I mean, they’re not wrong. The Republicans in red states are being terribly naughty, exploiting conspiracy theories and raw power to make it possible to turn the tables in their favor during extraordinarily close elections.
But to call that anti-democratic, a threat to democracy or down right facist is a step too far in my book. Maybe Republicans will use some sneaky and unfair means to turn the tables in an extraordinarily close election but it’s not the end of the world – there is always another election for whatever office their exploiting power in two to six years, and many other offices will be up for election in the mean time.
The fact is you can sometimes out maneuver an opponent to win a close election. But in that case whoever wins still represents close to a majority of voters. And the candidate who wins on dubious means is unlikely to be that popular, having bathed in stench of dubious means of winning. You’ll have the reins of power for a few years but your opponents party will have all the excitement and likely will deliver majorities to Congress and state houses in the mid terms.
Elections are an approximation of public sentiment. By definition, elections are rigged by all kinds of laws and policies designed to favor incumbents, the status quo and the party in power. But power tends to be destructive in a democracy, often the highest flying stars in politics are those that are the fastest to crash and burn.
I’m not worried about democracy. It will mumble along, even if Trump manages to play the system and get a second term in 2024 with a minority of voters and makes a bigger fool of himself. He’ll have his term, he’ll probably bumble through it like his first term and be gone.
And then there will be another election and life goes on.
Just imagine getting up every morning an hour or maybe two before sunrise, and being off to work in the dark. On the other hand, it might be good from an energy conservation perspective.
Week
Sunrise
Sunset
Week
Sunrise
Sunset
January 1
8:25 am
5:32 pm
July 2
5:21 am
8:36 pm
January 8
8:24 am
5:39 pm
July 9
5:26 am
8:34 pm
January 15
8:22 am
5:47 pm
July 16
5:32 am
8:30 pm
January 22
8:17 am
5:55 pm
July 23
5:38 am
8:24 pm
January 29
8:11 am
6:04 pm
July 30
5:45 am
8:17 pm
February 5
8:04 am
6:14 pm
August 6
5:52 am
8:09 pm
February 12
7:55 am
6:23 pm
August 13
6:00 am
7:59 pm
February 19
7:45 am
6:32 pm
August 20
6:07 am
7:49 pm
February 26
7:34 am
6:41 pm
August 27
6:15 am
7:37 pm
March 5
7:23 am
6:49 pm
September 3
6:22 am
7:26 pm
March 12
7:11 am
6:58 pm
September 10
6:30 am
7:13 pm
March 19
6:59 am
7:06 pm
September 17
6:37 am
7:01 pm
March 26
6:46 am
7:14 pm
September 24
6:45 am
6:48 pm
April 2
6:34 am
7:22 pm
October 1
6:52 am
6:36 pm
April 9
6:22 am
7:30 pm
October 8
7:00 am
6:24 pm
April 16
6:11 am
7:38 pm
October 15
7:08 am
6:12 pm
April 23
6:00 am
7:46 pm
October 22
7:17 am
6:01 pm
April 30
5:50 am
7:54 pm
October 29
7:25 am
5:51 pm
May 7
5:41 am
8:02 pm
November 5
7:34 am
5:42 pm
May 14
5:33 am
8:09 pm
November 12
7:43 am
5:35 pm
May 21
5:26 am
8:16 pm
November 19
7:52 am
5:29 pm
May 28
5:21 am
8:23 pm
November 26
8:00 am
5:24 pm
June 4
5:18 am
8:28 pm
December 3
8:08 am
5:22 pm
June 11
5:16 am
8:33 pm
December 10
8:14 am
5:21 pm
June 18
5:16 am
8:35 pm
December 17
8:19 am
5:23 pm
June 25
5:18 am
8:37 pm
December 24
8:23 am
5:26 pm
December 31
8:25 am
5:31 pm
Winter mornings would be even darker if you get farther north and west in every Time Zone, such as Grand Rapids Michigan, which also is in the Eastern Time zone. 🌆
As they say, good information is expensive even though today with the internet it’s incredibly inexpensive to distribute. Creating information either through research or experience and writing it down is what is expensive. When you can get information for free you should readily embrace it. Even though most free information is paid through either it being propaganda or advertising, it’s still worthwhile to consider. Just because information is trying to sell you something doesn’t mean you should resist learning more about it.
But I often find myself turning away from information that I find uncomfortable and either challenges my values or beliefs. Somehow I’m afraid to confront truth or that I will be forever changed after listening to new information. Yet, I’m aware that simply listening to information won’t automatically change your outlook on the world. But it sometimes seems very painful to have my views challenged.
One of the reason I want to move out west is to move into a political environment that is more comfortable and agreeable. Living in New York and being involved in City of Albany politics, I frequently run into people that are extremely liberal and whose views are much farther to the left then I could ever accept. At least for some city political activists, I’ve been characterized as downright conservative, even if I’m generally pro-union, pro-worker rights, and pro-strong environmental protections.
I find it particularly painful to be categorized as a conservative outsider. I support many progressive positions, and for people to just label me as a conservative who is against progress just bothers me. I want to have a clean healthy environment, I want to have a high minimum wage, and allow people to make their own private lifestyle choices.
In a more conservative area, many of core beliefs, particularly on rural issues, will be norm for the society. I may face an uphill battle in rural areas on more progressive issues like the minimum wage or clean air from big corporate polluters, but wherever one goes there still is a core progressive group that I can join up with that shares my progressive beliefs. I find it much easier to fight for a liberal cause, then against a liberal cause I disagree passionately with.
One the things I loved best about attending college in North Country of New York State was I could find like minded Democrats in the region. Many of the progressives of the North Country shared the same beliefs that I hold dear, but also where strong progressives on the major issues. Rural progressives generally where not proponents of gun control or hostile to rural issues but still cared strongly about labor rights and strong environmental protections against some of the worst abuses across our country.
