Three Beautiful Things
Now that we know the recipe - how the Trump regime does three awful things a day to fog our memory - it's time to follow the Pope and put beauty and goodness above the fold
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Empathy trumps cruelty, every time.
We just don’t see much of it, because of the constant flood of awful.
As I wrote in the report above, Prague-based technologist Josef Holy clued the Bette community into the fact that Trump and his pack of criminals will do three awful things a day, designed to always force our focus and cameras on them.
Those of us who write for a living are spending the best years of our lives writing about Ugly Fascists. That in itself is a crime.
But as a veteran reporter, I took the ‘duty to warn’ oath seriously, and so, for a decade, I’ve been among the journalists investigating and exposing the transnational criminal network.
I realized today that pro-democracy forces are far more powerful than they they know — fascism is cruel and unpopular — but because of the Three Awful Things a Day, they are always taking one step back to react to the constant chaos, violence, and cruelty coming out of the Russian influence coterie in the White House.
It’s not normal. None of this is normal.
I was very grateful on January 21, 2017, when I made it to the Women’s March in Washington, DC, to document the events as a member of the independent press, to the person who added this cardboard sign on the base of this statue of Ben Franklin:
This is NOT normal.
I read a bunch of lousy reports today in major publications about the hot takes on social media after Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, admonishing people for not trusting the official version of events.
Authoritarian regimes always lie, so even if events prove to be real, they will always be spun to the advantage of the regime. Truth is an inconvenience.
There are very few things that kleptocrats can’t spin.
“January 6 is the very pinnacle of American patriotism!”
That, of course, not true, but it’s the Official Falsehood of MAGA.
Understandably, Americans aren’t used to this. It’s not normal.
I am very worried that being confronted with the daily horribles will do permanent damage to our memory, collectively and individually, so I’m workshopping a solution.
What if we follow the example of Pope Leo and put out beautiful messaging each day.
Headlines that read:
US To Allow Firing Squads, Gas, and Electrocution for Federal Execution
Will then get buried by:
Pope Leo Condemns Death Penalty
Both happened on the same day. One is designed to be cruel and to terrify. The other puts goodness into the universe.
Here is another example:
Ireland Pays Artists a Basic Income. Could Scotland Be Next?
On that same day, in America, ICE murdered Alex Pretti.
People in America were unlikely to learn that Ireland decided to make its basic income for artists permanent, because Trump’s brownshirts were murdering people on the street.
I’m not suggesting we become Pollyanna — and just flutter on writing about rainbows and unicorns.
That’s not it at all.
But beautiful things are happening every day, and we need to honor them and platform them until they become louder and more resonant than the sleazy, glitz delirium we are mired in daily.
As I wrote in the report above:
As long as war porn, news porn, and trauma porn are served up in prime time, in what I call ‘Reality TV Fascism’, a coherent and cohesive Resistance is difficult to mount.
I took it seriously when Ruth Bader Ginsberg said: “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
There are amazing women leaders — Kaja Kallas, Maia Sandu, Salome Zourabichvili, who should be on the front pages above the fold every day, as they are the true leaders of the free world.
How difficult would it be to find three beautiful things a day happening in the world and amplify them?
By being forced to focus on the GOP-Putin cabal, we are in serious danger of our memories being wiped, because cruel, criminal leaders want to stay out of jail as they continue hoovering up all earth’s and our resources.
The cruelty will have no bottom, and we can’t spend all our good days and years just reacting to it.
France’s Emanuel Macron just said: “Europe must stop doubting itself.”
I take that a step further and suggest those who believe in democracy throughout the world, stop doubting their power.
We have to somehow rise above.
I do think Pope Leo is showing us the way, offering a beacon of light right now.
We have to hold on to the light.
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Begin each day with a grateful heart.
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This lovely post took the sourness out of my day and brought the sweetness I (and I'm sure many) needed right now. Thank you!
Thanks for this reminder Heidi. ✌️☮️