Your final statement is perfect~~~what my family and I cling to! And if your road trips have not yet included Chaco Canyon in my humble opinion it is the number 1 historical site in the US. There is a wonderful documentary narrated by Robert Redford. https://solsticeproject.org/the-mystery-of-chaco-canyon/. I had the same goosebumps and awe walking into Chaco that I felt when I first stood in the Roman Forum❣️As I write this my 10 year old grand daughter is writing get out the vote letters😍 Never give up!
I’ve been sooo close to Chaco but still haven’t gone. It was closed the last few times I tried (covid, weather, etc), but things in that region have largely reopened so I’m hoping it’s next. I want to see it SO bad!
As if anyone needs another reason to love Sarah Kendzior. I was nodding in agreement so much much during this interview that I felt like a damn bobblehead! Kendzior rules!
I say this to 2 friends of mine, over and over, and that if Biden wasn't ok with it, he could fire Garland. One of them was a staunch activist in the 60's-70's, has done a lot of really impactful work. And they give me the "we shouldnt sink to their level" kinds of replies -- that Biden shouldnt violate the Constitution just because the Court essentially says he can. And Biden can't control Congress or the judges, etc., and the Justice Dept is supposed to be independent. Ok, so then we're just giving up -- right? I mean, that's the only consequence of "following all the rules."
I’ve been dreading this election for longer than I can recall. I’m 65, so whatever necessary evolution needs to happen can’t possibly occur in my lifetime. At least, thanks to this kind of insightful truth-telling, I know what to be aware of.
I'm near your age and I, too, don't believe it can happen in my lifetime, especially as technology makes us more and more distanced from each other, less humane, less compassionate. But I dont feel any strength or strategy, to power through. If you have one- please share it with me. Thanks. :)
This will not leave me. It has been reverberating since she said it: "Having Harris talk about how proud she is to create the world’s most lethal military. Not the best, not the smartest, not the bravest — just lethal, just a killing machine." How can I have to vote for this person, and of course I do?
It’s a very frightening phrase and she’s used it several times, which suggests she’s been given it as a talking point. Someone interviewing her should ask her about it.
I think she uses it as both a warning to our adversaries and an advertisement that she is tough in a way that would allow more men to feel okay voting for her. Unlike Trump she's not threatening to use that lethal military against her fellow Americans.
Wow - that excerpt from "The Red, White, and Blue Screen of Death" so sadly and accurately describes the last 15+ years so well. I was a software developer working on an internet startup in 1996 that had a mission to serve people and make the internet great. So awful to see where it all went. And yes, one of the biggest culprits is in fact the cell phone. Zuckerberg wanted to create the metaverse where we all live in a virtual digital world - people don't realize it but they are already there. They pay attention to their digital lives more than their real lives. They are zombies looking down into the screen. Their minds are already in the metaverse which is controlled by big tech and thus so are we.
I hope that my question that came across as "Have you always been like this?!" didn't hurt your feelings, and if it did, I am really sorry. What I actually want to express is that I am in awe of what seems to me to be the faith you have in yourself. It's not just that you've always "been like this" but have you always had a confidence in yourself, belief in yourself? I'm not sure how to put it. But what I know is that my diary entries were full of self-hatred, and self-doubt, and I've had to do a lot of work over the years to not only understand who I am, but to feel any sort of trust and faith in who I am, and what sort of person I am. I've learned about a lot of things from you, all the things that you're an expert in, and that knowledge is invaluable. Your words have also been a part of my learning to trust myself, and shown me how important it is to know who we are and be who we are because that is part of fighting authoritarianism and injustice.
You didn’t hurt my feelings — please don’t worry! I liked your question. It was more that it’s funny to look back on myself as a kid and see the continuity decades later. Everyone thought I was irritating as a kid because I was so curious and opinionated, and honestly it’s nice to be able to revisit that time without it bothering me like it did when I was little. I hope you feel good about who you are, Amy, because you sound like a thoughtful person who has been through a lot (and I understand having childhood diary entries of dark thoughts…l only shared the funny ones.) You didn’t offend me at all so please don’t worry! It’s more that I can’t comprehend being any other way than I am, the thought that it’s optional or that I could change is revelatory, but alas I am stuck with myself! Anyway I appreciate your questions and comments ❤️
Isn't that the truth! If motherhood has taught me anything it's that we come out exactly who we are! I'm relieved to hear I didn't offend you, and I won't worry. Thanks, Sarah🩷
Excellent as usual Sarah. I particularly like your analysis/theory about (Harris vs. Trump) and the inevitable war with Iran. I would love to see you write more on that subject. Thank you again for the insane sanity.
Dear Sarah, if 2016 was the Putin backed election, isn't 2024 the Netanyahu backed election ? If Harris loses the election (and by lose election, I mean a handful of swing states), isn't Biden/Harris just history repeating itself as in Johnson/Humphrey ? And then who is the step in for history as the Kissinger baby killing in Cambodia ? The college students last Spring who were told to shut the <explicit> up. The DNC who shut out the Palestinian voice... the only words I remember from the DNC were "most lethal". Regardless of what supposed good Biden did during his term, I can't get the image out of my head of the handshake... blood literally on his hands. And where has Kushner been sleeping lately ? In the spare bedroom next to Bibi ? I mean, I learned of shared bedroom arrangements from you. Do I have to throw-up in my mouth when I cast my vote for Harris... humble roots, save the middle class... oh wait, we have to write a check for baby murder again... sorry middle-America, get in back in the bread line, those empty promises have to wait. I am so naïve, of course Harris couldn't come out and say I will end the support of genocide in Gaza on my "day-1 in office"! Sure sounds a bit better than I will be a dictator "only on day-1". This latest genocide is the election linchpin... or is that lynchpin ? I can never get that straight. What's that I hear at the rally ? A Flock of Seagulls ? "And I-ran, I-ran so far away, I just I-ran, I couldn't get away" November 2024, that time in history where we had the chance to turn our backs on the mass murder of innocent children, instead we get another exploded battery in a Tesla "burning down the house" all because of the Talking Heads (mass media) losing their souls to the mafia state. I'll stop now, thank you for your honesty and clarity. I just woke up in the middle of night thinking "It's the Bibi, stupid!" and I had to rant.
Yes, this is very much Netanyahu’s election, only it’s not being framed that way because both the Dems and GOP are in thrall to him. It is very interesting to me that Kushner remains a profound national security threat yet is almost never brought up by the media or politicians. The Dems could run a whole campaign about the dangers of Kushner re-entering the White House after a Trump win — but they never do, because Kushner works for Netanyahu, and so do the top Dems. I’m not sure what drives it — it’s a mix of bribery, blackmail, nuke threats, and religious fanaticism — but it’s costing our country its sovereignty and endangering us all. That’s why I’m extremely discouraged because whoever wins will continue Middle East wars and genocide; there’s no difference here between the two parties and officials behave as if they are either compromised or terrified.
The newfound joy of dumping a senile failure was short-lived with this one statement.. “You know what ? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that, otherwise I’m speaking”. Yea, well why should I care about social security and Medicare cuts, the climate crisis and the cutting of the affordable care act when the genocide of any innocent child anyway in the world is <censored> normalized ! Oh Kamala, do you remember the day your humble roots and soul were cut out by the corporate state where endless war is the mission statement and profit gains the goal ? I too fear the non-genocide voters (imagine that) in the swing states decide this pale horse race. Don’t give me that do-do good BS, when we have appeared to cross the red line (literally) that genocide is not on the table in this election. I mean, witnessing that coups are no longer punishable in this country, you could stage a coup of your own as an October surprise and state you will end the genocide in Gaza on Day 1, I mean what could the corporate backers do…. Oh <censored>, never mind. Trump wins even when he’s losing, the Blue fog of defeating an unpunished seditionist and traitor clouds what should be marching in the streets demanding an end to our country openly funding a genocide. And you want me to send you $10 to help you win, really ? This latest genocide just feels like just a watershed moment in human history, where souls are finally being eaten up by the machine. Talk about going back to kill baby Hitler, how about going back and killing the microchip. Peace and out.
My Dad, a contemporary and accomplice of the Civil Rights leaders of the 60s, 70s, and 80s told me, 'Julian Bond sounds tired, but John Lewis *is* tired.'
When key institutionalist's (and the peiple who prop them up) aspirations are the preservation of the institution, as it relates to their careers and their egos, what gets lost is the ideal.
There were so many moments where I was nodding along or shouting “hell yes”! I also live in Cori’s district and I think that was the final blow for me in terms of this election and feeling any semblance of “hope” in our government. But your thoughts on faith resonates. As always, thanks for your work!
Thanks for reading! And yes I think those of us who live in Cori’s district have unique insight into this crisis. It’s one thing to see it prophesized as a worst case scenario, it’s another to live through it and have no one care. Our sovereignty is gone. We have a rep owned by a foreign country, which is a different problem than having a rep you simply do not like.
It’s the not caring part that really gets me. Talking to family and friends - they just shrug and move on. I’m trying to control my panic at having a rep who has been bought by a foreign government, but it’s getting harder and harder.
It’s great to hear your voice, Sarah. We all miss it so much. Your message is so powerful and when I hear you speak, I wanna stand up and cheer sometime- or run into the road screaming! LoLs! ✌️❤️
Thank you Ms. Kendzior. It was Chris Hedges who said that when nations fail it happens at a breathtaking speed. I feel we may be on the edge of it now. I hope I am wrong.
Your comment about the less than stellar writing skills of various writers on the internet is so true. You are a master essayist at a time when the genre is rapidly disappearing. Essayists in the before times were constrained by the limitations imposed by print media. Those limitations did not prevent writers from expressing their opinions. Rather, it made them better writers. Digital media permits the worst excesses. I won’t name names, but there are writers whose opinions and research I value tremendously who ramble on because they can. One of the things I like about Substack is the estimated reading time feature.
Thank you very much. I appreciate it, because I know I’m an outlier, and there is a lot of pressure to publish with more frequency and less quality. I’m trying to make this newsletter enjoyable — enjoyable in the way a blues album or a well-composed funeral dirge is, at any rate, lol/sob. I’m staying in the 20th century: no AI, no clickbait, all original writing and photography. Hopefully it’ll keep working out! Anyway, thanks again
Sarah - I am not sure that it's not the other way around "In short, the Biden administration is a crime syndicate masquerading as a government, and the Trump admin is a different branch of the same syndicate.” It's like a gang war fighting for turf. What is clear, they care about maintaining their own power. Tech enables them to surveil and manipulate us at will. They can make decisions and never be held accountable by blaming it on the algorithm. They can make stronger better super humans that have powers that no ordinary human would be able to compete against. Synthetic biology allows them to remake organs or make designer humans free of disease or bad genes and and perhaps a few might reach immortality. The question is - how are we even factored into that equation? That is what keeps me sleeping with one eye open.
Your final statement is perfect~~~what my family and I cling to! And if your road trips have not yet included Chaco Canyon in my humble opinion it is the number 1 historical site in the US. There is a wonderful documentary narrated by Robert Redford. https://solsticeproject.org/the-mystery-of-chaco-canyon/. I had the same goosebumps and awe walking into Chaco that I felt when I first stood in the Roman Forum❣️As I write this my 10 year old grand daughter is writing get out the vote letters😍 Never give up!
I’ve been sooo close to Chaco but still haven’t gone. It was closed the last few times I tried (covid, weather, etc), but things in that region have largely reopened so I’m hoping it’s next. I want to see it SO bad!
As if anyone needs another reason to love Sarah Kendzior. I was nodding in agreement so much much during this interview that I felt like a damn bobblehead! Kendzior rules!
Thanks!
I found myself thinking and doing the same kinds of reflections Sarah mentions in her piece. Mark me 'Bobblehead #2'.
I was at the Canyon 40 yrs ago. What I remember, is peace. Just peace.
Bucket list for next time I'm in NM, along with the Trinity site and Los Alamos.
I’ve been to Trinity and Los Alamos — I wrote about both of them in my upcoming book!
Way to get me to buy it!
“The reason that people who vote for Trump think he’s innocent or don’t take it seriously is because the DOJ has refused to prosecute sedition.”
Goddam exactly. And damn Garland.
I say this to 2 friends of mine, over and over, and that if Biden wasn't ok with it, he could fire Garland. One of them was a staunch activist in the 60's-70's, has done a lot of really impactful work. And they give me the "we shouldnt sink to their level" kinds of replies -- that Biden shouldnt violate the Constitution just because the Court essentially says he can. And Biden can't control Congress or the judges, etc., and the Justice Dept is supposed to be independent. Ok, so then we're just giving up -- right? I mean, that's the only consequence of "following all the rules."
I’ve been dreading this election for longer than I can recall. I’m 65, so whatever necessary evolution needs to happen can’t possibly occur in my lifetime. At least, thanks to this kind of insightful truth-telling, I know what to be aware of.
It gives me the strength to power through.
I’m dreading it too but glad this helps! We’re all in it together…
I'm near your age and I, too, don't believe it can happen in my lifetime, especially as technology makes us more and more distanced from each other, less humane, less compassionate. But I dont feel any strength or strategy, to power through. If you have one- please share it with me. Thanks. :)
This will not leave me. It has been reverberating since she said it: "Having Harris talk about how proud she is to create the world’s most lethal military. Not the best, not the smartest, not the bravest — just lethal, just a killing machine." How can I have to vote for this person, and of course I do?
It’s a very frightening phrase and she’s used it several times, which suggests she’s been given it as a talking point. Someone interviewing her should ask her about it.
Yup, I heard her use it again today- or maybe it was a replay. She's definitely married to that word.
I think she uses it as both a warning to our adversaries and an advertisement that she is tough in a way that would allow more men to feel okay voting for her. Unlike Trump she's not threatening to use that lethal military against her fellow Americans.
Wow - that excerpt from "The Red, White, and Blue Screen of Death" so sadly and accurately describes the last 15+ years so well. I was a software developer working on an internet startup in 1996 that had a mission to serve people and make the internet great. So awful to see where it all went. And yes, one of the biggest culprits is in fact the cell phone. Zuckerberg wanted to create the metaverse where we all live in a virtual digital world - people don't realize it but they are already there. They pay attention to their digital lives more than their real lives. They are zombies looking down into the screen. Their minds are already in the metaverse which is controlled by big tech and thus so are we.
I hope that my question that came across as "Have you always been like this?!" didn't hurt your feelings, and if it did, I am really sorry. What I actually want to express is that I am in awe of what seems to me to be the faith you have in yourself. It's not just that you've always "been like this" but have you always had a confidence in yourself, belief in yourself? I'm not sure how to put it. But what I know is that my diary entries were full of self-hatred, and self-doubt, and I've had to do a lot of work over the years to not only understand who I am, but to feel any sort of trust and faith in who I am, and what sort of person I am. I've learned about a lot of things from you, all the things that you're an expert in, and that knowledge is invaluable. Your words have also been a part of my learning to trust myself, and shown me how important it is to know who we are and be who we are because that is part of fighting authoritarianism and injustice.
You didn’t hurt my feelings — please don’t worry! I liked your question. It was more that it’s funny to look back on myself as a kid and see the continuity decades later. Everyone thought I was irritating as a kid because I was so curious and opinionated, and honestly it’s nice to be able to revisit that time without it bothering me like it did when I was little. I hope you feel good about who you are, Amy, because you sound like a thoughtful person who has been through a lot (and I understand having childhood diary entries of dark thoughts…l only shared the funny ones.) You didn’t offend me at all so please don’t worry! It’s more that I can’t comprehend being any other way than I am, the thought that it’s optional or that I could change is revelatory, but alas I am stuck with myself! Anyway I appreciate your questions and comments ❤️
Isn't that the truth! If motherhood has taught me anything it's that we come out exactly who we are! I'm relieved to hear I didn't offend you, and I won't worry. Thanks, Sarah🩷
Excellent as usual Sarah. I particularly like your analysis/theory about (Harris vs. Trump) and the inevitable war with Iran. I would love to see you write more on that subject. Thank you again for the insane sanity.
Thanks for reading!
Dear Sarah, if 2016 was the Putin backed election, isn't 2024 the Netanyahu backed election ? If Harris loses the election (and by lose election, I mean a handful of swing states), isn't Biden/Harris just history repeating itself as in Johnson/Humphrey ? And then who is the step in for history as the Kissinger baby killing in Cambodia ? The college students last Spring who were told to shut the <explicit> up. The DNC who shut out the Palestinian voice... the only words I remember from the DNC were "most lethal". Regardless of what supposed good Biden did during his term, I can't get the image out of my head of the handshake... blood literally on his hands. And where has Kushner been sleeping lately ? In the spare bedroom next to Bibi ? I mean, I learned of shared bedroom arrangements from you. Do I have to throw-up in my mouth when I cast my vote for Harris... humble roots, save the middle class... oh wait, we have to write a check for baby murder again... sorry middle-America, get in back in the bread line, those empty promises have to wait. I am so naïve, of course Harris couldn't come out and say I will end the support of genocide in Gaza on my "day-1 in office"! Sure sounds a bit better than I will be a dictator "only on day-1". This latest genocide is the election linchpin... or is that lynchpin ? I can never get that straight. What's that I hear at the rally ? A Flock of Seagulls ? "And I-ran, I-ran so far away, I just I-ran, I couldn't get away" November 2024, that time in history where we had the chance to turn our backs on the mass murder of innocent children, instead we get another exploded battery in a Tesla "burning down the house" all because of the Talking Heads (mass media) losing their souls to the mafia state. I'll stop now, thank you for your honesty and clarity. I just woke up in the middle of night thinking "It's the Bibi, stupid!" and I had to rant.
Yes, this is very much Netanyahu’s election, only it’s not being framed that way because both the Dems and GOP are in thrall to him. It is very interesting to me that Kushner remains a profound national security threat yet is almost never brought up by the media or politicians. The Dems could run a whole campaign about the dangers of Kushner re-entering the White House after a Trump win — but they never do, because Kushner works for Netanyahu, and so do the top Dems. I’m not sure what drives it — it’s a mix of bribery, blackmail, nuke threats, and religious fanaticism — but it’s costing our country its sovereignty and endangering us all. That’s why I’m extremely discouraged because whoever wins will continue Middle East wars and genocide; there’s no difference here between the two parties and officials behave as if they are either compromised or terrified.
The newfound joy of dumping a senile failure was short-lived with this one statement.. “You know what ? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that, otherwise I’m speaking”. Yea, well why should I care about social security and Medicare cuts, the climate crisis and the cutting of the affordable care act when the genocide of any innocent child anyway in the world is <censored> normalized ! Oh Kamala, do you remember the day your humble roots and soul were cut out by the corporate state where endless war is the mission statement and profit gains the goal ? I too fear the non-genocide voters (imagine that) in the swing states decide this pale horse race. Don’t give me that do-do good BS, when we have appeared to cross the red line (literally) that genocide is not on the table in this election. I mean, witnessing that coups are no longer punishable in this country, you could stage a coup of your own as an October surprise and state you will end the genocide in Gaza on Day 1, I mean what could the corporate backers do…. Oh <censored>, never mind. Trump wins even when he’s losing, the Blue fog of defeating an unpunished seditionist and traitor clouds what should be marching in the streets demanding an end to our country openly funding a genocide. And you want me to send you $10 to help you win, really ? This latest genocide just feels like just a watershed moment in human history, where souls are finally being eaten up by the machine. Talk about going back to kill baby Hitler, how about going back and killing the microchip. Peace and out.
My Dad, a contemporary and accomplice of the Civil Rights leaders of the 60s, 70s, and 80s told me, 'Julian Bond sounds tired, but John Lewis *is* tired.'
When key institutionalist's (and the peiple who prop them up) aspirations are the preservation of the institution, as it relates to their careers and their egos, what gets lost is the ideal.
And the effort to resist.
Someone wrote, and I wish I could find the source, said:
"When an organization has to choose between its mission and its survival, it will choose survival every time."
There are way too many examples.
Yes absolutely
There were so many moments where I was nodding along or shouting “hell yes”! I also live in Cori’s district and I think that was the final blow for me in terms of this election and feeling any semblance of “hope” in our government. But your thoughts on faith resonates. As always, thanks for your work!
Thanks for reading! And yes I think those of us who live in Cori’s district have unique insight into this crisis. It’s one thing to see it prophesized as a worst case scenario, it’s another to live through it and have no one care. Our sovereignty is gone. We have a rep owned by a foreign country, which is a different problem than having a rep you simply do not like.
It’s the not caring part that really gets me. Talking to family and friends - they just shrug and move on. I’m trying to control my panic at having a rep who has been bought by a foreign government, but it’s getting harder and harder.
Everything up to Nov 5 is just getting to the starting line. Then the work begins. Thank you for this Sarah. Not a word I can argue with.
Thank you!
It’s great to hear your voice, Sarah. We all miss it so much. Your message is so powerful and when I hear you speak, I wanna stand up and cheer sometime- or run into the road screaming! LoLs! ✌️❤️
Thanks!
Thank you Ms. Kendzior. It was Chris Hedges who said that when nations fail it happens at a breathtaking speed. I feel we may be on the edge of it now. I hope I am wrong.
Me too. It’s frightening to witness. And to endure.
Your comment about the less than stellar writing skills of various writers on the internet is so true. You are a master essayist at a time when the genre is rapidly disappearing. Essayists in the before times were constrained by the limitations imposed by print media. Those limitations did not prevent writers from expressing their opinions. Rather, it made them better writers. Digital media permits the worst excesses. I won’t name names, but there are writers whose opinions and research I value tremendously who ramble on because they can. One of the things I like about Substack is the estimated reading time feature.
Thank you very much. I appreciate it, because I know I’m an outlier, and there is a lot of pressure to publish with more frequency and less quality. I’m trying to make this newsletter enjoyable — enjoyable in the way a blues album or a well-composed funeral dirge is, at any rate, lol/sob. I’m staying in the 20th century: no AI, no clickbait, all original writing and photography. Hopefully it’ll keep working out! Anyway, thanks again
Sarah - I am not sure that it's not the other way around "In short, the Biden administration is a crime syndicate masquerading as a government, and the Trump admin is a different branch of the same syndicate.” It's like a gang war fighting for turf. What is clear, they care about maintaining their own power. Tech enables them to surveil and manipulate us at will. They can make decisions and never be held accountable by blaming it on the algorithm. They can make stronger better super humans that have powers that no ordinary human would be able to compete against. Synthetic biology allows them to remake organs or make designer humans free of disease or bad genes and and perhaps a few might reach immortality. The question is - how are we even factored into that equation? That is what keeps me sleeping with one eye open.