I told Andrew that “if things got too bad,” I would consider, for the first time in my life, leaving the United States. Andrew was alarmed. He said, “Don’t leave us, we’re building a family for you.”
I was up in deep red rural pennsylvania yesterday for a home inspection. I met an Iraqi vet (first Iraqi war) who was born and raised in the area and returned after his army deployment to be with his family. He spoke some German from his days stationed there in the 1990s and was eager to practice. He mentioned (in German) that people there grow up being told they are ignorant (which he states they are as schools are underfunded) and that Trump made them feel like they were now smarter than the left wing coastal folks.. and now they are too scared to acknowledge that they were suckered by Trump as this point.. He also said that the current Iran war was even more devoid of purpose than the second Iraqi war (anyone found the missing WMDs yet?).. not sure the conversation brings me any hope.. besides that it would be nice if we could spend the billions wasted on the Iran war, the tax breaks for billionaires and corporations on these rural areas (and inner cities) and bring them better education and health care…
It's so very hard to admit that you've been misled. It's a battering of one's self-esteem. I know that my reaction to being misled has often been "how could I have been such a chump?"
No offense to Andrew, but a Devil's Advocate to me is someone who likes to play rhetorical games. And the older I get, the less time I have to humor people like that. Jeff Bezos says with a (slightly different looking, can't quite put my finger on it) straight face that this Trump is better, calmer,. more mature that first term Trump? When ALL evidence points to the opposite? Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.
Trump HAS NO intellectual underpinnings except he's for Trump. He has others who give him the framework he needs to do what he wants. The underpinnings that exist are Christian Nationalism, a fear of science, a love of money, a desire to punish the political opposition and silencing of the 'other': women, LGBTQ and minorities.
Misogyny, racism and homophobia have for decades been pillars of Republicanism. Which has a primary mission of transferring the tax burden from large corporations and the very wealthy onto the middle class...and into national debt.
Trump added to that: the destruction of NATO and the US-created global trading system, the weaponization of our DOJ, using the government to implement media cancel culture, implementing a new (illegal) tax system--tariffs, supercharging a national wave of gerrymandering, gutting national scientific research, pardoning over a thousand insurrectionists--and creating a $2billion slush fund to lavish on them, using the Presidency to make *billions* in personal income...
I think others have tried to fit some kind of grand framework into Trump's actions and trump keeps wandering outside their frameworks because he is simply rapacious for only and power. So we agree! But I have found that my children's challenges to be helpful because they make me defend my positions.
In contrast to the previous commentator, I was just going to say how very important it is to have a devil’s advocate in the family. The best way to think through all sides of an argument is having someone challenging your assumptions, your evidence etc. Years ago, my husband was hired explicitly to play this role by a super smart cabinet minister (Harold Lever, a self-made millionaire). He was keen to get his arguments right. Ray, an academic economist, was perfect for the role. I should know.
I spent the morning researching the latest in our city’s food forest progress. it’s been slow, because feeding ourselves certainly doesn’t make money for the already wealthy and it certainly enhances the internal wealth and health of all people. in the Bronx, the foodway has been growing for nearly a decade. the Olmsted parks in Manhattan have had strict rules. however, it’s time for native plants and goats to have their way again, and victory gardens and foodways can make our city the oasis of progress it was always promised to be. Imagine a child or adult walking to school or work, picking an apple or peach or strawberry, mixing it with purslane and mint, and going on to share the riches of their nature and good mood with all! the money system as we know it will transform dramatically, as we realize the gold is under our feet… rich humus for truly wealthy humans.
I have no hope for our politics until the citizens united ruling is changed. People certainly do not have power and politics is become reality tv. We can keep communicating and thinking and being kind ,that is what we have.
Poštovani g.din Dejvid Roberts ukoliko želite da osetite kako se živi na putu gde su mnogi moćni hodili dodjite u Srbiju, na balkansko poluostrvo Evrope. Pre puta pročitajte rad autora Konstantina Jovića u medjunarodnom časopisu SingiLogos no.3 iz novembra 2023. Godine. Verujem da ćete biti zadovoljni po povratku u Vaš grad jer živite po meri čoveka.
Zahvaljujem na Vašem vremenu i pažnji. Posebno bih zahvalio na onom delu koji se odnosi na pisanje na engleskom jeziku. Danas postoje prevodioci i to rešavaju u mili vremenu. Pitanje je da li moji sadržaji hrane Vaše opredeljenje da svoj život obogatite u tom mili vremenu. Kao mom savremeniku prenosim poziv na čitanje i onoga što nije napisano na engleskom jeziku.
"I thank you for your time and attention. I would especially like to express gratitude for the part concerning writing in the English language. Today there are translators and they resolve that in an instant. The question is whether my content nourishes your inclination to enrich your life in that same instant. As a contemporary of mine, I pass on the invitation to read also that which has not been written in the English language."
ukoliko niste voljni dužih putovanja, posebno ne ka Evropi, tj. Balkanskom poluostrvu, pročitajte rad autora Konstantina Jovića, na originalnoj verziji, da učinite sebi prevod, a koja se nalazi u međunarodnom časopisu SingiLogos br. 3 od novembra 2023. Vjerujem da ćete biti zadovoljni po povratku u tu prošlost. Možda će početi Vaši preci da inicirani tekstom, izlaze sa podsećanjem na svoja dela, a da niste napustili svoj grad, jer živite po ljudskoj meri.
Srdačan pozdrav iz suncem obasjanog Beograda,
Miroslav Jović
P.S. Možda će neko od Vaših prijatelja, koji vuče poreklo iz Italije, pa i zna italijanski jezik, kao jezik svojih predaka, biti zainteresovan za ovaj tekst autora Konstantina Jovića. Slobodno ih uputite na kontakt samnom.
Konstantin Jović
Teologo
Belgrado
Schizzi della vita del metropolita Mihailo Jovanović
Riassunto: Il contributo presenta alcuni dei momenti principali della vita del metropolita Mihailo Jovanović, dalla nascita all'esilio. Questo periodo di 55 anni (1826-1881) della sua vita, in questo contributo, dovrebbe mostrare la crescita del piccolo Miloje di Sokobanja, attraverso gli studi nei licei di Negotin e Zaječar, nel Seminario della Facoltà di Teologia Ortodossa di Belgrado, nelll'Accademia spirituale di Kiev, fino alla tonsura monastica nel monastero delle grotte di Kiev (Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra) (Chiesa di San Teodosio). Poi dovrebbe mostrare l'ascesa del monaco Mihailo come professore di seminario, poi attraverso la cattedra episcopale della diocesi di Šabac al trono dell'arcivescovo di Belgrado e metropolita del Principato di Serbia. Nel contributo segnaliamo anche la sua attività nazionale e la lotta affinché la Chiesa serba nel Principato di Serbia ottenga l'autocefalia e affinché il popolo serbo fuori dai confini del Principato di Serbia sia liberato dall'influenza dell'Impero Ottomano. Alla fine, il metropolita Mihailo (Jovanović) fu esiliato, senza anni di servizio riconosciuti e senza pensione, a causa della sua lotta per il popolo serbo e per la Chiesa serba.
Parole chiave: Miloje, Vescovo Mihailo di Šabac, Metropolita Mihailo, attività nazionale, Autocefalia della Chiesa serba.
Dear Mr. David Roberts, if you would like to feel what it is like to live on a path where many powerful people have walked, come to Serbia, on the Balkan Peninsula of Europe. Before the trip, read the work of author Konstantin Jović in the international journal SingiLogos No. 3 from November 2023. I believe you will be satisfied upon returning to your city, because you live on a human scale."
Thank you Miroslav. I have only English as a language but it is now very easy to translate other languages into English, although the nuances and idioms may not come through.
To quote Lukas Nelson "turn off the TV and paint a garden". I don't like gardening but the sentiment that the closer I am to a TV that is powered on, the unhappier I get. That goes for radio too. I wish for days pre internet and cell phones. Ignorance was bliss. I am 53 ha ha ha! As far as hope. It might be nice to be living in an area of NYC where wealth lives at your doorstep and to the right and left of you. It makes hope much easier to notice. In contrast, I went to Portland Maine last weekend to find on almost every major street corner, on sidewalks, in parks, oodles of homeless people shooting up. And what I am describing is not exaggerated. I felt like I had stepped into a mini version of Philly or LA. People were shooting up, half standing/shaking and carrying their few belongings and sleeping bags in shopping carts. I blame Democrats and Republicans. Although I think Portland probably leans blue. Then add the (according to a Google search) 26 pot dispensaries to the experience, and I say again turn off the TV and plant a garden. Hope has no home there. So the less I am in mainstream society, the more hopeful I am because I can insulate myself from the policies that have lead to the destruction of core values, solid common sense and the destruction of family values. And I imagine no one party is to blame. Certainly not Trump alone. He is an easy target for the last too many years of policy making that have ruined America possibly beyond repair. But people will go ahead and blame Trump like he has been running government and making policy since 1960. That's just ridiculous on its face and doesn't further conversation about how the hell did we get here. No one wants to have those conversations because it would mean taking ownership of their own views, beliefs and actions that contribute to the loss of America and the good/hope we all long for. Sorry for the long reply. But my experience in Portland and listening to people bash one person just shows how we want one demon to blame when we all are liable in some way (or the people we have voted for over and over again since it seems our 80 yo lawmakers have been there a long time).
I do live in a wealthy area. That said, Central Park contains a mix of the whole ethnic and socio-economic range of NYC. It's a real melting pot. And having lived in NYC all my life I can also say that Central Park has been transformed from the 1970's and 1980's to today, from an ugly and dangerous place to a beautiful and safe space.
I can't comment on Portland as I haven't been there for about 20 years. But from your description it seems like it's declined a great deal, which is sad.
As for Trump, I see him as both synmtoqm and cause of the worst parts of America. And I think his departure from the political scene will help the country be better.
My aunt lives on CPW between 86+87. I know the good changes she has seen in her years of ownership there. I guess my point it, Trump is not the cause of the problems. It's like a rotten tooth. It didn't happen overnight. It was years of bad choices, poor maintenance, lack of access to good care (for many reasons). America has a bad tooth problem. It's so easy to blame one person but our system is vast and has many people who have been there running the shop long before he got there. And imagine if tomorrow we vote in a new president. Does it immediately miraculously improve so that it's rot is repaired. I don't think removing one person would do that. It needs a root canal. And that means many places in this system need removal, repair etc. It's easy to fixate on Trump is my point. It actually gives the power of many to one. It's subjugating our participation and responsibility in this America to say Trump is responsible for it all. And under Biden there were things I did not like. I did not blame Biden. I look to the multitude of people and systems that allowed those policies to negatively impact my life. Maybe because I also didn't feel confidence he actually was running the country it was easier to look to those I felt were running things behind the scenes. And Trump is out there endlessly as the target. But if we switched the names and dates, I think we would agree there is a lot going on worth blaming, not just one man. This democracy doesn't rest on one person. That is preposterous to me when thinking logically and removing polarizing emotion from the thought experiment. I have said many times, we should take a speech that Biden gave and more blue leaning people would cheer for... Switch in Trump's name and voice... And watch the blue leaning people yell it's all Trump's fault or he is evil to say that... Then show the blue leaning person it was said by Biden. I think that would show the unbalanced nature of how people's hate for Trump is way out there and unproductive in the long run.
Your son sounds like a total gem and a bright guy.
There's far too many people that have a standpoint of "if you're not actively outraged 24/7, you're complicit" which A. is a completely unhealthy way to spend our fleeting time on this planet and B. the type of stuff that splits apart friend groups and families.
Agreed that Term 2 has completely lost the plot- that's almost irrefutable at this point.
As for the graduation scene- that's what I advocate for to my friends and family too.
That's the kind of mindset that prevails until this all resets and we can look forward at the end of the decade.
I was up in deep red rural pennsylvania yesterday for a home inspection. I met an Iraqi vet (first Iraqi war) who was born and raised in the area and returned after his army deployment to be with his family. He spoke some German from his days stationed there in the 1990s and was eager to practice. He mentioned (in German) that people there grow up being told they are ignorant (which he states they are as schools are underfunded) and that Trump made them feel like they were now smarter than the left wing coastal folks.. and now they are too scared to acknowledge that they were suckered by Trump as this point.. He also said that the current Iran war was even more devoid of purpose than the second Iraqi war (anyone found the missing WMDs yet?).. not sure the conversation brings me any hope.. besides that it would be nice if we could spend the billions wasted on the Iran war, the tax breaks for billionaires and corporations on these rural areas (and inner cities) and bring them better education and health care…
It's so very hard to admit that you've been misled. It's a battering of one's self-esteem. I know that my reaction to being misled has often been "how could I have been such a chump?"
No offense to Andrew, but a Devil's Advocate to me is someone who likes to play rhetorical games. And the older I get, the less time I have to humor people like that. Jeff Bezos says with a (slightly different looking, can't quite put my finger on it) straight face that this Trump is better, calmer,. more mature that first term Trump? When ALL evidence points to the opposite? Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.
Trump HAS NO intellectual underpinnings except he's for Trump. He has others who give him the framework he needs to do what he wants. The underpinnings that exist are Christian Nationalism, a fear of science, a love of money, a desire to punish the political opposition and silencing of the 'other': women, LGBTQ and minorities.
Misogyny, racism and homophobia have for decades been pillars of Republicanism. Which has a primary mission of transferring the tax burden from large corporations and the very wealthy onto the middle class...and into national debt.
Trump added to that: the destruction of NATO and the US-created global trading system, the weaponization of our DOJ, using the government to implement media cancel culture, implementing a new (illegal) tax system--tariffs, supercharging a national wave of gerrymandering, gutting national scientific research, pardoning over a thousand insurrectionists--and creating a $2billion slush fund to lavish on them, using the Presidency to make *billions* in personal income...
Need I go on?
Greed!
I think others have tried to fit some kind of grand framework into Trump's actions and trump keeps wandering outside their frameworks because he is simply rapacious for only and power. So we agree! But I have found that my children's challenges to be helpful because they make me defend my positions.
In contrast to the previous commentator, I was just going to say how very important it is to have a devil’s advocate in the family. The best way to think through all sides of an argument is having someone challenging your assumptions, your evidence etc. Years ago, my husband was hired explicitly to play this role by a super smart cabinet minister (Harold Lever, a self-made millionaire). He was keen to get his arguments right. Ray, an academic economist, was perfect for the role. I should know.
There is always an idiot in every family
Thanks Ann. Yes, I love it when my children challenge me to explain or defend a position. Sometimes I can't and then I change my views.
I am challenged daily because there is absolutely nothing Ray won’t question! Keeps me on my toes.
David you are a pillar of our society you have to stay!
Thanks Isabel!
I spent the morning researching the latest in our city’s food forest progress. it’s been slow, because feeding ourselves certainly doesn’t make money for the already wealthy and it certainly enhances the internal wealth and health of all people. in the Bronx, the foodway has been growing for nearly a decade. the Olmsted parks in Manhattan have had strict rules. however, it’s time for native plants and goats to have their way again, and victory gardens and foodways can make our city the oasis of progress it was always promised to be. Imagine a child or adult walking to school or work, picking an apple or peach or strawberry, mixing it with purslane and mint, and going on to share the riches of their nature and good mood with all! the money system as we know it will transform dramatically, as we realize the gold is under our feet… rich humus for truly wealthy humans.
Are you commenting on the right post?
I have no hope for our politics until the citizens united ruling is changed. People certainly do not have power and politics is become reality tv. We can keep communicating and thinking and being kind ,that is what we have.
Stephanie, kindness matters a lot for our quality of life.
Poštovani g.din Dejvid Roberts ukoliko želite da osetite kako se živi na putu gde su mnogi moćni hodili dodjite u Srbiju, na balkansko poluostrvo Evrope. Pre puta pročitajte rad autora Konstantina Jovića u medjunarodnom časopisu SingiLogos no.3 iz novembra 2023. Godine. Verujem da ćete biti zadovoljni po povratku u Vaš grad jer živite po meri čoveka.
Zahvaljujem na Vašem vremenu i pažnji. Posebno bih zahvalio na onom delu koji se odnosi na pisanje na engleskom jeziku. Danas postoje prevodioci i to rešavaju u mili vremenu. Pitanje je da li moji sadržaji hrane Vaše opredeljenje da svoj život obogatite u tom mili vremenu. Kao mom savremeniku prenosim poziv na čitanje i onoga što nije napisano na engleskom jeziku.
Translation:
"I thank you for your time and attention. I would especially like to express gratitude for the part concerning writing in the English language. Today there are translators and they resolve that in an instant. The question is whether my content nourishes your inclination to enrich your life in that same instant. As a contemporary of mine, I pass on the invitation to read also that which has not been written in the English language."
Thank you for this Miroslav as well. Can you point me to the specific writings you think would be valuable?
Poštovani g-dine David Roberts,
ukoliko niste voljni dužih putovanja, posebno ne ka Evropi, tj. Balkanskom poluostrvu, pročitajte rad autora Konstantina Jovića, na originalnoj verziji, da učinite sebi prevod, a koja se nalazi u međunarodnom časopisu SingiLogos br. 3 od novembra 2023. Vjerujem da ćete biti zadovoljni po povratku u tu prošlost. Možda će početi Vaši preci da inicirani tekstom, izlaze sa podsećanjem na svoja dela, a da niste napustili svoj grad, jer živite po ljudskoj meri.
Srdačan pozdrav iz suncem obasjanog Beograda,
Miroslav Jović
P.S. Možda će neko od Vaših prijatelja, koji vuče poreklo iz Italije, pa i zna italijanski jezik, kao jezik svojih predaka, biti zainteresovan za ovaj tekst autora Konstantina Jovića. Slobodno ih uputite na kontakt samnom.
Konstantin Jović
Teologo
Belgrado
Schizzi della vita del metropolita Mihailo Jovanović
Riassunto: Il contributo presenta alcuni dei momenti principali della vita del metropolita Mihailo Jovanović, dalla nascita all'esilio. Questo periodo di 55 anni (1826-1881) della sua vita, in questo contributo, dovrebbe mostrare la crescita del piccolo Miloje di Sokobanja, attraverso gli studi nei licei di Negotin e Zaječar, nel Seminario della Facoltà di Teologia Ortodossa di Belgrado, nelll'Accademia spirituale di Kiev, fino alla tonsura monastica nel monastero delle grotte di Kiev (Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra) (Chiesa di San Teodosio). Poi dovrebbe mostrare l'ascesa del monaco Mihailo come professore di seminario, poi attraverso la cattedra episcopale della diocesi di Šabac al trono dell'arcivescovo di Belgrado e metropolita del Principato di Serbia. Nel contributo segnaliamo anche la sua attività nazionale e la lotta affinché la Chiesa serba nel Principato di Serbia ottenga l'autocefalia e affinché il popolo serbo fuori dai confini del Principato di Serbia sia liberato dall'influenza dell'Impero Ottomano. Alla fine, il metropolita Mihailo (Jovanović) fu esiliato, senza anni di servizio riconosciuti e senza pensione, a causa della sua lotta per il popolo serbo e per la Chiesa serba.
Parole chiave: Miloje, Vescovo Mihailo di Šabac, Metropolita Mihailo, attività nazionale, Autocefalia della Chiesa serba.
This wins for most American comment.
I believe this is the translation:
Dear Mr. David Roberts, if you would like to feel what it is like to live on a path where many powerful people have walked, come to Serbia, on the Balkan Peninsula of Europe. Before the trip, read the work of author Konstantin Jović in the international journal SingiLogos No. 3 from November 2023. I believe you will be satisfied upon returning to your city, because you live on a human scale."
Thank you Miroslav. I have only English as a language but it is now very easy to translate other languages into English, although the nuances and idioms may not come through.
To quote Lukas Nelson "turn off the TV and paint a garden". I don't like gardening but the sentiment that the closer I am to a TV that is powered on, the unhappier I get. That goes for radio too. I wish for days pre internet and cell phones. Ignorance was bliss. I am 53 ha ha ha! As far as hope. It might be nice to be living in an area of NYC where wealth lives at your doorstep and to the right and left of you. It makes hope much easier to notice. In contrast, I went to Portland Maine last weekend to find on almost every major street corner, on sidewalks, in parks, oodles of homeless people shooting up. And what I am describing is not exaggerated. I felt like I had stepped into a mini version of Philly or LA. People were shooting up, half standing/shaking and carrying their few belongings and sleeping bags in shopping carts. I blame Democrats and Republicans. Although I think Portland probably leans blue. Then add the (according to a Google search) 26 pot dispensaries to the experience, and I say again turn off the TV and plant a garden. Hope has no home there. So the less I am in mainstream society, the more hopeful I am because I can insulate myself from the policies that have lead to the destruction of core values, solid common sense and the destruction of family values. And I imagine no one party is to blame. Certainly not Trump alone. He is an easy target for the last too many years of policy making that have ruined America possibly beyond repair. But people will go ahead and blame Trump like he has been running government and making policy since 1960. That's just ridiculous on its face and doesn't further conversation about how the hell did we get here. No one wants to have those conversations because it would mean taking ownership of their own views, beliefs and actions that contribute to the loss of America and the good/hope we all long for. Sorry for the long reply. But my experience in Portland and listening to people bash one person just shows how we want one demon to blame when we all are liable in some way (or the people we have voted for over and over again since it seems our 80 yo lawmakers have been there a long time).
I do live in a wealthy area. That said, Central Park contains a mix of the whole ethnic and socio-economic range of NYC. It's a real melting pot. And having lived in NYC all my life I can also say that Central Park has been transformed from the 1970's and 1980's to today, from an ugly and dangerous place to a beautiful and safe space.
I can't comment on Portland as I haven't been there for about 20 years. But from your description it seems like it's declined a great deal, which is sad.
As for Trump, I see him as both synmtoqm and cause of the worst parts of America. And I think his departure from the political scene will help the country be better.
My aunt lives on CPW between 86+87. I know the good changes she has seen in her years of ownership there. I guess my point it, Trump is not the cause of the problems. It's like a rotten tooth. It didn't happen overnight. It was years of bad choices, poor maintenance, lack of access to good care (for many reasons). America has a bad tooth problem. It's so easy to blame one person but our system is vast and has many people who have been there running the shop long before he got there. And imagine if tomorrow we vote in a new president. Does it immediately miraculously improve so that it's rot is repaired. I don't think removing one person would do that. It needs a root canal. And that means many places in this system need removal, repair etc. It's easy to fixate on Trump is my point. It actually gives the power of many to one. It's subjugating our participation and responsibility in this America to say Trump is responsible for it all. And under Biden there were things I did not like. I did not blame Biden. I look to the multitude of people and systems that allowed those policies to negatively impact my life. Maybe because I also didn't feel confidence he actually was running the country it was easier to look to those I felt were running things behind the scenes. And Trump is out there endlessly as the target. But if we switched the names and dates, I think we would agree there is a lot going on worth blaming, not just one man. This democracy doesn't rest on one person. That is preposterous to me when thinking logically and removing polarizing emotion from the thought experiment. I have said many times, we should take a speech that Biden gave and more blue leaning people would cheer for... Switch in Trump's name and voice... And watch the blue leaning people yell it's all Trump's fault or he is evil to say that... Then show the blue leaning person it was said by Biden. I think that would show the unbalanced nature of how people's hate for Trump is way out there and unproductive in the long run.
I tend to disregard the news and seek out hope in every crook and cranny of the real, day-to-day world.
United we stand.
Deborah, that's the sentiment I'm going for, but one that does not always stay with me.
It’s a fleeting moment, fully appreciated in one long inhale. Savored.
Gone with the next breath.
Remembering the beauty again and again.
Your son sounds like a total gem and a bright guy.
There's far too many people that have a standpoint of "if you're not actively outraged 24/7, you're complicit" which A. is a completely unhealthy way to spend our fleeting time on this planet and B. the type of stuff that splits apart friend groups and families.
Agreed that Term 2 has completely lost the plot- that's almost irrefutable at this point.
As for the graduation scene- that's what I advocate for to my friends and family too.
That's the kind of mindset that prevails until this all resets and we can look forward at the end of the decade.
All the best.