Petty Cheesey 0
David marvels at Donald Trump’s meltdown in response to a casual remark by President Obama.
Republican Thought Police 0
Yet another Trump acolyte attempts to exercise the freedom of repress (and is now being sued over it).
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Another portable phallus that performed on its ownsome.
We are a society of stupid willfully poisoning ourselves with lead because so many persons seem to need their portable phalluses to feel like real big men.
Stray Thought, Devolution Dept. 0
In another sign of the ultimate rot in our civilization that, after weeks of searching, I have been unable to find a shaving brush in any of our regular stores and ended up having order one to be shipped.
And not from anything Amazon, by the way.
The Rule of Lawless 0
One more time, we seem to live in retaliation nation.
In the Trump maladministion, “mal” not only stands for bad, it stands for “with malice aforethought.”
The View from Afar 0
Via the Las Vegas Sun, Jackie Calmes reports that she recently had occasion to go abroad. From the perspective of distance and away from 24-hour relentless cycle of headlines, she found a renewed perspective on the Trump maladministration. Here’s her list of things that stood out; follow the link for a detailed exploration of each one.
- His embarrassing and willfully provocative obsession with branding things, buildings (even adding his name to a memorial of a slain president!), bodies of water and now states.
- His antidemocratic refusal, despite his oath, to be president of all Americans.
- His pathological narcissism and companion sense of monarchical entitlement.
- His anti-constitutional undermining of a free press.
- The top-down model of incompetence and corruption in Trump’s administration.
- Trump’s traitorous bear-hug of Russia and betrayal of Ukraine, U.S. allies and the 80-year-old world order that is among the proudest legacies of the United States.
Arc Angles 0
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Thom argues that the arc of American conservatism is wrong, for it bends towards fascism, spurred on by America’s original sin of chattel slaver.
Watch the video for his reasoning.
This New Gilded Age . . . 0
. . . meet this new “Let them eat cake.”
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
It has been previously reported in these electrons that politeness is going for the dogs.
Well, now it’s going for the cats.
A (Hopeful) Tune for the Times 0
Warning: Language
Unchecked and Unbalanced, the Rule of Lawless Dept. 0
Via the Miami Herald, Boise State University’s Stephanie Martin observes that the Republican-controlled Congress is failing to do its job in reigning in the Trump maladministration’s violations of the law. She–er–suggests that that is not a good thing. Here’s snippet:
Trump’s influence over Republican voters intensifies these incentives. Lawmakers who oppose him risk public ridicule, primary challenges and diminished political support . Defending congressional authority may therefore carry greater immediate – and personal – political costs than allowing presidential power to expand.
The result is a political system in which a president can act in ways that may violate federal law, undermine democratic norms and encroach on Congress’ constitutional authority.
I think she is–er–understating the danger facing our polity, but I still think her article is well worth the few minutes it will take to read.
Trading Secrets 0
Heaven Trumpettes forbid that the public should learn about the stock manipulation.
At a Crossroads 0
Driftglass is not sanguive. Here’s a bit of his article (emphasis added):
It put me in mind of the lesson my father taught me through example:
I commend the entire piece to your attention.