Sarah...You are an American treasure. Thank you for your candor and your courage. I still try to believe in all the positive possibilities humankind is capable of, and that there will always be "something instead of nothing" because life is worth the hard work of living through it. Rising to the challenges keeps us honest about our purpose and responsibilities to our truth, our values, and to each other. Keep shining the light for us on the path ahead.
"Never give people respect just because they hold authority; respect people based on their actions"
This is why the Cult of Biden's Empathy pissed me off so much. WHAT has he ever done in his career that displays empathy`? The Violence Against Women Act is trotted out a lot, but tbh that just smacks of being a form of prevent defense to fend off valid criticism of personally creepy behavior.
He just reminds me of the kind of shitty relative who demands all the sympathy and understanding for their woes - while having some kind of BS charm that makes one think he's reciprocating sympathy.
Thank You, Sarah. Such care and honesty in your answers.
I relate to your comment about despair. I despair, too. I’m 63 and I carry a lifetime of memories of fighting Republicans and it is so sad to see Democrats colluding and surrendering.
At some point, I would love to hear your thoughts about Robert Reich who ended a podcast yesterday with a positive message for young activists, saying “we will get through this”
But I doubt he is right. Have transnational crime syndicates ever been brought down peacefully? And if not, i dread what is coming even more.
I like Robert Reich more than I like most mainstream pundits. But I would never say "we will get through this" because I don't know what that means, exactly. We certainly won't revert to what we were. I always think of Stephen King writing in The Stand about coming out of that blue and lonely section of hell. You're not who you were before, but you do make it through.
I do not know of a crime syndicate that's been thoroughly brought down, but one of the key reasons for that is the refusal to acknowledge their existence and power. I wrote about this in THEY KNEW with the Kefauver hearings of the early 1950s, which did bring some results (RICO, for one), but it took a long time to get them. And though those new policies chipped away at domestic mafias, they were ineffective at combatting the transnational mafias that replaced them. However, the Kefauver hearings were the first "must see TV" event ever, and they made ordinary Americans very aware of organized crime -- and instilled a widespread dire to combat corruption. This episode of history doesn't get referenced much, I think because it was effective, and powerbrokers do not want a repeat.
Great question. I wonder this, too. Have always respected Reich for publicly calling out Clinton on his awful policies punishing people for being poor.
Well, this was a mammoth undertaking by you, Sarah! I chewed on every word as I drank my coffee. No one sees as clearly as you, and your ability to bring that clarity to readers through the power of your writing is truly valuable. Thank you.
I just checked out Kelly Hayes' website. Lots of interesting reading ahead of me. May I suggest a wonderful newsletter I've been following for years, The Marginalian. This weekend's newsletter is titled, "Leonard Cohen on the antidote to anger and the meaning of resistance, Doris Lessing on breaking the prisons we have chosen to live in, loving words" Raises serious concerns, but provides a semi-soft landing with poetry and art.
She quoted this from Cohen's book, Book of Longing:
In a timeless passage that now reads prophetic, he writes:
"We are moving into a period of bewilderment, a curious moment in which people find light in the midst of despair, and vertigo at the summit of their hopes. It is a religious moment also, and here is the danger. People will want to obey the voice of Authority, and many strange constructs of just what Authority is will arise in every mind… The public yearning for Order will invite many stubborn uncompromising persons to impose it. The sadness of the zoo will fall upon society."
Thank you -- and I think I subscribe to that too! There are a lot of Leonard Cohen songs that are prophetic in a very frightening way, to the point that I can't listen to them, even though I did when I was writing HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT. "The Future", for one -- I can't listen to that anymore, because it's too true.
I’ve known in my gut that things are much worse than they appear, and I’ve imagined scenarios that people around me don’t, like deputizing militias in blue states to carry out orders, Blue state governments be damned. We all know what will come of that…
It’s extra terrifying to actually read it in print, by an expert on authoritarianism.
Thank you, Sarah. I always admire your unvarnished truth-telling, mixed as it is with humility and longing for a good life for the most vulnerable among us. It's disturbing to consider that most of the Democrats I've admired are "in on it," but it also makes a kind of macabre sense. Every time Kamala Harris, someone for whom I have much admiration said, "Israel has a right to defend itself," I felt sick. As if what they're doing is can in any way be construed as defense. Power corrupts, indeed.
Thanks for this Sarah, long time reader/listener in the U.K here ….the morning after the election I wrote down your phrase from just after the 2016 one - “Be your own light”. I’ve always remembered that and that morning, It really helped - as will the advice in this Q& A.
“I don’t stream music because I don’t want to lose my songs, and I don’t want to rip off artists.”
This is exactly what I do, I created my own private music server, ripped all my CDs I had bought and now purchase digital downloads. Music art is my number one conduit to the beauty of the human spirit and I’m paying them for their gifts. I’ve been playing Wilco’s Cruel Country album in the last two weeks and “Story To Tell” reminds me of all the brave souls who put themselves out there, seeking truth and exposing the lies. The beauty of art is multiple interpretations, which can change with the wind, which is the beauty. Today, that song made me think of your chosen path in life and like all artists, your soul had no choice but to tell the story. How else does a 12 year old write that poem.
Thank you so much for this Sarah...It is so informative and validating...I wanted to suggest to those asking about crypto and what to do with the money in their savings account to read some of Dave Troy's articles that he has posted on Twitter, and also read the document that he has a link to in his Twitter posts where he spells out what he thinks might happen and at the end he has some financial recommendations...Here is the link https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQZj9-tPe4uvyqobUYd1BUs7xjeDSWUH-TGgy8VHFQwrLK8zZIGcYBf_dhWUhZ69pe-jgO6FNimCOra/pub
I'd be curious to hear Sarah (and other's) thoughts on Dave Troy and these resources. He, like Sarah, has lots of predictions that seem to be coming true. He's also got an intensity that can feel like a lot though and I also don't see others I trust interact with him that much. Not sure if I'm explaining myself well here, but curious to hear thoughts from others.
I know Dave Troy (not well) from living in Baltimore for decades. He's got a tech / futurist vibe and has helped run TED-X Mid-Atlantic. I'm not sure how to assess these predictions, other than maybe to reverse-engineer other of his predictions to see how they panned out.
Thank you Sarah. You are a truth-telling guiding light during a dark, years-long shit storm. I appreciate you and your work. I don’t know how I’d navigate without it.
I love Veronica Mars! I loved it the first time around when it originally aired, but now I'm watching with my two teenage kids, who've never seen it before. My daughter really likes the character of Veronica (and is a lot like Veronica herself tbh). What makes me feel REALLY old is that the show is essentially a period piece -- my kids notice things about clothing, technology, Iraq War references, etc that makes it feel, well, twenty years old.
Loved VM - It is interesting how much Thomas changed her character in the Hulu Reboot. Not sure if he was in a different head space or just tired of writing the character but she seemed less "Veronica". But maybe it's just me not in the same head space.
Thank you Sarah, you’re very thoughtful with the offerings of your expertise about these subjects + topics, and in turn it’s all very uplifting.
After and before this Q&A, I did literally try and consume as much of your work (lol) that I could find, and I resonate so deeply with all of it (I’m also a September 1st birthday and wonder if this fun discovery was maybe why though 😂). I will be ordering the hard copies of your books, but I read the ‘free’ preview for your book 𝘏𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, and was brought to tears when I started to read the excerpt of your letter to “the people and the country” you love ❤️.
If I could write a follow up question, after having read it and noticing just how relevant it 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 is to our current trajectory… do you think your letter applies more now or then, and would you still recommend taking those steps ahead the next reinstallment of Trump? Is there more you would add or anything you’d change in that letter, considering the now vs then?
It aged scarily well and I was very moved by your letter, and by all of your work. Sending sincerest and deepest appreciation to you.
Her message resonates because she’s hyper observant, which can be confused with being prescient. Well, it’s pretty darn close to Nostradamic. It rings like a 5 alarm fire for neurodivergent folk.
Oh, also fabulous research skills and experiential subject knowledge, which of course are linked to observational skills. Her ideas resonate. I literally HEAR them. My NLP VAKOG type is KeAt (Kinesthetic-emotive Auditory-tonal). Grinder's work is the reference if you're interested. https://www.johngrinder.com/
I’m encouraged by your honest, unapologetic and fearless words. It only takes one small flame to eradicate total darkness. Thank you, for illuminating the darkness…by a light with which I see.
Thank you so much for giving so generously, Sarah. You are a light in these dark days because even though you tell harsh truths, your humanity always shines through. I have a follow-up question: somewhere in your responses you recommended that if we plan to buy your buys (before they might go out of print), you recommended buying hardcover. I understand that for the pre-order, but wonder the reasoning for your backlist. Could you explain? I'm getting ready to order all your books and want to make sure I'm getting the right copies.
Hardcover isn’t necessary — but I recommend buying print. The paperback is the same, and it’s cheaper. I worry that my books — especially HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT — will be taken out of circulation, for valid reason, in that I’ve already been threatened with it. If only the ebook remains, it is very easy to delete, and then the book is gone entirely. So it’s better to have a print version just in case. Thanks!
Ah, that makes total sense re digital copy. I just wasn't sure if trade edition was different from hardcover or ??? Thank you again and now I'm off to order books....
No the paperback of HIDING is the same as the hardcopy -- only it has a bonus interview with me at the end from a website that is now paywalled, so that's good to have in print too!
Sarah...You are an American treasure. Thank you for your candor and your courage. I still try to believe in all the positive possibilities humankind is capable of, and that there will always be "something instead of nothing" because life is worth the hard work of living through it. Rising to the challenges keeps us honest about our purpose and responsibilities to our truth, our values, and to each other. Keep shining the light for us on the path ahead.
Thank you! And thank you for everyone for all the great questions and comments -- in this article but also throughout the year.
"Never give people respect just because they hold authority; respect people based on their actions"
This is why the Cult of Biden's Empathy pissed me off so much. WHAT has he ever done in his career that displays empathy`? The Violence Against Women Act is trotted out a lot, but tbh that just smacks of being a form of prevent defense to fend off valid criticism of personally creepy behavior.
He displayed empathy toward himself and they mistook it for empathy for other people
He just reminds me of the kind of shitty relative who demands all the sympathy and understanding for their woes - while having some kind of BS charm that makes one think he's reciprocating sympathy.
Remember the Anita Hill hearings? 🤮
Exactly! Which is why all the "Joe Biden feels your pain" slop from the cable news & online shills had me trying to stab my ears out. lol
Thank You, Sarah. Such care and honesty in your answers.
I relate to your comment about despair. I despair, too. I’m 63 and I carry a lifetime of memories of fighting Republicans and it is so sad to see Democrats colluding and surrendering.
At some point, I would love to hear your thoughts about Robert Reich who ended a podcast yesterday with a positive message for young activists, saying “we will get through this”
But I doubt he is right. Have transnational crime syndicates ever been brought down peacefully? And if not, i dread what is coming even more.
I like Robert Reich more than I like most mainstream pundits. But I would never say "we will get through this" because I don't know what that means, exactly. We certainly won't revert to what we were. I always think of Stephen King writing in The Stand about coming out of that blue and lonely section of hell. You're not who you were before, but you do make it through.
I do not know of a crime syndicate that's been thoroughly brought down, but one of the key reasons for that is the refusal to acknowledge their existence and power. I wrote about this in THEY KNEW with the Kefauver hearings of the early 1950s, which did bring some results (RICO, for one), but it took a long time to get them. And though those new policies chipped away at domestic mafias, they were ineffective at combatting the transnational mafias that replaced them. However, the Kefauver hearings were the first "must see TV" event ever, and they made ordinary Americans very aware of organized crime -- and instilled a widespread dire to combat corruption. This episode of history doesn't get referenced much, I think because it was effective, and powerbrokers do not want a repeat.
Thank You!
Great question. I wonder this, too. Have always respected Reich for publicly calling out Clinton on his awful policies punishing people for being poor.
Well, this was a mammoth undertaking by you, Sarah! I chewed on every word as I drank my coffee. No one sees as clearly as you, and your ability to bring that clarity to readers through the power of your writing is truly valuable. Thank you.
I just checked out Kelly Hayes' website. Lots of interesting reading ahead of me. May I suggest a wonderful newsletter I've been following for years, The Marginalian. This weekend's newsletter is titled, "Leonard Cohen on the antidote to anger and the meaning of resistance, Doris Lessing on breaking the prisons we have chosen to live in, loving words" Raises serious concerns, but provides a semi-soft landing with poetry and art.
She quoted this from Cohen's book, Book of Longing:
In a timeless passage that now reads prophetic, he writes:
"We are moving into a period of bewilderment, a curious moment in which people find light in the midst of despair, and vertigo at the summit of their hopes. It is a religious moment also, and here is the danger. People will want to obey the voice of Authority, and many strange constructs of just what Authority is will arise in every mind… The public yearning for Order will invite many stubborn uncompromising persons to impose it. The sadness of the zoo will fall upon society."
Isn't that last line chilling?
Thank you -- and I think I subscribe to that too! There are a lot of Leonard Cohen songs that are prophetic in a very frightening way, to the point that I can't listen to them, even though I did when I was writing HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT. "The Future", for one -- I can't listen to that anymore, because it's too true.
Whoa, I had no idea. I am not familiar with the majority of his songs, but I think that, based upon how you feel about them, I'll leave them be.
I love both Cohen and Lessing - thanks for the newsletter suggestion.
Damn, this is absolute nightmare fuel to read.
I’ve known in my gut that things are much worse than they appear, and I’ve imagined scenarios that people around me don’t, like deputizing militias in blue states to carry out orders, Blue state governments be damned. We all know what will come of that…
It’s extra terrifying to actually read it in print, by an expert on authoritarianism.
Thank you, Sarah. I always admire your unvarnished truth-telling, mixed as it is with humility and longing for a good life for the most vulnerable among us. It's disturbing to consider that most of the Democrats I've admired are "in on it," but it also makes a kind of macabre sense. Every time Kamala Harris, someone for whom I have much admiration said, "Israel has a right to defend itself," I felt sick. As if what they're doing is can in any way be construed as defense. Power corrupts, indeed.
Thanks for this Sarah, long time reader/listener in the U.K here ….the morning after the election I wrote down your phrase from just after the 2016 one - “Be your own light”. I’ve always remembered that and that morning, It really helped - as will the advice in this Q& A.
“I don’t stream music because I don’t want to lose my songs, and I don’t want to rip off artists.”
This is exactly what I do, I created my own private music server, ripped all my CDs I had bought and now purchase digital downloads. Music art is my number one conduit to the beauty of the human spirit and I’m paying them for their gifts. I’ve been playing Wilco’s Cruel Country album in the last two weeks and “Story To Tell” reminds me of all the brave souls who put themselves out there, seeking truth and exposing the lies. The beauty of art is multiple interpretations, which can change with the wind, which is the beauty. Today, that song made me think of your chosen path in life and like all artists, your soul had no choice but to tell the story. How else does a 12 year old write that poem.
Thank you so much for this Sarah...It is so informative and validating...I wanted to suggest to those asking about crypto and what to do with the money in their savings account to read some of Dave Troy's articles that he has posted on Twitter, and also read the document that he has a link to in his Twitter posts where he spells out what he thinks might happen and at the end he has some financial recommendations...Here is the link https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQZj9-tPe4uvyqobUYd1BUs7xjeDSWUH-TGgy8VHFQwrLK8zZIGcYBf_dhWUhZ69pe-jgO6FNimCOra/pub
I'd be curious to hear Sarah (and other's) thoughts on Dave Troy and these resources. He, like Sarah, has lots of predictions that seem to be coming true. He's also got an intensity that can feel like a lot though and I also don't see others I trust interact with him that much. Not sure if I'm explaining myself well here, but curious to hear thoughts from others.
Please! DON'T USE GOOGLE.
I know Dave Troy (not well) from living in Baltimore for decades. He's got a tech / futurist vibe and has helped run TED-X Mid-Atlantic. I'm not sure how to assess these predictions, other than maybe to reverse-engineer other of his predictions to see how they panned out.
Thank you Sarah. You are a truth-telling guiding light during a dark, years-long shit storm. I appreciate you and your work. I don’t know how I’d navigate without it.
Thank you!
You watching Veronica Mars is very meta, and it makes me happy.
I love Veronica Mars! I loved it the first time around when it originally aired, but now I'm watching with my two teenage kids, who've never seen it before. My daughter really likes the character of Veronica (and is a lot like Veronica herself tbh). What makes me feel REALLY old is that the show is essentially a period piece -- my kids notice things about clothing, technology, Iraq War references, etc that makes it feel, well, twenty years old.
Loved VM - It is interesting how much Thomas changed her character in the Hulu Reboot. Not sure if he was in a different head space or just tired of writing the character but she seemed less "Veronica". But maybe it's just me not in the same head space.
I started it at age 60 and loved it🤣
It's so good!
Impressive
Thank you Sarah, you’re very thoughtful with the offerings of your expertise about these subjects + topics, and in turn it’s all very uplifting.
After and before this Q&A, I did literally try and consume as much of your work (lol) that I could find, and I resonate so deeply with all of it (I’m also a September 1st birthday and wonder if this fun discovery was maybe why though 😂). I will be ordering the hard copies of your books, but I read the ‘free’ preview for your book 𝘏𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, and was brought to tears when I started to read the excerpt of your letter to “the people and the country” you love ❤️.
If I could write a follow up question, after having read it and noticing just how relevant it 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 is to our current trajectory… do you think your letter applies more now or then, and would you still recommend taking those steps ahead the next reinstallment of Trump? Is there more you would add or anything you’d change in that letter, considering the now vs then?
It aged scarily well and I was very moved by your letter, and by all of your work. Sending sincerest and deepest appreciation to you.
Her message resonates because she’s hyper observant, which can be confused with being prescient. Well, it’s pretty darn close to Nostradamic. It rings like a 5 alarm fire for neurodivergent folk.
And the prose makes it go to 11.
Agree 100%
Oh, also fabulous research skills and experiential subject knowledge, which of course are linked to observational skills. Her ideas resonate. I literally HEAR them. My NLP VAKOG type is KeAt (Kinesthetic-emotive Auditory-tonal). Grinder's work is the reference if you're interested. https://www.johngrinder.com/
You get up at 5 am? I'd have to go to bed at 6 pm to pull that off!😴
I'm trying to answer more questions on here but my bedtime is looming It's 8:20 pm lol. Just the way I'm wired!
You will be healthy, wealthy and you're already wise.
I’m encouraged by your honest, unapologetic and fearless words. It only takes one small flame to eradicate total darkness. Thank you, for illuminating the darkness…by a light with which I see.
Thank you for reading!
Thank you so much for giving so generously, Sarah. You are a light in these dark days because even though you tell harsh truths, your humanity always shines through. I have a follow-up question: somewhere in your responses you recommended that if we plan to buy your buys (before they might go out of print), you recommended buying hardcover. I understand that for the pre-order, but wonder the reasoning for your backlist. Could you explain? I'm getting ready to order all your books and want to make sure I'm getting the right copies.
Hardcover isn’t necessary — but I recommend buying print. The paperback is the same, and it’s cheaper. I worry that my books — especially HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT — will be taken out of circulation, for valid reason, in that I’ve already been threatened with it. If only the ebook remains, it is very easy to delete, and then the book is gone entirely. So it’s better to have a print version just in case. Thanks!
Ah, that makes total sense re digital copy. I just wasn't sure if trade edition was different from hardcover or ??? Thank you again and now I'm off to order books....
No the paperback of HIDING is the same as the hardcopy -- only it has a bonus interview with me at the end from a website that is now paywalled, so that's good to have in print too!
Just ordered HIDING, THEY KNEW, and pre-ordered ROAD TRIP through bookshop.org and designated Left Bank Books as the store to receive the boost. Yay!