Historians meet Biden for a White House lunch, urge him to speak out more forcefully
Historians meet Biden for a White House lunch, urge him to speak out more forcefully
Democracy may be on the ballot. Less clear is what was on the menu.
President Joe Biden hosted a small group of scholars and historians for lunch on Wednesday as he gears up for a speech framing the upcoming election as a battle for the nation’s democracy.
The discussion revolved around “ongoing threats to democracy and democratic institutions both here in America and around the world, as well as the opportunities we face as a nation,” the White House said in a statement.
Princeton’s Eddie Glaude Jr. and Sean Wilentz, Harvard’s Annette Gordon-Reed, Yale’s Beverly Gage and Boston College’s Heather Cox Richardson were among the attendees, as well as presidential biographer — and occasional Biden speech writer — Jon Meacham.
Attendees were tight-lipped about what was discussed at the gathering. One would only go so far as to say they “talked about American history and its bearing on the present — a lively exchange of ideas.”
Another person in the room, who like the others was not authorized to speak publicly about a private meeting, said the historians urged the president “to call out the moment for what it is.” In blunt terms, the academics discussed looming threats to the nation’s democracy and warned about the slow crawl of authoritarianism around the globe.
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Republicans also jumped at the chance to feed Ukraine to Russia. Whats your point? Feed Ukraine to Russia so that Trump will protect Palestine? The Republicans already cut so much of Ukraine's funding that they are struggling. I really don't see what this better alternative is. We can't just say no. Too much of the country is okay with both parties.
Whats your point?
I made my point. You ignored it. You don't get to act like Democrats will protect anyone from genocide while they're actively supporting a genocide.
They're not being shielded; they're just another entry on the "then they came for" list.
And who will shield the needy and vulnerable? Who will come to their aide when the world simply stares? What is your alternative solution?
And who will shield the needy and vulnerable?
Who indeed? Democrats had some legitimacy when they claimed they would do that. Until recently.
What is your alternative solution?
I'd start with Democrats ceasing their support for genocide.
The older Democrats and generation in general hold fast to Israel. Its what they're familiar with and have grown up "on their team". There is a divide in the age groups as the younger democratic officials support Palestine. What other elected officials of a different political party support Palestine and endorse it publicly? Do many Republicans? In American politics, those are your options without fundamental change to the voting system.
What other elected officials of a different political party support Palestine and endorse it publicly? Do many Republicans? In American politics, those are your options without fundamental change to the voting system.
I.
AM.
NOT.
ADVOCATING.
FOR.
VOTING.
FOR.
ANOTHER.
PARTY.
You jumped into the chain that started with someone claiming voter apathy. What do you think I'm on about?
That doesn't mean I support everything everyone else in the chain says. I jumped in because you were acting like Democrats are interested in the slightest in stopping genocide. I pointed out why that no longer holds water.
If you want to credibly claim that a party will even try to protect anyone from genocide, that party should not be actively supporting genocide when you make that claim.
Democrats have supported one genocide. Democrats are governed by political expedience. When it becomes politically expedient, they will support another. Who do you suppose it will be?
I suppose you have lots of calls to make. Nearly every member of congress supports Israel. I have made my phone calls to tell my representatives to stop. Have you? This is the time to protest in the streets.
My representative is a maga chud. No amount of calling her will make the Democratic Party support genocide less. A Democrat would be more likely to move that particular needle, but the candidate who ran against the maga chud was a progressive, so the party cut her funding a month before the election.
Both of my senators are Republicans. Calling them won't change Democrats' enthusiastic support for genocide either.
My governor's only involvement in foreign policy has been to dump refugees in blue cities. Needless to say, he's also a Republican. Even if it were possible to change his hateful closed mind, changing him won't change Democrats.
My president is Joe Biden.
What the hell makes you think they’ll change in the future?
I don't. I think we need to change how our voting system works. We don't have time before the next election. Thats my rationale. You have to choose now, this year. Ranked choice is not being implemented. So, you're getting Trump or Biden most likely. With this shitty voting system, anybody spitefully withholding votes is helping Republicans make a Theocracy.
Realistically, in real life, your other option is Republicans. Thats how American politics works. Until we fundamentally change the way our voting system works. So I'm curious what your rationale is. What are you going to do? Allow a man who straight up claimed he be a dictator to take over in spite? What is the goal?
This is the third time you've ignored what I've said and accused me of saying something I haven't.
You jumped in the chain literally about my reply to someone daying "have fun with genocidin biden". Thats part of the context. The democrats only have one thing going and its their lead not being a fucking psycho. We don't have time to implement ranked choice.voting across the country before this years elections. Thats all they have besides being centrist capitalists every else in the world, which is marginally better than raving theocrat. We need to change our system but we are forced to vote one more time first. Unless you have something better to propose.
I'm still not saying that anyone should vote for another party. I pointed out that Democrats cannot be trusted to prevent genocide, since they are currently enabling one.
Unless you have something better to propose.
I've answered this already. Democrats should stop supporting genocide.
Everybody does. Most US Politicians support Israel. Biden is handling this as shit as most other US politicians would. The list I shared is just newer congress members of congress too.
You can't expect people to believe that Democrats will prevent genocide when they're in the middle of enabling genocide.
All politicians will enable it. Support is overwhelmingly on the side of the genocider Israel. Its fucked but you might need to look at the stances of our congress members and senators. Nearly all of them support Israel. So unless you plan on calling your reps to share your mind and make it known, maybe help organize a protest or a petition, you're just screaming at the sky like the rest of us without any iota of power.
How is voting for the lessser of two evils going to change anything for the better?
You got a greater good to offer?
I do but I can't afford the billion dollars it costs to get on the ballot