“The imposition of systems and values is rarely effective by itself and can even be counterproductive. While our society needs rules to govern human behavior, communities also must come to moral values on their own.”
“How would we instead pursue an approach based on love? First and foremost, we would never denigrate those who disagree with us, especially those from disparate backgrounds.”
“Second, and related, we would devote time toward engaging in persuasive, civil discourse with those who disagree with us. We would speak face-to-face, we would ensure that everyone feels heard, and we would engage with one another humanistically.”
“Truly, following the 2016 election, programs to bridge the divides within our country by facilitating cross-cultural conversation and exchange should have been prioritized.”
“Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: ‘People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other.’”
“Third, and perhaps most importantly, if we are truly angered that rural Americans do not view the world in the same fashion as urban Americans, then we would advocate for policies that bring higher quality education to rural areas.”
“Most of all, if the progressive movement had pursued love, we could have created a coalition between rural and urban America, based on critical matters of injustice that are common to both of them, such as access to education and healthcare.”
“Specifically, an agenda for national economic justice could have been a profoundly powerful, unifying force in America, bringing together people of all races, geographies, religions, and ethnicities.”
“It is worth noting that King always situated the cause of racial justice within a broader, universal struggle for national redemption and for the freedom of all peoples throughout the world.”
“For King, his efforts began with racial justice but were never about race alone; they were about fundamentally transforming our society—both locally and globally—and overcoming all of the oppressive injustices embedded in its foundations.”
“By and large, however, the progressive movement has not galvanized a major national effort toward this end. Nor has it made the relevance of its stances on economic justice known to many rural Americans.”
“Instead, this group of citizens has perceived progressives as enemies and has been misguided into other ideologies that harm both themselves and the rest of the country.”
TRUMP’S TACTICS ON NOVEMBER 3—PART I: UNDERSTANDING THE ADVERSARY
Let the events of Trump’s Covid infection—true or not—be a preview of the much taller tidal wave of disinformation that will very likely be unleashed against our country on November 3.
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As the Covid ordeal was merely the latest in a four-year string of escalating dramas, we can only expect further—in fact, exponential—escalation from here.
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Because our strategic response to Trump’s stunts may make the difference between redemption and collapse for our country, we must draw lessons from the Covid drama.
Fundamentally, to successfully defend against such attacks, we must understand how the adversary operates.
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HOW WE GOT HERE: PART V—AN IDENTITY-BASED MOVEMENT FOR THE PROGRESSIVE CAUSE
This thread contains excerpts from Part V of “How We Got Here.” This part critiques identity-based movements and lays out a new vision of togetherness.
“Instead of capitalizing on the cause for national economic justice as an opportunity to unite the country, the progressive movement has grown increasingly identity-based in recent years.”
“The progressive movement has a challenging path to navigate. In particular, we must think critically about how to achieve long-overdue social justice in a fashion that is and that feels inclusive for all groups in society.”
This thread contains excerpts from Part III of “How We Got Here.” This part addresses the cultural rift that has divided America and the progressive movement’s role in exacerbating this rift.
“Because cities hold the source of power, much of rural white America is left feeling that its culture and status have been progressively eroded. This perception, combined with economic decline, feeds a bleak worldview.”
BIDEN NEEDS A BETTER PEACE AND DE-ESCALATION STRATEGY
People may not want to hear this—but @JoeBiden’s remarks today are unlikely to de-escalate the increasingly tense situation in our country.
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There is no doubt: Biden made an admirable effort toward unity and healing.
But his remarks continue to suffer from fundamental mistakes that have hampered the resistance movement to date.
It is emergent that he and other leaders begin adopting better strategy.
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Biden’s speech might be summarized as follows: “He may believe mouthing the words ‘law and order’ makes him strong. But his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows how weak he is.” Biden went on to call Trump a “toxin.”
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With just a little more than two months to go until the 2020 election, things feel more like 2016 with each day that passes.
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Herd mentality has set in, leading to outsized confidence that we will resoundingly knock Trump out of office with the election.
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Even as violence currently spreads on our streets, no one can imagine how Trump’s sinister agenda and gross incompetence could lead to anything other than a decisive defeat, presumably followed by a smooth transition of power.
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