Here in Austin you get the pleasure to meet a lot of remarkable people, not the least of which for me was Molly Ivins. Molly was a fearless journalist who regularly took on the vested power and wealth on behalf of those who weren’t being heard. She always seemed to do so with a sophisticated intelligence and with an almost surgical sarcasm.
A lot of Molly Ivins fans wish she were here to guide us through the Trump years, but if Molly saw the gathering storm clouds in America very clearly. It seems to me she left us with plenty of insights for what she saw as the coming struggle. Here are 9 bits of Molly’s wisdom you may find helpful:
“When politicians start talking about large groups of their fellow Americans as ‘enemies,’ it’s time for a quiet stir of alertness. Polarizing people is a good way to win an election, and also a good way to wreck a country.”
“Listen to the people who are talking about how to fix what’s wrong, not the ones who just work people into a snit over the problems. Listen to the people who have ideas about how to fix things, not the ones who just blame others.”
“The trouble with blaming powerless people is that although it’s not nearly as scary as blaming the powerful, it does miss the point. Poor people do not shut down factories… Poor people didn’t decide to use ‘contract employees’ because they cost less and don’t get any benefits.”
“How the American right managed to convince itself that the programs to alleviate poverty are responsible for the consequences of poverty will someday be studied as a notorious mass illusion.”
“Whenever you hear a politician carry on about what a mess the schools are, be aware that you are looking at the culprit.”
“On the whole, I prefer not to be lectured on patriotism by those who keep offshore mail drops in order to avoid paying their taxes.”
“It is possible to read the history of this country as one long struggle to extend the liberties established in our Constitution to everyone in America.”