Unfortunately, I cannot access the NY Times article, I cancelled that subscription during the 2020 election. I have always appreciated David Brooks and his writing. I read his work and followed him because he was more of a humanist that a hard-core Conservative Republican. I'm looking forward to reading the article in several days. My heart aches for all the young people who lived through that nightmare. They will move on with their lives, but the trauma remains.
Per usual David Brooks gets close but misses. A pop fly long and foul. Deep down he subscribes to Important Man ideas about history, quotes Carnegie on the idea of immensely wealthy men dictating best policies with their wealth and believes the GOP was lead away from 1930’s America First nativism by Ike with some continuity in Reagan but that Trump has returned the Party to nativism.
It certainly is true that men who gained vast wealth have misdirected America, going underground in the John Birch Society which I first became familiar with through Mad Magazine mocking its reactionary ideas. And it’s true that John Bircher types financed far right groups like the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist society, but the real work of making America worse was through the efforts of the minions financed by big money, the Roger Stones, Alex DeGrasse’s, and scores of petty frauds like MTG, Matt Gaetz, and Elise Stefanik.
The problem with the GOP isn’t so much that the nativist tendencies are bad policy, which they are, but that the meanness and nastiness of the nativist movement has gripped the soul of the GOP. Trump didn’t do that. Andrew Carnegie certainly didn’t do that - he built the libraries the current set of Christian Nationalist are trying to destroy.
No, the GOP is under sway of people who are spiteful simply because they feel entitled to be spiteful. They think liberal elites need to be taken down a peg and they think it’s funny to see good things ruined.
My guess is that Kevin Monahan is one of those people.
John Birch Society came to mind. Kevin Monahan lived in the hills of Hebron, not because he loved the land and its people. I believe he is one who hates with a vengeance. Apparently, Hebron afforded him isolation and separation from the human race. I have a great deal of respect for Tony Jordan and Adam Michelini. Tony has served this county well as DA. I'll check Adam's response.
Heather Cox Richardson’s letter from March 1st deals extensively with Carnegie and Reagan and the financial/taxation structure favored by Republicans to establish more control over the “rabble”.
Yesterday afternoon, Rachel Tiede Channel 13 interviewed Atty. Paul Oderhassian (spelling?) about Monahan not addressing the family. He said that Monahan has civil suits against him and whatever he says can be used against him in a civil suit. It's the convicted person's option. It was a disaster when Monahan spoke to the jury during trial saying when the trial was over he wanted to work on his house and do motorcross. Lack of empathy and remorse. Kudos to Judge Michellini and Asst. District Atty. Morris.
Terry Gross’s NPR “Fresh Air” interview on 2/29 about the Christian Nationalist revolution is riveting and scary. This is not a one-man Rev Jim Jones traveling show that ended with a Kool-aid massacre.
In her talk with Bradley Onishi about his book “Preparing for War - The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism - and What Comes Next” (published in Jan. 2023) he relates the carefully crafted religiosity which originated decades ago within evangelical sects who sought to offset the radical changes from the sexual revolution, the women’s movement, and the civil rights movement. Their determination to gain absolute power and create a “colonization of the earth,” by infusing our government with local and national elected officials committed to their perceived mission of fulfilling God’s work, has been steadfast. They consider it “spiritual warfare” and truly believe that their God sent Trump to lead “the cosmic battle of good vs. evil”
While still in office, Trump intentionally set up a photo op in the Oval Office for a “laying of hands” by these pseudo- Christian ministers to capture his “anointing” and to reinforce his delusion, and theirs, that he is “divinely ordained” - hence his claim “I am your Savior…”
I’ve listened to this NPR interview twice. Took 4 pages of notes. It’s scary stuff. But it does explain the prevalence of people at the Jan 6th insurrection who were carrying Christian Nationalist flags and NAR posters with slogans supporting Trump. And why this religious movement has succeeded in electing mayors, school board and library committee members etc. and higher-ups (our Elise?) who have become foot soldiers for the colonization of the earth…and why our current House Speaker Mike Johnson has a Christian Nationalist flag set up in front of his office door…
I’m getting my old rosary beads out and looking for some holy water to spray if any of them get close to me 🙏
As I read your account of this tragedy, I thought back to former president's trump's proud claim that he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it. And, amazingly, our very own Supreme Court is faced with a decision that could support that outrageous boast. Well, let's hope that reason and rationality prevail, because Trump and Monahan have something in common; they both thought they could get away with it.
Unfortunately, I cannot access the NY Times article, I cancelled that subscription during the 2020 election. I have always appreciated David Brooks and his writing. I read his work and followed him because he was more of a humanist that a hard-core Conservative Republican. I'm looking forward to reading the article in several days. My heart aches for all the young people who lived through that nightmare. They will move on with their lives, but the trauma remains.
Per usual David Brooks gets close but misses. A pop fly long and foul. Deep down he subscribes to Important Man ideas about history, quotes Carnegie on the idea of immensely wealthy men dictating best policies with their wealth and believes the GOP was lead away from 1930’s America First nativism by Ike with some continuity in Reagan but that Trump has returned the Party to nativism.
It certainly is true that men who gained vast wealth have misdirected America, going underground in the John Birch Society which I first became familiar with through Mad Magazine mocking its reactionary ideas. And it’s true that John Bircher types financed far right groups like the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist society, but the real work of making America worse was through the efforts of the minions financed by big money, the Roger Stones, Alex DeGrasse’s, and scores of petty frauds like MTG, Matt Gaetz, and Elise Stefanik.
The problem with the GOP isn’t so much that the nativist tendencies are bad policy, which they are, but that the meanness and nastiness of the nativist movement has gripped the soul of the GOP. Trump didn’t do that. Andrew Carnegie certainly didn’t do that - he built the libraries the current set of Christian Nationalist are trying to destroy.
No, the GOP is under sway of people who are spiteful simply because they feel entitled to be spiteful. They think liberal elites need to be taken down a peg and they think it’s funny to see good things ruined.
My guess is that Kevin Monahan is one of those people.
John Birch Society came to mind. Kevin Monahan lived in the hills of Hebron, not because he loved the land and its people. I believe he is one who hates with a vengeance. Apparently, Hebron afforded him isolation and separation from the human race. I have a great deal of respect for Tony Jordan and Adam Michelini. Tony has served this county well as DA. I'll check Adam's response.
Heather Cox Richardson’s letter from March 1st deals extensively with Carnegie and Reagan and the financial/taxation structure favored by Republicans to establish more control over the “rabble”.
here’s a gift copy of the brooks article.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/opinion/donald-trump-republican-gop.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Zk0.NMjf.j14GlVTB1voI&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
Yesterday afternoon, Rachel Tiede Channel 13 interviewed Atty. Paul Oderhassian (spelling?) about Monahan not addressing the family. He said that Monahan has civil suits against him and whatever he says can be used against him in a civil suit. It's the convicted person's option. It was a disaster when Monahan spoke to the jury during trial saying when the trial was over he wanted to work on his house and do motorcross. Lack of empathy and remorse. Kudos to Judge Michellini and Asst. District Atty. Morris.
It was a cowardly act, followed by more cowardly actions.
David Brooks is ALWAYS worth a 'listen' or a 'read.'
Terry Gross’s NPR “Fresh Air” interview on 2/29 about the Christian Nationalist revolution is riveting and scary. This is not a one-man Rev Jim Jones traveling show that ended with a Kool-aid massacre.
In her talk with Bradley Onishi about his book “Preparing for War - The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism - and What Comes Next” (published in Jan. 2023) he relates the carefully crafted religiosity which originated decades ago within evangelical sects who sought to offset the radical changes from the sexual revolution, the women’s movement, and the civil rights movement. Their determination to gain absolute power and create a “colonization of the earth,” by infusing our government with local and national elected officials committed to their perceived mission of fulfilling God’s work, has been steadfast. They consider it “spiritual warfare” and truly believe that their God sent Trump to lead “the cosmic battle of good vs. evil”
While still in office, Trump intentionally set up a photo op in the Oval Office for a “laying of hands” by these pseudo- Christian ministers to capture his “anointing” and to reinforce his delusion, and theirs, that he is “divinely ordained” - hence his claim “I am your Savior…”
I’ve listened to this NPR interview twice. Took 4 pages of notes. It’s scary stuff. But it does explain the prevalence of people at the Jan 6th insurrection who were carrying Christian Nationalist flags and NAR posters with slogans supporting Trump. And why this religious movement has succeeded in electing mayors, school board and library committee members etc. and higher-ups (our Elise?) who have become foot soldiers for the colonization of the earth…and why our current House Speaker Mike Johnson has a Christian Nationalist flag set up in front of his office door…
I’m getting my old rosary beads out and looking for some holy water to spray if any of them get close to me 🙏
I need to listen to this.
As I read your account of this tragedy, I thought back to former president's trump's proud claim that he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it. And, amazingly, our very own Supreme Court is faced with a decision that could support that outrageous boast. Well, let's hope that reason and rationality prevail, because Trump and Monahan have something in common; they both thought they could get away with it.
❤️