra Pages." Here's one such paragraph, written on January 19, 2005, the day before George Bush was inaugurated for his second term:

"I disagree with much of the American left, who seem to feel that if they only can regroup, "reach out" and spin their message differently, the balance will shift to them. This is, I feel, both naive and limited, and except for a few outstanding individuals, it will have neither authenticity nor sufficient authority to really change policy or opinion at a root level - either in Washington or in the heartland. The true change required is enormous, and will take generations: it has to take place in the American psyche - including the hearts of many who "vote Democratic" but live lives that are exploitative and consumptive and do not embrace truly understand the diversity and interdependence of our world. Even more difficult, that change of heart has to include conquering the power of fear."

I wrote a long political post about current times that I've just deleted; I'll leave it at that, and you can draw your own conclusions.

Comments

[Roderick Robinson]

But in the interim "naive and limited" may be all we have. Feeble though these are, we need to cling to something specific. Lobotomising the American Psyche is for the long haul and nobody that I know has written that prescription. What do we do day to day?

One thing: we say Trump is a polarising influence as if this were wholeheartedly bad. However we may find ourselves in the company of strange bedfellows whom we may never have previously considered; there may be opportunities there.

Deleting stuff; painful at the time, but almost always purgative. Pat yourself on the back.