Keeping Faith in America | News, Sports, Vacancies

WASHINGTON – Greetings from the shock waves at the nerve center of the free world.

Dark rage has been spreading like a plague here since The Washington Post’s billionaire owner Jeff Bezos withdrew his support for Vice President Kamala Harris.

This column on the eve of Election Day is filled with foreboding.

Then came former President Donald Trump’s disgusting rally at Madison Square Garden, riddled with ridicule, insults and racist remarks from his friends, reminiscent of the 1939 neo-Nazi rally on the same site. One “comedian” called Puerto Rico “floating island of garbage” Very smart.

This hated America is not America for me.

Yet Trump is a master of black magic, awakening the dark side in us. Every time. Expert author Arlie Hochschild examines his statements within the framework of the code of grievances, or “stolen pride” in places like Kentucky coal country.

Remember Trump “very nice people” at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Remember the events of January 6, when he incited an armed mob to overrun Congress while it was certifying the election results.

And don’t forget his disrespect for a woman of color, disparaging Harris as “low IQ” Among other things.

It was like the second coming of a chapter best left in the dustbin of history—Trump’s tenure, which began with “American Massacre”. Of course, we know he means every word he says.

Since the news broke like a dam on Friday, the Post has been hit with a flurry of 250,000 canceled subscriptions, several resignations in protest and an outpouring of emotion from inside and outside the newsroom.

One former staffer described himself as “broken-hearted.”

The senior editor called it “The darkest day of my journalism career.”

Our political town is small enough and has a long enough memory to remember Watergate with fierce pride. The Post arrested President Richard Nixon for wrongdoing, leading to his departure from office in 1974.

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the team that investigated the Watergate scandal, expressed dismay at anti-Bezos protesters.

Amazon founder Bezos is originally from Washington, where he founded his company in Seattle. The second richest man in the world has shown how little he understands this beautiful city of riverside monuments and what we hold dear. He will be baffled by the rapid resistance to his attempts to tarnish the everyday pearl. Owning a newspaper carries a civil liability.

Bezos is building a double mansion next to Woodrow Wilson’s old home (both Princeton men), but he has just lost respect and social standing on earth. To make matters worse, his Blue Origin space executives held a meeting on defense contracts the day he blocked Harris’ approval.

At its core, the voice of the capital plays an important role in shaping national discourse and as a central stage in history. If we have little power in electoral votes, then influence fills the gap.

Slogan “Democracy dies in darkness” is on the front page of the Post. Ironic, isn’t it? This election may be our last vote for democracy. Under Trump’s control, this country will not be a country for old people, nor will it be a country for children.

My hometown newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, did the same thing: billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong prevented the paper from endorsing the vice president in its home state; three members of the editorial board resigned. As a biotech investor, he may want to stay on the good side of Food and Drug Administration regulators.

In the city of tomorrow, not yesterday, Los Angeles readers don’t have the same strong connection to their newspaper. It’s personal here. There the conversation is more about scripts, shows and films.

When the two billionaires bow to Trump, they do so knowing that President Harris will not respond with anger at anyone. “enemies from within” Both break protocol when the free press is threatened in Trump’s militarized police state.

Billionaires Elon Musk and Peter Thiel of Silicon Valley are also playing a huge role in the campaign of convicted criminals.

Thiel helped Senator J.D. Vance become the Republican nominee. The way Vance followed alt-right groups like Raw Egg Nationalist on X is a troubling pattern.

I remind myself to keep the faith. Trump lost the popular vote twice. The third time is a charm. Speak, America.

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The author can be reached at JamieStiehm.com. To learn more about Jamie Steam and other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit Creators.com.