16 Comments
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Jeff Lazar's avatar

Wonderful interview...thanks.

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Barbara Dale's avatar

Great interview!

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Gene Krzyzynski's avatar

Thanks, Ann! It's wonderful to hear you spread the word on the nature of threats that our erstwhile democracy is confronting under the rule of a fascist strongman. Not the least of those is MAGA's urging of Americans to eavesdrop and inform on each other to prove fealty to the autocratic regime.

Putin-esque, to say the least.

Which raises the question of exactly who will be knocking on (or breaking down) our door in the middle of the night if we're deemed insufficiently loyal to Der Führer. Goons from Kash Patel's FBI? Soldiers or other mercenaries with no insignia ordered by Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi or Kristi Noem? Thugs from the heavily armed, more-emboldened-than-ever Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and their ilk?

In that vein, The Atlantic's Franklin Foer has an excellent article, posted today, titled "Who Will Stop the Militias Now? By granting blanket clemency to the January 6 insurrectionists, the president has unleashed violent, and loyal, paramilitaries." Mr. Foer offers much food for thought, including this:

"Donald Trump didn’t just grant clemency to individuals; he exonerated their method, which substitutes fists and guns for persuasion and argument. These groups seek to impose their will on society through force. That is the very nature of paramilitary organizations, which mimic trappings of the police and army in order to become unaccountable, private versions of them, forces loyal not to a constitution but to a strongman. They are antidemocratic entities in service of antidemocratic ends. Now those entities and their approach have the blessing, and perhaps even the patronage, of the president of the United States."

Trumpism has many tentacles, fed by constant intimidation and animated by hate – all based on fear.

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Andy Borowitz's avatar

What a joy to have you on the podcast, Ann! Thanks again.

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Ann Telnaes's avatar

It was absolutely my pleasure, Andy!

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Richard Haupt's avatar

The last sentence was most memorable

Thank you

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Michael's avatar

Frankly, I thought you two would have had competing cartoons about each other. While disappointing in that regard, the interview was otherwise wonderful.

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Elaine Waxer's avatar

I am so glad that you agreed to the interview. You were and are great. 👍

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Rosemary Ehle's avatar

"To be able to see yourself as others see you". Wonderful Ann, you sure got that one right.

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Frederick Pickering's avatar

I am DEAF and I cannot HEAR what your video says...I would like you to provide the Closed-captioned (CC) version of the video, 'The Cartoonist who Crushed the Oligarchs: An Interview with Ann Telnaes' and all the videos you will show here in the near future...Thank you

Fred Pickering

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Elaine Waxer's avatar

I am hard of hearing and I endorse cc.

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Cathy Wilcox's avatar

Too bad I can’t hear the interview without paid subscription, even though I’ve paid to subscribe to Ann’s Substack.

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Ann Telnaes's avatar

Hi Cathy- I seem to have lost your email; could you please send to mine?

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Kathryn Parke's avatar

I'm getting messages from Annatelnaes2, I figure this is a faux account or is that real?

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Ann Telnaes's avatar

Not real!

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Barbara Cohen-King's avatar

Very much enjoyed!

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