Liz Gauffreau: The fall of Chief Justice John Roberts is particularly disappointing in view of his tremendous intellectual gifts.
It is a tragedy in the Ancient Greek sense, as in Aeschylus or Sophocles.
Unfortunately, as in the Sophoclean Tragedy, "Antigone", which involved the Spartan head of state, the hubris involves all of society through the head of state.
Liz Gauffreau: You are doing all you can, all you are capable of in furtherance of the Resistance.
I admire what you do.
These times are heartbreaking.
We have to live in the Spirit -- the Spirit of John Locke ("Essay on Human Understanding," "Second Treatise of Government); David Hume ("Theory of Human Nature" -- a groundbreaking work published at only 24 years of age); Immanuel Kant (the three "Critiques"); John Rawles (Theory of Justice).
Your work is pure, is beautiful, reflects core values. Please keep strong and take care of yourself.
Each of my friends is precious and I wish them to be strong.
In the Spirit of the deceased Pontiff, I express the same for my foes -- with the caveat that, where necessary for public safety, the public should be protected from them by due process of law.
I don't wish harm even to Trump or the Honorable Chief Justice John Roberts.
I wish them to live well.
Just NOT IN OFFICE.
The same for the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene.
I wish her well -- OUT OF OFFICE. Maybe she could be a bartender in rural Georgia, where she could regale fellow-minded citizens over beer and ale. NOT IN OFFICE.
But for my friends, especially: Take care of your intellect and your Spirit, your appreciation and awe of beauty in art, in music, in literature, in philosophy.
Thank you, Armando, for your kindest of comments. I trust you won't object if I repost some of your words in my next newsletter. As I said ... thoughtful, provocative & inspiring. And isn't that what we're about? Blessings on Us All (and I do mean ALL) as we continue to dance through these dark times.
Armand, this piece is not only thoughtful, but provocative and inspiring as well. Thank you. I love (and agree with) your response to Liz where you wish 'them' well ... just not in office. But I have to admit I find it hard these days to not wish some of them harm.
Sulima Malzin: You certainly convey my own core values here:
"Let’s take a minute out of this busy month to honor & celebrate “Good Trouble” by giving a big shout out to some of our good troublemakers, starting with Senator Cory Booker. WOW! Then there are the Voters of Wisconsin, the intergenerational team of Bernie & AOC, Harvard University & the good people of Cambridge who showed up by the hundreds to ‘encourage’ the administration to do the right thing, and even the Supreme Court with its unanimous verdict about the Law (yes Law, not Foreign Policy). And then there’s us … you and you and you with your writer’s cramp from all those postcards, sore feet from showing up and marching, to say nothing of what we used to call ‘telephone ear’ from all those calls, making sure your voice got heard. YAY!!"
You are a wonderful writer and person, and I love dialoguing with you.
I cannot in my heart wish anyone harm. Before Trump pulled off the happy-golfer mask to show the flayed-sadist underneath, I found him mildly amusing if admittedly off-putting. In my wishes, Trump would harmlessly entertain those who like such things around his golf courses, transporting them in his go-cart and fill their ears with banter and braggadocio, which he loves to do. I wish Trump that. I absolutely do not begrudge Trump that happiness. But, by God, I certainly, with you, want him an ocean away from the White House or any position of power. Society MUST be protected from such sick persons, and there must be mechanisms to KEEP THEM OUT OF POWER.
Thank you for kind dialogue and for your posts on "Sulima Muzin, herSelf" --
I can feel the passion and sorrow in this posting. All good people should be feeling passion and sorrow with this administration and all their enablers.
Remember from the sixties—forget his name at the moment—the saying that if not involved then you are part of the problem.
I don't know how much longer the country can go on like this. As far as I'm concerned, there is a special place in hell reserved for John Roberts.
Liz Gauffreau: The fall of Chief Justice John Roberts is particularly disappointing in view of his tremendous intellectual gifts.
It is a tragedy in the Ancient Greek sense, as in Aeschylus or Sophocles.
Unfortunately, as in the Sophoclean Tragedy, "Antigone", which involved the Spartan head of state, the hubris involves all of society through the head of state.
More's the pity.
Liz Gauffreau: You are doing all you can, all you are capable of in furtherance of the Resistance.
I admire what you do.
These times are heartbreaking.
We have to live in the Spirit -- the Spirit of John Locke ("Essay on Human Understanding," "Second Treatise of Government); David Hume ("Theory of Human Nature" -- a groundbreaking work published at only 24 years of age); Immanuel Kant (the three "Critiques"); John Rawles (Theory of Justice).
Your work is pure, is beautiful, reflects core values. Please keep strong and take care of yourself.
Each of my friends is precious and I wish them to be strong.
In the Spirit of the deceased Pontiff, I express the same for my foes -- with the caveat that, where necessary for public safety, the public should be protected from them by due process of law.
I don't wish harm even to Trump or the Honorable Chief Justice John Roberts.
I wish them to live well.
Just NOT IN OFFICE.
The same for the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene.
I wish her well -- OUT OF OFFICE. Maybe she could be a bartender in rural Georgia, where she could regale fellow-minded citizens over beer and ale. NOT IN OFFICE.
But for my friends, especially: Take care of your intellect and your Spirit, your appreciation and awe of beauty in art, in music, in literature, in philosophy.
Each has but one pen.
Each has but one voice.
But we will resist.
We will be seen.
We will be heard.
We will persevere!
Thank you for the words of encouragement, Armand. I take them to heart.
Brilliant article, Armand! We remain on the same page for all these issues! 💙🇺🇸💙
Diane: Says one of my favorite Friends!
Love to you and your family.
Thank you, Armand—and 💕to you and yours.
Thank you, Armando, for your kindest of comments. I trust you won't object if I repost some of your words in my next newsletter. As I said ... thoughtful, provocative & inspiring. And isn't that what we're about? Blessings on Us All (and I do mean ALL) as we continue to dance through these dark times.
Sulima Malzin: Of course, you may „repost“ at will.
I love your spirit as „we continue to dance through these dark times.“
Blessings to you and your loved ones!
Armand, this piece is not only thoughtful, but provocative and inspiring as well. Thank you. I love (and agree with) your response to Liz where you wish 'them' well ... just not in office. But I have to admit I find it hard these days to not wish some of them harm.
Sulima Malzin: You certainly convey my own core values here:
"Let’s take a minute out of this busy month to honor & celebrate “Good Trouble” by giving a big shout out to some of our good troublemakers, starting with Senator Cory Booker. WOW! Then there are the Voters of Wisconsin, the intergenerational team of Bernie & AOC, Harvard University & the good people of Cambridge who showed up by the hundreds to ‘encourage’ the administration to do the right thing, and even the Supreme Court with its unanimous verdict about the Law (yes Law, not Foreign Policy). And then there’s us … you and you and you with your writer’s cramp from all those postcards, sore feet from showing up and marching, to say nothing of what we used to call ‘telephone ear’ from all those calls, making sure your voice got heard. YAY!!"
https://sulima.substack.com/p/we-the-people
You are a wonderful writer and person, and I love dialoguing with you.
I cannot in my heart wish anyone harm. Before Trump pulled off the happy-golfer mask to show the flayed-sadist underneath, I found him mildly amusing if admittedly off-putting. In my wishes, Trump would harmlessly entertain those who like such things around his golf courses, transporting them in his go-cart and fill their ears with banter and braggadocio, which he loves to do. I wish Trump that. I absolutely do not begrudge Trump that happiness. But, by God, I certainly, with you, want him an ocean away from the White House or any position of power. Society MUST be protected from such sick persons, and there must be mechanisms to KEEP THEM OUT OF POWER.
Thank you for kind dialogue and for your posts on "Sulima Muzin, herSelf" --
https://sulima.substack.com/
I can feel the passion and sorrow in this posting. All good people should be feeling passion and sorrow with this administration and all their enablers.
Remember from the sixties—forget his name at the moment—the saying that if not involved then you are part of the problem.
The actual quote was that if you are not part of the solution than you are part of the problem. Memory is a little slow these days.
Marshall Mcluen was the name or something like that.
Jim Sanders: Marshall McLuhan wrote of "The Medium as the Message".
There is tremendous sorrow for such persons as transgender targeted for ridicule and exclusion by the President, by Elon Musk, but Ron De-Sanctus.
For the mom and her toddlers drowned in Greg Abbott's barbed deathtrap in the Rio Grande.
For immigrants seized without due process and whisked to a Salvadorean torture cell, which must not occur under any circumstances.
Sorrow overflows with mistreatment of any person, woman, man, trans, child . . .
Each person has infinite worth and should be loved and protected.
In complete agreement.