This Is Not Normal
Definitions For These Times*
Authoritarianism: a government favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people
Autocracy: government in which one person possesses unlimited power
Oligarchhy: a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes
Kleptocracy: government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed
Tyranny: a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler
Narcissist: an extremely self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Psychopath: a mentally unstable person; especially : a person having an egocentric and antisocial personality marked by a lack of remorse for one's actions, an absence of empathy for others, and often criminal tendencies
State of the Union
American Girl
Our fight for equality began in Seneca Falls in 1848. It continues today. MAGA is trying to erase our achievements, rewrite history, and strip us of our power—because they fear the truth: When women rise, they lose control. But we refuse to be silenced. We refuse to be erased. Throughout Women’s History Month, we’ll be sharing daily insights into the powerful imagery in American Girl—honoring the trailblazers who shaped our nation, from Supreme Court Justices to survivors who bravely spoke out. Set to @LauraBellBundyMusic 's original song, this is more than a reflection on the past—it’s a fight for our future. At The Seneca Project, we are committed to truth, democracy, and honoring the legacy of every woman—past and present. It’s our collective responsibility to ensure that our stories are told. Our history, our rights, and our democracy are on the line. This isn’t just a tribute—it’s a call to action. Join us. Rise up. Fight back.
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For commentary on where we are, where we have been, and suggestions on how to proceed, go to:
We Are a Nation of Immigrants
The New Colossus
by Emma Lazarus, 1883
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Immigrants Have Rights
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Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
Paul Gauguin, 1897
For commentary on where we are, where we have been, and suggestions on how to proceed, go to:
Move Fast and Destroy Democracy
The following is an excerpt from an essay that has been adapted from the epilogue of Swisher’s book Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.
For tech leaders at this moment, the digital world they rule has become not enough. Leaders, in fact, is the wrong word to use now. Titans is more like it, as many have cozied up to Trump in order to dominate this world as we enter the next Cambrian explosion in technology, with the development of advanced AI.
When combined with a lack of empathy and enormous financial self-interest… it is basically a familiar trope: greed (of the few) over need (of the many).
And that has resulted in the damaging and warping and siloing of us all, courtesy of many of the people I wrote about in my book Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, about the promise and then souring of Silicon Valley. It is these characters who want to reign like kings not just over tech, but over everything everywhere, and all at once. To update the old Facebook maxim of “Move fast and break things”: Move fast and crush everyone. This was bad enough as a business axiom, but when it’s applied to the entire apparatus of our democracy, it’s terrifying.
To be fair, Musk’s efforts were once certainly loftier… That is, until his epic megalomania, personal foibles, and other deep-seated character flaws—which had always been there, lurking—took over his mind completely and sent it into the outer limits.
After years of mocking Trump, Musk changed drastically during COVID and became ever more manic and cruel, as he swung hard right down conspiracy highway.
As of this writing, tens of thousands of Americans in government roles have already been fired by Elon’s tech toadies. Musk has gotten rid of regulators who just happen to oversee his businesses, in agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and USAID.
The possible exit from the mess we now find ourselves in—swimming in oceans of information with an ever-decreasing number of facts to keep us afloat. Except, unlike the expansion that tech gave to the enlightened before, the institutions of today, such as media, science, and education, are being slowly destroyed by technology. And there seems to be no way out of this world, especially as egomaniacal entrepreneurs like Musk and others fork over small pieces of their vast fortunes to buy up everything from global media to, yes, a president of the United States.
Donald Trump's War on the Media
While he preaches about free speech, Donald Trump is constantly calling for journalists and media members to be fired or prosecuted. Steve Schmidt looks at Trump's latest battle with Nicolle Wallace and explains the hypocrisy behind it all.
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Steve Schmidt on Substack.
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Independent journalism is a cornerstone of democracy.
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Substack writers usually provide free as well as paid subscriptions. Participants include Jennifer Rubin and Norm Ornstein (The Contrarian), Marc Elias (Democracy Docket), Ann Telnaes (Open Windows), Heather Cox Richardson (Letters from an American), Matt Pearce, Jessica Valenti (Abortion, Every Day), Charlie Sykes and Tim Miller (The Bulwark), Timothy Snyder and many others.
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