Culture Warriors category archive
“Some People Are More Equal Than Others”* 0
Andres Oppenheimer wonders why it took so long:
Where were McCain, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and dozens of other high-profile Republicans who didn’t break with Trump until the Oct. 7 release of Trump’s now infamous video?
Most of them, like McCain, explained that they had made their difficult decision because “I have daughters.” Where were they when Trump demonized Hispanics? Don’t they have any Hispanic friends?
Read the rest.
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*With apologies to George Orwell.
Sleazy Is as Sleazy Thinks 0
I have two daughters. I never ever thought–I cannot conceive of having ever thought–of dating either one of them.
Guess I’m not Republican Presidential candidate material.
Pardon me now while I take a few moments to stop my skin from crawling.
Afterthought:
Today’s Republican Party is a vile and loathsome thing.
The Bright Side 0
Dick Polman:
He goes on to point out that he’s writing in the morning, and no one knows what today might bring.
Meanwhile, in The Charlotte Observer, Keith Larson marvels at this coarse discourse (emphasis added–more at the link):
“Minced Trump” 0
(Link fixed.)
Solomon Jones writes of his recent interview of Tim Kaine. Not surprisingly, the Trump Tape came up as a topic. Mr. Kaine did not mince words; he minced Trump. Here’s an excerpt; follow the link for the rest.
“No, it’s not. It’s what sexual abusers do, but it’s not what men do.”
I wholeheartedly agree. Talking about grabbing strange women by the genitals without their permission is not locker-room talk. It’s sociopath talk.
As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap* (Updated) 0
The Rude One points out that the Republican Party brought Trump on themselves. (He’s so upset he doesn’t even cuss.) Here’s a bit; follow the link for the rest:
Today’s Republican base is a vile and loathsome thing, and the Republican Party did it to itself.
The Republican Party created its base when Richard Nixon decided to woo racist, segregationist bigots with his odious Southern Strategy. The bright minds–at least they called themselves the “bright minds,” as the old man back home would have said–of Nixon’s Republican Party believed that they could control and manipulate the rubes and hayseeds, as no doubt they conceived of them, to short-term political advantage.
Their plan succeeded so well that the rubes and hayseeds now control and manipulate them, to the peril of the polity.
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*That’s not just scripture. It’s also sociology.
Addendum, Late That Same Night:
The peril to the polity manifests itself: This is the reaping of what the Republican Party’s hate-full, apocalyptic war on the Clintons over the past two and a half decades has sown.
Where is HUAC when you need them?
Trumpling the Debate 0
At Above the Law, Elie Mystal suggests that Sunday’s Presidential debate had the wrong “moderators.” Here’s the essence of the post:
In the wild, a successful challenger will kill or cast out the old leader. Some animals will eat the children of their rivals, to ensure the purity of their line. Donald Trump threatened to do that to Hillary Clinton, last night. He asserted that, should he be engorged with power, he would have Hillary Clinton hounded and likely destroyed. The “jail” threat seems like a normal if classless attack to people who think this is all some kind of game. It’s actually despotic degradation of civil society.
Folks, preventing this sort of preening display is what “political correctness” is all about. Those who complain about “political correctness” seek license to offend without penalty.
“The Honor Syndrome” 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Ryan P. Brown explores how Trump gets away with exploiting women while keeping the loyalty of “values voters.” A snippet:
Here’s how.
One of the most powerful and oldest facets of American culture, one that goes back to the founding of the country, derives from the beliefs and values of what social scientists refer to as the honor syndrome.
Follow the link for his explanation of how that works.
Projection 0
Shaun Mullen reacts to the Trump tapes, marveling at the alternate universe of the “Trumpkins,” who are trying to make Trump’s glorification of his license to assault and abuse women, arrogated to himself in his self-anointed role as a “star,” somehow just go away. To my mind, though, this is the best line:
Follow the link for all the other lines.
Full Disclosure:
I have not watched “The Apprentice.” Indeed, the only “reality show” I have ever watched was one episode of “Survivor” because I was visiting my daughter and she liked it. It was so long ago that the Pontiac Aztec, arguably one of the ugliest, stupidest cars ever created, was a thing.
Until this weekend, I would have said that nothing in real life could be as unreal as a “reality” television show.
Clearly I was, as my first boss would have said, “in error.”
Extra-Special Bonus QOTD 0
Historiann:
Who ever would have predicted that it was a bad idea to nominate a Human Stain for president?
Do follow the link.
I’m taking the rest of the day off.
The Tarheel Potty Police 0
One wonders whether those who see God’s revenge in random weather events will see this as God’s revenge for North Carolina’s HB2 Pervy Potty Patrol Peeper Law.
Nah.
Trumpling Women (Updated) 0
Really, now, aside from its having been documented, was anyone at all surprised?
Afterthought:
It will be interesting to see whether this will prove too much for the self-proclaimed “Christians” who have so loudly supported him.
I’m betting it won’t. I expect that they will decide that, whoever the woman in question was, she was a fallen woman, she was asking for it, she was no better than she should be (whatever the hell that means), boys will be boys, and–oh, you can fill in the rest of the blanks.
Addendum, Later That Same Day:
Sky King Was a Television Show . . . 0
. . . not an alternative universe.
Words fail me.
Afterthought:
Nothing causes me to question my faith more than the antics of believers.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Or,”If you want them to have a work ethic, don’t spare the whip.”
Words fail me.