A Tune for the Times 0
Warning: Mild language.
From the Youtube page:
“Make America Great Again, My Ass” is a sharp, unapologetic parody music video that takes aim at the hollow nostalgia behind MAGA politics. While politicians chant about a “better past,” this video highlights the very real ways America is failing people right now — from economic inequality and crumbling infrastructure to culture wars, book bans, and the erosion of basic rights.
Set to biting lyrics and uncomfortable imagery, this parody pulls back the curtain on performative patriotism and exposes the disconnect between political slogans and lived reality. If you’re tired of being told things are “great” while wages stagnate, healthcare collapses, and democracy feels fragile, this one’s for you.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Mitchell B. Liester reminds us that “social” media isn’t. He notes that (emphasis added)
Family estrangement has reached epidemic proportions. . . .
What’s causing this destruction? Causes include substance abuse, violence, and personality conflicts, but a newer and increasingly powerful force is social media algorithms designed to increase engagement by promoting divisive content.
In these algorithmic times, methinks the entire article is worthy of your attention.
Precedented 0
In a disturbing and unsettling article at AL.com, Kyle Whitimire addresses
(h)ow a Yale prof’s cruel experiment explains the ICE-y obedience breaking America.
No excerpt or summary can do his piece justice. Just go read it.
Still Rising Again after All These Years . . . 0
. . . and still trying to white-wash (you will pardon the expression) America’s original sin of chattel slavery.
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
Jamelle Bouie hears a rhyme from half a century ago:
Follow the link for his parsing of the poesy.
______________________
*Mark Twain.
The Greenland New Deal 0
Rick Strom takes a look at the international reaction to Donald Trump’s Greenland fetish and some of the reasons that might explain said fetish.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Once again, an oxymoronic “responsible gun owner” exposes a portable phallus to a child.
According to police, the 6-year-old discovered a gun and accidentally shot the 3-year-old.
The victim is being treated for non-life threatening injuries at OhioHealth Mansfield.
Idolaters of The False Idol 0
Michael in Norfolk sums it up nicely.
Suffer the Children 0
We are again reminded that that’s not scripture. That’s Republican policy.
Swiss Cheek 0
Seth takes a closer look at Trump’s speech at Davos. It is not pretty.
Aside:
Many years ago, we hosted a high-school exchange student from Denmark. The next year, we visited Denmark and met her parents, who were marvelous hosts. We had a wonderful visit with gracious people.
I would not want to hear what they would have to say about my country today, now that it is ruled by a narcissistic toddler who fancies himself not president, but king.