I have just arrived in Austin, which means I now share a city with a certain South African tech billionaire whose idea of legacy involves turning a communications platform into a digital dumpster fire, mumbling about Mars, doing potbellied jumping jacks for MAGA, and posting memes like a divorced Reddit dad on ‘shrooms.
i am a native of austin. an elder. this is one of the best things i have read of late. i would go to boca chica with my family in the '50's, we were living in harlingen then for my father's work...blue collar, painting military bases around texas. he was born in mercedes, his dad, in the army and stationed there in 1918, his mother born in uhland, near austin, german farmers who arrived in the 1850's. boca chica was pristine. locals mainly, no turistas then. and all you relate historically is so on point. el camino real...all along the southwest. my other bona-fides are the english in 1680 and the cherokee of north carolina and the trail of tears. my maternal great grandparents arrived back in texas from mexico city and san luis potosi during the revolution. we are all immigrants of one form or another. sharing this, and i thank you.
Can't thank you enough for your previous work regarding coded resistance. I've sent that to friends in Hungary, Haiti, Israel, Ukraine, etc. and received great feedback from those who "know"of what you write. As you point out, the folk who've grown up under the blanket of an authoritarian regime have a level of understanding than US citizens who do not (yet) know what that "lived experience" consists of. Unfortunately, we're all finding out at a rapid pace.
Your NM shows through in your writing. From work at Sandia and LANL, I've lived in ABQ, Santa Fe, LA, Espy, Taos, and Carson. I feel comfortable in offering that I've seen a bit of your home state. You've definitely distilled the best insights from a NM background.
Many thanks for your efforts. Your work is absolutely important.
Love your writing. I was born and raised and still live in Austin and hate that we're now associated with this lunatic, much less some of the other "powers that be" here in the capital city of the Loan Star State. Thanks for all you do. Just bought your book! Excited to read it.
I think you've hit upon an apt analogy. Onate was so brutal he wasn't profitable for the Spanish Empire, which really took effort on his part.
Musk attacked Social Security so viciously that Republican Congresscritters feared to face their own pissed off voters, who were quite likely armed far better than the Pueblo back in the day. He's no longer politically, or narcissistically, profitable for one Donald Trump.
So Musk has got to go. He's probably bored with DOGE by now and looking for some other new toy to break, anyway.
So many great lines in this article! “Like every rich white psychopath with a God complex and a wallet full of daddy’s sins.” Yowza! As someone with a Ph.D., I truly appreciate the history lesson and the very apt comparison. As a writer and book coach, I admire the writing. Looking forward to reading your book.
Thank you so much for this important reckoning with history, bringing forward the comparisons for today. I, too, am descended from ancestors of whom I am deeply ashamed. My great grandfather, Senator Reed Smoot, and his disastrous 1930 tariff, destroyed the American economy. I’ve worked to bring attention to the lasting damage it has caused, and I see a similar situation in your writing. Thank you for showing the way.
Brilliant, I retired, living on a fixed income, and cannot subscribe or even send you a tip.
I can however, say thank you.
i am a native of austin. an elder. this is one of the best things i have read of late. i would go to boca chica with my family in the '50's, we were living in harlingen then for my father's work...blue collar, painting military bases around texas. he was born in mercedes, his dad, in the army and stationed there in 1918, his mother born in uhland, near austin, german farmers who arrived in the 1850's. boca chica was pristine. locals mainly, no turistas then. and all you relate historically is so on point. el camino real...all along the southwest. my other bona-fides are the english in 1680 and the cherokee of north carolina and the trail of tears. my maternal great grandparents arrived back in texas from mexico city and san luis potosi during the revolution. we are all immigrants of one form or another. sharing this, and i thank you.
Very well done.
Can't thank you enough for your previous work regarding coded resistance. I've sent that to friends in Hungary, Haiti, Israel, Ukraine, etc. and received great feedback from those who "know"of what you write. As you point out, the folk who've grown up under the blanket of an authoritarian regime have a level of understanding than US citizens who do not (yet) know what that "lived experience" consists of. Unfortunately, we're all finding out at a rapid pace.
Your NM shows through in your writing. From work at Sandia and LANL, I've lived in ABQ, Santa Fe, LA, Espy, Taos, and Carson. I feel comfortable in offering that I've seen a bit of your home state. You've definitely distilled the best insights from a NM background.
Many thanks for your efforts. Your work is absolutely important.
Love your writing. I was born and raised and still live in Austin and hate that we're now associated with this lunatic, much less some of the other "powers that be" here in the capital city of the Loan Star State. Thanks for all you do. Just bought your book! Excited to read it.
Fuckin’ love it.
I think you've hit upon an apt analogy. Onate was so brutal he wasn't profitable for the Spanish Empire, which really took effort on his part.
Musk attacked Social Security so viciously that Republican Congresscritters feared to face their own pissed off voters, who were quite likely armed far better than the Pueblo back in the day. He's no longer politically, or narcissistically, profitable for one Donald Trump.
So Musk has got to go. He's probably bored with DOGE by now and looking for some other new toy to break, anyway.
So many great lines in this article! “Like every rich white psychopath with a God complex and a wallet full of daddy’s sins.” Yowza! As someone with a Ph.D., I truly appreciate the history lesson and the very apt comparison. As a writer and book coach, I admire the writing. Looking forward to reading your book.
Thank you so much for this important reckoning with history, bringing forward the comparisons for today. I, too, am descended from ancestors of whom I am deeply ashamed. My great grandfather, Senator Reed Smoot, and his disastrous 1930 tariff, destroyed the American economy. I’ve worked to bring attention to the lasting damage it has caused, and I see a similar situation in your writing. Thank you for showing the way.
Ditto Lisa T. I live on SS - until they take it away. But I am so grateful for writings like yours. Mil gracias siempre. (P.S. Great illustration!)
Cannot wait for the novel. Beautiful writing, hell of a story.