Will - I'm grateful for your ideas, always learn from your articles at The Bulwark. That you enagage with us readers/listeners means a lot to me... and, I know, to all of US!
The comments here under yours are a blessing to energize me. Thanks to all
There was a story about a marine who returns from Afghanistan. It was on a PBS program called Independent Lens in November 2024. The episode(ep2 season 26) was entitled, "Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen". This marine carved memorials for each of the marines in his platoon. He then went and visited the families to deliver the carving and meet them for the first time. This marine was brave in battle and so devoted to honoring the fallen soldiers' families in person. A great documentary! And, yes his story puts a face on what our country does good or bad....It could work to familiarize our fellow citizens with the good our social programs can and are still doing now. Flood the zone with acts of good will....
Will, I had similar experiences, and fully agree with your suggestion.
Honorable and heroic service hasn’t been limited to only those wearing uniforms, indeed - and the accomplishments of the vast majority of those faithful servants has rarely been noticed and recognized.
I got in horrible firefights with a USAID personnel stuck to my rear — I was usually in charge of the civilians downrange—and I had to restrain him from taking an Ak-47!
Lois - my sister, you & your family deserve better than this. We will find our voice & speak up for you along with speaking up for USAID & all whom they serve.
I live in a red state (Iowa). I am contacting my senators and congressperson and leader of the Iowa House of Representatives to point out that without grain sales to USAID for the developing world, the Iowa ag economy will take a real hit. (I knew that appealing to their humanity, decency or pride in America’s standing abroad would fall on deaf ears since MAGA believes all the Fox lies about USAID).
For anybody in a red midwestern state who’s reading this, I encourage you to write your GOP “leaders” with that “farmers will suffer” message.
And specifically, if you’re in Iowa, know that making a strong case to Iowa House speaker, Pat Grassley, might have a double benefit if you can make Pat worried enough to explain things to his grandpa, Chuck.
For the past week, phoning my Senators (grassley and ernst) at either their Washington or local offices yields a long recorded message in which the voice assures me how important my call is (right !) and how they’ll respond as soon as humanly possible to my concerns (sure!), ending with a computerized voice that “no message can be recorded at this time”.
(Listening to Chuck’s grating, obsequious recording everyday must be a repayment for something very bad I did in a past life.)
Same experience when calling Republican Senator in my my soon-to-be new home state. Frustrating that they so easily ignore constituents. Not hard to manage a voicemail box
I served with heroic USAID personnel in Iraq & Afghanistan
Dems should go find those whose sons & daughters served and start taping commercials.
American heroes don’t always wear uniforms.
Will - I'm grateful for your ideas, always learn from your articles at The Bulwark. That you enagage with us readers/listeners means a lot to me... and, I know, to all of US!
The comments here under yours are a blessing to energize me. Thanks to all
Excellent idea - re the commercials.
There was a story about a marine who returns from Afghanistan. It was on a PBS program called Independent Lens in November 2024. The episode(ep2 season 26) was entitled, "Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen". This marine carved memorials for each of the marines in his platoon. He then went and visited the families to deliver the carving and meet them for the first time. This marine was brave in battle and so devoted to honoring the fallen soldiers' families in person. A great documentary! And, yes his story puts a face on what our country does good or bad....It could work to familiarize our fellow citizens with the good our social programs can and are still doing now. Flood the zone with acts of good will....
All good, esp your last sentence. That's a great strategy - acts of good will by white, straight American males toward others in s-hole countries.
Will, I had similar experiences, and fully agree with your suggestion.
Honorable and heroic service hasn’t been limited to only those wearing uniforms, indeed - and the accomplishments of the vast majority of those faithful servants has rarely been noticed and recognized.
The entire federal government went to war!
I got in horrible firefights with a USAID personnel stuck to my rear — I was usually in charge of the civilians downrange—and I had to restrain him from taking an Ak-47!
True story - Kapisa & Parwan PRT 2008!
And the American farmers who will no longer be paid to grow the food sent by USAID.
It will hurt us and we have a small farm.
Lois - my sister, you & your family deserve better than this. We will find our voice & speak up for you along with speaking up for USAID & all whom they serve.
I’m so sorry.
I live in a red state (Iowa). I am contacting my senators and congressperson and leader of the Iowa House of Representatives to point out that without grain sales to USAID for the developing world, the Iowa ag economy will take a real hit. (I knew that appealing to their humanity, decency or pride in America’s standing abroad would fall on deaf ears since MAGA believes all the Fox lies about USAID).
For anybody in a red midwestern state who’s reading this, I encourage you to write your GOP “leaders” with that “farmers will suffer” message.
And specifically, if you’re in Iowa, know that making a strong case to Iowa House speaker, Pat Grassley, might have a double benefit if you can make Pat worried enough to explain things to his grandpa, Chuck.
Better than writing, call. Apparently most written correspondence is ignored, or at least deprioritized relative to phone calls.
For the past week, phoning my Senators (grassley and ernst) at either their Washington or local offices yields a long recorded message in which the voice assures me how important my call is (right !) and how they’ll respond as soon as humanly possible to my concerns (sure!), ending with a computerized voice that “no message can be recorded at this time”.
(Listening to Chuck’s grating, obsequious recording everyday must be a repayment for something very bad I did in a past life.)
Same experience when calling Republican Senator in my my soon-to-be new home state. Frustrating that they so easily ignore constituents. Not hard to manage a voicemail box
God bless you, Will.
Thanks, bro. May G*d bless you and your family!
Thank you. My brother in law was in Ghana, Zambia, Nepal (after the big earthquake) and Pakistan. You took big dangerous risks for us all.
USAID needs some reforms. But it is a vital arm of our foreign policy—they funded all of my projects!
Put Sarah on this, RVAT-style, ASAP
This.