Early on in the men’s World Cup, the coach of the American team wore a t-shirt that had one of the most subtle, smart, but depressingly accurate statements on it. It was an official Nike shirt, apparently. On the front, below the logo at the top, in big, readable letters, the shirt read: “States of America”. And that was it.
The next game day for the US he was wearing a shirt with “United States of America” on it, so his previous shirt must have caused some bit of controversy. I tried to find that shirt after I saw his changed one, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.
I hate to keep filling up your comments, but this is really the best summary of the crevasse like void that exists in our country.
My wife has dear friends worldwide by virtue of working nearly 30 years internationally, particularly in Italy, Ireland and the UK. Our Irish friends are an Irish male and his Texan wife, and they sold their austin home, bought a small austin condo for the times she has to be out of country on her visa whilst she seeks citizenship and for doctors visits as she’s not covered under their universal health care. They moved to Ireland directly because of trump.
I have fantasized for years about the $1 house deals in small Italian towns seeking to rebuild their populations. I’m too old for that group, but did find a town where liveable but needing minor renovations were for sale for very reasonable prices. We are looking into this.
Keep our house here for medical needs and visa timeouts but live as much as possible in Italy. I can’t work but I could damn sure likely find a blues band that would love having a drummer they don’t have to pay, cause I’d play for free and likely can’t get a work visa for drumming. We’re about to retire, but don’t have the energy to do a complete fixer upper. I’ve done several in Texas. It’s hard work.
We are also not rich, which is why the liveable homes in this town are attractive due to their pricing.
Nonetheless. We have friends shopping for smaller homes in small French villages and other euro locales like Italy and even Canada. A friend bought a condo in Canada in case she can’t get to France for her bolt hole there.
That’s what we are thinking and some of my friends have already done. Leave. I never thought I’d have these thoughts.
Your essays on Italy were what drew me in to your substack, although I’ve thought you were funny AF since The State. That and your Saul column unintentional career counseling.
Recently Guliani responded to the Georgia indictment with such a message of persecution. "The corrupt government is trying to punish those trying to make things right with America." Major paraphrase there. It was rather frightening to imagine what so many trumpers thought when they heard it, as I thought of all rightwing voices out there that do not give the full story. It would be easy to believe that, "Yeah! The government IS corrupt! And what else would a corrupt government do but imprison the leader of the opposition on false charges? Looks nice and legal, but we know the truth!" Right wing news is nothing but news by ommission and too many people in this country are thrilled that it's officially aligning with their personally held biases.
And even worse, the Trump madness has triggered a weird reactionary loop among his opponents, where they believe every claim made about his perfidy, while his followers believe every claim about the perfidy "the left", and it just keeps spinning and increasing in amplitude until what? I don't know, but it won't be anything good.
I think that ever since the GOP candidates promised the destruction of many of our essential governmental organizations, we’ve been in a cold civil war. It is hard to imagine a “hot” civil war taking place now. If the January 6th insurrection was all that could be mustered and nearly every member of that insurrection that was identified had charges brought against them with many serving jail time, I don’t think either side has the energy or will to form opposing armies. It’s just too much work these days.
I’ll just add that the blue islands of Texas cities of relative sanity do offer Texans some respite from from the Trumpers. One thing I don’t understand is the propensity of Some Republican Texas women, particularly in Escalades and the like, embellishing their huge vehicles with huge odes to Trump. They drive like they’re wild and disregard traffic laws. One nearly ran my adult son and I off the road right outside Austin last week, doing well over 100 mph whilst her rolling billboard of an Expedition was covered in propaganda.
I have added new slang to my vocabulary. I’ll note most of my large SUV driving female friends (the Biden ones) might resent the first three letters because by getting humongous SUVs beyond the size of any vehicle they could conceivably really need, they are consciously intending to move away from the term “soccer Van Mom”.
It doesn't seem like it was really that long ago that Chris Rock's movie "Head of State" made a punchline of the right by writing their candidate's slogan as "God bless America, and no place else."
I never imagined it would actually become their platform.
Maybe it was a long time ago. I'm getting old.
Just trying to prepare myself mentally for Gilead, because that's what it looks like is happening from my seat.
I had to look up The Gilead, not being familiar with The Handmaidens Tale, other than through our Scotus handmaiden and the biblical Gilead. Yes Alyson, it appears you are correct.
I also thought the recent movie “Don’t look up” made an all too realistic parody satire of Trumps time in office. Streep made a really good Trump, and Jonah Hill had his finest moment imitating Don and Eric Trump at the movie’s end with his prayer to God to “Save our stuff”.
I identified strongly when Leo took a Xanax out of a bottle in his pocket, JLaw grabbed that MF from him and said “What is this?” Leo says Xanax and she gobbled it.
Excellent essay, Mike. No one could say it better or more concisely. I’ll only add that Abbott’s takeover of the Houston ISD involves closing all school libraries and turning them into “zoom detention centers”. So that does away with selective book banning…there are no more books to teach you bad thoughts.
I would likely not have made it through school without libraries or band. Those two things kept me going to college and law school.
Early on in the men’s World Cup, the coach of the American team wore a t-shirt that had one of the most subtle, smart, but depressingly accurate statements on it. It was an official Nike shirt, apparently. On the front, below the logo at the top, in big, readable letters, the shirt read: “States of America”. And that was it.
The next game day for the US he was wearing a shirt with “United States of America” on it, so his previous shirt must have caused some bit of controversy. I tried to find that shirt after I saw his changed one, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.
Very good observation. Sad, but highly observant.
I hate to keep filling up your comments, but this is really the best summary of the crevasse like void that exists in our country.
My wife has dear friends worldwide by virtue of working nearly 30 years internationally, particularly in Italy, Ireland and the UK. Our Irish friends are an Irish male and his Texan wife, and they sold their austin home, bought a small austin condo for the times she has to be out of country on her visa whilst she seeks citizenship and for doctors visits as she’s not covered under their universal health care. They moved to Ireland directly because of trump.
I have fantasized for years about the $1 house deals in small Italian towns seeking to rebuild their populations. I’m too old for that group, but did find a town where liveable but needing minor renovations were for sale for very reasonable prices. We are looking into this.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/latronico-italy-cheap-house-escape-us/index.html
Keep our house here for medical needs and visa timeouts but live as much as possible in Italy. I can’t work but I could damn sure likely find a blues band that would love having a drummer they don’t have to pay, cause I’d play for free and likely can’t get a work visa for drumming. We’re about to retire, but don’t have the energy to do a complete fixer upper. I’ve done several in Texas. It’s hard work.
We are also not rich, which is why the liveable homes in this town are attractive due to their pricing.
Nonetheless. We have friends shopping for smaller homes in small French villages and other euro locales like Italy and even Canada. A friend bought a condo in Canada in case she can’t get to France for her bolt hole there.
That’s what we are thinking and some of my friends have already done. Leave. I never thought I’d have these thoughts.
Leaving feels increasingly viable.
Your essays on Italy were what drew me in to your substack, although I’ve thought you were funny AF since The State. That and your Saul column unintentional career counseling.
Recently Guliani responded to the Georgia indictment with such a message of persecution. "The corrupt government is trying to punish those trying to make things right with America." Major paraphrase there. It was rather frightening to imagine what so many trumpers thought when they heard it, as I thought of all rightwing voices out there that do not give the full story. It would be easy to believe that, "Yeah! The government IS corrupt! And what else would a corrupt government do but imprison the leader of the opposition on false charges? Looks nice and legal, but we know the truth!" Right wing news is nothing but news by ommission and too many people in this country are thrilled that it's officially aligning with their personally held biases.
I am loving this substack.
And even worse, the Trump madness has triggered a weird reactionary loop among his opponents, where they believe every claim made about his perfidy, while his followers believe every claim about the perfidy "the left", and it just keeps spinning and increasing in amplitude until what? I don't know, but it won't be anything good.
I think that ever since the GOP candidates promised the destruction of many of our essential governmental organizations, we’ve been in a cold civil war. It is hard to imagine a “hot” civil war taking place now. If the January 6th insurrection was all that could be mustered and nearly every member of that insurrection that was identified had charges brought against them with many serving jail time, I don’t think either side has the energy or will to form opposing armies. It’s just too much work these days.
I’ll just add that the blue islands of Texas cities of relative sanity do offer Texans some respite from from the Trumpers. One thing I don’t understand is the propensity of Some Republican Texas women, particularly in Escalades and the like, embellishing their huge vehicles with huge odes to Trump. They drive like they’re wild and disregard traffic laws. One nearly ran my adult son and I off the road right outside Austin last week, doing well over 100 mph whilst her rolling billboard of an Expedition was covered in propaganda.
Ah, a 'Vanifesto." We see our fair share of those here in Wisconsin as well. 😂
I have added new slang to my vocabulary. I’ll note most of my large SUV driving female friends (the Biden ones) might resent the first three letters because by getting humongous SUVs beyond the size of any vehicle they could conceivably really need, they are consciously intending to move away from the term “soccer Van Mom”.
Nonetheless, Vanifesto it is.
It doesn't seem like it was really that long ago that Chris Rock's movie "Head of State" made a punchline of the right by writing their candidate's slogan as "God bless America, and no place else."
I never imagined it would actually become their platform.
Maybe it was a long time ago. I'm getting old.
Just trying to prepare myself mentally for Gilead, because that's what it looks like is happening from my seat.
I had to look up The Gilead, not being familiar with The Handmaidens Tale, other than through our Scotus handmaiden and the biblical Gilead. Yes Alyson, it appears you are correct.
I forgot all about Head of State. It was brilliant.
I also thought the recent movie “Don’t look up” made an all too realistic parody satire of Trumps time in office. Streep made a really good Trump, and Jonah Hill had his finest moment imitating Don and Eric Trump at the movie’s end with his prayer to God to “Save our stuff”.
Absolutely, it was brilliant start to finish.
I identified strongly when Leo took a Xanax out of a bottle in his pocket, JLaw grabbed that MF from him and said “What is this?” Leo says Xanax and she gobbled it.
I wish I could find a short clip of the Xanax scene on YouTube to rewatch over and over and over. I laughed so hard…because JLaw is me in that role.
😂😂
Excellent essay, Mike. No one could say it better or more concisely. I’ll only add that Abbott’s takeover of the Houston ISD involves closing all school libraries and turning them into “zoom detention centers”. So that does away with selective book banning…there are no more books to teach you bad thoughts.
I would likely not have made it through school without libraries or band. Those two things kept me going to college and law school.
Our fuckedness is strong.