August, 2022 archive
Taking the Veil 0
So much for “render unto Caesar.”
Aside:
This is a dead giveaway–it’s all (or at least mostly) about the Benjamins.
Boebert Is the New Gohmert 0
(Warning: Short commercial at the end.)
Establishmentarians 0
At AL.com, Frances Coleman gets to the heart of establishmentarianism (emphasis added):
Their declarations . . . aren’t about religion. They’re about co-opting religion for irreligious ends.
Follow the link for the rest.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Demonstrate politeness at your social gatherings.
Guns and stupid, guns and stupid,
They go together like love and Cupid.
Let me tell you, brother,
You won’t find one without the other.
Republican Family Values 0
A caller wonders why so many persons, particularly on the right, seem obsessed with transgender persons. This is something that also puzzles me, as transgender persons are a minuscule portion of society, so much so that most persons will likely spend their entire lives with ever meeting a transgender person. (Warning: Short promo at the end.)
Of course, one explanation may simply be that purveyors of hate know that hate sells and hating trans persons is the sales pitch du jour.
“Ethics Committees” 0
Slate reports on a phenomenon that’s occurring in states that have enacted strict abortion laws in the wake of the Dobbs ruling. Here’s the nub; follow the link for a long and detailed exploration of the topic (emphasis added).
After Roe’s fall, ethics committees are taking on a new responsibility: determining whether a pregnant patient suffering a medical emergency may lawfully obtain an abortion.
Methinks that there must be another phrase, one much more suitable than “ethics committees,” to describe said function.
I wonder what it might be?
(Image via Job’s Anger.)
Courting Disaster 0
At the Sacramento Bee, Erwin Chermerinsky reveals the con behind the conservative reactionary justices’ claim that they are merely citing precedent from the distant past. Here’s a bit of his column:
Historical practice is often inconsistent, allowing justices to pick the examples that support the conclusions they want. For instance, the court dismissed many laws regulating concealed weapons and gave no weight to the fact that the New York law they overturned has existed since 1911. The conservatives on the court ignore history when it does not help their agenda.
QOTD 0
Maurice Davis:
It seems to me that any cult has to have the following characteristics:
- One, a dictatorial leader, often called charismatic, who has total and unlimited control over his group.
- Two, followers who have abdicated the right to say no, the right to pass judgment, the right to protest, who have sold their souls for the security of slavery.
- Three, possibly the most dangerous doctrine known to our civilization, that the end justifies the means . . . .
Precedented 0
As Mark Twain once pointed out, “History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
Establishmentarians 0
Zandar over at Zandar versus the Stupid is somewhat less than optimistic.
It’s a Global Economy, in Case You Haven’t Noticed 0
Republicans, abetted by a complicit news media that values furor over fact, want to blame President Biden for the current hike in prices in the United States. (Of course, Republicans want to blame everything on President Biden, because blame and fear are their only weapons.)
University of Nebraska Omaha Professor Christopher Decker points out that this recent inflation is a world-wide phenomenon influenced by events well beyond the control of any one person, regardless of what office he or she might hold. Here’s a bit of his article; I commend the rest of it to your attention.
It might seem like U.S. policies brought on this predicament, but economists like me doubt it because inflation is spiking everywhere, with few exceptions. Rates averaged 9.65% in the 38 largely wealthy countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development through May 2022.
The Fear Factor 0
Emma, Matt, and Brandon react to a caller’s idea that fear is one driver of conservatism.
The Great Fizzle 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Nuala Walsh explores the much over-hyped not-so-great resignation. She makes three main points:
- Many reports of the “Great Resignation” have circulated, panicking employers and fueling employees.
- This has not materialized at the scale expected, with momentum and motivation now slowing.
- Employers can stop panicking, as most employees are unlikely to resign in mass volumes.
Follow the link for a detailed exporation of each one.