I canceled my Prime account immediately after the election. I no longer order from Amazon and now I have more money to spend locally and at small online businesses.
My husband and I did that too—we’re over a year in and hv survived quite easily. Took sm effort. Amazon Shopping is nothing more now than a former bad habit. Katie Couric—give it a try!!
What really bugs me is that we human beings keep making the same big mistakes over and over until we make new ones that are even worse.
I mean, one of the oldest human stories we have, the Epic of Gilgamesh, composed more than four thousand years ago, is a story about a king who is very, very bad, horribly bad, an extreme malignant narcissist who cares only about himself and his desires, and recognizes no laws or limits on his behavior at all. Violence seems to entertain him. Oh, and he loves building monuments to himself. The Gilgamesh Hotel, the Gilgamesh Golf Resort and Casino, the Gilgamesh Center for the Performing Arts. Is this starting to sound familiar? I embellish only a little.
And then there’s the Iliad, which is about two or three malignant narcissists, or maybe a couple thousand, depending on how you count, and half of them are supposed to be getting Helen back from Troy but they end up only caring about how much loot they’re getting, treasure and booty, in both senses, and taking revenge on people they don’t like. I promise I’m not making this up. A few boats may even get blown up along the way. And speaking of boats …
When Plato worries about democracy in The Republic, he tells a metaphorical tale about the sailors on a ship who all get drunk and crazy and throw overboard the smart well-trained captain who actually knows how to run a ship and they replace him with the craziest loudest guy in the group, and *spoiler alert* it does not end well.
And let’s jump to Don Quixote who can’t get out of his own little fantasy world and see the realities around him. And he gets one follower by false promises, and we feel sorry for poor Sancho Panza.
Or maybe let’s jump to another ship in Moby Dick, where the captain is supposed to be working for the good of the owners and the men on the ship but instead takes it over for his own little selfish revenge plan. I know this is getting repetitious.
What really bugs me is that we keep letting it happen. And I guess I’m starting to sound like the love child of George Carlin, Lewis Black, and Stephen Colbert, which sort of bugs me. I’m a philosopher. I should be Zen. So that’s it for me.
It is frustrating. Hence the destruction and rewrite of myths, stories and history text books when those people who really think they will do it different show up. Hopefully this time we plan for the protections better because it is evident this generation is not into the personal risk of revolution and rather pray the consequences are just never happening. We are hoping the people who are comfortable and can just pack up and move elsewhere are ever going to help the 98% who can’t or want to stay.
I once told my old friend Norman Lear that we needed a show called "Front Porch Philosophy" where I and other philosophers traveled the nation, engaging people about the ideas that matter on the few front porches that remain, a place where we once congregated with friends and neighbors over important things. it was actually an idea that played a background role in the book Norman asked me to write, the small book, The Everyday Patriot: How to be a Great American Now. The wisdom is out there. We need to find better ways to tap into it.
I canceled my subscription to Wapo the moment they pulled the endorsement of Kamala. And it was so sad to see that. It's even sadder now. We are losing a national treasure. And more than that, we're losing a lifeboat in a stormy sea.
I canceled my Prime account immediately after the election. I no longer order from Amazon and now I have more money to spend locally and at small online businesses.
Me too!
My husband and I did that too—we’re over a year in and hv survived quite easily. Took sm effort. Amazon Shopping is nothing more now than a former bad habit. Katie Couric—give it a try!!
Women journalists need to own and launch a major media channel.
What really bugs me is that we human beings keep making the same big mistakes over and over until we make new ones that are even worse.
I mean, one of the oldest human stories we have, the Epic of Gilgamesh, composed more than four thousand years ago, is a story about a king who is very, very bad, horribly bad, an extreme malignant narcissist who cares only about himself and his desires, and recognizes no laws or limits on his behavior at all. Violence seems to entertain him. Oh, and he loves building monuments to himself. The Gilgamesh Hotel, the Gilgamesh Golf Resort and Casino, the Gilgamesh Center for the Performing Arts. Is this starting to sound familiar? I embellish only a little.
And then there’s the Iliad, which is about two or three malignant narcissists, or maybe a couple thousand, depending on how you count, and half of them are supposed to be getting Helen back from Troy but they end up only caring about how much loot they’re getting, treasure and booty, in both senses, and taking revenge on people they don’t like. I promise I’m not making this up. A few boats may even get blown up along the way. And speaking of boats …
When Plato worries about democracy in The Republic, he tells a metaphorical tale about the sailors on a ship who all get drunk and crazy and throw overboard the smart well-trained captain who actually knows how to run a ship and they replace him with the craziest loudest guy in the group, and *spoiler alert* it does not end well.
And let’s jump to Don Quixote who can’t get out of his own little fantasy world and see the realities around him. And he gets one follower by false promises, and we feel sorry for poor Sancho Panza.
Or maybe let’s jump to another ship in Moby Dick, where the captain is supposed to be working for the good of the owners and the men on the ship but instead takes it over for his own little selfish revenge plan. I know this is getting repetitious.
What really bugs me is that we keep letting it happen. And I guess I’m starting to sound like the love child of George Carlin, Lewis Black, and Stephen Colbert, which sort of bugs me. I’m a philosopher. I should be Zen. So that’s it for me.
You’re not wrong- I am recovering from COVID so my brain can’t fully communicate more examples of the same ilk but sadly we are lather rinse repeat
It is frustrating. Hence the destruction and rewrite of myths, stories and history text books when those people who really think they will do it different show up. Hopefully this time we plan for the protections better because it is evident this generation is not into the personal risk of revolution and rather pray the consequences are just never happening. We are hoping the people who are comfortable and can just pack up and move elsewhere are ever going to help the 98% who can’t or want to stay.
We collectively learn about the Epic of Gil.. talk about “The Flood” when we should have focused on the narcissist.
This is brilliant!
I canceled my subscription to the WP before the 2024 election.
I once told my old friend Norman Lear that we needed a show called "Front Porch Philosophy" where I and other philosophers traveled the nation, engaging people about the ideas that matter on the few front porches that remain, a place where we once congregated with friends and neighbors over important things. it was actually an idea that played a background role in the book Norman asked me to write, the small book, The Everyday Patriot: How to be a Great American Now. The wisdom is out there. We need to find better ways to tap into it.
The best duo!
Good riddance to Ezra Klein, who decided women's rights are expendable.
Ezra Klein is a NYT journalist
I will never trust CBS.
I canceled my subscription to Wapo the moment they pulled the endorsement of Kamala. And it was so sad to see that. It's even sadder now. We are losing a national treasure. And more than that, we're losing a lifeboat in a stormy sea.
Boycott Amazon!
I cancelled Amazon too.
Just canceled Washington Post. Only subscribed recently to get access to George Will’s article “A Sickening Moral Slum of an Administration”
Katie and Kara, this was amazing to watch and her your thoughts, JUST PERFECT. Thank you.
Katharine Graham forever………
The Gilded Age ended due to the Progressive Movement, who wanted to end corruption and the monopoly of power...sound familiar??
Yes and we need a Teddy Roosevelt trust buster and FDR New Deal mixed up to move us past these effers
I'll take his niece Eleanor too. She cared deeply about people.
Omg. Love kara!! And u kC
Hi, Katie!! Love you, girl!!