Annie Jacobsen

Yeah, I know.

But I really am an eternal optimist.

And I see the situation that we're in now as I see history, which is as a work in progress, as a work in progress.

And so I...

like to be aware of what's happening in the moment, obviously, but I like to look at how far we've come and where things have gotten better, not necessarily where they've gotten worse.

Yeah.

Because I think you have to, otherwise you can be, you know,

You know, pessimism, I think, leads to paranoia.

And that is deeply dangerous, especially for the citizenry, because that's certainly what I'm part of.

And so I'm just examining the leaders and the and the operators as those who are really holding the reins of power.

But what's the role of the citizen?

Well, I personally think.

to be curious how you and I started this conversation off camera.

That's where the role of the citizen lies, because this business of everybody thinking they are like quarterbacking the president's moves or the secretary of state or

I mean, that I find a little suspect because you can one cannot imagine what it would be like to wear the moccasins of those individuals.

Yes.

I mean, look, I think that the I specifically do not write about politics.

No one has any idea what my political affiliations are.

I want to tell you about what happened and what is happening and hopefully that people make their own decisions about things.

But I believe that it's really important for the citizenry to continue to have an objective view.