I am so thankful for your words at this particular time. I am an older woman who has learned much about racism due to life circumstances. I have always tried to do the right thing despite the outcome. Yesterday, I received a response letter from our senator after I had written him about my concerns about the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, the Syrian arrested because of student protests at Columbia University. I expected a response along the lines of "It is being handled within the legal system. "
I was so wrong. The letter labeled Khalil as a terrorist siding with Hamas. It went on to say that visas are a privilege and he should lose his green card and be deported. From there, it devolved into antisemitism should be punished along with the University President's who allow it. I have forwarded the letter to our local paper, the state ACLU, and our local NAACP who have been working to protect immigrants.
I am in shock that a senator would so discard the rule of law and attack freedom of speech so blatantly. This is a cause I will take on.
Thank you Susan - for your kind words, and your inspiration. I may not know you, but it makes no difference -I'm proud of you for being willing to make a stand and take on this cause.
We may not know each other as humans, but we are all deeply connected in spirit. I have gotten no response yet from those I contacted, but I am just beginning.
Thank you so much for this, Lori! Such sound advice and recommendations. For me, I will take a stand. I am retired so I don't have to worry about losing a job. My children are grown adults and know that I will always stand for what is right and they support me. If I lose friends because I speak out then I have to wonder if they were true friends in the first place because a true friend supports you even when you don't see eye to eye about some things. Thank you for this post, Lori. Once again you shine light on what many are thinking about.
Brilliant Lori --it's a handbook for NOW and what's next. There's a lot to know and act upon, if you've never lived where democracy is gone and chaos is the strategy of the dictator. What we are seeing in America is millions who have enjoyed peace and security in their own cities and homes for 80 years. They don't know what to do when they realize even they are in the crosshairs of the few ready to plunder and pillage. Red state, blue state--doesn't matter. Your wisdom and intensely practical experience are what we need NOW.
FANTASTIC piece!!! It manages to be complete in a clear, concise manner. This is compelling thought leader. A sane and experienced voice in a turbulent time of terror full of heat but little light.
Powerful words and a reminder to heed as I head out to my very first protest. I’m 64 and will be with a group of women friends who are older than me and feel compelled to stand up and no longer remain silent.
I don't subscribe to any Substack,, but did see your comment on Mugabe's "secret police" so I comment here. I met Solomon Madzore years ago, yet haven't been in communication for years.
I thought Solomon was the most eloquent and succinct speaker on human rights since MLK Jr. Solomon would have been the president of Zimbabwe, but my subsequent research (not shared with Solomon) indicated that it was likely Tsvangirai who faked the charges of calling Mugabe a "limping donkey" to clear the path to Tsvangirai being elected. He had probably won in 2008 and wanted to be sure to win in 2013,, but Madzore was already so popular with the younger voters.
As for your post:
So happy you escaped the 4th gate of hell that Zimbabwe was with Mugabe, and probably still is with Mnangagwa.
As for the fear and intimidation: the solution may be the math of social science.
I proved that the substance of procedural due process is measurable by social equity (a consequence of Coase's Theorem).
Therefore, constitutional due process can be put on software, and with AI on near horizon, probably in less than 5 years a beta version could be released for testing.
This will almost eliminate abuses of discretion by judges, prosecutors and law enforcement.
It is not Mnangagwa that is fighting me (noting that I don't live in Zimbabwe).
It is graduates of law schools in the USA and the EU and Britain that want to block such software development.
These graduates want judicial review (not an implied power in most constitutions, such as the US constitution) because it replaces constitutional law with case law.
Then citizens like you and me must bribe lawyers with legal fees to convince judges and prosecutors not to violate our rights. That is also a consequence of Coase's Theorem.
Therefore, I show that many countries induce social efficiency without social equity, but this software will induce social efficiency if and only if social equity.
I also show that the markets for justice must be included in a Walras equilibrium, so that the excess demand for rights in Zimbabwe requires an excess supply (of wealth) that Mnangagwa captures. This furthers the lack of human rights, yet World Bank, IMF and other naive lenders lend to Zimbabwe to help those suffering, which Mnangagwa captures again, so that each iteration strengthens his grip.
I emailed a couple of times to the World Bank (I am quasi-retired) about this and was ignored. The truth is the lenders could care less about Zimbabwe's people, they just want assurances that the loans will be repaid with money earned from the exports of diamonds.
Then Professors Johnson, Robinson, and Acemoglu received Nobels for correlating rule of law to economic prosperity, so I saw hope for convincing the World Bank not to renew the loans.
However, the new Nobel Laureates are content writing fluff pieces for Project Syndicate and other dog-and-pony show websites.
Sorry for the slow response— that was a lot for me to unpack!
Madzore came after my time, but of course I'm familiar with him from the news. 405 days in solitary at Chikurubi is not easily missed! The results of your research do not— sadly— surprise me. I always felt Tsvangirai was motivated too much by selfish ambition, and was unsure he would have been a better leader than Mugabe.
You've shared an interesting perspective. I agree that governance in Zimbabwe has long been plagued by corruption and economic capture, and the role of international lenders in reinforcing these power structures is worth scrutiny. Your idea of using AI to enforce due process is intriguing—though I imagine the legal profession would fiercely resist anything that reduces its gatekeeping role. I’d be curious to see how such a system would account for the complexities of judicial discretion and real-world power dynamics. Have you published any of your work on this?
No. Not really publishable unless lots a data or something like that. More like sound bites that explain the forest for the trees. The math implies constitutional due process if and only if the golden rule, and otherwise it is "do as I say, not as I do."
Explains how societies could thrive, and why they decay. Coase got a Nobel because his theorem is so encompassing.
This is something new to me: a complete and total inability to communicate in "type". (Attempt #5? Maybe #6.)
I've said too many times that I feel somewhat shaped by my memory of traveling to DC (from PA, not SC) to see President Kennedy lie in state. (It was too long a line, and too late in a really cold night for two too small children, but I remember that we were there in line, and we really wanted to honor the President.)
(Apropos of nothing beyond the power of the cosmos, about 9 years later I encountered his widow on a NYC street.)
And I remember legal racism (segregation) and how NOTHING about it felt right. That night is still SO CLEAR to me, at the small-town movie theatre. It was etched so memorably in my mind, even before someone in the balcony threw his drink on the white audience below. I've never stopped wondering what happened to that young Black teen, and I remember to this moment his eyes as white employees "helped" him out of the balcony.
And this, if you have a moment. This moment is still one of those those won't let go, and perhaps shouldn't. Ever. An innocent child might have died, a victim of my "educated white boy" ignorance...
Lori, I read something very recently. I can't remember, but I think it was a Substack email. It was about how for us to be successful, our efforts need to come from love, not fear.
Lori, I'm not even half there yet. And I have no idea what happens when Mom is gone, but I hope I'll keep trying to make a difference. But even then, the wisdom on this post of yours will be VERY worth remembering, and referencing often. (Spellcheck suggested I might wish to use "reverencing" instead of referencing. Yeah, I believe I do, Lori.)
I found your response so deeply moving, that I had to step away and let it percolate before attempting to respond. Then I read your Medium post, and had to let that percolate too. Today, my brain is overwhelmed, and I know I will not do justice to your comments if I attempt to respond beyond this. So would you forgive me if I take a day more? Meantime, please know that you’re in my thoughts.
I have no expectations, except that you will always be one of the "good ones".
You don't know just how much good it does me to speak, sometimes things I've never expressed before. As I've said elsewhere, while I don't monetize my Medium stuff, for $50/year, it's a heck of a good deal on therapy!
All I want is for the world to have a bit more JUSTICE and EQUALITY over time, not less. It was never easy, to "non-battle" to win the "not-fight", but that's the challenge...to save the world with ONLY honesty and love, instead of lies and hate.
Thank you for sharing this. It’s clear that those memories have shaped you in profound ways. You focus on regret, but there's understanding and compassion. We can see it in the way you move through the world now. That matters.
But maybe it’s time to forgive yourself? Don't forget or dismiss that night, but maybe release yourself from the endless replay of 'what might have happened' because that young black boy made it through that experience. And what has grown in you since —the insight, the empathy, the refusal to be blind to injustice—those are beautiful things and they ripple outward.
You’re still here. You’re still reflecting, still trying, still determined to make a difference. That’s the part to carry forward, not the weight of an old mistake, but the light of what it taught you. Give yourself a little grace, because you’ve already done more with that moment than you realise.
I guess I'm saying that I don't know how to fight while walking backwards.
Or while running backwards.
I thought that the WORST America might be facing at this point (in the future I imagined) would be the possible disappointment of ZERO PROGRESS. But this is infinitely, immeasurably worse.
We had already gone FAR PAST the stage where anyone might ever again ask, "Could America ever choose a Hitler-like leader?", and America is now at the stage of accepting the reality that what we Americans have done is FAR WORSE than anything Germany did to put Hitler in power.
Germany did not have full access to honest news reporting (with appropriate research) from around the world. Nor did Germans have the full advantages of learning from that period of history, as every American did. Every American could study the historical record from almost any point in history to compare outcomes.
America had every opportunity, and even motivation, to do the right thing. Americans just had no desire to do anything but watch America burn....
I can feel the weight of your frustration and grief in every word, so I won’t try to soften it, because it’s real. But I will say this: fighting while walking backwards—while looking back at everything that should have prevented this but didn’t—is exhausting. No wonder you feel blocked.
Maybe the way forward isn’t about looking for where it all went wrong, but about anchoring yourself in what you can still do. What you still believe in. What you refuse to let be extinguished. Because no matter how bleak it may feel, the fight isn’t over, and you’re not walking it alone.
I am so thankful for your words at this particular time. I am an older woman who has learned much about racism due to life circumstances. I have always tried to do the right thing despite the outcome. Yesterday, I received a response letter from our senator after I had written him about my concerns about the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, the Syrian arrested because of student protests at Columbia University. I expected a response along the lines of "It is being handled within the legal system. "
I was so wrong. The letter labeled Khalil as a terrorist siding with Hamas. It went on to say that visas are a privilege and he should lose his green card and be deported. From there, it devolved into antisemitism should be punished along with the University President's who allow it. I have forwarded the letter to our local paper, the state ACLU, and our local NAACP who have been working to protect immigrants.
I am in shock that a senator would so discard the rule of law and attack freedom of speech so blatantly. This is a cause I will take on.
Thank you Susan - for your kind words, and your inspiration. I may not know you, but it makes no difference -I'm proud of you for being willing to make a stand and take on this cause.
We may not know each other as humans, but we are all deeply connected in spirit. I have gotten no response yet from those I contacted, but I am just beginning.
Go Susan. 👏 Please come back and update me, I’d love to know how you’re getting on!
Which senator?
Thank you so much for this, Lori! Such sound advice and recommendations. For me, I will take a stand. I am retired so I don't have to worry about losing a job. My children are grown adults and know that I will always stand for what is right and they support me. If I lose friends because I speak out then I have to wonder if they were true friends in the first place because a true friend supports you even when you don't see eye to eye about some things. Thank you for this post, Lori. Once again you shine light on what many are thinking about.
Thank you Peggy, for your words and your stand. Know I'm standing with you.
Brilliant Lori --it's a handbook for NOW and what's next. There's a lot to know and act upon, if you've never lived where democracy is gone and chaos is the strategy of the dictator. What we are seeing in America is millions who have enjoyed peace and security in their own cities and homes for 80 years. They don't know what to do when they realize even they are in the crosshairs of the few ready to plunder and pillage. Red state, blue state--doesn't matter. Your wisdom and intensely practical experience are what we need NOW.
Thank you Georgia. I’m happy to have helped, but sorry that it’s needed.
FANTASTIC piece!!! It manages to be complete in a clear, concise manner. This is compelling thought leader. A sane and experienced voice in a turbulent time of terror full of heat but little light.
Thank you Susan.
Powerful words and a reminder to heed as I head out to my very first protest. I’m 64 and will be with a group of women friends who are older than me and feel compelled to stand up and no longer remain silent.
Thank you for your work. This was helpful.
I don't subscribe to any Substack,, but did see your comment on Mugabe's "secret police" so I comment here. I met Solomon Madzore years ago, yet haven't been in communication for years.
I thought Solomon was the most eloquent and succinct speaker on human rights since MLK Jr. Solomon would have been the president of Zimbabwe, but my subsequent research (not shared with Solomon) indicated that it was likely Tsvangirai who faked the charges of calling Mugabe a "limping donkey" to clear the path to Tsvangirai being elected. He had probably won in 2008 and wanted to be sure to win in 2013,, but Madzore was already so popular with the younger voters.
As for your post:
So happy you escaped the 4th gate of hell that Zimbabwe was with Mugabe, and probably still is with Mnangagwa.
As for the fear and intimidation: the solution may be the math of social science.
I proved that the substance of procedural due process is measurable by social equity (a consequence of Coase's Theorem).
Therefore, constitutional due process can be put on software, and with AI on near horizon, probably in less than 5 years a beta version could be released for testing.
This will almost eliminate abuses of discretion by judges, prosecutors and law enforcement.
It is not Mnangagwa that is fighting me (noting that I don't live in Zimbabwe).
It is graduates of law schools in the USA and the EU and Britain that want to block such software development.
These graduates want judicial review (not an implied power in most constitutions, such as the US constitution) because it replaces constitutional law with case law.
Then citizens like you and me must bribe lawyers with legal fees to convince judges and prosecutors not to violate our rights. That is also a consequence of Coase's Theorem.
Therefore, I show that many countries induce social efficiency without social equity, but this software will induce social efficiency if and only if social equity.
I also show that the markets for justice must be included in a Walras equilibrium, so that the excess demand for rights in Zimbabwe requires an excess supply (of wealth) that Mnangagwa captures. This furthers the lack of human rights, yet World Bank, IMF and other naive lenders lend to Zimbabwe to help those suffering, which Mnangagwa captures again, so that each iteration strengthens his grip.
I emailed a couple of times to the World Bank (I am quasi-retired) about this and was ignored. The truth is the lenders could care less about Zimbabwe's people, they just want assurances that the loans will be repaid with money earned from the exports of diamonds.
Then Professors Johnson, Robinson, and Acemoglu received Nobels for correlating rule of law to economic prosperity, so I saw hope for convincing the World Bank not to renew the loans.
However, the new Nobel Laureates are content writing fluff pieces for Project Syndicate and other dog-and-pony show websites.
Sorry for the slow response— that was a lot for me to unpack!
Madzore came after my time, but of course I'm familiar with him from the news. 405 days in solitary at Chikurubi is not easily missed! The results of your research do not— sadly— surprise me. I always felt Tsvangirai was motivated too much by selfish ambition, and was unsure he would have been a better leader than Mugabe.
You've shared an interesting perspective. I agree that governance in Zimbabwe has long been plagued by corruption and economic capture, and the role of international lenders in reinforcing these power structures is worth scrutiny. Your idea of using AI to enforce due process is intriguing—though I imagine the legal profession would fiercely resist anything that reduces its gatekeeping role. I’d be curious to see how such a system would account for the complexities of judicial discretion and real-world power dynamics. Have you published any of your work on this?
No. Not really publishable unless lots a data or something like that. More like sound bites that explain the forest for the trees. The math implies constitutional due process if and only if the golden rule, and otherwise it is "do as I say, not as I do."
Explains how societies could thrive, and why they decay. Coase got a Nobel because his theorem is so encompassing.
Lori,
This is my 3rd attempt to comment, due to the many ideas you stirred up in me.
Thanks for writing it, and I'll take a deeper look later. Perhap my thoughts will be more organized by then.
You’re welcome. I look forward to hearing whatever you have to say.
Lori,
This is something new to me: a complete and total inability to communicate in "type". (Attempt #5? Maybe #6.)
I've said too many times that I feel somewhat shaped by my memory of traveling to DC (from PA, not SC) to see President Kennedy lie in state. (It was too long a line, and too late in a really cold night for two too small children, but I remember that we were there in line, and we really wanted to honor the President.)
(Apropos of nothing beyond the power of the cosmos, about 9 years later I encountered his widow on a NYC street.)
And I remember legal racism (segregation) and how NOTHING about it felt right. That night is still SO CLEAR to me, at the small-town movie theatre. It was etched so memorably in my mind, even before someone in the balcony threw his drink on the white audience below. I've never stopped wondering what happened to that young Black teen, and I remember to this moment his eyes as white employees "helped" him out of the balcony.
And this, if you have a moment. This moment is still one of those those won't let go, and perhaps shouldn't. Ever. An innocent child might have died, a victim of my "educated white boy" ignorance...
"White Ignorance and the Small Black Child"
https://medium.com/@foofaraw/white-ignorance-and-the-small-black-child-59f0299451ae
(NEVER a quiz. Promise!)
Lori, I read something very recently. I can't remember, but I think it was a Substack email. It was about how for us to be successful, our efforts need to come from love, not fear.
Lori, I'm not even half there yet. And I have no idea what happens when Mom is gone, but I hope I'll keep trying to make a difference. But even then, the wisdom on this post of yours will be VERY worth remembering, and referencing often. (Spellcheck suggested I might wish to use "reverencing" instead of referencing. Yeah, I believe I do, Lori.)
I found your response so deeply moving, that I had to step away and let it percolate before attempting to respond. Then I read your Medium post, and had to let that percolate too. Today, my brain is overwhelmed, and I know I will not do justice to your comments if I attempt to respond beyond this. So would you forgive me if I take a day more? Meantime, please know that you’re in my thoughts.
Lori,
I have no expectations, except that you will always be one of the "good ones".
You don't know just how much good it does me to speak, sometimes things I've never expressed before. As I've said elsewhere, while I don't monetize my Medium stuff, for $50/year, it's a heck of a good deal on therapy!
All I want is for the world to have a bit more JUSTICE and EQUALITY over time, not less. It was never easy, to "non-battle" to win the "not-fight", but that's the challenge...to save the world with ONLY honesty and love, instead of lies and hate.
Thank you for sharing this. It’s clear that those memories have shaped you in profound ways. You focus on regret, but there's understanding and compassion. We can see it in the way you move through the world now. That matters.
But maybe it’s time to forgive yourself? Don't forget or dismiss that night, but maybe release yourself from the endless replay of 'what might have happened' because that young black boy made it through that experience. And what has grown in you since —the insight, the empathy, the refusal to be blind to injustice—those are beautiful things and they ripple outward.
You’re still here. You’re still reflecting, still trying, still determined to make a difference. That’s the part to carry forward, not the weight of an old mistake, but the light of what it taught you. Give yourself a little grace, because you’ve already done more with that moment than you realise.
I guess I'm saying that I don't know how to fight while walking backwards.
Or while running backwards.
I thought that the WORST America might be facing at this point (in the future I imagined) would be the possible disappointment of ZERO PROGRESS. But this is infinitely, immeasurably worse.
We had already gone FAR PAST the stage where anyone might ever again ask, "Could America ever choose a Hitler-like leader?", and America is now at the stage of accepting the reality that what we Americans have done is FAR WORSE than anything Germany did to put Hitler in power.
Germany did not have full access to honest news reporting (with appropriate research) from around the world. Nor did Germans have the full advantages of learning from that period of history, as every American did. Every American could study the historical record from almost any point in history to compare outcomes.
America had every opportunity, and even motivation, to do the right thing. Americans just had no desire to do anything but watch America burn....
Sorry, Lori. I guess my "blockage" shifted....
I can feel the weight of your frustration and grief in every word, so I won’t try to soften it, because it’s real. But I will say this: fighting while walking backwards—while looking back at everything that should have prevented this but didn’t—is exhausting. No wonder you feel blocked.
Maybe the way forward isn’t about looking for where it all went wrong, but about anchoring yourself in what you can still do. What you still believe in. What you refuse to let be extinguished. Because no matter how bleak it may feel, the fight isn’t over, and you’re not walking it alone.