Cathy's Blog!

Trump continues to work to destroy the world.  He is a mob boss.

Heather Cox Richardson: Trump’s son Eric appeared to confirm that the tariffs are a shakedown when he posted: “I wouldn’t want to be the last country that tries to negotiate a trade deal with [Trump]. The first to negotiate will win—the last will absolutely lose. I have seen this movie my entire life.…” Foreign affairs journalist David Rothkopf was more graphic: “These aren’t tariffs,” he wrote. “They are a horse’s head in the bed of (almost) every world government and business leader.” Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman suggested that if a government refused to negotiate with Trump, that country’s major companies should deal directly with Trump, exempting that company’s products from tariffs in exchange for a new factory or some other investment Trump wants.

Trump is overturning the past 80 years of global trade cooperation in order to concentrate power in his own hands.  He’s not content to destroy the U.S. He wants to destroy the world.  

This Saturday, April 5th, is a day of protest.  While Trump is golfing, the people will be protesting.

You can find information here at Hands Off:

https://handsoff2025.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

April Fool’s Day turned into April Celebration day.  We’ll never forget this day with Cory Booker speaking over 25 hours for freedom, and Judge Susan Crawford soundly defeating Musk’s attempt to buy an essential election.  

This is a photo of The Flame of Liberty memorial in Los Gatos, CA.  It is dedicated to U.S. military service members, first responders, and the two local 9/11 heroes, Todd Beamer and Mark Bingham, who were “Killed In Action” during the events of 9/11. 

The memorial incorporates symbols like the Statue of Liberty’s torch, an eternal flame, and a soldier’s cross, representing freedom, remembrance, and sacrifice. 

We, our body-minds, have no straight lines.  Everything spirals.  

The political system is currently spiraling out of control.  It’s time to bring it back into an alignment that spirals and rounds in unity and connection to benefit all, the wholeness we share.

John McWhorter:  The Trump administration’s list of words that are now unwelcome in government and government-funded documents — such as “trans,” “privilege” and “female” (?!) — also includes the word “pronoun.” 

Simon Rosenberg: Trump is now, clearly, a mad, early stage tyrant, and is doing extraordinary harm to the American people and our country every day. With students disappearing from our streets, legal residents ending up in foreign prisons, universities and law firms being terrorized, alliances being torched and our government being systemically, illegally and unconstitutionally dismantled, there is great urgency now for the pro-democracy forces in the country to rise up and find more effective ways to challenge him and stop his rancid efforts to turn the US into Russia and to turn us from a free people to cowering subjects gratefully kneeling before a Mad King.

Here’s Adam Schiff, an example of courage:

And he’s right.

If Trump gets the GOP spending bill passed, it’s on all of us. We have to take the risk.

I’m with the words of Paul Valery:

One might be light like the bird, not like the feather.

A feather has weight. We feel the force of gravity when we hold it in our hand. Each feather, each individual, has weight, and when feathers and people come together, there is flight, flight that enables us to see the whole picture and fight, and we are, and we will continue until the insanity ends, and we are again a country of which we can be proud.

Nick Flynn: Every few years I was able to sit with Thich Nhat Hanh for week-long retreats. A bell would ring throughout the day, and we were to stop whatever it was we were doing, and simply breathe. We were also to breathe three times—slowly, mindfully—before we turned on a faucet or a light switch. At first this felt nearly impossible. I simply wanted to wash my hands, or for the light to go on. By the end of the week I stood breathing before the faucet. When the water came I nearly wept…

Remember: Joy is another form of resistance.