Saving Graces 11.20.22
Politics,Paradox, Pieces of the Sky
Thanksgiving greetings, with lots on the news-scape this season of gratitude!
A fitting place to start may be the root — literally. The title word grace, one of my favorite concepts and proper names, shares Latin-origin gratia with the gratitude of this very American secular holiday.
These are title themes and pictured images to notice while reading or listening:
🔷 Among gratia’s Latin meanings: Thanks, a blessing, an unearned gift. The word in Hebrew includes precious in its meanings. Religious traditions add dimensions of unmerited divine, miraculous or charismatic assistance. (Just within Christianity, different sects delineate four or five to many more types and complexities in their theologies of grace.)
🔷From newShrink’s depth-psychology perspectives from Jung and others, the title phrase saving grace takes on the sense and paradox of holding and attending to elements of both light/consciousness and shadow/unconscious. There is plenty of both in any week we track American news. It’s especially so with this edition’s surprises and still-hot political drama of midterm-election aftermath.
🔷 Celestial events are also in the week’s news, both literal shooting-stars and several of the emergent shining-star human variety. (Pictured at left and right above, the Leonid meteor showers were forecast to peak this weekend. The NASA shot on the right captures the Leonids’ signature balls-of-fire.)
🔷 About this cameo appearance by the poet of a singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris on her 1975 Pieces of the Sky album cover: Since wee hours of post-election counting, today’s title phrase saving grace had been humming with Emmylou’s voice in the background as part of an inexplicable song lyric ear-worm. The phrase is repeated in the refrain in her song of haunting near-gospel-style reverence, “Boulder to Birmingham.” (Citing this one in text misses something — it’s well worth the quick Google search.)
Harris is a long favorite, but I somehow hadn’t heard or revisited her work in a long time. It wasn’t until this weekend’s developing themes of star-quality humans and heavenly meteor showers — those literal pieces of the sky — that the title of the song’s original album surfaced. Voila!
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Today’s News Notebook is largely a sampler of election-month headlines and highlights with some comments. (Most links have text, audio and video options.)
Election Ineffables
(Top center stock NYT times photo; bottom center photo of January 6 first-anniversary display by Jacquelyn Martin of Associated Press.)
As the sunset-lit flags and U.S. Capitol symbolize above — and as pundits, scholars and the rest of us are still processing — much has been surprising, multi-faceted, more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts, about this season’s midterm election results and ensuing chapter in our politics. Something quietly sane, maybe saving, has somehow cut through all of that noise, chaos, utterly bruising craziness that have come to seem the-new-normal.
I highly recommend Heather Cox Richardson’s daily accounts (www.heathercoxrichardson.substack.com). Here are a few perspectives.
Democracy Was on the Ballot — And Won (The Atlantic)
The American crisis isn’t over, but the midterms were a good sign.
Opinion: Above all, voters chose to uphold democracy (From the Associated Press, in The Charlotte Observer)
(And as my home state illustrates, democracy isn’t monochromatic.)
Opinion: After midterms, North Carolina is still bleeding red (The Charlotte Observer editorial board).
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Looking at many of these results through psychological lenses, a distinct pattern of increasing psychological (and moral) maturity is encouraging — though by no means universal or necessarily enduring and bipartisan. Among many factors that mark developmental maturity throughout adulthood, one notable here is demonstrated capacity and routine habits of owning, considering and factoring-in both light and shadow aspects (including self-awareness). The other, related, is the ability to hold, think-through and process paradox, which defines development of moral maturity past adolescence. It’s essential to effective, appropriately complex decisions and action.
Here’s a glimpse of some shining stars, archetypal figures and parodoxical instances that may suggest an emerging pattern, an
Adulting of America… (The Verb?)
Papa Joe, the archetype
President Joe Biden is pictured at top center, again at his somber pre-election speech to all Americans about great risks to our democracy. As with any President, Biden serves as the screen of sorts for the multiple varied archetypal projections from all of us. The less conscious we are of them, the more conscious he must be in order not to be unduly influenced, limited or even driven blindly by these projections.
Particularly vivid in scenes like this speech occasion, Biden brilliantly instead carries and embodies that archetype of benign, patiently forbearing Parent. He’s seemingly-a-bit-bumbling, slightly boring do-the-right-thing Parent-Papa figure. In this his demeanor, speech around such issues as inflation, the economy, international affairs, and follow-through actions are so familiar. They call to mind those many adult- and parent- or grandparent-moments described in the therapy room, experienced by so many of us all the time when guiding children, teaching, helping, or leading adults: The times and situations where solution, choice or action can be right and not yet (or maybe ever) bring about desired or sought responses — and perpetual course-changing creates worse problems.
As with all archetypes, it’s not that President Biden is or even wants to be this benignly bumbling papa-figure to us all. In post-Covid, Trump-satiated chaotic America, that simply seems the role we need him to carry awhile for us all.
Biden Warns That ‘Big Lie’ Republicans Imperil American Democracy (The NewYork Times)
In a prime-time address, President Biden condemned election violence and voter intimidation just days before Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Here is a full transcript of President Biden’s speech on saving democracy (NYT)
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Moving to the picture at bottom center, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week epitomizes the center column message from Jungian Marie-Louise von Franz about the psychologically mature personality.
As Tennyson put it,
“The old order changeth, yielding place to new…”
So much in both manner and substance of Pelosi’s decision to step down as leader and keep her seat in a supportive role is effectively rewriting the playbook on tranferring generational power. Also extraordinary, her second- and third-highest-ranking House leaders — like her, both octogenarians — followed suit with their own leadaership roles and succession.
Pelosi, herself, has famously stated and lived the adage that power isn’t given, it must be taken, earned. And paradoxically, here, she both gives power in order to empower others toward shared goals. In the process, also paradoxically, she expands her power even more, some of it along entirely different dimensions.
Pelosi stepping down as top House Democrat after 2 decades in leadership (The Washington Post)
Pelosi’s ability to keep her caucus in line has led to bipartisan recognition that she alone may be capable of wrangling Democrats’ disparate factions.
Live Updates: Nancy Pelosi Says a ‘New Generation’ Will Lead House Democrats (The New York Times)
This is one of the best-written, well-delivered speech of any kind that I have heard in awhile. I highly recommend watching the entire video. (I wish I had written it.)
Full Transcript of Nancy Pelosi’s Speech (NYT)
The first and only female speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi announced that she would step down from leadership in January but would remain in Congress.
If elected, the 52-year-old chair of the House Democratic Caucus would become the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress.
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Starting at top-left pictures, here are highlights from some of the shining success stories from the midterms.
“Catch a falling star…”
In Surprising Number of States, Democrats All but Ran the Table
Defying history, Democrats won power in state capitals across the country, while Republicans deepened their control of red states.
Gretchen Whitmer wins governor’s race in Michigan (PBS)
This is a bit of an understatement. Not long ago this was the governor seriously targeted for violent kidnapping, in a state whose legislature held session while gunmen armed with semiautomatic weapons stood sentry over proceedings.
For the first time in some 50 years Michigan Democrats won leadership in both houses as well as governor and state-election oversight roles. Before the Supreme Court Dobbs decision came down in June, Whitmer foresaw how it could reactivate a defunct, draconian state abortion ban. She led and stood with women’s groups and others in averting that and getting state constitutional protection of abortion rights on the ballot this month. Michigan voters enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution last week.
As NYT columnist and Duke professor Frank Bruni put it, this midwestern-accented woman looks a bit like a 40’s classic movie star, fondly claims the beer-crowd-friendly nickname “Big Gretch.” This week I think she’s looking like a rock star.
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Time and space reasons limit my comments here on PA Senator-elect John Fetterman and his story. I’ll likely return to say more about its several psychological dimensions — both clinically around his stroke and speech impairment and from perspectives of depth psychology and our collective projections on him.
For now I share this selection of articles, several of them from The New Yorker despite its pricey and possibly more restrictive paywall. These are exceptions to what I’ve considered unfortunate, inaccurate dismissive, even ridiculing, content and tone in coverage of Fetterman by a wide range of talented, renowned national journalists and columnists who know better.
I’m not a Pennsylvanian, and knew nothing of then-Lt. Governor John Fetterman before watching and listening to him closely, repeatedly, calmly and intelligently hold Pennsylvania elections together to conclusion through intense and threatening 2020 election-denial chaos. It so moved me that I began sending the guy repeat-monthly small $, and that’s not something I routinely do with out-of-state candidates.
For the record, his often belittled 13 years as a hands-on problem-solving mayor of an overlooked town and his Brazilian-immigrant wife’s community work are exemplary, too. And in case anyone is looking, before our eyes since a painful-to-watch and astonishingly brave debate performance the recuperating Fetterman is getting stronger, articulating words — plus much-needed shedding of a lot of weight that must be potentially lethal medically.
I think, and hope, this guy and his family may surprise those who have underestimated him as a senator for his state and all Americans.
John Fetterman’s rise from small-town mayor to Pennsylvania senator (Guardian)
The unconventional senator-elect who ‘bet on the people of Pennsylvania’ and won will now head to Washington and sit in a deeply divided Congress
The Unlikely Victory of John Fetterman (The New Yorker)
In the early hours of the morning, as it became clear that Fetterman had won his crucial Senate race, his watch party turned from tension to celebration.
Inside Fetterman’s Stunning Win (The New Yorker)
The senator-elect’s advisers reflect on the campaign’s difficulties, why the country underestimated their candidate, and how he pulled out an unlikely victory.
What Voters Can and Can’t Learn from John Fetterman’s Stroke (The New Yorker contributing writer Dhruv Khullar is a practicing physician and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College.)
Health is rarely the thing that differentiates a competent politician from an incompetent one.-
The above piece, by an M.D., raises concerns I particularly want to revisit later. I’d include discussions — by voters or journalists and pundits — of President Joe Biden’s possible age-impairments, worsening speech gaffes. (This is with no mention or discussion of the level of intentional executive-function cognition involved just in getting intelligible words out without stuttering.) In opening his mouth he’s already functioning better than many leaders in the public sphere. Similarly troubling are casual references, comparisons and conflations of mental-illness, developmental or injury-generated speech impairment, and traumatic brain injury — by journalists, politicians and pundits who know little and care less about the distinctions and overlaps.
Meanwhile, at bottom left, another winner with a long and impressive back-story of caring accomplishmnets:
Karen Bass Becomes First Woman Elected as Los Angeles Mayor (NYT)
Ms. Bass, a longtime congresswoman and state lawmaker, defeated Rick Caruso, a billionaire developer, to lead a city where frustration levels are high.
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Looking now to right-column photos above…
Holding Paradox, Owning Shadow
First this,
House Majority Is Lost, thanks to Deep-Blue New York
Sean Patrick Maloney Concedes to Mike Lawler in Major Loss for Democrats (NYT)
Mr. Maloney, who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, was seeking to represent a different district after New York’s messy redistricting process.
Analysis: A Powerful N.Y. Democrat Was a Shoo-In for Re-election. What Happened? (NYT culture columnist Ginia Bellafante)
Democrats won tough races across the country. How did a party leader and a five-term congressman lose?
Opinion: Why the Democrats Just Lost the House (NYT Guest Essay by Howard Wolfson, former NYC Deputy Mayor and political advisor to Michael Bloomberg and Hillary Clinton)
And yet also this,
Reproductive Rights Win, even in McConnell’s Deep-Red Kentucky
Where abortion was on the ballot, midterm voters largely signaled support (NPR)
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Then there is one-of-a-kind Florida, depicted at bottom right:
DeSantis defeats Crist, wins 2nd term as Florida governor (WAPO)
Florida lurches to the right, crushing Democrats ahead of 2024 (WAPO)
Here again the photo at bottom-right depicts this time of year for falling stars, Leonid meteor showers, known for their fireballs — larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak.
The effect seems a little familiar:
(In the words of the late Jerry Lee Lewis,
“Goodness Gracious… (Great Balls of Fire???”)
Trump branded midterms’ ‘biggest loser’ as DeSantis win fuels 2024 talk (The Guardian)
Republican governor sweeps to victory in Florida while former president condemned for failure of anticipated ‘red wave’
Opinion: The Big Liar and His Losing Little Liars (NYT Columnist Thomas Friedman)
And on the other side of the Florida GOP (a stunning case of ego-identification and shadow-denial, as the Jungians say…)
Opinion: Ron DiSantis’s God Complex (NYT Frank Bruni, illustration by Ben Wiseman of The Times).
Here’s the ad, if you haven’t seen it.
Whew. May we live in interesting times, according to the (likely apocryphal) proverb or curse.
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Next week’s newShrink focus is the planned look at all things sleep-, dream-, health- and seasonal-darkness related. (The Solstice shift to brightening longer days is in 31 days… and counting.)
To Charlotte-area readers and friends: Happy race and would love to see you amid the crowd if you’re among the thousands out Thanksgiving morning for the SouthPark Turkey Trot road race. This year’s my third 8k, and fourth run, in this favorite race. (It’s a lot quicker and shorter than Emmylou’s walk from Boulder to Birmingham — that’s 1,351 miles!) I’ll be toward back of the pack, still nowhere near fast, or getting that way. But endurance and joints are fine from prior years of swimming instead, and I love it!
Today I’ll leave you with a couple of grace-notes.
Pictured at center, the smaller cool-water loon youngsters and/or females arrived from the northeast this week for the winter! The beautiful solo Big Guy continues to show up around the cove, but separately, when these aren’t diving for food. I imagine him either as their community fish-scout, seasonal housing agent or maybe some benevolent King-grandpa dispatching all to their designated winter palaces. (OK, I may have watched and digested the season of The Crown too fast again…)
Pictured above at left and right, this weekend’s peak of the Leonid meteor shower was anticipated to bring an outburst of up to 250 meteors per hour (CNN). Skies here were too hazy for viewing at best time. But even awareness of the phenomena brings some welcome nighttime magic and mystery.
At bottom center some long-timer readers may recognize the repeat photo, several images of the white owl I call Grace.
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And, that is all I have! Talk to you next week.
🦋💙 tish
•🌀🔵🔷🦋💙
… it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give — yes or no, or maybe —
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.
— William Stafford, “A Ritual to Read to Each Other”
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