Great post. As I was reading it, I was preparing to comment on the arrest of the judges, the children. the mother taken from her US Citizen husband and from her 1 year old daughter - who was still being breastfed. Child is inconsolable and refusing to eat. This is what we have come to, so quickly. Corey Booker was right to say " if America hasn't broken you heart, you don't love her enough". The times call for conservatives to find their backbones and some measure of decency. I fear they have neither. We are putting our home on the market in 2 weeks. Goal is to get as liquid as possible... we will be ready to get out when needed. In the meantime, we attend rallies, we call/write our representatives (mine are great - and I call to tell them I support their actions and encourage them to do more). But each day my heart breaks a little more as I watch everything that I used to think made the USA special and good being destroyed. Even worse are all the people around me just going on about their business, as if nothing remarkable is going on. It's an odd state to be in. Just watched the movie "Number 24" on Prime.. it was great - you should check it out. May the universe give us all strength to do what we must.
Yeah, arresting a judge ... and with all the other flagrant oversteps that flout due process, one wonders where this is going to lead in response to these unrelenting actions. Get out the carnations 🤞🏼
Great text! Just, please, please (again) don't write "... that drafted the Constitution". It was not our first Constitution. It was just a new one. Our first Constitution was written in 1822: 19th century. Obviously, changing drastically the regime involved drafting a new one. From 1822 to the one we have now this one is the sixth.
Great post, and I also read Krugman (didn't know he spent time there in the 70s). During the post-revolution year, Kissinger (secretly) advocated for the CIA to intervene in Portugal in favor of the hard-right due to the fear or losing the bases in the Azores. Glad that did not come to pass.
PS - I received my absentee ballot for the May 18th Portuguese elections and mailed it back out the same day - on Saturday. Funny how Portugal is able to remember that I am here in the US, and they send out my ballot w/out any fuss - I don't have to chase them down for it, I don't get removed from the voting rolls etc. Stateside - this has all become a game for the right to manipulate elections, to subvert participation. I am glad that I kept my maiden name when I marrieds - if that so-called "SAVE" act goes into effect they will use it to keep millions of American women from voting. sigh.
As one considers the origins of the US Electoral College and the redistricting which creates odd-shaped districts that ensure the current office holder is re-elected ... it is difficult to conclude the US is a republic.
Thank you for writing about the history of the Carnation Revolution. I join the Portuguese people in celebrating the anniversary of this revolution. However, I fear for the US. It will be the American people that will bring down the Trump regime, the oligarchs, and the rise of fascism. Aside from AOC, Bernie, Jamie Raskin, Jasmine Crockett, Al Green, and a few other names that escape me at present, the Democratic Party is basically doing nothing to stop the terror.
We have been following your adventures since your move to Portugal. This will be my first post. I feel like kindred spirits after you told us about two of your favorite movies (The American President and Dave). We usually watch both every year or two. We recently started watching The West Wing again which is so relevant in today’s political climate. I met my wife in Madrid in the early 70’s during the Franco era and married in Gibraltar. Love your stories about your travel. Keep up the good work! P.S. We are both avid Pickleball players and live/travel in a RV.
Dean, thanks for your note! If/when you visit our part of the world...please join us for a game or two. We have paddles for drop in players that travel without their own paddles!
It is benign chaos here in the states. As Marie is, we too are protesting, writing, calling; it's what we can do and will continue to do. We are not keying or burning Tesla's. Our Constitution calls for a slow Democracy, it takes time to change laws, pass bills - for a reason. The power grabbing greedy narcissism taking place is what the people voted for and are receiving. The consequence is chaos and confusion. Most Americans need a civics course on how their government runs to try and avoid this in the future, I doubt many will seek that information. At this point we are a lazy country. We like our cheap stuff from China, we have devalued education. We still love more than hate but hate makes the news.
Great post. As I was reading it, I was preparing to comment on the arrest of the judges, the children. the mother taken from her US Citizen husband and from her 1 year old daughter - who was still being breastfed. Child is inconsolable and refusing to eat. This is what we have come to, so quickly. Corey Booker was right to say " if America hasn't broken you heart, you don't love her enough". The times call for conservatives to find their backbones and some measure of decency. I fear they have neither. We are putting our home on the market in 2 weeks. Goal is to get as liquid as possible... we will be ready to get out when needed. In the meantime, we attend rallies, we call/write our representatives (mine are great - and I call to tell them I support their actions and encourage them to do more). But each day my heart breaks a little more as I watch everything that I used to think made the USA special and good being destroyed. Even worse are all the people around me just going on about their business, as if nothing remarkable is going on. It's an odd state to be in. Just watched the movie "Number 24" on Prime.. it was great - you should check it out. May the universe give us all strength to do what we must.
Yeah, arresting a judge ... and with all the other flagrant oversteps that flout due process, one wonders where this is going to lead in response to these unrelenting actions. Get out the carnations 🤞🏼
Great text! Just, please, please (again) don't write "... that drafted the Constitution". It was not our first Constitution. It was just a new one. Our first Constitution was written in 1822: 19th century. Obviously, changing drastically the regime involved drafting a new one. From 1822 to the one we have now this one is the sixth.
Yes, I apologize that I was not more clear.
Great post, and I also read Krugman (didn't know he spent time there in the 70s). During the post-revolution year, Kissinger (secretly) advocated for the CIA to intervene in Portugal in favor of the hard-right due to the fear or losing the bases in the Azores. Glad that did not come to pass.
Wow...I need to research that! Thanks
I’ll see if I can find the book. It was a Portuguese history book.
PS - I received my absentee ballot for the May 18th Portuguese elections and mailed it back out the same day - on Saturday. Funny how Portugal is able to remember that I am here in the US, and they send out my ballot w/out any fuss - I don't have to chase them down for it, I don't get removed from the voting rolls etc. Stateside - this has all become a game for the right to manipulate elections, to subvert participation. I am glad that I kept my maiden name when I marrieds - if that so-called "SAVE" act goes into effect they will use it to keep millions of American women from voting. sigh.
As one considers the origins of the US Electoral College and the redistricting which creates odd-shaped districts that ensure the current office holder is re-elected ... it is difficult to conclude the US is a republic.
Thank you for writing about the history of the Carnation Revolution. I join the Portuguese people in celebrating the anniversary of this revolution. However, I fear for the US. It will be the American people that will bring down the Trump regime, the oligarchs, and the rise of fascism. Aside from AOC, Bernie, Jamie Raskin, Jasmine Crockett, Al Green, and a few other names that escape me at present, the Democratic Party is basically doing nothing to stop the terror.
I agree more must be done. The amount of the Trump family criminal activity alone is enough for impeachment.
Cory Booker!
We have been following your adventures since your move to Portugal. This will be my first post. I feel like kindred spirits after you told us about two of your favorite movies (The American President and Dave). We usually watch both every year or two. We recently started watching The West Wing again which is so relevant in today’s political climate. I met my wife in Madrid in the early 70’s during the Franco era and married in Gibraltar. Love your stories about your travel. Keep up the good work! P.S. We are both avid Pickleball players and live/travel in a RV.
Dean, thanks for your note! If/when you visit our part of the world...please join us for a game or two. We have paddles for drop in players that travel without their own paddles!
It is benign chaos here in the states. As Marie is, we too are protesting, writing, calling; it's what we can do and will continue to do. We are not keying or burning Tesla's. Our Constitution calls for a slow Democracy, it takes time to change laws, pass bills - for a reason. The power grabbing greedy narcissism taking place is what the people voted for and are receiving. The consequence is chaos and confusion. Most Americans need a civics course on how their government runs to try and avoid this in the future, I doubt many will seek that information. At this point we are a lazy country. We like our cheap stuff from China, we have devalued education. We still love more than hate but hate makes the news.
Yes, all Americans need a civics lesson!