Monday open thread: Where goes The Bar from here?
We are facing, at long last, a return to relative peace. I say "relative", because let's face it: A good chunk of this country voted to return fascism to the White House, and the war is far from over. Also, even though Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the presidential election, voters split their ballots and returned Nancy Pelosi with a reduced House majority, and the Senate balances on a knife's edge. But, be that as it may, not having Donald Trump bloviating from the West Wing is a big fucking deal. We'll be able to read widely, and watch films and shows, without the nagging feeling that we're whistling past the graveyard. It won't be easy, but it'll be easier.
Which brings us to what awaits us at this here joint.
No, this isn't the beginning of a long goodbye. I started blogging at The People's View in 2012 specifically to support President Barack Obama's agenda. Now, a big part of the The Bar will be blogging in support of a Biden Administration.
But I hope that I and all the writers on this blog will take this opportunity to expand our horizons. I certainly plan to.
I want this blog to expand beyond the merely political. I began the Weekend Self-Care open threads on TPV specifically for that reason. You can look into the Abyss for only so long before it drags you in.
I can't speak for Trevor or Andres, or anyone else who might join us. But for myself, I have things I wish to write about. I want this blog to be both politics and culture. Because the two are inseparable. Also, as I commented on the previous thread, I also plan to bring a focus to foreign affairs. We are an interconnected world, and what happens in Abuja really does impact Peoria.
But I also wish to write about art, and literature, and music. The things which give life meaning. We've been so focused on surviving and excising this cancer, that the things which bring us pleasure have been shunted to the wayside. If we're to continue this war, we must draw sustenance from the things which make us human.
As the old saw goes, the personal is political. The past four years have proven this in spades. Family is family, and I can't cut it out. But I've let friendships fall by the wayside when my eyes were opened to their true feelings. The friendships I keep are testament to my own beliefs, and if you believe in a movement which seeks to impose a fascist autocracy on this oldest of democracies, then I have no room for you in my life. The same applies to culture: to whom you choose to give your leisure time says a lot about you.
There will be more open threads than we're accustomed do, because Christ, we won't have a president tweeting out idiocy every hour of the day. The fact that competence will be back in charge is such a sea-change from the past four years.
At first I was worried about what I would fill these digital pages with. But it will merely be a return to a normal life, where politics aren't the determinant factor in our day-to-day lives. I, for one, look forward to this.
And because I see this blog as a collaborative effort, I'm more than open to suggestions for essays. And if you have something to get off your chest, send it my way and I'll post it.
We few, we happy few, have a lot more work to do. Let's get to it.