Walter Rhein Podcast

Does the title make you mad? Good. Go do something about it. Speak with decent actions because you’ve already said too much and we’re sick of all the gaslighting.Am I generalizing? Very well then I’m generalizing. American men are the most vile, loathsome creatures that have ever existed. It sickens me that I was born in this country. I have zero respect for any man in this nation. If you think there are some good ones, then let’s see them arrest all the rapists.I’m waiting.I say this as an American man.We’ve failed. We live in a country that’s ruled by pedophile enablers at best. At worst, the crimes are unfathomable.I know American men. They like to puff out their chests and spew their disgusting self-aggrandizing toxic rhetoric. Nobody wants to hear it. Nobody asked. It’s time for them to sit in the corner and shut up forever.They think they’re providers. They think they’re protectors. They insist their rough surface hides a heart of gold.I grew up surrounded by men like this. They always hurt me. They pinched my tender flesh with their hard fingers. They guffawed at me with their stinky breath. They said, “Yeah, that might hurt, but you need to respect and appreciate me anyway because if something bad ever happens I got your back.”Well, where are they?A cabal of pedophiles took control of the country and what did the men do?Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offThey bowed their heads and shrank away. They covered their eyes and ears and pretended they didn’t see or hear. They invoked their right to implausible deniability, and if we call them out they direct their rage at the innocent as always.They’re only tough when it comes to the meek.They sure as heck didn’t stand up to demand justice for those that had been hurt. Why should they start now? They never have. That’s our shameful history. Own it. Repeat it. Recognize it. Tremble at the truth.Wretched American men plastered the name of a monster that hurts the innocent all over their yards and their cars and their foreheads.They guffawed and they pinched tender flesh and they sneered and they threatened like they always do. They call us “hysterical” and “alarmists” and they leave a trail of pain in their wake.Seriously, to hell with these men.American men can never pretend that they’re the heroes in a film again. It’s a lie. It’s a joke. These are nothing more than pedophile enablers. They’re scavengers. They’re predators. They’re slinking cowards who laugh at children and shrink away in the face of evil. They tremble and pledge allegiance in service to their personal code of lies.Such weakness.Such wretchedness.They don’t defend. They don’t resist.They fall over themselves to pledge obedience.They do it again and again and again.They stand for nothing. Their lives are meaningless. It’s getting so the litany of injustices is beyond the scope of human endurance. These men come sauntering up with their thumbs in their belt loops, taking up space and encroaching on the rest of us. They’re always infringing. They claim ownership of everything. They’re the walking, talking embodiment of entitlementWhen we see their crimes and we hear their crimes and we feel their crimes, they say we’re speaking lies.They try to worm their grimy little fingers right into our brains to pluck out our autonomy and flick it away.F**k these white supremacist a******s.Right in plain view they steal elections. They gerrymander districts. They strip women and children of their bodies and their autonomy and all their possessions.They’re foul. They’re loathsome. They’re irredeemable. All of them.And I say this as one of them. F**k all American men. They are the lowest cowards of history.Look around. This is a nation that’s bombing schools. This is a nation that’s kidnapping innocent children and allowing them to be raped in secret rooms.F**k the men who allow this. May our contempt for them never be forgotten. They are the lowest of the low. Every time we think we’re at the bottom, they show they have even further to go. My greatest contempt is reserved for those who have had proximity to power. Those are the ones who turn up on your radio or on your screen or in your feed. They always have an immaculate suit and a perfect haircut. They smile their perfect smile and give a speech from behind the walls of their gated community.“Everything is fine,” they say. “You’ll see. Just send me more money.”And the people do.These men who had proximity to power. These cowards who had the opportunity to stop this, but didn’t, and chose profit instead. Now rather than tell the truth, they see another chance at personal enrichment.Even now they have the resources to resist, and instead they smirk and find new pain to inflict.They are loathsome. They are cowards. They are bags of hot air and s**t.The name of American men has been defiled for all of future history. These are the ones responsible for allowing child rapists to escape accountability.That’s their guilt. That’s their shame. That was the crime that was committed in their name. The worst crime of all. A crime so awful this nation will never recover from the fall.We can’t unsee what we have seen.That’s their legacy.That’s who they are.They’re liars and deceivers and cheats.There never was a heart of gold. There was only volume and stench and sweat and cowardice.The identity of American men must be burned, ground up and scattered so that it can never rise again.The only people of any merit at all in this land are the women. They’ve had to carry on beneath the burden that American men have imposed upon them with their cruel indifference. From now until forever men should be stripped of their leadership positions. Men who are so weak and pathetic and cowardly they have to deny positions of authority to women.They know they cannot win in a fair fight, so they have to cheat.American men are the lying, cheating, s**t stains of history. All of them. Myself included.It’s time for American men to shut the hell up and get the hell out of the way and assist in the ascendance of women. Rich child rapists continue to run free. American men have handed monsters impunity. Many of them cackle with glee. It’s been out in the open for months and months for the whole world to see.American men have been defiled for all of history.This isn’t something you deserve to recover from.Get out of the way American men, you have proven you are unworthy to lead ever again.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

I’m guessing that Democratic strategists are aware that they shouldn’t purchase advertising for their candidates on Truth Social.That’s obvious right?If you purchase advertising on a right wing platform, you end up funding right wing policies with liberal money.Some people might argue, “Well, using a platform like that allows us to reach voters who are outside our base.” However, I think that argument is based on faulty assumptions. Right wing platforms lie and cheat. What’s the point of wasting critical funds by purchasing advertising that’s only seen by bots and white supremacists? They’ll be laughing at you all the way to the bank.You wouldn’t want to advertise on Truth Social any more than you’d want to advertise on 8chan. Those are extremes. But the question remains, where is the line?As far as I’m concerned, left wing candidates need to avoid any algorithm based social media platform. My belief is that they’re all corrupt, and even if they take your money to show your advertisements, I suspect they swarm them with malicious bot content designed to undermine your message.Instead of playing their rigged game by their unfair rules, we have to find a way to circumvent the obstacles. Everybody’s aware that we’re living through unprecedented times.I recently had a conversation with Julie Roginsky. The simple fact that I was talking to her is proof of how topsy turvy the world has become. She’s a Democratic strategist and a television personality. I’m a father of two and a high school teacher.I didn’t have a platform a year ago. Today, I schedule two to three talks a day with political candidates all over the country. Everyone has been activated. The entire landscape is in tatters. We’re living through an era of building the plane as we try to land.In the recent past, candidates could rely on advertising in social media to spread their message. But today, with the proliferation of AI, and the corruption of algorithms, these platforms no longer wield the same level of power.People are sick of having their electricity bills triple to pay for data centers. They’re leaving traditional media in droves. They’re sick and tired of being lied to.Do you know what the general public is hungry for as we approach the 2026 midterms?They want authenticity. They want to talk to real people who look and act and sound like them.For too long, our representatives have been shielded from the general public. They hide out in their mansions in their gated communities and they never have to face any accountability for the hardships inflicted by their choices.The people have had enough.We are looking for candidates who are willing to come and talk to us.Today we have the advantage of technological tools that allow candidates to interact directly with more people than ever before. Subscription based platforms like Substack give us a mechanism for avoiding malicious algorithms that are programmed to bury our content.Subscribing to a newsletter is one of the few places in our modern society where people are afforded a choice. The readers get to curate the content they receive. The readers get to withdraw their support from publishers who don’t serve them.This is the closest thing we currently have to a democratic media, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.It has been shown again and again that grassroots candidates can win elections by focusing on community rather than money. If you’re willing to go door to door and face the people directly, you’ll gain the kind of support that cannot be bought.There’s always a lot of focus on money when it comes to changing the hearts and mind of the public. But I propose that money isn’t as critical as distribution.All the money in the world isn’t going to help you if malicious forces control the distribution mechanisms where you try to advertise. That’s our reality.So, we must find a way to circumvent those right wing controlled systems. The answer is for candidates to address small creators directly. They need to avoid all algorithm based systems, and instead support the small creators who have earned the trust of their readers.This is so simple and so logical that it’s no wonder nobody’s figured it out yet.It’s stunning to me how much people will spend on an assumption. The idea that throwing money at a right-winged owned platform and just having faith that they’ll actually follow through on their commitment strikes me as ridiculous.The right relies not on quality but on destroying all other options. That’s why they’re the book burners. That’s why they claw and scratch and fight to write the history books and ban academic theories from being taught in school.They don’t rely on merit because they know nobody wants to read what they have to say. So, they focus on shoving their beliefs down our throats by depriving us of choice.The way we combat this isn’t to beat them at their own game, it’s to not play at all.Remove the gatekeepers. Remove the filters. Candidates need to find the courage to face their constituents and earn their trust.Why should we vote for some overfinanced candidate that will only speak to us through AI generated videos that show up incessantly on our feeds? I revoke my consent to see things like that.If a candidate wants to earn my vote, they have to show me their face and speak with their voice. I want to see them answering questions from a group of real people, not a pre-selected studio audience.I am tired of artificial reality telling me what to do. I’m tired of having all my options dictated to me. I’m an adult. I want a say in the matter.The first candidates who figure this out are going to have the advantage of early adopters. They will have read the room, and they’ll have a head start in reaching the people where they are.The 2026 election cycle isn’t about money. It’s about access.Treat the people with enough respect to actually go out and talk to them. Show up on livestreams. It’s time we strangled the algorithms that are controlled by our enemies. Don’t use or support a system that’s designed to destroy you. We’re in the midst of the primaries in a political cycle that’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. This is the first election where I’ve spent time not just researching every candidate in my district, but I’ve actually been interviewing candidates all across the country.I don’t want to be content to flip my seat from red to blue. I want to flip every red seat blue, and every blue seat even darker blue. Through the process of interviewing a diverse array of candidates, I’ve learned more about my country than I ever imagined. These are candidates who know their districts better than the folks in Washington DC because they’ve been out in the streets. They’ve been talking to people. They have their fingers on the pulse of our current political moment.Knocking on doors will always tell you more than evaluating spreadsheets.If a candidate can’t gain support by talking with regular people, then that candidate doesn’t deserve the power of political office.The American people have been lulled to sleep, but we’re again waking up to the truth about how much power we wield. We don’t have to accept curated choices. We can pick our own choice and choose that. We don’t have to rely on technological systems that filter out the content we want. Instead, we can rouse ourselves, demand control of our reality, and select exactly what we need.We don’t have to feel grateful for an insufficient choice that doesn’t go nearly far enough. We have the right to demand a solution that works for everyone. We don’t have to listen to what established power structures tell us is “fair.” We get to define what is fair and what isn’t.I’m looking around at the world today. It isn’t fair. We need to rethink everything and rebuild from the ground up. That starts not by funding algorithms but by knocking on doors.Access is what the good candidates need to provide if they’re going to earn the support necessary to win. They have to listen rather than lecture. They have to come to our houses rather than demand we send money to theirs.We have to strike while the iron is hot. We have to abandon the ineffective strategy of appealing to non-existent “swing voters” and instead appeal to those that have never seen enough representation to compel them to turn up.If we want the voters to change their behavior, our candidates must also change their strategies.Depriving the people of access is how a campaign is lost.In order to ride a wave to victory, you have to come in contact with the wave.Access is the strategy that will be the most effective in 2026 and beyond. When candidate show up on independently owned platforms that are outside the corrupt algorithm mechanism, these candidates help build a media system that corrodes the power of our opponents.Candidates that refuse to talk to people will be left behind. Guaranteed.Candidates willing to work with the community to restore the power to the people will be embraced. Guaranteed.It’s not about money. It’s about distribution. It’s about integrity. It’s about access.Access is what’s going to motivate people to leave their homes and go out and vote. The people just want to see something different. They recoil at the same old status quo arguments and strategies that got us into this mess. Anything new will provide a magnetism that the people cannot resist.The Democratic party can no longer submit to allowing the Republicans to control the media and the framing of how every political issue is presented. We can’t allow that.We have to stop playing within the confinements of a corrupt system. It’s time to flip the tables and demand equivalent representation for our perspective.ACCESS!We can’t sit back and expect to make our point in an eight week election cycle when Republicans are out poisoning the minds of the voting base twenty four hours a day and seven days a week.Candidates have to take it upon themselves to uplift the journalists that defend their positions. We have to prepare and educate the general public. Republicans deliberately preach ignorance, and our society wonders why the citizens vote for foul candidates.It’s time that the country remembered that our representatives are servants, not masters. They have to come to us.We need a political movement that’s committed to avoiding the algorithm system entirely. Algorithms choose for you just like abusive partners. We need a political movement that empowers the people to choose for themselves.Prominent politicians can build this by appearing on small platforms. As those platforms grow, they can use their newfound status to elevate others. It doesn’t require money. It requires integrity, time, and access.Let’s cut out the machines and make this about real human beings. We need people asking questions of those who are elected to serve as representatives. If our representatives don’t talk to people, how do they know about the problems that need to be fixed? The algorithms don’t know. The people do. Talk to the people.Access has been deprived for too long and access will be the key to victory in 2026 and beyond. Let’s pull the plug on the machines and give the power back to the real human beings.I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hey Everybody!I really appreciate this conversation. The one thing that’s clear is that Nieta Greene and I want the same thing. We demand a more humanitarian society. But we’ve found that we sometimes have differing visions for how to meet that reality.I give Nieta all the credit in the world for coming on and talking to me. I want to normalize the idea of an academic disagreement between two good faith actors. The way I see it, the problem is that we’re so surrounded by bad faith actors that it’s become hard to distinguish an honest disagreement from malicious intent.I’ve been thinking a lot about this conversation. Nieta Greene’s perspective drew my attention to some issues I hadn’t previously considered. It’s good to be challenged because that makes you readdress the structure of your foundational beliefs and make adjustments when necessary. Always remember that the enemy wants us divided because they know we’re stronger together!You can follow Nieta here:Thank you Natasha K., Jennifer Heinen, Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq., 💨Ashley Schmitt🫟™️, Skutt Hope, and many others for tuning into my live video with Nieta Greene! Join me for my next live video in the app.I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

I’m so sick of these guys who come rolling up, overflowing with entitlement, acting like they’re the stud of the ranch. You can perceive their attitude in the set of their jaw and the subtle tension in their shoulders.The way they move is a threat. The way they look at you suggests they’re willing to fight if you so much as hint that you’re going to stand up for your rights.These pitiful little crybabies are powder kegs of stunted emotional development. They demand that all their needs are met and they don’t care about anyone else.Worst of all, they’ve been coddled their whole lives. At every step of the way they’ve been able to look around and see their viewpoint validated. They see the model for their worldview reflected in television, film, books, and the political landscape.They are the worst of the worst. They’re fragile and cruel.On top of everything else. there’s an army of people out there who insist on apologizing for their atrocious behavior. There’s an army of people who are convinced that underneath that abusive exterior is some imaginary kernel of decency.That’s all nonsense.These men are empty vessels. They have nothing to offer. They’ll stomp angrily to their graves inflicting pain along the way and they’ll leave nothing of value behind them when they’re gone.All they do is destroy. Somehow, those of us who are decent and who do all the work are expected to carry the shame of these loathsome men.I’m done.My own father was a textbook example of the entitled, conservative, patriarch. He liked to bluster and act tough. He used his physicality and his sharp wit to beat us down. But inside, he was pathetic and fragile and always on the verge of tears.If he was so strong, why was it always my job to protect his illusion of identity?He liked to come at me when I was young and my body was still developing. I’ve always had large hips. Even when I was so thin I couldn’t keep my pants up with a belt, it looked like I had “love handles.”For most of my early life, I thought I was freakishly deformed. I came to peace with it, but my father pestered me about it endlessly. “You’ve got to get in shape, we’ve got to do something about your love handles.”As an adult, I know that all people are beautiful. We should grow up to celebrate each other. Human beings can do amazing things. A friend of mine lost her legs in a car accident. Today she’s running on prosthetics. She’s beautiful. She’s an inspiration.But the conservative ideology always wants conformity. When they see something, anything that’s not how they expect it to be, they pick at it until it bleeds.They do this every time.It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized I was just going through a development phase. My father’s attitude was wrong on two levels. He shouldn’t have acted as if the things that made me different were somehow wrong, and he should have known that children often have awkward phases as they grow.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offInstead, he picked the low-hanging fruit and thought it would be funny to leverage my insecurities for emotional torture.Eventually, I started to fight back. My father has always had an issue with weight. So, I began to respond to attacks on my body with attacks on his. I’m not particularly proud of this since as I said, all people are beautiful. But when you’re a child and you are treated with cruelty, cruelty is what you learn.This is the sin of the crybaby father. As an adult, I learned the error of my ways. As a child, I simply tried to survive.I discovered an odd thing when I turned the tables of body shaming back on him. He began to sulk.The whole image of the tough guy who stormed into the room and who looked ready to physically assault everyone who challenged him, was suddenly reduced to a blubbering mass.Shame is the ultimate weapon of conservatives. They shame you with their attacks. When you turn their attacks back on them, they try to shame you for your cruelty.I’m so done with this.The entire population of the United States of America has a childhood trauma bond with conservatives. Most of us learn that it’s easier to apologize for the endless cruelty of conservatives rather than stand up to them.They have endless tricks. No matter what you do, they always wriggle out of accountability and determine that somehow you are to blame for everything.That’s not true. Conservatives are to blame. Their entire ideology is based on preserving patriarchal entitlement. They hide this by saying it’s tradition, but they’re lying. All they care about is ensuring that mediocre, crybaby men get to maintain the power they’ve grown accustomed to wielding.But here’s the thing: they don’t deserve it. They haven’t earned it. It’s time to wrest it from them.At some point along the way, I stopped responding to crocodile tears. When I grew into my body and began to attract the attention of the girls my age, my father became extremely jealous. The abuses stopped when I got big enough to stare him in the eyes. All of a sudden he became more careful. The “accidental” assaults came to an end. My hand stopped getting slammed into doors, he stopped his reckless gestures that left me with a bloody nose, I was no longer tossed face first into shallow water to strike the sand beneath.It’s strange how the physical attacks ended when I became strong enough to fight back. But even now he insists all that was unintentional.It was unintentional, but it stopped when hurting me became a threat to him. Convenient.I’m done believing that we all have some obligation to bend over backwards to protect the fragile ego of these crybaby losers. I’m sick and tired of listening to rude and obnoxious conservative men who think they’re entitled to a death grip on every lever of control.I’m also fed up with all the apologists who don’t realize they only defend these monstrous jerks because they haven’t processed their own childhood trauma.Entitled, conservative, defenders of the patriarchy lack merit. These men have no objective other than to protect themselves and inflict cruelty on everyone else. There’s no complexity to them. There’s no secret. Their threat that bad things will happen if we renounce them is a lie.How do I know?Because I renounced my father. I cast him out. I couldn’t bear the thought of him leveraging the confusion of an awkward developmental stage to permanently damage the psyche of my kids.I chose to look forward rather than back. I stopped the cycle of generational trauma by treating my children like people rather than threats to my power. I helped rather than sabotaged. I treated them with compassion. There were no “accidental” moments of violence. I uplifted my children because I know their psyche is more important than protecting the self-serving ego of a crybaby patriarch.It’s time that we held all entitled, conservative, crybaby men accountable. Stop letting them off the hook. They are the cause of all our traumas and it’s time we started saying it. There’s nothing good about their ideology. Every step along the way of the journey they take inflicts misery on the innocent. The entitled, patriarchal, conservative mindset must be scrubbed from our cultural identity. It must be sent to the scrapheap of history.They are the enablers of atrocities. They are the architects of all human suffering. Stop deferring to their authority. They’re weak. They’re crybabies. They’re losers. They can dish it out but they can’t take it.They’ve been exposed.The only question that remains is whether the rest of our society is going to continue to passively enable their abuses, or if they’re going to find the courage to become champions of the innocent.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hello Everyone,It’s always a delight to talk to wonderful people who are running for office. Erik Terwey is knocking on doors and doing the work in Oklahoma. In this conversation we covered a lot of territory and I think you’ll find it informative and inspiring.Erik mentioned a bunch of great organizations. You can find them here:Men 4 ChoiceTake BAC CongressAmerican People’s CompactCitizens’ ImpeachmentYou can find out more about him on his web page here:Erik Terway For CongressI hope you enjoyed this talk!Thank you Untrickled by Michelle Teheux, Natasha K., Liza Hameline, Dominique, Lynette, and many others for tuning into my live video with Erik Terwey! Join me for my next live video in the app.I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offA few months ago, a prominent “never MAGA” Republican took to his platform to criticize the Democrats for using profanities to denounce acts of domestic terrorism. This was in the wake of several secret police assassinations of innocent US citizens.Rather than use his significant platform to denounce tyrannical aggression against the American people, this “never MAGA” influencer decided to tone police the Democrats who appeared to be on the verge of finally growing a spine.He made that choice even after himself spending months urging Democrats to do that very thing.So, why would he apparently shift position and make a statement to distract attention away from the unlawful aggressions of our out-of-control government? Perhaps it was because he suspected the people were becoming roused and he was about to lose control of the narrative? Faced with that reality, his choice was to put the brakes on our momentum and insist the situation was not as bad as it might appear to be.Once you notice, you’ll realize “Never MAGA” Republicans do this again and again.The public response was swift and angry as always happens when the people feel betrayed. I personally received dozens of emails from readers who told me they’d canceled their subscription to this “never MAGA” Republican they now considered to be a fraud.He himself backed away from the comment though he didn’t apologize. As is common in our current media ecosystem, the issue was soon forgotten. Today, he’s just as influential as always because he can leverage the support of a conservative viewpoint that’s the default setting in the American psyche.Unfortunately, that conservative viewpoint is also the source of all our problems. We have to stop normalizing those ideas. They have to be fundamentally dismantled and rebuilt.Tone policing is just one of the strategies deployed by “reformed” Republicans who have become celebrity journalists in order to maintain a cruel status quo. They present themselves as our friends, but the moment anything really scandalous occurs, they go silent. Also, they insist we must reach across the aisle to them, but they never even consider returning the favor.There are consistent traits you see among all the #NotAllRepublicans crowd. Essentially, they are walking, talking, thought-terminating cliches. They recognize that things are wrong, but they insist they are not to blame. They refuse to engage in any progressive action to try and make our society better. When pressed, they always revert to denouncing “socialism” and government safety net programs.Essentially, “never MAGA” Republicans are just fascism lite.We’re living through a moment of extreme conflict. The US government is literally building concentration camps, bombing schools, and protecting child rapists. People are getting snatched off the street.In this environment, it’s natural to look for allies. Even those of us who have embraced progressive ideology have still been brainwashed and indoctrinated to believe the conservative mentality is the norm. Those ideas were pummeled into us from the first moment we were forced to proudly repeat the pledge of allegiance over and over.We desperately want to believe the lies we were taught about our country. But in this critical moment, we have to instead dedicate ourselves to uncovering the truth no matter how uncomfortable it might be.When cruelty has been established as a social norm, the people who profit from that cruelty only have to protect the status quo.Enter the “never MAGA” Republicans.This group has existed ever since Captain Ketchup ear first descended in his golden elevator. “Never MAGA” got up behind podiums. They ran for office. They published endless articles. They even testified before congress.But have they actually achieved anything? Fascism is alive and well, while “Never MAGA” sits around shaking their head and counting their money. It’s noteworthy that the most petty, spiteful man in American history never goes after them. There has been no retribution for the January 6th committee. Is it possible that the Republicans assigned to that effort were tasked with sabotage? After all, that’s the fundamental Republican practice when it comes to anything.Other than words, what have they offered to make us think we should trust them? Why are liberals giving Republicans so much money for actions that ultimately lead to nothing?Throughout the years, the legitimate, underfunded progressives have looked to “Never MAGA” with hope. But rather than lead us to salvation, they’ve stood on the sidelines as we’ve marched right into the rotten heart of fascism.“Never MAGA” has built up huge platforms where they sit behind desks in their gated communities and lecture us on how we can’t blame “all” Republicans for the deplorable actions of those in power. From my seat on the frontlines of this conflict and as the target of Republican economic terrorism, it seems as if all “Never MAGA” has managed to do is prevent us from embracing the true action that might yet lead us to victory.We keep getting more oppressed, and “Never MAGA” keeps getting richer.Whenever I talk about this, I receive criticisms from people who defend the “Never MAGA” movement. They tell me that these groups “understand conservative ideology.” The way I look at it, these groups lecture on conservative ideology from the viewpoint of rose tinted glasses. These are groups that have profited from cruelty in the past.My perspective is from one who has been abused by conservatives. Granted, neither of these viewpoints tells the whole story, but only mine is deliberately censored from the dialogue.When was the last time you saw a “Never MAGA” publication platform a marginalized voice? They simply refuse to engage with challenges to their ideology. That’s not activism. That’s indoctrination.All they do is criticize their fellow Republicans. But in doing this, they normalize even the most extreme comments those Republicans make. “Never MAGA” has contributed to the removal of virtually all rational content from our media ecosystem.Trusting them is an act of wishful thinking, and that’s a polite way of putting it.At some point decent people have to recognize that even though we’re in need of allies, we can’t invite the enemy through the gate to sabotage us from the inside.“Never MAGA” is more interested in shaming us for denouncing all republicans than stopping MAGA from murdering people in the street.By any metric, “Never MAGA” has completely failed in their stated objective of halting the march to fascism. They’re either completely incompetent or complicit. In either case, you shouldn’t sponsor them. Over the years, I too have been a progressive activist and I haven’t made a significant impact either. But the difference between me and the “Never MAGA” Republicans is that they have had the advantage of immense fortunes, which they acquired during their allegiance to other Republican regimes, and they’ve also had access to political power. Why is it that we’ve never seen “Never MAGA” Republicans launch investigations into the crimes of the MAGA members they claim to revile? All we have to do is watch the news for five seconds, and there is evidence of lawless behavior that needs to be prosecuted. “Never MAGA” Republicans have been in positions where they could prosecute these criminals, and yet they never do.Personally, I believe the true purpose of “Never MAGA” is to discredit and defund the activists who are aware of the urgency of the moment“Never MAGA” is always the first to come on independent platforms to ensure that no publication that actually promotes effective activism can ever gain any momentum. If “Never MAGA” was serious, they would be quite happy to discuss strategies with people who have a fundamentally different ideology. But that’s not the case.Instead, these platforms deliberately freeze out anyone who does not march in lockstep with their beliefs. I’ve personally been blocked by dozens of them. They have no interest in discourse.They have no interest in elevating other ideas or opinions. They want to protect the status quo of cruel conservative ideology and that’s all. They are Republican in every sense of the word, and they are quite happy to maintain a corrupt system that allows them to profit.They claim not all Republicans are alike, or that MAGA doesn’t represent “real” Republicans. They insist on defending conservative ideology as if it doesn’t inevitably lead to authoritarian abuses. They lecture us, and insist we have an obligation to separate the “good” actors from the bad, even though there is no evidence of any good actions on their side. They exhaust us with their insistence that they deserve credit despite all the atrocities happening in plain sight. They engage in these arguments to shame us and distract us from the abuses we’re being forced to endure.Even though they claim to be opponents, their actions suggest they are committed to normalizing MAGA behaviors. They always stop short of effective criticism, and they make lazy suggestions that the end of this regime is “inevitable,” rather than an objective we can only achieve through unity, community, and effective strategy.We have have to stop allowing ourselves to be deceived. Our salvation does not lie among the members of the radical right. We have to recognize they are bad faith actors, and direct our attention to the people who are truly committed to creating a better world.Those are the ones who platform diverse opinions and who listen rather than lecture. It’s delusional to believe anyone who has spent their entire life benefitting from the systemic oppression of conservative ideology is suddenly going to switch sides.They’re not.Above all else, “Never MAGA” is quite happy to continue to cede territory to the most incompetent, cruel, and abusive men who have ever lived. They are knocking at our doors claiming to be our friends, but all they want is to steal the liberal money that might have been more effectively spent elsewhere.“Never MAGA” is rich enough. They don’t need your donations.At the heart of everything, they are Republicans. The only thing Republicans stand for is silencing the voices that disagree with them and enriching themselves in the process. As far as I’m concerned, “Never MAGA” is nothing but another deceitful Republican grift.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Oh my goodness, here I am sharing stuff from a couple weeks ago again. Also, I’m only now seeing that this was Episode 30! WOW! I hadn’t realized we’d done so many.It’s always my privilege to sit down with Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq.. I’ve known her for 4 or 5 years at this point! She’s absolutely fantastic and I’m so grateful to know her. I’ve known Nick Paro for a shorter amount of time, but I’m grateful to know him too!You can follow them here:Thank you NeuroDivergent Hodgepodge, LeftieProf, Samantha Paige (she/they), Cris Northern, the real pambo, and many others for tuning into my live video with Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq. and Nick Paro! Join me for my next live video in the app.I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hello Everyone!I got to meet Letters from a Feminist through The Daily Whatever Show! I really appreciate these connections! She’s a wonderful advocate for human rights and this was a validating and empowering conversation. You can find her here:Thank you A. Eevie Bateman, Ilias Shepherd Marrow, Chris Resists, Ashleigh Alauren, LeftieProf, and many others for tuning into my live video with Letters from a Feminist! Join me for my next live video in the app.I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Things are finally starting to settle down a little bit, so I can share this conversation from a couple weeks ago. I always enjoy getting to talk movies with Ben Ulansey and bringing SugarRhi~ along was a treat.I hope you enjoy the talk!Thank you Mary Cumens, Noble Blend, Nick G, A Dude On The Couch, Sam, Musings on Interesting Times, and many others for tuning into my live video with Ben Ulansey and SugarRhi~! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Margaret Williams, MS, ACC and Joyce Strong are two of my favorite people on this platform. I had to drop out of this conversation early because of other scheduled talks, but the 20 minutes I was able to spend with these two brought joy to my heart. This was a delightful conversation and I would love to talk to these two fine people again soon!You can find them here:Thank you Ashleigh Alauren, Beth the Baker, Ms.Yuse, Maria, PaulM, and many others for tuning into my live video with Margaret Williams, MS, ACC and Joyce Strong! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offWhen I was in my twenties, my father used to figure out ways to be alone with my girlfriends. He had some sort of an excuse for it, as if there was a tradition that relied on bonding between a father and his son’s wife.I remember one instance where he’d contrived to put me on a different flight for a trip. He came strutting through the airport with a smug look on his face as if he’d just gotten away with something. The feeling I had was one of concern for what my girlfriend had to put up with. I knew that my father was prone to saying inappropriate things, and his behavior made me uncomfortable.Years later, I was talking to my uncle. My uncle mentioned how he and my mom were driving together when they got caught in a storm and had to stop for the night. They’d called my father to tell him and he was adamant that they not share a room even though everybody was short on money back then.“It bothered me,” my uncle said, “that he didn’t trust me to be alone with your mom.”That story revealed a lot to me. It told me my father was unwilling to endure the treatment that he imposed upon others. I’ve since cut him out of my life. He’s never met my wife and he likely never will.I brought this up to my wife the other day. Through discussions I’ve had with other survivors of narcissistic abuse, I’ve discovered that inappropriate flirtation is often deployed as a mechanism of control.It’s an effective strategy. Abusive people like to provoke emotions like anger, jealousy, and frustration because that prevents you from perceiving their manipulation. In the case of my father, I knew that if I’d complained he’d have turned it back on me. “You’re being jealous. That’s something you have to work on more. You need to show more respect to your girlfriend.” The lecture would have gone on and on and on.I elected to endure his behavior, which ultimately was another victory for him. That’s another strategy of abuse. You’re always presented with a prepackaged illusion of a choice. Both options benefit the abuser. If you don’t like either of them, you’re lectured on the importance of “compromise,” and you’re forced to give up even more.Eventually I realized the game was rigged and I decided not to play. My father hates that. He spends all his time telling anyone who comes into his sphere about how “ungrateful” and “cruel.” I am.Toxic.As I was talking with my wife, she asked, “Can you imagine how he would have acted around me?”“Yes,” I replied. I knew exactly how he would act. In fact, the question opened up the floodgates.“He’d be on the outside looking in, so that would give him the advantage. At every slight disagreement between the two of us, he’d insert himself to attack me and ingratiate himself with you. He’d accuse me of being sexist and rude in your presence. He’d drive himself in like a wedge constantly under the guise that he needed to establish some perversion of a parental relationship with you.”My wife nodded. She’s no stranger to manipulative people. She has a whole faction of her family that she calls “the dark side.”I continued. “What happens when you have people like that in your life is that you end up living within a cloud of confusion. Things start to go wrong. You end up late for appointments. People who you were friends with for years come forward with complaints. Meanwhile, my father would be standing off to the side with an innocent expression on his face, while he secretly orchestrated it all.”“Yup!” my wife said, “I know people like that.”Years ago I was talking with one of my cousins. Within a few minutes of the conversation, I realized this cousin had become one of my father’s flying monkeys. Those are the minions the abuser sends out with their heads full of nonsense. Abusers use something close to hypnosis to create a shadow persona that bears little resemblance to who you are. When the flying monkeys confront the reality of you, they commonly tilt their head like a confused dog.“You aren’t how I expected you to be.”“That’s because my father has poisoned your expectation about who I am,” is what you think, but you shouldn’t say. If you admit that this level of mind control is at work, they’ll assume you’re the sorcerer and run back to the true toxic abuser.So, you have to simply sit and endure their confusion and hope they figure it out for themselves.My cousin asked me, “But what if you went and hung out with your father and discovered that he’s actually really nice?”“Of course he’d be nice,” I said.My cousin seemed surprised by this.“He’d work really hard to be nice. He’d be gracious. He’d come bearing gifts. He’d laugh, he’d do us favors, he’d buy us dinner.”My cousin looked confused.“That’s the most effective way to abuse somebody,” I said. “First, he has to ingratiate himself. He has to present himself as the answer to all our problems. In doing this, he’d establish trust. Bit by bit, he’d erase boundaries. You wouldn’t even notice it at first as he crept closer and closer and closer...”“But then what would happen?”“Once he had settled in, you’d start to notice a rise in petty conflicts. Those conflicts would be between me and my wife, or me and my kids, or my wife and my kids. They’d be minor at first, and, without even knowing why, we’d turn to my father for the answers. You see, all that gift giving and all those favors established him as the generous patriarch. Naturally he’d have the answers. So, he’d contrive times to be alone with all the members of my family, and he’d whisper things to them.”“What kind of things?”“He’d whisper things that would make them doubt me. Eventually, they’d come to me with confused expressions and make statements like, ‘Why don’t you spend more time with your dad, if you did so, maybe you’d discover that he’s really nice?’”Eventually, I had to cut off contact with that cousin too.When I turn 52, I will have spent half of my life estranged from my father. During those years, there have been moments of weakness. There have been times when the pressure of the flying monkeys was almost enough to make me doubt myself. But I’ve stayed the course, and today I’m very proud of the respectful relationship I have with my wife and kids.Even under the best of circumstances, life is challenging. You’re going to get sick, you’re going to have petty arguments, you’re going to be short of money, you’re going to wake up in a bad mood. People who are operating in good faith can struggle with these obstacles. But when you allow a bad faith actor into your sphere, he needs only to wait to take advantage of the naturally occurring moments of conflict.He’s always the savior. You’re always the cause.If you let him go to work long enough, he’ll drive all your loved ones away from you. He’ll gather them up for himself, and he’ll spend the rest of his days sadly shaking his head and lamenting all the people who were “too stubborn to listen.” Eventually, he’ll stop saying “stubborn” and start saying “insane.”Abusive people are hard to spot. The one talent they’re good at is blaming others for their crimes. They can be charismatic, they can be successful, they can even be funny and charming. But no matter how good they are at all these other skills, there will always be something about them that makes you feel uneasy.Listen to your instincts.If you’re uncertain, you don’t have to cut it off at once. You can simply say, “I’d like to take some time for myself.” Go on a long trip. Get away from them. See if the storm clouds start to retreat when they are not near. Wait for the sun to come out.We’re all made fearful because we’ve been conditioned to believe that only toxic people have the solutions for all our problems. However, the truth that toxic people are desperate to prevent you from recognizing is that they are the cause of all our problems.Step away. Take a moment to breathe. The good people will meet you with open arms when you’re ready to return. The magnetism of toxic people reverses its polarity with the combination of distance and time. Escape is both more complicated and easier than you can imagine. Once the clouds begin to retreat, you’ll start to inherit your power. Only then will you begin to realize how much those toxic people drained you.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

I love these discussions! It’s such a relief to have people like Nick Paro and Eric Lullove elevating these great candidates. You are all going to love Chris Bennett and Alex Rikleen. These are good people, they’re honorable men, they’re knowledgeable, they have integrity and they’re fighters!They have all the virtues our current generation of representatives lack.I know you’ll love the things they have to say. If you want to learn more you can find them here:Their web pages are:Alex Rikleen for SenateChris Bennett for CongressThanks for listening!Thank you Chris Resists, Steve Glicken, MD, Karma, Gloria Ramirez, Kathleen Daly, and many others for tuning into my live video with Eric Lullove, Nick Paro, and Alex Rikleen! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you). Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hello Everybody!I really appreciated this conversation with Dr. Yamicia Connor and Natasha K.. She explains the looming healthcare crisis that will, among other things, soon result in a projected shortage of 5,000 to 7,000 OB/GYNs. The consequence of this is that it simply won’t be possible for pregnant women in the United States of America to receive adequate healthcare.The looming healthcare crisis will apply to all people, but maternal outcomes will be especially severe. When you take a step back and look at the concepts that are being implemented by the current Republican regime, it truly feels as if the torture of women is their intent. We discussed how we can no longer afford to allow cruel and incompetent Republicans to frame the narrative about healthcare in the United States. The Republican position on everything from restrictions on access, educating the new generation of doctors, and funding hospitals can most accurately be described as a crime against humanity.The takeaway from this conversation is that the looming crisis is severe, and it’s going to require a massive restructuring of our society to fix the issue. It’s time to roll up our sleeves, get to work, and not accept ‘no’ for an answer.Dr. Yamicia Connor is passionate about this objective and emphasizes the fact that we cannot afford to be silent. In one way or another, this looming crisis is going to impact everyone. The sooner we adopt a reasonable response, the more lives we can save.You can find her here:You can also get more information on her web page here:LaboraCollective.comPlease share.Also, I’d like to reach out to the following creators and encourage them to interview Dr. Connor: Nick Paro, Eric Lullove, Evan Fields, Citizens' Impeachment, Will Fullwood, Frederic Poag, Ellie Leonard, Arturo Dominguez, Shane Yirak, Zuri Stevens, Dr. Allison Wiltz, SugarRhi~ , Dana DuBois, Lawrence Winnerman, and many more.Thank you A. Eevie Bateman, "Sushi"(Jen) of MIND HAVEN, LeftieProf, Skutt Hope, PJ Schuster, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dr. Yamicia Connor and Natasha K.! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% off“How’s your teacher?” Kip asked.“Nice,” Matt said, “I got Mrs. Eucalyptus. How’s yours?”“Too early to tell,” Kip replied, electing to be generous.They stood in the yard in front of Hammill school. The ground was covered in asphalt and the wreckage of playground equipment had been embedded into the Earth.“I think aliens built a playground on an asteroid,” Kip said, “and then that asteroid crashed right here in front of Hammill school.”Matt gazed upon the wreckage, burned from the trauma of reentry, but some instinctive evolutionary trait kicked in to keep his mind from dwelling on misery. He changed the subject.“Did you bring your marbles?” Matt asked, holding up his own bag of glass baubles and jostling them so that they made a pleasing sound.“No,” Kip replied.Matt’s face fell. “I suppose I could lend you some, don’t you want to play?”Kip didn’t really want to play, he knew how it would end.“Come on,” Matt said, tugging on Kip’s arm, “they’re playing over there.”A small circle of kids surrounded two boys kneeling on the asphalt. Kip and Matt jogged over to have a look. They got there just as Terry West and Mark Altman began discussing terms.“Three of my cat’s eyes against your grandma,” Mark said.“You’re hysterical, a grandma is worth four cat’s eyes at least,” Terry replied.“Okay, four cat’s eyes, but that means four shots.”“Sure, but I get to go first.”“Fine,” Mark conceded, but he seemed less happy.“And you don’t get to take a shot until I miss.”Mark looked skeptical.“Come on, you were a big talker just a second ago,” Terry pushed.Terry held up his grandma, it was a giant marble, more than twice the diameter of any of the cat’s eyes.Mark glanced down at what he was risking. The four small marbles clinked in his hand. Even if he lost one or two and managed to win the grandma with the third he would come out way ahead.“Okay, you shoot first and go until you miss.”“Agreed.”“For keeps?”“Of course.”Mark looked around at the gathering, “You are all witnesses.”Kip could feel the tension. The stakes were high. The only sources of money were begging or finding coins randomly discarded on the street. Most of them had burned up their tooth fairy revenue years ago, and birthday money never lasted long. The currency of marbles was all that remained.The two boys rolled their marbles gently into a chalk circle. Kip expected Terry to kneel down and flick his grandma with his forefinger to drive it into one of the cat’s eyes. But Terry had a surprise up his sleeve. He put his right toe at the base of the grandma and dropped down onto his left knee. He then reached down and lifted up the grandma from the field of play!“Fault!” Mark howled. “Forfeit, forfeit, hand over your grandma!”“No forfeit,” Terry snapped, “I’m setting up a rainbow shot. You never called no rainbows!”There was a general utterance as everyone agreed Mark had never declared no rainbows.“What the heck is a rainbow?” Mark said. He looked put upon, as if the situation had turned unfair.“This is a rainbow,” Terry replied. Leaning down, he used the grandma to trace a huge arc that went right by one of Mark’s cat’s eyes. Arc drawn, Terry shifted his position so his toe was now beside the targeted cat’s eye.“You can’t do that, you can’t change position once you’ve picked up your marble!” Mark protested.“It’s a rainbow shot stupid, that’s what it means,” Terry snapped.The situation was getting ugly. Kip sympathized with Mark, who seemed to be growing into an awareness that he was about to be fleeced out of four marbles. But Terry still had to make the shot, and if his grandma rolled out of the circle the turn would shift to Mark.Terry picked up the grandma and held it between his thumb and forefinger, squinting one eye as if looking down the barrel of a gun.He made two quick jerking motions with his hand to practice, and then let the marble fly on the third. It struck the cat’s eye with a snap, and then rebounded back against Terry’s shoe where it lay motionless. Terry scooped up the cat’s eye, and then shifted around so that he faced his next target. Toeing the grandma, he made another rainbow. A few moments later all the cat’s eyes were in Terry’s pocket. Upon grabbing the last, he scooped up his grandma, jumped to his feet, and walked away at a brisk pace like he’d just broken a lamp at a friend’s house. Mark was too shell shocked to say anything.Kip watched Terry go. He half felt he should stop him.Mark was seething somewhere between fury and tears.“Rainbows,” he muttered, “who ever heard of rainbows?” He kicked at the ground and marched off.“C’mon,” Matt said, “let’s go find a marble game.”“Do you really want to do that?”“Why not?”“Well,” Kip said, “either you lose your marbles, and that makes you miserable. Or you take somebody else’s marbles, and that makes them feel miserable.”“Well, what else are we supposed to do?”“Let’s just look around for marbles that people have lost, I’m sure there are plenty around here.”Matt snorted.“No thanks, I’m going to find a game.”“Okay,” Kip said.Matt trotted off and was soon kneeling at the center of a crowd of kids.Kip glanced around. He’d learned long ago that it was better to project the appearance that he was occupied in something. A person who is standing around doing nothing, often gets told by others what to do.If I were a marble, Kip thought, where would I hide?He kneeled to see if he could detect any incline in the play area.Common sense dictated that the playground structure should be built on an incline so that it wouldn’t become a sink hole to precipitation.At Hammill school, however, Kip noticed that the playground structure actually sat in a hole.Okay, if marbles had been kicked around, or fallen out of somebody’s grasp or pocket, they were likely to have rolled towards the supporting struts of the playground.Would anyone have seen them?Well, maybe not. People are kind of strange, and they sometimes don’t see things they aren’t expecting to see even if those things are right in front of their face.Therefore, even though many of the playground kids were focused on marbles in the yard, they might overlook marbles in the playground where they were focused on the swings and the slide. Their minds weren’t in marble mode. Would that make the marbles kind of invisible?Kip decided to go take a look.Keeping his eyes on the ground, he walked in the direction of the playground. He paid attention to cracks and low spots, anything that might attract an errant marble.As he got closer, he thought he saw a twinkle at the base of one of the support struts. He quickened his step.Kneeling down, he took a closer look. There was a crack in the asphalt that surrounded the strut. There, leaning up against the wooden playground beam, was an enormous green glass grandma with a blue swirl in the center. The marble was wedged in the crack, but Kip found he was able to pry it out with his pinkie finger.He picked the marble up.“Wow,” Kip said, hardly believing the treasure he had discovered.He glanced around to see if anyone was looking, but nobody seemed to be noticing him, so he pocketed the marble. Then he gazed around to see what he could see.Off in the distance, there was another glint, and Kip trotted over to find a clear cat’s eye with a red swirl. Later he found a blue cat’s eye that was as dark as night.All of these treasures brought him great joy, and he slipped them into his pocket where they rattled together.He soon discovered that there were marbles all around, right in plain view.Why didn’t the other kids notice them?It kind of felt like he had super powers.Was it true that you only saw the things in life that you were looking for?How many treasures had he missed simply because he hadn’t known to keep his eyes open?Well, he knew now.The first bell rang, that was the warning bell. Matt trotted over to Kip.“How did you do?” Kip asked.“I lost,” Matt said, but he was smiling. His mom always kept his supply of marbles replenished. Matt considered the dime store his personal marble storage space.Kip held up the first grandma he’d found.“Whoa!” Matt said, his eyes widening, “how did you win that, you don’t have any marbles?”“I didn’t win it, I found it.”“Get out!”“I’m serious.”“Lucky!”“They’re all over the place Matt, and when you find them nobody gets mad. There’s no reason to fleece anyone out of marbles when you can just walk around and pick them up off the ground.”“Nobody’s getting fleeced.”“But Matt there are marbles everywhere, just look for them!”Matt laughed. “That’s crazy talk, there aren’t marbles everywhere.” He was so sure of his assertion that he wouldn’t even make a cursory glance around him.The bell rang again, this time the bell meant business.Kip and Matt walked towards the school.Kip had learned a lot about observation in the last fifteen minutes. He applied his newfound skills during the walk back inside. It was just a matter of keeping his brain on instead of switching it off and heading into dreamland. Up ahead he caught sight of something glinting in the sun and his heart rate began to accelerate.What was that?Could it be?No it couldn’t, there’s no way anyone would have overlooked that!But then again...maybe...Ohmygoditis!These thoughts raced through Kip’s mind as he walked along beside Matt behind a group of other kids. Any one of them might have looked down to spot the treasure lying right at their feet.But none of them did.It was an enormous steelie!The steelie was like a giant ball bearing, much heavier than an equivalently sized stone. It was essentially a nugget of playground gold. Terry would have had to wager at least twenty grandmas to make a play for it, along with conceding the first shot.Even then, Kip wouldn’t have taken the wager.Excitement rushed through him, one more step and it would be his.Nobody else saw it.Arriving at the steelie, Kip kneeled down to grab it.“What are you doing?” Matt asked.“Look at this Matt,” Kip said, lifting up the king of marbles, “a steelie!”Matt’s mouth dropped open, “Wow, you’re so lucky!”“I’m not lucky, I was looking.”“No, you were just lucky.”Kip sighed and dropped the steelie into his pocket. The sound of the jostling marbles was like the song of a river.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hey Everyone!We wanted to elevate a couple more excellent candidates. You can find Chris Armstrong for Congress and Abel Chavez here:Also, here are their web pages:Chris Armstrong For WisconsinAbel Chavez For CongressThanks for listening!Thank you Margaret Williams, MS, ACC, Lori Modafferi, the real pambo, Acejonesz, Shirley Figueroa, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chris Armstrong for Congress, Nick Paro, and A. Eevie Bateman! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offThere are two sets of rules to the game of Monopoly. One is based on cooperation. If you play it that way, everybody finds success and has a good time. The other version is competition based. If you play it that way, one person advances at the expense of all others. The board gets flipped over and everybody stops talking to each other.We only play it the second way. In fact, that’s the way we’ve designed our entire society.Aren’t you sick of it?From an early age, I hated school. I hated how I was forced to march like all the other kids. I hated that I was forced to repeat the same cult like chants. But most of all, I hated how I was groomed to revere certain kids for reasons I couldn’t fathom.Everything they said was right, even when it was wrong. When they moved, the whole class was expected to get in line behind them. When they gave an order, we were required to jump.When you’re confronted with a situation like that, the first thing you think is, “Well, how do I get to be among that group?”If you work up the nerve to actually ask that question, they might say, “Kid, you can’t. This isn’t for you.”“But why not?”“Because you’re not good enough.”This conversation will go on for a long time. The members of the elite class will dangle their privilege before you like a reward. They’ll snatch it away whenever you grab for it. They’ll make their status seem like the best thing in the world to distract you from the fact that everything about these kids is phony.Everything.They have no merit. They have no talent. They have no special skills. They have nothing. They just sat down to play a game of Monopoly and they were handed all the deeds and all the money and they use that advantage to shove their sense of superiority into your face.When faced with a situation like that, you should refuse to play. You should recognize the unfairness of it all. You should recognize that all their accolades are based on lies and illusion rather than merit. You should flip over the game board before the first roll of the dice.The members of the privileged class know this will be your reaction, that’s why they spend so much time indoctrinating you. That’s why they scream, “You’re just jealous” if you ever complain. They take advantage of your innocence and your basic decency and they twist all your virtues to try and make you like them.When we’re young, we take things at face value. We accept the proposal that if we work hard, we too will be accepted as they are. Never mind that the division is artificial. Never mind that classes are a construct. Never mind that money is nothing more than ink on paper.We accept their rules and we start to play even though everything is rigged against us.I remember sitting in class and watching the awful children of privilege receive all the praise. The rules didn’t apply to them. They could speak disrespectfully to their classmates and even the teacher, and nobody said a word. But if you talked back to them... watch out!It became a complex dance. The trick was to act as if you were playing their game. If they insulted you, you could toss something back and as long as you didn’t immediately humiliate them with your response, they’d continue to play. What you come to discover is that these awful people who are handed everything love to think that they’re actually worthy of all their advantages. They have a delusional self-identity that’s something you can exploit.But if you push them too far, they are the ones who end up flipping the table. Despite all their advantages and privileges and ease, they’re the ones who are most likely to destroy everything. They also do this if it appears as if you’re going to beat them.I didn’t know this on the first day of school, but I learned it quickly enough. You accept the reality you’re presented with. At first you actually assume that if the privileged class is so revered, they must deserve it. So, you buckle down, you do the work. You wait for an opportunity to prove your merit.But you also watch the privileged class. You watch how they act. You watch what they do. You try to perceive their secret. How is it that they have so much and you have so little? They never seem to show their hand. They never seem to reveal their tricks. It just seems like they’re awful and then they somehow surprise you with something you have to take as evidence because you lack any other clues.It takes a long time before you even dare to think that there might not be anything special about them at all. Preventing you from thinking that is the only thing they’re good at.We have all these artificial divisions in the United States of America. I’ve lived in other countries. I’ve taught in schools there. The kids don’t separate themselves into cliques. That’s a cultural crime of the USA. Dividing people into cliques is how the small class of wealthy elite maintains their status of ease and luxury and unchallenged oppression.If marginalized people cooperated, we could topple their monopoly overnight. But we’re too distracted by the lie that if we play the game well, we’ll be welcomed into their club.The truth is we’ll never be welcomed. All of it is for them, none of it is for us. That’s the way it’s going to be forever, because if we got close enough, it would be impossible to hide their fundamental lack of quality.So, they remain hidden in their mansions behind high walls and servants and fake money that was printed, stolen, or inherited. You only walk among them if you learn to lie, cheat, steal, and deceive. That’s the key to entry, not achievement, merit, or decency.I remember being young and working hard and biding my time sure that my time would come. That’s what they said over and over again. “Work hard and your time will come.” I watched these other kids and I saw where they were lacking. They couldn’t do math. They couldn’t read. They refused to do work defiantly. They refused not because they lacked the skills, it was just because they were too entitled to bother trying.They failed to do assignments. They spent the work time engaged in distractions. They threw things. They guffawed. They made a mockery of those in the “lower class” who actually tried.“You’re nothing but a bunch of ‘try-hards!’” They cried. “Teacher’s pet! Nerd!”On the day the teacher announced a math test where the best student would be rewarded, they showed a flicker of concern. Those of us who worked thought, “Ah ha! Now we’ve got them!” Because we knew, we knew the privileged elites couldn’t count to twenty without taking off their socks.But lo and behold, when the tests are done and the grades were handed out, it was determined that the members of the elite class had won. The rest of us were forced to applaud and recognize them, just like always, as they marched to the front of the room to receive their prize.We weren’t allowed to look at the tests. The teachers lectured that was being “a poor sport.” We weren’t even allowed to suggest that there might be something untoward. The members of the privileged group, that made it clear we’d never be good enough to join, looked down at us and smirked.That’s when we learned to sit silently and seethe.I’ve been seething for 51 years. I’ve gathered up ember after ember after ember of injustice. They sit in the center of my being like a pile of white hot coals. I’m not the only one. Rather than flipping the game board, I’m ready to flip over the brazier and burn the whole system down.This monstrous group of cruel elites set us down at a table and forces us to play a game that we can never win. We the marginalized have to recognize that there’s no opportunity for meritorious advancement when your quality is predetermined based on prejudices instead of facts.If you beat them in a foot race, they find a reason to disqualify you.If you manage to get your hands on a fortune, they find a way to strip it from you.Only they are allowed to produce books and music and songs and films. Only they are allowed to take pictures of themselves because as far as they’re concerned you’re not even worthy to be their co-inhabitants of the world.They don’t see you as human. The universe revolves around them. As far as they’re concerned, you don’t exist in all.How did we get trapped in this torture chamber of injustice?It’s because despite everything we’ve learned, we still sit down and try to beat them at their own game. We still abide by their rules. We accept the boundaries of their false reality.Stop. Kick over the braziers. Flip the table and send the game pieces scattering to the floor. It’s time to reverse the burden of shame and place the weight firmly upon the shoulders of the liars, cheaters, and oppressors. Today is the day.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

It’s always my great pleasure to talk to Marlon Weems. This conversation was from about a week ago. There’s a bit of a dead spot in the beginning, but then we get into it and have a productive talk. We start at about 1:30 on this recording.I hope you enjoy it!Thank you Shannon, John H, Beth the Baker, Robert Danna, Ms.Yuse, and many others for tuning into my live video with Marlon Weems! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI’ve been reflecting on the wonderful conversations I’ve been having with Andra Watkins about estrangement. The topic matter is difficult, but it’s so validating to walk through the process of abuse with somebody who has a similar experience. We’re working to unpack the mechanism that’s deployed against us, and I feel that’s empowering.These conversations have churned up some old memories that illustrate our capacity for recognizing abuse even when we haven’t yet developed the emotional maturity to give it a name.I remember an instance when I was very young, probably less than ten. School was always miserable for me because I was being educated in an environment that perceived intelligence as a threat. It was a rural town with a book burner mentality. I defiantly read books anyway. They’ll take my books when they pry them from my cold, dead, fingers.But I also knew that my family had certain expectations about me. My defiance at school led to problems. When dishonest people have power over you, they know how to make your life difficult any way they can. This is how they force compliance. We were coming up on the end of a quarter, and I’d been dealing with a group of Klansmen teachers. I knew they weren’t going to give me the grades I deserved. My father, too, was an authoritarian. If I didn’t bring home good grades, he thought it was a reflection on him and he flew into a rage.Naturally, he never once helped me on any assignment. Still, when I did well, the achievement was his, but if I failed the fault was all mine.So, stuck between the rock and the hard place, my emotion rose up and got the better of me. I felt a kind of terrible desperation, a melancholy that I recognize now was the herald of depression.I shuffled over to my mom. She recognized I was sad by the look in my eye. You can tell something is wrong with a person if you bother to look.“What’s wrong?”“I know this isn’t the case,” I said, confused by the need to speak. “But will you still love me even if I don’t get good grades this quarter?”Naturally she was horrified that I’d even think this. Honestly, I was horrified that I thought it too. My mind knew it wasn’t the case, but my body felt it was.Sometimes our bodies know better than our minds.My mom gave me a hug and assured me that she loved me unconditionally. It was what I needed to hear. Those words helped erode some of the power of the cruel authoritarians who were trying to break me.Sometimes a few kind words are enough to save you.But the fact remains that even as a child, without a full understanding of my reality, part of me knew that my father’s love was conditional. For him to harbor any affection for me, I had to work hard, make sacrifices, and achieve, all without any assistance from him.If I failed in any respect, there would be no help. Instead, I’d be shown the door.That’s the conservative ideology in a nutshell.We live in a society that’s structured to normalize and inflict abuse. Consider it. Who helps you if you can’t pay the rent? Who helps if you don’t have food? Who helps if your baby is sick?The answer is nobody.If you do find a place to help, it’s likely to be transactional. People will demand your labor, or your body, or your self-respect as payment.We live in a society where achievement is never met with reward. It’s only met with the absence of punishment. The authoritarian abusers try to claim that reward isn’t even possible. They justify this by saying we don’t deserve it.Meanwhile they take all the rewards for themselves.The truth is that they are the ones who don’t deserve it.The time has come to awaken from this nightmare and demand a more charitable version of reality. We can no longer survive as a species if little kids, even without being told, are led to understand they’ll only be loved as long as they do something for the people who hold power over them.Children deserve to know that they’re loved. They deserve to know that they matter. They deserve to know that they will be helped if they hit hard times, and that when they do well they have an obligation to help others.All conservatives are committed to a punishment based ideology. They claim that if you “spare the rod you spoil the child,” but really they just get off on torturing children.Let’s name it for what it is. Conservative ideology is the justification of torture. This is why so many of them go on to become child rapists and child rape enablers.The worst part is that this ideology is the norm. We have a steep hill to climb. We can’t just climb it, we have to tear it down and ensure it never rises again.All conservative love is conditional. All their relationships are transactional.That means they don’t understand love or companionship or humanity at all.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you A. Eevie Bateman, Sacred Storylines 🎨, Fatimah Ali, PhD-Lupus Health, Brandon Ellrich, Beth the Baker, and many others for tuning into my live video with Margaret Williams, MS, ACC and AmericanCitizen! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

I’m so far behind on posting these lives! I absolutely adore talking to Ossiana Tepfenhart. I need to do it more often! I’ve been reflecting more on the fact that sexual inadequacy is at the root of all white male conservative behavior. This isn’t about body shaming, it’s about how their domination mindset makes them shitty sexual partners. Let’s just say it.I’m sure Ossiana has more thoughts 🤣. I’m looking forward to the next conversation!Thank you Yanni Hamburger, Elizabeth Raven, MJ, Nancy Werner Mosley, Dalai Mama 💗, and many others for tuning into my live video with Ossiana Tepfenhart! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

This was a truly enlightening conversation with Shari Dunn and Ellie Leonard. I feel so privileged to share space with these wonderful women![I also just noticed I misspelled “academy” when I went live, D’oh!]Thank you Dana DuBois, Bre Phillips, Ms.Yuse, Lynette, E West, and many others for tuning into my live video with Ellie Leonard and Shari Dunn! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

This is the second conversation on estrangement that I’ve had with Andra Watkins. I’m coming to understand that just about everyone who grew up in the United States was conditioned to not discuss the abuses they endured out of some absurd “deference” to the abuser.I suppose we could conclude that patriarchal systems are only allowed to exist if we are all trained not to acknowledge the shortcomings of the patriarch. Recognizing that truth changes your whole perspective of the world, but when you begin to speak… wow, the patriarch enablers (or the patriarch wannabes) sure come after you.We’re not stopping though. It’s too empowering to see through the false narratives that have been imposed on us. I know that I’ve already encouraged my children to be mindful of the tactics dishonest people use.We have to stop seeing them as “red flags” and start seeing them as closed gates with flashing red lights and loud warning alarms. We’ll get there as a society, but it starts with conversations like this one!Looking forward to the next one! Here’s the last one:Thank you Theater Is Hard., Deb Sherrer, Kay-El, Marian S, Elizabeth Van Alstine, and many others for tuning into my live video with Andra Watkins! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI’m tired and there’s so much to do and I wish I could do more.Sometimes when I sit down and put my fingers on my keyboard, it feels like I’m putting my fingers on a piano. When I begin to type I begin to play. Instead of making music, I’m making pictures in your mind.Those are the good days.On the bad days, I’m filled with self doubt. I’m stuck scrolling through comments that are designed to provoke or deflect or break me. I end up answering dozens of emails and aligning schedules.Aligning schedules is hard for me. There are so many steps involved. You meet somebody. You pick a day. You try to remember the time zone. You have to explain how to use your preferred platform for a livestream.There are so many things out there that take us away from writing.I’d rather be writing. But I’m stuck fighting fascism these days. I’m stuck beating back the armies of people who claim that my wife and children are sub-human. They want to take their rights away. They want to take away their rights and the rights of so many others. We have to fight, fight, fight.And rest.On Friday, I had an interview with a tremendous candidate in Connecticut. Her name is Ruth Fortune. She’s fantastic. I feel like I let her down. I did my best, but I was exhausted. It’s been a long week. I’m spreading myself too thin.After that, I jumped on the The Daily Whatever Show for their one year anniversary. I’d written them a poem. It was lovely and fun and wonderful. But I think I accidentally deleted one of the streaming keys they sent me, so I wasn’t able to accept the request they’d sent.It was good, but it wasn’t perfect. That’s every day. More and more it feels like I’m getting further and further away from perfect instead of closer.For next week, I tried to schedule an interview with a gubernatorial candidate, but I just couldn’t do it. Sitting here now, I can’t even tell you why I couldn’t do it. It was like one of those days when you try to get out of bed and find yourself falling under the covers instead.I keep telling my readers that we’re at war. Think of it like my work is normally a factory that makes clothing for babies, but I’ve been called to help the war effort. For the time being I’m making uniforms.I promise you that soon, soon, soon I’ll go back to making baby clothes.I’ll make cute little jumpers of yellow and blue and pink and green. They’ll have strawberries and bananas printed on them.I want that. I want that more than anything. But right now, I have to make uniforms. I know it’s important.But still, I feel like I’m letting all the babies down.There are hundreds of great candidates running for office. The legacy media is ignoring them all. Our celebrity journalists are chasing the oligarch distractions.Can’t you see that it’s all lies? The Epstein files, the war, the corruption, all of it is meant to distract you from your purpose.Our power is in the primaries.The primaries are where we the people can pressure our representatives to serve us better. But the Democrats know this, and they’ve conditioned the people to not pay attention.People are talking about the midterms. They’re talking about the 2028 presidency. Everybody forgets that AOC beat one of the highest ranking do-nothing Democrats on a shoestring budget.That should be the story of our age. That’s Paul Bunyan and John Henry and the Little Engine that Could all rolled up into one. It’s a song that should lift our spirits and inspire us to wave the banner of victory.But we’ve all been lulled into complacency.People think there’s nothing they can do.They don’t realize that we can all do so much more. We can all have so much more.I wish I had more energy. There are so many voices I want to platform. I want to help people to rise. I want to climb up a level, and then push more ladders down so that others can come up and join me. I want to build a stairway out of stone so that it’s easier for those that come after. Then I want to bring the higher levels down, or lift everyone up.There’s no climbing and then pulling up the ladders from behind. That’s the coward's way. That’s the oppressors way. That’s the way of everyone who is in power today.Together we must rise. I want to bring everyone up to where I am. Everyone.Then I want us all together to go higher.But I’m tired. I don’t have food to feed every starving child, I don’t have the patience to educate every ignorant man, I don’t have the knowledge to heal all the wounds I encounter.No matter how many people you save, you only remember the ones you let down.Today, I took my rest. I took the family out to breakfast. We had an art day. We watched a movie. We grilled outside. We played volleyball in the park. I even took a nap.I tried not to think of all the things that didn’t go as smoothly as they could have last week. I tried to forget the people I had to inconvenience with rescheduling, or people whose schedules I couldn’t accommodate.I’m sorry too for flooding all your inboxes. I’m sure I’m driving readers away.But we’re fighting fascism. This is a challenge we have to meet collectively.Last week, Nick Paro, Will Fullwood, Eric Lullove, Evan Fields and The Daily Whatever Show said they’d help me do more interviews. I’ve already received help from SugarRhi~, Natasha K., Melissa Corrigan, she/her, Frederic Poag, Anthony Christian, A. Eevie Bateman, Margaret Williams, MS, ACC, Ben Ulansey… are there more? There might be more.My goodness, that’s already so many. What’s it been? Two weeks? Three?My constant sate of mind is that I feel like I’m letting everyone down. I’m not asking for recognition. I want help. I want to get this ship turned around.I’m glad I listed all those names. So many people are helping already. We’re talking about reeducating and reconditioning. The mass of our population is still fixated on the distractions. They’re listening to publications that are fixated on click rates and that don’t even try to educate.It’s the primaries my friends. Our power is in the primaries. Our salvation lies in the negative space they try to force us not to explore. They spin us around with distractions so that we never find the door.I’ve got my fingers on the handle but I’m not going through without all of you. There’s light on the other side. There’s a park with a dog in his prime. There’s ice cream and green grass and sunshine.Every second somebody wastes on hysterical comment thread rage, a moment of potential euphoria dies. When we’re all out of this, then we can all celebrate.Until then, I feel like I’m letting everyone down.Let’s reject the distractions.Together we rise.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hey Everybody!This show was so much fun. I’m always appreciative of Lawrence and Dana. In this episode, we talked with Congressional candidates Shelby Campbell of Michigan and Ericka Kopp of Virginia.As far as I’m concerned, the best thing we can do right now is get more progressive women elected into congress.Full stop. That’s it.My job is to support these brilliant women as much as I can. In talking to Shelby and Ericka, I feel hopeful for the future. It’s so important to give power to people who know what it’s like to struggle. What’s the point of continuing to endure the decisions of men who have never had to face even the slightest obstacle.Give this talk a listen and tell me what you think!You can find these wonderful candidates here:Campbell for CongressEricka Kopp for CongressThanks for listening!Thank you LeftieProf, Sean M Hines, Noble Blend, Courtney, Lynette, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dana DuBois, Lawrence Winnerman, and The Daily Whatever Show! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offAre Christian teachings radicalizing your friends, neighbors, and children? Do people go to church to hear the teachings of Christ, or are they indoctrinated with hate?If you go to a church, how do you feel about people who go to other churches? Do you love them? Do you love immigrants? Do you love the LGBTQ+ community? Do you love Democrats?Or do you love guns?It’s long past time that the United States of America addressed its white supremacy problem. If you discuss racism, many Americans will instinctively snort at you and turn away. They’ve been trained to disregard the various hate ideologies that have become fused with our cultural identity.The unfortunate consequence is that we don’t discuss white supremacy. We don’t teach our children how to avoid the evils of that ideology. Instead, we bow down to a mountain of cultural norms that are designed to protect this hateful form of thinking.The sacred nature of religion is used as a lever to plunge the fatal seed of white supremacy into your heart. We’re told that religion is beyond reproach. Religion cannot be questioned. Once the name of god is invoked, you are supposed to swallow all your questions and objections.Convenient.The problem with anything that cannot be questioned is that it become subject to corruption. We need transparency as a form of combating corruption. This concept should be self-evident to anyone who has studied the Christian observations on human nature.Yet, for some reason we offer an exemption to the people who lord those teachings over us.Christianity suggests that human beings need a higher authority to compel them to do what’s right. They fear that in the absence of that authority, people would cheat and engage in immoral behavior. So, accountability has been the church’s model to prevent this.But who is responsible for holding the church accountable? Don’t say “God” because we know that God helps those who help themselves.We demand accountability in every other part of our lives. Our teachers in classrooms are accountable for what they say and teach. Our law enforcement agents are accountable in that they must wear body cameras, and file reports, and testify. Checks and balances were created to hold our government accountable (in theory).In every other part of our life, transparency is demanded. Honest people have no problem with transparency. Yet, there are those who insist that they are above the rules that bind the rest of us. So we take them at their word, let them do what they want, and crime endures.Convenient.It’s staggering to think that our society could be so naive. All criminal organizations have to do is insist that they are a Christian organization, and we’re all supposed to accept without evidence that their actions are just and moral.Can we all stop for a moment and agree that’s ridiculous. If you caught somebody breaking into your house, would you let him go if he claimed to be a priest?In the instances where accountability has been demanded, the facts show that Christian groups are not always as pure as the driven snow. But, it’s a social convention that we don’t talk about boys being raped by priests. For some reason that’s considered impolite to say.Unfortunately, this contributes to why we don’t have warnings against grooming and white supremacy indoctrination as part of our public schooling. We’re not allowed to teach Black history. We’re not allowed to mention racism.This is because the dogma of white supremacy largely overlaps with the dogma of Christianity. For example, the idea of an unquestionable authority figure, the idea of obedience, the idea of tribalism. All these things are leveraged in order to radicalize our kids.“You are one of the chosen people. The lives of other people don’t matter.”That’s grooming.They tell us that it’s the worst thing to become a traitor to your beliefs, and that is related to becoming a traitor to your race.We’ve been tolerant of these ideas until now, but it’s killing us. These radical, right-wing ideas are why frustrated, armed, white men go on murder sprees in schools.Other countries have guns.Only the United States has white supremacy. You might think other countries do, but you’re wrong. This is the birthplace of that cruel ideology.Hey, all I’m doing is asking questions.This is our essential problem. The nation refuses to recognize the source of all our misery. Because in our willingness to allow people to have their religious beliefs, we create a kind of loophole in our morality which allows white supremacy to flourish.The most malicious examples use Christianity as camouflage so that they can further develop and proliferate their hateful teachings. This is a defilement of all the best things that are involved with the Christian religion. The way it stands now, in offering this warning many Christians are inclined to say, “Well not all Christians behave that way.”In this response you can see another example of how our social mechanism functions. We’ve been indoctrinated to deflect and protect this incubator of evil that’s hidden right out in plain view. It allows white supremacy to take root and grow and flourish and adapt and change and become ever more dangerous.We’re seeing more and more blatant lies that people tell. Many people insist on repeating the false claim that public schools indoctrinate. They don’t. Public schools teach critical thinking.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offBut people have been groomed to believe that lie because they’ve been taught to assume that anything that challenges one of their indoctrinated beliefs is representative of unfair hostility. They believe in unquestionable authority, so no amount of experimentation will convince them to entertain any other belief.They are immune to the power of verifiable, observable facts. They’ve been indoctrinated.It really is incumbent upon us to address and oppose this form of malicious hate grooming. We have to push the Overton window in the direction of progress. We must work to build a society where the majority of the population recognizes the danger of indoctrinating the population with false and harmful assumptions.We must fortify the constitutionally defined need to separate church and state. For all the flaws of the founding fathers, and there are many, they did at least recognize the dangers of religion.Of course, through the evolution of our nation and the process of corruption, these warnings have been eroded. I think we really need to recognize that white supremacy is a cancer that inhabits the body of Christianity. Even now it could be the case that more of the total mass of that body is white nationalist hate indoctrination than it is the appeals to humanity and diversity and charity that represent the teachings of Christ.This is a problem. The reality is that we can’t let the malicious part of that body influence our public institutions which are designed to protect our nation. All kids have a right to know their fundamental value and worth as human beings.If they are not getting that information at home, and if they’re not getting that information at church, our society has a responsibility to ensure they hear it in public schools. We can no longer afford to discount the malice that’s inherent to white supremacy defiled Christianity.White supremacy defiled Christianity itself seems to perceive other religions as weeds that need to be removed. We see evidence of this purpose in the increasingly hostile language of those that name themselves of this faith group. It is not an ideology of love and tolerance.It’s the exact opposite. Too few people make appeals to humanity or stand up against the injustices that are becoming more and more frequent in our country. If Christians were opposed to white supremacy, we would not have white supremacy in the United States.Instead, we have a denial that white supremacy exists. This ideology is either deliberately or inadvertently maintained by the Christian cultural majority.What it comes to is that the rest of us simply have to be more open. We have absolutely every right in the world to demand accountability, particularly when church related groups are found to be guilty of terrible acts such as child rape and child trafficking.If you look at the actual statistics, you’ll see that’s the case.Again, we live in a society with a mainstream media and a general public that’s content to falsely blame people that have absolutely nothing to do with these kinds of crimes. They blame the LGBTQ+ community, they blame immigrants, even though no criminal statistics corroborate those beliefs.The reality is the groups that are most inclined to rape children are members of the Christian right.This is a verifiable fact.Our children have a right to know where the true predators can be found. They have a right to know where to go to seek protection and accountability.We can’t allow ourselves to become passive enablers of the most horrific abuses you can possibly imagine. It’s often said that educated opinions offend, but we have to also recognize that ignorant opinions kill. If we’re going to make process to a better society, we have to override our indoctrinated compulsions to disregard certain transgressions based on the assumption that those transgressions lead to a greater good.Evidence suggests this is not the case. Transgressions against humanity, in fact, lead to even greater atrocities. It’s long past time that we show some deference and respect to the survivors of terrible abuses and those that did not survive.It’s time that we had justice. Anyone who is truly a follower of whatever good parts are left of religions that have been corrupted and perverted by nefarious actors should, without hesitation, find agreement with my position.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hello Everyone!I really enjoyed getting to talk with Brittany Jones. Again, she’s part of the new generation of candidates that’s willing to work for the people and not only listen to the demands of robber baron corporate donors (like so many incumbents).The more conversations I have like this, the more empowered I feel. At the same time, I’m starting to get a little frustrated with the other big creators on this and other platforms. There are people who claim they’re against candidates who take AIPAC money, but you never see those creators interview the primary challengers who are running clean campaigns.At some point we have to separate those who talk the talk from those who walk the walk. If you’re sponsoring a creator who doesn’t platform candidates of integrity then cancel. You can always sign back up if those creators start to work for us, but until they do it’s time to add pressure.By platforming “for the people” candidates we apply pressure. These candidates are applying pressure by participating in these races. They’re the ones going door to door and talking to real people. That’s the kind of work ethic we need to support.The era of complacency has brought us under the power of this cruel, authoritarian regime. But we have the power to bring it to an end and save as many lives as possible. That’s going to require action on our part. We can’t be passive and hope for the best. Support Brittany Jones! Support creators like me and Will that platform good people. Place pressure on the creators who aren’t meeting the moment.The voices of decent people have been suppressed for as long as this country has been in existence. It’s up to each and every one of you to make the choice to support the people who actually stand for compassion, and demonstrate the courage to take action to ensure everyone has the same access to fair treatment.You can donate to Brittany’s campaign here.And follow her here:Thank you A. Eevie Bateman, Natasha K., Under the Golden Boot, Karen Brownfield, Deidre Keller, and many others for tuning into my live video with Will Fullwood and Brittany Jones! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offWe lived in a cozy, white, barn-style house about a mile from the river. The house was so old they didn’t even know when it was built. Their best estimate was sometime before 1900 when everyone wasn’t so serious about keeping records and marking every little thing down.I think the best way for me to do to give you a sense of our house would be to ask my daughters to paint it.When children paint things, they can’t help but include their feelings in the picture. In that way, a painting is a much more accurate representation than a photograph.If the house is a happy place, children will find a way to turn the front wall into a face. The windows will become eyes complete with eye shines, and hopefully there will be something that ends up suggesting a smile.I hope that when my daughters paint our house, the image is happy and full of adventure and love and comfort and warmth. I think that will be the case, but these are the types of things you can never take for granted. You always have to be on guard, because when you become complacent a little bit of sadness can creep in. Then again, a little bit of sadness isn’t all that bad. Sometimes you have to stop and sit with your sadness for a while.So as I write this, I guess I’ve come to recognize that a sad looking painting of a house wouldn’t be the end of the world. If my children came to me with such a thing, I could use it as a map to guide them out of some sort of quandary that might have otherwise remained invisible.This is why you should regularly do art with your kids.Do art with them, and don’t just look at it and say, “Oh, that’s nice,” although you should say that.Really look at it.Examine the lines.Try to imagine the movement of their little hands across the page. That’s not easy because a painting is a compilation of many movements. Sometimes your kids, just like all people, hid the truth or they hide their pain and then they cover it up. But one of the tricks about people is that they always leave just enough evidence for a caring person to see. They do it this way to ask for help even as they protect themselves. And if you’re a caring person, you will see the clues and unlock whatever tangle is causing them discomfort.If you’re not a caring person, take heart, because that’s something you can choose. You can become better at it. It’s been a long process for me, and still I’d like to be better.Prior to moving into our house, my wife and I traveled around the area staying with my friends. We were nomads. I’d met my brave wife in Peru. Years later, when we watched ‘Paddington,’ we learned the bear had come from there as well, and my children’s eyes lit up.I’d lived in Peru for almost 10 years. My wife and I met when we were both working as teachers at a school. Taking that job had been something out of the norm for me. I generally didn’t seek the kind of shirt and tie employment I found there. But it gave me an air of respectability, and that was fortunate because that forged my wife’s first impression of me.We came to the United States in November when the leaves were in full bloom and it was still warm enough to walk around outside without a jacket. My poor, brave wife didn’t know what she was in for when the winter came. The thing that was hardest for her in the first year was the lowness of the sun in the sky.In Peru, throughout the year, the sun is always directly overhead.When you’re used to seeing the sun in a certain place, it’s disconcerting to find it elsewhere.We are on a planet after all, but you can go your whole life without fully recognizing or understanding that fact.Looking out upon a horizon with the sun low and dark at midday makes you feel as if you were on the surface of Mars. This does not feel like home. Home is far, far, away.I could have been a better aid to my wife in those times. But coming back to Wisconsin felt like home to me. I wanted to share with her the beauty of the cold and the crystalline snowflakes and the cozy darkness.There are nice things in hard moments, but appreciation can be a long road.We spent our first month as nomads, traveling here and there, purchasing groceries so as not to wear out our welcome. Then we found a house with a tenant on the first floor, and purchased it with a rebate program offered by the government. The tenant paid $450, and the mortgage was $575. So, we only had to make $125 a month for rent.The house we occupy today bears little resemblance to the house when we were given the keys on December 9th.First of all, there was a large tree out by the road on the other side of the sidewalk. The city came and took it down, but you can still see it in some online photos.One fall, after the leaves fell, a bee’s nest was exposed up in the branches. I decided to take it down with a football. I still remember my wife standing by the door, my two little girls about as high as her knee. They were all smiling with anticipation.“Don’t do it daddy! It’s a bad idea, the bees will get angry.”“The bees have gone darlings, everything will be fine.”“Why can’t you just leave it?”“I’m afraid they’ll come back. I don’t want you to get stung.”We had various issues with bees. I’ll get to those later on.The nest was just paper, and back then I could still throw a ball hard and with accuracy. It only took about two or three throws to bring the nest down. The first time I hit it, nothing happened, and the kids came out. Then when the nest finally fell, we cut it open to look at all the intricate chambers inside.The girls still laughed at me, and retreated into the house shaking their heads and muttering about how much work it would be to keep daddy in line.That’s going to be a reoccurring theme too. Daddies should have a little mischief to them. You have to be careful. It can’t be too much, just as too much salt can spoil the steak. But just the right amount ads a little sizzle to your life. It’s that electric surge of excitement. It’s that twinkle in your eye.Those are the eye shines.That’s the light of life.On the day my wife and I took possession of our house, we drove back to my mom’s place. We’d signed the papers and it was late and we hadn’t had time to move our mattress and our other meager possessions.It was snowing heavily as we made the one hour drive. I came over a hill and saw a deer standing in the middle of the road. I hit the brakes, but the deer struck my hood and flipped over the top of the car. I didn’t know it then, but my wife was already pregnant at that moment.It’s not a good thing to have an accident during a snowstorm in Wisconsin, but I knew that there was a rest area not too far away. The headlight had been knocked loose by the impact, but we made it up the road. I popped the hood and found that the radiator was still intact. I took some zip ties from my glove compartment and put the headlight back in place.Fortunately, we were still good to drive.That was my 1999 green Subaru Sport with the standard transmission.It would be our daily driver for the next five years, dent and all.We navigated the road through the dark woods with the headlights illuminating the gently drifting snow. I struck one other deer when I was in high school. Then there was a time when a deer crashed into my car as I sat parked. It’s not a frequent event, but I wonder what my wife thought since her first encounter with a deer happened within her first month in the state.“It was us or him,” she said. The danger of hitting deer is when people swerve, lose control, and crash. You can hit the brakes, but you shouldn’t swerve. You also have to be mindful of cars coming up behind you, but the highway had been empty and we didn’t have that to fear.A day later we returned to our new home. It had been a discount house and just about everything was falling apart. If you placed a marble on the floor, it rolled to the corner of the room. The walls were awful, the bathroom was horrid, there was a lot of work to do.We went to the hardware store and purchased four vibrant paints. When the choice came down to two colors, we picked based on the names.I can’t remember precisely what the colors were called, but my memory is close enough. I think the orange that we selected for the kitchen was called illumination. The green in our bedroom was emerald forest. The lime in the hallway was either pixie dust or fairy, or sprite. It was about the same color as Tinkerbell, and perhaps that’s part of the reason why we had so many fairies in our house. The living room was ocean blue.The first thing my wife and I did was paint. We taped the trim on the floors and put down plastic to protect the carpet. We opened the windows and cleaned the rooms and sinks. The paint adds a smell of newness to the house. Then I rented a machine and washed all the rugs and by the time we were done, the place felt a little more like our home.But it wasn’t our home yet. It was a foreign space filled with the energy of all the people who had come before. Again, this house was a hundred years old, and there were spirits in the walls. My wife talked to me about them when I went away. She had to have a stern conversation with one, and it stopped pestering her.This house has been here over a hundred years. The bones are strong, built from two by fours that more resemble three by fives. I’d come to find that out because before I was done I removed quite a few of the walls.But I didn’t know how to do any of that in my first days. I didn’t know how to be a good daddy or a good husband because I was new to the latter and had not yet become the former. Or at least, I didn’t know it yet.My brave wife put all her faith in me. We’d come to Wisconsin on the cusp of winter to begin our life together. Obama had recently been elected and for a brief time the United States felt like a fashionable place to reside.I’ve always had a fondness for the cold. I like skiing and building snowmen and sledding and making forts. I am dazzled by the warmth of spring. I relish the embrace of a river. The autumn days with the falling leaves remind you of your mortality and the beauty of existence.All that was a lot to absorb. There were foreign smells and no place to sleep and an ancient home that had perhaps seen a lot of turmoil sheltering us from the cold. I resolved to allow this poor old house to find a happy family inside. I think the wood soaks in the love, and it becomes stronger over time.I remember sitting in our empty living room. I’d set up the television I had in college. It was a 27 inch tube screen. I connected it to my DVD player and we watched “Cool Hand Luke.” It’s dark in Wisconsin in the winter, but that means you can cuddle up with the person you love beneath a blanket and send your mind elsewhere on the wings of a shared dream.Decades later, I’d read stories to my children in the adjoining room, and those stories as much as anything would become our shared, lived memories.The first days were spent on an air mattress beneath a sleeping bag.My wife recalled that she didn’t like the silence. She’d been raised in a city with constant noise. Here there was nothing, and the darkness outside seemed absolute. It was as if we were on a spacecraft far from anything she’d ever known.But we were together, and one thing we had in common was that there was plenty we wanted to get away from. As for me, I just wanted 10 years of peace to try things my way, not the way I’d been lectured and pressured to be. Writing this, I’ve had 16. We’ve been guided by compassion and cooperation, and it’s been everything I ever hoped a life could be.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hello Everyone!It was delightful to sit down with Doug Chapin for Congress and SugarRhi~ for a conversation about how to create a better society. Doug is just up the road from me. He’s running for office in Minnesota, and I feel there’s a very strong chance he’ll be sworn into congress in January of 2027.He’s got a wonderful legal background that makes him perfect for this moment, and his authenticity is clear for everyone to see. It’s inspiring to meet so many great people who are willing to put in the work to ensure there will be accountability for all the crimes we’ve had to endure over the last two years.To learn more about Doug, you can check out his webpage here:Doug Chapin for CongressAlso you can find him on Substack here:Thanks so much to SugarRhi~ for joining me and asking such great questions:Thank you NeuroDivergent Hodgepodge, Ashleigh Alauren, MJ, Dominique, TEOTWAWKI, and many others for tuning into my live video with SugarRhi~ and Doug Chapin for Congress! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offWe have primaries for a reason. Primaries exist so that the people can provide feedback on the job performance of their representatives.If we don’t like the way our representatives are using the power we give them, we have a mechanism in place to have them removed.That’s democracy.The problem is that somewhere along the line, rich people decided that once they were elected to office they were entitled to hold that seat forever. The consequence of this is a generation of politicians who lecture and sneer at the people rather than listen to them.In the 2020 election, the people gave the Democrats the power to hold the insurrectionist and all his accomplices accountable for the crimes they committed against our country. But rather than do anything with that power, the Democrats decided to go on as if it were “business as usual.”Today, schools are being bombed abroad, and children are getting round up by masked police and raped in concentration camps. Our current generation of politicians failed us. It’s time for something different.The problem is that our entire political and media system has been designed to disregard the primaries. The reason for that is simple: they know the primaries give us power! They don’t want us to know we have power, so they keep distracting us in every way possible.But we’re not going to let them.Establishment Democrats make a lot of haughty and dismissive comments about primaries. It’s abundantly clear that they don’t like them. But they keep overlooking the fact that primaries are their job review.It’s time that our representatives “got over themselves.” It’s time that they stopped hiding out in their mansions to maintain the illusion that they’re insulated from the consequences of all their bad decisions.The people are suffering based on their choices, and we’re not going to put up with it anymore.When you stop and think, it’s absolutely ludicrous that Democrats aren’t in favor of primaries.Primaries allow for multiple candidates to canvas a district. Those candidates can activate the voting base because they provide the people with a choice. Primaries allow for the development of name recognition. Win or lose, the candidates who participate in primaries can run for other elections on the county, state, or federal level.It’s win, win, win.The only “downside” is that ineffective, millionaire politicians that use their office only to enrich themselves risk losing their seat.As you can probably tell, I don’t consider that a downside at all.As we look out at our current political landscape, it’s clear that business as usual is a complete and total failure. The Democratic party managed to lose the presidency to arguably the most loathsome human being to ever live. Their current strategy caused them to lose control of the Supreme Court, the House, and the Senate.That’s a complete and total failure if you ask me. We can’t allow the Democrats to continue to shove their worthless strategies down our throats. Yet, whenever I receive a message from the DNC, it includes comments from James Carville who hasn’t won a race since 1992, and who only won then because Ross Perot sabotaged the Republicans.Why is it so hard for the party that claims it represents “education and reason” to see what should be painfully obvious?We need a new vision.We need new leadership.We need a party that embraces rather than suppresses the idea of the primaries.Pete Buttigieg recently made an endorsement for my political district. Now, I love Pete. I think he’s a brilliant and compassionate man. He’s one of the few people in politics who I wouldn’t want to challenge to a debate. I’ve seen him talk, that guy can run circles around me. He’s got one of the sharpest minds I’ve ever seen.But on the issue of who should represent Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional district, I have some advantages. I talk to people in this district every day. I know where the best coffee shops are. I know what the schools are like. I literally have thousands of hours of experience in what makes this district work.When it comes to who should represent me in my own district, Pete needs to sit down and listen rather than stand up and speak.That’s the whole issue with the DNC. They spend too much time lecturing and not enough time listening.It’s truly unfortunate that the Democrats refuse to embrace the idea that people should select their own representatives. They constantly trot out their disrespectful and often racist talking points about “electability” and “fund raising” and they forget the most important part of politics.Listen.We’ve seen the Democrats engage in deplorable behavior when it comes to primaries. They threw a temper tantrum when Mamdani won and many of the high ranking members supported Cuomo even though his participation threatened their victory. This is what has to change. Democrats always try to insist that their strategies are “designed to win.” But the problem is that they haven’t won. They’ve lost everything. In addition, even when the voters gave them power in 2020, their watered down candidates refused to do anything with it.What’s the point in working hard to elect vanilla candidates who refuse to represent the will of the people when they get sworn in?Like it or not, our elections feature primaries. Like it or not, primaries activate the community. Without primaries, candidates don’t feel any need to listen to their voters. It’s hard to be enthusiastic about any representative that refuses to acknowledge your concerns.But when multiple candidates are going door to door, it allows the people to educate our politicians on the issues that matter most.This is essential.This is critical.The DNC’s efforts to amputate this process is the exact reason they’re seen as completely out of touch.I’ve interviewed a lot of progressive candidates. They tell me how they receive pressure from the party to step down. Some of them tell me about the absurd obstacles they have to overcome just to get on the ballot. I applaud each and every one of these candidates for the work they do.At this point, they’ve already secured a resounding victory for freedom just in the fact that they gave the voters a choice.Let’s be real for a second, if we don’t have multiple candidates to choose from, then it’s no choice at all. If we don’t have a choice, we’re not free.I’d like to see a future Democratic party that embraces the idea of primaries. I strongly feel that’s the strategy change that will replace endless defeats with endless victories. I demand to have some influence on selecting the individuals who will represent me.We shouldn’t stand for a political party that won’t tolerate primaries.Instead, we must demand a political party that recognizes how primaries play a critical role in our representation.The Democrats have lost their way and we’ve very nearly lost the whole country as a consequence. However, the primaries are going on right now, and we have the unique opportunity to vote in a new generation of candidates that will actually listen.Feel the power people! You have a right to select your candidate!Check out these candidates:Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

Hey Everybody!Well, I’m off to a great start this morning. Jeromie Whalen is a wonderful candidate running for Congress in Massachusetts. Before we got started, I asked him how to pronounce his name and then I got it completely wrong the moment I introduced him 🙄. I guess it’s a case of the Mondays. But Jeromie was very kind about it and we went on to have a great conversation.I love the fact that educators are running for office. We need real people in our government. Jeromie strikes me as an authentic person who is committed to using our government as it’s intended—that is, to serve the people!To learn more about him, you can check out his web page here:WhalenForCongressMA.comYou can also find him on Substack here:I hope you enjoyed this conversation! Keep reaching out to Jeromie and the other great courage candidates. We’re organized. We’re going to win:Thank you A. Eevie Bateman, Gretchen Theodorakis, Karen Brownfield, Elizabeth Van Alstine, Deidre Keller, and many others for tuning into my live video with Whalen for Congress! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

It has been a while since I talked to Zuri Stevens and I didn’t realize how much I needed this conversation. We walked through all the terrible things that are going on today, but we did it with the purpose of seeing where we can best apply our power.There are a lot of forces of deceit in the world. They try to distract us. They make it feel like our defeat is inevitable. They try to silence us. It can feel overwhelming until you stop, take a step back, and recognize that they wouldn’t be making such an effort if they weren’t scared of us.THEY. ARE. SCARED!Good, they should be scared. Because we’ve awakened, we’re working hard, we’re more organized than we’ve ever been in my lifetime, and we’re taking our country back!If you’ve been feeling worn out, listen to this interview. I think it will help you feel renewed. Be sure to subscribe to Zuri here:Thank you Margaret Williams, MS, ACC, Mandy Ohman, Chris Resists, LeftieProf, Noble Blend, and many others for tuning into my live video with Zuri Stevens! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe

You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe