That $20 breakfast is $3 in Ecuador. Probably not much more in Mexico right?
Ultimately I don't believe either individual politicians or political parties have any power or any unique vision. They are just tools of the globalist agenda that fuels wars, manipulates currencies and supply chains, not to mention diseases, and wants to surveil and micromanage everyone's lives 24/7. But don't get me started 😉.
If I have to categorize myself I would call myself Libertarian. I have deep distrust of all institutions, and I think my distrust (and outright disgust) is well founded. I'm certain that a segment of the MAGA movement is extreme like you've described, just as the extremes in the Democrat party who prefer censorship, media manipulation, lawfare and drag queen kindergarten hour.
I believe you're hitting on something though when you talk about the disaffection of Americans on both/all sides of the political landscape (desperate airport passengers, if you will). This breeds a desperation not unlike the feeling you had in the airport. We see people clinging to these individuals, literally and figuratively turning them into action heroes, and demonizing to the point of invalidation, those they perceive as "others." It's easier to cancel someone rather than talk to them or engage with them about how they truly feel. Turn them into a cartoon and denounce them as evil, that should fix the problem?
Here's a fact that many of my MAGA hating friends can't seem to hear or discuss rationally, that most Trumpers came to him because they perceived him as being an outsider to the system. They believed him to not be a creature of the rotten, corrupt, war mongering, permanent unelected machine that rules our country. With no hope to change things from the inside, and congress stocked with perpetual vultures who act in their own self interest as opposed to the interest of the people they purport to represent, MAGA envisions Trump's "drain the swamp" pipedreams in their own wet dreams.
Trump knows how to speak (NY style) populist lingo, and he was the only one who expressed any desire to fix the problems foisted upon the American workers by things like NAFTA, and most favored nations status for countries that import goods, yet punitively tax and ban reciprocal trade. Those workers, many union, feel like they got a raw deal that no politician gives a flying fuck about them. Hillary certainly did not, nor did she have a record to prove otherwise. I'm sorry but the Democrat party has long since sold out those workers, and THAT has as much to do about creating this MAGA movement as any racists motives, imagined or otherwise. Most MAGA people that I know don't give a flying fuck about the color of someone's skin. They just want to live a decent, simple affordable life, and give everyone equal opportunity to work and do so. That's their idea of a "great America."
Unfortunately, Trump did not drain the swamp when he had the chance, and now runs by, yes, stoking the fear and loathing of the populace who cling to hope for that - elusive plane ticket. They are afraid to let go of who they think Trump is, rather than realize who he really is, because there's nowhere else to turn. Certainly not a Democrat party that fucks over mavericks like Bernie Sanders, cancels the votes of Biden supporters, and rule like authoritarians over their party with "super delegates." Democrat politicians also talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. This is why the labor movement and an increasing number of African Americans are leaving this plantation that forgets to feed them. Instead, they gaslight them and tell them you must be imagining that everything is INSANELY expensive, good work is hard to come by, and all is going to hell in this country.
The Republican machine and politicians are guilty of the same. They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, to actually get something good done for their constituents. They talk the talk and talk, and talk and talk.... MAGA became an offshoot of that hapless party, in the desperate effort to shake some part of the establishment to it's core. They're tired of war, they're tired of working 2-3 jobs to scrape by, and living one medical health situation from disaster, .....they're just tired.
These days I find myself in alignment with journalists and pundits like Matt Taibbi, Glenn Greenwald, Jimmy Dore, An0maly, Briana Joy Grey and others who still speak truth to power, instead of doing the dirty work of the establishment. The left's MAGA movement perhaps?
What I would hope to see is a realization by MAGA, and disaffected progressive Democrats, that we have much more in common than we think. Instead of hating and cancelling one another, it would be a beautiful thing to see that energy turned against the ones who are really destroying this country, and the western world.... the entrenched and unelected machine, oligarchs and military industrial complex. Until then we're simply doing the dirty work of fracturing the backbone of what had always made America great - it's people. A divided and warring populace is the wet dream of these monsters, and makes their destructive progress easy.
I must disagree. I listen to his daily podcasts and find he is totally opposed to legacy media and the corporate takeover of information in America. He used to work, but no longer does.
Because of you, I will check it out again. I challenge you to watch Jimmy Dore for a week though. Maybe a meeting of the minds is somewhere in between?
At this moment, seven weeks before the election, it could easily go either way. Plus who knows what weirdness is coming. These days, anything is possible.
What an incredible job you have done writing this. I am so aligned with your fears and thoughts. I, LIKE YOU, HAVE CONSIDERED A MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, MAYBE ITALY, AS I RECENTLY BECAME A (DUAL) ITALIAN CITIZEN. I thank you for your introspective approach to us, both in our seventies.
I'm only a few years behind you, but I grew up in CDM and used to ride my bike around the various parks on the west end of the city. Mexico appears to be tilting the other way, because it was a harsh place in many ways. But the beauty of the mountains and beaches was unparalleled. With Amlo and now his successor, I think I would also much rather live there, maybe in Chiapas or Quintana Roo. Always hard to go back to a place you once loved, and not really a good idea, in my experience. Jazz has roots. People have shells like hermit crabs. Stay cool, brother.
That $20 breakfast is $3 in Ecuador. Probably not much more in Mexico right?
Ultimately I don't believe either individual politicians or political parties have any power or any unique vision. They are just tools of the globalist agenda that fuels wars, manipulates currencies and supply chains, not to mention diseases, and wants to surveil and micromanage everyone's lives 24/7. But don't get me started 😉.
If I have to categorize myself I would call myself Libertarian. I have deep distrust of all institutions, and I think my distrust (and outright disgust) is well founded. I'm certain that a segment of the MAGA movement is extreme like you've described, just as the extremes in the Democrat party who prefer censorship, media manipulation, lawfare and drag queen kindergarten hour.
I believe you're hitting on something though when you talk about the disaffection of Americans on both/all sides of the political landscape (desperate airport passengers, if you will). This breeds a desperation not unlike the feeling you had in the airport. We see people clinging to these individuals, literally and figuratively turning them into action heroes, and demonizing to the point of invalidation, those they perceive as "others." It's easier to cancel someone rather than talk to them or engage with them about how they truly feel. Turn them into a cartoon and denounce them as evil, that should fix the problem?
Here's a fact that many of my MAGA hating friends can't seem to hear or discuss rationally, that most Trumpers came to him because they perceived him as being an outsider to the system. They believed him to not be a creature of the rotten, corrupt, war mongering, permanent unelected machine that rules our country. With no hope to change things from the inside, and congress stocked with perpetual vultures who act in their own self interest as opposed to the interest of the people they purport to represent, MAGA envisions Trump's "drain the swamp" pipedreams in their own wet dreams.
Trump knows how to speak (NY style) populist lingo, and he was the only one who expressed any desire to fix the problems foisted upon the American workers by things like NAFTA, and most favored nations status for countries that import goods, yet punitively tax and ban reciprocal trade. Those workers, many union, feel like they got a raw deal that no politician gives a flying fuck about them. Hillary certainly did not, nor did she have a record to prove otherwise. I'm sorry but the Democrat party has long since sold out those workers, and THAT has as much to do about creating this MAGA movement as any racists motives, imagined or otherwise. Most MAGA people that I know don't give a flying fuck about the color of someone's skin. They just want to live a decent, simple affordable life, and give everyone equal opportunity to work and do so. That's their idea of a "great America."
Unfortunately, Trump did not drain the swamp when he had the chance, and now runs by, yes, stoking the fear and loathing of the populace who cling to hope for that - elusive plane ticket. They are afraid to let go of who they think Trump is, rather than realize who he really is, because there's nowhere else to turn. Certainly not a Democrat party that fucks over mavericks like Bernie Sanders, cancels the votes of Biden supporters, and rule like authoritarians over their party with "super delegates." Democrat politicians also talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. This is why the labor movement and an increasing number of African Americans are leaving this plantation that forgets to feed them. Instead, they gaslight them and tell them you must be imagining that everything is INSANELY expensive, good work is hard to come by, and all is going to hell in this country.
The Republican machine and politicians are guilty of the same. They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, to actually get something good done for their constituents. They talk the talk and talk, and talk and talk.... MAGA became an offshoot of that hapless party, in the desperate effort to shake some part of the establishment to it's core. They're tired of war, they're tired of working 2-3 jobs to scrape by, and living one medical health situation from disaster, .....they're just tired.
These days I find myself in alignment with journalists and pundits like Matt Taibbi, Glenn Greenwald, Jimmy Dore, An0maly, Briana Joy Grey and others who still speak truth to power, instead of doing the dirty work of the establishment. The left's MAGA movement perhaps?
What I would hope to see is a realization by MAGA, and disaffected progressive Democrats, that we have much more in common than we think. Instead of hating and cancelling one another, it would be a beautiful thing to see that energy turned against the ones who are really destroying this country, and the western world.... the entrenched and unelected machine, oligarchs and military industrial complex. Until then we're simply doing the dirty work of fracturing the backbone of what had always made America great - it's people. A divided and warring populace is the wet dream of these monsters, and makes their destructive progress easy.
What do you think about Keith Obermann's daily podcasts? And the Meidas Touch Network https://www.youtube.com/@MeidasTouch
I don’t like Keith Olberman. I think he carries water for the establishment. I’m down with the anti establishment.
I must disagree. I listen to his daily podcasts and find he is totally opposed to legacy media and the corporate takeover of information in America. He used to work, but no longer does.
Because of you, I will check it out again. I challenge you to watch Jimmy Dore for a week though. Maybe a meeting of the minds is somewhere in between?
I'm open to new voices. Don't know Mr. Dore but I will check him out. Thanks for the referral.
The best sushi in Tokyo is found at the oceanside places. Nos vemos allá!
Yo invito.
Oh, if that happens you certainly will be disappointed!
At this moment, seven weeks before the election, it could easily go either way. Plus who knows what weirdness is coming. These days, anything is possible.
Perfect, you nailed it, I read this aloud to Eve and we were howling.
I'm glad I could make you guys laugh.
We'll join you in Tokyo for sushi for your 80th!!
Do you know a place?
Great read this morning. Bravo 👏🏽
Muchas gracias, mi amigo.
You're Jack Kerouac, 2024. Or maybe the Fugs.
Loved the Fugs!
Bret,
What an incredible job you have done writing this. I am so aligned with your fears and thoughts. I, LIKE YOU, HAVE CONSIDERED A MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, MAYBE ITALY, AS I RECENTLY BECAME A (DUAL) ITALIAN CITIZEN. I thank you for your introspective approach to us, both in our seventies.
Where in Italy might you go?
Thanks for sending Bret!!
Puglia! I have lots of family there. My young cousin, Lorenzo Porzio is the conductor of the Rome Orchestra. I may choose Rome if not too expensive.
It looks like a dream: https://www.traveldepartment.com/travel-blog/10-reasons-to-visit-puglia-region-in-italy
A dear friend of mine, Pat Senator, moved to Italy a few years ago is doing lots of music there.
From Los Angeles.
Was in Herb Alpert’s original band. Promoted lots in LA
I'm only a few years behind you, but I grew up in CDM and used to ride my bike around the various parks on the west end of the city. Mexico appears to be tilting the other way, because it was a harsh place in many ways. But the beauty of the mountains and beaches was unparalleled. With Amlo and now his successor, I think I would also much rather live there, maybe in Chiapas or Quintana Roo. Always hard to go back to a place you once loved, and not really a good idea, in my experience. Jazz has roots. People have shells like hermit crabs. Stay cool, brother.
Thanks, Rob. Mexico has a number of options.