Thank you again for your unique ability to bring honest clarity and truth to difficult and threatening challenges. What is clear is that most of us already actually know the things you take the time to unravel but refuse to act upon it.
The work you and Andrea did was immense. And though I'm sure you'll both still be in fight, wish you were still side by side through this next very turbulent time.
I remember when you gave this talk, and somehow I found a video of it online. Your words are as powerful and insightful today as they were then. Thank you for your persistence and courage, your bold and inspiring truthtelling. I have no doubt that it comes with a cost. I hope you have many ways to mitigate that cost and take good care of yourself.
Another excellent piece. Because of my background, I might be more inclined to see this as the inevitable late stages of capitalism. Of course that alone doesn't explain everything. You so eloquently sprinkle in the uniquely American ingredients that have lead to this stage, but the end result is largely driven, IMO, by the relentless profiteering and the legitimation required to facilitate it. It eventually destabilizes society to the point where the majority find it increasingly hard to stay tethered to some communal sense of truth and subsequently and, to a large extent, unconsciously also lose a sense of their collective power. It is in that instant that authoritarians begin to arise. And we now see that has begun to appear in the wealthiest and allegedly most 'democratic' of nations. Tyranny isn't just for poor countries anymore.
Thanks for this. It was a good read that I needed today, as I have punched a door frame in anger at all the corruption and convenient ignoring of atrocities (I'm also guilty of this sometimes to preserve mental health), that goes on in the world today - especially from the corruption cancer node of the world called russia.
It's hard for me to accurately describe how pathetic I think the powerful narcissists of the world are, that mess over so many millions of people by abusing that power and how it seems to be so hard to hold them accountable, even with their extremely obvious shinanigans that they overwhelm you with.
Thank you for doing a substack - and for sharing this piece. I'm here for all of it. I do believe we are here to get at the rot and sow seeds for a just and honest future that we may not see. The way you write simultaneously soothes me and pierces my open broken heart at the same time. There is indeed "perverse freedom in being abandoned." Personally, I've experienced that many times over. Yet, I agree that it is our moral and ethical obligation to at least try to make our world better. At my core, I've always known that to be true. Grateful for all you do. Keep writing please.
Again, how Sarah's command of history and the lens of her education and experience can draw connections that many would miss, and reveal the emotional and sociological forces at play at each time. I am always left thinking about further reading, whether here, or over on Gaslitnation. I simply can't keep up, and my ability to steep myself in so much darkness is limited. I have to keep looking to 'self-care' to be able to come back in order to absorb more, or to have tough conversations with friends and acquiantances about what I find.
Last week my self-care was to spend a cold, damp Sunday morning crawling through undergrowth with binoculars and camera on a local riverbank, seeking a family of river otters, who friends of mine had spotted. No luck this time, but the peace I gained warmed me,
Thanks Sarah for republishing your work as your warnings & history lessons have always been spot on!
I hope that more people will share & financially support your work here and your following will grow over time to reach the likes of Heather Cox Richardson! Cheers!
P.S. Please also share your past audio & video commentary as part of your posts. Thom Hartmann, Michael Moore, Steve Schmidt, Judd Legum & Dean Obeidallah do a great job of mixing up their content media.
Definitely start your Podcast & YouTube channel to complement posts here. I’m delighted to consume GaslitNation on YouTube even when not seeing Andrea on screen since YouTube is my #1 place as we wind down Twitter.
Hope this helps you strategize your Substack content as it’s from the view of a long time fan who has bought all your books and consider you a trusted truth teller & historian.
I read this yesterday afternoon, upon return from a morning of sitting in on probation violation hearings, which are always a sad parade of members of our suffering, invisible underclass. It was an especially intense session, including several defendants who have been unable to comply with probation requirements due to homelessness, and the hearing officer spent a lot of time giving pep talks and words of encouragement. As I exited the room I commented on how intense it had been to the hearing officer, a man of about 60. He said: it's the day of homelessness. My way there and back is a bike trail lined with tent encampments that popped up about 18 months ago, and are highly visible along all of our extensive river trail network. Two years ago, there was not a single tent along the trails. So, your connection of America's ongoing, simmering, unacknowledged authoritarianism hit hard and I'm still processing it. Thanks for ending your essay on a note of hope, because boy it sure looks dark when you dare to take a look around the edges.
Sarah, I subscribe to John Pavlovitz and he had this to say about grief: Grief is a solitary road. Even if we are fortunate enough to have people alongside us during the journey, (as I have been), no one can really travel all the way with us. Our pain and our path are as individual as the relationship we share with the person we've lost. He has many columns on the subject if you wish to google him, John Pavlovitz on Grief. Also, as you travel around, may want to go down into Arkansas, to the Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, AR. They welcome everyone. Chancey DeVega at Salon had an interesting interview with Gavriel D. Rosenfeld, the President of the Center for Jewish History in New York City and Professor of History at Fairfield University. Rosenfeld is the author of numerous books, including the new co-edited volume (with Janet Ward), Fascism in America: Past and Present, The Fourth Reich: The Specter of Nazism from World War II to the Present, and Hi Hitler! How the Nazi Past is Being Normalized in Contemporary Culture. https://www.salon.com/2023/10/24/plutocrats-and-populists-the-gops-contradictory-principles-make-a-perfect-recipe-for-fascism/ Like your takes, worth the time to take a read. May everyone's day be filled with light on a dark day for the people of Maine. Be kind. It costs nothing.
This is such an inspiring piece of work. Thank you for introducing me to "Tired", it's so good to know that there are others that are doing this:
Let us take a knife
And cut the world in two –
And see what worms are eating
At the rind.
Sometimes I feel I am alone in doing this when everyone around me appears to be waiting.
I first heard "Do not go gentle into the good night" on Iggy Pop's album Free and it gave me hope, while "we are the people ", written by Lou Reed and performed Iggy, gave me understanding.
Thank you Annie! I was going to send this to you because I remember seeing you there and the surrealness of the day after two years, exactly, away from speaking in public
It is a gift we get to learn from you thank you
Thank you again for your unique ability to bring honest clarity and truth to difficult and threatening challenges. What is clear is that most of us already actually know the things you take the time to unravel but refuse to act upon it.
Broken hearted that you're leaving Gaslit Nation.
The work you and Andrea did was immense. And though I'm sure you'll both still be in fight, wish you were still side by side through this next very turbulent time.
Peace ✌️.
I remember when you gave this talk, and somehow I found a video of it online. Your words are as powerful and insightful today as they were then. Thank you for your persistence and courage, your bold and inspiring truthtelling. I have no doubt that it comes with a cost. I hope you have many ways to mitigate that cost and take good care of yourself.
Another excellent piece. Because of my background, I might be more inclined to see this as the inevitable late stages of capitalism. Of course that alone doesn't explain everything. You so eloquently sprinkle in the uniquely American ingredients that have lead to this stage, but the end result is largely driven, IMO, by the relentless profiteering and the legitimation required to facilitate it. It eventually destabilizes society to the point where the majority find it increasingly hard to stay tethered to some communal sense of truth and subsequently and, to a large extent, unconsciously also lose a sense of their collective power. It is in that instant that authoritarians begin to arise. And we now see that has begun to appear in the wealthiest and allegedly most 'democratic' of nations. Tyranny isn't just for poor countries anymore.
Respectfully, A “Rape and Pillage” macroeconomic architecture has nothing to do with capitalism.
Thanks for this. It was a good read that I needed today, as I have punched a door frame in anger at all the corruption and convenient ignoring of atrocities (I'm also guilty of this sometimes to preserve mental health), that goes on in the world today - especially from the corruption cancer node of the world called russia.
It's hard for me to accurately describe how pathetic I think the powerful narcissists of the world are, that mess over so many millions of people by abusing that power and how it seems to be so hard to hold them accountable, even with their extremely obvious shinanigans that they overwhelm you with.
Thank you for doing a substack - and for sharing this piece. I'm here for all of it. I do believe we are here to get at the rot and sow seeds for a just and honest future that we may not see. The way you write simultaneously soothes me and pierces my open broken heart at the same time. There is indeed "perverse freedom in being abandoned." Personally, I've experienced that many times over. Yet, I agree that it is our moral and ethical obligation to at least try to make our world better. At my core, I've always known that to be true. Grateful for all you do. Keep writing please.
“And it is our job, our ethical obligation, to move it for the better.”
There it is. This is what I’ve missed these past few months.
Again, how Sarah's command of history and the lens of her education and experience can draw connections that many would miss, and reveal the emotional and sociological forces at play at each time. I am always left thinking about further reading, whether here, or over on Gaslitnation. I simply can't keep up, and my ability to steep myself in so much darkness is limited. I have to keep looking to 'self-care' to be able to come back in order to absorb more, or to have tough conversations with friends and acquiantances about what I find.
Last week my self-care was to spend a cold, damp Sunday morning crawling through undergrowth with binoculars and camera on a local riverbank, seeking a family of river otters, who friends of mine had spotted. No luck this time, but the peace I gained warmed me,
Thanks Sarah for republishing your work as your warnings & history lessons have always been spot on!
I hope that more people will share & financially support your work here and your following will grow over time to reach the likes of Heather Cox Richardson! Cheers!
P.S. Please also share your past audio & video commentary as part of your posts. Thom Hartmann, Michael Moore, Steve Schmidt, Judd Legum & Dean Obeidallah do a great job of mixing up their content media.
Definitely start your Podcast & YouTube channel to complement posts here. I’m delighted to consume GaslitNation on YouTube even when not seeing Andrea on screen since YouTube is my #1 place as we wind down Twitter.
Hope this helps you strategize your Substack content as it’s from the view of a long time fan who has bought all your books and consider you a trusted truth teller & historian.
I read this yesterday afternoon, upon return from a morning of sitting in on probation violation hearings, which are always a sad parade of members of our suffering, invisible underclass. It was an especially intense session, including several defendants who have been unable to comply with probation requirements due to homelessness, and the hearing officer spent a lot of time giving pep talks and words of encouragement. As I exited the room I commented on how intense it had been to the hearing officer, a man of about 60. He said: it's the day of homelessness. My way there and back is a bike trail lined with tent encampments that popped up about 18 months ago, and are highly visible along all of our extensive river trail network. Two years ago, there was not a single tent along the trails. So, your connection of America's ongoing, simmering, unacknowledged authoritarianism hit hard and I'm still processing it. Thanks for ending your essay on a note of hope, because boy it sure looks dark when you dare to take a look around the edges.
Sarah, I subscribe to John Pavlovitz and he had this to say about grief: Grief is a solitary road. Even if we are fortunate enough to have people alongside us during the journey, (as I have been), no one can really travel all the way with us. Our pain and our path are as individual as the relationship we share with the person we've lost. He has many columns on the subject if you wish to google him, John Pavlovitz on Grief. Also, as you travel around, may want to go down into Arkansas, to the Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, AR. They welcome everyone. Chancey DeVega at Salon had an interesting interview with Gavriel D. Rosenfeld, the President of the Center for Jewish History in New York City and Professor of History at Fairfield University. Rosenfeld is the author of numerous books, including the new co-edited volume (with Janet Ward), Fascism in America: Past and Present, The Fourth Reich: The Specter of Nazism from World War II to the Present, and Hi Hitler! How the Nazi Past is Being Normalized in Contemporary Culture. https://www.salon.com/2023/10/24/plutocrats-and-populists-the-gops-contradictory-principles-make-a-perfect-recipe-for-fascism/ Like your takes, worth the time to take a read. May everyone's day be filled with light on a dark day for the people of Maine. Be kind. It costs nothing.
Wow!
This is such an inspiring piece of work. Thank you for introducing me to "Tired", it's so good to know that there are others that are doing this:
Let us take a knife
And cut the world in two –
And see what worms are eating
At the rind.
Sometimes I feel I am alone in doing this when everyone around me appears to be waiting.
I first heard "Do not go gentle into the good night" on Iggy Pop's album Free and it gave me hope, while "we are the people ", written by Lou Reed and performed Iggy, gave me understanding.
Thank you again
I was there. Listening, on the edge of my seat. Seems like a decade ago.
Thank you for publishing this in full. You’re my favorite writer and truth teller.
Thank you Annie! I was going to send this to you because I remember seeing you there and the surrealness of the day after two years, exactly, away from speaking in public
Thank you for thinking of me. Mad surreal times then and now. Sending love ❤️
This is kind of random but I have been obsessed with this recollection and the current here and now.
I had just remembered Obama’s policy of ignoring Russia. Biden was his VP. Coincidence ( I’m even hesitant to say that out loud)?