Dear THE NEW NOW Readers / #5
Thank you again, to all who are enjoying The New Now on Substack.
I appreciate your support.
Much gratitude.
More to come. Pass it on.
Onward,
Russell
After calling into The Thom Hartmann show yesterday, and talking about The New Now, and in particular saying his listeners should read Living in the Divided States of America, which delves into authoritarianism, the gun violence epidemic, and the climate crisis (along with a few other things), I was pleasantly surprised to see that The New Now was listed in his Hour Three wrap-up.
Thom Hartmann is the #1 progressive radio talk show host in the US and is a New York Times bestselling author, including 4 Project Censored awards. And, you can find him here on Substack.
The Thom Hartmann Radio & TV Program
The Thom Hartmann Radio & TV Program covers US politics and political news commentary, science, culture, and economics. This is the Radio/TV show homepage: the Hartman Report daily newsletter is at
Sue's Daily Stack, Friday, 15 December, 2023
Hour Three: Morbidly rich billionaires in America haven't just been buying Supreme Court justices - they've also purchased over 100 federal judges...
Article: "Billionaires Are Bankrolling Judges' Luxury Travel" by Andrew Perez.
Just how did Trump screw working people to pay for his tax cuts for the Rich...tune in for the sorted story
Article: "How Congress leaned on crime victims to pay for Trump-era tax cuts" by Michael Laris.
Article: "EU has 'Plan B' if Hungary vetoes 50 billion euro aid for Ukraine" by Gabriela Baczynska and Krisztina Than.
Article: "Hungarian Revolution of 1956" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Holodomor" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Prague Spring" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Greatest threat to Europe: Czech President believes Russia ready to annex part of EU countries" by Daria Shekina.
Article: "The Patriot: How General Mark Milley protected the Constitution from Donald Trump" by Jeffrey Goldberg.
Article: "How the US sent $12bn in cash to Iraq. And watched it vanish" by David Pallister.
Article: "Heart Rate Variability (HRV)" by Cleveland Clinic.
Article: "What Is the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)?" by Laura Dorwart.
Site: TEAMStar Retiree Health Plan.
Substack: "The New Now" by Russell C. Smith.
Book: The New Now: Manifestos, Reinventions & Declarations by Russell C Smith, Michael Foster.
Video: Rep. Ami Bera on Congressional News of the Day.
Article: "DeJoy says he was unaware 700 collection boxes had been removed" by Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya and Veronica Rocha.
Article: "Will a Democracy Movement Emerge to Take On the Growing Forces of Fascism? " by Thom Hartmann.
The New Now / Manifestos, Reinventions & Declarations is an insightful, free-thinking, and uplifting Neo-Beatnik collection of manifestos and essays about the New Now we’re living through. Deeply embedded, wrongheaded, calcified cultural norms are being pushed against as never before, and we can understand how societal shifts happened in past centuries – within months, days, or hours, and when a tipping point was finally reached. While holding onto heart-centered awareness, humor, and our humanity – we highlight what’s being done to push back against stolen human rights, book banning, and extremist censorship in this updated & expanded edition. Fast forward several years past 2020 (when we released the earlier version of this book), and our world is in turmoil, with a global surge in unbridled authoritarianism, and the gun violence epidemic and the Climate Crisis ramping up, there’s much more at stake when it comes to building the future we want to live in. The New Now offers insights into how we can shift our perspective. During these globally unbalanced times, this book contains ideas on regaining our balance and moving forward in a joyfully grounded way – while staying in touch with our deepest selves using creativity, camaraderie, and wonderment.
I feel like this book belongs alongside Timothy Snyder's "20 Lessons On Tyranny" as required reading for the 21st Century.
- Alisa Kennedy Jones, author of Gotham Girl Interrupted: My Misadventures in Motherhood, Love, and Epilepsy.
Reading this book is like going to a 'Between Your Ears' Yoga class. I've never regretted a good stretch and always feel so much closer to myself by the end.
Humanity is in a state that we have never seen the likes of before. It's palpable. What on earth are we going do? What can we do?
An Authoritarian approach will only lead us to experiencing life as a threat, and cuts us off from our emotional intelligence and inner guidance. We end up residing in the reptilian brain - merely surviving. Tight control leads to collapse. It crushes creativity and leads to victimhood. (See the chapter “The End of Authoritarianism.”)
When we get quiet enough, I think we have all heard the whispers that come from the deepest parts of ourselves. In our heart of hearts, we all have a strong sense of who we could truly become. Not the grandiose fantasies - but the ones that require courage and strength, and make us shake in our boots, a little or a lot. Those whispers fan the flames of our life force. Some of us will have bellows. Others are drawn to tend the fires of hearth and home. Equally valuable. The heat from our flames will embolden us to live in a courageous, respectful way. Simultaneously autonomous, and united with all humanity. That's a world I want.
What else? Don't be shy. It's a wonderful and balanced offering with lots of levity and lots of quirky bits.
T. King, British Columbia
Yes! You and Timothy Snyder.
Thanks for reading and supporting, Mike!