I'm a conservative Republican and I know I disagree with you sometimes. But that's natural, everybody is not going to agree on everything. What makes your voice so important, I think, is that you were willing to step outside your bubble and see things from another point of view. That is rare. And if this country is to be saved from the worst totalitarian impulses of the Left, we have to hope that there are millions more like you out there.
My comment on healthcare is, first, it is not a right as some on the Left (DSA) are now saying. "Rights" are God-given and none of us are guaranteed good health by God, nor any living thing for that matter. In fact, since God is the architect of all things, then he/she devised evolution which is reliant on death to advance. Second, as healthcare is a privilege and not a right, then it must be paid for in the proportion that society deems appropriate. It has limits. Not everyone can receive $10M of lifetime care or it won't work. Also, we cannot offer more healthcare than our society has provided the resources like doctors, nurses and hospitals. Citizens who pay for healthcare should be first in line. There is nothing "fair" about someone who has paid into the system all their life in taxes should be denied coverage to the benefit of someone who has never paid in. Sorry, Libs, that is just the way it must be.
Nicely stated. Few people are willing to say that medical care is not a right. To call it a right means you have prior claim over the product of someone else’s labor. When Hillary Clinton wanted to restructure healthcare she searched the country to find folks who could not get needed care and could not find anyone. Of course this was before we had open borders and upwards of 50 million folks entering the country illegally. Not to mention the progeny of said group. Almost impossible to provide for them.
Fair enough, but what if you happen to turn out to be the one with long lasting stage 4 cancer that costs more then you contributed in? Would you voluntarily take yourself any future treatment including. Pain meds?
Sasha, continue with your commitment to “thine own self be true”. As someone who has been on a very similar journey, your nuance is appreciated. It’s what makes you so special. Don’t cave to either side and I know that you will not. From all that you’ve written, It is simply not in your nature. Stay the course.
Once upon a long time back, I was a slightly left of center moderate. My, how time has helped me to mature and the actions of those on the extreme left (and especially the others on the left who are not as extreme but let that element of the party dictate how the party votes) have helped move me more to the right side of center. I have deliberately avoided being part of any party. I have always been a registered independent and will continue to vote for the candidate,regardless of party, that I think will do the best job of representing my values. My thinking irks people on a regular basis, but that doesn't bother me in the least. I say those differences should be an invitation for debate. Not name calling, finger pointing and blame laying, but real debate. I am always on the lookout for other moderates who have managed to stay away from the political extremes. Sady, they are fewer in number than I care to admit, but I keep looking.
I am the same, basically a JFK liberal, which is someone right of center today and an independent. Though, other than John Fetterman, there is no Democrat I would vote for today. Don Peebles (Florida) said he might run for President. If he does, he will get strong consideration from me
If the Democrat party was like the party of JFK, I'd probably be a Democrat today. And I agree, Fetterman is the only decent Democrat in the bunch. Maybe Manchin.
But Manchin is out of politics now. If we go back to previous years, then Kirsten Sinema has also won my respect. She, at one time, was far Left, a radical activist. She worked her way back to the center so much that the Left activists started hating her. I live in AZ and Sinema is now an advocate (paid, I am sure) for AI data centers.
I think the problem is even with a sane candidate the dem party is functionally insane.
Openly cheering for sociopath Islamists in Hamas and Tehran?
Men thrashing women in sports, raping them in prison.
I don’t get how any sane person can vote for that.
I hope Mandami gets chased thru the streets on Friday and whatever comes after that. There is no proof but I bet he gets a warm glow when he sees the footage of the towers falling.
I was thinking today that Mamdani might be the new Robespierre. He promised to free the French from the aristocracy and when he didn't and was found to just be another faux-aristocrat, he had his head cut off.
Our opinions are informed by our life experiences. Sasha, your heart bleeds like a liberal but your intuition and practical common sense is that of a conservative. I deeply enjoy your writing and see you as a seeker, both spiritually and intellectually. Why would I unsubscribe because I occasionally disagree with your view point? That would be trivial and boringly punitive.
Most Americans have a lot of compassion. Conservatives have traditionally been much more charitable than liberals, according to surveys. The difference is how you convey your charity: do you expect your government and its NGOs to do it for you, using the taxes of wealthy people? Or do you get involved and do it yourself? That is the big difference between Left and Right
Hi Sasha, another lifelong Democrat, who is now center of the road is how I stand. My childhood included seeing Mexicans work in the fields, but it also included having Mexicans kick my ass in the bathroom because they hated white people, or gringos as they called us. Also remember how my buddy lost his electrical business because other contractors used illegals and could underbid him. So yeah, illegally had a purpose, which was mainly to lower wages for white people living in California. Again, I don’t blame Mexicans for coming here and working under the table, but in the long run, it was screwing us.
This is the reason that Bernie Sanders, when he was being honest, was very much for border controls and ICE and against immigration and importation. Now, Bernie is just a sellout for whom I have lost all respect
There is no person on earth I agree with 100%. And it doesn't hurt me one bit when your views stray from mine because I appreciate the opportunity to rethink my positions. Challenges to our thinking keep us sharp, and open to discussion. I appreciate all that you do, Sasha!
I was a democrat and a house building carpenter- foreman for decades, with enough sympathy to have trained several illegal immigrant apprentices. I saw white contractors who spoke spanish hire all-illegal crews for bad pay, and i saw mexican contractors hire all illegals for worse pay. The net effect was the degradation of an entire industry—I never saw a raise for increased cost of living in thirty five years. A hard job that used to support a family. It doesn’t matter about my sympathy. For the sake of all the hardworking young Americans, I was wrong.
To be able to feel and think and reap the wisdom of both is a sign of maturity.
Liberalism requires disavowing political loyalty. We must be loyal to ideas and principles. Ideally we vote for whomever has the best ones. Or pragmatically whoever has the least bad ones. Usually a combo of both!
Sasha, I understand your thoughts towards illegals who have been here a long time. My thoughts break down this way. Has the person sought to assimilate? If not they need to go. If push ever comes to shove, the unassimilated won't have any Americans back. Anybody waving a Mexican or la raza or any foreign flag needs to go. They're not Americans and don't want to be. Anyone here illegally who wants to be an American needs to self deport and come back the "right" way!
I myself live among many illegals from Mexico and South America who have been here for decades. As far as I'm concerned, if immigration law is not enforced, that's tantamount to approval. I totally oppose deporting people who have been here ten, twenty years and made a life. I say, deport everyone who came illegally under Biden and even Trump #1 because people should have known not to come. Everyone who was here before that, grant them legal status but they are never ever allowed to vote and they cannot become citizens. But they should be able to continue to live and work here if they are law abiding people. Too bad I'm not Queen. I wish Trump would make some kind of adjustment like that but I don't think he's willing. I agree with you that these issues are difficult but as for our vote, we've got to go with Republicans for survival of our nation and our freedoms. The other side is not only crazy but evil.
Reagan did something like that. It only led to more illegal migration. Being in the US for many years means they should say thank you on the way out for all the benefits.
The only time I considered stopping my payments to you was when you admitted to spending several thousand dollars on a 29 cent dog. That's not how I do dogs. Then I drank a 10 dollar sixpack and decided giving you 7 bucks for a month to entertain and inform me was a pretty good deal, regardless of how you spend the money
I feel your voice is grounded and worth hearing, whether I might agree on a particular point. It’s the authors who have “recently” become ungrounded, or have lost it gradually over the last year or so, that I find challenging at renewal time. I’ve dropped several stacks for that reason, and dropped others just to cut back.
Sasha, to thine own self be true. The rest will work itself out.
Well said, sir. Sorry for your loss; prayers.
I'm a conservative Republican and I know I disagree with you sometimes. But that's natural, everybody is not going to agree on everything. What makes your voice so important, I think, is that you were willing to step outside your bubble and see things from another point of view. That is rare. And if this country is to be saved from the worst totalitarian impulses of the Left, we have to hope that there are millions more like you out there.
My comment on healthcare is, first, it is not a right as some on the Left (DSA) are now saying. "Rights" are God-given and none of us are guaranteed good health by God, nor any living thing for that matter. In fact, since God is the architect of all things, then he/she devised evolution which is reliant on death to advance. Second, as healthcare is a privilege and not a right, then it must be paid for in the proportion that society deems appropriate. It has limits. Not everyone can receive $10M of lifetime care or it won't work. Also, we cannot offer more healthcare than our society has provided the resources like doctors, nurses and hospitals. Citizens who pay for healthcare should be first in line. There is nothing "fair" about someone who has paid into the system all their life in taxes should be denied coverage to the benefit of someone who has never paid in. Sorry, Libs, that is just the way it must be.
Nicely stated. Few people are willing to say that medical care is not a right. To call it a right means you have prior claim over the product of someone else’s labor. When Hillary Clinton wanted to restructure healthcare she searched the country to find folks who could not get needed care and could not find anyone. Of course this was before we had open borders and upwards of 50 million folks entering the country illegally. Not to mention the progeny of said group. Almost impossible to provide for them.
Hear, hear!
Fair enough, but what if you happen to turn out to be the one with long lasting stage 4 cancer that costs more then you contributed in? Would you voluntarily take yourself any future treatment including. Pain meds?
Sasha, continue with your commitment to “thine own self be true”. As someone who has been on a very similar journey, your nuance is appreciated. It’s what makes you so special. Don’t cave to either side and I know that you will not. From all that you’ve written, It is simply not in your nature. Stay the course.
Nobody is perfect, but you come very close...
Once upon a long time back, I was a slightly left of center moderate. My, how time has helped me to mature and the actions of those on the extreme left (and especially the others on the left who are not as extreme but let that element of the party dictate how the party votes) have helped move me more to the right side of center. I have deliberately avoided being part of any party. I have always been a registered independent and will continue to vote for the candidate,regardless of party, that I think will do the best job of representing my values. My thinking irks people on a regular basis, but that doesn't bother me in the least. I say those differences should be an invitation for debate. Not name calling, finger pointing and blame laying, but real debate. I am always on the lookout for other moderates who have managed to stay away from the political extremes. Sady, they are fewer in number than I care to admit, but I keep looking.
I am the same, basically a JFK liberal, which is someone right of center today and an independent. Though, other than John Fetterman, there is no Democrat I would vote for today. Don Peebles (Florida) said he might run for President. If he does, he will get strong consideration from me
If the Democrat party was like the party of JFK, I'd probably be a Democrat today. And I agree, Fetterman is the only decent Democrat in the bunch. Maybe Manchin.
But Manchin is out of politics now. If we go back to previous years, then Kirsten Sinema has also won my respect. She, at one time, was far Left, a radical activist. She worked her way back to the center so much that the Left activists started hating her. I live in AZ and Sinema is now an advocate (paid, I am sure) for AI data centers.
I think the problem is even with a sane candidate the dem party is functionally insane.
Openly cheering for sociopath Islamists in Hamas and Tehran?
Men thrashing women in sports, raping them in prison.
I don’t get how any sane person can vote for that.
I hope Mandami gets chased thru the streets on Friday and whatever comes after that. There is no proof but I bet he gets a warm glow when he sees the footage of the towers falling.
I was thinking today that Mamdani might be the new Robespierre. He promised to free the French from the aristocracy and when he didn't and was found to just be another faux-aristocrat, he had his head cut off.
Our opinions are informed by our life experiences. Sasha, your heart bleeds like a liberal but your intuition and practical common sense is that of a conservative. I deeply enjoy your writing and see you as a seeker, both spiritually and intellectually. Why would I unsubscribe because I occasionally disagree with your view point? That would be trivial and boringly punitive.
Most Americans have a lot of compassion. Conservatives have traditionally been much more charitable than liberals, according to surveys. The difference is how you convey your charity: do you expect your government and its NGOs to do it for you, using the taxes of wealthy people? Or do you get involved and do it yourself? That is the big difference between Left and Right
Well said Nancy.
Hi Sasha, another lifelong Democrat, who is now center of the road is how I stand. My childhood included seeing Mexicans work in the fields, but it also included having Mexicans kick my ass in the bathroom because they hated white people, or gringos as they called us. Also remember how my buddy lost his electrical business because other contractors used illegals and could underbid him. So yeah, illegally had a purpose, which was mainly to lower wages for white people living in California. Again, I don’t blame Mexicans for coming here and working under the table, but in the long run, it was screwing us.
This is the reason that Bernie Sanders, when he was being honest, was very much for border controls and ICE and against immigration and importation. Now, Bernie is just a sellout for whom I have lost all respect
Who can find a more genuine, honest woman? Stone is an oasis in the social media desert.
There is no person on earth I agree with 100%. And it doesn't hurt me one bit when your views stray from mine because I appreciate the opportunity to rethink my positions. Challenges to our thinking keep us sharp, and open to discussion. I appreciate all that you do, Sasha!
Couldn’t say it better.
I was a democrat and a house building carpenter- foreman for decades, with enough sympathy to have trained several illegal immigrant apprentices. I saw white contractors who spoke spanish hire all-illegal crews for bad pay, and i saw mexican contractors hire all illegals for worse pay. The net effect was the degradation of an entire industry—I never saw a raise for increased cost of living in thirty five years. A hard job that used to support a family. It doesn’t matter about my sympathy. For the sake of all the hardworking young Americans, I was wrong.
I'm on the same journey as you.
Nuance is critical.
To be able to feel and think and reap the wisdom of both is a sign of maturity.
Liberalism requires disavowing political loyalty. We must be loyal to ideas and principles. Ideally we vote for whomever has the best ones. Or pragmatically whoever has the least bad ones. Usually a combo of both!
Sasha, I understand your thoughts towards illegals who have been here a long time. My thoughts break down this way. Has the person sought to assimilate? If not they need to go. If push ever comes to shove, the unassimilated won't have any Americans back. Anybody waving a Mexican or la raza or any foreign flag needs to go. They're not Americans and don't want to be. Anyone here illegally who wants to be an American needs to self deport and come back the "right" way!
I myself live among many illegals from Mexico and South America who have been here for decades. As far as I'm concerned, if immigration law is not enforced, that's tantamount to approval. I totally oppose deporting people who have been here ten, twenty years and made a life. I say, deport everyone who came illegally under Biden and even Trump #1 because people should have known not to come. Everyone who was here before that, grant them legal status but they are never ever allowed to vote and they cannot become citizens. But they should be able to continue to live and work here if they are law abiding people. Too bad I'm not Queen. I wish Trump would make some kind of adjustment like that but I don't think he's willing. I agree with you that these issues are difficult but as for our vote, we've got to go with Republicans for survival of our nation and our freedoms. The other side is not only crazy but evil.
Reagan did something like that. It only led to more illegal migration. Being in the US for many years means they should say thank you on the way out for all the benefits.
The only time I considered stopping my payments to you was when you admitted to spending several thousand dollars on a 29 cent dog. That's not how I do dogs. Then I drank a 10 dollar sixpack and decided giving you 7 bucks for a month to entertain and inform me was a pretty good deal, regardless of how you spend the money
I feel your voice is grounded and worth hearing, whether I might agree on a particular point. It’s the authors who have “recently” become ungrounded, or have lost it gradually over the last year or so, that I find challenging at renewal time. I’ve dropped several stacks for that reason, and dropped others just to cut back.