Counterpoint 09-21-26 w Scott Harris discusses: Nation rejects Trump's authoritarian onslaught; Trump's instability creates risk of catastrophe; Growing recognition of AI danger provokes calls for regulation; Pro-Palestinian protest at Ed Sheeran concert

Oh, thank you for having me.

Sarah, many of our listeners and I value your insights and perspectives on the many very ugly and depressing issues we face as a country.

And here we are on Donald Trump's 609th day.

I had to look it up.

I mean, it feels like 10 years, but back in the White House in his second term.

Every single day, Trump and his administration roll out more alarming actions that directly attack democracy, free speech, the rule of law, the Constitution, Geneva Conventions, ethics, human rights, while openly engaging in blatant in-your-face corruption.

and you know i've got a i've got three pages of examples just from the last week i i won't bore our audience who probably been following all this but with all of trump's authoritarian onslaught it's really easy to feel overwhelmed tune out the news or some people of course are accepting this madness as normal i wonder what your thoughts are on where our nation is at right now less than two months away from one of the most consequential elections in modern U.S. history that we'll be talking about a little later.

But how do you process what's going on? It's really hard for me, and I know it is for many people.

Oh, sure.

And I think, you know, when you said it feels like 10 years, it's because it has been 10 years.

You know, we have had 10 years of Trump and the Biden interlude was really Trump and his backers continuing to operate behind the scenes because they were never punished, even for open acts of sedition in January 2021.

So this has just been nonstop kind of bad news for a decade.

And then you add in things like AI technology, climate catastrophes, you know, all of these other factors, which of course, Trump and his administration are doing nothing to stop.

They're trying to exacerbate them.

And You know, it is very overwhelming.

I think there's a big difference between expecting the worst and accepting it.

I think it's normal and rational to expect Trump and his backers to do the worst possible things for America, the worst things for ordinary average Americans.

But that doesn't mean you accept it.

It doesn't mean that you kick back and sort of shrug and say, well, You know, I accept this abuse of migrants.

I accept this abandonment of the next generations and so forth.

You know, you have to retain your moral core.

And I wrote an essay about that a decade ago called We're Heading Into Dark Times, you know, that gives advice about how to You know, to keep that moral core and 1 thing 1 thing I recommended people do is just keep a diary, like, write down every day what lines you wouldn't cross what values you maintain no matter what.

And that way, even when you feel shook up and panicked, you still have a sense of who you are within this broader struggle.

Well said.

And I want to get to the election because I'm sure, like millions of people all across the country, we're all deeply concerned about the midterm election coming up on November 3rd.

Oh, thank you for having me.

Sarah, many of our listeners and I value your insights and perspectives on the many very ugly and depressing issues we face as a country.

And here we are on Donald Trump's 609th day.

I had to look it up.

I mean, it feels like 10 years, but back in the White House in his second term.

Every single day, Trump and his administration roll out more alarming actions that directly attack democracy, free speech, the rule of law, the Constitution, Geneva Conventions, ethics, human rights, while openly engaging in blatant in-your-face corruption.

and you know i've got a i've got three pages of examples just from the last week i i won't bore our audience who probably been following all this but with all of trump's authoritarian onslaught it's really easy to feel overwhelmed tune out the news or some people of course are accepting this madness as normal i wonder what your thoughts are on where our nation is at right now less than two months away from one of the most consequential elections in modern U.S. history that we'll be talking about a little later.

But how do you process what's going on? It's really hard for me, and I know it is for many people.

Oh, sure.

And I think, you know, when you said it feels like 10 years, it's because it has been 10 years.

You know, we have had 10 years of Trump and the Biden interlude was really Trump and his backers continuing to operate behind the scenes because they were never punished, even for open acts of sedition in January 2021.

So this has just been nonstop kind of bad news for a decade.

And then you add in things like AI technology, climate catastrophes, you know, all of these other factors, which of course, Trump and his administration are doing nothing to stop.

They're trying to exacerbate them.

And You know, it is very overwhelming.

I think there's a big difference between expecting the worst and accepting it.

I think it's normal and rational to expect Trump and his backers to do the worst possible things for America, the worst things for ordinary average Americans.

But that doesn't mean you accept it.

It doesn't mean that you kick back and sort of shrug and say, well, You know, I accept this abuse of migrants.

I accept this abandonment of the next generations and so forth.

You know, you have to retain your moral core.

And I wrote an essay about that a decade ago called We're Heading Into Dark Times, you know, that gives advice about how to You know, to keep that moral core and 1 thing 1 thing I recommended people do is just keep a diary, like, write down every day what lines you wouldn't cross what values you maintain no matter what.

And that way, even when you feel shook up and panicked, you still have a sense of who you are within this broader struggle.

Well said.

And I want to get to the election because I'm sure, like millions of people all across the country, we're all deeply concerned about the midterm election coming up on November 3rd.