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I'm deep in debt and now it's much too late
I keep feeling I should say something about the political news, but there is enough incoherent screaming in the world already that I don't just want to add to it. I feel a little presumptuous handing 45 the prize for worst American president when a historical overview of the office can feel like a race to the bottom (both Andrews, Reagan, W alone) and the violent rightward trend of the country leaves me cautious of tempting fate, but then I don't know how you rate a president who'd rather kill a planet than actually read the terms of the global agreement he just pulled his country out of to no one's benefit but a bunch of robber baron wannabes who could easily be confused with villains from '80's children's cartoons. I don't care so much about the American century because city-on-a-hill rhetoric has always made me twitchy, but I do care about being able to breathe. The idea of my niece and my cousins' child inheriting the kind of scorched earth that should belong to science fiction makes me feel physically furious in ways I am not even sure how to direct at present. I am heartened by reactions like Pittsburgh rejecting 45's attempt to claim it as an industrial heartland. I was just sent the news of Bloomberg promising to make up the U.S. shortfall with his own $15 million to the UNFCCC, which at least demonstrates that some people with ludicrous amounts of money know what to do with it. Tomorrow is the Massachusetts Democratic State Convention and I'll be there as an alternate delegate for my ward, although I may have to skip sleeping if I want to be in Worcester and conscious at ten in the morning. But I can't think of real solutions that won't take years if not decades to implement and in the meantime the world is full of people who really would rather see it all burn down than have to acknowledge that they are not the supremely entitled center of the universe after all. It does not make me feel charitable. Lately I dream of literally fighting for my life; I dream of discovering that members of my family were Nazis. I lived for a long time with the feeling that my life had been knocked off its track into an alternate course where everything I had thought I would be was gone. It doesn't feel any better when it generalizes to the rest of the world. I know there's no going back: I just want to be reassured that forward is a direction that still exists.
[edit] At least this month I get to send a nice letter to Governor Baker: "A day after President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate accord, Governor Charlie Baker . . . joined the governors of New York, California, and Washington state to form the 'United States Climate Alliance,' which they said would strive to stick to the nation's commitments in the Paris accord."
[edit] At least this month I get to send a nice letter to Governor Baker: "A day after President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate accord, Governor Charlie Baker . . . joined the governors of New York, California, and Washington state to form the 'United States Climate Alliance,' which they said would strive to stick to the nation's commitments in the Paris accord."
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I may take you up on that. When would you need to know by?
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I'm not sure what the heck I'd do in Worcester all day, so if there were any way to make it a one-way ride for me that might be better; but regardless, the Delegate must get there!
PS: Assuming I *am* driving you, what time would I pick you up?
(Oh, and remind me that I have some of your stuff.)
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Really? Yikes.
See e-mail.
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And yes, I understand your feelings, and share them--not the particulars, but the general tenor.
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See update to post: Baker did something I approve of! (I will still be planning how to replace him with an ethical artichoke tomorrow, but he might as well behave decently as long as he's here.)
Also, Mayor Walsh turned City Hall green in support of the environment, which I appreciate and will appreciate even more once I know what policies are backing the gesture up.
And yes, I understand your feelings, and share them--not the particulars, but the general tenor.
It's just unreasonable.
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... can't quite bring myself to use a cheering icon because everything's still so dire, but still. I'm glad!
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You're welcome! I am actively glad about it.
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Never—this is my first year involved in local politics beyond the level of turning up to vote. I have no idea of what to expect, but am looking forward to learning how it works.
it's always a wonderful shot in the arm to make me remember just why it's so important and how amazing our people really are. It's like a rock concert for politics!
That's really heartening to hear!
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In spades, man. Yeah.
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Your state governor is behaving as though the planet matters, at least.
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No, he really doesn't: it's the glasses and the schoolboy hair. I bet he gets carded at all the bars.
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