Author's archive
Mummers of Discontent 0
In the three decades I lived in the Philadelphia area, I never–not once–had any desire to go to the Mummers Parade. The idea of standing on Broad Street in freezing temperatures did not appeal to me as the way to usher in the New Year. That some of the Mummers had a history of less than proper and considerate behavior was not a factor in my thinking; the thermometer was.
In recent years, some of the Mummers have been criticized for racist and bigoted undercurrents (in some cases, overcurrents) in their costumes and conduct. Note that I said “some of,” as the parade is composed of many different groups; pretty much the only thing they have in common is the parade.
At the Inky, Daniel Gold, one of the marchers, writes of wanting to see this aspect of Mummery improve and considers why such improvement is a struggle. His comments are perceptive and can be extended to the larger society. Here’s a bit (emphasis added):
To be blunt, most Mummers don’t understand the problem. And not enough are interested in figuring it out. They don’t feel racist, so they can’t understand why the public would see them that way. They view individual acts of racism as individual problems, and assume if they’re not the one doing it or getting caught, they’re not the problem.
But that’s not how it works. Racism is complex. Though it often occurs at the individual level, it is a cultural problem. In western society, it has artificially pit Black against white and historically created a hierarchy placing white at the top. When people speak of systemic racism, this is what they mean. In America, we all live with this and play a part. We either work to combat it or escalate it.
Know Them by the Company They Keep 0
A federal judge considers the criteria for clemency from the current federal executive.
Details at the link
Parler Tricks 0
One more time, the internet is a public place.
Aside:
From what I’ve heard–I’m sure not going to find out for myself–Parler is such a sloppy operation that his account very well could have been impersonated, if not actually hacked.
Oops 0
I tried to install a plugin to make this site more mobile friendly and it broke my WordPress.
I had my hosting account open at the time, so I went to phpMyAdmin, opened the file manager, navigated to the WordPress plugin directory, deleted the plugin’s directory, and everything worked again.
(Wiping brow) I got off easy that time. And I learned something.
Last time something went wrong, I was offline for a month.
Bitter Enders 0
One is mildly taken aback that Trump supporters would look to Stalin for inspiration.
But only mildly, as their bent to plumb the depths has been amply demonstrated aforetimes.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Party politely.
The Washoe County sheriff’s office said it is believed somebody at the party fired a weapon into the dark not knowing she was there. The teen is expected to recover from her injuries.
Guns and stupid, guns and stupid.
They go together like love and Cupid.
Let me tell you brother,
You can’t have one without the other.
Perpetually Popping Off Propaganda . . . . 0
David dissects the deluge of disinformation.
And the spiral continues.
The Point of Propaganda 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Rob Henderson reviews recent research and argues that the point of propaganda is not to convince, but, rather, to coerce. A nugget (emphasis in the original):
Alongside their desire to brainwash people, authoritarians also want to remind them of their power. When people are bombarded with propaganda everywhere they look, they are reminded of the strength of the regime.
The vast amount of resources authoritarians spend to display their message in every corner of the public square is a costly demonstration of their power. Propaganda is intended to instill fear in people, not brainwash them.
Much, much more at the link.
Maskless Marauders 0
The Roanoke Times editorial board minces no words. A snippet:
“Today, we’re on a razor’s edge between liberty and tyranny,” Knight said. “Fear isn’t the only thing that’s contagious, though. Courage is contagious. Be courageous. Defend the Constitution. The time is now that we the people take back the power and restore Virginia to her rightful place as a bastion of liberty.”
What utter nonsense.
And it gets better from there.
Your Government Inaction 0
Sam Seder, Emma Vigeland, and Dr. MarkAlain Dery discuss the failure of the Trump administration to address the current pandemic.
The Voter Fraud Fraud Is a Fraudulent Fraud Perpetrated by Fraudsters 0
In a news report syndicated by the Seattle Times from the New York Times, the authors argue that the failure of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election had the unexpected effect of debunking the voter fraud fraud. A snippet:
Nevertheless, argue the authors, many Republican voters will continue to tell themselves that they are somehow the victims here. Another short excerpt:
The false notions have lived on in Trump’s Twitter and Facebook feeds; on the television programming of Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network; and in statehouse hearings where Republican leaders have contemplated more restrictive voting laws based on the rejected allegations.
The entire article is worth a read.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Ensure that your offspring play politely.