Letters from an American, historian Heather Cox Richardson, October 20, 2024
October 20, 2024 by Heather Cox Richardson (what's above, anyway, the rest is mine)
Let's put some context and perspective in front of us, shall we?
Anne-Marie Slaughter (born September 27, 1958) is an American international lawyer, foreign policy analyst, political scientist, and public commentator.
In the Introduction to Renewal, Slaughter's first sentence writes, "It was the worst day of my professional life." By the way, the Intro section is titled, "When Leadership Means Having to Say You're Sorry."
Coincidentally NOW, we're hoping to wake up from what seems like another, perhaps longer national nightmare. We can hardly compare Nixon with Trump. Beside the fact that I was essentially a snot-nosed kid (in the US Air Force and not even having turned 21 at the time) and knew little about politics or legal issues; today, I'm on the cusp of turning 70 and know a little bit more about the current affairs of our time.
Speaking of a mentor, Slaughter recalls,
He did not mince words when I called him--in his capacity as friend and guide as much as New America board member. We both knew I was in trouble.
He said: "run toward the criticism." Even if you are 98 percent right and only 2 percent wrong, he elaborated, acknowledge the fault rather than insist on the virtue. Then use it as the point of departure for a "learning journey." A journey in which I would deliberately ask for honest critique, even if deep down I wanted to run as fast as possible in the other direction.
It should go without saying that when one is posting to a social media platform, it's far from the same as running a public policy think and action tank. Or the entire American federal government. One of the candidates for president this year has publicly and emphatically disclaimed ANY blame/responsibility for all of his actions/inactions during his disastrous 2017-2021 administration. Even though the American people (and the entire world with access to broadcast and print media) saw so many of those actions/inactions that he can no longer escape accountability. We teach our children that choices yield consequences, good or bad.
In a Facebook post I shared recently together with the following image, some feedback I received sadly surprised me.
Some comments expressed frustration, because those commenters had been working to inspire and enact positive change, including in the Arizona Legislature. Others expressed despair because "There is nothing in the real world that the propaganda machine can't overcome."
I am hopeful that one day James Hansen's research, advocacy and prophetic words will cause radical social and economic change before it's too late.
As to the illusion of the "propaganda machine's" power over everything else, I am convinced there's no cultural influence more potent than human artistic expression. That includes literary, musical, theatrical, visual or any other artistic expression. Do adult humans transform their beliefs, views and values any other way? Note that fear doesn't persuade even though it sometimes coerces to enforce compliance.
Art transcends linguistic and cultural barriers, making it a universal language. A piece of art created in one part of the world can evoke strong emotions and resonate with people from entirely different backgrounds. This universality fosters empathy and understanding, bridging gaps between diverse communities.
Consider how music from different cultures can move us, even if we don’t understand the lyrics. The melodies, rhythms, and harmonies speak directly to our emotions, creating a shared human experience. Similarly, visual art can communicate powerful messages and evoke a sense of connection, regardless of the viewer’s cultural or linguistic background.
Lindbergh was the first famous living American whom I learned to hate--just as President Roosevelt [FDR] was the first famous living American whom I was taught to love--and so his nomination by the Republicans to run against Roosevelt in 1940 assaulted, as nothing ever had before, that huge endowment of personal security that I had taken for granted as an American child of American parents in an American school in an American city in an America at peace with the world.
The only comparable threat had come some thirteen months earlier when, on the basis of consistently high sales through the worst of the Depression as an agent with the Newark office of Metropolitan Life, my father had been offered a promotion...
The publication date of Roth's
Plot shocked me, because even though it was an imagined history, there was a stark element of prescience to it. In 2004, I had worked for a small newspaper for a couple of years covering the Arizona Legislature. A vivid memory from that time stays with me. A security guard at the Arizona House of Representatives would regularly rant about undocumented immigrants (he and many others called and still call them "illegals").
To me, PEOPLE are not illegal. Actions and inactions, instead, can be illegal.
But I digress.
Might it be time for another acclaimed author to write an updated version of Roth's
Plot Against America? This time, in such a tome perhaps the protagonist could confront the
election denialism movement.
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Du Mez is a scholar, but she's also a bestselling author. Among her many activities and accomplishments, she also
publishes on Substack.
