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I will host my regular Saturday livestream on March 7 at 9 am Pacific / Noon Eastern. Submit questions in advance, here: Reader Questions.
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For a brief moment, America was reminded of what it once was—and what it can become again. Three former presidents and a former vice president spoke at the memorial service for Rev. Jesse Jackson. Each, in their own way, gave remarks that were dignified, graceful, and a reflection of what is the best in America. Biden, Obama, Clinton, and Harris each delivered appropriate remarks celebrating the life of Rev. Jesse Jackson. To the extent the eulogists spoke about themselves, their purpose was to illuminate Rev. Jackson’s role in their lives as a mentor, friend, and inspiration.
It was a moment of grace and respite as Trump’s illegal war against Iran descended into chaos, as the White House released ghoulish, immature videos that glorify death and destruction. As described by Newsweek,
The clip features several actors in iconic roles from action franchises and television programs. This includes Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Tom Cruise in Top Gun and Tropic Thunder, Russell Crowe in Gladiator, Mel Gibson in Braveheart, Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul, Christopher Reeve as Superman, Keanu Reeves in John Wick, Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad, and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. Characters from Transformers, Halo and Yu-Gi-Oh! also feature in the clip, as does Adam Driver as Star Wars villain Kylo Ren. (Note: I have chosen not to link to the videos to avoid driving more traffic to them.)
One of the clips ends with a child’s cartoon character, SpongeBob SquarePants, saying, “Do you want to see me do it again?“ before showing US missiles killing more people.
Killing people, even in war, is not a cause for celebration. Americans would rightly recoil in disgust if Iranians celebrated and mocked the deaths of the six American soldiers killed in Trump’s war on Iran. The immature, adolescent-teen vibe to the videos reflects the school-boy bravado that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth displays every day at press conferences. See Peter Wehner in The Atlantic, Pete Hegseth’s Moral Unseriousness.
Wehner writes,
Wednesday’s briefing, for example, featured the usual Hegseth hubris, strutting, and cockiness. “I stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury: America is winning decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy,” he said. He declared that, four days into the mission, Iran is “toast, and they know it. Or at least soon enough they will know it.” He compared the Persian nation’s predicament to that of a football team: “They don’t know what plays to call, let alone how to get in the huddle and call those plays.”
There was not even a hint of the challenges that might lie ahead in the conflict with Iran, a nation of 90 million people that borders seven countries—challenges that might include internal fragmentation and chaos, a dangerous insurgency, humanitarian crises, regional destabilization, and global economic disruption.
Compare the callous, childish remarks of Hegseth and Trump to the clarion calls to our better angels by President Obama, President Biden, President Clinton, and Vice President Kamala Harris. Each speech is worth your review, even in part. But President Obama’s closing passages deserve special attention.
The video is here: : We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope . . . .
President Obama posted the transcript of his remarks here: My Remarks at Reverend Jesse Jackson’s Celebration of Life | by Barack Obama | Mar, 2026 | Medium.
President Obama said, in his closing remarks,
We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope. Each day we wake up to some new assault on our democratic institutions, another setback to the idea of the rule of law. An offense to common decency.
Every day you wake up to it, to things you just didn’t think were possible. Each day, we’re told by those in high office to fear each other and to turn on each other — and that some Americans count more than others, and that some don’t even count at all.
Everywhere we see greed and bigotry being celebrated, and bullying and mockery masquerading as strength; we see science and expertise denigrated while ignorance and dishonesty, and cruelty and corruption, are reaping untold rewards.
Every single day we see that. And it’s hard to hope in those moments.
So it may be tempting to get discouraged, to give in to cynicism. It may be tempting for some to compromise with power and grab what you can, or even for good people, to maybe just put your head down and wait for the storm to pass.
But this man — Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson — inspires us to take the harder path. His voice calls on each of us to be heralds of change, to be messengers of hope; to step forward and say “Send me” wherever we have a chance to make an impact — whether it’s in our schools, in our workplaces, in our neighborhoods and our cities. Not for fame, not for glory, or because success is guaranteed, but because it gives our life purpose, because it aligns with what our faith tells us God demands, and because if we don’t step up, no one else will.
President Obama frames the challenge that confronts each of us: If we don’t step up, no one else will.
There is a note of ambiguity in Obama’s final words. He is not saying that if we don’t step up, no one will. Instead, he is saying that we must step up to inspire others to do so. We must be the example so that others will step up as well.
Here’s the good news: Americans are stepping up as never before because they know that our generation must redeem democracy just as every generation before us. Yes, it can be hard to hope on some days. But more often than not, I am hopeful because of you—Americans who have chosen to step up during a moment of crisis in our country.
Trump’s war on Iran spins out of control as the economy falters.
Trump’s illegal, ill-conceived war is spinning out of control as Iran seeks to broaden the war to nearly every country in the Middle East. On Friday, we learned;
Trump and Hegseth have requested that US defense suppliers quadruple their output of precision weapons—an alarming fact that suggests that even the military is surprised by the high rate of consumption of expensive precision missiles that are the backbone of an air war against a vast country of 90 million people. See CNBC, Trump says defense CEOs agree to quadruple production of ‘Exquisite Class’ weaponry.
The abrupt cancellation of military exercises for the leadership of an elite paratrooper unit has caused some observers to fear that the US is preparing for a ground assault in Iran. See The New Republic, DOD Cancels Army Training, Sparking Fears of Escalation in Iran.
Per The New Republic,
The U.S. Army spontaneously canceled a training exercise for an elite team this week, raising concerns that the soldiers may soon be expected to deploy to Iran.
The headquarters element of the 82nd Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, pulled out of a major training exercise earlier this week. The brigade is a rapid-reaction paratrooper division, comprising up to 5,000 soldiers that are capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
A disturbing report suggests that Russia is aiding Iran in identifying US military targets in the Middle East. See Institute for the Study of War, Iran Update Evening Special Report, March 6, 2026. Per ISW,
Russia is reportedly sharing intelligence with Iran to support Iranian attacks against US forces in the Middle East, which highlights the deepening cooperation between two major US adversaries. Iran may not have regular access to high-quality satellite imagery, even from commercially available sources, and may be relying on Russia to get such imagery. Russian intelligence sharing, thus, may be supporting Iranian strikes on US military assets. Multiple people familiar with US intelligence stated that China may be preparing to provide Iran with financial assistance and missile components.
Meanwhile, spikes in crude oil prices and spot shortages have the administration lifting sanctions on Russian oil for India. That would be the same Russia that is helping the Iranians target US military bases. If the US lifts sanctions against Russian oil, that will help Russia fund its war against Ukraine—a nation that the US is now looking to for expertise in defending against Iran’s low-cost drones. See CBS News, U.S. turns to Ukraine for drone defense expertise in Iran war, but solutions may take time.
The reality of oil price shocks has finally pierced traders’ consciousness, as Wall Street saw a weekly decline that erased all 2026 gains and pushed the major indices into negative territory. See Bloomberg, Wall Street’s Safety Net Falters During Iran War Market Turmoil. (“Throughout the week, stocks and bonds repeatedly fell together as oil surged and the inflationary shock of a supply disruption pushed Treasury yields higher instead of lower . . .The result was the worst combined week for stocks and bonds since the tariff stress last April.”)
The oil shock to the stock markets was exacerbated by a miserable jobs report that surprised economists. See Fortune, The abysmal February jobs report shatters hopes of a labor market recovery for 2026.
As the economy falters, the government is distracted by an illegal war costing $1 billion per day for an air campaign. As noted above, reports are emerging about Trump’s desire to send ground troops into Iran. See NBC News, Trump has privately shown serious interest in U.S. ground troops in Iran. A combined air-ground campaign will be costlier, even if the ground component is limited. The logistical and tactical support for ground troops will be enormous.
The rapidly devolving situation demonstrates why Congress should have been allowed to fulfill its constitutional role as a check on the president’s ability to wage war.
Opportunities for reader engagement
I received the following email from Lawyers Defending American Democracy
Dear Meeting the Moment Volunteers,
We urge you to take immediate action in response to a Proposed Rulemaking from the Department of Justice that would thwart the existing lawyer discipline system for current and former Department of Justice lawyers. This proposal would effectively remove DOJ lawyers from the oversight of bar disciplinary authorities that have long existed in the States, Territories, and the District of Columbia, placing the process under the control of the Attorney General.
Please see our Rapid Action for Justice webpage, which details what the proposal would do, explains what is at stake, and outlines how you can make a difference.
Please act now. No lawyer is above the law and no category of lawyers should be shielded from the system that has long existed in this country to ensure that the Rules of Professional Conduct are equally applied to all members of the bar.
With gratitude,
Lauren Stiller Rikleen, Executive Director, Lawyers Defending American Democracy
Elders for Sound Democracy
Minneapolis: The People Who Have Inspired Us.
Please join Elders for Sound Democracy on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 10:00 am Pacific / 1:00 pm Eastern for a conversation with a panel including four volunteers and grassroots organizers from Minneapolis. The panel will share their stories, hard-won insights, and practical lessons about community resilience and collective action. Together, we’ll reflect on their experiences and explore resources and strategies we can apply in our own communities as we work to create the world we want.
Elders for Sound Democracy is a project of Elders Action Network – a non-partisan community of thousands of elders who are taking action to create a better world for our grandchildren, future generations, and all life. We are concerned about what we see happening all around us – and, we are doing something about it! Join our Elders for Sound Democracy community of like-minded elders working to: Protect and Strengthen Democracy—Now and for Future Generations!
Register here: Minneapolis: The People Who Inspired Us — Elders Action Network (There is no fee for this event, though we ask for donations after registration.)
Concluding Thoughts
The chaos that reigns in America tonight is an inch deep. The decency, grace, and normalcy on display at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s memorial service show what America can be once again. We are two election cycles away from reestablishing the rule of law and installing leaders who care about the Constitution and the people, rather than their fragile egos and obscene wealth.
For a brief moment, America was reminded of what it once was—and what it can become again, with your help.
Stay strong! I will talk to you on Saturday!
Pro-democracy protest photos.
[Send photos to rbhubbell@gmail.com. Include city and state in the body of the email. No photos of minors, please.]
Silverlake (LA), CA, 101 Fwy.
Princeton, NJ’s second monthly honk-and-wave rally was organized by Indivisible on a cold, gray Friday. Lots of honking and waving from about 80% of passing vehicles, and some had their own anti-Trump signs.
Lawrence Township, NJ, with Lawrence Citizen Activists, an Indivisible Group
Another Friday, with 60 of us at the Gorman Road Overpass in Howard County, Maryland, over busy I-95.
Georgia Ave and Forest Glen, Silver Spring, MD meeting since April 2025 Friday
I was pleasantly surprised that our local Chatham, MA, Cape Cod Chronicle newspaper used some of my Orleans protest photos in this week’s printed edition. This was an ‘emergency’ protest a day after the Iran bombing. I think local coverage is an important publicity strategy and needs to be encouraged. Seeing is believing.
Protest Photos From Dedham, MA, March 5.
Today marks the 255th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, when patriots in Boston stood up to King George III.
Tonight, community members will gather for a candlelight vigil to speak out against actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in our neighborhoods. The names of individuals who lost their lives in connection with these agencies will be read aloud, and bells will ring from the First Church in Dedham in their memory.
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