Rebecca Solnit: "I think of voting as a chess move, not a valentine."#
I changed the header graphic on Scripting News today to raise a question with NYC voters. #
Bill de Blasio was mayor. A funeral for two murdered cops. The police stand at attention, their backs turned on the mayor. This was a statement about him for sure, but even more about their disdain for the people who elected him, you and me, the people they're sworn to protect. I grew up in NY, and had plenty of experience with NY cops and this kind of disrespect is, from my point of view, who they are. I know they see themselves as martyrs, that's what the demonstration meant. But they also have a job to do and a chain of command.#
There's a lot of pent up resentment and you can't just wish it away. The mayor, for better or worse, owns it. I can't imagine they'd have much respect for the Democratic Party nominee. Like it or not, this is the city NYers live in. #
I am old enough to remember when John Lindsay, a liberal Republican, back when there were such things, was the newly elected mayor in 1966 and was greeted by a transit strike, shutting down subways and buses. The unions walked all over him. #
I think NYC and NYers will fare better with a Andrew Cuomo. This isn't the first time I've stood up for him on this blog. He resigned in disgrace, humiliated, but I never will forget his leadership during the darkest times of Covid. Cuomo, along with Donald McNeil at the NY Times and Dr Anthony Fauci were the bright beams of intelligence and compassion.#
House of Dynamite is a fantastic movie, it deserved the great reviews it's getting, and I found it easy to watch, though a lot of reviewers said it wasn't. It's exactly the kind of movie I like -- political thriller with ideas rich with intrigue. Great acting and writing. It's the 2025 version of Fail Safe. Both are like stage play, but this one examines the story from all angles, very skillfully, so the story is told iteratively. #
The president in this story is throughtful and deliberative with no time to think. #
It's provocative because the person who would make that choice now just destroyed part of the most famous building in the country on a whim, presumably to show us he has the power to destroy things, which you will not doubt even slightly when you watch House of Dynamite. #
As you watch the movie, hold the thought in the back of your mind. What would Trump do. There was a time when we chose presidents based on our willingness them to have them decide whether or not to launch the nukes. We lost that perspective, but the problem never went away. #
Last update: Sunday October 26, 2025; 9:04 PM EDT.
You know those obnoxious sites that pop up dialogs when they think you're about to leave, asking you to subscribe to their email newsletter? Well that won't do for Scripting News readers who are a discerning lot, very loyal, but that wouldn't last long if I did rude stuff like that. So here I am at the bottom of the page quietly encouraging you to sign up for the nightly email. It's got everything from the previous day on Scripting, plus the contents of the linkblog and who knows what else we'll get in there. People really love it. I wish I had done it sooner. And every email has an unsub link so if you want to get out, you can, easily -- no questions asked, and no follow-ups. Go ahead and do it, you won't be sorry! :-)
