This web project is complete. First post (July 7, 2018): “IS THIS THE MOST DIVIDED YOU HAVE EVER SEEN THE UNITED STATES?”; last post: JANUARY 20, 2021 — IT’S A NEW DAY AS JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS ARE SWORN IN.
The blog —
This blog is written from the point of view of someone who embraces liberal democracy and progressive politics.
Perhaps half the posts in this blog are simply milestones that designate the perilous political journey our country is on. Even before Trump’s rise, the Republican Party had gone off the rails, deliberately trashing political and governing norms that have served to safeguard our democratic institutions. Newt Gingrich and Mitch McConnell were hard at it long before Donald Trump. Bill Barr and many others have subsequently done yeoman service on behalf of party over country.
Lily Tomlin commented, “No matter how cynical you become, it’s never enough to keep up.” I’m not at all cynical. On the contrary, I haven’t lost faith in our democratic institutions, though they are under severe attack. But — perhaps with Tomlin — I am astonished at what I’m witnessing. Especially since Trump’s acquittal in the Senate.
And, while Trump’s nightmarish misconduct and renunciation of responsibility are far beyond anything I could have imagined from a President of the United States, that is hardly as damning or disheartening as the willingness of the national Republican Party to countenance whatever the man does or says.
The Editor—
I am an old liberal who lives in Adam Schiff’s Congressional District. I’ve been fascinated by politics since I was a teenager (50+ years ago) and, now that I’m retired, I have time to reflect and write a bit about it.
Activists’ agenda
Political activity and civic participation are critical to democratic government. Wise and responsive government is not guaranteed by default. When things go well, that’s an achievement. In the best of times, our democratic institutions offer us, in Lincoln’s words, “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
But historically things often veer off track. Political activity and civic participation at such times become imperative. Millions of Americans got involved in 2018 to swing scores of Congressional Districts from Red to Blue and win the House. They contributed money to campaigns; they registered voters, walked precincts, made calls and sent texts, and helped get out the vote. These folks (and I was among them) amped up their level of commitment because they recognized that their participation was critically important.
Joe Biden’s victory in November — in spite of Trump’s denials and Washington Republicans’ playing along because they don’t have the gumption to stand up to Trump — was a triumph of a small-d democrat over a wannabe autocrat, while the down ballot results presented steep challenges for the Democratic Party. There’s always more to do.
Front row seat to history
The Trump era has reminded me of the expression, ‘May you live in interesting times.’ His rise, and more alarmingly the alacrity of the leadership of the national Republican Party to go all-in with a reckless leader, represent a moral challenge, first and foremost. But there’s more to the era than this. This is an extraordinary time in the United States and the world: we are witnessing tumultuous events of historical significance unfold in real time. Taking a step back to grasp the significance of this era in historical context as we watch it play out — that’s fascinating and revealing and challenging all at once (quite apart from the moral imperative).
Agenda Twenty Twenty has been primarily an attempt to make sense of things. I find that writing about issues can clarify and crystallize my understanding of what’s going on. If you stumbled onto this site, I hope it may do the same for you.