Culture Warriors category archive
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Grung_e_Gene looks behind the anti-migrant rhetoric at those who spout it and what he sees is not pretty.
Establishmentarians 0
The Arizona Republic’s E. J. Montini argues that the Sun Devil is in the details.
American Establishmentarism 0
Thom talks with Tim Alberta about how the confluence of bad history and bad theology are feeding American establishmentarianism.
This is well worth the few minutes it will take to listen to it.
The Invading Horde 0
But the folks in Eagle Pass, Texas, say the invaders are not who you might think they are. Here’s a tiny bit from the story:
(snip)
While local residents with the Eagle Pass Border Coalition told reporters and supporters that they of course welcome all visitors to the community who respect their culture and diversity in a civil manner, they believe the recent arrival of Republican governors and a trucker convoy of Christian nationalists in support of Abbott’s violent rhetoric helped to spread “hate and descension” in their community over the weekend.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
As the Founders feared might happen, this “nation of immigrants” now has a political party that values power over the polity and faction over the federation.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Charles M. Blow sees a pattern repeating itself:
He explains his reasons for fearing that at the link.
Untruth in Labeling 0
At the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mary Pezzulo struggles to understand why self-proclaimed “conservatives” embrace Donald Trump. A snippet:
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Jackie Calmes reminds us that, when you points a finger at someone else, three fingers point back at you.
Establishmentarians Establishing Establishmentarianism 0
Thom talks with Tim Alberta about his new book, The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory: American Evangelicals In An Age of Extremism.
Republican Thought Police 0
At the Tampa Bay Times, the past president, current president, and incoming president of the American Sociological Association take strong exception to Florida’s decision to remove sociology from the list of “core” courses at Florida universities.
I commend their article to your attention.
Afterthought:
I am a strong believer in the value of sociology as a field of study. I majored in history, as I’ve mentioned before in these electrons, but, had my college given minors, I had more than enough credits for a minor in sociology.
History teaches how we got where we are. Sociology teaches us to understand how where we are functions, plus it sheds light on the workings of the where-we-came-froms.
But, of course, racists and bigots (and fascists and wannabe dictators) don’t want you to understand, or you’ll see through their game.
Taylor Mad 0
Along the same lines, Sam and his crew take a look at the right-wing’s Taylor Swift freak out.
A Critique of Poor Reason 0
At the Kansas City Star, Melinda Henneberger takes on what may be the looniest right-wing conspiracy theory since pizzagate: That the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift tools of Joe Biden. She wonders
. . . But how will Chiefs Kingdom push back against the slander that their wins aren’t real?
I think you will find her article a worthy and entertaining read.
Establishmentarians 0
Oklahoma establishmentarians want to erect a graven image.
Chaos Agents, a Notion of Immigrants Dept. 0
E. J. Montini points out the obvious. Donald Trump and his dupes, symps, and fellow travelers exacerbate problems, not solve them (emphasis added).
A bipartisan deal to address the border problem is the best thing for the country.
But it is the worst thing for Donald Trump . . . .
They want the chaos. They need the chaos. And Speaker Johnson goes along. These are Republicans putting Trump over party, and then putting party over country.
Follow the link for the evidence.
“The Godfather” 0
Chauncey de Vega argues that Donald Trump is analogous to the boss of a crime organization whose followers are loyal to him and him only. Here’s just a tiny little from his essay.
Furthermore, there is large base of support for authoritarian and fascist politics in the United States. Many Americans are strongly attracted to political strongmen autocrats willing to “bend the rules” in order to “get things done” for “people like them.”
Negative and affective partisanship — meaning a situation when a political party or movement becomes someone’s primary identity, creating an us-versus-them worldview in which the other side is not just wrong but evil — along with asymmetrical polarization, white identity politics and racism, misogyny, and hostility toward sexual or gender minorities also contribute greatly to Trump’s persistent levels of support.
The whole thing is a relatively long read, but it is worth it.