Author's archive
Denial Is Not Just a River in Egypt 0
At the Des Moines Register, Walter Suza explores the reality and effects of racial separation in the United States, citing events from his own life as a black American, and suggest that there are none so blind as those who will not look. A nugget; follow the link for his larger argument.
Why is it that some white people deny that systemic racism exists in the United States?
Those who deny that systemic racism exists have probably lived largely in a segregated white world.
No Surprises Here 0
Nope. None at all.
Bald-faced hypocrisy is the operating principle of today’s Republican Party.
Experiments fail, even noble ones.
Recommended Listen 0
Bob Cesca interviews Mary Trump.
This is well-worth an hour of your time. You can download it and take it with as you run errands, as I did yesterday.
QOTD 0
John Locke:
I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts
.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Nancy LeTourneau explores Donald Trump’s intent to deny the reality of racism as part of America’s past.
Afterthought:
It is worth remark how the “Lost Cause” keeps getting found again.
The View from Above 0
In the Idaho State Journal, Jesse Robison reports on a conversation with some friends in Canada about their view of events in the United States. Here’s one their comments (admittedly paraphrased) extracted from the conversation; follow the link for more.
The Disinformation Superhighway 0
Nigel Barber looks at how “social” media is being exploited to promote authoritarianism. One his examples is Myanmar’s oppression of the Rohingya; follow the link for more examples:
Not being Internet-savvy, Myanmar residents were inclined to believe whatever they read as though it had been edited like a reputable newspaper.
Their Facebook feeds contained many false and hateful narratives about the Rohingya, their atrocities committed against Buddhists, and their ties to Islamic terrorism. The Facebook algorithm amplified these hate-filled rants, offering a breeding ground for fake news hostile to the Rohinga..
Facebook was aware of the problem but opted not to hire sufficient staff in the country to set about removing some of the inflammatory false narratives.
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
At the Tampa Bay Times, Larry Tye makes a case that understanding the history of Senator Joe McCarthy could lead to understanding Donald Trump and his dupes, symps, and fellow-travelers. Here’s a telling bit from the article:
To Senate Democrats, McCarthy’s message was clear-cut and Trump-like: beware the battering ram.
Republicans were even more yellow-bellied. Their leader in the Senate, Robert Taft of Ohio, confided to friends that McCarthy had “made allegations which are impossible to prove.” But there was a reason Taft, like today’s GOP Senate boss Mitch McConnell, was called Mr. Republican. “Whether Senator McCarthy has legal evidence, whether he has overstated or understated his case, is of lesser importance. The question is whether the Communist influence in the State Department still exists,” said Taft, knowing full well it didn’t. A Washington acquaintance explained that “McCarthyism is a kind of liquor for Taft. He knows it’s bad stuff, and he keeps taking the pledge. But every so often he falls off the wagon.”
The Truth, the Troll Truth . . . . 0
Writing at Psychology Today Blogs, Clair Jack considers what motivates internet trolls and how best to deal with them. A snippet:
If you spend any time on the inner webs, and obviously you do or you would not be seeing this, I commend the entire piece to your attention.