1. |
Remembering 2020
02:35
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Twenty-twenty has been historic. A year in which people the world over were reminded of how vulnerable we humans are to the microorganisms with which we share the Earth. The world’s wealthiest nation tops 300,000 deaths.
The essential feature of democracy — the transfer of power by vote rather than violence — is under assault, not only from the president of the United States, but from one of our two major political parties. The Republican Party has adopted lying and voter suppression as its core strategies.
The Earth burned.
The videotaped death of George Floyd, murdered by a police officer as his blue brothers looked on, was one of the most horrific displays of American racism in decades.
We may remember 2020 as the turning point, the year that our nation hit bottom and began its re-ascent.
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2. |
SUMMER 2020
02:52
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The 2020 race for president is proving to be one of the most unpredictable in history. Trump is determined to blame the current crisis on the media, the previous administration and China.
COVID-19 will dominate American life for months to come. That means the disease, and efforts to respond to it, will likewise dominate the 2020 campaign and make it largely about something it has never been about before - SCIENCE.
It is hard to think of a time when hard science — biology, virology, epidemiology — has been so much the center of our political conflict. Issues from evolution to stem cells to vaccination have long been a part of our political conversation, but not at the forefront of presidential elections.
These are unprecedented times that call for unprecedented efforts to protect our most basic civic liberty. If we plan and execute effectively, we can build a voting system that is even better than what we started with – one that guarantees that power lies where our Constitution intended - with the people.
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3. |
BIDEN HARRIS 2020
02:45
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Senator Kamala Harris, the American daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, is Joe Biden’s choice for vice president. If Biden wins in November, Harris would break three centuries-old barriers to become the nation’s first female vice president, first Black vice president and first Black female vice president.
It is a watershed moment for African Americans, Asian Americans and women who have so long been excluded from so many aspects of politics.
Kamala brings to the race a more vigorous campaign style than Mr. Biden. She has a gift for capturing moments of raw political electricity on the debate stage, and a personal identity and family story that is quite inspiring.
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4. |
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The 2020 US election is a pivotal moment in world history. America’s role in the world, and the organization of the global system, is also on the ballot. For the first time the United States is provoking pity from the rest of the world, which sent disaster relief to Washington rather than the other way around.
There seems to be an inevitable cycle of history by which great powers grow complacent and decadent and eventually collapse or wither away. It happened in ancient Rome. It is possible for a powerful state to retain the illusion of democracy or republican values long after those values have become nonfunctional.
The fate of the American republic—and the world—could depend on what happens in two weeks. VOTE!
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5. |
Memorial Day 2020
03:53
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"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." - Joseph Campbell
Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. It is a time for remembrance, reflection, and respect for the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. It originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.
Right now, our healthcare workers are on the frontlines of battling the coronavirus that is spreading rapidly throughout the world. Their dedication, commitment and courage deserve our deepest gratitude and admiration. Their service to patients is saving countless lives.
Let us thank all the essential workers who put their lives on the line for us.
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6. |
EARLY VOTING
02:35
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2020 has been hard on us all. Despite a pandemic, dysfunction and destruction of normal life, millions of Americans are braving the weather and their health to vote. Huge numbers of people have voted by mail or at early in-person polling sites amid concerns that the coronavirus could spread at busy Election Day voting places.
This gives me an optimistic outlook for our future, and restores my faith in our democracy, at least for the moment.
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7. |
HOPE IN PROTEST
03:01
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Tens of thousands of people are marching around the world for racial justice and to express their disgust at the torture and murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
President Obama delivered an optimistic message about the protests gripping the nation in response to police violence: “There is a change in mindset that’s taking place. There is something different here. We are witnessing a far more representative cross-section of America out on the streets, peacefully protesting…That didn't exist in the 1960s."
Obama credited the organizing and engagement of young people with forging popular support among a “broad coalition” of Americans regarding the need for transformative change in police use-of-force tactics.
“Just make sure that we now follow through,” he said.
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8. |
Election Eve
02:02
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On the eve of a momentous election, a deeply divided nation is on the edge as it plunges deeper into a pandemic and unemployment rages. The country holds its breath in anticipation of what some fear could be a potential breakdown of law and order or democracy depending on what happens tommorow.
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9. |
Is Democracy Dying?
13:21
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American democracy is in trouble. A lot of history may well happen very quickly in the next few years. Patriotic Americans should work hard to defend our democracy, but failing that, we should also be prepared to rebuild it from the ground up.
The last half of the 20th century was the golden age of democracy. In 1945 there were just 12 democracies in the entire world. By the end of the century there were 87. In the second decade of the 21st century, the shift to democracy rather suddenly and ominously stopped—and reversed.
Right-wing populist politicians have taken power in Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Britain, Italy, Brazil and the United States. Right-wing populists don’t have to make much sense. They can simultaneously blame immigrants for taking their jobs, while claiming that these same people are lazy and sponging off welfare.
Democracy requires people to respect those with different views from theirs and people who don’t look like them. It asks citizens to be able to sift through large amounts of information and process the good from the bad, the true from the false. It requires thoughtfulness, discipline and logic.
What is happening around the world shows that the far-right is on the march. The problem in the US is larger than one man. Liberals have been praying for the end of the Trump presidency, but democracy will remain under threat no matter who is in power.
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10. |
Divided We Fall
03:24
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Economic inequality is tearing our country apart. We have divided ourselves geographically, with liberals in urban areas and blue states, and conservatives in rural and red. We get our news from sources that reflect our partisan assumptions.
The rich now dominate our system of governance. They participate more at every stage of the political process, from meeting candidates, to donating to their campaigns, to voting and running for office. The majority seem to have no impact on public policy. Everything is dictated by the interests of the wealthy elite. It’s no wonder that trust in government has sunk to all-time lows.
We need to foster economic opportunity with a fair tax system, tougher financial regulations and more investments in education and infrastructure. The foundations of participatory democracy must also be rebuilt by liberalizing election laws and enabling every American to vote and have it count.
Our system does not work anymore. Something radical has to happen. This knowledge is the one thing that the citizens of our deeply divided country still have in common.
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11. |
2020
13:21
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“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
-Oprah Winfrey
However, the world seems to be descending into chaos.
Events like Brexit, the war in Syria and the rise of Donald Trump have raised disturbing questions about the lack of global stability. These turbulent events also contribute to a feeling that the systems that are in place, which are intended to bring about progress and prosperity, are now failing.
Trump had hoped to head into the 2020 campaign season as the world’s consummate deal-maker. He may instead enter his reelection campaign not just empty-handed, but vulnerable to the charge that his policies have helped sow chaos across the globe.
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12. |
The Impeachment Farce
02:23
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Trump appears to be headed for an all-but-certain acquittal after Republican Senators rejected the Democrats’ efforts to call more witnesses.
The entire GOP is rotten to the core. We seem to be living in a banana republic and we must VOTE them out in November. We can only hope that US voters prove more judicious than their elected representatives.
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13. |
President's Day
02:39
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President's Day brings up the comparison of our first president with our current president.
Donald Trump is the first president to fully exploit the presidency for personal profit. He has shamelessly run his businesses and driven resources to his businesses, while pretending to serve the public.
On the other hand, George Washington devoted himself to the public interest and rejected all forms of personal aggrandizement in office. He was a man of considered wisdom, not a know-it-all. Washington served his country with courage, dignity, and great personal sacrifice. He was a statesman, not a businessman. He prioritized his country, not his pocketbook.
We must expect the same of all presidents.
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14. |
UNCERTAINTY AHEAD
02:45
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The future looks bleak. The U.S. will be less globally important. The inequality gap between rich and poor will have widened and there will be even more political polarization. And then there is the environment and climate change.
Are the current politicians capable of changing any of this?
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15. |
Mad King Trump
03:17
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The more divisive our politics becomes the more important it is to respect the fundamentals of constitutional democracy. Two concepts are critical: elections in which legal votes are counted honestly and the peaceful transition of power.
Trump is doing everything he can to obstruct and delay the transition of President-elect Joe Biden to the White House. Trump still refuses to recognize Joe Biden as president-elect and questions the legitimacy of the election without citing any proof.
Delaying the transition of power is downright dangerous.
Trump has revealed levels of American ignorance, denial and viciousness.
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16. |
THE NEW NORMAL
02:48
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The coronavirus pandemic will continue to change our daily lives. Maintaining distance from others will likely stick around. Social distancing may need to continue for years. Researchers predict that the virus will return every winter, and that prolonged or intermittent social distancing strategies could limit the strain on health care systems.
Americans are eager to return to life as it was before the pandemic but that won’t happen anytime soon. Until we have widespread immunity, what we need to establish is a new “normal” built on new routines and new resources. Some things may have changed forever: Handshakes may become a thing of the past, curbside pick-up of goods may stay with us and more schooling may be done at home.
The new normal just might be better than the old normal.
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17. |
The Bubble Bursts
02:54
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We have been living in a bubble of false comfort and denial. In the rich nations, we have begun to believe that we have transcended the material world. The wealth that we have accumulated – often at the expense of others – has shielded us from reality. We persuaded ourselves that we had reached the point of being insulated from natural hazards.
Now the membrane has ruptured, and we find ourselves naked and outraged. When this pandemic has passed, the temptation will be to find another bubble. We cannot afford to succumb to it. This could be the moment when we begin to see ourselves, once more, as governed by biology and physics, and dependent on a habitable planet.
Never again should we listen to the liars and the deniers. Never again should we allow a comforting falsehood to trounce a painful truth.
We can no longer afford to be dominated by those who put money ahead of life.
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18. |
We Remain Divided
02:21
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Americans are more divided than ever - gridlocked over social issues, race, gender and the economy. The fundamental division in our country seems to be between people who are comfortable with the changing face of America and those who are fearful of losing status.
Justified or not, the fear of a Biden presidency is as strong for the right as a second term for Trump is for the left. How do we move forward? How do we find civility? Common ground? Unity? Sanity?
We could unite around a common enemy, the coronavirus. We are only as divided as we choose to be. It won't be easy to unite and heal but that is precisely what we must do.
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19. |
Trump's End Game
02:42
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The most important move any president makes is their exit. This peaceful transfer of power is the radical idea at the heart of American democracy.
Donald Trump, the president from Queens, seems to be running out of moves on the electoral game board. In chess, you don’t keep fighting when your situation is hopeless. It’s kind of an insult to the game not to resign.
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20. |
Georgia Runoff
02:44
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The history of the January 5 runoff election in Georgia starts back in the 19th century. The perceived threat of newly emancipated slaves exercising their right to vote ushered in an increasingly systematic and violent campaign of voter suppression. Voter suppression is an unfortunate legacy of the South’s desperate efforts to maintain white voting majorities at all costs in the years following the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed by President Lyndon Johnson, aimed to end these practices. Unfortunately, this provision was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2013. In her dissenting opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg argued, “Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet."
Neither of Georgia’s Republican senators drew a majority on Election Day, sending both races to rematches in January that will likely determine control of the Senate.
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21. |
A Better Future
03:00
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The American people have chosen decency over dysfunction, fact over fiction, truth over lies and empathy over cruelty. We have the opportunity to fix a broken healthcare system, to repair global alliances, to address wealth inequality and to confront corrosive racial bias.
"You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth"
-Kamala Harris 11/08/2020
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Steve Shapiro Oakland, California
Steve Shapiro has composed music for hundreds of radio and TV commercials, documentary films, infomercials and other TV programs. He was the music director at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, which produced hundreds of award-winning educational films and recordings. He has a BA in Music from Brown University and an MA in Music from the Manhattan School of Music. ... more
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